Chapter 776: 280: Prisoner_2

Chapter 776: Chapter 280: Prisoner_2

“`

You should know that the moment the incense was lit, the moment the fog, heavy with grief and resentment, reached their vicinity, the twins had already gleaned some understanding of Demeter’s recent situation.

The resentment, the frustration, it was normal; the weakness desiring strength, it was also normal.

Therefore, they had many ideas before they even arrived, and had even made bets on how she planned to recover it all.

Make Aphrodite fall in love with a Hekatonkheires? Turn the desirable Apollo, whom even the Goddess of Beauty couldn’t obtain, into a subject under Demeter’s skirt?

These were all possibilities, and indeed they were clever strategies.

...

But they could never have imagined that they would hear the name of a goddess, and that goddess would be Athena.

“How so, is there a problem with what I said?”

“I remember Athena doesn’t possess great divine power, and there was no mention that your arrows can’t be used by goddesses.”

Smiling, Demeter felt immensely satisfied.

Goddess Athena, symbol of wisdom, when her name was spoken, Demeter couldn’t help but acknowledge the surpassing intelligence that is indeed the most precious treasure of life, a treasure not exclusive to the Goddess of Wisdom.

Yes, that’s right, just as the twins guessed, she was planning to find a pillar of support for herself.

Someone strong, capable, willing to work for her, and who didn’t understand love as possession, like Poseidon.

In fact, Apollo was a very good choice, Demeter still acknowledged the character of this nephew of hers.

However, thinking of Apollo, considering this deity whose appearance was acknowledged by both men and women, the Goddess of Agriculture suddenly had a brilliant idea.

Indeed, who dictated that love must be between a male god and a goddess, or a goddess and a male god?

Not to mention anyone else, her brother Zeus was an example. Recently, his affair with a certain mortal lad had been widely discussed in the divine court, and even rumors said that the Divine King planned to grant the youth immortality, to replace Hebe as the cupbearer for all gods.

Although so far it was merely gossip, Demeter couldn’t help but consider other possibilities given these precedents.

Furthermore, on Olympus, the amount of morally bound male deities was limited; goddesses were far more abundant.

Under such circumstances, once a change of heart occurred, the world seemed broader. It was not that Apollo was lacking in any way; choosing Athena simply appeared as a boundless horizon for Demeter.

“So, this is my request.”

Smiling in response, Demeter even analyzed, “The troubles I face now are related to both Athens and Olympus.”

“In the past, I was partly to blame for Theseus’s death. Under these circumstances, even if I’m willing to lean towards Athens, the outcome might not be favorable.”

“I am not certain if she will settle scores after fall, nor if Athena will trust me, but now, a single arrow could resolve all these problems.”

“Therefore, that is my request. I hope you can fulfill it for me.”

“Eh…”

Feeling a bit awkward, Volos had already brought out a golden arrow, but under the gaze of the Goddess of Agriculture, he retracted his hand a little.

Shooting Athena… Isn’t that a bit too fierce?

It wasn’t impossible, but Athena was a bit special. Therefore, even they were unclear what the outcome might be once the arrow was shot.

“Cough, Demeter, on this matter… we hope that you will give it careful consideration.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Volos explained, “It’s not that we can’t fulfill your request, but wisdom indeed has the upper hand in repressing such emotions.”

“Furthermore, although I have no idea what the goddess has been doing lately, the impression she left on me during a chance encounter over a hundred years ago was even more formidable than the Lord of Ocean.”

“So what you are saying is, you can’t fulfill your promise?”

Taken aback, Demeter didn’t expect her flawless plan to face an obstacle before it even began.

Faced with her inquiry, Volos had no choice but to explain, “It’s not impossible, but the result is rather unpredictable.”

“We agreed to shoot an arrow for you, but the consequences should always be clearly stated beforehand.”

“Athena… is indeed not a good choice.”

“…”

Feeling somewhat unwilling, but Demeter had no alternative. After all, as they said, they promised an arrow but did not promise the outcome.

If something really went wrong, she doubted that the twins would offer after-sales service.

With no other choice, given the best option was gone, Demeter fell into thought for a moment.

Should she choose Apollo instead? She’d rather not.

Besides Athena, she wished to avoid choosing any gods likely to be involved in the Battle of Athens.

Moreover, the most important point was that although Apollo was powerful, on one hand he had no factions of his own, and on the other hand, he had his duties with the Sun Chariot.

“`

So this really wasn’t a good choice… Demeter just wanted to retaliate against Aphrodite and then slip away.

“The starry sky, the Underworld, choose one, these are the only two safest places.”

“But the Underworld belongs to Pearl, and ever since marrying Hades last time, it seems she has become quite estranged from me…”

Shaking her head, thinking this, Demeter looked up at Volos.

“Well then, as you said, in that case, I will make another choice. This time, I hope there will be no more problems.”

“There won’t be, among all the gods there aren’t so many exceptions.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, she recalled the gods she knew within the scope of her knowledge.

Volos was sure, there were no more exceptions, even if this time she chose Hera, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“But to get back to the point, I should warn you in advance. Arrows that involve Desire must be forged with your heart’s blood, filled with hatred.”

“Demeter, are you ready?”

“Of course.”

If for others, their hatred was toward a particular person, and thus their blood-drenched arrows could only affect their enemies,

for Demeter, her hatred was less about Aphrodite and more about her own situation, her thirst for power and status.

So without hesitation, she took the Golden Arrow from Volos’s hand and plunged it into her chest.

And when a deity with great divine power sacrifices her blood for an arrow, this originally brilliant Divine Artifact inevitably lost its luster.

Red patterns spread upon it, some lost power from the world stirred and began to slowly converge.

“Tsk, decisive now, aren’t we?”

With a sneer, Eros brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Will she get what she desires?”

“Perhaps… she might.”

“…”

As voices faded into nothing, in this profound night, the Golden Arrow symbolizing Desire was forged once again.

······

The next day.

In the City of Eryxis, Laine surveyed the ruined Temple.

The power of the Abyss still lingered above, and Laine was somewhat surprised by Aphrodite’s quiet association with the Abyss.

Of course, his reason for visiting the place today had nothing to do with the Abyss.

That was a matter for the Serpent of the Central Court, not his.

The reason Laine came was actually because of a person who had just been arrested here.

“According to your investigation, he’s not a guard of Eryxis, but he was skulking near the Temple of Agriculture,” Laine asked as he browsed through the data obtained after a short interrogation.

“On a power level… suspected to be a high-ranking professional, but did not resist arrest, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

Solomon nodded slightly.

“Then his name, and why did he come here?”

With a strange expression, Laine asked again.

“Hmm…”

Even though he had been informed by the messenger earlier, Solomon found it odd that he was being asked again, yet he replied, “Supposedly, he came to rescue a trapped goddess.”

“That’s his mission, and the mission’s objective is to save the Goddess of Agriculture from the clutches of the evil Athenians.”

“But as you know, we haven’t captured the Goddess of Agriculture at all. As for his name…”

After a moment of thought, Solomon affirmed:

“Though it is a bit strange and does not conform to the usual naming conventions. But according to his own account, he indeed calls himself ‘Heracles’ without a doubt.”