Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

"Distinguished guests, envoys, and citizens from the city-states, kingdoms, and nations of the Eastern Continent including Phoenicia, Lydia, Phrygia, and others, the assembly is about to commence,"

Odysseus was situated in a corner of the venue. As he conversed with the priest, a steady stream of people continued to enter the place.

It wasn't until the sun reached its zenith that most of the attendees had taken their seats and an elderly man of courtly birth stepped onto the central stage, facing the tens of thousands in the audience.

"Today, under the eyes of the gods and the rule of the Kingdom of Athens, we shall hold a grand ceremony where the wise from all countries will present their talents as offerings before the deities."

"But before that, there is one more task we must complete, and that is to finalize the theme and the judges for this assembly,"
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Raising his hand, the elder on the hovering platform in the center of the venue pointed towards the sky, and immediately twelve leather scrolls bound together floated in midair.

The twelve scrolls, distinguished by different numbers and colors, were so vivid and conspicuous that each viewer could clearly see and take notice of their presence.

"Everyone has their own thoughts, and the truest form of fairness in adjudication comes not from another but from the guests of the nations themselves. Unlock the topics with wisdom, prove neutrality in your decisions, and persuade us with words, convincing us to believe.

This is the best way to judge, and the true winner will have the public's accord; each topic may have its biases, so we leave everything to fate,"

"Pick the scroll you favor, raise the corresponding card by your seat, and based on that, we will select the final topics and procedures. Now, please be silent,"

"The selection of topics starts now,"

······

Whoooosh...

Waves lapped gently against the calm surface of the sea, creating a series of sounds.

Thousands of magnificent carriages streaked across the sky, descending straight down as the sea parted before them.

Perhaps due to the arrival of the Earth-Shaker God, the usually placid Pontus Euxinus turned rough; however, it seemed insignificant and common before the myriad of deities in the sky.

"What a hasty wedding..." Aphrodite mused, picking up a rose and watching it bloom and then wither. "To think, from decision to commencement, not even half a year has passed; it's quite the joke."

She didn't really want to come here; the specific reasons, she wasn't completely sure of. At first, she thought it was an omen from fate, a sign that something undesirable was going to happen on this journey. But later, she recalled more clearly.

Her disdain for this place wasn't new; it had started a long time ago. Previously, it was an unconscious reluctance to draw near, but now, she had to come because of the Divine King's command.

"Such an abrupt wedding, yet personally announced by the Divine King... Could it be that he can no longer restrain himself and intends to break the vows once made, to exert his influence over the great ocean?"

Aphrodite spoke carelessly, her words hanging in the air while her daughter, Harmonia, the Goddess of Harmony, stood silently beside her.

Her husband, Cadmos, renowned in the Mortal Realm, was no longer with her; unable to leave that place, the Goddess of Harmony spent most of her time alone.

Yet, she didn't completely agree with her mother's words.

Perhaps due to the nature of Godhood, in the eyes of the Goddess of Harmony, Zeus's connection with the laws of the world had become more harmonious and tighter.

This was a good thing, reminiscent of when the second generation Divine King believed that the Codex of Creation was the most suitable Divine Artifact for the Divine King, for this special status could endow Zeus with a power far beyond his imagination when facing those who broke the rules.

However, this direct connection affected him differently than a Divine Artifact; the greater the benefits received, the stricter the constraints he had to endure. If anyone in the world would never break their vows or disrupt the order of the Divine Court, then, in the opinion of the Goddess of Harmony, it would certainly be Zeus.

So regardless of what purpose brought the Divine King here, it definitely wouldn't be to subjugate the ocean with his own power.

"Forget it, you're always such a bore. Initially, I didn't support you marrying a mortal, but it was the Divine King's command, after all. Yet, I suppose he didn't truly intend to repay that human named Cadmos,"

Shaking her head, Aphrodite said no more.

For much of his life, Cadmos could not speak of good fortune, and both Thebes, which he founded, and the legacy he left behind met with more disasters than luck, Aphrodite herself having played a part in their misfortunes.

Regardless, it all belonged to the past. The carriages descended from the parted sea, and Aphrodite, with her daughter, entered the palace of the Ancient Sea God's lineage under the respectful reception of the Sea Nymphs at the doorway.

Behind her, more deities arrived, including the God of Heavenly Light and the Goddess of Daylight, who had been recluse for a long time, had come in person.

These were two ancient gods with great divine power, but at the invitation of the Divine King, they had come from the stars to the mortal realm.

Beyond that, even Aphrodite saw traces of the primordial Titans deities—with the appearance of the Goddess of Luminous, the rarely seen wife of the god of the lightless celestial body.

"...And her, why did she also come."

With a quick glance from the corner of her eye, Aphrodite caught sight of a red hem, but it disappeared as she turned around.

The Goddess of the Magic Net, a deity existing outside of the Divine Court, originally had nothing to do with them, but due to an accident, it seemed that the Goddess of Beauty had offended her.

Since then, Aphrodite had been the frequent target of the other's pranks, each time not seriously harmful, but extremely insulting.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Aphrodite entered the palace of the Sea God.

She had planned to wait for Ares, but now she was no longer in the mood.

A few sweet words at most, that brute wouldn't remember such matters.

...

As time passed, more and more deities arrived, swelling the crowd. By the time the sun was at its peak, even Apollo had momentarily abandoned his Golden Chariot, letting it hover in the sky, before coming down to the palace.

Gradually, the outside of the Sea God's palace quieted down again. Without any surprises, the wedding banquet must be about to start—no deity would put on such an air and arrive at this time, so the Sea Nymph guarding the door relaxed.

"...Who's there, come out!"

Suddenly, sensing something amiss, the Sea Nymph before the Divine Palace tensed up.

She fixed her eyes on the distant, somber waves, unconsciously stepping back. In her gaze, a gray-clothed goddess was slowly approaching from afar.

The newcomer didn't come in a chariot, but the Sea Nymph still breathed a sigh of relief.

It was alright if it was a deity; she only feared encountering mindless monsters. Deities wouldn't cause trouble at a wedding feast held by the Divine King, but the latter kind wouldn't care who the Divine King was.

"Welcome, your highness, I..."

"I come from the Underworld."

The voice held no deception, as Eris spoke indifferently.

"...No matter where you come from, as long as the Divine King..."

"I don't have an invitation."

"...Then may I go in..."

"No need."

Raising her hand to decline, the goddess revealed a strange smile. She looked at the palace before her and spoke calmly:

"Without an invitation, naturally, I need not go in, but since I'm here, I should at least present a gift."

"You may pass on my gift, whether it is fortune or misfortune for you."