Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

He was quite satisfied with the way things had developed. The effect of the Golden Apple in creating discord had exceeded his expectations. Although the two most intensely conflicted parties were not the ones he had intended, he should not hesitate any longer and proceed to the next step.

Therefore, Zeus's face showed anger, as if he was infuriated by the dispute between the Goddess of Beauty and the Heavenly Empress. But upon glancing over at all the Gods, he seemed somewhat helpless.

"You are all my kin, my arms, or the highly respected Ancient Gods—for the sake of such empty honors, to confront each other with weapons, is it a wise act? It will only turn this matter into a laughingstock."

"Then what do you plan to do to resolve this?"

As if enjoying the spectacle and not minding if the situation got worse, Hecate seemingly conjured a large pumpkin out of nowhere. She sat on the edge of the pumpkin swinging her legs, breaking off a piece and popping it into her mouth.

"Since the Goddess of the Magic Net is so interested in this matter and you seem not to contend for the Golden Apple, why not let you decide its fate."

A divine light flickered in his eyes as Zeus said this seemingly offhandedly.

Many deities present changed their expressions upon hearing this, yet before they could voice their doubts, Hecate shook her head first.

"Such a troublesome task should not be given to me, little Zeus. I am here to watch the fun, not to become the fun."

Gazing at the Heavenly Empress and Goddess of Beauty who were previously at the height of verbal conflict, Hecate snorted with laughter, then lay back and in a flash, she disappeared without a trace.

Unbeknownst to all, a hole had appeared in the center of the pumpkin, just large enough to accommodate one person.

"Come on, Zeus, start your performance. Let's see what you plan to do."

"...Since you are unwilling, let's drop it then. However, the arrival of the unwed Goddess is indeed unexpected."

Without being provoked by the insolent words, Zeus always seemed to have a high tolerance when facing Hecate.

He looked towards the Gods, making eye contact with each one as if to select a fair and impartial arbiter.

Some showed anticipation, some preferred not to be involved, but in the end, Zeus did not choose any of them. After he shifted his gaze away from the last deity, the Divine King revealed a smile.

"I know many of you wish to be the Arbiter, but I must say, aside from Themis' Golden Scales, there is no deity here who can make all others feel that their judgment is fair and correct."

"Therefore, I have decided to leave this to fate."
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Raising his hand, the Divine King's tricolored scepter appeared in his palm, and with a light wave from Zeus, a phantom image materialized midair.

Through the phantom, the Gods could see a temple, a worshiper kneeling in prayer, and as the image was elevated, they saw an entire city.

"He is one of my believers, one of my agents in the Mortal Realm. Not long ago, he prayed to me, preparing to dedicate a grand festival to me and my most beloved daughter, as an offering to the Gods."

"Perhaps this is a revelation of fate... the Mortal Realm is selecting a hero of wisdom and justice, and the discord among the Gods also requires such a person. Why not let this festival determine the ownership of the Golden Apple?"

The Gods exchanged glances, and they found the proposal acceptable.

No matter which God would act as the judge among them, none would be entirely convinced; leaving it to a mortal might seem a bit frivolous, but they could use various means to ensure that the mortal's choice was not influenced by the will of the deities.

As for the fact that this festival takes place in Athens, this could give certain deities an advantage... but Athens is not the sole domain of the Church of Knowledge, and the quality and quantity of the gathering foreigners may not be lacking, perhaps even superior.

"So be it."

Still angry, Hera looked impassively at Ares and Aphrodite and then glanced at Athena, who was standing quietly to the side.

After all this embarrassment... the Golden Apple must be hers!

······

Whoosh——

Rustle rustle——

...

In the eastern lands of the Mortal Realm, a provincial capital was in the midst of celebration, while above the Pontus Euxinus, a wedding had come to an uneventful end. The couple who should have been the protagonists didn't even get a chance to speak; they could only shrink to the side, watching the gods who narrowly avoided a great war.

And at the cliff's edge of the sky, at the ocean's end, the eternal stream of the Circumterrestrial River flowed incessantly, never having paused for a moment.

That was the Circumterrestrial River, a symbol of the God of the Ocean Oceanus's godhood, the revelation of the world's ocean currents, and the boundary between the ocean and the void.

Here, an ever-moving temple stood towering amid the river waves. Apart from the God of the Ocean and his spouse, almost no one could set foot here.

However, today there was a slight exception. In the empty great hall, a third person had appeared at some unknown time.

"Have you made your decision... Oceanus, this is your last chance,"

"In the past, you struggled for three ages, but you are very aware that without an accident, even if three more ages pass, you still couldn't succeed on your own."

Standing in the shadows—or rather, wherever he stood surely became shadow.

Erebus looked at the still-hesitant Ocean God, blandly stating the facts.

"You know, in this world, most people do not wish for others to have a smooth journey just because they themselves have suffered. On the contrary, if they've been rained on, they want more people to share in their misery."

"And in this world, there have only ever been two people who didn't have great powers but later came to possess them and are still active in this world."

"Laine and Zeus. And unfortunately for you, both harbor ill will towards you."

"Prince Erebus, there may have been some misunderstandings between us, but malice—"

"Wasn't Laine's sword painful, or have you so quickly forgotten?"

With a faint smile, the Lord of Darkness continued:

"As for Zeus—I dare say, as long as he is Divine King, you will never be able to rule the ocean completely, even if Pontus sleeps and Poseidon can't even withstand a blow from your hand."

"..."

Lies do not hurt people; the truth is the swift blade. The scar from the sword that once cut through the long river was still fresh in the God of the Ocean's memory, and Zeus's attitude toward him was almost completely transparent.

Even though he had sent two daughters to Zeus—one devoured by him, and the other bearing the Graces with him—Zeus remained vigilant against the God of the Ocean.

No matter what, the other party would never allow him to unify the ocean and stand beside his wife as the true supreme ruler of the Ocean and Water.

"Out with it, what do you want me to do?"

After a moment of silence, Oceanus finally asked.

He had already made his decision; he would not be cannon fodder, no matter how enticing the other's words were, unless he could first touch a higher domain. Otherwise, he would do nothing.

As for after he had reached that higher domain... whether or not he would obey was a matter for another time.