Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Chapter 195

The Olympus star cluster was a celestial body whose axis was formed by twelve deities with vast achievements and narratives.

Now.

Eleven of the twelve gods upholding Olympus were gathered around a massive conference table.

『Athena, the wise goddess of war who formed one axis of the great star cluster Olympus, has perished.』

They had gathered to listen to this mysterious "tale"—something that could be defined neither as living text nor as mere sound.

Olympus...

They referred to such tales as oracles and placed absolute faith in them.

『For the survival of the star cluster, she courageously fought against the great being bearing the title ■■■.』

『However...』

『In the end, she was defeated, knelt in fear, and repeatedly begged for her life with words that shamed her father.』

The divine beings seated around the grand table soon began reacting in their own ways.

"How could such a dreadful thing happen...?"

"I can't believe it..."

"She was such a strong and wise deity..."

Some of the more warlike gods even began pressuring Zeus, who sat at the head of the table.

"What are you planning to do?"

"Will you let this stand?"

"We must take revenge!"

It was then.

"Ah, everyone's gathered, I see."

A young man appeared in the corridor where they had assembled, drawing all eyes to him with his words.

"You are..."

The youth possessed delicate yet sharp features, as if meticulously painted by a master artist's finest brush.

His long hair, eyes that seemed to contain all the sorrows of the world, even his lips—all bore a deep ink-black hue...

Yet his skin was as pure white as freshly fallen snow, evoking the image of an ink-wash painting.

Death without form.

The Underworld King.

His true name—Hades.

He calmly surveyed the gathered deities before speaking in an utterly composed tone.

"You should reconsider whether opposing him is truly the right decision for the survival of the star cluster."

At his words, the gods began murmuring among themselves. Hades then met Zeus's gaze and continued.

"He is a dangerous existence."

Seated upon the throne of the underworld, from which he could observe all things, Hades had witnessed every single action of ■■■ without fail.

He was but a single deity.

Yet it was undeniable that he wielded power far surpassing even an entire star cluster—both in terms of achievements and sheer might.

"Even so, he's just one deity."

"But he—"

"He cannot compare to Olympus."

The status of the Olympus star cluster was exalted.

Vast achievements and narratives...

The divine authority born from them was immense.

"Have you forgotten the 'achievements' and 'narratives' we've built over countless eons—so long that even the term 'aeons' feels insufficient?"

The accomplishments and tales woven by the deities of Olympus were equally vast...

Within them lay the lives of countless beings and the weight of ancient history.

From fragile commoners to great leaders, from tyrants to heroes who shaped eras.

"All of that is our 'status.'"

Zeus spoke with unwavering resolve, his gaze shifting to the empty seat at the table.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The place where Athena should have been sitting now stood vacant.

"Brother, moreover..."

Zeus spoke again.

"You know as well, don't you?"

A brief silence fell.

"This world is merely ■■■■'s..."

He emphasized his words.

"Nothing more than a '■.'"

As Hades opened his mouth to respond, Zeus cut him off, turning to the other deities.

"Who will step forward?"

It was then.

"May I have the opportunity?"

A deity with the appearance of a young man pounded his chest—thud! thud!—as he spoke.

「The Savage God of War」

Placing both hands on the table, he rose and looked around at the gathered gods.

"Let me be the one to destroy him!"

His voice brimmed with fervor as he continued.

"Though we both govern war, I'll prove I'm the far superior one!"

He had always harbored deep resentment toward 「The Wise Goddess of War」...

As skeptical glances were exchanged, Zeus—who had been deep in thought—finally spoke.

"My son."

"Yes, Father."

"I grant you this chance."

Zeus continued.

"Lead the armies."

Suddenly, thunder rumbled.

"Command ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the chariots."

The 「Savage God of War」 wore a sinister grin.

"March upon the battlefield."

Zeus added with solemn gravity.

"Seize his title."

The command was given...

"Take the divine relics of the star cluster and go forth."

"Yes, Father."

"Return victorious over him."

"Yes, Father."

He unleashed the deep-seated grudge he had long concealed.

The very axis of the world trembled violently.

Outside the corridor, lightning poured from the clear sky like a sudden downpour.

"Just as he erased my daughter from existence."

"Yes, Father."

"Strike off his head and annihilate his household."

The Savage God of War...

He...

Immediately left the corridor.

He's clearly outmatched...

Hades studied Zeus's inscrutable profile.

He must know that...

Did he believe the divine relics of the star cluster would allow them to oppose ■■■?

If not...

Did he have some stratagem in mind that even Hades couldn't fathom?

Regardless...

Hades, who had never been welcomed among Olympus's chief gods, felt not an ounce of attachment or bond with the star cluster...

I should make my stance clear.

Hades, too, left the corridor.

"Let's see..."

Lee Soo-bin tilted her head slightly as she stood before the mailbox.

"Huh?"

A piece of mail had arrived—addressed to Seol.

It seemed Kang-jun had once bought shares in a certain company under Seol's name, and now they had sent an invitation ahead of the shareholders' meeting.

"Where's this from...?"

S Group—the most prestigious publicly traded company in Korea.

"He bought S Group shares for her...?"

It was a company whose stock price rarely dropped significantly, even when it rose.

"Seol's set for life..."

She took the mail and returned home...

"Seol-ah."

Waving the envelope lightly, she called out.

"Someone sent you an invitation!"

Seol immediately shouted, "An invi-ta-tion?!" and rushed over to inspect the mail in front of her.

"Uh, uh, uh..."

Her eyes widened as she read the Korean text on the envelope...

"Sha-share-hold-ers mee-ting no-tice..."

She looked up at Kang-jun and asked.

"Daddy, what's this?"

Kang-jun let out a short "Ah," then explained.

"It means they're inviting you to an event where all the shareholders gather."

Seol blinked.

"But Seol isn't a sha-share-holder?"

"Hm?"

"Seol isn't a sha-share-holder, right?"

Kang-jun shook his head.

"No, Daddy bought a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lot of S Group shares in your name a while ago, so you became one."

Seol took a deep breath, then asked in a trembling voice, as if struck by immense shock.

"So... Seol is a sha-share-holder too...?"

"That's right."

"Daddy's the coolest..."

She added firmly.

"Seol wants to go too."

"Huh?"

"Seol wants to go to the sha-share-holders mee-ting."

Kang-jun blinked.

Was she interested in stocks?

Impossible.

Why is she so...

What could possibly make her so intensely eager about a routine shareholders' meeting?

Baffled, Kang-jun stared at Seol's back as she hummed cheerfully.

"How, how, really how..."

"Huh?"

"Seol is a sha-share-holder too, right...?"

What was going on?

"What should Seol wear?"

Then Seol suddenly turned to him, her eyes brimming with curiosity.

"Daddy, do all sha-share-holders wear dresses?"

"Huh?"

"Seol doesn't have a pretty dress..."

Kang-jun muttered, "So she wants to wear a dress to the shareholders' meeting..." before replying softly.

"Alright, I'll buy you one..."

Seol couldn't contain her joy and shouted, "Yay!"—just then...

"Hey, Kang-jun."

Soo-bin called him over...

"Yeah?"

She pointed at the TV screen.

"I think... Seol might be misunderstanding 'shareholder' as 'Ju-ju'..."

Kang-jun murmured, "Ju-ju?" and glanced at the TV.

『Chiring Chiring Secret Ju-ju』

It was Seol's favorite anime—a story about magical girls called "Ju-ju" who wield mysterious powers.

In short...

As Soo-bin guessed, Seol had confused "shareholder" with "Ju-ju" and was now wildly excited about it.

"This is a problem..."

Kang-jun immediately made a call.

A familiar voice came through the receiver...

"I have an urgent request."

"Organize a Ju-ju meeting."

Kazan on the other end cautiously clarified.

Kang-jun replied shortly.

"No. A Ju-ju meeting."

He couldn't possibly disappoint his daughter, who was already carefully selecting hairpins for the big day...

"Ju. Ju. Meeting."

And so, the Ju-ju meeting was planned.

A few days later...

"Seol's nervous..."

Morning arrived on the day of the "Ju-ju meeting" organized by Kang-jun and prepared by Kazan.

"Will all the other Ju-jus be there too?"

Kang-jun awkwardly replied.

"Yeah, they'll probably be there first..."

The venue was a banquet hall in a Gangnam hotel—the same place where S Group held its shareholders' meetings.

Creak—

As Kang-jun opened the door and entered, several part-time workers dressed as Ju-jus greeted Seol enthusiastically.

"New Ju-ju!"

Seol gasped and looked up at Kang-jun...

"Daddy, they're Ju-jus..."

Blushing shyly, she stammered.

"Ju-ju friends, n-nice to meet you..."

Kang-jun muttered.

"Success..."

She was properly embarrassed.

"Ju-ju friends, I'm Seol Ju-ju..."

Watching her, Kang-jun suddenly clutched his chest and groaned.

"So cute..."

She was adorable.

The Ju-ju meeting was essentially a tea party.

Gathered cozily together...

They enjoyed snacks and drinks.

Munch, munch.

Seol nibbled on her cookie, chatting cheerfully with the Ju-ju part-timers...

"How can she be this cute...?"

"So pretty..."

"Absolutely adorable..."

The workers were equally smitten, fawning over her endlessly.

"Can she really be this happy...?"

Kang-jun murmured unconsciously, a smile on his lips.

It was all a series of happenings sparked by a shareholders' meeting notice...

But it had created a memory he would never forget.

"You seem happy, sir."

Kazan approached and remarked quietly. Kang-jun nodded.

"Yeah, she looks really happy."

Kazan shook his head.

"No."

He looked up at Kang-jun.

"I meant you, Immortal."

Kang-jun blinked.

"Me?"

"Yes."

Kazan smiled faintly.

"You look happy."

Now that he thought about it, he truly was living days filled with happiness.

If someone asked when he had been happiest...

He wouldn't need to dig through old memories to answer.

Tomorrow would likely be the happiest day of his life.

"You've changed beyond recognition."

Kang-jun kept his eyes on Seol as he asked flatly.

"Is that strange?"

Kazan pondered.

"It is jarring."

He added softly.

"You've changed so drastically..."

The Kang-jun etched in Kazan's memory had been as cold as ice.

How to put it...

His face had always been unreadable, utterly expressionless.

At the very least...

He could never have imagined him smiling so brightly.

"But."

Kazan smiled warmly.

"This suits you far better."

Kang-jun replied briefly, "Yeah," then added.

"I'll live like this from now on."

"Will you?"

"Every day I'm allowed, I'll live like this."

He spoke with conviction.

He wanted to live peacefully.

Leaving the cruelty of the past buried.

"I want to live in peace."

He vowed firmly.

At that moment.

A sudden sense of unease washed over him...

WEEEEEEEEEE—!

An alarm blared deafeningly through the hotel.

It signaled the emergence of a Gate nearby...

Soon after, an urgent announcement echoed through the building.

The hall instantly descended into chaos.

Kang-jun's voice turned icy.

"But it seems peace isn't an option."

He stared at the empty air before him.

No—

At the status window that had suddenly appeared.

[ The deity 'Savage God of War' from the Olympus star cluster declares he will strike off your head and annihilate all your kin. ]

The next moment, Kang-jun unleashed his shattered mana.

Mana particles rained down like a drizzle...

And everyone in the banquet hall fell into a deep slumber.

"Sometimes."

Kang-jun spoke to Kazan.

"I have no choice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but to live as I once did."

Kazan hesitated. "Sir...?"

"That's the kind of world this is."

"Yes..."

"I'll be back soon."

With those brief words, Kang-jun's figure vanished instantly.