Chapter 73
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Unexpected Peace...?
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"Quite the fascinating instrument."
"The forest craftsman did fine work, didn't he? Do you like it, senior?"
Unexpectedly, the goddess Hera turned out to be quite reasonable.
Maybe it was because I wasn't of Zeus's bloodline, or perhaps Hermes was right about poems packing a punch with their divine power boost.
At first, her face had been stern and rigid, but she'd only warned me not to use that magic so recklessly. Before long, she'd softened into a gentle atmosphere, chatting amiably with me.
"Senior... that's an odd way to address me."
"Does it bother you?"
To be honest, I'd never really conversed much with someone on my level before.
More precisely, I'd never even encountered anyone who could be considered my equal.
The Twelve Divine Demons who'd taught me back in the River of Three Roads were walls I hadn't surpassed by the time I graduated.
When I'd entered the church as a martial god, I'd kept a low profile due to lacking a faction, but in terms of martial prowess, even the council elders weren't my match.
Once I'd ventured into the martial world, there were a few past masters and hidden experts who'd given me a sense of crisis now and then.
But since I was in the thick of conquering the martial world, I never had the chance for lengthy talks.
In that sense, this queen of the Greek lands was not just a goddess to me—she was a distant senior in wielding divine power and the martial art known as magic.
And look at that dignity and beauty that naturally made "big sis" slip out.
'She's on a whole other level from that pink-headed brat.'
I'd nearly called her "big sis," but out of respect and reverence, I'd settled on "senior."
"I don't mind. I'm sick of being called 'Your Majesty' or 'Goddess' day in and day out—no need to be so formal with a cute junior priest like you."
And since the goddess seemed quietly pleased, it was a win-win.
"Hmm... like this?"
-Ding~
As our conversation flowed, the queen gradually lowered her altitude from the skies above. For some reason, she placed the gayageum I'd been holding onto her own lap and was now receiving instruction from me.
'I have no idea how things ended up like this...'
As expected of a goddess who'd lived longer than my previous two lives combined.
Her my-pace nature effortlessly steered situations to her liking.
With a single clap, she'd restored the forest devastated by the Twelve Songs. With a flick of her wrist, she'd summoned a spread of wild berries and wine. After peppering me with questions, here we were—alone with the goddess expertly handling my gayageum.
"There, raise your fingers a bit more and drop your wrist lower, or you'll struggle later."
"I'm a goddess, you know?"
"Don't goddesses get sore muscles? For real?"
"Hahaha! What do you think?"
"Regardless, holding your wrist like that presses the gold string flat and muddies the tone. Do it like this..."
"Ah, so keep it neither too high nor too low?"
Just like that, I ended up teaching the queen of the gods the basics of the gayageum and sound arts.
"That spell you used to block the pitch earlier..."
"You mean erecting a barrier shield with divine power? To master that, first..."
In exchange, the queen of the gods—and former witch—was teaching me how to handle divine power and the fundamentals of the spells common in this Greek world.
As I thought how peculiar she was, yet found myself comfortably engaging with her, I wondered if this was really the hysterical goddess from myth who'd sown trials and torments everywhere.
What was it... less "big sis" and more the comforting vibe that made you want to call her "mom."
-Diding~!
"Hm, that sounded good this time?"
"Ah... yes, that was nice."
The queen of the gods beamed like a child at the gayageum's clear tone.
A fleeting thought crossed my mind: Am I in some super rare or dangerous event right now?
"Yes, yes—the timbre is so unique and lovely. Apollo would surely perk up at this level."
"So you knew after all."
I'd suspected as much from my earlier mention of chewing out Artemis.
Evidently, the queen was fully aware of those twin deities' antics.
"Those two tarnish Olympus's name at every turn..."
-Zzzt...!
Come to think of it, both Artemis and Apollo were Zeus's blood, but illegitimate children all the same.
In my memory, Hera hadn't clashed with them much, so I'd assumed things were fine.
But the moment I recalled them, the gayageum wailed as if trembling in her delicate hands.
Clearly, even the queen harbored deep grudges against those two.
"Even letting those things into Olympus made my blood boil... I endured a million times over to allow it, even granted them divine thrones—and yet they won't live quietly..."
"...Oof."
Just thinking about it seemed to reignite her fury; hot winds swirled around the quivering Hera, and the earth began to rumble.
Is this why, in my past life, my servants and subordinates would toe the line whenever my blood pressure spiked?
-...Glug.
Hm, this wine's delicious.
Having lived long enough, amassed plenty of achievements, and flaunted wealth and power, I knew the type.
The best move with a master fuming like that was to leave them be.
"Hoo... No point stewing over it—it's all thousands of years old now. Just laughable."
"Wise words."
"Hehe... thank you."
Hera gave a wry smile, as if deflating, and gestured toward the gayageum.
It floated lightly into the air and slid neatly into my arms.
"Anyway... crafting an otherworldly instrument to soothe that flower-crowned sun god, Apollo, was a wise choice. He'd lose his mind over instruments and music."
"Oh. Then..."
"But that alone won't suffice."
Why half-ass it when you could do it right?
Hera smiled triumphantly and addressed me.
"You must've borrowed Hermes's wits, no doubt."
But Artemis, that wild girl, clings stubbornly to her brother.
That's why Apollo only scouted you this morning. Try brushing it off with mere music, and you'll pay dearly later.
Hm, bad news.
According to Hera, the sister was a psychopath, and her brother Apollo seemed pretty four-dimensional.
"Makes sense—no sane person would claim a nymph's transformed tree, which she fled into hating him, as their sacred tree."
"Eros's prank... even Olympus reeled from that incident."
In short, even if I pulled out the gayageum as my trump card, it'd only get me through now—later, that sun god with his otherworldly mindset might snipe my head with sunlight.
"So... what do I do?"
Should I just drop the sun on them?
"Or have Moonlight Lunatic beat them down a peg?"
Honestly, comparing it to the moonlit divine power Artemis had spewed in her rage.
Pure internal energy aside, if I unleashed the Twelve Demon Arts with demonic divine energy, I could probably thrash her into immobility for years.
Plus, Hera had casually mentioned over wine earlier.
This crazy girl hadn't just come after me—she'd raged that Atalanta betrayed her too, stormed the sanctuary bow in hand, and Hera had blocked her.
No more reason to yield or hold back.
"Hoh. Bold words. No matter how extraordinary your birth, they're gods still.
Even if I dislike them, think I'd just let talk of harming fellow Twelve Gods slide?"
"Hmph. Hesitate to spill blood when it's time, and greater blood flows back to you.
Especially when it's not just me—Atalanta and Ner might be at risk. Gods or not, who cares."
The sun god was gearing up to clash with me anyway.
I'd sweated with Hestia to block bloodshed over sweat, but if that proved futile and blood spilled—not mine, but those around me—
Maybe it'd be best to smash them so hard they'd never dare touch me again.
"Hmm... Atalanta aside, even my baby sister..."
"...Pardon?"
Baby what?
Did this goddess just say something about Neri?
"You didn't know? Nesneria—that child is like my baby sister. Lord Oceanus and Lady Tethys are my foster parents."
"...Oh."
I knew divine lineages sparked unpredictably from the strangest places.
But this family tree connection was way out of left field.
Damn, shoulda read more comics.
"Well... you're all still young. Pushing my divine karma on you this early feels off."
As I ground my teeth, Hera muttered to herself, then shook her head with a bold gaze.
"Anyway, fret not. Hermes's advice will work—for now."
"It will?"
"But it needs refining, more detail and care."
Like plotting a fun prank, the goddess smiled slyly and leaned in to whisper her scheme into my ear.
"...Think I can pull it off?"
"You serious?"
It might seem irreverent or rude.
But her plan left me no choice but to ask.