Olympus.
- "Welcome, Romani Archaman!" Zeus began with a toothy grin, while the others silently studied me, though some were openly hostile and hostile. "You are the first mortal to set foot on the sacred mountain of Olympus, the sacred abode of the gods and our home! I am Zeus, king of the gods, ruler of the sky, thunder and lightning, who rules over the whole world!"
- "Hera, queen of the gods, ruler of marriage and childbirth," said Hera coldly.
- "Hades, god of death and ruler of the underworld."
- "Poseidon, god of the seas and ruler of all earthly waters," introduced Poseidon, whose appearance was similar to Zeus, but with aquamarine hues in his clothes and a trident in his hand.
- "Apollo, god of light, lord of the sun, the muses, and the arts."
- "Artemis, goddess of hunting and female chastity, mistress of the moon and all living things."
- "Ares, god of war and lord of military affairs."
- "Athena, goddess of wisdom and justice, mistress of victory, knowledge, and crafts, introduced herself with long chestnut hair and green eyes, dressed in a bronze-colored breastplate, helmet, and white tunic."
- "Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love."
- "Hestia, goddess of the hearth and sacrificial fire."
- "Hermes, god of commerce and cunning."
- "Hephaestus, god of fire and master of blacksmithing," introduced Hephaestus with curly black hair and a beard. He looked like an ordinary factory worker with calloused hands, skin reddened from the heat, and an ordinary face. I suppose that is why he was considered ugly, although by human standards he was average.
- "Demeter, goddess of fertility and mistress of agriculture," introduced Demeter, with long golden hair and eyes of the same color, dressed in a green toga.
In general, none of them stood out particularly, as if they were mid-level extras, with a few exceptions. Only the big three and Hestia seemed important, I would say. However, that is not very important now.
- "Romani Archaman, Magician. It is relatively nice to meet you," I said cheerfully and bowed slightly.
- "Relatively?" Zeus raised an eyebrow, then gave a knowing look. "I understand what you mean. As a just king of the gods, I will punish those responsible and also provide you with compensation. What do you want? Let's decide that before we move on to the main business."
While Artemis, Ares, and Hera shot Zeus a brief and not particularly meaningful glance, I smiled and thought for a moment, though not for long.
- "I have limitations?"
- "Only those that would infringe upon the pride of the Olympian gods and Olympus as a whole," Zeus replied confidently.
- "Then my idea is suitable," I nodded cheerfully. "However, it can only be done after we've finished here. I give you my word that my idea is absolutely within the limits, Lord Zeus. And one week will be enough for me."
- "What are you up to?" Archer asked with extreme skepticism via mental communication.
- "Whatever it is, it won't kill them," added Grandpa.
- "Arrrrr," agreed Heracles, though with suspicion in his voice.
- "I want to hear the details," declared Zeus.
- "The gods are perfect in everything, right?" I asked, receiving a confident nod in response. "Then they can handle a couple of everyday tasks that mortals usually do, can't they?"
Hearing my words, most of the gods raised their heads proudly, clearly not quite understanding what awaited them. Only three showed other reactions: Hestia, Hades, and Hermes. Hestia looked at me with particular caution, Hades smiled mockingly, not at me, and Hermes even showed some approval with a hint of apprehension.
- "Absolutely," Zeus confirmed.
- "Then everything is fine," I clapped my hands, indicating that the matter was settled. "Shall we get down to business?"
- "Indeed," Zeus nodded and gave me a particularly serious look. "Romani Archaman, reincarnation of Solomon, chosen one of the Biblical God. With your arrival, drastic changes have occurred, both in the world and in the balance of power. The Biblical faction has bowed down before you. Angels, Fallen Ones, demons. Now Amaterasu has announced your marriage to Yasaka of Kyoto, officially transferring control of the yokai of Japan to you and recognizing you as a close ally of the Shintoists. But that's not the most important thing..."
He paused and glanced briefly at Heracles and Archer.
- "Servants. The souls of legendary heroes from all over the world who have retained their memories, powers, skills, and even weapons," Zeus continued. "I want to propose an alliance between you, Romani Archaman, and Olympus. If you are willing to provide us with three Servants of Greek origin, Olympus will support you in any endeavor, no matter what it may be."
I raised an eyebrow.
Oh? It was obvious, of course, but to lay it out so bluntly? Frankly, I expected something more veiled. That's one side of it. On the other hand, the Servants are not commodities.
Yes, one could recall the case of Azazel and Ama-chan, but there I was guided by the Servants' personalities and their desire to continue on their current path. Da Vinci-chan was clearly not opposed to getting to know Azazel as a fellow scientist, Nightingale wanted to continue "healing" people, and so on.
The same was true of the Servants I summoned for myself. Artoria, Medusa, and Archer are lovers who, under different circumstances, would never have been able to live the way they do now, even though they miss Rin. Enkidu and Gil are friends who didn't have time for themselves. Merlin simply doesn't mind running around among a bunch of beautiful women, Heracles wants to live a relatively peaceful life, albeit without Ilyasviel, and the Assassins have a deep faith in the God of the Bible, albeit under a different name, and will always view service in a positive light in any case.
Zeus, most likely, will leave the choice to his servants, and among them there are those who do not particularly like Olympus and everything in that vein. However...
I grinned.
Why am I even considering his offer if it makes no sense, huh?
-0-
Hestia's gaze remained fixed on Romani, and there was a reason for that. Her rough understanding of this man's character, which seemed chaotic and unpredictable, yet perceptive and attentive, was more than enough to realize how dangerous he was.
Romani could do anything, not only because of his character traits, but also because of the power that Hestia had seen some time ago. He had thrown Ares aside as if he were a child or a mere pebble on the side of the road, and considering what Hades had said about this man...
Immortality.
Romani possessed what Hades called True Immortality, when the soul is so bright and strong that no one, not even he, could influence it, let alone control it.
Hestia had always been afraid of change. She had always tried to go with the flow and keep her family together. And now all of that was in jeopardy. A threat to the gods of Olympus, and one that Hestia was absolutely certain of...
And not without reason.
- "You know," Romani began with a sly smile on his face. "An alliance implies that both sides benefit from each other, right?"
- "Indeed," Zeus agreed.
- "But at the same time, an alliance also implies that the sides must be roughly equal in some way, right?"
- "Why all these questions?"
Zeus didn't understand what Romani was talking about, but Hestia did. Zeus sincerely believed that his offer was extremely generous and that he and Romani were equals, but Hestia didn't see it that way.
She wanted to warn her family about her suspicions, which were fragile but still had some basis. She wanted to prevent what was about to happen in a few seconds, but... Her foundation, her essence, would not allow her to do so.
She had been ignored for too long, her advice, her assumptions, her opinions. And the firm conviction that she would not be listened to this time either was firmly entrenched in her heart, even though Hestia herself understood that she had to act. And when she finally made up her mind and her mouth was just about to open, it was too late.
- "What alliance can we talk about if I don't really need Olympus's support?" Romani began, and Zeus's face reflected surprise, then indignation. "And most importantly, what alliance can we talk about if I am much, much, MUCH stronger, huh?"
And as soon as the last word left Romani's lips, Hestia, no, all of Olympus trembled from the power. Power surpassing the combined forces of all the Titans, firmly embedded in her memory.
In an instant, a golden magic circle lit up above the mountain, three times the size of Olympus. Dry, devouring, and tearing atmosphere, mixed with divinity reminiscent of the Biblical God, swirled around and pressed down on Hestia and the others. It was like a storm, a cataclysm that threatened to wipe the sacred Olympus from the face of the Earth, shaking the temples of the Olympian gods as if they were made of straw and piles of branches.
And that was not the end of it.
Hestia heard a voice. A voice belonging to Romani.
- "The time of coronation has come..."
Hestia's gaze immediately turned to Romani, whose golden magic began to surround the Great Hall, which now looked different. Instead of a ponytail, Romani's snow-white hair reached the ground. Instead of a medical gown, trousers, and shoes, she wore a long, luxurious black robe with white and scarlet inserts. Instead of white gloves, she wore ten golden rings that shone brightly with gold and power.
- "He is the One Who Begins All..."
Golden particles began to swirl faster and faster, almost forming a sphere and beginning to hide the surrounding world.
- "Ars Paulina."
And then there was a bright flash of light that made Hestia close her eyes, and when she opened them...
She felt something...
Freedom...
-0-
A/N: How's the chapter? Give us your opinion. You may well be able to influence future chapters.
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