Athena stepped out of Roy's bedroom draped in his long shirt. Her own clothes had been left behind in his office, and with no other garments at hand—and no other men in the house besides Roy—she didn't mind much, even though the thin white shirt left most of her snow-white skin exposed.
She walked barefoot, her jade-like feet glowing faintly pink as she moved with ethereal grace, as if a goddess treading the earth.
"Hmph! So this is the famous Athena? Making noise all day and night, disturbing everyone's sleep."
From the luxurious sofa in the grand hall, an even more petite Aphrodite sat with her arms crossed and legs elegantly crossed. Her golden eyes glared disdainfully at Athena, her mocking tone dripping with malice.
"I am hardly the one causing disturbances, Aphrodite..."
Athena remained unruffled by the taunt, replying with languid composure.
Aphrodite's eyebrow twitched. She glanced pointedly at the clock on the wall and sneered, "...Oh, spare me the self-righteousness, Athena. Just admit it already—don't make me laugh at you!"
"For a goddess like you to laugh at me would indeed be shameful. But perhaps you should look in the mirror first, Aphrodite, and see if you even have the right to mock me!"
Athena smiled sweetly, her noble aura overwhelming as her sheer presence alone seemed to press down on Aphrodite.
"Why shouldn't I laugh at you? No—why should I examine myself?!"
Aphrodite retorted, though she quickly caught Athena's verbal trap and leapt to her feet in accusation.
Athena didn't linger on the topic. Instead, she shifted gears. "...How pitiful. The goddess of love, yet so meek and submissive. I almost feel sorry for you."
As goddesses of Greek mythology, whether it was Aphrodite or Athena, they were well-versed in all aspects, primarily because their myths were inherently chaotic. Moreover, both Athena and Aphrodite were strong-willed individuals who would never easily admit defeat.
"That's still better than you, a hypocritical goddess who acts one way in public and another in private. Claiming to be a virgin goddess alongside Hestia and Artemis—how utterly shameless!"
Hearing Athena bring up her mythological reputation again, Aphrodite instinctively shifted the topic.
"My sacrifice was one of bravery, all for the final victory of the Earth Mother Goddess. Such superficial titles mean nothing to me. For the greater good, I would gladly cast them aside. The world would only praise Athena's decisiveness, and in people's hearts, I would remain the pure and sacred Athena, while you would forever be the promiscuous Aphrodite!"
Athena, dressed in a flowing tunic, strode over to Aphrodite and looked down at her, causing the Goddess of Love and Beauty to shrink back, fearing Athena might resort to force once more.
Aphrodite flushed red, biting her lip as she retorted, "...I also shared my knowledge with him!"
"What knowledge could that empty head of yours possibly hold, aside from how to be a heartless seductress? If your knowledge were of any use, my sacrifice wouldn't have been necessary."
"Ugh..."
Aphrodite was left speechless by the rebuttal. Athena was the Goddess of Wisdom, after all, surpassing her in intellect and knowledge by an immeasurable margin.
Watching Aphrodite stiffen her neck yet fail to respond, Athena allowed a triumphant smile to grace her lips.
She was the Goddess of Victory. No matter the circumstances, victory would always belong to her. Even if the title of "Most Beautiful Goddess" was stolen from her, she would incite the Trojan War and obliterate everything through conflict.
"You two are at it again, huh?"
Roy walked into the hall, drying his hair with a towel. Seeing Athena and Aphrodite bickering once more, he couldn't help but find it amusing. The two goddesses truly were incompatible.
His gaze then drifted to the aquarium in the hall. The white serpent, Asherah, sensing Roy's attention, gave him a slight nod before resuming her position at the bottom of the tank, observing the scene like a silent spectator.
Asherah was an ancient Earth Mother Goddess by nature—reserved and taciturn. Only when facing Steel Gods or Campiones would her emotions stir into something twisted and volatile.
"You know, Athena, if you really want to settle things with Aphrodite, there are other ways," Roy remarked with a playful tone.
"What method are you suggesting, Roy?" Athena demanded.
"You two could always compete to see who's better."
Roy spread his hands with a grin.
Truth be told, he was rather enchanted by the idea. Just imagining two of Olympus's Twelve Olympians—the Goddess of Wisdom and the Goddess of Love and Beauty—vying for his favor was enough to make even Zeus take notice. And let's be honest, anyone familiar with Zeus's nature would know the old pervert undoubtedly harbored desires for Athena.
Even Zeus harbored a subtle fear of Athena and dared not act presumptuously toward her. The same was true for Aphrodite—in mythology, Zeus had long coveted the most beautiful goddess, but because he couldn't possess her, he married her off to the ugly and lame Hephaestus.
At this moment, Roy felt he had already surpassed even the King of Gods, Zeus.
Hearing Roy's words, Athena gave him a knowing glance, half-smiling as she shook her head. "…Though I know you have ill intentions, never mind. Since I've mustered courage once, I can do so again. I am the Goddess of Wisdom and War—I must set an example for the brave!"
Truly befitting a Greek goddess, she cared little for anything.
If even the renowned Athena spoke like this, Aphrodite was even less of a concern. The faint excitement on her face and her defiant attitude toward Athena made it clear she didn't take the matter seriously at all.
Roy could only shake his head. He had merely made the remark casually, intending to tease Athena and Aphrodite. He hadn't expected the two goddesses to agree to his proposal just to save face.
Still, he certainly wouldn't refuse such good fortune, treating it as a glorious medal in his life.
"Lord Roy, you're finally awake! An important visitor has come to see you today!"
Just then, a graceful figure approached from the other end of the corridor. Erica walked straight ahead, deliberately avoiding looking at Aphrodite and Athena. When she reached Roy's side, she bowed respectfully.
Normally, this hall would be bustling with Erica and Liliana's presence. But today, it was unusually empty—because after learning that Athena was with Roy, Erica had arranged for Liliana to be reassigned and found an excuse to send Aisha away as well.
Erica knew Athena was one of the three most prominent goddesses in Greek mythology. Fearing the goddess might lose face if others witnessed her actions, she had made these arrangements. It had to be said—Erica handled things impeccably, leaving no room for criticism.
The wise Athena could easily see that this was all Erica's doing. Leaving only Aphrodite here was the best choice. The goddess of wisdom nodded elegantly at Erica, praising her tact.
"An important visitor? Who?"
Roy asked as he put on his coat.
"It's Lu Yinghua of the Five Holy Mountains Sect. He has brought a letter from Luo Hao!"
Lu Yinghua himself wasn't particularly important, but since he carried Luo Hao's letter, he now counted as one.
***
Hey guys, really really thank you for 100+ PS this week. So, as promised here's 6 (+2 from the previous week) bonus chapters.
Thanks again for the support and have a nice day.