Even though the God-King knew Gaia and Zeus were close—perhaps even colluding in secret—he still didn't dare offend Gaia now.
That Gaia wasn't directly helping Zeus was already the best news he had.
Therefore, even though Gaia openly sheltered Pontus and kept him out of the war, Kronos could only swallow his rage and pretend nothing had happened.
As soon as Mother Gaia departed, Lady Night stepped forward; veiled head to toe in a gauze of dusk, her form and features indistinct.
An emotionless, unreadable voice came from beneath the veil: "Honored God-King, what the great Mother of All said is exactly what I think."
Her words carried no ripples, calm as an abyss.
"Great God-King, this concerns the family of the sky-gods—more precisely, your household. I dare not involve myself. If there are other commands, I will obey, but for now, I take my leave."
Aether and Hemera had been on edge all along, wanting to depart this deeply unsettling place along with Nyx.
But Kronos cast a silent, icy gaze upon them, pitiless.
Bitterly helpless, they could only stay put, not daring to move.
It wasn't that Nyx didn't wish to take her children with her; she simply had no choice.
At most she could withdraw herself; taking others was beyond her.
Poor Aether of Light and Hemera of Day could only turn pleading eyes toward Hyperion and Theia.
After all, at the level of origins, Hyperion and Theia were their "parents."
They truly did not wish to be entangled in this war; they knew well that the two of them were pure outsiders, and if it came to a real fight, they might not even have a chance to surrender.
Hyperion stepped forward and said: "God-King, what the great Mother and the Lady of Night have said is also my view."
"This is nothing more than a small family matter, something that can be settled peacefully. The great God-Queen is gentle and kind, and the children you and she have begotten are all remarkable gods."
"Please, great God-King, do not, in a moment of impulse, do something you'll regret. Nothing in this world is more important than family."
"If Your Majesty truly suffers harm from outsiders, I, Hyperion, will aid you even at a grievous price."
"But in matters of family strife, outsiders should not be involved; it only escalates conflict beyond repair."
He bowed his head to Kronos: "God-King, please speak well with the God-Queen. I shall take my leave."
With that speech, Hyperion directly downgraded the rebellion to a domestic spat.
He knew well how to reduce great matters to small ones, small ones to nothing, and once nothing—no more.
The gravest of matters, under his words, simply became an acceptable, utterly ordinary little thing.
Since it was only a small matter, how could outsiders take part?
On that pretext, he meant to withdraw at once.
Kronos's face darkened further; he hurried to stop him: "Hyperion, my beloved elder brother, this is no ordinary family quarrel!"
"This concerns all Titan honor! For the sake of our bond as sons of Uranus, lend me your hand."
Kronos could no longer care about the God-King's dignity—he had little left anyway.
His battle with Zeus had made it painfully clear: without help, this time he likely couldn't resolve it.
Worse, if Zeus gained assistance, victory might stand with him!
Now, even if he couldn't gain the great gods' help, he must at least keep them from aiding the enemy.
Hyperion only smiled and shook his head, a hard-to-parse lilt in his tone: "Great God-King, what are you saying? We are the closest of brothers, comrades who share mead and ambrosia."
"Many of us swore fealty to you and should obey your direction."
"If you truly suffer harm from outsiders, I will help with all my strength. But matters have not yet reached the irreparable; you can still win the God-Queen back."
"After all, did she not once revere and cherish you so? Perhaps all is still in time."
Hyperion inclined his head to Kronos: "God-King, farewell."
No sooner had he spoken than he gave Kronos no chance to keep him, turning away without hesitation.
His wife Theia followed close, the faint smile at her lips unhidden.
As they passed Aether and Hemera, a single sweep of the hand brought them along as radiance, returning to the starry sky.
Kronos nearly fainted with rage, roaring inwardly: If this doesn't count as irreparable, what does?
And yet, it wasn't over.
Right after, Crius also spoke: "God-King, what Mother and the great gods have said is the truth of the world; Hyperion's words are mine as well."
"Nothing in this world is more important than family. It is entirely not too late to mend things now."
"I will keep the oath I once swore—but I swore it jointly to you and to the God-Queen. I am loyal to you, yet I cannot raise a hand against her."
"Besides, how could I disrupt your family? Farewell, God-King."
With that, Crius vanished, leaving Kronos's face ever darker.
The couple of insight and intellect, Coeus and Phoebe, shared a glance, understanding as one.
At once they offered the same reasoning and departed with grace.
These Titans of insight and mind saw all too clearly: this muddy water was not to be waded; Kronos's odds did not look good.
When a chance arose, Leto and Asteria should be sent to Kronos's son.
After the wise pair left, Themis, goddess of sacred order and justice, and Mnemosyne, goddess of memory and civilization, exchanged a covert glance and likewise prepared to depart on the same grounds.
When the outcome is unclear, follow the steps of the wise.
All the more since they actually could see.
Kronos's face could have had ice scraped from it. Seeing the temple about to empty, Iapetus hastily tried to stop them: "Honored Themis, sacred order—"
"Among the gods, you are the one who most upholds holy order; you are the defender of cosmic justice and order. Will you also stand by and let the universe's order be challenged?"
Never mind the others—Themis was one of the foremost of the primordial Titans; her aid had to be won.
_____________________________________________________________
If you're enjoying this novel, please consider supporting by voting with Power Stones. ⭐
Every vote helps the story climb the rankings so more readers can discover it.And as a special thank you:👉 For every 50 Power Stones, I'll release one extra chapter!