Arcadia Main Headquarters.
Athena sat in front of Aslan, propping her chin with both hands, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Aslan turned helplessly, looking at this intellectual Goddess gazing at him gently, and sighed.
"Tell me, Goddess Athena, hasn't my stance been clear enough?"
Even Aslan didn't know why, though he had killed Ares' incarnation right in front of Athena, which could be said to have trampled on Athena's dignity.
But why was Athena still pursuing him relentlessly like this?
Hadn't his stance been clear enough?
However, Athena seemed not to hear anything and continued gazing at him gently.
As if tolerating a rebellious child in her family.
The only thing Aslan could see was that behind that gentle gaze hid an irrefutable authority.
She had targeted Aslan, and she wouldn't let him escape no matter what.
After a brief stalemate, Aslan finally sighed, turned, and took two glasses and a bottle of cold cola from the fridge beside him.
"Tell me, Goddess Athena, just say what you want directly. There's no one watching here; why don't we just talk?"
Athena then dropped the gentle expression that looked so strange to Aslan, returning to the cold demeanor she usually showed when alone.
Perhaps this was Athena's true face. The so-called intellectual beauty outside was just a mask.
To maintain this mask, Athena even set a rule of no more than three times for herself.
Anyone who offended her, as long as they didn't receive more than three warnings, would only get her warnings. She wouldn't take action against them.
But once exceeding three times, then it was a "Fine, war begins."
The most representative victim was Algol.
Athena took a glass of cola, sipped it slightly, and looked at him with curiosity.
"I find it hard to understand your thinking? You shouldn't be purely emotional. You clearly understand the benefits of secretly allying with Greece."
"Isn't it good to have a large Pantheon as backing?"
Why suddenly sever ties so completely without a clear reason?
After all, Greece wasn't stingy with giving Arcadia sufficient autonomy. They rarely interfered in subordinate communities' internal affairs, etc.
Among all Pantheon powers, being invested by the Greek Pantheon was already the best choice.
Buddhism would demand conversion and embracing Buddhism before investing, while Thousand Eyes' investment was more like a loan than true investment.
As for Christianity? They were generous, but their conditions were harsher, and only Christian followers would receive investment. Outsiders wanting investment... almost impossible.
And Ouroboros? Even worse.
Only Greece was the most generous, just giving money without caring about the rest. Full autonomy belonged to Arcadia itself.
Athena believed that Aslan, as the second-generation leader of Arcadia, couldn't possibly not understand this.
If he didn't even understand this, then she'd have to doubt if Aslan was truly Arcadia's heir.
"Nothing. I just don't like Ares. After all, Ares was the first to insult Arcadia; I was just a bit emotional..." The corner of Aslan's mouth lifted slightly, saying in a somewhat joking tone.
"Besides, hasn't my cooperation with the Greek Pantheon always continued? Goddess Athena."
In fact, the one with the closest ties to the previous generation of Arcadia, responsible for negotiating with Arcadia, was actually Heracles, not Athena.
Now, the one with the best relationship with Arcadia, responsible for negotiations between Greece and Arcadia, was still Heracles.
What was the problem? Was there a change in this relationship?
No change at all.
Athena heard the special meaning in Aslan's words.
She looked at him with interest, saying in a surprised tone.
"So, you're willing to cooperate with Greece, just not willing to cooperate with me and accept my protection?"
Protection—Athena's meaning was very clear, even with a hint of warning in it.
She reminded Aslan not to forget that he was now targeted by the World Dragon.
In the entire Little Garden now, besides herself, no other being would risk disrespecting the World Dragon to protect him.
Even if there were, they wouldn't openly support Aslan but provide secret aid, which would eventually run out someday.
A Four-Digit? How could he survive under a Two-Digit's enmity without protection?
Though the so-called enmity was just a casual word from the Two-Digit.
But for a Four-Digit, one word was enough to declare a death sentence on the other party.
"Or are you relying on the unfinished Another Cosmology in your body?" A flash of disdain crossed Athena's eyes.
If it was just Algol's unfinished Another Cosmology, and the fallen Algol turned into a Monster, left only with Demon Star status.
Then Aslan had disappointed her. Algol couldn't protect Aslan.
Especially since Aslan often went to outer worlds to observe other worlds.
How rare and valuable was an Another Cosmology?
In fact, attempting to create one's own Another Cosmology could start at Three-Digit level. Two Almighty Domains could complete one Another Cosmology.
The difference was only whether the worldview was complete or not, and whether it was strong or not.
An Another Cosmology with too weak and thin a worldview might not even be as strong as some divine artifacts.
Such Another Cosmologies weren't even recognized by Little Garden's Gods as true Another Cosmologies.
Just like Wild Gods who hadn't even reached Four-Digit but had various Creator God titles.
Truly strong Another Cosmologies were those tied to eras or Pantheon worldviews.
Such Another Cosmologies had another name: Original Source of Creation, and beings holding them were generally Origin Candidates.
Coincidentally, Algol's unfinished Another Cosmology didn't meet either point.
And Aslan couldn't even be called an Origin Candidate.
So Athena was very curious: where did Aslan get the courage to become enemies with her?
Wouldn't accepting her protection be better?
"I can't tell you that, Goddess Athena."
Aslan shrugged, finished the cola in his glass in one gulp, looked at Athena, and said quite seriously.
"Just for my personal reasons, I don't want to accept your protection."
"Your desire to control is too strong, Goddess Athena. I don't like the feeling of being controlled by others."
Aslan had never revealed to anyone that he had Algol's Another Cosmology in his body.
As for leaks from Shiroyasha? Even less likely, no need at all.
Aslan didn't believe Shiroyasha would be so bored as to leak that he had an Another Cosmology.
And the information from Shiroyasha was clearly that Aslan needed twelve Sun Authorities, namely the Zodiac, to complete his Another Cosmology.
But Athena didn't know this, so this wasn't a leak from Arcadia people.
Even if there was, Little Garden's Central Core would at least warn him.
Clearly, this was information Athena had long掌握ed. She had long known Algol had an unfinished Another Cosmology.
Or rather, all this was deliberately pushed by Athena. Sending Algol to his hands might have been an idea for Aslan to obtain Algol's Another Cosmology.
Aslan knew from Canaria's memories that she had once been Athena's disciple.
Or rather, before Canaria became Heracles' disciple, she was actually Athena's disciple.
It was just that Canaria and Athena ended in an unpleasant split.
Canaria's evaluation of the Halloween Queen was a madwoman who didn't understand the Halloween Queen's way of thinking at all.
But her evaluation of Athena was an overly controlling madwoman, extremely rational to the extreme.
Athena didn't allow any factors around her outside her control, and coincidentally, Canaria hated being controlled the most.
Eventually, this became an experience few knew. Few in Little Garden knew Athena had once been Canaria's teacher.
And Algol's experience also proved Athena's personality.
After interacting with Algol for a while, Aslan also found that in fact, Algol was just a bit foul-mouthed. If ignored, there were no issues.
Algol was also quite immersed in her own beauty besides.
She wasn't the type to casually mock others' beauty, so why did Algol curse Athena as an ugly woman?
The real reason was that since Athena became Algol's guardian, Athena had secretly planned against her: what if Algol lost control?
But Algol, as a Star Spirit, her Spirit Status wasn't low either. With a sudden thought and Revelation from her Spirit Status, Athena secretly planned against Algol.
Though Algol knew nothing, she could always sense Athena's hostile intent. This was why she cursed Athena.
You're plotted against every day on how to kill and seal you by the person around you—how could you have good feelings toward her?
After that, of course Athena's plan succeeded; otherwise, how could Algol so coincidentally drink divine wine that could intoxicate her?
Divine wine that could intoxicate a Star Spirit wasn't easy to find.
It showed Athena's plan against Algol was prepared quite early.
Aslan estimated that what was called Athena's three-times rule was: from the first time, Athena had already noted the other party in her little black book and started preparing contingency plans against them.
And after the third time, her plan was also nearly mature.
So where did this Little Garden version of Batman come from?
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Seeing Aslan smiling in front of her, Athena rarely fell silent.
After a moment, she sighed.
"Join my side; wouldn't that be better?"
She truly appreciated Aslan's abilities. Whether saving many heroes and Gods from Azi Dahaka or repelling Angra Mainyu.
It wasn't just because Aslan so easily won Algol's trust and obtained Algol's Another Cosmology.
But Aslan's courage, loyalty, and ability.
Daring to risk offending the World Dragon for Leticia, seizing the Vampire concept from her, and succeeding.
And the community that Canaria had once schemed to death, Aslan still remembered old ties and gave compensation.
Though this was somewhat risky, precisely because of that, Athena valued Aslan more.
This was a treasure that could be fully cultivated as a trusted subordinate. Given time, Aslan could even become her right and left hands.
As nearly the acknowledged successor to the Greek King of Gods, she considered herself to have the capital to recruit Aslan.
Just being controlled—compared to a bright future, it was meaningless, right?
And it seemed Canaria's desire to control wasn't lower than hers.
"After I ascend to the throne of the King of Gods, a seat as one of the Twelve Main Gods will definitely be yours."
"Isn't this enough?"
Athena smiled slightly, very confident in her offer. She believed no one in Little Garden would bid higher than her.
In the current nearly frozen hierarchy of Little Garden, no Pantheon would give such a God Status to an outsider.
This might be Aslan's only chance to become Three-Digit, even a top expert among Three-Digits.
"But I refuse."
Aslan raised his eyebrows, set down his glass, and smiled at her.
(Just a seat among the Twelve Main Gods? You think I'm a beggar?)
(Why don't you say Little Garden's Central Core has offered me the Little Garden Master seat?)
(The one standing before you now is the future Little Garden Master, and factually the ruler of the Second Little Garden.)
As long as the current Little Garden vanished, Aslan could build another Little Garden in the Type-Moon World, then control Little Garden's Central Core and become Little Garden Master.
Even in this Little Garden, if Aslan could seize the Little Garden's Central Core authority from the Pantheon that built Little Garden back then, he could also become Little Garden Master.
Sun Authority was just one important part among them.
"Why?" Athena's expression changed slightly, but she still gazed at him gently and tolerantly.
"You want to know the reason?"
Aslan looked at her with interest and asked very sincerely.
"Please tell me, Goddess Athena, if one Full Authority Domain wants to hunt me down, what would you do?"
Athena paused for a moment, sighed, and said.
"I would take good care of Arcadia."
Meaning, she would abandon Aslan.
Aslan smiled, shrugged, and said no more.
Shiroyasha just because of one sentence, went against Kurma.