In the end, Rovi still left.
Bearing the goddess Athena's new blessing, he embarked on a new journey.
The pale light of dawn fell, the moon slowly retreating. Athena sat alone within her temple in Athens, gazing toward the distant direction Rovi had taken.
"L-Lady Athena… has he returned?" From outside the thin curtains, a head crowned with violet hair cautiously peeked inside.
"Medusa, come here."
Athena beckoned lightly.
"Y-yes!" Medusa appeared timid, yet mustered the courage to enter. As she stepped inside, she glanced around, eyes briefly flickering with inexplicable disappointment upon finding no one else in the grand hall.
"Do you like him?" Athena asked.
"Yes, Lady Athena," answered the small Earth Goddess carefully, her voice tinged with childlike timidity. "He showed us kindness, just like... that person did."
"You seem to remember clearly. Do you blame me?" the Goddess of Wisdom asked softly, gently combing Medusa's smooth, long hair with her fingers.
"N-No, I don't…"
"Is it really that you don't blame me, or simply that you don't dare to?" Facing Athena's ruby-like gaze, shining sharply, Medusa fell silent.
In truth, Athena hadn't fully told Rovi the entire story.
Indeed, she had driven away the three Gorgon sisters, causing them to wander into Gorgon Isle.
However, when Perseus arrived to hunt them down, Enkidu happened to be there, encountering the sisters first.
Enkidu saved them and brought them back, persuading Athena to change her mind. In this era, subordinate gods without protectors could hardly sustain their existence. Left alone, they would inevitably degenerate into monsters and be hunted.
This was especially true for Medusa. Despite being an Earth Goddess, her Divine Core was incomplete. Without nurturing from a primary deity, she would quickly "grow up."
Yes—the legend of the three Gorgon sisters already existed, merely concealed by Athena.
But why hadn't she directly explained this to Rovi?
Perhaps, as he had said himself—it was a terrible reputation, something she didn't want him to know about!
Athena's thoughts turned complex, gently brushing Medusa's hair.
After all, this was the first person she'd met whose wisdom even made the Goddess of Wisdom herself feel somewhat defeated and admiring…
"At least now, I'll always be able to sense his presence."
Thinking this, Athena couldn't suppress the delighted expression forming on her delicate face, excitement coloring her pale cheeks.
Indeed, the blessing the goddess granted Rovi concealed this exact intent.
She could sense his presence constantly, feel his wisdom at every moment—wait, why couldn't she sense anything now?
Athena's hand abruptly froze mid-motion.
Did he… shut off the blessing?
And also…
"Artemis, are you spying as well?!"
Athena suddenly looked up toward the lingering moon in the early dawn sky.
In her palace, Artemis stared blankly, appearing as if she'd just woken up.
Who… are you again?
...
Across the vast ocean, waves surged restlessly, crashing against rocks and frothing white foam.
Sunlight glittered gently on the rippling waters.
A small boat drifted forward. Despite fierce winds blowing on both sides, the boat's path remained calm, unaffected by any turbulence.
Rovi sat on the boat, white clouds overhead forming a canopy against the blazing sun. He stared expressionlessly at the "seafood" leaping onto his boat and the birds spontaneously dropping onto his deck, utterly speechless, a wry smile twitching at the corners of his lips.
"That's enough, stop sending things! This little boat can't hold so much!" He desperately wanted to shout at the overly enthusiastic gods.
Perhaps seeing Rovi guide Ares into understanding Justice, thus ascending him into a higher-tier deity, had sparked ideas among the other gods.
They now wanted to curry favor with Rovi, hoping to gain some advantage themselves.
In this waning Age of Gods, every deity yearned to take even one step forward, to seize greater possibilities.
Hence, the bizarre scene before him: gods of the sea ensuring his safe passage, gods of the sky shielding him from the scorching sun, the sea gods guaranteeing smooth sailing, and even the wind gods pushing him toward his destination…
Even the boat itself had been thoughtfully provided by the forest deities from trees along the shore.
Receiving the favor of countless gods without doing anything, and in this absurd manner...
"Hahaha, you look quite troubled, O esteemed sage," a teasing voice spoke near Rovi's ear. Without looking, Rovi already knew who had arrived.
"Hermes, are you truly this bored?" Rovi glanced aside with disdain.
"Oh no, no, not at all! As messenger of the gods, it's my duty to investigate suspicious individuals—purely professional curiosity," the bard-like divine messenger cheerfully materialized on the other side of Rovi's boat.
"Suspicious—you mean the gods madly throwing gifts at me?" Rovi pointed at the heap of "gifts" cluttering the deck.
"Well, who told you to accomplish such an extraordinary thing? Helping a primary deity advance isn't something anyone can do lightly. Perhaps… if you elevate me as well, I could help ward off these pesky gods for you?" Hermes suggested expectantly. After all, if even a primary deity could ascend, elevating him to primary status should be trivial, right?
Clearly, Hermes shared the same motive as the other gods.
"Keep dreaming." Rovi raised a firm middle finger toward the messenger of the gods.
Forget whether he'd even anticipated Ares's advancement. Even if he had foreseen it, it was only possible due to Ares's unique circumstances.
Mars and Ares were simply the same deity at different points along the timeline.
His ascension was natural.
How could the same thing possibly be repeated again…?
Hmm?
Rovi suddenly paused, staring intently at Hermes before him.
"I understand now!"
Wait… the hell did you understand?!
Rovi's expression instantly turned alarmed.
"The middle finger symbolizes the Sage's spirit, dreams reflect the soul… Spirit and soul, mind—"
"Reality, Soul, Mind…"
"The thrice-great! Aha! I've realized it!"
Realized your ass!
Rovi's face fell.
Wait—I'm clearly the reincarnator here. Why is everyone else flexing insights while I'm getting flexed on?
Who exactly is the protagonist here?
Yet, it seemed Hermes genuinely had comprehended something.
Indeed, Rovi remembered—Ares wasn't the only one with great potential. Hermes before him possessed an equally immense foundation.
In the future, Hermes would be known as the progenitor of countless magics, the source of innumerable mystical paths, the god of Mercury, the Thrice-Great deity—Hermes, Thoth, Mercury—all combined into this seemingly frivolous figure.
Of course, unlike Ares, who was already a primary god, Hermes could not yet immediately unify past and future into himself.
In this current world, Hermes wasn't yet a primary deity. His Divine Core could not yet hold such immense power.
But at least, he now understood what he needed to do.
"As promised, I'll block off those annoying gods for you!" Hermes stood excitedly, promptly vanishing into invisibility.
Rovi shook his head wearily.
The boat continued its gentle rise and fall with the ocean tides. Ahead, land finally appeared on the horizon.
Arcadia had arrived.
---
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