Chapter 12: The Goddess of Love and Beauty
After giving his instructions to the maid, Karen, Shirou opened the door and entered the bedroom. Within the immensely spacious room, Shirou was now alone. He stepped forward and sat on a soft Persian leather sofa, briefly surveying the facilities.
As a resting place prepared by the magic association [Bronze Black Cross], this villa was incredibly luxurious in both scale and structure. Shirou's bedroom featured the most comfortable furniture and expensive artworks, boasting a unique artistic style that was fresh yet opulent, emphasizing a blend of romanticism and solemnity.
The room was equipped with the most luxurious fabrics and furnishings. In the eastern corner of the wall stood a white bookcase. Clear moonlight filtered through cinnabar-carved wooden windows, scattering in fragments across a set-up ancient zither. White gauze curtains fluttered with the wind, bringing in a few petals from outside that gently brushed against the strings.
Shirou withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, stood up, and walked to the bookcase, browsing through the titles displayed there.
The Poetic Edda, The Homeric Epics, The Holy Bible, The Divine Comedy, Stories of Ancient Greek Mythology, The Song of the Nibelungs, Kojiki, Journey to the West, Classic of Mountains and Seas...
After scanning the titles, Shirou nodded in approval.
"It seems my instruction to prepare mythology-related books was handled well."
Shirou's hand moved across the spines and stopped at Stories of Ancient Greek Mythology. Perhaps due to the initial dreams he had experienced in the Type-Moon world, he felt a certain curiosity toward Greek myths. Without further hesitation, he took it down and began reading.
As one of the core Western mythological systems, this volume collected the myths regarding the gods, heroes, nature, and cosmic history of the ancient Greeks. In Greek mythology, there were three successions of deities.
The first generation consisted of nine primordial creator gods. The second generation comprised twelve deities known as the Titans. Then came the third generation, the one with the highest recognition in modern society: the Olympian Gods.
Zeus the King, Hera the Queen, Poseidon of the Sea, Hades of the Underworld, Demeter of Harvest, Apollo of Light, Artemis of the Hunt, Ares of War, Athena of Wisdom, Hephaestus of Fire and Forging, Aphrodite of Love and Beauty, Hermes the Messenger, Dionysus of Wine, and Hestia of the Hearth. Beyond these, there were many minor deities.
By the time he had finished browsing the legends of these gods, Shirou raised his eyes to find that it was already late into the night. Even at this hour, the city remained brightly lit; certain revelries and activities that could not occur during the day were only just beginning.
"Who will the next 'Heretic God' be...?"
Shirou walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the city as its neon colors shifted constantly under the night sky.
.
.
.
The crisp sound of high heels clicking against the tiled floor reached Shirou's ears, drawing his attention. The maids wouldn't dare violate his orders to enter uninvited. If so, who was the person appearing in this room?
In the instant that thought crossed his mind, Shirou already knew what kind of existence the visitor was.
A Heretic God.
A Godslayer possesses a powerful, instinctive desire to battle Heretic Gods—a terrifying sensation akin to a rush of blood to the brain. As long as a Heretic God is nearby, a Godslayer is the best radar. However, Shirou was not interested in the so-called "fixed fate" of this world. As someone who didn't belong here, he possessed enough willpower even before becoming a Godslayer; neutralizing this so-called "impulse" was easy for him.
Therefore, Shirou would not harbor inexplicable hostility toward a Heretic God, nor would he launch an unprovoked attack for no reason. Now, even with a Heretic God present, his first reaction was curiosity rather than an immediate strike.
Moving his gaze from the window, Shirou looked toward the source of his "Godslayer Radar."
On the previously empty luxury sofa, a slender woman was now lying quietly. Her features were incredibly exquisite, her expression somewhat languid. Her physique, more perfect than that of any model, was complemented by a sheer white gauze garment draped loosely over her body like a bath towel. Even just looking at her evoked a sense of vivid beauty.
Her hair was golden and reached her waist, scattered haphazardly. Strands fell against her porcelain-like, almost reflective skin. Her flawless legs made it impossible to look away, and her white, rose-like feet rested on the edge of the sofa. This breathtaking sight was enough to make any man or woman lose their heart.
She propped her cheek up with a snowy arm, her sea-blue eyes studying Shirou with interest.
"So it's you, isn't it? The seventh Godslayer."
"And you are?"
A beautiful woman is easy to appreciate, but if she was a "Heretic God," Shirou had to first consider her purpose for being here. Looking at the woman with her peerless beauty and
minimal clothing that made one want to look away out of propriety, Shirou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Specifically, the translucent pale gold veil around her waist seemed to possess an inexplicable charm, interfering with the viewer's psyche.
This was highly unusual. Even explaining it away as a goddess being "heart-stoppingly beautiful" was strange, because Shirou was a Godslayer, not an ordinary person.
"Put away your charm," Shirou said, simply wanting to test his theory. To his surprise, Aphrodite actually blinked in mild astonishment.
"Oh my~ you saw through it?"
The woman's pale pink lips parted slightly, her voice as melodious as a lark. She sat up, straightening herself, though the innate allure of her posture did not diminish in the slightest.
"I've heard, you know. You defeated that 'Black Dragon' Nidhogg in Rome. Truly impressive~"
The woman narrowed her eyes and smiled. Even if it were just a normal smile, for a goddess like her, it would be enough to cause a mortal to be instantly consumed by the flames of their own desire. However, for a Devil King who had slain a Heretic God and seized their Authority, the effect was not nearly as strong.
Shirou walked over and sat on the adjacent sofa.
"Save the groundless congratulations. Have you no manners to introduce yourself after breaking into a Devil King's residence?"
The goddess let out a light, bell-like laugh.
"I belong to Greek mythology, O Devil King. Why don't you try to guess?"
"Greek mythology..."
Coincidentally, Shirou had just finished reading about it.
"Well... based on appearance and divine domain, there is only one who fits perfectly..."
After a moment of thought, the identity of the blonde, blue-eyed goddess before him became certain in his mind.
"The Goddess of Love and Beauty... Aphrodite?"
Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty, and sexual desire in ancient Greek mythology, and one of the Twelve Olympians. Because she was born from the sea, she was sometimes worshipped as a patron of seafaring. Born from the sea foam, she possessed porcelain skin, golden hair, blue eyes, and the perfect physique and facial features of an ancient Greek woman—symbolizing female beauty and considered the pinnacle of the female form.
When Shirou spoke the name, the blonde goddess maintained her smile and gave him a playful wink.
"Hee-hee~ you guessed right~"
Shirou looked speechlessly at the goddess who had lived for countless ages yet was still "playing young." Having learned the myths associated with her, Shirou felt no interest in her whatsoever. This beautiful "Goddess of Love" was a "queen of the sea" who had countless lovers in myth. Her scandalous affairs were so numerous that one could only describe her social circle as utterly chaotic.
"Very well, 'Goddess of Love' Aphrodite. For what purpose have you come to find me?"
Regarding Shirou's question, Aphrodite seemed to be in a good mood, answering in a cheerful tone.
"Firstly, I was curious about you, the newly emerged Devil King. I wanted to see what you looked like. Now that I've seen you, I'm quite satisfied~"
Shirou looked at her expressionlessly. "And?"
"Tch, how boring~" Seeing that Shirou was entirely unmoved by her beauty or teasing, Aphrodite pouted in displeasure before continuing.
"As for the second reason, I'm here to warn you."
"Warn me?" Shirou frowned.
Aphrodite continued, "That's right. Because you defeated that 'Black Dragon' Nidhogg, you have caught the attention of many deities, especially the Greek gods. Even if you don't go looking for them, they will come looking for you."
Hearing what sounded like a warning, Shirou actually felt a bit of joy.
"There's such a good thing?"
Shirou's reaction left Aphrodite stunned.
"That is an entire pantheon of gods, you know. Even as a Devil King, you surely cannot face so many deities. Are you not afraid?"
However, Shirou took on an indifferent expression.
"I've already become a Godslayer; I'm already the enemy of gods. Isn't it normal for Heretic Gods to come after me?"
Aphrodite's mouth hung slightly open, surprised by the seventh Devil King's frankness.
"Fine. Regardless, I'm only here to warn you."
Saying this, Aphrodite stood up and walked slowly toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
"I'll be going now~ perhaps we will meet again in the future."
With the departure of the blonde, blue-eyed goddess, the room suddenly became silent. Shirou looked at the scenery outside the window where the night wind blew in, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"The Greek gods... but didn't I defeat a Black Dragon from Norse mythology?"
He didn't know if Aphrodite was telling the truth. After all, her track record in Greek mythology was not great; her lovely appearance had deceived many gods and humans, causing many tragedies. Even so, it at least gave Shirou some mental preparation. Furthermore, the initial dreams of the Type-Moon world surfaced again, giving him a faint feeling that the goddess's words were likely not false.
As for what the goddess's ultimate goal was, thinking about it now wouldn't yield any answers. After Aphrodite left, Shirou returned to the bookshelf and took out more books related to Greek myth. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. Knowing there was a high probability his opponents would be the Greek gods, Shirou would not sit idly by.
"In any case, I'll master all the information I can first."
If he allowed himself to become arrogant because his strength was greater than previous Godslayers, he would eventually pay the price for that arrogance.
Time passed. When Shirou finally pulled himself away from the piles of mythology books, it was already morning. He put down his book, stood up, and stretched his arms, his bones making a comfortable sound.
"Mm... time really flies."
Muttering this, Shirou walked toward the door. When he opened it, he suddenly found the maid, Karen, pacing back and forth in front of his door, looking hesitant and uneasy.
"Pacing in front of my door so early in the morning—is something the matter?" Shirou asked, seeing her anxious state.
Hearing the inquiry, Karen jumped like a startled kitten. She immediately gave a respectful bow and replied nervously.
"My King! Breakfast has been prepared for you. Because I have been waiting so long, it may be cold. I will order it to be remade immediately."
"I see." Shirou nodded, approving of her work ethic. He also understood why she had been waiting outside without knocking; he had specifically told her the night before not to disturb him while he was resting, no matter what happened. Since Karen had followed his orders, Shirou wouldn't blame her for the food being cold. He wasn't an unreasonable man.
However, from Karen's cautious attitude, Shirou understood more deeply the transcendent status a "Godslayer" held in this world.
After a short wait, Karen returned to his door.
"Breakfast has been remade. My King, would you like to dine now?"
"Of course." Shirou nodded.
"Then my King, please follow me."
The girl in the blue-and-white maid outfit began to lead Shirou to the dining room.