"Wait... Am I misunderstanding something here?"
Promise stood there, completely dumbfounded, staring at the goddess, who had just calmly explained everything to him.
"So, you're telling me that Goddess Athena, along with Queen Hera and Poseidon, have rebelled against the God King Zeus? And the task that she gave me is... to go rescue god king from his imprisonment?"
Is it me, or is there something seriously wrong with this plan?
Seriously what's wrong with that goddess.
Even Promise felt very confused about this matter at the moment.
Even though the idea of Zeus, the most powerful god in Olympus, being imprisoned was mind-blowing, Promise didn't react too strongly to that part.
After all, he knew about this story as it was already part of the myths of ancient Greece.
Poseidon had grown dissatisfied with the power he wielded and desired to control the skies as well, so, he teamed up with Goddess Hera, Athena, and Apollo, to imprison the god κing Zeus in the temple of Queen Hera.
What's more, the prophecy Promise had received from the temple of destiny made sense now,
It seemed it was referring to this situation.
As for how Zeus, the mighty ruler of the gods, had been captured?
Just as the prophecy suggested, Zeus had been blinded by love.
To put it plainly, he had fallen into one of Hera's traps.
And the chains that bound him?
They were the unbreakable chains forged by Hephaestus.
After all, only chains crafted by her could temporarily restrain the king of the gods.
"Poseidon, the god of the sea, desires greater power, wanting to rule over more than just the seas. Hera, the queen of heaven, seeks revenge for Zeus's betrayal. But Athena, the goddess of wisdom..."
Thetis paused slightly, then looking at the black-haired, green-eyed young man in front of her, she said slowly. "I believe the reason behind Athena's actions… is you."
"Me?" Promise was taken aback.
Thetis nodded and said.
"It's the only explanation for why such a flawless goddess would make such a reckless decision. And… why she would entrust you to me."
In fact, Athena's choice to hand this critical task to Thetis, the kind and wise sea goddess, made perfect sense.
After all, in the original myth, it was Thetis who played a key role in freeing Zeus.
No, not the key role...it was none other than her, the sage of the sea, who helped the god-king escape his bonds.
What followed in that myth was God King Zeus's passionate love for Thetis.
Yet, due to a prophecy revealed by Prometheus, that Thetis's child was destined to surpass its father—Zeus, filled with both anger and regret, decreed that no god could wed Thetis, forcing her to marry a mortal.
This decision weighed heavily on Zeus's conscience, and to atone, he arranged for the most lavish wedding among the gods when Thetis married the mortal Peleus.
It was at this wedding, notably, that Eris, the goddess of discord, was not invited, leading to the infamous incident of the golden apple marked "For the fairest," which eventually sparked the Trojan War.
Things got worse and worse..but oh well, let's not talk too far.
So, if one were to talk about the person who made the most regretful memories in the life of the God King Zeus, it would undoubtedly be the gentle goddess standing in front of Promise—Thetis.
But…
"For my sake?" Promise frowned, still trying to grasp the full meaning behind Thetis's words. "Goddess Thetis, can you explain what this is all about?"
---
...
Meanwhile, on Mount Olympus.
In the grand and magnificent temple of Hera, Queen of the Gods, the goddess Athena stood calmly in front of the door to Hera's chambers.
She was clad in her usual white gown, flawless and serene, but in her hands she held the Aegis, the invincible shield said to be capable of withstanding even Zeus's thunderbolts, and her golden spear.
It was this shield, along with her formidable wit, that had enabled Athena, Hera, and their allies to successfully imprison Zeus in Hera's temple.
Now, Athena stood as a guardian with her usual calm expression, even though the king of the gods Zeus, himself was trapped just behind the door.
"I never thought you would get involved in something like this,"
Apollo, the radiant god of the light, stepped out from the sunlight, his golden hair glinting as he approached Athena and said.
"Because, to be honest, this is an incredibly foolish thing to do."
While Apollo was technically part of the conspiracy, he had been less involved and had mostly been caught up in the momentum.
Gods like Hermes had wisely fled the moment they sensed what was was going to happen, avoiding the fallout entirely.
"You must realize," Apollo continued, "that it's impossible to keep him imprisoned for long. Hera is merely acting out of anger, and the only one foolish enough to think this could work is Poseidon. So tell me, Athena, what were you really thinking?"
Athena turned to face Apollo, smiling slightly and made no attempt to hide her reasoning. "Honestly, it's not as complicated as you think. I simply believe this is the best course of action."
"The best course of action… You do realize, don't you, that the moment he breaks free, you'll be the first one he comes after?"
Among the conspirators, the presence of Athena was essential.
After all, even without Queen Hera, Poseidon, or Apollo, the rebellion could still function, but it would crumble without Athena.
Only she had the strength and cunning to stand before Zeus in his wrath.
Thus, when Zeus eventually freed himself from the restraint, the one he would care most about confronting would undoubtedly be her.
"I'm aware of that," The latter replied, unfazed. "After all, I did take Hera's golden apple, and I've had my eye on her followers for quite some time. It's only natural that I'll need to pay a price."
As she spoke, a small, self-assured smile crossed her lips. "After all this, everything that had happened in the past will be written off, and she'll never be able to hinder me again."
"And as for Father, I know what he desires. When the time comes, and he is freed from his restraints, I'll swear an oath to him—to serve him loyally forever."
Apollo was silent for a moment, processing her words, before he too broke into a smile.
"As I suspected," he said. "The real reason you've done such a stupid and reckless thing… is that boy, isn't it?"
"Eh?" Athena blinked, feigning innocence. "Was it that obvious?"
Apollo looked at Athena with a knowing smile. "You have no personal stake in this matter. Whether it succeeds or fails, you gain nothing from it. The only possible reason you'd get involved is… him."
He paused briefly before continuing, "That makes the entire situation quite simple, really.
After all, right now, he is likely the only one who can easily free Father. Especially since, aside from Poseidon, the gods standing in his way are the ones who dotes on him the most."
Apollo chuckled. "In fact, I—or rather, we.." and emphasized, "Hermes, Hestia, and the others, have suspected this a long time ago. After all, up to now, the only time you, the goddess of wisdom, have ever made a mistake was over that boy—when you stole Hera's golden apple."
His eyes gleamed with curiosity. "So I came here just to confirm what we've all been wondering. Athena… do you like him that much?"
Was she truly willing to risk the wrath of Zeus, the king of gods, all for the sake of this boy?
Athena, however, remained calm, her face serene as she played with a strand of her silver hair. "I can't help it," she replied in a lighthearted tone. "I promised him, after all, that I would make him the most dazzling of all heroes."
After all, to Athena, this was more than just a fondness for Promise, it was a vow, one she was willing to stake everything on, even if it meant facing the wrath of Zeus himself.