Clink!
The crystal cup fell onto the hard stone floor, shattering into pieces, and the wine inside instantly spread out like a blooming flower.
"What did you say?"
The goddess, brimming with confidence, now wore a look of astonishment.
"My lady, they just advanced to the gate and retreated."
Libra no longer appeared as valiant as before. She had a bandage around her neck, an arm in a sling, and spots of bright red blood seeping through the white gauze, making her look utterly disheveled.
"Could it be that they saw through the trap I set? Impossible. Mere mortals could never see through my stratagem!"
Her breathtakingly beautiful face showed a mix of shock and anger, and she began pacing back and forth in the small, confined room without any clear purpose.
Suddenly, Athena stopped in her tracks, her eyes brightening as if she had thought of something crucial.
"They couldn't have seen through the plan. There must have been a leak in one of the links... I knew that idiot who only knows how to toy with pretty girls couldn't be relied upon!"
Athena suddenly thought of the most likely person to have caused the issue.
She would never admit that her scheme had been seen through.
The goddess of wisdom and war's plans could not be easily deciphered by others—it had to be a leak!
Athena kept convincing herself of this in her mind.
"After they withdrew, which direction did they go?"
Athena asked Libra as if seeking confirmation.
"They headed in the direction of Orario..."
Libra showed a look of recollection, paused for a moment, then answered.
"The hostages haven't been rescued, and they didn't head to the most likely Kingdom of Rakia but instead went back?"
Confirmed by Libra's words, Athena became more convinced of her suspicion.
"No! I need to go and confirm it personally! Get me the fastest horse immediately!"
Athena forced herself to calm down and decisively made a decision.
"My Lady, please allow your servant to follow you. The enemy is too dangerous; you can't go alone!"
Athena had made up her mind. Though Libra felt something was amiss, she couldn't quite say what it was.
Her absolute loyalty made her decide that even if she had to drag her injured body, she would protect her goddess closely.
Athena caressed Libra's cheek with a gesture that was both comforting and affectionate.
"I appreciate your loyalty, but your priority now is to heal quickly so you can serve me again in the future."
"But, my lady..."
Libra's anxiety was palpable, and for the first time, she seemed to go against the goddess's wishes.
"This is an order from your goddess!"
Athena said sternly.
"Yes..."
A reluctant expression appeared on Libra's face, but she obeyed Athena's command.
"Alright, Shou, I will take Umi-chan with me."
Athena's tone became affectionate again, using Libra's real name, indicating that her identity as their goddess had shifted to that of a friend.
Shou knelt on one knee before Athena, slowly lifted Athena's hand, and pressed her forehead against the back of it.
"My lady, please be careful. You are our guiding light, our everything."
"Don't worry. Who am I? I am the goddess of wisdom and war, Athena. They will never be a match for me."
A confident smile returned to Athena's face and the goddess who had played Freya and Loki like pawns was back.
...
Five minutes later, two pure white warhorses carrying two slim figures galloped out of the ruins, heading towards Orario.
However, they didn't notice that, ten thousand meters above, in the cloud-covered sky, a pair of eyes were observing them with a playful gaze, as if watching two prey that had wandered into a trap.
...
An hour later, Athena, wrapped tightly in a hooded cloak, and Aquarius(Umi), also cloaked, appeared outside the walls of Orario, riding their warhorses.
As the center of this world, Orario was an international metropolis, with tens of thousands of various races coming in and out every day.
The two cloaked figures on horseback did not attract anyone's attention and easily entered the city.
Once inside, they headed directly towards the eastern part of the city and soon arrived outside a luxuriously decorated mansion.
The two dismounted, and just as Umi was about to go forward and knock on the door, Athena suddenly shuddered.
"Something's wrong!"
She pondered for a moment, and her face suddenly changed dramatically.
"We've been tricked!"
Clap, clap, clap!
At this moment, a round of applause was heard, followed by a playful voice.
"As expected of the goddess of wisdom and war, you realized it so quickly."
A large group of people emerged from the shadows, with Ryou and his contracted heroic spirit leading the way. Behind them were the core members of two major factions in the coalition, including Ottar and the three executives. Other adventurers formed a semicircle, surrounding Athena and her companion.
Athena's expression turned cold as she scanned her surroundings.
Unbeknownst to her, the area, including the mansion in front of her, had been surrounded.
"But it's too late, Goddess, even if you have realized it because all of this is thanks to the guidance of the Goddess!"
Ryou made a gentlemanly bow, but this gesture only made Athena's face look even worse.
Looking at Ryou's back, the coalition leaders, led by Ottar and Finn, had varied expressions—some were shocked, some puzzled, but most shared a common look of deep wariness.
Powerful, highly intelligent, and adept at manipulating people—any one of these qualities alone wouldn't make them so cautious, but having all these traits concentrated in one person did.
As leaders of a major force, Finn and others were naturally very sensitive to potential powerful opponents.
At this moment, Ryou's threat level in their minds rose another notch. If not for the fact that a greater threat was currently at the forefront, they would likely have already started thinking of ways to resist or even suppress him.
"Who are you?"
Athena looked at Ryou with a puzzled expression, scrutinizing him as if trying to recall if there was such a person among her enemies.
But no matter how much she thought, she couldn't remember having any significant enemy or potential rival who matched his description.
This was quite normal. In the eyes of the goddess, only those of the same divine rank could become her enemies or potential rivals.
Not to mention mere humans, even demigods or divine avatars wouldn't be taken seriously by her.
"It seems the Goddess never considered small figures like me. So let me be blunt—you wrecked my place and took my people without any show of respect..."
A cruel smile appeared on Ryou's face, resembling a lone wolf about to pounce on its prey.
"So, I've come to collect the debt in person!"
"You are the rumored true owner behind the Gudako Hotel."
Athena slightly furrowed her brows. Being an intelligent goddess, Ryou's brief hint immediately revealed his identity to her.
This realization made Athena feel a sense of absurdity.
In her eyes, a character not even worthy of being a pawn had nearly disrupted her carefully laid plans.
She now felt like a hunter who had meticulously set a trap to catch a cunning fox, only to have a stone suddenly fall from the sky, not only ruining the trap but also almost injuring her, the hunter.
Fortunately, Athena was very composed; otherwise, she might have let out an expletive.
"It seems that Apollo didn't leak our information, so you must have deduced my plan."
Having understood Ryou's background, Athena reverted to her lofty goddess demeanor, standing on the steps and looking down at him and his companions.
Even at this juncture, she still didn't regard Ryou, a mortal, as significant.
Perhaps this is how a proud goddess views things.
"Huh?"
Athena's gaze suddenly fell on the woman next to Ryou.
Her attention was immediately drawn to his contract Servants.
If Athena's Zodiac Twelve were among the most outstanding women in this world, then these Servants were the most exceptional women in human history.
With their exceptional appearances and their diverse temperaments—whether holy, aloof, cute, lazy, or charming—they ignited a fiery desire in Athena, a fervent admirer of women.
She turned her head and, in a cold, lofty tone, addressed Ryou.
"You, a humble mortal, this is an unforgivable crime!"
Then her tone shifted to one of condescension.
"But considering your intelligence and luck in disrupting my plans, if you kneel before me and offer all your female companions, I will forgive your sins."
Ryou's expression immediately turned peculiar.
He wanted to ask, "Where did you get this confidence from? Are you an arrogant young Master? Do you have a powerful elder hiding somewhere?"
Ryou subconsciously voiced his thoughts.
Although Athena didn't understand what he meant, seeing his look of pity, she knew it wasn't anything good.
"Hmph! Ignorant mortal, but no matter. Once I capture your female companions, I will personally train them into my loyal pets."
"That's exactly what I was going to say. Attack!"
Ryou didn't want to talk any longer.
This goddess of wisdom and war was indeed smart, but she was far too arrogant.
Even if her beauty was extraordinary, her personality was extremely annoying. He couldn't understand why those exceptional women would be attracted to her.
Could she be the legendary big tsundere?
Ryou thought maliciously as he waved his hand, and the coalition launched their attack.
At this moment, the Apollo Familia within the mansion also realized something was wrong, and many adventurers poured out.
Unfortunately, the Apollo Familia was only a medium-sized familia, with its captain only at level 3.
Ryou didn't even need to take action; the coalition forces easily breached the mansion.
Strangely, Athena merely observed and didn't even let Umi beside her intervene.
The coalition's assault faced no resistance.
Before long, Bell, half-naked and wearing only boxers, was also rescued.
Immediately after, the coalition escorted out a man with golden hair radiating a sun-like brilliance, yet exuding a distinctly effeminate aura.
Despite the situation, Athena remained composed, her expression as calm as ever. Ryou, who had been closely observing her, even detected a faint hint of amusement in her eyes.
Thinking of the worst possible scenario, Ryou couldn't help but furrow his brow.
He took a deep breath and made a silent decision in his heart...
"You children are so disrespectful to me!"
This effeminate aura belonged to none other than Apollo, the main deity of the Apollo Familia and the Sun God of the Olympian pantheon.
Were it not for his divine status, the coalition would have already beaten him black and blue without hesitation.
However, this selfish and self-centered god saw things differently.
He shouted, even reprimanding the coalition members escorting him as if he were the victor.
When he saw Athena at the door, his eyes lit up.
"Oh! My dear sister, quickly capture these people!"
Athena's face darkened when she saw Bell hiding in fear from Apollo's gaze, considering his particular fetish.
This guy had treated an important piece for the pantheon's revival as his plaything!?
If it weren't for the inappropriate timing, Athena would have loved to slice open his head with a sword to see what filled his brain.
Seeing Apollo still oblivious to the situation, Athena raised her eyebrows coldly and snapped.
"Shut up, you stupid fool! Look at what you've done!"
Athena's eyes conveyed a clear message of "I'll deal with you later," and then she turned to Ryou.
"You think you've won? How laughable!"
Her cold, fierce smile, paired with her breathtaking beauty, made her resemble a purple rose covered in thorns, hiding deadly poison beneath its stunning exterior.
Clap! Clap!
She raised her hand and clapped twice softly.
Three figures slowly emerged from the shadows in the corner.
The first was a woman with sun-like golden hair, exuding an aura of dominance and wildness. She had a pair of feline-like ears on her head and a golden tail behind her.
She was an extremely rare female member of the lion race.
Next to the lioness was a girl with short, azure hair, always sporting a faintly roguish expression.
Though her race was ordinary human, her appearance was strikingly peculiar.
She wielded a pair of curved blades emitting a sharp, cold gleam, with an unnatural green hue on the blades indicating they were coated with poison.
Moreover, eight mechanical arms extended from her back, each equipped with a poisoned curved blade, making her a Ten Sword Style swordwoman.
From afar, she resembled an upright crab.
Even without asking, their distinct appearances made it clear they were the last two members of the Zodiac Twelve to appear, Leo and Cancer.