"No way, absolutely not!"
Suren waved his hands dismissively, laughing at the thought. He, an ordinary mortal, had no illusions of courting a goddess.
In truth, Suren was a humble man. The love he sought was the kind that could lead to a peaceful life—something no goddess could guarantee. Besides Hestia, none of them were what one would call "easygoing." All of them were high-maintenance, fierce-hearted, and remarkably complex.
In Greece, goddesses practically equated to walking trouble.
Athena laughed, her voice carrying a veiled hint. "You had better not think so… But even if you don't, that doesn't mean others haven't."
"Huh?" Suren raised his brows. "There are really warriors bold enough to marry a goddess? Who's that brave?"
Even Athena, for once, gritted her teeth. "My Suren, just what image do you have of the Olympian goddesses?"
"Olympus has only three virgin goddesses! Let's get one thing clear: we are hardly desperate for suitors!"
Suren, realizing he may have touched a nerve, promptly closed his mouth. Sometimes he could be stubbornly unbending—even before Zeus himself. During Atalanta's slaying of Hippomenes, she had invoked Poseidon, stating that only the Sea King's intervention would save him.
Despite her loathing for Hippomenes, she respected the gods' dignity enough to refrain from tarnishing Poseidon's honor by killing the man outright.
In the Age of Gods, it was the gods who ruled supreme, with mortals subject to their will.
But Suren was different. If someone crossed his line, he wouldn't hesitate to act, gods or not. That said, his usual approach to the gods was highly deferential, and he would carefully observe their reactions, tailoring his "attitude" toward them accordingly.
Suren had his attitude toward friends, an attitude toward mortals, and, naturally, an attitude toward gods.
Athena, however, didn't care for Suren's "attitude." She wanted the true Suren—the man beneath the mask, with his honest thoughts on the gods. Even if those thoughts were irreverent, she would find them far more appealing than this polite pretense.
But she understood that this was no easy task. Sighing, she spoke in a gentle, motherly tone. "Suren, gods are, in truth, quite lenient with humanity. When we punish, it is in the service of divine responsibility, a necessary evil."
"Our true nature, you see, is love for humanity. We were born from their faith, and through it, we gained our forms and emotions."
Her golden eyes held an earnest gleam as she continued. "Tell me, besides the Twelve Olympians, which god has struck humans with trials like the Calydonian boar?"
Gods were born from human belief, and thus, they loved humanity. Regardless of the region or mythos, gods were forever watching over humanity, expressing their love in various ways.
However, gods existed in dimensions far beyond human understanding. Their care often took forms that mortals saw as "divine punishment," rendering the gods figures to revere yet fear.
"Thank you, Athena, for trusting me enough to share this." Suren finally responded after a pause. "I understand this as divine love. But some behaviors among the gods can be… unsettling."
"Even scoundrels like Hippomenes can receive a god's blessing. I truly can't imagine what could make someone so vile that the gods would finally turn their backs."
It wasn't that Suren disliked gods; he simply found their universal compassion a bit too… undiscerning, as though they were wish-granting machines with no filter.
Seeing that Athena was open with him, Suren didn't hold back. "I've got a love-hate relationship with Greece. I adore this land, yet I despise so much of what I've encountered here!"
"In only three short years, after brief interactions with people, I already feel some regret—"
"Should I never have left the forest? Should I have refused contact with everything beyond the trees?"
For the first time, Suren looked at Athena without his mask, eyes alive with genuine feeling. "Athena, you call yourself the mother of heroes—"
"But can just anyone be called a hero?"
"Goddess Athena, you've guided countless heroes, shaping their destinies. Your legacy is woven into the fabric of Greek mythology. But those thieves, those wretched souls… do they truly deserve those honors?"
Suren's voice remained calm, but anger simmered beneath the surface.
"Athena, I'm torn. As a mortal, I should be grateful for divine love."
"But love from the gods should be more than mere tolerance—it should be marked by standards and discipline."
Suren had braced himself for Athena's wrath. He had even prepared the Aegis, ready to return it if need be.
After all, gods were the most stubborn of beings, unlikely to change their ways for the words of a mere mortal.
Athena ought to be furious, for Suren's words questioned the very nature of the gods' love.
But—
"…I can't argue with you, Suren."
The divine light around Athena dimmed as she raised a hand, seeming to want to touch his head, but instead her fingers brushed the Aegis he had presented.
Athena pushed it back toward him, saying, "The Aegis serves little purpose for me anymore. In the Greek divine realm, no god save for Zeus could ever breach my defenses."
"Suren, this is a gift of honor. Please, do not refuse it."
"And don't lose hope in Greece."
"I haven't lost hope in Greece, Athena."
Suren found himself taken aback, guilt creeping in at his harshness. Had he been too blunt?
Divine love was distinct from human love; gods responded to the desires of mortals, for that was their reason for being.
Rather than faulting Greek gods for favoring thieves, perhaps it was these primitive, often brutal Greeks themselves who had shaped the nature of the gods they revered.
"Athena, I promise you," Suren said with solemnity. "I won't disappoint you. From now on, having the Aegis will be my greatest honor."
"And in time, the Aegis will gain its own honor from being wielded by me."
"My honor is your honor, my lady Athena."
Athena's golden eyes sparkled with quiet amusement. She noted the change in how he addressed her, a subtle but welcome shift.
It was the respect she'd always deserved, and now she had won it back.
Realizing he addressed her differently than he did Hestia, Athena had long anticipated this moment. It was an event she had carefully orchestrated, so she allowed herself no smugness.
"Then, continue your journey, my beautiful Suren!" she said with a touch of whimsy. "My chosen hero, beloved by three goddesses, pure-hearted warrior of love!"
"Do not halt your adventures. Remember, you bear the gaze of three goddesses."
A loud clap of thunder split the skies, and Athena chuckled, glancing knowingly at Suren. "It seems Hera, the most possessive of all, is a little unhappy."
"You might want to carve two more statues, if you get my meaning."
Suren glanced at the statue of Athena in his room and sighed. Gods, it seemed, were avid collectors of their own effigies…
Even if their likeness filled all of Greece, they still wanted to be gazed upon by all.
They had a collector's zeal comparable only to the most passionate devotees.
No wonder they were so entranced by the Loli Idol.
"Goddess Athena, my room is but a single, modest space. It's no grand temple like yours in Athens; it's practically a hovel."
"Wouldn't filling it with multiple statues of goddesses be… a bit disrespectful?"
He broke into a nervous sweat, picturing the capricious nature of the goddesses. One wrong move, and they could strip him of everything—even curse him for the offense.
Athena chuckled, her bright eyes full of mirth. "My dear Suren… Not all goddesses have patience like mine."
"You've already created an altar for Artemis, haven't you? Not that I mind—at all."
After all, it was no longer her sole privilege.
"Besides, Hera is a tough one. Best be careful, or she might come knocking."
In truth, Athena was quite enjoying herself. Suren's sense of respect for her, the wise goddess, now left Hera with the unpleasant task of pursuing her own altar.
For Athena, Suren was a captivating new amusement. Though she genuinely admired him, it didn't stop her from having a little fun.
In Greece, earning a goddess's favor might be easy, but capturing her true heart was a challenge far more profound.
"Thank you for the warning," Suren said, raising a brow at her with a faint smile.
A sudden tension tightened within Athena. Her wisdom bestowed her with insight, an ability to sense outcomes yet unformed, and she realized that this conversation was veering into dangerous territory.
Swiftly, she changed the subject, her voice full of serene magnanimity. "Suren, for your next journey, let Hera be your guide."
In truth, this was a tactical retreat on Athena's part—a cunning maneuver from the goddess of wisdom.
Hera, after all, knew nothing of adventures.
And when it came to guiding Suren toward true love, how could Hera possibly measure up?
In time, after a series of missteps on Hera's part, Suren would inevitably come to appreciate Athena's unique insight.
It was a strategy befitting the goddess of wisdom—she would let Hera be her own worst comparison.
---
Suren found two more fine slabs of high-quality marble and painstakingly carved statues of Hera and Hestia.
Hestia's likeness was easy to craft since he'd seen her in person.
As for Hera?
Though Suren hadn't met her face-to-face, he based her statue on the form of "Juno."
If Athena's "priestess" Pallas was actually Athena herself, then surely Hera's "priestess" Juno was also Hera.
Recalling the fierce clashes between Juno and Athena, it was hard to believe Juno could be merely mortal.
Even if he guessed wrong, Suren figured he could always re-carve the statue should Hera reveal her true appearance. He'd find a way, as he always did.
After completing the statue in Juno's likeness, no divine reprimands arrived, hinting that he was indeed correct.
Pallas was Athena, Juno was Hera, and as for Hestia... she simply appeared to Suren in person, sparing him the theatrics.
Had he really visited three temples in one day and met three goddesses?
Suren muttered, "Are the gods maybe… just a bit too free these days?"
He fell silent as he mulled over it, suddenly aware that his only golden boon—[To Walk with Gods]—seemed almost too potent.
Offering Hera the most exquisite offerings he could find, he spoke reverently: "Goddess Hera, I, Suren, offer you my deepest respect."
Feeling an odd sense of unease, he glanced at the other two statues, as though not addressing each goddess would somehow offend them.
He turned to Hestia's statue, saying, "Hestia, are you there? Is there anything you'd especially like? If not, I could cook something for you right here to bring you joy."
Just as he spoke, he watched in astonishment as a flame sparked to life before Hestia's statue...
It seemed Hestia had not only heard him, but had also kindly provided a divine fire for him to cook with.
She really was, he thought, the best.
Who else would be mad enough to put three goddess statues in one small home?
While not strictly forbidden, such an act verged on irreverence, and no one would dare risk angering the gods like that...
Divine, majestic, worthy of the grandest temples, gods deserved massive shrines—yet here Suren had three goddess statues crammed into a humble cave.
But Suren's abode was unique. He housed the statues of Hera, Athena, and Hestia within his mountain cave, and outside, by the tallest tree, stood a statue of Artemis, also his handiwork.
Four goddesses in one place. If he ever cried out for a "goddess' help," he might end up with all four, or none at all, as they argued amongst themselves.
Suren had little choice in the matter. Once he completed Athena's statue, he felt Hera's gaze upon him, and soon lightning struck, reminding him that perhaps he'd forgotten something...
So, reluctantly, he went ahead and completed the statues for the other goddesses in a flurry.
That night, as Suren slept, Hera appeared to him in a dream, smiling softly.
"Suren, do you still uphold your vow of pure love and loyalty to family?"
"If you remain steadfast in this, Hera shall grant you the most faithful woman in all of Greece as your bride."
Athena's idea of a match for Suren had been Greece's strongest female hero, Atalanta, whose power surpassed that of many male demigods.
But Suren had turned her down, even advising Atalanta to learn independence and cast aside the notion of being a clinging vine.
As the goddess of heroes and guide of adventurers, Athena prioritized "heroism," deeming only a strong hero worthy of Suren.
But as Queen of the Gods and protector of marriage, Hera's focus was on "loyalty." She saw Suren as already mighty enough; thus, what he required was not another powerful hero, but a faithful woman who upheld pure love and marriage.
Neither goddess was wrong—each approached it from her own divine perspective and values.
Suren, scratching his head and still groggy from sleep, replied politely, "Great Queen Hera, the blessing you bestow aligns with my deepest desires…"
"Very well, my beautiful and faithful Suren. Your wish, Hera grants."
"I shall not disappoint you…"
"Tomorrow, you shall receive Hera's revelation…"
Suren, half-asleep, nearly forgot his encounter with Hera upon waking. After his usual morning offerings to the three goddesses, a thought struck him. "Did I forget something?"
Elsewhere, Apollo was wrestling fiercely with Artemis, his face flushed and strained, a far cry from his usual composed grace.
"Sister… Artemis! Stop right now!!!"
At last, Apollo's strength won out, pinning down Artemis. Gasping, he managed to get out, "Calm down! Suren doesn't even know you're Cynthia!"
"Even if he did, what difference would it make? Have you forgotten the oath you made? Are you forcing me to kill him?"
Apollo's eyes were edged with urgency and danger. His dear friend Athena had been diligent, doing everything possible to guide Suren toward a true partner.
Though Suren hadn't taken to Athena's chosen match, she'd entrusted Hera to take the reins. This careful follow-through only proved Athena took his request seriously, her devotion clear.
A debt he'd be bound to repay in full someday.
Hearing Apollo mention her oath, Artemis wilted, her eyes brimming with tears. She spoke in a choked voice, "But… my dear Suren… he never once failed to honor me with offerings!"
"And now he has statues for three other goddesses. He's already forgotten me…!"
"Apollo, do you think he's angry? He must be upset over that fool who tried to steal his credit while I stood by."
"I did punish him! If not for Suren's intervention, that man would have burned alive."
If Suren hadn't intervened, Meleager would have eventually killed his uncle. His grief-stricken mother, Althaea, would have sworn vengeance to the Erinyes, condemning her own son to be burned like kindling.
Apollo sighed. Here was his sister, caught up in a naive love frenzy, misreading every situation. The problem was only worse when the love-struck goddess in question happened to be his twin.
Taking a deep breath, he soothed her. "Suren would never forget his first goddess. This is probably just Hera's meddling…"
Artemis looked up, eyes wide with hope. "Do you think so…?"
Apollo nodded, feigning conviction. "Absolutely. It's all Hera's doing."
To hell with it. He'd just have to face Hera.
He and Artemis had never gotten along with Hera anyway. Pushing blame her way didn't cost him a wink of sleep.
Otherwise, Artemis, with her overactive imagination, would spin some tragic romance out of this whole ordeal, casting herself as the heartbroken heroine.
"Now then, Artemis, worrying here won't help you. You should be thinking about how to break your vow to Father Zeus. At least find a way to lessen its impact. In your current state, I can't let you see Suren."
Artemis cast a longing glance toward Suren in the distance, finally nodding, determination hardening in her eyes. "Fine, Apollo. I'll find a way."
"True love must endure!"
"...Yes, yes. Just work on that."
Apollo massaged his temples, feeling helpless. This Suren, spouting his views on "true love"—it had only deepened his sister's resolve.
To Suren, those words had been a casual expression of his ideals.
But for Artemis, who had secretly watched over him, they were a message meant for her, one that strengthened her conviction. To her, true love required grueling tests to prove itself worthy of happiness.
Now she was constantly rambling about true love, a mantra that had Apollo's head spinning.
---
After cooking a meal with the sacred fire gifted by Hestia, Suren finally realized what he had overlooked…
He had forgotten to pay tribute to the guardian of this forest, the wild goddess Artemis!
Suren felt a chill run down his spine. Even with the protection of three goddesses, such blatant disregard for a deity was surely grounds for divine punishment.
Just look at what happened to Calydon!
However, when Artemis' wrath didn't immediately descend upon him, he hurriedly prepared an offering for her. Observing that she instantly accepted it, Suren let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps the goddess was more forgiving than he'd imagined.
"Thank you, Lady Artemis, for your mercy. Love you~" he added, making a little heart with his hands.
Though he still maintained proper respect for the gods, Suren no longer felt the same trepidation as he once did. Now, in the company of familiar deities, he felt comfortable enough to tease a bit, showing glimpses of his true self.
After all, from Athena and Hera to Hestia, from Artemis, his first patron, to the encounter with Apollo…
Every god he'd met had shown him unexpected kindness.
The forest went silent for a moment before a gentle pulse spread from every blade of grass and leaf, as if the forest itself had awakened. Wisps of primeval magic from the Age of Gods poured into Suren, infusing his being.
This wasn't merely mana—it was divine power coursing through him. His humanity now fully dissolved, transforming him into something far beyond mere mortals.
Athena and Hestia had laid the foundation for his immortality, and now Artemis was bestowing upon him the potential to ascend.
Though humans could become gods, it came at great cost—one only deities were capable of granting.
In Greece, on Olympus, only Zeus held the authority to bestow godhood among the pantheon.
Yet, there were exceptions. Should a major god choose to share a portion of their divine domain, they could elevate another to become their subordinate deity.
"Suren," Artemis' voice murmured softly. "Even should the Age of Gods fade, I will keep you by my side… for eternity…"
Suren had long forgotten his dream conversation with Hera.
Such is the nature of divine power: without form, without trace, and, if they wished it so, gods could make you forget your meetings with them in an instant.
But the advice Athena had given him remained firm in his mind. The guidance she provided for his quest of true love had come to an end; while he hadn't declared it a failure, he hadn't succeeded either.
Thus, it was now Hera's turn.
"Hera, my lady," Suren began reverently, preparing offerings for each of the goddesses—this time, not forgetting Lady Artemis.
Once might be an oversight, but twice? He might not be so lucky the next time, and the mistress of the wilds could very well transform him into a deer.
Once all his offerings were laid out, Suren stretched, casually hunted a doe, and began roasting it. Just as he was tending the fire, he heard a faint voice.
"Is someone… there… please, help me…"
Signs only reveal themselves to those in need, Suren thought. Perhaps only those who are truly worthy ever receive them.
He rose to his feet and bowed to Hera. He knew that this was her way of guiding him.
---
While Suren received Hera's guidance, the heroes of Greece had not paused in their quests.
Jason, son of Aeson, the former king of Iolcos, was pursuing his rightful throne.
"Jason," said his uncle Pelias, "if you wish to reclaim the throne of Iolcos, then retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis. Should you return with this treasure, I shall willingly yield the throne to you."
"…"
"O great Queen, lady of the heavens, goddess upon the golden throne, protector of marriage, white-armed Hera, I, Jason, beseech you to aid me in my quest…"
"…"
Hera did not answer, though faint thunder rolled across the sky.
Yet neither did she deny him.
As a prince of a Greek city-state, Jason knew well the rites due to gods. But this silence? This was something he hadn't anticipated.
Hera hadn't refused him, but neither had she granted him her blessing.
After much consideration, Jason had turned to Hera because the King of Colchis, Aeëtes, was her foe—a formidable demigod king.
To challenge Aeëtes, Hera's aid would have been invaluable.
But Jason had miscalculated…
"Great Queen…" Jason clenched his fists, taking a deep breath. "I must not have offered a worthy tribute or shown sufficient devotion to stir the heart of Hera herself."
He muttered to himself, "I need to find Heracles and prepare a greater offering that might earn Hera's favor."
Heracles—the Glory of Hera.
---
Elsewhere, Suren picked the finest, reddest apple from the only apple tree in the forest and offered it to Hera.
The pelts of his latest hunt, he offered to Athena.
The roast and broth he shared between Artemis and Hestia, striving to maintain balance among the goddesses to avoid any rivalries.
"Flattering one goddess could make you a sycophant," he mused, "but what does it make me if I'm trying to please four? A divine diplomat?"
Suren couldn't help but chuckle.
Just as he completed the ritual and was about to enjoy his meal, the faint cry for help drifted to him once more.
Suren had a feeling—this was the beginning of his adventure.
He looked toward the source of the sound, pushing through the dense underbrush until he found a figure.
The man's face was pale and his breathing weak. Suren didn't hesitate; he offered the man a bowl of broth, which slowly restored his strength.
"Thank you for saving me. I am Cadmus, son of Agenor, King of Phoenicia."
"No need to thank me. I couldn't leave a dying man." Suren waved off the gratitude, then asked, "But… Phoenicia?"
"Isn't that quite far from Greece?"
Far indeed. Greece lay in the Mediterranean, whereas Phoenicia was in the Middle East, its pantheon opposed by the Cross. When the Cross rose to power, those Phoenician gods would become little more than demons.
But that was a story for after the Olympians faded from the world. For now, Phoenicia lay within the reach of Greece's Twelve Olympians, and Phoenicians, too, were required to pay them homage.
The seas and lands of this age were wild. For Cadmus to travel all the way from Phoenicia to Greece…
He had reached the very borders of Athens.
Cadmus let out a heavy sigh, ultimately choosing to share his plight. "Yes, only dire need could force one to undertake such a journey in the Age of Gods."
"...My sister, Europa, was abducted by a great white bull."
Cadmus paused before explaining further. "My father, the king, was heartbroken. His grief nearly drove him mad. Thus, he cast me and my brothers, Phoenix and Cilix, out of our homeland."
"He declared that if we failed to bring Europa back, we should not return at all."
Suren listened in silence.
Europa… a white bull…
Even though he hadn't heard of Cadmus himself, even he knew those two infamous names.
If he was right, then Cadmus would never return to Phoenicia.
No, Agenor would instead spend his final days in regret.
For Agenor's sons would never recover Europa, who had been taken by the god-king Zeus. In his rage, the king had demanded that his sons return with her or never come home at all.
Thus, if they could not build new lives elsewhere, they would wander the world until they died, as Cadmus nearly had.
In time, when Agenor's fury subsided, he would surely regret his harsh words—but there would be nothing he could do to bring his children back.
A tragedy sparked by nothing more than a whim of Zeus.
"…"
Suren closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he composed himself. When he opened his eyes, they shone with resolve.
"Let me help you. I'll take on this debt—and I swear I'll resolve this."
"Not even Zeus himself can stop me—I promise you that."
A thunderclap boomed across the sky, shaking the earth. The forest, the mountains, the rivers—everything bowed under the weight of this thunderous might. Cadmus fell to his knees, paralyzed by the fear of Zeus' wrath.
He wanted to defend Suren, to plead for him, but his courage failed in the face of Olympus' most powerful god.
Only Suren—only he—did not bow before Zeus.
He wasn't stubbornly resisting divine reverence. He had knelt many times before Artemis, Athena, and Hera.
But today, he would not kneel.
The thunder raged above as though brimming with lethal intent.
Suren gazed up at the sky, unshaken, and laughed. "Zeus, 'mighty' Zeus, I finally know what I must do!"
Jade may shatter, but its whiteness endures; bamboo may burn, yet its joints remain unbroken.
Facing the supreme god, Suren proclaimed, "Hear me, Zeus—I will tell you my purpose."
"I will see to it that this beautiful Age of Gods no longer belongs to the gods alone!"
"The gods may guide humanity's path, but mankind will govern the way gods live!"
"I shall create new laws, new order, where humanity will no longer be puppets to the whims of gods."
"We are human. And we will stand."
His eyes blazed with resolve, shining with an unyielding fire. "Zeus, if my will frightens you, strike me down where I stand!"
Suren feared neither Zeus' thunder nor death itself.
A dream worth having is a dream worth shouting, whether he stood before a mortal or a god-king.
"…Interesting mortal."
The thunder's voice echoed across the heavens. "The favor of the gods has made you arrogant. You mortals who defy me are nothing but dust under my lightning!"
"But I… I am Zeus, king of Olympus, and I am a merciful god."
Zeus laughed. "Let the gods decide your fate, curious mortal. In the end, you shall see that before the final answer of the gods, all human response is meaningless."
"Zeus, I do not believe that the gods are the final answer."
"Nor do I seek a human world or a kingdom of gods alone."
Suren's gaze held firm, filled with a light that could make even a god falter. "I aim to create a Golden Age for both gods and humankind!"
This was the Age of Gods, where Greece flourished. Here, people needed not worry over food or death.
Men lived without fear, their lives long as they wished, death arriving only when the heart or fate called it.
Suren didn't reject the gods; he honored the life they created.
But he believed that both gods and men required law and order…
An order that Suren could live by.
His dream was to live a simple life.
But not just for himself. He wanted everyone in this bountiful Age of Gods to enjoy the same peaceful existence.
At some point, Zeus' thunder vanished. By Zeus' usual standards, Suren should have been destroyed then and there.
But, to Cadmus' shock, even though Suren's words had defied the gods, Zeus had let him live…
A mystery Cadmus would never understand.
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
(IN THE STORY)
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]