[3rd POV]
"Drink?"
Upon hearing Ares, Hephaestus asked in surprise:
"Did you hit your head or something?"
After thinking for a moment, Ares shook his head, "No, wait, there's nowhere in this world where you could have hit your head. You must want something from me, right?"
"It's really not that."
Ares shook his head, "To be honest, did you notice what Oceanus has been up to today?"
"What's going on with Oceanus?"
Hephaestus asked, his brow furrowed in confusion, "I've been working all day, so I haven't noticed what's happening outside..."
"Zeus swallowed Metis."
Ares sighed deeply, "Because of this, Oceanus is absolutely furious and announced that he's leaving Mount Olympus. He's completely severed ties with Zeus."
"Huh? Why would Zeus do something like that?"
Hephaestus asked, completely puzzled.
"Because Kronos gave him a prophecy, or rather, a curse."
He explained, "Kronos prophesied that Zeus would be overthrown by the son born of him and Metis. To stop that from happening, Zeus swallowed Metis today."
"I see. So that's what happened."
After hearing this, Hephaestus didn't seem very surprised, merely responding in a calm tone, "That sounds like something Zeus would do."
Seeing the expression on Hephaestus' face, Ares felt the conversation was going in the right direction, and he continued:
"I used to... always think that Zeus and Hera abandoned you because you were weak, but now I realize I was wrong. As the son of Zeus, whether we are strong or weak, once we catch his attention, we are like helpless lambs in front of him and can only let him do whatever he wants. What child in this world can escape their parents' grasp when they are young? Zeus and Hera, as our parents, not only failed to protect us but if we make them angry, we can be punished at any moment, even lose our lives. Thinking about this, I suddenly feel a bit of admiration for you, Hephaestus. Even though you were born into a difficult situation, you worked hard and didn't rely on being Zeus' son. You relied on your own talent to become one of the Twelve Olympian gods. Maybe that's what being truly strong is."
There is no one who doesn't like hearing sincere compliments, especially in the world of Greek mythology.
Even someone like Hephaestus, who is usually quiet and honest, couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction when he heard Ares, who used to look down on him, sincerely praise and even flatter him.
On the surface, Hephaestus didn't show much, but inside, he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
After hearing Ares' words, Hephaestus wanted to say something nice in return, but since he was never good with words, he thought for a while and finally said:
"Ares, actually... you've had it tough too..."
"Yes, as sons of Zeus, none of us have it easy."
Ares said, taking out two cups and pouring some divine wine for both himself and Hephaestus.
He handed Hephaestus his cup, raised his own, and said, "There's nothing we can do. As brothers, we can only support and help each other here on Mount Olympus."
Hephaestus hesitated momentarily but raised his cup and gently clinked it with Ares'.
"You're right."
Hephaestus said to Ares.
...
That night, Ares and Hephaestus spent hours drinking divine wine and discussing many things.
Ares used his experience from his past life as a corporate slave, the same techniques he used to handle clients, and the result was remarkable.
Hephaestus was in a great mood, and the relationship between the two gods grew stronger.
After that day, whenever Ares had free time, he would bring fine wine and visit Hephaestus.
They would talk about all kinds of things, getting closer as brothers.
Over time, their relationship became as close as normal brothers in the mortal world.
Once Ares felt they had grown close enough, he decided to make his move. He casually told Hephaestus that he was interested in learning about forging and hoped he could teach him a little.
"Why would a God of War like you be interested in such a hammering and shaping stuff?"
Hephaestus asked, surprised by Ares' request.
"It's because forging can create weapons, chariots, and even war equipment."
Ares replied confidently with a perfectly reasonable excuse he had already prepared.
"As the god of war, it's only natural for me to be interested in the craft that creates the tools of war, right?"
Hephaestus thought momentarily and realized that Ares' reason made sense and responded, "Alright, since I've almost finished repairing the equipment for Olympus, I'll make some time to teach you."
As biological brothers, both Hephaestus and Ares share a connection to fire in their divinity. However, Ares' flames are much more violent and powerful, while Hephaestus' fire is easier to control.
This difference is one reason why Ares was confident that learning Hephaestus' forging methods would not be difficult after becoming the God of War and gaining immense physical strength.
Once he learned how to craft, Ares figured he wouldn't need to bother Hephaestus anymore and would be able to deduce the properties of the black crystal pendant himself, which seemed like the safest option for him.
However, when Hephaestus began teaching, Ares quickly realized he was very wrong.
The weapons of gods in this era are far beyond the reach of mere mortal creations.
To forge divine weapons, Ares would need to master not only fire control and hammering techniques but also a complex mix of magical knowledge.
Fortunately, after becoming a god, Ares's mind was much sharper, and his memory capacity increased several times.
After some time, Ares could finally understand the basics and learn everything Hephaestus taught him.
He successfully entered the world of forging.
If this had been done before, Ares would never have been able to learn such complicated and delicate skills.
Hephaestus watched Ares' efforts with great surprise and satisfaction.
Unlike the other gods on Mount Olympus, who were prideful and wouldn't allow anyone else to be better than them, Hephaestus was different.
He was talented but not arrogant and happy to share his skills with others. In fact, the forging techniques that later humans learned came from Hephaestus himself.
Seeing Ares working so hard and successfully learning the art of forging made Hephaestus feel even more fond of his brother.
He began to teach Ares everything he knew and everything he had learned.
After about four or five years of learning, Ares finally completed his training under Hephaestus.
While his forging skills were still far from reaching Hephaestus' level, Ares could now craft lower-level magical items without a problem.
He had fully learned Hephaestus' forging techniques and magical knowledge, and now all he needed was practice and experience.
Once he completed his training, Ares didn't waste any time. He went straight back to his temple to begin analyzing the black crystal pendant.
But just at that moment, outside the God of War Temple, a lesser god rushed in. Upon seeing Ares sitting on his throne, the god excitedly called out:
"Lord Ares, you finally returned! Where did you go yesterday? You didn't even attend Zeus' banquet."
"I went to inspect the mortal realm yesterday."
Ares casually made an excuse and asked, "What's going on?"
"The goddess Hebe came looking for you. It seems something big happened yesterday."
The lesser-god replied.
To be continued...