Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

The Divine King intended it, and Nereus was not going to refuse; everything proceeded very smoothly.

The paper sprouted wings and flew up from under the heavy seawater, soaring between the heavens and the netherworld.

To show his emphasis on this matter, Zeus had invited almost every existing True God in the world, even those reclusive entities from long ago.

Of course, invites were just invites; whether they would come was another matter. Apart from deities who held ancient grudges against the Ancient Sea God, Zeus also wanted to preemptively gauge his status and influence in the world today.

This matter could not be delayed... Thinking about these issues, when Zeus drove his chariot away from the Pontus Euxinus, he suddenly stopped and looked towards the direction of the earth.

The Erechtheion Temple, although the Divine King had never performed a divine miracle there, did not mean he could not use his statue as a medium to hear his devotees' prayers.

Someone was reporting to him on the progress of things, everything was going very smoothly. The mortal named Noros was doing well; he deserved to be promoted to Holy Spirit.

With a satisfied smile, Zeus resumed his journey. His chariot sliced through the sky, heading back in the direction from which he had come.

Left behind was only the still, waveless ocean.
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But Zeus did not notice that under the shadow of the sea surface, only after he had finally left, did a figure he had never detected throughout reveal itself.

"...Hmm, it seems I overthought it, it was just an accident. I thought his strength had secretly improved so swiftly, even outside Olympus he could detect my presence."

"Was he here for something else? That would be more normal. If the sovereignty of Chaos were so dreadful, I might have to change my mind prematurely..."

The voice echoed faintly, as the shadow slightly relaxed. However, he still planned to delay his own journey a bit, at least until Zeus had finished what he was here to do.

He had just peeked at the envelope that had flown up from the sea; it was a wedding invitation. The bride was Nereus's daughter, the groom was someone he had no recollection of. Regardless of who it was, this meant that the place would likely be bustling for quite a long time, and Zeus would surely return.

To prevent any accidents, it was better to be cautious. As for his own plans, he did not want anyone to find out... With that thought, the shadow flashed away toward a more distant part of the ocean.

Thousands of years ago, at the end of that accidental adventure, he had seen a special scene on the way back. At that time, he did not pay it much attention; after all, it was just a minor issue, and besides, he had injuries to deal with. But now it was different.

After all, the God of the Ocean had an ongoing feud that spanned an era with the lineage of the Ancient Sea God, so the latter would not attend the wedding. It was a good time to adjust the order of his own actions.

...

Athens, Acropolis.

Compared to half a month ago, this city closest to Athens was once again witnessing a massive influx of people.

Tens of thousands of visitors from various city-states and countries were pouring in for an imminent conference.

All kinds of activities, foreign goods, and exotic clothing were everywhere, and although the real competition had not yet begun, the prelude was already taking place all over the city.

Most of these were speeches, poetry competitions, or discussions about certain issues. After all, those who were already famous might directly have the qualifications to join this conference.

But for those who did not want to merely be spectators, they probably needed to do something to earn an entry ticket.

"Not just them, you also need a ticket."

Laine, who had just upgraded himself a few days ago, seemed in great spirits.

He looked at Andrea, whom he had disguised beyond recognition, and felt very satisfied with his handiwork.

"Your lineage will allow you a place in the audience, but that doesn't mean you can participate as a contestant, since this isn't a contest of strength. So, you need to make everyone aware of you and think of you as a rare sage."

"But I am a woman."

Frowning, Andrea said.

"The Goddess of Wisdom is also a woman, and besides, this is Athens, your father's old lover is also the Queen of the Amazons. So, if it's just about going on stage, that's merely a minor obstacle."

"But I probably am not as clever as you think, I can't make people see me as a learned sage, nor can I ensure victory on stage, especially if your disguise doesn't truly fool the deities. Otherwise, we both might end up sentenced to death by fire for blasphemy."

Rejecting again, the Little Princess looked at her new look in the mirror.

Elegant and charming, almost appearing a decade older, she was memorable—though the demeanor was still slightly off, given her actual youth.

"You don't need to worry about that either. I'm having you participate because you are both 'demigoddess' and 'compliant,' and temporarily, no one else can replace you. In fact, your 'path to fame' is already planned by me. There won't be any problem. Moreover, even if you do get the chance to participate, you probably won't need to actually go on stage."