Deep within the Forest of Nulam — On the outskirts of the secret realm of the Nymphs
Ducaela was trying to calm the panic spreading among the nymphs. Their divine barrier—the dome that had protected and hidden them from humans—had been shattered by Brian's punch.
Every single one of them stood frozen, both impressed and terrified. After finishing her communication with Heimdall, Aphrodite used her divine charm to soothe them.
The goddess of love sighed.She glanced sideways at her sister, Lilith, who stood beside Sam.
Aphrodite: —"I've finished speaking with Heimdall. He'll take us to Tontheon in one minute."
I almost dropped to the ground in a fetal position,but somehow managed to hold onto my composure and dignity.Though my mind was already at the edge of cognitive collapse, I asked:
—Why Tontheon? Wouldn't it be faster to go straight to Olympus?
Aphrodite walked closer and took my arm gently.
Aphrodite: —"I want to see the city… It's been about sixty years since I last left this forest."
I made her let go and stepped back.Internally, I cursed the system again.Even though my mind was overloaded, I still thought:
—Wait, what? ("I never questioned it before, but… what the hell is a Greek goddess doing in a forest protecting nymphs? …nah, doesn't matter. My brain's done taking in new information.")
The goddess of pleasure stepped forward,her eyes meeting mine, her smile making me swallow hard.
Lilith: —"A guardian must protect what she's been commanded to protect."
—Then, if you're both so busy, why are you coming with me? (There's only one logical solution to this goddess problem… Be the biggest dumb bastard in the history of bastards.)
Aphrodite raised a brow, clearly offended.
Aphrodite: —"Are you stupid? Did you forget that you destroyed the barrier of my realm?"
—Ah… right. I'll make it up to you. (Yeah, I may have been a bit impulsive breaking the barrier… but, in my defense: they weren't taking me seriously.)
Aphrodite played with a strand of her red hair.Her charming voice came out almost seductively:
Aphrodite: —"And how exactly will you do that?"
I had nothing.Until an idea hit me.
"All the nymphs are beautiful, and they have the power to beautify nature around them..."
"So what if..."
"I take the nymphs to the city Artia's building... When the players arrive and discover it... that'll be an irresistible attraction."
Obviously, my common sense was going straight to hell. Overloaded brain, emotional imbalance, overclocked mind—and worst of all, no sleep.
"Kekekeke, those nerds and damn otakus will spend all their money there..."
"And I'll finally recover the damn investment I lost."
Thinking... but not considering variables,I answered Aphrodite:
—I'll take all of them to my city.
Aphrodite's expression shifted from flirty to displeased.
Aphrodite: —"No thanks, that's not—"
—The entire city belongs to me.
Lilith's eyes widened,and she stepped into the conversation.
Lilith: —"But you have that stigma—how can you possibly own a city?"
The goddess of love tilted her head with curiosity,turning to her sister.
Aphrodite: —"You know that Stigma, sister?"
Lilith's gaze turned reflective as she explained:
Lilith: —"Yes… that Stigma is man-made. A Stigma of slavery."
Aphrodite turned to me, startled.
Aphrodite: —"I hadn't noticed. Then you're a…?"
I replied in a dry, unwavering tone:
—I am. Any problem with that? (For now… I just have to return to the Valentine estate, and my family and I will finally be free.)
After that brief exchange—and while thinking about the city's construction—I remembered losing the drone to Poseidon.So I used the wrist communicator and asked Artia about Melissa's condition.
—Artia, are you there?
[Marshal, it's good to hear from you.]
Judging by the expressions on Aphrodite and Lilith's faces, I confirmed that all NPCs could sense Artia's existence—she was part of the world's lore—but not Quincy's.
Aphrodite approached again, her eyes full of curiosity.
Aphrodite: —"Who is she?"
—My subordinate AI.
Lilith took a deep breath,her tone almost scientific.
Lilith: —"A.I.… but then, what is that astral projection?"
—It's a hologram... Artia, I wanted to ask: did you install weapons on Noelle's passenger ships?
[Negative. You never requested that, Marshal.]
—Shit… Send the Hunter-class ships you showed me in your hangar, to escort Noelle and bring the future citizens safely.
[Right away, Marshal. I have both Comfort ships tracked in real time; I guarantee they'll be escorted successfully.]
—Why so confident?
[I'm offended that you'd doubt my manufacturing capabilities… Marshal, my factory can do anything.]
—Okay, fair. But... the Comfort ships do have stealth mode, right?
[Affirmative, Marshal. I've delegated a lesser AI to each ship's operations.]
—Perfect... Oh, and... did you already take Melissa to the Gorgons?
[Affirmative. I did so after completing her medical and psychological exams.]
—And... how did Melissa's exams turn out?
[Which one would you like first, Marshal?]
—Medical.
[Severely abused... specifically, there was no lubrication on her part during the act, which tore both inner and outer labial tissue—in other words, maximum pain.]
Hearing Artia's report made my anger flare again… but I had to listen until the end. So, assuming the mythological logic of this world, I asked:
—And she's...?
[No, Marshal. The male fluid failed to reach her ovaries, due to the lack of lubrication—and it was later extracted during the exams.]
—And the psychological? ("Wait... is she telling me... that she now has the semen of a god in her possession?")
[Deeply traumatized. During every test, she displayed intense fear when I tried to analyze her... In other words, she won't be able to engage in intimacy until she overcomes that trauma, Marshal.]
—Thank you, Artia.
[Always at your service, Marshal.]
After hearing Artia's report, I stayed silent, thinking carefully.
"My mental fatigue is still here, but one thing's clear as daylight. I don't care about intimacy with Melissa—I've never seen her that way.What matters is that the trauma she carries will haunt her every time she even thinks about it."
"So… I'm sorry, Mom. Just this third time, I'll break my promise."
"That bastard deserves to learn—no—he'll understand what cruelty truly means."
Lilith's eyes seemed to study my intentions.
Lilith: —"Your gaze... it's different." ("It gives me chills.")
—It's fine. When do we leave?
Aphrodite smiled, trying to ease the tension.
Aphrodite: —"In just a moment. That voice we heard—was it your friend's?"
—Yeah.
Lilith stared at me intently, asking with sharp seriousness:
Lilith: —"What will you do when you see Poseidon?"
—I don't know. Guess I'll have a nice chat. ("Not like I plan to grant him the dignity of a fight.")
Aphrodite sighed, brushing her bangs aside.
Aphrodite: —"Fine, if you say so."
And at that moment, a beam of multicolored light descended from the sky, surrounding us.Its radiance was so intense it nearly made me faint.
Elsewhere...
In the Kingdom of LichsteinThe Valentine Estate – Small Town of Holdiang
The morning bustle of the town was cheerful, calm, filled with children's laughter—until it was interrupted by the thunder of hooves pounding the earth.Dozens of guards, nearly forty riders,escorted a lavish carriage that stopped right at the town's entrance.
When the carriage door opened and a man stepped out,the townsfolk murmured in shock:
—"What's Count Valentine doing here?"
Henry touched the ground,adjusting his coat with elegance and tightening his cravat slightly.He gestured toward one of the villagers and asked authoritatively:
Henry Valentine: —"I'm looking for a maiden taken in by this village last week.Her name is Karen Olws. Where is she?"
The villager swallowed hard and pointed toward a small wooden house.The Count didn't even thank him—he simply walked off.Every eye in the village followed him, fixated on that door.
Feeling their stares, Henry's face hardened, his tone sharp.
Henry Valentine: —"Get back to work!"
The door opened.The family living inside bowed respectfully to the Count.Among them was Karen.
Henry's expression changed when he saw her, and he said to the family:
Henry Valentine: —"Step outside and leave us alone."
They all obeyed without question.But one of the children, before leaving, looked back and asked Karen:
—"Will you be okay?"
Karen's gaze was firm,though a flicker of fear shone in her eyes.
Karen: —"Don't worry, Chayna. You saw my powers, didn't you? I'll be fine."
The family left their own home,leaving Count Valentine once again alone with his former slave.
Karen now stood face-to-face with the man who had once degraded her—but now, she was free.
The stark difference was that he came as a Count, not as a master.And she... was far more powerful than Henry Valentine could ever imagine.