"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I lost."
Nasha, in the match after Liang's, also didn't last long before being knocked off the stage.
"Don't worry about it. After all, your opponent is no ordinary person."
Helping Nasha, who was kneeling before her, Zeus said that it was already impressive to last that long against someone with dragon bloodline. Zeus didn't demand anything. It was not easy to fight to this extent. She called another maid to take Nasha to rest, and Zeus continued to watch the show. Next, it was the elder sister's turn.
"Child, come here for a moment."
Before the show could even begin, the Queen called out to Zeus.
"Oh, dear! Seriously, I haven't finished watching this show yet!"
While grumbling softly, Zeus still dutifully approached the Queen. Looking at the Queen, whose eyes held an unclear meaning, Zeus suddenly understood something. So, she used her pitifully small divine power to sense a strange power hovering over everyone's heads, including her own. There was a small wisp of power, but it felt very familiar to Zeus. She didn't try to expel it. It was currently glowing above the Queen's head. Without knowing its purpose, Zeus still didn't plan to act. In this world, she had to be cautious about everything. If she accidentally attracted Gaia, it wouldn't be fun.
"Is there something you need, Mother?"
Looking at the Queen, who had been staring at her, Zeus asked, puzzled.
"You've grown up after all."
Hearing Zeus's words, the Queen was silent for a few seconds before speaking these unclear words to Zeus. This surprised Zeus, but she suppressed her inner thoughts and listened quietly.
"I thought this day would never come, but it has, my dear Vier. What do you think of King Arthur?"
The Queen walked up to Zeus, affectionately stroked Zeus's little face, hugged Zeus, and then began to ask.
"A very upright knight."
Zeus thought for a moment and gave a relatively fair answer. After all, she knew Artoria's life, dreams, and fate. Zeus believed that not only herself, but also her fellow 'Royalists' from her previous life, understood this girl Artoria's life extremely thoroughly, perhaps even better than Artoria herself knew what kind of person she was.
"Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, you're a grown woman. It's time for you to marry."
The Queen looked at Zeus with tears in her eyes. She didn't know why she felt this way, but seeing her child about to fly into someone else's arms, her heart was filled with reluctance.
"Eh~!"
Surprised by the Queen's words, Zeus quickly sensed the power above her head. It was now more active than before. Seeing this, Zeus finally knew what this thing was. Wasn't this the power of fate? Although a Divine King is not affected by fate, Zeus's current identity was 'Guinevere,' which meant this thing had found her. It wanted to correct history, to make 'Guinevere' marry 'King Arthur.' Moreover, Zeus now had no choice but to play her current role according to fate's arrangement. If she went against the setting, then a corrective force would definitely appear. The appearance of a corrective force would be like giving Gaia a shot, attracting Gaia's attention, which would mean utter ruin.
"I've really dug my own grave."
Zeus roared inwardly, swearing silently, while maintaining a poker face. But Zeus finally accepted it helplessly. She had to finish what she started, even if she had to do it on her knees. After all, she had no choice and no way out.
"Your Majesty, King Arthur has won the final victory of the competition."
Just as the Queen was about to chat more with Zeus, a guard rushed in, reporting the result to the Queen.
"It truly is providence. Vier, promise Mother you'll be happy."
Hearing the guard's words, the Queen was silent for a while. Finally, she said that to Zeus and then walked away. She really didn't want to send her daughter off again. This time, it was likely she wouldn't return. For a child who married far away, it was a very dishonorable thing to return to her parents' side unless there was a special reason. So, this meeting with Zeus was probably the last time she would see her beloved 'daughter.'
"Accursed fate."
Looking at the Queen's lonely back, Zeus glared fiercely at the power of destiny that was slowly disappearing from the Queen's head. Looking at the increasingly thick power of destiny hovering above her own head, Zeus swore that one day, she would catch the Goddess of Fate and spank her. Thinking of this, Zeus no longer lingered. She decided to go back and pack! Oh, and she would take Liang and Nasha with her. Otherwise, life would be too boring.
Another world.
"How is it, Athena, our village?"
The lovely girl Pallas, holding the purple-haired girl Athena, began to wander through every corner of the village. Because of the 'special' care of the Five Sisters, the people living on the land slowly prospered. Even their clothes and daily necessities had changed greatly, replacing animal skins with cloth woven from silk, raising livestock so they didn't have to hunt, and having farming techniques passed down by the gods. Life was simply too good.
"Very good. It looks like a very vibrant place."
Athena observed and nodded in agreement. In her heart, she was growing increasingly curious about what in humans could attract five gods to act. Yes, Athena had already sensed the believers in the village and the power on them. But the only thing that puzzled her about the village was that there was a power here that condensed and did not disperse. It was not like divine power, nor was it like the power of faith, but it gave Athena a very warm feeling. She had felt this feeling once before, when she was born.
"Pallas."
"What is it, Athena?"
Pallas turned her head to look at her new good friend and asked curiously why she had called her.
"Can you take me to see the center of the village?"
"Uh~! Hmm, although it's a bit difficult, with my identity as the River God's daughter, I should be able to see it from a distance!"
Biting her thumb in distress, she found Athena's request a bit difficult, but in the end, she agreed to her newly met good friend.
"That's great, thank you, Pallas."
Let me see what you really are! Looking at Pallas, who had agreed, Athena's heart became active. The source of that power was in the center of the village, and Pallas had avoided that place while showing her around. It seemed there was a big se-se... ahem, secret.
"It's nothing, we're friends."
Pallas waved her hand, indicating it was a small matter, and began to pull Athena's hand, heading towards the center of the village.
When the two approached, they were indeed stopped, but Pallas skillfully used her identity and her reputation in the village to bring Athena to the very center of the village, under the escort (surveillance) of two guards.
"Is this? Who is it?"
Athena looked at the statue in the center. She didn't know why she had an urge to throw herself on it and cry. Shaking her head to cast out the strange thought, she began to ask Pallas.
"This adult is the creator of us humans, Lord Zeus."
The guard beside them proudly introduced her to the two girls. She was very proud that her creator was so beautiful.
Hearing this answer, Athena fell silent. She looked at the lifelike statue, a little bewildered. This statue should not have been carved by mortals, and the material used was not ordinary. Athena's heart was now complicated. She suddenly didn't know what to do. Knowing her mother's appearance for the first time, she had an unknown feeling in her heart.
After looking at the statue a few more times, she took Pallas and left. She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she really wouldn't be able to hold back her tears.
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