Contrary to Alaric's imagination, the temple of Artemis on Mount Olympus was not a towering, extravagant structure.
On the contrary, while Artemis's domain did contain a temple and similar buildings, most of the area was covered in beautiful woodlands , exactly the kind of scenery the goddess of the hunt and guardian of nature would favor most.
Bathed constantly in moonlight, the lunar forest was home to divine creatures, fairies, and spirits of nature.
Presiding over the order of this realm were Artemis's eighty subordinate deities.
Summoned by Zeus, Artemis had hastily departed after bringing Alaric to her temple. It was Britomartis who was tasked with settling Alaric in.
The moment the two stepped into the inner sanctum of Artemis's temple, they were immediately surrounded by a group of nymphs.
While Artemis was present, the nymphs had been too restrained to act so freely.
But the moment the goddess left, their curiosity could no longer be contained, and they bombarded Alaric and Britomartis with questions.
"Wow, Lady Artemis actually brought a man to the temple? That's unbelievable!"
"Lady Artemis, the goddess of chastity… could she really have fallen for someone?"
"To be able to charm Lady Artemis , what kind of man must he be?"
"He looks a bit different from us… Is he from somewhere else? But he's really handsome."
"Hey, hey! Who are you? How did you meet Lady Artemis?"
...
The nymphs chattered away, surrounding Alaric with endless questions.
This man, the first to ever be brought personally into the lunar temple by Artemis, became the center of their curiosity.
Though each of them was a picture of beauty and innocence, and their voices soft and sweet, being crowded and questioned like this overwhelmed Alaric.
Thankfully, Britomartis stepped in to rescue him.
"Alright, alright, everyone move aside. Stop crowding around Mr. Alaric," she said, trying to calm her sisters down.
"Mr. Alaric is a guest of Lady Artemis herself. Please show him proper respect and don't trouble him too much."
Britomartis held considerable authority among the nymphs, thanks to her position and Artemis's trust. The moment she spoke, the others had no choice but to comply.
"We get it, we get it."
"We'll back off."
"Don't worry, Britomartis , we won't scare him off."
Even as they scattered, the nymphs threw flirtatious glances toward Alaric.
But even from a distance, he could still hear their whispered conversations.
"Say, if Lady Artemis really does end up… with him, do you think we might have a chance too?"
"I think it's possible… I mean, I'm kind of curious what it'd be like."
...
These bold remarks made Alaric laugh and shake his head.
As expected, while these girls looked innocent and sweet on the surface, no one could predict the kinds of scandalous things they'd say in private.
Now that the crowd had dispersed, Alaric could finally calm his mind and take in the wonders of Olympus , the divine realm of the Titan pantheon.
And the sensations were indeed extraordinary.
First, there was the state of the True Ether.
Though the True Ether was already incredibly dense and active in the divine era of the Nasuverse, surpassing even realms like World of Warcraf, here on Mount Olympus, it was even more concentrated and vibrant.
Alaric was confident that if he cast spells here, they would not only be easier to perform but would yield much stronger effects.
Then, there were the subtle shifts in rules.
Compared to the relatively normal mortal realm, the laws of nature in a divine domain like this were different in subtle but important ways.
For example, on Mount Olympus, the very fabric of reality favored the ruling gods. Darkness, evil, and corruption were heavily suppressed.
But within the Lunar Temple, things shifted even more.
Here, the powers tied to Artemis's domains , nature, moonlight, the hunt , were vastly amplified. This was a direct manifestation of her divine authority.
Alaric believed that no matter how powerful his magic became, in this place, he would be completely suppressed, for here, every rule, every stream of energy bent to the will of the moon goddess.
At least in this realm, her power was akin to that of a creator god.
As Alaric closed his eyes to better feel the stark differences between this divine domain and the mortal world, Britomartis's voice gently reached his ears.
"Pardon the interruption, Lord Alaric," she said softly. "Please, enjoy some fruit and wine."
"Thank you, Britomartis."
Alaric nodded, tasted a bit, and revealed a look of enjoyment.
"The flavor really is exceptional."
"Right? Right?" Britomartis beamed proudly.
"These fruits grow from trees imbued with Lady Artemis's power, and the wine is crafted by Lord Dionysus himself , you won't find anything like it in the mortal world."
"Indeed," Alaric nodded approvingly. "When it comes to pleasure, mortals just can't compare to gods."
"That's why… if you were to stay here, you could enjoy such delicacies every day." Britomartis's tone turned coaxing.
"What do you think? Won't you consider it, Mr. Alaric?"
So that's what this was about.
Alaric finally understood the true intention behind all of Britomartis's talk , she was trying to help her goddess win him over.
Such a loyal attendant.
But mere pleasure and comfort were far from enough to sway Alaric.
"Sorry. Tempting as it sounds, I can't agree to that," Alaric replied. "I still have an important mission to complete."
"You mean even mighty gods can't help you with this mission?" Britomartis scoffed, unconvinced.
"While powerful gods can assist me in many ways, there are some things I must accomplish on my own," Alaric said solemnly.
"You're such a stubborn man," Britomartis sighed, though there was a hint of admiration in her tone.
"Still… compared to the affection of a god, a mortal's mission doesn't hold much weight, does it? After all, mortals are so fleeting."
"If that's so," Alaric countered, "then why demand that mortals , so brief and fragile , stay by the side of gods for eternity?"
That...
Britomartis seemed momentarily lost for words. But she quickly followed up.
"But the power of the gods can grant you immortality. If you were elevated to the stars, you could remain with Lady Artemis forever, and gain power rivaling some of the lesser deities."
Yet even after all that, Alaric merely shook his head again and again.
"Let's not even mention Zeus , with his personality, he'd never agree to something like that. But even if he did, what would it mean to become a star?
I'd still be an ant, with my fate held in someone else's hands… No , even if it's immortality, even if it's divine power , I'll earn it with my own hands."
Alaric's declaration left Britomartis and the nearby nymphs momentarily dazed, overwhelmed by the gravity and boldness of his words.
But soon, Britomartis shook her head slowly.
"Give it up, you stubborn man," the attendant goddess said in a low voice.
"In this world, divine power is absolute. Even among gods, there are insurmountable divides, let alone between mortals and gods."
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