Brittomartis ultimately failed to persuade Alaric.
Alaric expressed his willingness to try and accept Artemis's feelings, but made it clear that he would not stay among the gods forever, he had to seek out his own path, his own power.
The two parted on bad terms.
Yet, Alaric's confidence and determination as a mortal left all the nymphs deeply moved.
None of the female immortals could deny that Artemis, as the chaste virgin goddess, still surpassed most goddesses in her judgment of men.
The man she had chosen was indeed no ordinary mortal, he was truly exceptional.
Some even began to think that, even if gods and mortals must one day part, they would gladly share a fleeting moment of passion with Alaric, just to avoid a lifetime of regret.
Of course, for now, these "female scoundrels" had no chance to act on such desires.
Because Artemis had returned.
The moon goddess immediately lit up upon seeing Alaric still waiting for her at the temple and rushed over excitedly. But then, her gaze turned sorrowful.
"What's wrong, Artemis?"
Alaric noticed something off and asked.
"What just happened?"
"Prometheus stole the heavenly fire. Father punished him."
Artemis spoke flatly, as though recounting something trivial.
But Alaric immediately understood what that implied.
"What happened next?" Though he already knew, he still asked Artemis to confirm.
The moon goddess hesitated, seemingly reluctant to share the rest with Alaric. But in the end, she spoke.
The story unfolded much like the myths.
Prometheus defied Zeus and stole the fire from the heavens, granting humanity the power to wield it.
To offset the tremendous benefits fire brought to humans, Zeus decided to give mankind another "gift."
That was why he summoned so many gods together, to create this "gift."
He first ordered Hephaestus, the god of fire, to sculpt a woman from earth and water, modeling her after the forms of the goddesses.
This woman would become the first of her kind, until then, humans were all men.
Though lacking the divine aura of the gods, this woman possessed a beauty that rivaled them, even as a mere mortal.
Then, Zeus ordered the gods to perfect her.
Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, blessed her with a scent that could drive men mad.
Athena, goddess of wisdom and craft, granted her intelligence and grace, dressed her, and adorned her with a radiant headband forged by Hephaestus, a necklace of pearls, making her delicate as a bride.
Hermes, the messenger god, taught her the gift of language.
Apollo gave her the gift of music.
The other gods bestowed their own blessings in turn.
And finally, she was given an insatiable curiosity.
This woman was named Pandora.
In ancient Greek, "Pan" means all, and "Dora" means gift.
So "Pandora" was "the woman blessed with every gift."
Then Zeus handed Pandora a beautifully crafted box.
Inside the box, Zeus sealed all the world's misfortunes, plague, war, drought, discord, disease, and everything unpleasant.
Athena, ever perceptive, sensed Zeus's ill intentions. After all, she had created the first humans alongside Prometheus with earth and water; she did not wish harm upon them.
So, she deliberately handled the box and secretly slipped in the one force that could save humanity, Hope.
Afterward, Zeus announced that this first woman would be married to Prometheus's brother, Epimetheus.
To Epimetheus, Prometheus was both elder and mentor. Since Prometheus had created mankind, Epimetheus had volunteered to care for and teach them.
Thus, Zeus's move was seen by the gods as a gesture to balance the punishment of Prometheus and comfort his kin. None suspected anything more.
Only the wise Athena saw the truth, perhaps Prometheus had foreseen this even before stealing fire, and had warned Epimetheus never to accept any gift from Zeus.
Maybe the naïve Artemis hadn't perceived Zeus's scheme like Athena did, but her intuition let her sense the darkness in her father's heart.
So when she finished recounting the tale, she looked at Alaric anxiously.
"I feel Father's actions will bring harm to humanity. Please, don't leave here for now. As long as you remain in the Moon Temple, nothing can hurt you."
Seeing that Alaric was about to refuse, Artemis quickly added, "If you have any friends, they're welcome here too, be it for safety or even just to visit. Please believe me."
"No, you misunderstand," Alaric softened inside as he looked at her worried face.
"I have no friends to bring here, and I do believe you. In fact, I'm truly touched that you care so much. Thank you, Artemis."
"No, it's nothing. If it's for you, Alaric… I'm willing to do anything."
Artemis smiled warmly at his words.
But his next sentence made her pout.
"However, before true disaster and danger arrive, I must return to the mortal world once more," Alaric said. "I have my reasons."
"But… but…" Artemis flushed red with anxiety at his gentle refusal.
Just as she was about to protest further, Brittomartis arrived and whispered something into her ear.
Brittomartis didn't want the goddess she served to ruin her budding relationship with Alaric because of her overly pure heart.
And indeed, Brittomartis understood Artemis very well.
Her words made the moon goddess nod repeatedly before letting out a sigh.
"I understand. Alaric is just that kind of person, it's only natural that he wouldn't abandon his own kind."
As she spoke, her gaze toward Alaric became indescribably tender.
"What are you all misunderstanding here? When did I ever say I couldn't let go of those humans?
They're nothing more than foolish creations of you gods, what do they have to do with me? I'm just curious about this god-forged human named Pandora, that's all."
Alaric was caught between laughter and frustration at the goddess's misunderstanding, but he simply nodded without explanation.
Now was hardly the time to correct her.
"I understand," Artemis nodded.
"If you must return to the mortal world, then take my sacred deer with you. Consider it a gift… no, a token of our relationship, no, a means to help you return to Olympus safely in times of danger."
"Thank you so much," Alaric said, touched.
"But there's no need to trouble you. I can form a contract with you. With it, I'll be able to sense your location and teleport to your side with magic anytime."
"A contract!" Artemis's eyes lit up. "A contract of love between us? That's wonderful, I accept!"
"Stop misinterpreting everything I say!"
Alaric felt utterly defeated by this self-indulgent goddess.
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