Using the "Mass Suggestion Spell," Alaric successfully blended in with the ranks of the bronze humans, making them believe this newcomer was actually one of their own.
As for Epimetheus himself, with his divine resistance as a Titan, what would be considered anti-magic capabilities in the Nasuverse, he wasn't so easily affected by suggestion.
But with hundreds of thousands of bronze humans present, there was no way he could recognize every single one, allowing Alaric to slip by unnoticed.
Before the arrival of the gods, he had to take part in the daily lives of humans, farming, fishing, and hunting.
Thanks to Artemis's constant coaxing, Alaric had no choice but to go hunting.
During his hunts, Artemis was practically ecstatic.
Watching his initially clumsy attempts, she whispered incessantly in his ear, pointing things out and correcting him at every turn, to the point Alaric could barely stand it.
But as the goddess of the hunt, Artemis was thrilled that Alaric was taking part in such activities.
Even while residing atop Mount Olympus, she continued to murmur divine instructions in Alaric's ear.
"Don't set traps here, what are you thinking!"
"Your footsteps, lighter. Lighter still."
"Over there! Yes, there! How could you miss such obvious tracks? Alaric, you're hopeless."
"No, no, the dirt needs to cover the trap naturally. Don't underestimate a beast's instincts."
In short, Alaric had a terrible headache, but couldn't bring himself to scold her.
He nearly missed the gods' descent because of it.
In the end, he mingled with the crowd and watched as the main gods, led by Zeus, descended from the heavens.
Artemis was among them, and when she spotted the disguised Alaric, she playfully winked at him, under Alaric's influence, the once aloof goddess of the moon and love had grown more charming and personable.
Alaric, however, didn't respond, pretending not to see her, afraid of giving himself away.
Not that he was particularly afraid of being discovered.
Perhaps because he was an outsider, someone beyond fate itself, none of the gods, be it those of destiny or prophecy, could detect his presence.
Besides, the Olympian gods weren't as all-knowing as legends claimed, or rather, aside from the one true creator god, no deity could be truly omniscient or omnipotent.
Gods could only perceive events within their divine jurisdictions, or when summoned by prayers, or when their names were invoked.
As Alaric and the other humans looked on, the gods approached Epimetheus.
Epimetheus eyed the gods with intense wariness and deep-seated hostility. His brother's endless torment, liver torn daily by divine eagles on Mount Caucasus, filled him with anguish and hate toward the Olympians.
Prometheus's warnings had also instilled deep suspicion in him.
And yet, Zeus approached with a seemingly sincere expression, saying to Epimetheus.
"Epimetheus, your parents and my father were siblings. That makes you my cousin. Why must you treat us with such distrust? The look in your eyes saddens me."
Zeus's feigned sorrow only enraged Epimetheus, who bristled with fury.
"Spare me your hypocrisy, Zeus!" the slow-witted Titan snapped.
He knew that, with his status, even if his words were harsh, as long as he didn't cross any major lines, Zeus couldn't truly punish him, otherwise, most of the remaining Titans would turn against the king of gods.
"You know full well why I feel this way. You condemned my brother to agony, bound him in chains, fed upon by birds! And you expect his brother to speak kindly to you?"
"Epimetheus, son of Iapetus and Clymene, you misunderstand me," Zeus replied with an aggrieved expression.
"We Olympians overthrew Uranus's tyranny and defeated Typhon, the primordial monster who sought to plunge the world into chaos. We did all of this to rule the world, to preserve order, to allow life to flourish.
Even as King of the Gods, I had to make decisions that went against my heart, your brother, Prometheus, stole the divine fire.
That was a grave violation of Olympus's law. Even if I was reluctant, I had to punish him, otherwise, how would I maintain order?
You must understand, as your cousin and as the ruler of gods, punishing Prometheus pained me deeply."
Zeus's explanation sounded heartfelt, and to an uninformed listener, might have seemed believable.
But for those present, including Alaric, everyone knew Zeus's arrogant and prideful nature too well. His words were nothing but wind.
Epimetheus turned away in disgust, refusing to even meet his eyes.
"Hmph! Zeus, spare me your silver tongue. Everyone knows it was your decree that banned humans from using fire.
My brother begged you repeatedly, and you denied him every time. He had no choice but to act. And now you want my forgiveness? Dream on."
Hearing Epimetheus's scathing refusal, Zeus's brow furrowed. He almost turned to leave in anger.
For someone like him to endure this mockery for so long, even putting on an act, was already pushing his limits.
But thinking of his long-laid plans, he forced himself to stay.
Then, he sighed deeply, wearing an expression of helplessness.
"Of course, I expected that you might not understand, might not forgive me. But it's alright.
To show our sincerity, Olympus has prepared a gift for you. A very special gift. Please, accept it."
"I don't want anything from you," Epimetheus shot back, instantly recalling his brother's warnings and raising his guard. "Who knows what trap your 'gift' might be?"
His swift rejection surprised Zeus.
"Well, well, Epimetheus has grown smarter," Zeus sneered inwardly. "He even guessed that much. Still, even I can barely resist Pandora's beauty.
And I haven't even touched her, all for this fool. Let's see how long you last."
With that, he ordered his divine attendants to bring Pandora forward and present her to Epimetheus.
"Well? Epimetheus, the slow one," Zeus smiled warmly. "I know you've never taken a wife, always focused on your brother's creations.
So, the gods came together to craft the perfect woman for you, as your companion. This is her, Pandora."
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