Eros had always been a master storyteller.
Once again, he recounted the tale of how he obtained Pallas's divine essence. This time, however, he skipped the heartfelt dramatics he'd used when explaining it to Styx.
He knew Athena's tastes well, so he emphasized Crius's might and cunning, painting the Titan as a formidable adversary.
Then came the epic twist: how he, Eros, had outwitted and overpowered such a foe to claim this precious essence.
It was a heroic epic, maybe a little embellished, but the core fact remained: he had pried the divine spark from Crius himself.
Athena listened intently, and at the end of the tale, let out a wistful sigh.
"What a shame. I would've loved to witness it firsthand."
"To face one of the Twelve Titans in Tartarus… That must've been a spectacle."
She had been born long after the Titanomachy. Naturally, she'd never seen Crius in person, only imagined him as a shrewd and calculating figure, full of ancient cunning.
If she knew the truth, that Crius was more muscle than mind, her image of the Titan might've collapsed entirely.
But for now, she had no reason to doubt Eros's story.
And because of that, the divine essence in her hands now felt even more precious.
Eros had risked life and limb, poured blood and sweat into retrieving it for her.
"…No, this is too valuable. I can't accept it for free."
Athena placed Pallas's essence back on the table.
"You must've had something in mind when you brought this to me. So speak plainly, tell me what you want in return. I'll see if I can match the price."
Before Eros could reply, she cut him off with a firm glare.
"And don't say it's out of affection or love. I don't buy that."
She knew all too well how Eros liked to mess with people's heads using sweet nothings and clever quips.
Athena was determined not to fall for that routine.
In her eyes, Eros was… a remarkably talented human. And, at best, a trusted friend.
Eros chuckled, unsurprised by her caution.
"Relax. I wouldn't dream of playing that card. I respect your choices and how you live."
"Honestly, I was thinking of trading it for something. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized... you don't really have anything I want."
And he meant it.
Authority? He could get far more from Hades, Zeus, or even Amphitrite, the new Queen of the Sea.
But Authority wasn't about quantity, it had to be precise, compatible. A messy mix would only derail his path.
For now, Eros was focused on reclaiming the fragments of his own Authority of Desire and Love.
He had just retrieved one piece from Hades, after those nine wild nights of metaphorical "plowing." Yet the difference wasn't overwhelming, just more efficient energy conversion.
He suspected the true power of his Authority wouldn't reveal itself until he had all the pieces.
Back on track: Athena, as she was now, didn't really have anything he coveted.
No unique Authority, no artifacts he needed, and blessings? Well...
Even if he hadn't brought her this essence, Athena would have blessed him anyway.
In fact, unlike other gods who judged by appearances or whim, Athena was probably the most generous when it came to giving blessings, especially to those she respected.
So, despite calling it a "deal," Eros couldn't think of anything he genuinely wanted from her.
Athena gave it some thought... and came to the same conclusion. She fell silent.
Gods were supposed to always have something tempting to offer humans.
But Eros wasn't ordinary.
Blessings, rewards, none of it seemed to apply. She couldn't think of anything appropriate.
"So I figured," Eros said at last, pushing the essence gently toward her, "why not just give it to you? In exchange for your friendship. A different kind of trade, you know?"
From the sidelines, Hypnos felt a sharp pang of déjà vu, and something vaguely sour in her chest.
Two birds, one stone, huh? If she wasn't mistaken, Eros had already used this very same divine essence...
Hopefully, it didn't smell like anything. And if it did, she hoped Athena wouldn't notice.
Athena, caught off guard by Eros's sincerity, was left momentarily speechless.
The essence of Pallas was incredibly important to her.
The Wisdom domain was nice, yes, but technically, it was borrowed from Zeus, who had swallowed Metis, the original goddess of Wisdom.
As such, Athena's own Authority was inherently suppressed.
Only after humanity's rise did she start building new influence through craftsmanship and innovation.
But without the strength to defend those domains, all her cleverness would be for nothing.
The Authority hidden in Pallas's divine spark, War and Strategy, could change everything.
It was the stepping stone she needed.
She could already envision a future where gods fought over humanity's growing influence like hungry wolves around a banquet.
And if she didn't have real power? Not even Zeus's favor would protect her.
After a long silence, Athena finally accepted the gift.
"Eros, I understand. I hereby swear: you are now a friend of Athena, daughter of Zeus and Metis."
"This friendship is no empty gesture. No matter where you are, when you call my name, I will bless you."
Friendship came in many forms. Sometimes, a passing acquaintance might be called "friend."
But this time, Athena meant it. From her heart, she now regarded Eros as a true companion, someone she could trust and stand alongside as an equal.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Your relationship with the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, has reached "Trusted Companion" level. "Kindler of Flame" skill unlocked.
Eros blinked.
Wait, what?
So the system's standard wasn't "you must've slept with them"?!
He hadn't even touched Athena like that. So how...?
Did that mean she was falling for him after all?
He gave her a strange look, trying to read her expression.
"What are you staring at?"
Athena's face was perfectly calm, no hint of anything beyond normalcy.
Eros dismissed the thought.
Apparently, he'd misunderstood the system all along. The threshold truly was "friend and above."
He usually just skipped straight past the "friend" phase, so he'd never noticed before.
Come to think of it, he hadn't slept with Apollo either.
Wow... classic bias. Misjudging everything through the same lens.
Shaking off those thoughts, Eros eagerly activated the "Kindler of Flame" skill.
He'd gotten a string of useless ones lately, but this time, his target was Athena.
She was brilliant and versatile. Surely she'd give him something valuable, right?
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: "Tailoring"]
…Huh?
The goddess of crafts and weaving. Right. Of course.
Eros froze. Then slowly smiled.
Because unlike previous times, this skill wasn't just a literal copy, it gave him the talent and experience in that domain.
And when combined with his own creativity and material science, a lightbulb went off in his head,
Sacred Cloths. He could finally make them!
The inspiration hit like lightning. Without hesitation, Eros summoned a pen and paper using his magnetic abilities and began to sketch.
He scribbled furiously, capturing the design flooding into his mind.
So that's why the system called it "Tailoring" and not "Weaving", it was a whole different level.
Soon, Eros had fully drawn out the Sacred Cloths of the Zodiac, armor designs from his memory that had always existed as distant fantasies.
Now, thanks to Athena's gift, he was bringing them to life.
One by one, he continued sketching without rest, inspiration pouring through him.
Athena, curious, leaned over to look.
The armor's designs were strange and intricate, part armor, part mechanical puzzle. She didn't entirely understand it.
But from the structural detail, she could tell they were wearable.
Only after Eros had drawn all 88 Constellation Cloths did he finally stop.
He stared at his masterpiece, lost in thought.
He'd once dreamed of getting just one of these Sacred Cloths from a system reward, preferably the winged Sagittarius armor.
Now, the designs were finished. All that remained was making them real.
Athena, once again, had become his lucky star.
Every time she showed up, something good happened.
"Athena, I really want to hug you right now. What should I do?"
Eros looked at her with unrestrained warmth. She felt a bit flustered, but couldn't bring herself to refuse.
"If it's just a friendly hug…"
Before she could finish, Eros had already scooped her up in his arms.
"Athena, you really should take on the Goddess of Fortune title too."
Eros beamed with delight.
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