Gulp.
As the gold coins fell from Eros's hand, the shipowners instinctively swallowed hard.
In a world where money was still a crude, tactile substance, wealth hit with a much more visceral impact.
No one could resist gold. It was the very embodiment of temptation.
"This… generous and wealthy gentleman, are you saying this is what you'll be paying us with?"
Some had already succumbed to the allure of gold and were about to accept. Others managed to keep their wits about them.
"You mentioned needing a ship strong enough to withstand Poseidon's storms? Are you planning to go somewhere in particular? Storms are pretty rare around here."
At that question, Eros smiled with satisfaction and casually swept the gold back into his hand.
"A good question. And of course, I won't deceive you or send you to your deaths blindly."
"I already said, I need people with true courage. I intend to follow the ocean's flow, journeying ever downward."
"Through archipelagos and volcanic eruptions, straight into the roaring wrath of Poseidon, until we reach the very ends of the ocean where Oceanus himself rests."
"This will not be a simple voyage. The journey will be long, and the dangers many. I only need those brave enough to embrace that."
"Now, who among you dares join me on this wild and perilous expedition?"
His heart racing, Eros couldn't resist the idea of blending into human society and embarking on a thrilling sea adventure.
After some thought, he had decided to visit Amphitrite first.
Rescuing Io was currently beyond him. Alone, he wasn't a match for Argus, the all-seeing giant guarding her. Besides, Zeus hadn't said it was time to liberate her yet.
As for Hephaestus, that would come later, Amphitrite's safety was a more pressing concern.
With no gods around to offer intel, Eros couldn't help but worry.
Either way, he'd need a ship. Flying there directly was out of the question.
Why not bring along some humans? Maybe he could cultivate a legend or two along the way.
And if not? Tossing out gold and silver was hardly any effort for him.
But to Eros's disappointment, his grand speech had the opposite effect, everyone calmed down.
Gold was tempting, yes, but Eros's words had frightened them.
Their experience at sea extended only to nearby islands. They had never faced anything like what Eros described.
Even short trips offshore filled them with dread. Just surviving a passing storm was already a miracle.
To willingly seek out Poseidon's fury and sail into the depths of the ocean?
That was lunacy.
To them, Eros sounded like a madman.
Even if he offered to buy their lives outright, none dared answer the call.
"I see… so none of you have the courage. Forget it, then."
Eros sighed, a bit regretful.
Clearly, he'd let the heat of the moment get to him.
Still, he didn't feel disappointed. Most people were ordinary. It wasn't wrong to value their own lives.
After all, not everyone could be a thrill-seeking, fun-loving superman like him.
"Hm?"
A surprised sound came from behind him.
Then, just as someone began to speak.
"Er-"
Eros spun around in an instant and clamped a hand over the speaker's mouth.
"Shhh"
He made a quieting gesture and took a good look at the person behind him.
Petite, wearing a simple linen skirt, eyes perpetually squinted.
She looked familiar...
Wait, wasn't she…?
He couldn't recall her name, but she had been trailing behind Athena at some point.
"This isn't the place. Come with me."
Murmuring under his breath, Eros exhaled a faint puff of smoke.
The people nearby immediately looked dazed. A moment later, they completely forgot seeing him at all.
By the time the fog cleared, Eros had already taken the squinty-eyed goddess to a quiet, secluded spot.
"From now on, please don't say my name aloud," he warned, pointing skyward.
The girl quickly nodded in understanding.
"Alright then, may I ask, which goddess are you? Why are you here, in a human marketplace?"
With the danger of Hera's divine eavesdropping avoided, Eros finally let his shoulders relax.
"This is our second meeting, I believe? I didn't introduce myself last time."
The goddess's eyes remained narrowed, giving Eros no glimpse of her expression.
"I am Prometheus. A nameless god, just Prometheus."
"Oh, you."
Eros remained perfectly calm upon hearing her name.
He should've guessed it earlier. Back when humans were being created, the one assisting Athena must have been Prometheus.
"Hm? Wait, were you paying attention to me back then?"
Prometheus looked puzzled.
She had no famous myths to her name, no formal domain. Just the title of "Seer."
So why did Eros look so familiar with her identity?
"Well of course, you're-"
Halfway through the sentence, Eros stopped himself.
Hiss… He'd almost forgotten.
The most important myth about Prometheus, stealing fire, had been usurped by him.
Now, all she had left was a footnote in the tale of humanity's creation.
Even the Age of Men had been altered by Eros's interference.
In this version of history, Prometheus had truly become a forgotten, second-rate deity.
It was awkward. Especially since Prometheus, as a Seer, clearly knew it.
"Ahem. Anyway, don't thank me. I just happened to help, nothing more."
Eros cleared his throat and waved it off.
"I mean, really, stealing fire shouldn't be punished by being chained to a mountain and having your liver eaten every day."
Prometheus hadn't thought much of it at first.
But at Eros's offhand comment, her pale-colored eyes suddenly opened, fixing on him.
Thank him?
She had planned for the punishment.
Even if she were caught, the torment wouldn't have lasted more than a hundred years.
That had been part of Zeus's agreement, though her lineage was awkward, she had sided with him early during the Titanomachy.
The truth? The fire-theft was a political maneuver. The plan was never truly hers, it had always been Zeus's idea.
She simply played the scapegoat.
After all, Prometheus possessed something neither Uranus nor Cronus ever had: a unique affection for humans, and a visionary compassion no other god could grasp.
Had Zeus tried to openly propose gifting wisdom to mankind on Mount Olympus, it would've caused a massive uproar.
Yes, he could have forced it through. But the gods would've quietly cursed him for turning Olympus into a dictatorship.
And Zeus prided himself on being a philosopher-king, not a Roman dictator perpetuo.
So he needed Prometheus to take the fall.
She would be punished, symbolically. And later, a "divine agent" would appear to free her.
It would all be chalked up to fate.
No one should suffer twice for one crime, they'd say, as she was pardoned.
Everyone would win.
Only the older gods, too slow to realize the setup, would later regret not understanding Zeus's deeper intentions.
And then… Eros had stolen the task from her.
He completed the fire-theft, as a human, which meant it wasn't divine theft at all.
There was no punishment involved.
Some whispered that Eros had tipped Zeus off about the plan, and Zeus had deliberately let the wisdom leak to mankind.
After all, why else was Eros, alone among silver-age humans, blessed with such intelligence?
And why did his name only begin spreading among the gods after his entanglement with Zeus?
Among the gods, this was the most popular theory. Widely accepted and rarely challenged.
They tolerated it, after all, it was Zeus's only real weakness, and even that wasn't too terrible.
But to someone like Prometheus, who had met Eros up close, it was clear:
This man's brilliance had nothing to do with Zeus.
Zeus was certainly wise and forward-thinking, but not nearly as erratic or packed with such weird knowledge.
And yet, when Eros casually said "you don't have to thank me," Prometheus still couldn't help but open her eyes.
Does he really not get it… or is he pretending not to?
Her empty, sky-colored eyes swept over him skeptically before closing once more.
And that glimpse intrigued Eros deeply.
Squinty-eyed Prometheus seemed plain at first glance, just another nymph-like minor deity.
But when she opened those eyes, those eyes with no color, like the clear sky, Eros felt something shift.
Before, he had maybe 0.5 points of interest in her.
Now? He was very interested.
He wanted to see those vacant eyes filled with longing and desire.
To be clear, Prometheus wasn't exactly the emotionless, expressionless type.
Her temperament was simply calm and composed, always serene, always graceful.
And once Eros saw her eyes, he realized why.
Those eyes only saw the future. So the pain or joy of the present never really moved her.
Which made Eros even more intrigued.
He wanted to know, what kind of future would make her care about the now?
What kind of fall from grace would cause those empty eyes to show unbearable emotion?
And if she saw herself being ruined by him in a prophecy, would she try to resist? Or surrender in advance?
Eros could hardly wait to find out.
"First… let's go find Hephaestus. Then I'll deal with the rest."
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