"So, what mess are you dumping on me this time?"
Inside the carriage, Samael leaned back in the rear seat, eyes closed as he rubbed his temples. Reaching out across thousands of miles to resonate with the Areopagus, he frowned inwardly as he asked his question.
The serpent incarnation coiled on Justice's shoulder slid toward the center of the chessboard. Its vertical pupils flickered with light, reflecting Athena and Themis.
"With such a thoughtful daughter like me, and you still scold me? I'm hurt."
Athena put on a pitiful, tearful act, covering her eyes with both hands while peeking through her fingers. Her violet gaze shimmered with amusement.
"Drop it. The more obedient you act, the more nervous I get, because it just proves the trouble is worse."
The Ancient Serpent, who knew his foster daughter far too well, felt a headache coming on.
"By the way, this little thing feels amazing. If you give me one too, I might forgive you."
Busted, Athena cheerfully stretched a mischievous hand toward the serpent avatar on the board. She first stroked it with a fingertip, then pressed her cheek against its small body, rubbing lightly. She enjoyed the cool, tingling slide of its scales like an excited girl craving a new toy.
"Enough distractions. Why am I personally leading this expedition? Even Artemis showed up. If it's just for the Golden Fleece, there's no reason for such a big mobilization. I'm definitely getting robbed here."
Samael rolled his eyes and went straight to the point.
"Nothing major. You just looked free, so I figured you could help with something—head out to sea and find a place."
The more casual Athena sounded, the worse his feeling grew.
"Give me a sec to brace myself… alright, go on. What place?"
"Paradise Island."
"…And?"
"That's it."
"Where's the location? Charts? Any info at all?"
"If I knew, why would I need you?"
Samael rubbed his temples again, exhaling weakly.
"Then at least tell me why."
"It's Artemis's condition for helping you. You want to sneak off with her chaste huntress? Then you have to trade Paradise Island's whereabouts."
"And what does she want with that place?"
Athena lightly scratched the black serpent's chin in her palm. Her gaze drifted as she thought, then her expression turned serious.
"To save someone. To make up for her mistake."
"Orion?"
"No wonder you're my dad. Sharp as always. Since you know that, it's easy."
"If I'm sensing things right, the little bear doll Artemis carries contains part of the sea god's soul. Seems that son of the sea god never truly died."
Now focused, Samael stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Once, Artemis—the chaste goddess of the hunt—fell for Orion, the sea god's son and a fellow hunter. She pursued him, and the two grew inseparable. Rumors of their union even reached Olympus, stirring a major commotion.
To stop his sister's lovestruck spiral, Apollo devised a plan. Spotting Orion swimming in the distance, he blocked Artemis's true perception and coaxed her:
"That's a villain named Candaon. Let's take him as our target and see who takes him down first."
Provoked, Artemis acted on pride and instantly loosed an arrow, piercing the sea god's son through the head.
The next day, when she sensed his death, the moon goddess grieved deeply. She wanted to revive him but was forbidden. With no choice, she lifted him to the sky, turning him into a constellation—the one people call Orion.
"But in truth, after Artemis sought help from Olympus that night to no avail, she came to Areopagus seeking our aid to rescue her lover."
"Failed?"
"Tsk, couldn't you give her a little credit? Wouldn't 'half-successful' suffice?"
Athena rolled her eyes coquettishly, unable to hide her playful reproach.
Just then, Medusa emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of pastries.
The Goddess of Wisdom casually snatched a piece, blowing on it as if savoring a rare delicacy, chewing it slowly.
"Well, well, isn't this the butter cake someone had that little bird deliver all the way from afar to us Furies? You're actually willing to share it? After keeping it so long, aren't you afraid it's gone bad?"
"Well, since you haven't received anything else, spoiled is better than nothing..."
Medusa shot her a cold glance. From her lofty gaze, a flicker of pity stirred in her eyes.
Faced with this relentlessly vicious jab, Athena's expression froze. Her breath caught, and suddenly the pastry in her hand tasted bitter.
Spoiled. Absolutely spoiled. And sour as hell.
The Goddess of Wisdom gnashed her teeth in fury, her expression shifting instantly. She twisted the black snake she'd been clutching so dearly into a pretzel, knotting it and rubbing it against herself.
"This is outrageous. Why do they all get gifts and I don't? After running off for so long, they couldn't even bring me a jar of honey olives!"
Across from her, Themis remained serene as ever. Her hand brushed the scrolls resting on her lap, and with supreme composure, she maintained her calm, unruffled demeanor.
The serpent incarnate, twisted into various contortions, spoke in a slow, deliberate tone, utterly unfazed.
"If you want olives, buy them yourself. Athens is full of olive trees. You could even climb one and start munching right away. A goddess of wisdom like you surely isn't starving for a bite."
"Can't she make butter cake herself?"
"Everyone's skills are slightly different. For nostalgic flavors, only I can deliver."
"You're deliberately trying to annoy me!"
"How could I? You're my foster mother. It's always the foster mother who gives gifts to the foster son. I'm still young—not old enough to be fawning over you."
Samael's languid tone, laced with playful teasing, left Athena seething with frustration. She wanted to drag him out of his snakeskin, grab his arm, and bite it a hundred times over.
What's the big deal about taking a little advantage? So stingy.
Before the Goddess of Wisdom could erupt and reclaim her foster father's authority, the Ancient Serpent, secretly delighted, swiftly changed the subject.
"Back to the point—what exactly do you mean by 'half successful'?"
"When Orion was brought here, his body was already decaying. Medusa's earth powers were powerless. I exhausted every method, managing only to seal a portion of his intellect and soul into a vessel chosen by Artemis."
Athena's voice rose several pitches as she spoke of her own achievement, tinged with pride and a hint of self-promotion.
In truth, Prometheus was merely humanity's mentor. The two true core creators of Greek humanity were Athena and Medusa. The Earth Mother Medusa bestowed flesh and form upon mankind, while the Goddess of Wisdom Athena granted them intellect and soul. Thus, Artemis, desperate for a cure, had stumbled upon the right path.
"Tell us about the other half—the failure..."
Samael paused to savor the moment, his tone growing more serious.
Athena's brow furrowed, her gaze flickering.
"The sealing isn't perfect. All along, his intellect has been fading, his soul being stripped away by some unknown rule. It's grown increasingly severe lately."
Samael narrowed his eyes, his voice unwavering.
"Let me guess... it has to do with Paradise Island?"