Unlike Athena, Zeus had no improper thoughts about Artemis, nor was he wary of this daughter who cared nothing for power all day long. He merely saw her as a lovely daughter. In fact, Zeus truly didn't need to be wary of Artemis, as the Moon Goddess had no interest in the position of God-King to begin with.
For her, the position of God-King, which required managing all things in heaven and earth, might even be a bother, as it would delay her hunting.
Therefore, putting aside all other factors, Artemis was actually Zeus's most beloved daughter.
As for Hestia, there's even less to say. As the eldest sister among the third-generation gods, she possessed the dignity of an elder sister even in front of the three God-Kings. Even Poseidon, who had always harbored improper thoughts about her, could only behave like a proper younger brother in front of Hestia.
Therefore, at the strong insistence of his most beloved daughter and most respected elder sister, Zeus had no choice but to agree. The two goddesses swore by the lightning in his hand and officially became virgin goddesses under Zeus's protection.
With their delay, Aphrodite's thoughts on choosing a husband were interrupted again. The jealous Hera seized the opportunity to suggest to Zeus that Aphrodite be married to Hephaestus, their most skilled son.
Under the combined pressure of the God-King and the Queen of Heaven, the Goddess of Love and Beauty had no choice but to comply, holding her nose and marrying the God of Fire, whom she considered "ugly." After all, after Ares swore to become a virgin god, Hephaestus was the only one Aphrodite could choose.
Choosing this God of Fire, at least she could still enjoy the prosperity of the gods on Olympus. When the mortal realm prospered in the future, she would have plenty of opportunities to seek out other handsome men and rendezvous with them. If she had followed Hades to the Underworld, it would likely become quite difficult for Aphrodite to run around freely.
In fact, if she married Hades, she probably wouldn't dare to casually cheat. This gaunt King of the Underworld looked honest, but his status as one of the three God-Kings was not false. The gods of Olympus all believed that the King of the Underworld, who controlled Death, was even more terrifying than Poseidon, who controlled the ocean.
Thus, after Aphrodite nodded in agreement, the God of Love and the overjoyed God of Fire immediately began their wedding ceremony at the feast of the gods, witnessed by Zeus and Hera, becoming husband and wife.
"Look at them, how happily they're laughing."
Ares held his wine glass and said to Athena, Artemis, and Hestia beside him.
Athena glanced at him upon hearing this, then said, "Yes, truly happy. Aphrodite's expression right now looks like she's attending a funeral."
"What kind of talk is that?" Ares looked at Athena with displeasure. "You, the esteemed Goddess of Wisdom, how can you curse people?"
"Heh, I'm just stating the facts," Athena said coldly to Ares. "And don't talk to me so intimately. Our relationship isn't that close."
"Alas, Athena, that's where you're wrong," Hestia, who was beside them, frowned slightly upon hearing Athena's words. "You and Ares are both Zeus's children, and siblings. Moreover, you two are the two most powerful gods among the fourth-generation gods. Since that's the case, you should get along well and set an example for your other brothers and sisters."
"Exactly," Ares echoed. "Athena, although our battle isn't over yet, we are all virgin gods now. You, I, Artemis, and Hestia, I think the four of us should come up with a group name. What do you think of 'The Four Virgin Sisters'?"
After he finished speaking, he laughed heartily, patting the Goddess of Wisdom's back forcefully, making Athena's back thump loudly.
"What kind of ridiculous name is that?" Athena endured Ares's vulgar actions with great effort while patiently retorting.
"Then how about The Four Virgin Brothers?"
"Ha—" Athena felt her brain veins were about to burst. She covered her forehead and excused herself to Hestia, "Sorry, Hestia, I think I need to go rest for a bit."
"Okay, go ahead." Seeing that Athena's mental state was very poor at the moment, Hestia didn't force the goddess any further. After the three watched the Goddess of Wisdom rub her temples and walk away, Ares also excused himself to Artemis and Hestia, then retreated alone to a corner of the banquet hall, eating while watching Hephaestus and Aphrodite's wedding.
"Why don't you try to persuade your honest brother?" As he was watching, the Moon Goddess's voice suddenly sounded behind him. Ares turned his head and found Hecate had appeared out of nowhere again. She held a glass of wine, and her makeup, which had been smudged from laughing because of Ares, had also been touched up in her spare time.
"I did persuade him," Ares shrugged at his magic teacher. "But he didn't listen."
"How did you persuade him?" Hecate asked, looking at Hephaestus, whose face was beaming with happiness and who was completely immersed in Aphrodite's charm.
"The shaded path you yearn for may be covered in white frost every night and morning in the future," Ares sighed. "After I said that, he got very angry and sent me back."
"Although it sounds poetic, upon closer thought, it's quite deserving of a beating," Hecate mused. "If anyone said that to me at my wedding, I'd definitely beat him too."
"But I was speaking the truth," Ares gestured towards Aphrodite with his chin. "Look at her deadpan face. Who would believe she won't cheat in the future?"
Hecate glanced at Aphrodite. At that instant, Ares saw a flicker of magical light in her eyes. Then, she looked at the God of Fire with a somewhat pitiful gaze: "Such an honest man, truly tragic."
Seeing her reaction, Ares's eyes lit up, and he asked, "What was that just now? Foresight?"
"A type of magic that imitates a magic eye," Hecate replied. "I just briefly imitated clairvoyance, which has future-seeing abilities, and looked at this God of Fire's future."
"Teacher, I want to learn this," Ares said, bowing his head sincerely.
"You're still a bit lacking in skill. When your magical cultivation reaches a certain level, it won't be too late for me to teach you," Hecate rolled her eyes. "Moreover, this future sight is not omniscient. Even true future sight only observes the most likely future at the moment. However, based on the choices of different individuals and the development of different situations, the future is constantly changing. Even the World's Will cannot fully control this."
"Is that so?" Ares was a little disappointed, but he quickly perked up.
According to the information he had just gathered from various gods, Prometheus and Athena should soon begin creating humans on Earth at Zeus's command. At that time, he would also need to plan the magic he would need for this.
So he asked:
"Then, Teacher, do you have any magic that allows one's spirit to be Sustenance into another body?"