Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

However, across from Zeus, Poseidon clearly wasn’t going to back down so easily. He avoided discussing the so-called ‘merits,’ because Poseidon knew he couldn’t surpass his opponent.

“It is the honored Mother Earth who is key, isn’t it? Without her, your so-called salvation could never have succeeded. Without her, what do we have today to persist until the Father God departed?”

“If accomplishments are to decide the Divine King’s position, then it should be up to Mother Earth to make a fair judgment, not for you to receive it on your own!”

Sinking at heart, Zeus knew full well the other party was twisting words, but he still couldn’t refute.

He had been confident before because between himself and Poseidon, the gods certainly seemed to favor him a little more. But if Gaia were to judge, and if she truly stood with Poseidon, the gods might not necessarily object.

The gods of today had just witnessed the strength of Mother Earth; even among the Sea Gods, probably only Oceanus would dare to dispute the speech of the other side.

If he were still sane, he would never let Poseidon ascend to the throne, but unfortunately, the stretch of black clouds spanning hundreds of thousands of miles over the East Sea showed them what had just happened there.

With the former Divine King’s suppression gone, the Sun, at last, returned weakly to where it belonged. But the consequences brought by the sun-bathed East Sea were far from over.

“So, Poseidon, do you really intend to let the respected Mother Earth decide the position of the Divine King?”

In the silence, Metis, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.

Just now, for some reason, she felt a strange fluctuation in her authority, but she hadn’t noticed any problem.

Zeus, being a judge in his own cause, was deluded, but she saw clearly. Although Poseidon was unexpectedly clever today, this, in turn, proved that he didn’t actually want Mother Earth to decide everything.

Back when Cronus had just ascended to the throne, to avoid sharing the same land with Gaia, he chose to anger her away by refusing to release the Titans. If Poseidon really let Mother Earth make the decision, wouldn’t he be acknowledging Mother Earth’s supremacy over the Divine King, no matter the outcome?

Although, from what it seems, the new Divine King would indeed find it hard to establish higher prestige among the gods than Mother Earth, in the world of the gods, the name itself also carried significant meaning.

Just as Cronus did not truly become Divine King until the gods acknowledged him five hundred years later, if even the Divine King himself admitted to being below Mother Earth, then his power would necessarily be hard to secure.

“She’s right, Poseidon, my brother, you wouldn’t make such a foolish choice, would you?”

As these words were spoken, Zeus suddenly came to his senses. Everything Poseidon said before was probably more about bargaining with him, so he once again looked seriously at his two brothers.

Especially at the one he had previously considered a bit arrogant and inept, whose performance today had greatly altered his opinion.

“Poseidon, and Hades, speak frankly. What is it you want to do? We all know very well that there are some things that cannot be done.”

“Indeed, we are ultimately family,” Hestia too spoke up, but she also saw through the thoughts of the other two brothers, so she didn’t favor one over the other: “However, Zeus, you ought to grant your brothers what is due to them, not be like our father who in the end had not a single god willing to help him.”

A smile surfaced on Poseidon’s face; he hadn’t really expected to be able to contend with his opponent anyway. He needed supporters, his own forces, so standing in the center of the great hall, the future Sea Emperor slowly began to speak:

“I just feel that you might need help, Zeus.”

“You can become the Divine King, and I as a member of the Olympus pantheon can stand with you in the future against the Titans who once ruled the world. But you need to give me what is due.”

“Give me the sea, swear on the Styx River that you will never covet it, and we will always stand together.”

With his eyes slightly narrowed, Zeus wasn’t really willing in his heart. But thinking about the vague connection between his opponent and the Divine King’s position, he still didn’t refuse.

Moreover, if he really refused, Hestia might not support him anymore.

“…Very well.”

His gaze turned icy, Zeus looked at his brother and spoke emphatically:

“Since you’re so confident, then let you take charge of the sea for Olympus. However, since Oceanus is the father of Metis, I will not help you oppose him.”

“That is enough, I will find a way on my own.”

Unbeknownst to when it began, the Goddess of Wisdom felt that strange fluctuation of authority had disappeared again. And before her, when Poseidon heard the words of Zeus, he agreed without hesitation.

“And what about you, Hades, besides the Underworld, do you need anything else?”

Unlike Poseidon, Hades’s control over the Underworld was unquestionable, and although nine tenths of the Underworld belonged to the present world, the borders with the Abyss, as well as some special places, were not the same. Therefore, in fact, both past and present Divine Kings had never coveted the Underworld.

It was like the remote territories of future feudal dynasties, valued only for exiling officials and the symbolic extent of the land, with virtually no actual benefits. Thus, Zeus naturally assumed that the other party had other demands.

“Me? I actually don’t want much. If you wish, consider that you owe me a condition, one that doesn’t affect your authority or power.”

Shaking his head, Hades did not propose any additional conditions. The world was only so large, and Zeus would not cede the sky to him.

As for that requirement, what he really thought was that perhaps one day in the future, he might have Zeus, in the name of Divine King, persuade Demeter to become his Queen of the Underworld.

He did not care about the desires between men and women, as long as his sister agreed to bring vitality to the Underworld, he could even overlook what she did afterwards.

“Good!”

Somewhat surprised, but happy, Zeus realized that his eldest brother was not as ambitious as Poseidon.

“Since that’s settled, let the Styx River witness your agreement today.”

The division of the fruits of victory among family members finally came to an easing of the atmosphere. At this point, the eldest sister Hestia suddenly mentioned something.

“Speaking of which, have you noticed that something seems to have appeared around us recently?”

“Hmm?”

Visibly intrigued, Zeus also sensed around, and the next moment, as if he had discovered something, he extended his hand forward and drew a gentle stroke in the air.

Before him, a world in shades of black and white slowly emerged.

There was no difference between this place and the outside world, except that everything seemed to have lost its color, and there were no signs of life. The deities were somewhat surprised; this was a place they had never encountered before.

“What is this place?”

Zeus asked, somewhat astonished, realizing for the first time that there were places in the world he did not understand.

“…Perhaps, we could take a look.”

Poseidon turned and glanced at Metis; without this woman, Zeus would not have been so difficult to deal with.

“Are you coming with us?”

“Though gods do not die, and we are all powerful True Gods, such unknown territories might not be suitable for you.”

Wisdom indeed was a powerful godhood, but the speed at which it accumulated Divine Power was unimaginably slow in the current era.

“You’re right, I’ll just stay here.”

Ignoring Poseidon’s implicit mockery, the Goddess of Wisdom was not afraid of danger, just that now was somewhat different.

Without any surprise, she was already bearing the first offspring for the soon-to-be third-generation Divine King.