"Friendship or enmity from the Queen of the Gods?"
Among all domains, the Divine Beings of the Seas were likely the most numerous.
After all, the so-called First Generation of Progenitor Gods, Lord of the Ocean Oceanus and his wife, the Ocean Goddess Tethys, might not be good at many things, but childbearing was certainly not one of their weaknesses.
Together, from the past to the future, they bore a total of six thousand children—three thousand male river gods and three thousand Oceanid goddesses.
Metis, Athena's mother, was one of the Oceanids, and among the older ones at that.
At this very moment, at least a dozen young Oceanids were secretly eavesdropping nearby.
To them, the answer to Iris's question was obvious: of course one should choose the Queen of the Gods' friendship.
Even the goddess Leto, upon hearing Iris's question, couldn't help but grow pale, her heart sinking into despair.
In status, she was no match for Hera. In strength, she was no match for Hera. Even in appearance, she was far less dazzling than Hera.
She simply couldn't imagine why this mysterious foreign god would continue helping her. She sank again into helpless hopelessness.
Yet at that very moment, the foreign god holding her in his arms tightened his embrace and said something that moved her to her core.
"Go tell Hera—friendship or hostility, that's her choice. But for now, Goddess Leto, I will protect you."
Those resolute words made Leto tremble inside.
Though Bolos still had the appearance of a youth, in her eyes, he now appeared far greater than Zeus himself, the King of the Gods.
"I will deliver your message to the Queen of the Gods."
Iris departed. In truth, she wasn't even Leto's equal in combat, and naturally dared not act personally.
The gathered Oceanids watched the little boat drift into the distance, bearing Bolos and Leto, and fell silent.
"What does Leto even have going for her? The King of the Gods likes her, and now even this foreign Divine Being is willing to offend Hera for her?"
"It's so strange. If the child she's carrying were his, maybe I'd understand this choice."
"But that child clearly belongs to Zeus."
To these Oceanids, Bolos was nothing short of a fool among gods—risking everything for a pregnant Leto.
Not only would he offend the Queen of the Gods, but it wasn't even certain he'd earn the favor of the King of the Gods.
…
Bolos heard their whispers but didn't care.
He wasn't doing this for Leto—but for her unborn children, Artemis and Apollo.
Well, mostly Artemis. Apollo was just part of the package.
Yet Leto was deeply touched. She clung tightly to Bolos's chest, listening to his heartbeat, her cheeks blushing hot.
Bolos noticed—but in this vast sea, with Divine Beings constantly watching them, now wasn't the right time.
"Astraea, are you not going to show yourself? Have you stopped loving your sister?"
In the myths, when Leto was fleeing Hera and had no place to rest at sea, it was her sister—the Goddess of Shooting Stars, Astraea—who saved her.
Astraea transformed into a floating island, allowing Leto to give birth and raise her children there.
Just as Bolos thought of this, a shooting star streaked through the sky.
A goddess appeared before them, a peculiar expression on her face as she looked at Leto, nestled in Bolos's arms.
"Looks like I arrived at the wrong time."
"No—you arrived at the perfect time."
The goddess who appeared was, just as Bolos had hoped, Astraea. It was as if his thoughts had summoned her.
Back when Bolos had first met Leto as a foreign god, Astraea had been by her side and had heard his prophecy.
"Astraea, I regret not listening to you. I was deceived by Zeus's sweet words."
Leto looked at her sister with a shameful expression.
Seeing her pregnant and wandering helplessly across the sea, Astraea sighed and swallowed her rebuke.
"There aren't many in our divine family. Just make sure you give birth to the child safely."
She took a deep breath and then leapt into the sea—transforming into a floating island.
The island was lush, filled with trees, appearing entirely natural.
Among the twelve Titans, some pairs had become couples. Not to mention Oceanus and Tethys, who were known for producing offspring, even the previous King and Queen of the Gods, Cronus and Rhea, had six children.
But Coeus and Phoebe had only two daughters. Indeed, their divine lineage was not extensive.
Astraea's transformation amazed Bolos.
Even he couldn't perform such a feat. It wasn't just about Divine Power type—it was also about the sheer amount of power.
He glanced at Leto again, puzzled why such a stark difference existed between sisters.
Leto seemed to sense his thoughts and said wistfully, "Astraea is a servant of Lady Nyx. Her Divine Office of shooting stars was a gift from her."
"My Divine Office is stillness. It was granted by Zeus after the Titanomachy, and to this day, I still don't understand its purpose."
Bolos nodded, showing his understanding. He carried Leto onto the island that Astraea had become.
After so many days drifting at sea, it felt good to finally stand on solid ground.
The island, though unwelcome in any sea god's domain, continued to float.
But the waves could no longer touch Bolos and Leto—Astraea's Divine Power shielded them.
She also blocked the countless Divine gazes attempting to spy on them from afar.
"Finally… time to enjoy myself a little."
In his previous life, Bolos had been a renowned Demonic Overlord in a declining era of cultivation.
Though he claimed to be a cultivator, he never bothered with virtues like spiritual refinement. When vengeful female cultivators came after him, he'd devour the ugly ones and add the beautiful ones to his harem. It was standard practice.
From the era of creation, he had entered this world without even a physical body—constantly on the run, hiding with the help of the Tree of Life.
He finally gained a body, but Metis was swallowed by the tree the moment they met, leaving him only with the young Athena.
Bolos had no interest in a child like Athena.
But after so many days whispering sweet nothings with Leto on the sea, he'd long wanted to take things further. With other Divine Beings watching, though, he hadn't dared.
Now was the time to do what he'd long been thinking of.
"Easy now—watch the baby."
"Don't worry. I have experience."
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