With the swing of that axe, a thunderous sound echoed through the grand hall of Olympus, as if Zeus's lightning had erupted in fury.
The gods watched in shock as Zeus's skull split open, revealing pitch-black darkness within—then, a ray of golden light burst forth.
Before the stunned eyes of the gods, the golden light radiated outward, bathing the entire hall in brilliance.
Within that golden glow, a graceful goddess in armor emerged, leaping out of Zeus's head. She held a war spear in one hand and bore a sharp shield in the other. She hovered briefly above Zeus's crown before slowly descending to the ground.
"This…"
Hephaestus hadn't expected that his swing would cleave out such a beautiful goddess.
He glanced at Zeus's skull, then at his own axe, wondering if another strike might produce yet another goddess.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the nerve to try.
The girl landed, her eyes bright, her teeth like pearls, her golden light dazzling. The gods around her gasped in amazement.
Even Bolos was startled by Athena's birth and snapped out of the unique state he had been immersed in.
He had no time to reflect on the insights he'd just gained.
Because he realized that, during the time he'd blocked his senses, a lot had transpired in Olympus.
Athena had been born—and that old, ugly Divine Being wielding an axe was most likely the future God of Forging and Fire, Hephaestus.
In other words, his false identity as the son of the Queen of the Gods had now been exposed.
No wonder the Goddess of Justice, Themis, had returned once again to Mount Olympus. She was likely facing Zeus's interrogation.
However, Bolos—having just successfully completed his second Divine Power endowment—felt no fear.
He had already fulfilled his goal of serving as Hera's son for several years.
Even if Zeus stripped him of his Divine Office now, he didn't mind. The foundation of Divine Power and Laws had been planted. At most, his future growth might be slower.
And so, as the main character, Bolos now sat back as a spectator, keenly observing the second half of this farcical drama.
…
Zeus's head no longer hurt. The hole in his skull healed in an instant. His expression was complicated as he looked at the girl who had just been born.
"What is your name?"
"Athena."
"Athena, huh? A good name."
Not only Zeus, but many of the Divine Beings present had already guessed her origin.
She was likely the daughter of Zeus and Metis, the Goddess of Wisdom whom Zeus had swallowed. She was the sister from the prophecy—the one fated to overthrow Zeus's reign.
"What a pity… not her brother," thought some of the Divine Beings who secretly resented Zeus.
"You may stand aside for now," Zeus sighed, seemingly recalling a certain goddess.
Athena responded with an "oh," and as her gaze swept across the grand hall, she immediately recognized the smiling Bolos.
Her eyes gleamed, but with her wisdom, she acted as if she had seen nothing. She obediently stood beside another goddess of equal beauty.
"Daughter of Metis, is it?"
Naturally, standing beside her was Artemis, who looked at this newfound sister with interest.
…
"Go on, Themis. And Hera, I'm waiting for your explanation."
Zeus's head no longer ached, and Athena's birth had disrupted the previous rhythm. His anger had somewhat subsided.
"You're not going to like what you hear, Zeus."
Themis, seeing Athena now born, sighed. She truly did not want to speak the full truth she knew.
"Just say it. I am the King of the Gods. There is nothing I cannot know."
"Well, since you insist…"
Themis no longer held back and revealed the truth.
"Bolos is your son, but he is not Hera's."
"He is the child of you and Metis—Athena's younger brother."
What?
Themis's words were like a stone thrown into a lake, sending waves rippling through the divine hall.
This was far more dramatic than the earlier debate over who was or wasn't truly the King of the Gods' son.
The son of Zeus and Metis, Athena's younger brother—the very one from the prophecy who would one day overthrow Zeus's throne.
Because of that prophecy, Zeus had tried to prevent Bolos's birth, even swallowing his first wife Metis whole.
Yet somehow, Bolos had been born anyway—and had even lived on Olympus for years under the identity of Hera's son.
"He's my younger brother?"
Athena feigned surprise, calling out the title as if she had never seen Bolos before.
"What acting. She's better at it than Artemis and Apollo," Bolos thought.
He had already seen how Artemis and Apollo's performances had completely convinced Zeus that they had forgotten their previous "father" and now recognized only him as their true "father."
Now Athena was performing as if she had never even heard of Bolos—much less known he was her brother.
Whether this could fool Zeus would depend on how well they coordinated their roles in the future.
"You're not lying to me?"
Zeus's demeanor suddenly shifted. Violent Divine Power surged through the hall.
It was as if thunder loomed overhead, the wrath of the heavens poised to strike at any moment.
"Zeus, what are you doing?!"
Themis saw Zeus's movements and immediately sensed danger.
"What am I doing?" Zeus sneered. "No Divine Being threatens my throne—even if he's my own son."
He didn't even bother asking how Bolos had come to be known as Hera's son.
To him, those details didn't matter. What mattered was eliminating Bolos.
As he finished speaking, a bolt of lightning descended from above, striking directly toward Bolos's head.
"Bolos!"
Hera reacted instantly. She summoned her Divine Power and formed a transparent shield around Bolos.
As Queen of the Gods, her Divine Office encompassed marriage, childbirth, and protection.
The Marriage Office governed laws of contract; the Childbirth Office dealt with laws of life; the Protection Office—as its name implied—related to guardianship.
The transparent shield around Bolos's body was forged by Hera from her own laws, channeling the power of the heavens.
"Zeus, don't make another mistake."
Zeus's elder sister, Hestia, also intervened. A mysterious flame ignited above Bolos's head, its flickering seeming almost alive.
"This… has the aura of faith?"
Bolos was stunned and turned to look at the Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia.
He had always believed that the Divine Beings of Greek Myths never practiced the power of faith.
Such power, he thought, was meant to emerge in the mythology that would one day end all others.
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