"There's nothing you can do about this kind of thing. Although I don't know the specific circumstances, the fact that you gave up Tomyris and handed her over to Hades shows that the pressure you face is probably greater than when you were on the opposite side of Ares. However, although I understand you, Tomyris will probably hate you for the rest of her life."
"fine."
Artemis gave a helpless smile.
"She has her own life, and I am not worthy of being her god."
"A god is not worthy of an oracle? That's the first time I've heard that."
"Alas, but now that Tomyris is no longer my oracle, I feel a little relieved." Artemis looked at the stream in front of her and the shadows of the trees reflected in the stream, and said with a wry smile, "At least, if I have something to do now, I can do it with confidence. Tomyris, she has the protection of Lord Hades, so naturally she doesn't need me."
"Are you here to say goodbye?"
"…Um, Hilde."
Artemis turned around and looked at Hilde's face.
"I have a plan."
"what's the plan?"
"Don't give up on Sophia. Leave the rescue mission to me, okay?"
Chapter 9: The Hunting Goddess's Request
Hilde couldn't believe her ears.
She was stunned for half a minute.
He stared at Artemis in front of him in amazement.
It was not until his eyes became sore that Hilde realized, "You're going to rescue? How are you going to rescue? You can't even protect yourself now. If you return to Mount Olympus, aren't you just walking into a trap?"
"There are many things that, if you don't do them, you don't know if they will succeed. After all, I am a god of Olympus, the daughter of Zeus, and the goddess of hunting, one of the twelve main gods. Moreover, I spared Ares, so even if I failed to rescue him, I would not die. However, if I don't go...Sophia will never come back. So, I can only do this."
Hear her say that.
Hilde still shook his head.
“This, is still…”
"This matter is not difficult."
Artemis shrugged, looking very relaxed. "It's nothing more than that I sneak back to Mount Olympus, then hide my presence and look for Sophia. If I'm not mistaken, Sophia will only be imprisoned in Hera's palace. Moreover, Sophia's existence will most likely not be told to Zeus in a short period of time. Hera has her own little calculations, I still know this. So, as long as I find an opportunity, I can sneak into Hera's palace, rescue Sophia, and send her to the foot of Mount Olympus."
"It's not as easy as you say!"
Artemis wasn't surprised by Hilde's reaction.
However, Artemis sneered.
"Hilde, I am God."
"...Yes, you are a god, and that is why you are doing this for a mortal."
"Do you think I'm just a god who is indifferent to mortals, just like Tomyris?" Artemis took a step forward. Immediately, the pressure from her made Hilde a little scared. "I tell you, Hilde, you know very well... Tomyris can't understand me, so forget it. It's true that I abandoned her, no matter what the reason. But, for me, Sophia carries the secrets related to the original library of creation, and the goddess of the night Nyx behind her is destined to become an important force to stop Zeus's conspiracy. Therefore, no matter what, I must rescue Sophia."
"So... this is your own wish."
"Correct."
Artemis placed her right hand on her chest.
In ancient Greece, this represented the meaning of an oath.
"My goal is to prevent Zeus from obtaining the power of the original library of creation and thus threatening the world. Therefore, there is only one thing I can do. Don't worry, I am the goddess of hunting, so just leave this matter to me, and there will be no problem."
"Artemis."
"Huh? What's wrong?"
I heard Hilde suddenly call my name.
Artemis still hadn't reacted.
But Hilde's knees weakened and he fell to the ground.
"Sophia, I'm leaving it to you."
“…You don’t have to kneel.”
"I, Hilde, have always believed that nothing in this world can defeat me. I can even defeat the gods. But now, I admit that I can't do this. I can't go to the realm of Olympus and fight the gods at full strength to save Sophia. That would be suicide. So, if Lady Artemis is willing to help me, it would be a great favor to me."
Hilde didn't even raise her head.
Instead, he prostrated himself before Artemis with a very respectful attitude.
"I am a person who will repay a grudge and a favor. Regardless of whether Sophia can be rescued or not, Lady Artemis' words today and the actions that follow are a favor that I will never be able to repay in this lifetime."
"Hilde..."
"So, please."
Hilde said loudly:
"Please rescue Sophia!"
"Ugh……"
Seeing Hilde like this.
Artemis rubbed her temple helplessly.
"So, you were worried about whether you were too cold-blooded, but you are not actually cold-blooded. You just lost hope. People who lose hope will become like that, struggling as much as possible to survive. That is human nature. Even you, Hilde, cannot escape this nature. I am very clear about this. So, hold your head up, Hilde."
"Yes……"
Hilde had rarely been so humble.
Moreover, Artemis also knew that this was not Hilde's humbleness.
But it was her true gratitude.
Hild was well aware of the danger Artemis was facing. Even though Artemis was one of the twelve main gods, she was only a goddess of hunting after all, and her overall power was only of the middle to lower level. Moreover, Artemis was the only god among all the gods of Olympus who was clearly against Zeus. When she was caught before, she was forgiven by Zeus. If she was caught again this time, it was unknown whether she would be forgiven by Zeus.
It can be said that Artemis was determined to save a person who had nothing to do with her. Although the reason why Artemis saved people was, as she said just now, to resist Zeus and to prevent the information about the goddess of night, Nyx, from falling into Zeus' hands, Hilde knew very well that Artemis was willing to do this, and for her, it was something she was very grateful for.
"Okay."
Artemis said helplessly:
"How long are you going to be on your knees?"
"Ah, um..."
Artemis walked over and helped Hilde up.
For some reason, Hilde felt a little dizzy.
"Ah, what's wrong?"
"I don't know...I suddenly feel a little weak."
"That's because your mind has returned. You are now back to your normal self, but your body has not recovered from the shock of Sophia's incident." Artemis dragged Hilde's body and helped her stand up. "Alas, this is quite similar to Sister Athena before. I feel like I can do anything, but sometimes it's really worrying."
"Athena, will this happen too?"
"Yes, sometimes they ask me for help."
Artemis looked at Hilde's face.
She hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and said with a little hesitation:
"Um, Hilde, can you promise me something?"
"Of course! As long as I can do it, it's fine!"
The other party helped him to rescue Sophia.
The Ninth Tune, Section 2: The Weak and Helpless Goddess
There was no reason for Hilde to refuse.
Artemis raised her head and looked at Hilde with a dazed look in her eyes. But then, Artemis took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.
"Master Artemis?"
"As for me, I've always liked Sister Athena."
"Ah, well, I know."
"She and I are both virgin goddesses who never marry. However, for the sake of her lofty ideals and her powerful position, Sister Athena gave up marriage, love, and the possibility of reproducing offspring, which gods should enjoy. As for me... for me, I prefer to hunt in the forest with the female hunters. Of course, the most important thing is that, for me, Sister Athena's glory surpasses that of all other gods. I find that there is no room for others in my eyes."
"what……"
It was the first time Hilde heard Artemis say this.
If it seems like this...
Artemis' feelings for Athena may not be as simple as sisterly love.
What Artemis said next made Hilde almost fall into the stream.
"So, can you pretend that you are Sister Athena?"
"Huh? W-What do you mean?"
"I know you are not Sister Athena, but... at least, you are the successor chosen by Sister Athena, the one who inherited her beauty and body, and continues to fulfill her long-cherished wish. Every time I see you, I can't help but think, how great it would be if you were Sister Athena. But you are Hilde, you are not Athena, and it is disrespectful to treat you as Athena. But now, I, I, I'm sorry, can you pretend that you are Sister Athena and let me fulfill the following, my wish?"
"I understand."
Hilde gave a helpless smile.
She scratched her head and asked:
"So, what did Athena call you?"
"Phoebe."
"Well, Phoebe..."
When Hilde called out the name.
Artemis felt like she was about to stop breathing. The long-lost, intimate feeling once again surged into her heart. Although she knew better than anyone that the girl in front of her was no longer the sister Athena who protected her, but... but, what did it matter? At least, for now, she should forget about these things.
"elder sister……"
Artemis's hand gently climbed onto Hilde's cheek.
"Sister, I miss you so much."
"Phobe... ugh!"
Before Hilde could react, Artemis took her lips away.
The goddess' kiss was similar to that of a human, and it was also fierce, but also gentle. She completely immersed herself in it and indulged her wild passion. It was as if Artemis had abandoned her identity as a hunting goddess, completely disregarding any dogma about God. She could only feel that the woman she kissed was the goddess Athena who was revered by everyone. Whether it was the voice, the breath, the taste, or the familiar feeling, they were all Athena's.
"elder sister……"
Artemis relaxed lightly.
With her eyes blurred, she placed her hands on her shoulder straps.
As the clothes slipped off, the hunting goddess's nearly perfect body was revealed before him.
It was a nearly perfect work of art, without any flaws or inconsistencies. A slender body, with perfectly rounded curves and a moderate size in the middle. Hilde had once examined her own body in front of the mirror, and now, when she saw with her own eyes a divine body as perfect as her own, appearing before her, Hilde's own breathing almost stopped.
Yes, that's right.
I am Athena now.
Now, I have to help Artemis create that false memory.
Even if it's false——
Hilde didn't care.
So Hilde called softly, "Phobe..."
Then, she herself held Artemis' hands and gave them a kiss.
In this peaceful morning, the forest is filled with birdsong and curious deer are looking around, searching for the source of the sound. The gurgling sound of the stream, accompanied by the rustling sound of the leaves in the breeze, constitutes a perfect poem. There are no other people here, only nature and things closely related to nature. Everything seems to be integrated together, wind and water, mountains and trees.
Two hours later.
