"Ding~!"
With a crisp metallic clang as the arrow dropped to the ground, the tense, bowstring-taut figure across from him collapsed in exhaustion.
"Forget it... She's not that easy to fool..."
"Athena, no matter how smart she is, would only suspect that there's something odd about my death.
But without proof, she wouldn't associate it with this.
Besides, Crete is at odds with Atlantis right now—she's too busy dealing with Poseidon.
Even if she suspects, she probably wouldn't dare touch you."
Lorne slowly opened his eyes and casually picked up the bronze arrow, sincerely offering it back.
"So, wanna give it a try?"
However, before he could extend his hand fully, Artemis angrily slapped it away.
"Hmph! Do I look like the kind of person who repays kindness with vengeance?!"
The goddess of the hunt widened her apricot-shaped eyes, glaring furiously at Lorne.
Aren't you though?
'That stance just now screamed 'I'm about to stab you to death'!'
Lorne cursed in his heart but kept a straight face as he casually tossed the bronze arrow behind him and forced a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, I just wanted to help, but ended up dragging you into this..."
"That bastard son of Poseidon is the one to blame. What are you apologizing for?"
Artemis snorted coldly in reply, her mood still sour as she glanced toward the other victim of the incident.
"Who's right or wrong, I know that myself. I'm not so petty as to take it out on you."
'Yes, yes, you're righteous and fair, morally upright!
It was I, the petty little man, who measured a noble goddess's heart with a villain's suspicion!'
Lorne rolled his eyes madly on the inside while subtly glancing behind him.
And when he saw that the bronze arrow which nearly pierced his throat had landed over a hundred meters away, the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled, his mind flooded with relief and near-death gratitude.
That was close.
'I nearly got ravaged and murdered by this crazy woman.'
Good thing I bet right!
Definitely one of those mules you have to stroke with the grain, she responds to gentleness, not force.
Lorne carefully observed Artemis's gradually softening expression and quietly let out a breath, as his thoughts wandered back to the historical accounts of this goddess of the hunt.
She was a goddess with a deeply contradictory nature, capable of both kindness and brutal vengeance.
In legend, the Queen of Thebes, Niobe, boasted that she had seven sons and seven daughters, and mocked the goddess Leto for having only Apollo and Artemis.
She even flaunted that her own father dined with the gods and prevented Thebans from offering tribute to Leto.
Insulted, Leto asked her children, Apollo and Artemis to punish her as they descended in anger and slaughtered all seven sons and six daughters of Niobe.
When it came to the last little daughter, Artemis relented out of compassion, sparing the girl and having Apollo grant her an extraordinarily long life.
Another epic account also illustrates Artemis's dual nature.
Before the Trojan War began, King Agamemnon killed Artemis's sacred deer and arrogantly claimed he was a better marksman than the goddess herself.
Enraged, Artemis stirred fierce storms at sea, preventing the fleet from setting sail.
Through a prophet, she demanded Agamemnon sacrifice his daughter to appease her.
As the war dragged on, Agamemnon relented, lit the pyre, and led his daughter Iphigenia to the altar.
But just as the blade was about to fall, a gust of wind swept through, and Iphigenia vanished and instead, a stag stood in her place.
In fact, Artemis had spirited the girl away and made her a priestess in her temple, letting her live in peace for the rest of her days.
From these two stories alone, it's quite evident that though Artemis's moods could swing unpredictably, she wasn't needlessly cruel or bloodthirsty.
In theory, as long as one could find a way to coax her into a good mood, even the gravest mistake could be forgiven.
But the more you do it the other way around, the easier it is for this goddess to get angry and do things to the extreme.
That's exactly why Lorne had chosen to retreat instead of resist earlier.
He portrayed himself as loyal and self-sacrificing person, even going so far as to teach Artemis how to cover up his death.
And the result was just as he predicted—
Artemis not only gave up the perfect chance to kill him, but also kept making excuses on his behalf, as if trying to justify his actions.
At last, after a long stretch of silence, the goddess of the hunt bit her lip, as if finally making up her mind and waved him off.
"Forget it. You were trying to help me too. This has nothing to do with you. You can go..."
Whew. It's over.
Hearing that softened tone, Lorne confirmed he could finally get out of this swamp, and couldn't help but feel overjoyed. Instinctively, he activated his magic circle, swiftly took out a clean piece of clothing, slipped it on, and was ready to bolt.
'This woman is too dangerous.
For safety's sake, it's better hide at Hestia's place for a while.'
However, just as Lorne was about to step out of the dense forest, his gaze unintentionally swept back and he couldn't help but pause.
The once proud goddess of the hunt was now curled up in the shadows, where sunlight could not reach, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees, her pearly teeth biting into her cherry lips, head buried deep in her chest.
—Like a small bird shivering under the eaves before a coming storm.
"What would happens… if a sworn virgin loses her chastity?"
Lorne, as if possessed, stopped in his tracks and turned around to ask.
Instantly, Artemis flushed with shame and fury, her cheeks burning red.
"None of your business! Get lost!"
Yet, faced with the goddess of the hunt's unusually foul mood, Lorne, who should have been desperate to escape, paused instead.
He walked back to where she sat, quietly gazing at her curled-up form under the tree's shadow, and softly spoke.
"Are you… afraid?"
"Shut up!"
In an instant, Artemis shot up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, baring her fangs with a furious roar.
But the more enraged she became, the harder it was to hide the deep fear buried in those fierce, silver eyes.
And in that very moment—Lorne understood.
"Zeus?"
At the sound of that name, Artemis visibly flinched and the answer became clear without a word.
Watching the goddess of the hunt's overreaction, Lorne suddenly recalled a certain myth.
Among Artemis's nymph companions, there was a demigoddess named Callisto—the daughter of King Lycaon.
She was a chaste huntress, devoted in worship to Artemis.
So beautiful was she that flowers seemed to bloom merely by her presence, and the moon shone a little brighter whenever her eyes met the night sky.
From a young age, she had vowed to remain pure.
However, unlike the other carefree nymphs who lingered by streams, wandered through gardens, recited poetry, or danced and sang, Callisto donned hunting gear, carried a bow on her back, a golden spear in hand, and roamed the forests with Artemis, hunting beasts.
Their shared passion made her Artemis's favorite, and from then on, the two were inseparable, like twin sisters.
But as is often said:
In ancient Greece, beauty was a curse.
And for such beauty, there would always be those who desired to possess her, men who lusted, and beasts who would use force if they could.
Though Callisto had Artemis's protection, and though few dared to challenge her, fate proved cruel.
Because the beast she encountered was none other than the mighty king of the gods himself.
One day, as she rested in the forest, Zeus, wandering the mortal realm to sow his seed, caught sight of her. And as the myths often repeat, the king of gods had never once let a beauty slip through his fingers.
Struck by desire, Zeus burned with lust.
He wanted something, so he took it.
To succeed, he disguised himself as Artemis, the very goddess Callisto adored and approached her without resistance.
Unaware that the woman in front of her, was in fact a man, the girl joyfully greeted her "goddess."
It wasn't until "Artemis" (in truth, Zeus) kissed her that she realized something was wrong—but by then, it was already too late.
Her vow of chastity was shattered, and Artemis's divine protection gone.
He violated her, forcing himself upon her and leaving her with child.
Not long after, Artemis discovered the truth. Enraged, she banished the innocent Callisto…
What followed is another tale entirely.
But the details—the hunting gear, the bow, the golden spear, the wild passion for the chase—all stirred a profound sense of déjà vu within Lorne.
He looked at the girl before him now, curled up in the shadows, arms around her knees.
Yes.
She was a mirror of Artemis.
So perhaps Zeus's interest in Callisto wasn't driven by beauty alone.
Perhaps… she was a substitute.
Considering Artemis's fury upon discovering the truth, and Lorne's own understanding of that shameless Olympian king, who would fuck anything and everything, the answer seemed painfully clear.
Zeus's love for his daughter Artemis was far from pure.
There was possessiveness in it.
And Lorne wasn't surprised in the least.
After all, such disgusting behavior was nothing new for the king of Olympus.
Persephone—the Queen of the Underworld, mother of Zagreus (the former Dionysus) and Melinoë, goddess of ghosts and nightmares, was also a victim of Zeus's twisted lust.
Perhaps it was this very premonition that led Artemis to swear before Zeus to remain forever chaste—a virgin goddess, protector of purity.
Given her mother Leto's position, her twin brother Apollo's support, and the scandal already surrounding Zeus and Persephone, he ultimately agreed—likely to avoid pushing all three away.
But even then, his lust never truly vanished.
Callisto's fate was undeniable proof.
And now… Artemis's own vow of chastity had been broken.
It was at this moment that Lorne finally realized how serious the problem was.
(End of Chapter)