— — — — — —
"Athena's Saint…"
Athena's expression froze for a brief instant, then relaxed into understanding.
"So that's how it is." She murmured softly, finally grasping where the anomaly came from.
Judging from the relationship within their Divinity, Ryo truly did share an unusually close connection with her.
That connection manifested in reality as well. She cared far too much about his affairs, enough to act in ways that were inappropriate and irrational.
Athena turned her head, smiling as she looked at Ryo, her tone light and pleasant.
"My Saint…"
That smile, however, sent a chill down Ryo's spine.
That look felt like being targeted.
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he couldn't exactly refute her.
But what Shiroyasha really meant was probably the deeper link between the Cosmo system, the Twelve Zodiac, and the Greek pantheon.
In a sense, the Another Cosmology Ryo possessed could be considered a simulated version of the Greek gods' own Cosmology.
Of course, the connection was extremely subtle, like severed roots still barely clinging together.
Even so, Ryo's core power really could resonate with Athena, even strengthen her.
And that was only natural. Cosmo enhanced anyone it touched. The difference was that Athena alone could faintly sense that the Cosmo within Ryo would be immensely beneficial to her. Others simply couldn't feel it.
Seeing Ryo remain silent, Athena smiled warmly and took his hand. "Looks like I really can't let you go now."
Ryo's eyelid twitched.
If Athena before might have left on her own once her irritation faded, now she was clearly latched onto him.
This woman had definitely realized Shiroyasha was still holding back something. Her curiosity and motivation had shot straight to max.
With that thought, Ryo sighed. "Do whatever you want."
At this point, he was fully in "lie flat and let fate do its thing" mode. A beautiful goddess wanted to stick to him, so he neither rejected nor accepted it outright.
What else could he do?
Athena knew far too much. If he pushed her too hard and she flipped sides, Ryo wouldn't end well either. Keeping things ambiguous was the safer play.
Besides, dangling a famous goddess like this felt pretty damn good... Ryo had never denied the uglier sides of his own nature.
Never one to miss a chance for fun, Shiroyasha immediately piled on, "Oh my, oh my. If you want to get tangled up with my Ryo, you'll need my approval first, you know."
Athena smiled faintly, then calmly shook off Shiroyasha's hand and gently looped her arm through Ryo's.
"Can you stop pestering me? It's gross."
She said it casually, then turned to Ryo with a completely different attitude and smiled sweetly. "Come on. The banquet's already started."
With that, she pulled Ryo aside.
"…"
Shiroyasha stared, completely stunned, her expression twisting as she muttered, "What is this, using me and tossing me aside?"
Of course, it was just a joke. She knew Athena was simply using the opportunity to shake off her wandering hands.
At the same time, it also helped Ryo expand his "social circle," so it wasn't purely personal.
'Seriously. I'm a beautiful goddess too, you know. Is it really necessary to look that disgusted?'
Shiroyasha grumbled under her breath, shot a glare at the useless gods watching the show, then walked over to Leticia, who was observing quietly from a corner.
There were a few things she wanted to confirm with her.
---
With Athena holding his arm, Ryo leaned slightly closer and lowered his voice.
"So… I guess I'm supposed to introduce my Gift Game now?"
"That can wait for the professionals," Athena replied calmly. "If you awkwardly explain your Gift Game yourself, all you'll do is annoy these bored people."
Her tone turned playful. "Do you really think they're here to participate in games? No. They're here for entertainment."
"And their entertainment…" Athena lowered her gaze to the arm she was holding.
"Isn't it right here?"
"One of Greece's three virgin goddesses being overly intimate with a human, even showing signs of marrying down. That alone is enough to satisfy their cheap, vulgar tastes."
"And on top of that, you even cooperated with Shiroyasha to make me lose face."
Ryo had absolutely nothing to say in response.
He had deliberately shifted the atmosphere from "two women fighting over a man" to "sharing Athena."
The former might pass. The latter was asking for trouble. Before long, rumors would spread across Little Garden's upper and lower layers that Athena and Shiroyasha were bisexual.
That one was definitely on him, so he couldn't argue.
"All right. I'm not blaming you," Athena said lightly. "In the end, reputation is only as valuable as you decide it is."
Then her tone turned a bit more serious. "What really matters in Little Garden is personal strength, victories in Gift Games, and the power of one's faction."
"Now, I'm going to introduce you to some people."
The corners of her lips lifted as she added with a hint of guidance, "Banquets like this are, at their core, about expanding your social circle. And having an old hand lead you around is far more efficient than fumbling on your own."
As she spoke, she pulled Ryo along on a long circuit of the hall.
From Taoist Celestial Masters, to Min, the Egyptian god of fertility and harvest, to Chabtan, the Mayan god of war. Athena personally brought Ryo to greet every god with some real weight behind them.
By the time they finished the round, Ryo's face hurt from smiling so much.
These old monsters were all hiding deep. One incarnation after another, some possessing their own children, others descending as lawless gods. Their divine stench was so strong it nearly made Ryo, who carried godslayer traits, want to sneeze.
Honestly, if Athena hadn't dragged him over, these geezers would've kept hiding, quietly observing Arcadia and spying on Ryo from the shadows.
But once Athena personally brought him to their door, hiding was no longer an option.
But why? Why were there so many scheming old bastards in Little Garden?
That was Ryo's only takeaway from the whole tour.
...
Athena picked up a cube of fruit with a toothpick and fed it to Ryo, smiling as she asked, "How does it feel?"
"I think I'm going to respec into a brute," Ryo replied darkly, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"A perfectly normal reaction," Athena said with a bright smile.
"That's why, when I lose patience, I sometimes stop overthinking things and just solve problems with my fists."
"That's also why people in the upper layers of Little Garden consider me Greece's true god of war."
She calmly speared another piece of fruit, her voice gentle. "You're still young. You don't fully understand how this place works."
Her smile turned meaningful. "Sometimes, when dealing with clever people, you don't need to use your brain. Using your fists can actually be faster."
"Violence can't solve problems, but it can solve the people who create them. That's also a form of wisdom."
Ryo couldn't help complaining, "Why does it sound like you're encouraging me to punch people? Specifically Hermes, who might show up later."
Athena's smile brightened just a touch. Half-serious, half-joking, she said, "Let me tell you a joke."
"Hm?"
"In Little Garden, only those strong enough to beat Hermes into tears can truly be called 'strong.'"
For once, Ryo was completely speechless.
After finishing another piece of fruit, Athena glanced behind him and smiled, "All right. I've introduced you to part of my social circle. Now it's your turn."
"An exchange of interests is how stable relationships are properly formed. Of course, I wouldn't mind if you introduced me to them as the lady of the house."
Ryo's eyebrow twitched. He turned around.
Standing there were a red-haired, bronze-skinned dragon woman and a Kemono in a suit, chubby and uncannily similar to an orange cat.
Guests of the Draco Greif.
.
.
.