Oh my god! Oh my god!
I actually blurted out the truth!
Samael's heart pounded like a war drum, and the forced smile on his face looked worse than tears. Of course, the root cause of this slip-up lay with him alone.
Athena indeed possessed dual divinities of sea and sky, destined to wield both wisdom and war in the future. Her potential was limitless, her growth astonishingly fast. But without the blessing and amplification of Olympus's divine mandate, surpassing Samael—who bore the divine authorities of fate and time—would still demand much more effort.
Besides, this was only a practical combat drill. Neither side had gone all out. That chokehold which had seemed to leave him gasping for air was, in truth, something he could have broken free from easily.
Put bluntly, it had been a mix of pain and pleasure—and the experience wasn't bad. His foster daughter had indeed grown up, in every sense of the word.
Still, no matter how others profited, Samael never lost out. Yet after years of battles of wit and will, his subtle schemes were already laid bare beneath the piercing gaze of the Goddess of Justice. A single probe had revealed everything—he had betrayed himself, lost in the lingering aftertaste of a certain moment.
Themis flicked her finger against the golden scales atop her sword hilt. Starlight cascaded down, forming a semi-enclosed domain. Seated upon a throne of woven starlight, the blindfolded goddess carried a cold air of impartiality as she gazed downward.
"The Star Court now convenes to hear this case."
"The moment of judgment has arrived. State the name of the accused!"
The ancient serpent raised his hands, helpless.
"Samael..."
"Do I even need to ask? You were calling it out quite passionately yesterday."
At the muttered words, the judge's fair face flushed scarlet. Nearly losing her composure, she hurriedly moved to the next charge.
"This court indicts you under the crime of blasphemy. Do you have a defense?"
"Say, have you forgotten what I taught you? Until convicted by due process, every defendant is presumed innocent."
Seeing the rule-bound goddess sticking to procedure, Samael nearly burst out laughing inside. He spoke with bold righteousness.
"Therefore, he who accuses must present the evidence!"
"You say I am guilty—where is the proof?"
"Even a judge cannot condemn out of personal bias. Presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle that protects the accused."
The ancient serpent paused, then looked up, his expression filled with mock grievance.
"The victim?"
Themis's breath hitched. The corner of her lips twitched.
"You saw it yourself! I was forced! Forced, do you understand?!"
Samael spread his hands wide, protesting loudly.
He wasn't some perverse father. Everyone slipped up at times. He'd only been caught off guard and overpowered by a foster daughter growing far too quickly. If there was someone who should be interrogated, it was Athena. How could they accuse such a good serpent as him?
The starlight around them flickered with her emotions. Themis's stern expression faltered. With a bitter smile, she descended from the court, leaning on her sword.
"Don't get involved with Athena. She's the child Metis entrusted to you, and she still resides within Zeus's mind."
"If you provoke her, she's capable of anything."
Hearing Themis's words spoken out of genuine concern, the ancient serpent's expression sobered. He answered firmly, with righteous conviction.
"Don't worry. My relationship with Athena is perfectly proper!"
Yes, his relationship with Athena was proper enough. But Athena's relationship with him... that was another story.
In the unrestrained Greek Age of Gods, if an old lecher like him could at least fulfill the duties of a guardian, he could already be called a model of virtue. Besides, the Goddess of Wisdom had always been strong-willed. As she grew, she had long since become impossible for him to control.
Samael's thoughts shifted. He reached out and clasped Themis's delicate hand, leaning close to whisper into the ear of the goddess of justice with a wicked smile.
"Your Honor, my relationship with her is perfectly proper. It's my relationship with you that's not so pure."
"Therefore, under the principle of recusal due to personal ties, I move for adjournment and reconsideration."
Themis's hand trembled, and the Star Court's domain instantly collapsed. Beneath her blindfold, her eyes narrowed in mild reproach as she glared at him.
"Looks like you still need more lessons if you want to punish evil."
The outlaw, once again slipping free from conviction, stood behind Themis and blinked at her with deliberate meaning.
At the same time, Samael's hands clasped together around her waist, slender as a ribbon. His fingertips trailed from her side across her flat stomach, brushing over her sensitive navel. His lips descended to capture the goddess's jade-like earlobe, gently biting and sending tingling shivers crawling over her skin like ants.
Unable to withstand the teasing, the goddess of justice weakened, her body softening as her face turned crimson. Her voice slipped out in a faint whisper.
"Stop it... they're still taking their exams..."
"Something came up tonight—then tomorrow night..."
After rescheduling so brazenly, the rogue finally released the utterly defeated goddess of justice. Taking her delicate hand, he led her to a grassy slope and, with a flick of a Magecraft array, produced a chessboard and pieces.
The two of them sat down, enjoying the breeze and the fresh scent of earth and grass as they idly played chess.
As for the two student teams out hunting, there was little to worry about.
After all, they were all Divine Spirit-level beings. With such overwhelming talent, they roamed the marshlands unchallenged. And even if something unexpected happened, Chiron, shadowing them quietly from behind, could step in as support.
So long as no famous deity from the Greek Age of Gods appeared to cause trouble, this lineup facing a mere trespassing poison dragon would sweep the field with ease.
A poison dragon, huh? Never eaten one before. Wonder what the meat tastes like.
As the ancient serpent muttered to himself, his mind drifted. In that moment of distraction, the chariot piece in his fingers slipped and tumbled down, landing squarely beneath the iron hoof of Themis's knight.
Clang!
The rule-abiding Themis turned her sword hilt. The golden scales swayed lightly, releasing a pulse that batted away Samael's hand as he tried to "fix" his blunder. Her voice rang out, cold and sharp.
"No taking back moves."
Samael shook out his numbed hand, sucking in a sharp breath as he muttered inwardly.
Retribution. Definitely retribution.
He cast a gloomy glance at the chessboard, watching as his defenses were torn open and the game tilted sharply against him. He scratched his head in frustration.
Tsk. If he couldn't "fix" this, things were going to get ugly.
...
As the duel between the outlaw and the goddess of justice played out over the chessboard, the students, guided by the Nymph, reached the poolside.
From afar, they saw gray-green toxic mist drifting outward from the water's surface. Everything it touched withered away, the land stripped bare.
Even the faintest inhalation left the frail Nymph swaying, nearly fainting.
And beneath that shroud of poison mist lay a hulking silhouette, nearly a hundred meters long, sprawled by the pool in slumber.
...
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