Foolish Brother Odin

Chapter 447 A Dilemma

If Cronus had previously regarded Odin, this weak yet strangely powerful soul, as merely a tool, at this moment he truly saw Odin as a partner with whom he could negotiate on equal terms, especially since Odin was still unable to escape from this damned cage.

If your partner has a big enough fist, anyone with a brain will speak politely.

"Alright! My ally, how shall I address you?"

"Odin, the King of the Gods! Odin Paulson, the King of the Aesir! The younger brother of the current Aesir God-Emperor Downs Paulson!" Odin didn't forget to use his elder brother to elevate himself: "As for the divine power within me that leans towards the god of death, I have to thank my elder brother. He sent his men to kill Thanatos, the current Greek god of death."

This news came from the spirits of the Kinlunga who entered Tartarus.

Before they stormed into the Greek world, they were told that even death wasn't necessarily the end, and that Kinlunga still had a chance to bring them back.

But who would have thought that Odin would save it?

In any case, the intelligence was transmitted to Odin accurately.

As for Cronus, he was completely fooled and had even less access to information. He observed Tartarus's changes but couldn't discern any deception Odin might be using.

“Very well, we are all god-kings now!” Cronus admitted helplessly.

"Well, let's have a good discussion about what we should do after we get out of this damn hell..."

Cronus, of course, wanted to storm Mount Olympus and take revenge on his good son Zeus. In exchange for a 'small' deal, he hoped Odin could help him withstand Zeus's damned thunderbolts.

Odin, after all these years, knows the power of thunder. His failure to subdue Thor, the eldest son of Downs, during Ragnarok was one of his major mistakes. How weak could a god-king who controls thunder be? Odin has no intention of shielding Cronus, this shameless and cowardly former god-king who only possesses the physique of a Titan.

Fortunately, the key to unlocking the prison lies with Odin, and Odin has regained his divine power. Regardless of whether this power can be replenished, at least in its current state, Odin appears to be a true god-king. This gives Odin absolute leverage in the negotiations…

Before the next great battle, Odin has ample time to temper Cronus's temperament.

Meanwhile, Apollo was in agony.

Naturally, he received a letter from his sister Artemis.

The letter was simple: Artemis said she had been conquered by the Aesir king, and her connection to her homeland was her last line of defense. But then, Zeus abandoned her, stripping her of her divine power. With no other choice, she finally fell completely in love with that damned conqueror and turned to serve the Aesir. She also said that the king had promised not to force her to fight against the Olympian gods.

That's all for now.

Apollo, however, gleaned something deeper—not being an enemy of the Olympian gods did not equate to not being an enemy of the slave gods. In the next great war, he would most likely hear news of his sister's rampage through the Greek vassal worlds. Moreover, the oath was limited to his sister alone, meaning that her powerful demigod servants, such as the Amazon queen, might also turn against Greece.

Apollo knew that he was essentially being roasted on divine fire.

The father god Zeus was still willing to believe in him, Hera's faction was eager for his demise, and his sister clearly hoped that he would also join the Aesir.

Apollo is no god at all, inside or out!

Apollo sighed deeply, knowing that the time when he would have to make a choice was not far off.

"My Majesty, are you troubled?"

“Cassandra?” Apollo wasn’t too surprised.

Cassandra was a Trojan princess, the third daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecarim, and one of Apollo's most important priestesses on Earth.

After giving a graceful bow, Cassandra said softly, "Is it because of Her Majesty Artemis?"

Apollo remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement. "My father is also troubled lately. Troy will soon make a decision as well."

Apollo was an extremely kind-hearted god, and he didn't know how to comfort his priest: "I am very sorry about what happened to your elder brother."

Cassandra gently shook her head: "My elder brother Hector died in a fair duel, and his death was an honor. It's just that Troy has lost the favor of the gods, so in the end, Troy will probably make its own choice."

Apollo fell silent again.

He knew that without this battle against the Aesir, the Greek city-states might have formed a coalition, invaded Asia Minor, and reached the gates of Troy. In a state of relative balance of power among the city-states, the only options were either to wage a devastating civil war or to plunder from the outside. In this situation, the wealthy but not entirely Greek Trojans were the perfect target.

Although the Trojans also worshipped the Greek gods, the gods certainly bestowed less favor upon the Trojans than upon the Greeks.

Given that many of the Olympian gods were unwilling to even protect their mortal followers, it would be understandable if the Trojans were to surrender to the Aesir if they couldn't withstand the pressure.

Surrender is never an easy decision.

If they misjudge the situation and make the wrong bet, and if the Olympian pantheon wins in the future, Troy will face the most devastating reckoning. In all likelihood, the entire country will be wiped off the map by Zeus, serving as the chicken in the story of killing the chicken to scare the monkey.

But what if we don't invest and can't hold on?

Don't be fooled by the fact that Troy has walls built by Poseidon himself, making it seem incredibly formidable.

That only applies to mortals.

If a shameless Asgardian were to personally intervene, it would be a completely different story.

Cassandra may seem to be talking about her own Troy, but isn't she also thinking of Apollo?

Either hold on to the bitter end, or surrender quickly.

There is no third option!

Apollo slowly shook his head: "My sister is my sister, and I am myself. I am Apollo, the god of light and prophecy of Olympus."

This tone and manner completely defined the nature of the matter.

“I will obey your will!” Cassandra bowed deeply.

Not long after, Apollo sent a reply before the space passage closed again.

"I'm sorry, darling, I couldn't convince my brother." The once wild and untamed goddess of the hunt now rubbed her face against Downs' arm like a docile kitten.

Downs waved his hand dismissively: "It doesn't matter. If Apollo were so easily swayed, he wouldn't be worthy of being the god of light."

Certain attributes associated with a deity's priesthood can greatly influence the deity's personality.

If the God of Light is not a glorious and righteous being, then He is not qualified to be the God of Light.

The God of Light can be stubborn and loyal to the death, but he cannot betray us at will.

From beginning to end, Downs' scheme never landed on Apollo himself, but rather on Hera, the Queen of the Gods.

(End of this chapter)