Greece: I am Zeus!

Chapter 288 Why? Why be so stubborn?
In his ecstasy, Prometheus was completely unaware that everything was under the control of the King of the Gods, and he left in high spirits.

He returned to the mortal realm once more, so excited that he completely forgot about the slight abnormality he had previously noticed in his own mother goddess, in his self-perceived great success.

Clymene was left alone in the temple, watching Prometheus's departing figure with a complex expression.

His icy blue eyes were filled with unyielding worry.

She was certain that the child was indeed plotting against the God-King!

This answer even made her despair.

However, His Majesty the God-King uttered a joyful phrase: "Alright! Let the music continue! Let the dancing continue!"

She could only hastily send a word of advice to Prometheus through the divine channel before turning around and continuing to indulge the god-king's antics.

“Prometheus, my dear child. I know there must be things you want to do. If you have made up your mind, then do them. Mother Goddess... supports you in everything.”

"But my dear child, before you do anything, you must carefully and repeatedly consider: Is it right? Is it rational? Are you still on the bright and righteous path? Have you been cautious enough?"

"Have you... truly let go of that arrogance and recklessness that could destroy everything? Do you still truly retain that sense of awe?"

"And, most importantly—do we still strictly adhere to His Majesty the God-King's sacred and just order?"

“You are the God of prophecy and foresight, the God of wisdom and insight. I believe there is nothing you cannot see; I also believe that you can see further than the Mother Goddess.”

"However, some things may require the combined wisdom of more deities to arrive at a more correct and perfect answer."

"If it is inconvenient for you to confide in the Mother Goddess, then you and your brothers could discuss it together. That would be a more prudent approach."

“My dear child, whatever you ultimately decide to do, Mother Goddess will support you.”

"But... I only hope that you won't get hurt in any way. I hope you can think about Mother Goddess..."

"Mother Goddess, we can no longer bear to see any of your children suffer such terrible pain and calamity..."

Prometheus, who was rapidly leaving Olympus, gradually slowed down after seeing the message from the Mother Goddess, until finally, he stopped in mid-air.

His gaze, which had been fixed on the earth, slowly turned back to the highest mountain of Olympus.

His eyes were incredibly complex.

At that moment, having regained some peace from that immense joy, He suddenly realized that His Majesty's "promise" and "declaration" to humanity seemed... very subtle, even... somewhat ambiguous.
And all of this today...

It seems like things are progressing too smoothly...

It went smoothly, and it felt somewhat familiar.

He was God alone, and stood in mid-air for a long time.

Finally, He sent a message back to Clymene.

“Dear Mother Goddess, I love you, and I know you love me even more. Now, I have my own ‘children’. I love them just as you love me.”

"Therefore, there are some things I must do. For my children, I must fight for more and better living space."

"Please believe me, nothing will happen. His Majesty the God-King is kind and benevolent."

Inside the temple of the gods, Clymene, amidst the frolicking crowd of gods, remained deeply worried and absent-minded.

When she saw this reply, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, sank completely.

She gave up on any further attempts to persuade him.

Because a true mother can understand the unconditional love that parents have for their children.

Similarly, as a mother, she knows her child all too well.

Prometheus, it seems, is not as pedantic as his father, Iapetus.

However, deep within Him flowed the same, or even greater, stubbornness as His Father.

Once they have chosen their path, they are always so steadfast.

Regardless of whether this path is right or wrong; regardless of whether this decision is rational.

Yes, this is God.

True God.

Perhaps this is the inescapable fate of their "Cyclic" family.

Cycle, repeat.

Clymene was now absolutely certain that the ominous premonition he had felt would become a reality.

This concern is by no means unfounded.

As one of the earliest daughters of the ocean, and one of the oldest among the gods, she has witnessed too many rises and falls, cycles of life and death, creation and destruction.

She knew that to gain something, you had to give something in return.

If you want to get your hands on things you shouldn't, you have to pay the price.

The more you exceed your capabilities, the greater the price you pay, and you may even be unable to bear that price.

Any god, or even any mortal spirit, can do whatever they want; however, they must also bear the consequences of their actions.

The cost of doing too many things is absolutely unaffordable.

It's like scheming against the God-King and offending his majesty.

This is a price that no god, or any living being, can afford to pay.

Your Majesty has been kind and benevolent enough, so why offend the Divine King? To be so greedy and insatiable, to use opportunistic tricks to obtain what you don't deserve, even if you get what you want, will you really have a good ending in the end?
Why are you so stubborn and unwilling to believe in the benevolence and magnanimity of His Majesty the God-King?
Your Majesty is benevolent and magnanimous; if you respond with sincerity, Your Majesty may well grant your request.

If fraudulent methods are used, then despair is inevitable.

Why would someone plot against His Majesty the God-King?
This is impossible to succeed at!
This is an incredibly foolish and wrong thing to do!

His Majesty seems unaffected now, but the outcome is already predetermined.

The God-King is not to be offended or schemed against.

Her heart was once again filled with the pain of being broken.

The sea of ​​bitterness that had been forcibly suppressed in my heart surged up once again.

Moreover, it came crashing down with even bigger and fiercer waves.

Inside the Temple of the God King, laughter and joy filled the air, as if there were no worries in the world at all.

And indeed, that is the case. In this temple of the God King, what troubles could the goddess who serves the God King possibly have?

But she did.

Because of the child.

She felt that even breathing had become difficult.

If it weren't for divine power forcibly controlling it, the tears of this ocean girl would probably have already completely submerged this temple.

Why……

Why are children always like this?
Irritable, arrogant, reckless, and stubborn.

They always race along the path they have chosen.

They don't care about what's in front of them, nor about what's behind them.

They charged headlong into the dark road, ignoring everything else.

As if completely unaware, before them lay a bottomless abyss capable of swallowing everything.

She repeatedly asked herself:

why?
Could they not turn back even slightly and look at their Mother Goddess?
Could they not have listened to the earnest advice of the Mother Goddess?

Their mother goddess has always been worried and fearful for them!

Their mother goddess only wanted them to live well!

I just want them to live well, happily, carefree, and to fully enjoy this ever-growing and beautiful universe!

But this wish seems so fragile in the face of stubbornness.

Clymene felt as if his heart was breaking.

Thinking about the pain and punishment that parents and children might face, it felt like a boulder was pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

No matter how resilient her character or how insightful her wisdom, she could no longer bear the endless pain that felt as if her divinity was being repeatedly torn apart.

She stood there, pale and blank-eyed, as if all her divinity had been ripped from her body.

The joyful laughter inside the temple seemed blurred and indistinct, as if seen through a thick curtain of water.

All she could hear was the mournful cry of her own shattered divinity.

She became an observer, a ghost starving alone in the feast.

But at that very moment, the blindfolded god-king, who was grabbing around the palace aimlessly, whether intentionally or unintentionally, actually managed to grab the motionless Clymene with pinpoint accuracy.

And without any hesitation, He pulled her tightly into his broad and warm embrace.

His strong chest concealed the heartbroken paleness on her face.

A barely audible word, carried precisely to her ears by the gentle breeze emanating from His mouth, carrying the warmth of thunder.

No deity could hear her except for her.

“My dearest Clymene, my goddess, as radiant as a clear river in spring, why do I sense a sorrowful undercurrent surging within you?”

"As the most capable steward of my God King Temple, is there anything that you feel powerless to do?"

"If it really exists... then what about me?"

"If you're upset because your child is being too willful and unruly, then you don't need to care at all."

"Because, I'm here."

“I am the Father of the Gods. Even if some mistakes need to be punished and corrected, that is all.”

"There is no need to be sad, no need to be upset. You only need to remember: with me here, there is no real problem in this universe."

"My God King Temple cannot do without you, my most competent steward. Why bother thinking about so many useless things? You just need to take good care of our 'home'."

All of this happened in the blink of an eye, in the blink of an eye, and had already entered Clymene's mind.

These words, like the warmest and most dazzling ray of sunshine, instantly dispelled all the gloom in her heart.

He pulled Clymene, who was adrift in that boundless sea of ​​suffering and on the verge of drowning, ashore.

(End of this chapter)