Free Web NovelChapter 118: Chapter 118: Moving on
Two days had passed since the incident in the forest, and during that time, the biggest news in Olympus had not been the divorce between Hephaestus and Aphrodite.
It was not a public ceremony full of drama, but the impact it caused in Olympus was instant. After all, everyone knew the story behind that forced marriage. So seeing them finally, legitimately divorced had caused a great stir and also happiness in Olympus.
At the same time, both of them apologized to each other. Nothing out of the ordinary, just two deities accepting that they did not love each other and that this marriage itself had been a mistake. After that, each one went their own way.
With that said, happiness could not fit inside Aphrodite’s heart. She was no longer forcibly married to Hephaestus. Now she had the freedom to decide who to be with, who to love, and, if one day she wished it, who to marry without having to break any oath.
Hera and Aphrodite, to the surprise of many, had also become very close. It was not rare to see them walking together through Olympus, sharing golden nectar or any other drink the two goddesses thought of trying that day. Some gods still looked at them with disbelief, expecting them to start arguing again at any moment.
Another surprise, although minor in comparison, was Rhea’s return to Olympus. No one expected to see the titaness walking around again or living in her son’s temple. But Rhea was under Damon’s protection, and that was enough for no one to dare say more than necessary, much less approach her without a good reason.
Rhea had enjoyed her stay in Olympus and in Damon’s temple. However, she had also found something she did not expect: Gaia’s presence. Since then, Rhea had become more thoughtful. She had not dared to mention to Damon that she knew about his relationship with the primordial.
Damon himself also knew nothing about that conversation, since Gaia had left shortly after to attend to her own matters. The primordial had also decided not to mention the fact to Damon for her own amusement, preferring to see how the matter developed.
Another topic that was being talked about a lot was the reconciliation between Hades, Persephone, and Demeter. After centuries carrying resentment, they decided to leave their anger aside and make peace. Hades had no problem with Demeter visiting her daughter in the Underworld, and Demeter, although she still did not love the idea of seeing Persephone living among shadows, finally accepted that her daughter was happy beside Hades.
For Persephone, that was a liberation she had not known how much she needed. It was no longer necessary to divide her life into six months with Hades without being able to see her mother and six months with Demeter away from her husband. Now she could come and go whenever she wanted.
The fact that Hades was visiting Olympus more frequently also made things easier. Little by little, the god of the Underworld stopped feeling like a stranger among the Olympians. Not everyone was comfortable with him, of course, but at least he was no longer an unwanted guest.
Right now, the Olympians were gathered in the throne room. Damon was sitting on his throne, with one hand resting on the armrest. Unlike the first meeting, most of the gods had much more relaxed expressions. It was not perfect peace, not even close, but the contrast was immense. It no longer looked as if everyone was waiting for someone to throw a lightning bolt, a threat, or an accusation at any moment.
"Alright, I’m glad all of you came. It has been a while since the last meeting," Damon finally said, causing the low conversations to begin fading.
Seeing the room fall silent, Damon continued. "I haven’t called you here for minor matters. During the last few days, I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but several foreign presences have been entering Greek territory. A few days ago, I had an encounter with a group of them, more specifically devils from the biblical factions near New York."
The room fell silent. Apollo frowned from his seat. "Devils?" Damon nodded. "That’s right. They entered without permission, looking for half-bloods to capture or something worse, depending on how much value you want to give that word." The murmurs in the room rose instantly, several gods alarmed by what was said, some even worried for their own sons and daughters.
"Where are they now?" Hades asked, his voice cold, silencing everyone almost immediately.
"Dead. Not even their souls exist, so..." Damon replied immediately. No one really dared to ask how. After all, it was Damon they were talking about. If he had defeated the Olympians, a group of devils was nothing in comparison.
"Okay, and why should this matter to us?" Ares asked in a bad mood. "They’re just devils and that’s it."
"That’s where I was going," Damon replied, not bothered by the interruption. "Some of you may be wondering why this should have our attention. The reason is simple: somehow, devils can reincarnate other races and turn them into devils."
Most of them widened their eyes as they understood what that implied.
Athena nodded. "I have read about it in my library. The Devils call it the Evil Pieces system. More specifically, they are chess pieces, with the leader occupying the role of the king. These pieces are capable of taking humans, yokai, or talented beings and turning them into part of their ranks. That could also affect demigods. In many cases, the reincarnated end up bound to the will of the king who converted them."
"In other words," Athena continued seriously, "they turn them into slaves to increase the ranks of their faction. Devils have low reproduction among themselves, and it takes them a long time to increase their numbers naturally. That is why, if they manage to take a child of a god, the mixture between divine blood and demonic energy could create something valuable for them."
Damon nodded at the goddess’s analysis and gave her a small smile for her help. Athena, almost without realizing it, puffed out her chest a little with pride, to the redhead’s amusement.
Hermes made a face. "Why the hell hadn’t I heard about this before? Better yet, why the hell do they have to come now?" the god of messengers complained.
Damon came out of his thoughts with the goddess of wisdom to respond. "You could say it’s my fault. The news that Zeus is no longer king has spread, and obviously that has caused the interest of many."
The redhead’s gaze swept across the room. "That does not mean we will sit with our arms crossed. If any of you find devils hunting demigods, nymphs, spirits, or any creature under our protection, do not even try to reason. Kill them."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Damon leaned back against the throne. "This also applies if your children ask for help. I do not care if they are on a quest or something similar. The point is that you have full permission to intervene if something happens." The gods around him nodded with gratitude, several clearly relieved to have the green light.
"Lastly, if any of you are worried about a war with the biblical factions, you do not have to be. I have dealt with them before. If they decide to escalate the matter, I will handle it."
Athena blinked at what was said, clearly interested in knowing how Damon was connected to the biblical factions. Several gods seemed to have the same question, but before they could say anything, Damon changed the subject.
"Alright, let’s leave these external matters aside for now and focus on ourselves," the god spoke, his voice resonating throughout the room and drawing everyone’s attention again. "With these problems presenting themselves, I believe more than ever that the demigods’ training system is insufficient." Artemis shrank slightly in her throne, already knowing what was coming, with a frown.
"A few duels between campers and a few weapon lessons do not prepare demigods to defend themselves from monsters, much less against individuals from other factions," Damon said bluntly.
No one argued with that.
"That is why I propose a few things. First, a larger and safer training ground. A place where they can practice against real threats under control. Hellhounds, Cyclopes, and any other creature that can simulate not only monsters, but also abilities used by beings outside the Greek pantheon. For example, devils can fly. Harpies would be very useful for that type of training. Obviously, I know the history between Zeus and them, so Hades, you will handle that."
The god of the Underworld nodded.
Chiron, who was present as a guest, lowered his head seriously. "That will require a lot of care. But it is possible."
"It will be. We will make sure of that," Damon replied before moving his attention toward Athena. "Athena, I see that you know quite a lot about the matter, so you will help with the manuals and the necessary knowledge. I also want you to build a library in the camp for everyone. I know each cabin has its own things, but it would be better if there were a large central library with everything necessary, even information about beings outside this pantheon."
Athena nodded. "Yes, sir. In fact, I have already started organizing it. I thought you would ask me about that since I heard the rumors about your disagreement with the current state of demigod training."
Chiron shifted a little uncomfortably in the room. "Would that not be too much information at once, Lord Damon?" the centaur asked with concern.
Damon turned his gaze toward him. "I see your point, Chiron, but the faster they understand that we are not the only ones, the better. That will motivate them to improve." The centaur nodded, not wanting to argue too much, especially in front of all the gods.
"Artemis," Damon then said, fixing his gaze on the goddess of the moon. "You and your Hunters will be of great help, not only to train the demigods, but also to maintain their safety in case something happens."
The goddess straightened in her seat. "No." The answer was quick and sharp. Damon looked at her not surprised at all, already expecting that response. Everyone knew how stubborn Artemis was. For her part, Athena mentally facepalmed. She had literally just had a conversation with Artemis about this, and even then the goddess did not even think twice before saying no.
"Artemis, dear," Hestia tried to reason, before being interrupted.
"Absolutely not, Hestia. My Hunters are not babysitters for children of gods who barely know how to hold a sword." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Damon remained calm. "I wasn’t asking if you wanted to."
"My Hunters will not be near boys who could make them uncomfortable," Artemis replied, her tone full of anger at Damon’s clear order. "Besides, what will happen to my hunts?"
"I understand everything you are saying," Damon replied. "But this is not the time to cling to grudges from the past. You have to leave that behind, and there is no better way to do that than by socializing with others. Second, I understand that you like to hunt, and I am not stopping you from doing it. But in a world where your hunts are supposed to mostly help reduce the number of monsters that hunt demigods, if you yourself help the demigods defend themselves, that will make your responsibilities easier. I do not see why you are complaining, aside from the fact that you do not like men."
At the god’s words, Artemis fell silent, completely angry. A second later, she disappeared in a burst of light, leaving everyone in the room surprised by her outburst and, at the same time, seeing the sense in Damon’s words.
Damon looked at the goddess’s empty throne, letting out a sigh while already starting to think about how to make Artemis’s stay at the camp a little better for her.
Then he put those thoughts aside. "Alright, with that out of the way, the same applies to all of you. If you wish to help your children with training, do it. There are no better trainers than yourselves, who understand their powers. And if you want to bless your children, you have the freedom to do so. After all, that will only increase their chances of surviving in case of a war."
Silence fell over the room for a few seconds, until Hermes raised a hand. "And what happens if we receive a message or an invitation from one of the factions?" the god asked, somewhat doubtful.
Damon turned his gaze toward him. "Then we will receive it. We are not isolating ourselves from the outside world, Hermes. An invitation or any attempt at formal contact, notify me immediately."
Hermes nodded. "Understood." Damon relaxed in his seat. "Without more to say, today’s meeting is over. Everyone to your duties. Thank you for today and for your time," the redhead said.
The gods responded with thanks before disappearing in bursts of light, leaving the throne room slowly empty
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P@treon: Brotato up to Chapter 130
