Lorne's expression changed, and he immediately spoke up to clear himself.
"Lord Apollo, I think you've misunderstood. We came to visit you on Lady Artemis's orders. There is absolutely no other intention."
"So it wasn't a coincidence—you had already arrived?"
Apollo instantly caught the hole in his words and turned his sinister gaze toward the Muses beside him, roaring in rage.
"Speak! Did you bring those Gigantes here?! Did you want me to die at their hands?!"
Hearing such vicious accusations, the Muses' faces paled, and a flood of grievance surged inside them.
Heaven knew they had only used the excuse of traveling the mortal world to come and check on their former lord in passing.
They had never even planned to show themselves.
Who could have guessed they would run straight into a Gigantes uprising, and that their former lord Apollo would get dragged into it?
Besides, they were simply Muses who loved literature and poetry.
Since when had they become powerful enough to command Gigantes, assassinate their old master, and seize his position?
At that moment, Lorne stepped forward again, defending the Muses.
"Lord Apollo, you may suspect me, but please do not pin false crimes on innocent people!"
Those words finally cooled Apollo's rage-fogged mind a little as he stared coldly at Lorne and spoke in a low, chilling voice.
"You're right. They never had the guts before. The only reason they dare to do something so outrageous now… is because you incited them, isn't it?"
"Lord Apollo, please watch your words!"
Calliope, the eldest, could not stay silent any longer and raised her voice, speaking in a solemn tone.
"Even though you were punished and exiled, we have always faithfully performed our duties. We have never once harbored any ill will toward you!"
Then the Muse of epic poetry pointed straight at Lorne and shouted furiously.
"And Lord Dionysus is even less likely! He just saved you with his own hands—and he did it before we even arrived!"
Seeing his own Muses actually defending an outsider, Apollo's fury erupted.
"Stop pretending! The only reason he came here was to see me in this pathetic state, wasn't it?"
"Lord Apollo, if that is what you truly believe, then I have nothing more to say…"
Lorne sighed, raised both hands in resignation, and spoke wearily.
"Very well. I will leave your sight right now and relinquish my guardianship. I will explain everything to Lady Artemis myself."
Hearing his words, the nine Muses' hearts clenched, and they instinctively opened their mouths, but Lorne raised a hand to stop them.
The God of Wine took a deep breath and gave his most sincere advice.
"But these nine Muses are innocent! From now on, please treat your subordinate goddesses well.
Do not burden them with groundless suspicion!"
That lecturing tone once again stepped on Apollo's biggest mine, and the proud God of Light grew even angrier.
"Shut up! You have no right to lecture me! Get out!"
Lorne shrugged helplessly, then turned to the nine Muses, forced a gentle smile onto his face, and spoke in a low, serious voice.
"Thessaly has just suffered a Gigantes uprising. It's better if you stay here; at least Lord Apollo's safety will be assured. But whatever you do, do not let my affairs create a rift between you."
"Have you said enough? Get lost!"
Hearing his own humiliation mentioned again, Apollo roared in fury.
After finishing his instructions, Lorne did not linger as he turned and walked straight toward the mountain path beyond the forest.
As his figure grew distant, Calliope turned back and looked at her former lord with calm eyes.
"Lord Apollo, you should not have treated Lord Dionysus that way."
Those words instantly re-ignited Apollo's suppressed rage, and a cold, sinister smile spread across his handsome face.
"Oh? So you want to lecture me, too?"
"No. Just a piece of advice."
Calliope shook her head.
Then, with a crisp "crack," she snapped the wax tablet engraved with light patterns in half and tossed it at his feet, her voice full of contempt.
"From this moment on, please forgive me, I can no longer serve a despicable man who slanders heroes!"
"Calliope, you—!"
Looking at the shattered symbol of his subordinate goddess lying at his feet, hearing such naked disdain, Apollo's face twisted in shock, and his whole body shook with rage.
But before he could finish, a laurel crown was also thrown at his feet.
"I feel the same."
Clio dusted off her hands, picked up the only scroll she had left, and turned away.
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
"And me…"
As if a chain reaction had been triggered, Euterpe dropped her flower basket, Terpsichore discarded her ivy, Erato threw away her sheet music, Melpomene let go of her dagger, Thalia abandoned her tambourine…
Every single Muse left behind the symbols associated with Apollo and cast them aside like trash.
Then, without exception, they turned and walked away, hurrying toward the mountain path, chasing after a certain figure in the distance.
Watching his former subordinates sever ties with him one after another, Apollo's handsome face turned from green to purple, from purple to black, then twisted with rage as he wildly stomped on the broken symbols at his feet and let out a hysterical roar.
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
At the same time, on the mountain path, a certain figure heard that shrill roar and stopped, a playful smile slowly spreading across his face.
Question—
When a proud young noble who is used to looking down on everyone suddenly falls from the clouds, and the insignificant person he once despised arrives with a group of beautiful subordinates he used to order around at will, helps him at his lowest moment, and the whole scene is witnessed by those very subordinates… how does he feel?
Answer— His fragile pride would be hurt terribly.
Moreover, a broken mentality turns ordinary kindness into conspiracy, and the slightest breeze into betrayal and backstabbing.
It is well known that the strongest fortress is always breached from within.
The same goes for stealing someone's wall.
The compilation of the [Holy Words] and [Theogony] was still unfinished.
The Muses would never pass up the chance to leave behind an immortal epic.
Even goddesses could not escape the romantic pursuits and flaws of literary souls.
Compared to being mere accompanists for the God of Light, here they had a real stage where they could realize their own value.
After three years of slow-boiling, plus the constant tease of the [Holy Words] and [Theogony], whose side held greater attraction was obvious.
All he had to do now was walk the Muses past the exiled Apollo a few times, speak a few truthful words, poke a few sensitive spots, and the God of Light would fill in the rest himself....imagining endless plots and conspiracies, pouring all his grievances onto the person he already hated.
It was fine if he took the blame.
In the end, he would even gladly accept the very Muses who were being suspected.
Apollo might sense that something was off, but even if he was wrong, he would never lower his head.
Because this God of Light was far too proud, and that was his fatal flaw.
Whether he realized it or not, he would step right into the trap.
Therefore, Lord Apollo, your subordinate goddesses—I shall take care of them for you. You need not worry.
Just as someone had predicted, one Muse after another appeared at the path entrance and ran quickly toward him.
"Lord Dionysus, wait! We're coming with you!"
"Apollo went too far!"
"We quit! Whoever wants to serve him can serve him!"
"Exactly!"
After listening to the Muses chatter about everything that had just happened, Lorne was genuinely surprised by how decisively these artistic goddesses had cut ties.
No wonder, in some mythological lineages, they were counted among the apostles of the God of Wine; they really did have a mad streak in their bones.
Still, openly defying Apollo to his face as subordinate goddesses… that was no small risk.
Lorne pondered for a moment, then looked at the Muses around him with a worried expression and asked with concern.
"What will you do now? Things have blown up like this—will you be alright?"
"Don't worry. Apollo was the one who went too far. Even if Father god wants to punish someone, it won't fall on us. At worst, we'll go straight to the Temple of Memory and ask Mother Mnemosyne to judge!"
Calliope puffed out her chest and answered firmly, and the other Muses nodded in agreement.
But Lorne still caught the trace of unease in their eyes.
'However, now that you're mine...I should be the one to take care of you.'
He gave them a warm, reassuring smile and spoke solemnly.
"I'll go with you."
Hearing that earnest promise, a wave of warmth flooded the Muses' hearts.
All their lingering fear about the future melted away, replaced by deep attachment and gratitude.
Lord Dionysus… he really is someone worth trusting and relying on.
(End of this chapter)