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Zeus is watching me…
The thought sent a chill down Ryo's spine.
Not because he feared Zeus's strength. Sure, the guy was the King of the Greek Gods and one of the strongest beings around—but power wasn't what scared Ryo.
What scared him were perverts. The types who didn't understand personal space.
And Zeus? The man was a walking collection of red flags. He didn't just lust after women—he had a thing for anything that breathed. Animals, men... nothing was safe. Even trees.
"..."
When Heracles saw Ryo's disgusted expression, he opened his mouth as if to explain—but then closed it again. Explaining Zeus never helped. With a sigh, he simply patted Ryo on the shoulder.
"Relax. For now, he's only paying attention to you because of Athena."
That made Ryo feel a bit better.
In Little Garden, everyone knew Athena wasn't exactly subtle about her ambition to become the next God-king.
Zeus, being the third-generation ruler, naturally kept an eye on any move that might threaten his position—especially when it involved his power-hungry daughter. Watching the human she'd chosen to support was just common sense.
Then Heracles added, casually, "Although, Zeus did say you're pretty good-looking. But don't worry, you are still safe."
Ryo's face twitched. He wanted to make a joke but felt too grossed out to try.
"…And when exactly would it not be safe?" he asked dryly.
Heracles answered without missing a beat.
"When he says things like 'I kinda wanna do this guy,' or 'I kinda want this guy to f*ck me,' that's when you run."
Ryo stared at him.
Heracles continued, totally serious. "Oh, and watch out for rumors too. When Zeus can't get what he wants, he makes poets write nasty verses about people. You can imagine the kind of content I mean."
He paused, then shrugged. "But it's not that bad yet."
Heracles' tone shifted, carrying a faint note of bitterness.
"Honestly, it's more likely he'll pull what he did with me—set you up so you end up with some beautiful woman inside Athena's temple. Then he uses that scandal to force her to distance herself from you."
Ryo blinked. 'That's… one hell of a setup.'
For half a second, he almost thought it sounded like a good deal—then he remembered the consequences.
Everyone knew Athena was a virgin goddess. Her temples were sacred, strictly forbidden from any "defilement."
If a man were to actually have sex inside one, divine punishment wouldn't be out of the question. Even if politics prevented outright execution, the fallout would be brutal.
Athena's divine rank would clash with his, and her attitude toward him would instantly shift—from friendly to neutral, or worse, hostile.
Heracles had been one of Zeus's victims that way.
In the myths told in Little Garden's lower realms, the poets claimed Heracles had gotten drunk and "accidentally" defiled Athena's temple.
Yeah, right. Those poets were clearly paid off.
And the mastermind? The King of the Greek Gods himself.
Ryo sighed. "So that's the grand ruler of Olympus? Real classy."
"Classy?" Heracles tilted his head. "That's something Metis, Athena, and Hera worry about. Not Zeus."
Ryo couldn't even argue. The Greek gods really were a matriarchy in disguise.
"So basically," he said, rubbing his temples, "I'm on Zeus's radar, and he's likely to try using some kind of honey trap?"
Heracles smacked his lips thoughtfully.
"A princess. Maybe even a god's daughter. If you're important enough, Zeus might send his own daughter your way. That's what happened with me and Hebe."
Hebe—the goddess of youth.
Zeus's daughter, and the cupbearer who served him wine on Olympus. After Heracles ascended, she'd been assigned to marry him.
Ryo recalled what he'd read about that in [No Name]'s underground library, then looked at Heracles with a strange expression.
"You actually accepted her? Zeus's daughter? The one who used to serve him wine—and who knows what else—when they were alone?"
He didn't mean to sound judgmental, but still.
Heracles just shrugged. "Didn't bother me. She's gorgeous, that's enough."
Ryo was silent for a long moment. "…Right."
Then Heracles blinked and gave him a funny look. "You prefer them… pure?"
Ryo said nothing.
That was answer enough. Heracles nodded sagely, a little regretful, and clapped him on the shoulder again.
"Bro, you're missing out. Old wine has the best flavor."
Ryo winced. "Sorry, but I don't like sharing."
Heracles laughed. "In that case, Zeus's job just got a lot harder."
The amusement in his voice was obvious—he was enjoying the thought of Zeus struggling.
If Zeus really wanted to lure Ryo away from Athena, who could he even send? There weren't many Greek goddesses who still kept their purity.
Artemis? Nah, that'd just make Apollo throw hands.
Hestia? Even worse. That would get Hades, Poseidon, and half the other pantheons lining up to beat Zeus senseless.
Heracles grinned. "No wonder Athena likes you."
He gave Ryo's shoulder another hearty slap, clearly in a great mood. Making Zeus suffer always put him in high spirits.
Ryo ignored the heavy pat and raised an eyebrow. "So whose side are you actually on, Heracles?"
Heracles hesitated for a moment, then sighed.
"Officially, I'm with Zeus. But in truth, I only follow Hera's orders."
Ryo blinked. Hera?
The same Hera who'd sent snakes to kill him as a baby?
He gave Heracles a weird look but didn't press the issue. He wasn't the type to pry.
Heracles noticed and seemed relieved. The less people who knew about his loyalty to Hera, the better.
He reached into his gift card and pulled out a bronze arrowhead, handing it to Ryo.
"I should head back and report in. This arrowhead's my token—if I find any news about Taurus, I'll contact you through it."
"If you ever need to reach me, just pour your energy into it for three seconds. It'll connect us."
Ryo took it without hesitation.
Heracles nodded in approval, then gave his final piece of advice. "Athena is an honest, upright goddess. Working with her will always be straightforward and fair. Just… don't anger her. Especially not three times. Trust me on that one."
And with that, he turned and left.
Ryo watched him go, then finally exhaled.
"At last," he muttered, "it's over."
There were still a few loose ends to tie up, but as far as the King of End incident went, the curtain was finally closing.
.
.
.