When Ryo arrived at the reception room, he found a blond man standing by the window, quietly admiring the view.
The man stood well over two meters tall with a perfectly proportioned build. His golden hair shone brilliantly, his emerald-green eyes were calm, and his aura was so gentle.
As Ryo entered, the man turned around with a smile. "My apologies. I got a little carried away by the scenery."
Ryo walked over to stand beside him, "How does it compare to the Upper Layers?"
Apollo shook his head with a sigh.
"The Upper Layers has no shortage of breathtaking sights. This place is rather ordinary by comparison."
"But sometimes... A simple, ordinary life is the most comfortable."
After saying that, he extended his hand, "Apollo."
"Ryo." Ryo shook his hand before gesturing toward the nearby sofa. "Please, have a seat."
Apollo smiled as he sat down.
Ryo took the seat opposite him while Kurousagi quietly stood behind Ryo, mindful of her role as his attendant.
"Wine or tea?" Ryo asked.
"Wine... Hmm, a whiskey would be nice," Apollo said with a faint smile.
Ryo gave Kurousagi a look, sending her off to fetch the drinks.
Once she left, he smiled at Apollo. "With Arcadia and the Greek Pantheon in the middle of a divine war, isn't it risky for Lord Apollo to come visit me?"
Ryo didn't know much about Apollo. Beyond the fact that he was Greece's God of Light, had an unusually gentle personality, and was widely regarded as one of the few sane gods in the Greek Pantheon, there wasn't much information about him.
"When someone like you causes this much of a stir..." Apollo smiled wryly, "...even knowing I shouldn't come wasn't enough to keep me away."
He shook his head. "As for my sister, Artemis... Please accept my apologies."
"No need." Ryo didn't try to dodge responsibility. "If we're talking about fault, my side bears more of it."
Sneaking into someone else's bath, mocking them, then killing them... Objectively speaking, he'd definitely crossed the line.
That said, if he had to do it all over again, he'd make exactly the same choice. If you were already attacking someone's headquarters, there was no point holding back.
If Greece didn't feel enough pain, he would.
"If we only discuss who's at fault while ignoring each side's position," Apollo said calmly, "then the discussion has no meaning."
He saw the situation quite clearly. Given the conflict between Ryo and Greece, anything could have happened.
Although Hermes had started the whole affair, it was Zeus who had sent Hermes to suppress and recruit Ryo in the first place. At its root, everything stemmed from Zeus' wariness toward Athena.
But things had long since moved beyond that. Now that Ryo had been revealed as a candidate for the Fourth Generation King of the Gods, those original disputes no longer mattered.
In the end, only one of Zeus and Ryo would remain. That outcome was inevitable.
Unless one of them transcended the conflict entirely and reached the realm of the strongest beings.
But becoming a Two-Digit... Hades struggled toward it. Hestia struggled toward it. Zeus struggled toward it.
Countless supreme divine kings throughout Little Garden fought desperately for that level. Yet how many ever succeeded?
Apollo quietly shook his head. "I believe you already know why I've come."
"No." Ryo smiled. "I don't."
Then his expression sharpened slightly, "To be honest, I hate guessing games."
Apollo paused. He understood immediately.
Ryo wanted the truth.
After a brief silence, Apollo sighed, "You're right. Guessing games are tiresome."
With that, he reached into his robes and placed an exquisitely crafted wooden box on the table.
"I once hoped to remain neutral. But whether you're human or a god, there are times when circumstances leave you no choice."
A faint, affectionate smile crossed his face. "My little sister has always been stubborn. Though, considering she grew up in the Greek Pantheon... It would be stranger if she weren't."
He gently pushed the wooden box toward Ryo, "The application for the divine war has already been submitted. Artemis participating is now inevitable."
He sighed. "So if you happen to meet my foolish little sister on the battlefield of Mars... I'd appreciate it if you could show consideration for her unfortunate older brother. As for this... Consider it an advance apology."
Instead of looking at the box, Ryo looked straight at Apollo. "You understand better than anyone what it means to lower your head to me."
It wasn't simply a matter of giving gifts. It was about taking sides.
No matter how carefully they hid this meeting, the moment Apollo did something like this, others would inevitably view them as standing on the same side.
Politics didn't care about right or wrong. Once Zeus decided Apollo had chosen a side, there would be no escaping the consequences.
"I'm tired." Apollo let out another weary sigh. "And perhaps you haven't heard yet. But in reality... my brother Ares has already fled to one of the outer observed universes."
"...What?" Ryo stared blankly.
Ares ran away? Why would he... Wait...
Ryo slowly pointed at himself, "...Because of me?"
Apollo nodded.
Ryo's face twisted, "...I don't think I've actually done anything to him."
Apollo looked at him with an amused smile. "Think again. Are you sure you haven't?"
Ryo froze.
Then he remembered Algol. He remembered that Mount Olympus in the lower layers had been uprooted entirely.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "How is Algol's mess getting blamed on me?"
"No idea." Apollo shook his head. "But I used to think Ares was simply a reckless man with a brain. Now I realize I was wrong. He's just someone who enjoys bullying weaker people... and is a complete coward when the tables turn."
That incident was precisely why Apollo had completely abandoned any thought of standing with Zeus.
Before fleeing, Ares had surely considered asking Zeus for protection. Yet despite being Zeus' closest supporter... The very first thing Ares thought of was running away to another universe.
That alone spoke volumes.
If even Ares believed Zeus couldn't protect him, then what reason did Apollo have to trust Zeus?
By then, there was only one side left to choose: Ryo Yagami and Athena's.
Apollo sighed. "I just want to live a peaceful life."
"So do I!" Ryo sighed just as heavily, as if infected by Apollo's weariness.
Apollo laughed softly. "It seems we're rather compatible."
The instant those words left his mouth, Ryo's expression changed. "No, no, no. Everyone in Little Garden knows your tastes."
Apollo immediately understood.
Aware of his own infamous reputation, he smiled helplessly, "Relax. I only like little boys."
The moment he said that, Ryo instinctively scooted farther away, his eyes wide with horror. He screamed inwardly, 'Oh no... I found gay Epstein!'
Meanwhile, Apollo was left speechless. 'I said little boys. Why is he looking at me like that? Shouldn't he be relieved?'
The next moment, Ryo grabbed the wooden box.
Before Kurousagi could even return with the whiskey, he said, "I'll accept your request regarding Artemis. As for anything else... Forget it."
"How about we..." Apollo had barely begun speaking when his face suddenly changed dramatically. "Oh no. Why is she here already? I need to go!"
Before anyone could react, his body exploded into a beam of white light and vanished on the spot.
Ryo blinked in surprise.
Then he turned toward the doorway. Standing there was a beautiful blonde woman wearing an olive wreath.
Athena.
Ryo's expression immediately became strange.
Looking at the spot where Apollo had fled, only one thought remained in his mind.
'Apollo... Just how terrified are you of Athena?'
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.
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