Sensing the divine presence that had appeared outside, I stepped out of the temple together with Hestia.
Outside stood Athena and Artemis, whom I had met before, as well as gods I was seeing for the first time, including Ares.
And at the center of them all stood Zeus, the very god I had faced during the wedding with Thetis.
"...Astellon, King of Eirene. There is a decision you must make."
"...And what might that be?"
"Decide the guardian deity of this nation with your own hand."
"...May I ask what exactly that entails?"
"Exactly what I said."
Zeus stepped forward and spoke firmly before the assembly of gods who had suddenly materialized before me.
Hestia had already explained the situation to me, but I still attempted to ask why they had come, only for Zeus to cut me off decisively.
I see... I expected something like this, but if Hestia hadn't warned me in advance, I would have been quite flustered.
At those words, I looked over the gods gathered there.
Then, just as I had discussed with Hestia in the temple, I imposed three conditions.
At this, some of the gods took offense at the very idea that a mortal would set conditions, while others simply withdrew in refusal. In the end, only Athena, Artemis, and Ares remained.
Ares declared that if I chose him, he would guarantee the glory of victory in every war to come.
Artemis promised that she would ensure the success of every hunt.
And Athena, who seemed the most uneasy of the three, promised to share her wisdom with me.
The offers of the three left me deep in thought.
Ares maintained a proud, arrogant bearing, while Artemis seemed to be suppressing some internal emotion.
Athena, however, looked visibly anxious and tense.
To be honest, Artemis's offer didn't tempt me much. Such a promise would be far more useful to Atalanta than to me. And... there was the matter of what had happened last time.
However, the offers from Ares and Athena were truly enticing.
Athena's wisdom would be invaluable in governing this nation, and Ares's blessing meant guaranteed victory for a people constantly clashing with neighbors and expanding through conquest.
The longer I deliberated, the more the stern mask on Athena's face began to crack, revealing her unease, while Ares only grew more self-assured.
As I pondered, I suddenly recalled the gift I had once received from Athena.
The spear that had slain the Calydonian boar—a gift from the goddess herself.
In war, I primarily used a sword, but the spear and bow were my next most relied-upon weapons.
I've already received a gift from her. And... in the first place, Eirene has been under Athena's protection. If I suddenly changed that... it would likely become rather troublesome.
Glancing back, I saw Hestia quietly observing the scene without interfering.
Do as you please. Perhaps that is the decision most like you.
She spoke softly, her voice reaching me like a gentle breeze.
"Hoo..."
After hearing her words, I made my final decision. I took a deep breath and then spoke.
"...We shall serve Lady Athena."
I announced my decision before the gods.
At my choice, Artemis showed a flicker of disappointment, while Ares looked at me with eyes full of greed and an unreadable intensity.
Athena let out a visible sigh of relief, and Zeus, hearing my decision, withdrew along with the other deities.
Just before departing, Athena approached me, whispered that she would return soon, and then vanished.
"Phew... I was actually shaking..."
"And yet you handled it quite well."
"If one is to be a king, acting is an essential skill."
Once the gods had departed, only Hestia and I remained. Now alone, our conversation shifted to a much lighter tone.
"Still... well done. You're doing more than enough."
"Is that so? To be honest... even I'm not sure if I actually did a good job."
"You are doing plenty. Look around this region. See how the people live and how they think. Compared to them, you and this nation are already far ahead."
"Haha... is that so? Hearing it from you makes me feel a bit better."
"Yes. Now, straighten your back! A king shouldn't be slouching like that!"
"Ow! That hurts!"
As we talked, I confessed my doubts about whether I was truly on the right path. Hestia responded with a gentle expression and a voice full of affection—right before she delivered a sharp smack to my back.
She had likely held back her strength, but it still stung.
Unaware of my pain, Hestia continued her "encouragement."
What she considered comfort felt to me like anything but.
***
Time passed.
I spent my days relaxing with our precious Noxia, or...
"...Do I really have to go?"
"You do. What would happen if the king simply abandoned his post?"
"Sigh... those bastards... I'll crush them quickly and be back!"
I continued my campaigns of conquest, waging war against those arrogant enough to challenge me. During this time, Thetis and Atalanta both became pregnant.
When the political climate of the surrounding nations grew volatile and war erupted, I left my wives behind to lead my armies. I concluded the conflict and returned in less than two weeks.
From then on, I frequently visited Athena's temple to study politics, sociology, and military tactics directly from the goddess.
"Truly... you make everything seem so effortless."
"Do I?"
"Yes. Normally, a mortal would not be able to engage in such deep discourse with me. Your tactical suggestions are quite innovative as well."
"Hmm... I just wondered if things might work better if I tried it this way."
"Now I see why you have never once tasted defeat in war."
"I believe you flatter me, My Lady."
"Perhaps. But from my perspective, it is not an exaggeration."
I spent many hours debating with Athena, exchanging views and refining my thoughts.
Over time, I developed a genuine rapport with her.
"I'm here."
"My, my. Welcome. Did you miss me?"
"...Hestia. I didn't realize it when we first met, but have you always been this playful?"
"You realize that if you said that to any other god, they might consider it an insult and retaliate, right?"
"But you wouldn't do that to me."
"That's true. I would never do anything to harm you. In fact..."
"Hm? In fact, what? I think I missed the last part."
"T-that! That is something you don't need to know yet!"
"Hmm... the more you react like that, the more curious I get."
"React like what? How exactly am I reacting?"
"Well... your face is turning a bit red, and..."
"S-stop! That's enough!!"
"But you're the one who asked..."
"Listen to me! I am a goddess! Stop it right now!"
"...Fine, fine. I'm curious, but I'll let it go for now."
My relationship with Hestia had grown so close that we could trade jokes and tease one another freely.
"...You're actually quite the mischief-maker yourself."
"Oh, please. I'm not a troublemaker. At most... I just stop people from resigning and extend the meeting times a little."
I'm such a benevolent ruler to my subjects.
Whenever someone tried to resign, claiming their legs were tired or their health was failing, I simply rejected the request and sent them on errands or forced them to work from home. I never once accepted a resignation! And I only extended the meetings by a mere three hours!
They must have been so grateful they cried tears of joy.
I'm especially focused on the current Chief Minister and his sons. The Minister is a genius with money, and his two sons are equally brilliant—I intend to keep them tied to the royal palace for the rest of their lives.
Then there's Hipporia. Since he's working on disinfection in addition to developing cures, I'll keep him locked in the palace and send him to anyone who claims to be sick.
They all have so much work left to do, yet they keep trying to escape. Of course, it might be because I expand the territory and order overtime every time a project finishes... but that should be fine, right? Probably?
"Um... Astellon? Your expression suddenly became very... unsettling."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"You suddenly look like a cruel tyrant who grinds his people into dust..."
"Now, why would I do that to my own retainers? I treat them with nothing but love."
"R-right...?"
"Yes. If I'm cruel to anyone, it's the prisoners of defeated nations. I throw them all in dungeons and put them to work. Ah, they've become such wonderful slaves... I mean, laborers!"
"...I... I believe you. Truly."
"See? I'm really not a wicked tyrant. Honestly."
Hmm... Hestia's teasing is strange today.
To tremble like that... the goddess is quite the actress.