Zeus outside the cell door examined the prisoner wearing heavy shackles and chains, letting out a dark cold hum that sounded like rolling thunder.
"Murdering a demigod. Defying divine will. You have quite the nerve!"
"I..."
Lorne raised his head and was about to speak in his defense, but the moment his gaze touched that God king's sinister expression, all his composure instantly deflated. He lowered his head and actively pleaded guilty with trembling unease.
"Please... please punish me as you see fit, Your Majesty..."
Seeing the prisoner's reaction, Zeus felt considerable satisfaction inside and gave a quiet nod of approval.
What he wanted was not a matter of right and wrong. He wanted an attitude.
Whether the small fledgling knew how to yield and bow its head determined whether this caged bird had the possibility of being tamed.
Only then would he confirm whether to take it into his service.
Seeing the small fledgling in the cage successfully pass the first test, Zeus's dark expression softened somewhat and he spoke lightly.
"Punishment is punishment. But you are after all Big Sister's attendant God. She personally came up the mountain to plead on your behalf. I have to consider her feelings..."
'Hestia had already seen Zeus before? No wonder she said nothing comforting when she visited the cell...'
A flash of understanding passed through Lorne's heart as he roughly grasped the role his chief goddess was playing in this rebellion.
On a rational level, she had completely given up any illusions about Zeus and also understood that Zeus's so-called leniency was very likely just a pretext. So she made two preparations, completely defecting to the rebel side and becoming an accomplice in Athena's conspiracy.
But on an emotional level, she was after all the eldest sister of this Olympus family and genuinely did not want to get tangled up in this divine authority struggle.
So Hestia slapped herself on the forehead and simply handed the chief God position over to her external brain, letting Lorne himself decide in full the Hearthfire Goddess faction's stance in this rebellion.
'Pushing everything she could not figure out or make up her mind about onto her attendant God. That really was exactly in keeping with her chief goddess's consistent style.'
Having worked through the logic, Lorne felt equal amusement and helplessness, not knowing whether to be moved by Hestia's trust or to mock that chief goddess's laziness.
But given the situation before him, he could only push down the tangled thoughts in his heart for now and respond to Zeus's goodwill signal with an appropriately fearful and deferential reaction.
Seeing the caged fledgling so quick to read the room, Zeus was even more satisfied and made a magnanimous wave of his hand.
"Very well. Given your ignorance and your urgency to save someone, this matter is set aside for now. Once day breaks, go down the mountain back to Hestia's side. She will keep a close watch on you. Without this King's divine decree, you may not go out."
Then that God king immediately shifted tone and added in an apparently casual remark.
"As for Thetis. This King will select a suitable husband for her."
'There it is!'
Lorne let out a cold inward laugh and immediately put on an anxious expression, raising his voice in objection.
"No! I do not agree!"
"What did you say?"
"I... I can do it too! I can... I can marry her..."
Lorne answered in a stumbling, halting voice, his face full of urgency and longing.
"Insolent!" Zeus came back to himself and erupted in fury. "Pardoning you was already an immense act of grace. How dare you push your luck even further!"
Silver-white lightning arcs crackled all around as the bronze-cast walls were left with streaks of charred black marks.
Lorne struggled against the pressure and fear, maintaining his pale face and somewhat trembling legs as he pleaded with the God king.
"Your Majesty. We are sincere. I beg you to give Thetis to me in marriage."
Zeus wore a dark expression. The lightning gathering and rumbling around him made him look like a furious lion.
"Making demands of this King. Are you looking for death?"
"No. This is a plea! I am no worse than Peleus. What he could do, I can do as well."
Lorne spoke urgently, his face full of longing.
"I beg you to give Thetis in marriage to me. As long as you agree, I am willing to pay any price!"
"Based on you?" Zeus put on a dark face and let out a cold hum, his eyes full of ill intent. "Do you know that Peleus was my grandson? He always treated me with respect and never dared to overstep in any way.
Not only did you kill him, you actually have the face to compare yourself to him?"
Hearing this questioning, Lorne immediately spoke with solemn gravity. "I am willing to swear on the River Styx. Like him, I will be loyal to you forever!"
"Nothing but empty words." Zeus shook his head with a scoffing laugh and made a turning-away motion, as though he had completely lost interest in the arrogant young man before him.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Lorne immediately panicked, and like a gambler staking everything on one throw, pressed his hand to his chest and answered loudly.
"I am willing to offer my soul as a guarantee!"
Hearing this, Zeus seemed moved and stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the small fledgling in the cage.
And seeing that God king's reaction, Lorne also seemed to have seized a lifeline, calling out loudly.
"If you do not believe me, you may brand your God seal directly upon me!"
Looking at the hand proactively extended from behind the iron bars, Zeus seemed finally moved by this sincerity, letting out a quiet sigh.
"Although Thetis is only an ocean nymph, my wife Hera raised her,
I guided her, and we have long regarded her as half a daughter..."
'I absolutely do not believe that.
Using someone is using someone.
There's no need to dress it up with such affectionate talk...'
Lorne was rolling his eyes furiously inside, but on the surface wore a face full of sincerity as he gave Zeus an excuse.
"I understand your good intentions. You simply do not wish Thetis to be entrusted to an unworthy person, so you want to choose someone you can trust yourself."
"Good that you understand!" Hearing such a perfectly impeccable reason, Zeus found the little fledgling before him more pleasing to the eye the more he looked.
He felt as though this young man could practically read his mind.
At this point, Lorne raised his hand once more and made a sincere plea.
"Then, for Thetis's future happiness, and to prove my determination to you, please brand your God seal upon me and supervise my words and actions!"
To this, Zeus gave his glad consent.
A bolt of lightning entered Lorne's body, forming a lightning-shaped mark on his arm as a faint invisible connection was established between the two.
Seeing the other party accept his God seal without the slightest resistance and become a hidden piece he could deploy, the deep-scheming Olympian God king couldn't help showing a satisfied smile.
During this period, apart from going out to avoid the jealous woman at home, he also investigated the background of the young man before him.
Before becoming a God, this young man was a scribe in Knossos, a loyal minister entrusted with King Minos's last wishes, and personally participated in the Battle of Crete.
He naturally bore the label of opposition to the sea God lineage.
On top of that, after Peleus's death, he led trouble in a completely different direction, thoroughly burning his bridges with Poseidon.
And being Hestia's attendant God also gave him a detached position, making him a very worthwhile person to win over.
With such a perfect tool, Zeus was naturally willing to do a favor at no cost to himself and give Thetis to him in marriage.
Although she was a beauty that he himself coveted very much but she had a curse placed on him so he couldn't have her even if he wanted to.
However, he didn't want to marry her to anyone.
So, the only thing giving that God king pause was the question of loyalty.
And right now, this young man not only proactively swore loyalty to him but also staked his own soul as a guarantee, completely eliminating his remaining concern.
This left him thoroughly satisfied.
Since they were now on the same side, there was no need to continue making things difficult.
Zeus gave a light wave of his hand. Lightning surged and the cell door shattered at the sound.
But the shackles on Lorne remained completely unmoved.
Seeing this, the god-king glanced down in puzzlement and couldn't help blinking in slight surprise.
'Orichalcum, silver star sand, refined gold... Has Hephaestus gone mad?
Using so many rare metals to forge a pair of shackles?'
"It was my own request..." Lorne showed an embarrassed expression and lowered his head to explain quietly. "Although it was not intentional, I ultimately did offend your dignity. Without your pardon, I did not dare let myself escape punishment so easily, so I asked that craftsman God to craft a pair of shackles tailored for me, ensuring I could not simply break free at will."
Hearing these words, the look Zeus turned on Lorne carried a trace of complex feeling.
'This young man was perhaps a little too honest.'
But things being as they were,
Zeus could only shake his head with resignation.
"Very well. Do as you wish. Once you leave Olympus, you may go find Hephaestus. Tell him this King has formally pardoned you and approved your marriage with Thetis.
Have him find a way to open the shackles for you."
"I thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty!"
Lorne got what he wanted and immediately gave his thanks with a face full of excited gratitude.
Zeus gave a slight nod, then just as Lorne stepped out of the cell, spoke in an apparently casual tone.
"By the way. You seem to be on quite good terms with Athena. What has she been doing lately?"
Lorne's heart tightened as he immediately understood Zeus's other purpose in winning him over.
Simply put, that God king was equally uneasy about his combat-power-off-the-charts daughter on the War God Mountain.
But unlike the both-weak-and-meddlesome Poseidon, Athena did things without leaving any traces and had not given him anything to catch her on.
So Zeus wanted to use this opportunity to plant a nail in the War God Mountain, serving as his eyes and ears to monitor Athena's movements.
However, Lorne this apparent double-agent was a deeply loyal spy playing both sides.
"There are quite a few goddesses who came up the mountain.
Lady Athena often gathers with them and discusses topics like culture, poetry, philosophy and such things. She seems to be planning some reforms in Athens.
What specifically, I am not entirely clear on."
"Her. Always fond of trying new things."
Zeus let out a light hum and completely set his mind at ease.
He knew that quite a few goddesses were gathered on the War God Mountain.
He also knew that particular daughter of his was not particularly settled in her ways.
But they were just goddesses.
They posed no real threat to his royal authority.
Letting them stir things up in Athens was of no consequence.
With his inner doubts dispelled, Zeus gave a satisfied wave of his hand.
"Right then. Go back for now. In the future, if anything comes up, you may report directly to me."
Lorne gave a nod upon hearing this, then his gaze showed a trace of hesitation.
"There is actually something I do not know whether I should tell you."
"Speak freely."
Zeus waved his hand with a smile, appearing quite magnanimous.
With permission granted, Lorne settled his heart and spoke with gravity.
"I suspect Poseidon wishes to do you harm!"
Hearing this, the Zeus who still carried some wariness immediately burst into quiet laughter and gave a dismissive wave.
"Mm. Noted. I will pay attention to it."
Seeing his calm reaction, Lorne grew anxious.
"It is true! He seems to have accomplices as well! You must be very careful!"
"Oh? Who is it? Tell me more..."
Zeus asked with a light smile, his face still somewhat dismissive.
Not that he intended to dampen a subordinate's enthusiasm.
On one hand, Poseidon jumped around in this way every other year.
Besides, he had already sent a preemptive warning, so there was no need to make a great fuss.
On the other hand, he had not forgotten that this young man had a grudge with Poseidon, making it entirely possible he was exaggerating to throw mud at his brother.
Sure enough, Lorne shook his head with an awkward expression.
"The situation was too chaotic at the time. That person was wrapped in black fog and I never saw their face clearly."
Just as Zeus was about to write this off as another false accusation, he saw the subordinate before him suddenly tear open the clothing at his chest and speak with solemn gravity.
"However. She left this on my body!"
As a pitch-black brand in the shape of a circular ring with a labyrinth-like interior appeared before his eyes, Zeus, who a moment ago was completely unconcerned, felt his expression change drastically.
The Wheel of Hecate!
(End of Chapter)