The Decree of the Divine King

'Dear Father, youth is always accompanied by new beginnings, and the divine office of midwifery held by Princess Artemis is what I long for."

Hera's heart stirred as she looked at her daughter with a gaze that was both loving and complex. As the protector of marriage and childbirth, the role of midwife was originally Hera's. However, after Artemis and Apollo ascended to Mount Olympus, in retaliation for the persecution they had suffered at Hera's hands, Artemis demanded from Zeus the right to oversee the birth of newborns.

'Very well, the contest for divine status will be held in one month. Now, gods, use your wisdom to help the goddess consort escape from this damned chair!"

'Your Excellency, the King of the Gods, the craftsmanship of this golden throne is exquisite, and its creator must possess extraordinary forging skills. As far as I know, besides the Cyclopes imprisoned in Tartarus, the only ones capable of such work are you and Hera's eldest son, the god of fire and forging—Hephaestus."

The speaker was a god with a refined appearance. Among the tall and robust Greek deities, he was slender yet tall, with a pair of eyes sparkling with wisdom that exuded a unique calmness, making him hard to underestimate. He was Prometheus, son of the Titan goddess Clymene and the Titan Iapetus, and the god of wisdom and prophecy.

Prometheus held a special position on Mount Olympus. As a prophet, his mastery of prophecy was unmatched, even by Apollo. During the war between the Titans and the Olympian gods, he foresaw the downfall of the Titans and chose to stand with Zeus, serving as a strategist and earning Zeus's favor.

Later, when Zeus overthrew the previous king of the gods, Cronus, this second-generation king was cursed by Cronus before his death, foretelling that he too would one day be overthrown by his own offspring.

Who would overthrow Zeus? The god who held this prophecy was none other than Prometheus. Thus, whether Zeus kept Prometheus on Mount Olympus out of admiration or fear was known only to him.

'Oh? Hephaestus?" Zeus pondered for a while before recalling the son he had cast down from Olympus. 'He actually has such skills?"

Zeus stroked his chin, realizing that this son was not entirely useless.

'Yes, Your Excellency, the King of the Gods. According to the revelations of fate, in the future, Mount Olympus will welcome a new chief god."

The light in Prometheus's wise eyes shimmered, as he envisioned a new beacon of light shining upon Olympus, heralding the return of the chief god of fire and forging.

Chief god!

These two words resonated like a giant bell in the hearts of the gods. The position of chief god on the mountain was second only to that of the king and queen of the gods, and sometimes, when making significant decisions, even Zeus could not ignore the opinions of the chief gods.

Currently, the chief god positions on Mount Olympus were held by: Zeus, the king of the gods who presides over thunder and the sky; Hera, the goddess consort who protects marriage and family; Poseidon, the god of the sea; Demeter, the goddess of agriculture; Athena, the goddess of wisdom; Ares, the god of war; and Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. These seven gods had already taken their places. There were a total of twelve destined chief god positions in the world, and now only five remained. If the god of fire returned to Olympus, that would leave just four chief god positions left.

Not being able to ascend to the position of chief god, even with the strength of a chief god, means lacking the honor and status that comes with it. This is undoubtedly unacceptable for the gods, who pursue pleasure and glory.

In an instant, the gods were in a flurry of thoughts; those who recognized their lack of strength whispered among themselves, watching the commotion, while those with power pondered how to secure a place among the remaining four chief god positions.

'Since this is a revelation of fate…"

Zeus's expression grew serious as he exchanged glances with Hera. Whether it was Hephaestus's forging skills or his strength, his return to Olympus would undoubtedly be a significant boost for their faction. Although the Olympians had triumphed in the war against the Titans, the Titan faction still held power, and dark currents stirred within the mountain. What could give Zeus more confidence than his own offspring when it came to completely removing the Titans from the center of power?

'Iris!"

'Your Excellency, King of the Gods."

The goddess with wings and a shimmering rainbow aura knelt on one knee, awaiting the king's command. Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, had been the messenger of the gods before Hermes was born.

'Go to Lemnos Island and invite Hephaestus to return to Olympus."

'At once, Your Excellency." The goddess flapped her wings and transformed into a streak of rainbow light, flying toward Lemnos Island to convey the king's will.

Iris was incredibly fast, returning to Olympus from Lemnos Island in just a few hours. However, the goddess, surrounded by rainbow light, returned alone, her expression troubled as she conveyed Hephaestus's intentions to Zeus.

Hephaestus refused to return!

Zeus's expression darkened; as the king of the gods, few dared to be so bold in his presence. The clouds above the mountain grew heavier, and flashes of lightning flickered, indicating that the king's mood was far from pleasant.

Hera's expression shifted as she spoke to Iris, 'What conditions did he have? Just say it directly."

Iris cautiously glanced at Zeus's face before quietly relaying Hephaestus's demands.

Hephaestus wanted three conditions to agree to return:

First, heal his lame leg or acknowledge the mistake of abandoning him;

Second, recognize his status as a chief god of Olympus;

Third, allow him to marry the most beautiful goddess.

Thunder rumbled across the mountain as the king of the gods became furious. The last two conditions were relatively easy to negotiate, but the first condition was a different matter. The divine body is the most perfect vessel in the world; as long as it is not a fatal injury, gods can generally heal themselves over time. However, Hephaestus's situation was unique; he had been thrown from Olympus by Zeus when he was still a child, and his body had not fully developed, resulting in damage that even Apollo, the god of medicine, could not remedy—it had affected his very essence.

But for Zeus to acknowledge his mistake was a challenge of world-class difficulty for this arrogant king.

'Hephaestus also said…"

'What else did that audacious fellow say?" Zeus shouted, smashing the armrest of his throne.

'He also said that if his conditions were met, upon returning to Olympus, he would not only build a more magnificent palace for the gods but also craft a divine artifact for each of the chief gods…"

Iris lowered her head even further. This fire god, who appeared simple and honest, turned out to be quite cunning! Wasn't he forcing Zeus to bow down?

The benefits Hephaestus proposed had already exceeded the gods' imaginations.

Divine artifacts are not something that can be found like weeds on the ground! Even Zeus, as the king of the gods, possesses only a handful of divine artifacts. This scarcity is due to the fact that the Cyclopes, who once forged these artifacts for them, have been banished to Tartarus by Zeus under the pretense of guarding the sinful, while in reality, this suspicious king merely sought a reason to keep them under control.

Without the Cyclopes, no one on Mount Olympus can create divine artifacts anymore, making Hephaestus's proposed exchange an enormous temptation for the chief gods.

'Zeus, for the glory of Olympus and for Hera, I think it wouldn't hurt for you to admit a mistake," spoke a man with hair like ocean waves, his handsome face framed by deep blue eyes that evoked thoughts of the vast sea. He held a divine artifact—the trident—in his hand.

Poseidon, the god of the sea and Zeus's full-blooded brother, had the authority to say such things, being nominally equal in power to the king of the sea.

'Right, Brother Hades?" Poseidon knew he couldn't sway his increasingly arrogant brother on his own since becoming king, so he brought in their older brother, Hades, the ruler of the Underworld, for support.

'…" Hades remained silent, but his expression indicated agreement with Poseidon's words. The gods may not have known the details of the past, but they were not ignorant either. Just because Hephaestus had spoken a few words for his mother, Zeus had cast this still-growing god down from Olympus. Anyone would feel resentment over that, especially Hades, who had once experienced being devoured by his own father.

'Zeus, you should understand better than anyone the importance of a chief god to Olympus. Go, welcome the return of the god of fire."

A momentary flash of sarcasm crossed Hera's noble purple eyes as she remained composed and dignified, presenting herself as the caring queen concerned only for Zeus.

'…"

A storm brewed in Zeus's eyes as his thoughts raced. After a moment, he looked at his wife, Hera, who had accompanied him through countless years, his expression complex.

'Very well, then, as you wish, my queen."

The imposing king of the gods was suddenly enveloped in lightning, transforming into a magnificent and majestic eagle, flying toward Lemnos Island where the god of fire resided…