True Magician

Chapter 158

Greece.

I stood on a low hill next to a vast, dense forest. From here, about two kilometers away, Archer, Artemis, Apollo, and the huntresses took up their positions, waiting for the signal to begin the competition.

Archer did nothing but sigh wearily and frown, clearly not enjoying the upcoming battle, but he still activated his magic chains a couple of times and checked the mana flows coming from me.

At the same time, his opponents weren't particularly concerned and simply waited, clearly confident of victory. They even allowed the Servant to attack first, which made me smile, while Archer shrugged, although it clearly bothered him. After all, he was proud of his archery skills.

In theory, with such an attitude, Archer would only need one shot to defeat the gods and destroy the forest, because that was how Gilgamesh lost to Shirou. However, let's see how this all turns out.

- "Why did you set them on Archer, Romani?" Hestia asked in a rather gentle tone, standing next to me. "You definitely had a goal, but I can't figure out what it was, unless it was to hurt Artemis and Apollo's egos. Did they do something to you, or is it just us in general?"

- "I would say, partially. I believe it has something to do with the exploits of your colleagues from my world, which have some similarities," I replied. "But I did have a goal. I wanted to talk to you, Lady Hestia."

- "Me?" she asked, confused. "In that case, couldn't we just skip all this?"

Hestia is one of the very few Greek gods who did not become famous for her antics with humanity, and for that she could be respected. On the other hand, her actions, or rather her inaction, raise several questions.

- "I just preferred to combine business with pleasure."

- "And what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Hestia.

- "I'm curious why you indulge your family's desires, even though you understand that they only harm everyone around you," I began. "You didn't try to dissuade Artemis and Apollo, even though you had every opportunity to do so, citing Zeus' words, for example, but chose to remain silent. I'm not judging you or your family, I'm just trying to understand."

- "I understand what you mean, but that's the point of view of a mortal, even one as powerful as you," she replied neutrally. "I also understand why this bothers you, for you are the reincarnation of Solomon, who supported and loved humanity. However, things are not as simple as they seem. Family is more than just a word, and to preserve it, sacrifices must be made."

- "Sacrifices? The goddess of sacrificial fire, huh?" I smiled and raised my hand, causing my magic circle to light up above the forest. "You know, you remind me of Tia, the goddess I told you about. She accepts her children as they are, even if they cold-bloodedly got rid of her."

I paused, and at that moment, the magic circle faded, and a closed field with the same functions as during Issa's training appeared around the forest.

- "True, in her case, she was the victim, not someone else. You are too soft and indecisive to even try to make your family members take responsibility for their actions."

- "And what do you want me to do, Romani?" Hestia smiled ironically. "Zeus wouldn't listen to me. And despite his transgressions, Olympus exists because of him, and that's all I want."

- "Well, you don't deny that I'm partly right, but at the same time, you're still lying to yourself. As the goddess of the hearth, you couldn't help but feel the grief of the families destroyed by the actions of Zeus and the others, right?" I asked, but she remained silent. "You don't have the arrogance and selfishness that the others have, and in the past, those qualities were necessary, but not now. With my arrival, as vain as it may sound, a new era is beginning. And it's time for Olympus to change its leadership."