Athens, Mount of the God of War.
In a pavilion bathed in sunlight, the goddess elegantly set down her knife and fork. Her pink tongue swept the white cream from the corner of her lips as she looked up with a smile at a certain Saint who had come to report beneath the steps.
"So, he's in Tirifas?"
"Ah... cough, cough..."
Achilles, kneeling on one knee upon the stone steps, seemed to have been struck by some sudden illness. He pounded his chest and coughed heavily for a while before answering with a shifty gaze and a dry laugh.
"You mean Teacher? It seems he still has an unfulfilled wish, so he can't report back to you immediately. He'll probably remain in Tirifas for some time yet."
Athena pushed aside the plate holding the remaining half of the honey cake, took a sip of tea at just the right temperature, and nodded with a faintly amused smile.
"Mm, so he really is there..."
See? I didn't say anything.
Outside the pavilion, Achilles played dumb as he quietly distanced himself from the matter.
After all, with the Twelve Zodiac Houses and the twin gods of the underworld as cautionary examples, he would rather die than get involved in the mess between that father and daughter.
Besides, those old brothers were still recovering from the beating they had taken last time.
With one cheek bathed in sunlight and the other hidden in shadow, the goddess lowered her head and lightly stirred the tea with sugar cubes in it using a silver spoon. She spoke casually.
"So, Achilles, how did you find this journey?"
Hearing his superior shift away from that deadly subject, Achilles finally breathed a sigh of relief. A genuine, exhilarated smile spread across his unruly face.
"Mm, it was quite