Hypnos.
Nereus.
The two gods didn't quite understand why their lord didn't want Prometheus to say what he was about to, but they knew one thing: if it was an order from their lord, then they must simply obey.
Hypnos acted as though nothing unusual had occurred and calmly said, "Prometheus, go ahead and explain what you're thinking."
Nereus remained silent, but his meaning was equally clear.
Prometheus smiled. Clearly, he knew that Hades and Poseidon, these two God-Kings, were well aware of what was happening—and they knew a lot.
That was enough!
After all, Prometheus only had a cooperative relationship with "that one" and only knew a few things he could never reveal. Because of this, he understood the situation quite well.
For this reason, Prometheus was very clear about his own position. He didn't actually want this to happen, as it conflicted with many of his own ambitions.
However!
Prometheus knew that he had to take this bold approach. Otherwise, his plans would never come to fruition.
Yet...
Looking at the four gods before him, Prometheus could only sigh internally, lamenting, "Look at them! They all know what's going on, but what about my own side?"
The more Prometheus thought about Zeus, the more helpless he felt. Other than constantly suspecting this and that, Zeus was utterly clueless. With someone like him in charge, what was Prometheus supposed to do?
He felt as though he could vomit, but there was nothing he could do.
Prometheus shook his head in silent frustration. There was no point in dwelling on it. It didn't matter much anyway!
He grew more determined in his plan, thinking that if Zeus truly couldn't be relied upon, then he could only stick to his own strategy.
In the end!
The gods were all selfish beings, and as for what this selfish group would do, it was hard to predict. The future, what would it bring?
Hehehe...
Who could know?
No one could say for certain, and that was what made it so important.
After a brief pause, Prometheus spoke calmly, "What I want is simple! I hope we can cooperate to stage a show, one revolving around this First Holy War."
"Go on."
Hypnos uttered a single word, his gaze serene, as if he was indifferent to the entire situation.
Nereus, on the other hand, had a more amused expression, but he remained silent, merely watching to see what Prometheus intended to do.
With complete composure, Prometheus said, "I need the Celestial Realm to come in last place. As for who among you takes first or second, that's not my concern. I just want the Celestial Realm to lose. You need to appear united in defeating them and make sure I'm excluded from any blame."
Hypnos and Nereus listened carefully to Prometheus's words.
After a moment of thought...
Indeed.
If they followed Prometheus's plan, it would indeed work. Zeus would see that both sides had joined forces, and he couldn't reasonably expect Prometheus to take on two opponents at once and win.
That would be impossible. So, Zeus likely wouldn't even suspect that Prometheus had been pushed to the point of devising such a scheme due to his overwhelming paranoia.
Prometheus continued calmly, "That's my proposal. As for the specifics, we can discuss them further. All we need is to sign a divine contract, and no one will be able to reveal what happened today."
"Agreed."
"Fine."
Hypnos and Nereus didn't fully understand what their lord knew.
However!
They did know that since their lord had spoken, and since this benefited their own side, there was no reason to refuse.
From Nereus's perspective, his lord only wanted second place, which was easily within reach now that the Celestial Realm would be eliminated.
Prometheus would take the fall.
Hypnos saw this as a good deal as well. Once the Celestial Realm was dealt with, handling the Sea Realm would be easy. What had once been a tenuous three-way stalemate was now firmly within their control.
This war would proceed however they wished. There was nothing left to worry about.
Thus...
There was no need for further discussion. Everything was in their hands now.
A divine contract was signed among the three gods, focusing on the First Holy War. As long as the God-Kings stayed out of it, the three acting as commanders could handle everything else.
However!
The difference was...
Hades and Poseidon were in the loop, while Zeus was completely unaware, left in the dark as the fool in this grand scheme.
But!
Some things simply couldn't be helped. After all, who could have predicted that Zeus's actions would push Prometheus to this point?
It was a frustrating situation, but also the stark reality. Sometimes, everything is as simple as that.
"..."
Thanatos and Keto listened to the three gods discussing the matter and fell into silence.
At that moment...
The two gods, who should have been enemies, exchanged glances and also fell into silence. They truly didn't know what to say.
Seriously.
What could they even say?
Should they say something?
Umm...
Both gods were at a complete loss, not knowing how to deal with the situation. In the end, they decided to just quietly follow orders and not overthink it!
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