GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

He knows more than anyone else how similar he and Helios are and also why the two of them are different. The stigmata on his back allude to a very odd similarity between the two of them.

The Colossus continued, "Anyways, it can't be the Celestial Supreme because he said with uttermost certainty that the god that helped the ant is new and is definitely not a Celestial."

His mind reeled with the information but he didn't show any outward signs that will betray the importance of the information to him.

"That makes sense."

He doesn't think it makes sense actually. You can't trust the words of someone you suspect. The fact that the Celestial Supreme is under suspicion should mean whatever he says is suspicious too. But he said it makes sense so that this conversation will end and she will leave him alone.

His reply did the opposite. She sidled to him and spoke in a low voice.

"It makes sense right? But there are a lot of things that don't make sense. The Celestial Supreme wants us to believe there's a new god and we don't know about it? What if he is lying? He could also be lying about not being involved. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what the truth is because there's no need for me to worry. It's you that should be worried."

She may have been whispering but her voice isn't low enough to prevent the others from hearing what she said. But she doesn't particularly care. She could have used her divine sense to transmit the message to him instead of talking at all. She is a transcendent, so she has a divine sense, unlike normal giants.

Helios nodded in realization. "I see. You have nothing to worry about if the god isn't the Celestial Supreme but you have everything to worry about if it is the Celestial Supreme. So why bother with worry since there's nothing you can do if you have to worry?"

As a vessel of the god of the sky, she can borrow some of his power. That means nothing can threaten her in the mortal realm apart from a vessel of the Celestial Supreme. If the vessel of the Celestial Supreme is here, then there's nothing she can do.

She gave him thumbs up. "Now you get it."

They continued their walk while the transcendent continued to talk to him. The other priests didn't say anything. She is carefree because she has nothing to worry about. It is more like because she thinks she has nothing to worry about. Helios knows that there is something unknown that she should be worried about. But as they say, ignorance is bliss.

Her confidence lay in the fact that she can lift the entire ant mound as tall and heavy as it is. And that is without help from her god. This entire situation is just a passing fancy of hers. It is another one of the god's games. To her, it is at most a tumultuous pond of water. What waves can such a small body of water cause?

She would have been right not to worry if she knew that there is a shark inside this pond. Her opinion is understandable too. A shark is not supposed to be inside a pond. Not unless it is not a pond in the first place. It just looks like a pond on the surface. This situation has depths to it that she cannot fathom.

They reached the ant mound and met with the royal guard that is waiting for them there.

"What are your demands?" Helios asked the royal guard.

The royal guard glanced uneasily at the seemingly ordinary giantess beside Helios. The royal guard knows better than to think that she is ordinary. He had felt the shaking deep within the ant mound when she arrived. But he can't tell her to leave since they have no leverage to.

He replied to Helios. "The queen has asked for a show of goodwill. She wants the return of her royal guards that were abducted from her."

"They weren't abducted. They were freed and then offered protection by the gods. They are our guests of their own free will. We can't just offer them to you because you asked for them. They have rights. They are not commodities for exchange." Helios answered.

"Is that your final decision?"

"Yes."

"Then this negotiation will lead to nowhere." The royal guard said and turned to go.

Helios stopped the royal guard. "Wait. I'll report to the gods and see if they change their minds. But you must offer something in exchange."

"The only thing we have that the gods have to offer are the demigods and there's no way a demigod is worth so little. It's just some royal guards. What do your gods call us? Ants. The gods will have to offer more in exchange."

"Then what does the ant queen want?"

The royal guard answered, "Go back and ask what they think the lives of their children are worth. The ant queen will only accept items with divinity in them."

The negotiation ended there and the royal guard returned to the ant mound. Helios and his entourage stayed outside while waiting for the gods' decision.

In The Temple.

The gods had been watching and listening to the entire negotiation by using their priests as antennas to utilize their divine vision. A screen had also appeared in the center of the temple that showed the proceedings to all the gods.

So they all heard what the Colossus said about Harkam suspecting the Celestial Supreme. Several of them glanced at him. Harkam had the decency to be ashamed or look ashamed.

He coughed awkwardly and muttered for everyone to hear. "Silly girl. She is still an airhead after all these years. Still likes to make stuff up."

He tried to create an excuse for what she said. It is bad excuse that no one is buying it.