SON OF THE HERO KING

“I wish to make a deal with you.”

Sol's voice was calm and composed as he decided to proceed with his main goal in stopping at this layer of Tartarus, also called the 5th circle of hell.

Nabu, hearing his proposal, found her interest suddenly revived,

“I…”

But, just as she was about to speak out her thoughts about the charming boy's proposal…

“We refuse.”

Bastet coldly broke in, stopping Nabu from speaking any further, not even giving her a chance to relay her view about this matter…

Hearing Basket's cold objections, Sol could only show them a smile… a smile filled with all the bitterness she felt at her sudden interjection and clear disinterest. But, he wasn't one to give up so easily. Time and events were a testament to how stubborn he could be.

“You did not even hear what the deal even is about.”

“We do not need to. I already know that whatever you ask will be problematic and a pain in the ass for both of us.”

Sekhmet really didn’t want to have anything more to do with the boy named Sol. If there was one fact about history that has been proven to be accurate, it was that those who followed and helped the Blessed along the way generally didn’t have a good ending for themselves.

It was alright when Fate still favored the Blessed, nurturing them with utmost care in their grueling path. But once the favor of faith stopped, then everything generally went to hell and still the Blessed turned out to be the lucky one among everyone concerned.

The unlucky ones were those who got sacrificed along the way to protect the Blessed during their lives. Poor chess pieces that were cast aside by Fate for the rise of one being.

Sekhmet knew that this wasn’t the fault of the Blessed. Being a Blessed meant that you could find a treasure while going out for a random refreshing walk or something along those lines. It also meant that you could suddenly face a demigod while taking a random walk too.

The law of this world was clear and concise. Equivalent exchange in everything and anything governed by the laws of the universe. Nothing came from nothing. Being lucky means that you took the luck of someone else.

“There is nothing you can give us or even hope to offer us that will make me change my opinion about this matter. I honestly do not want to be further entangled with you. Leave, leave us alone and never seek us again.”

Blesseds were normally a pain in the ass. But Sol was a Blessed among Blesseds. An absurd being that was against the very definition of this world itself. How many people could say that they faced a goddess and survived to tell the tale?

Sol had faced Ymir herself even before becoming a Duke. This was followed by him fighting a bunch of demigods and Titans, still before becoming a Duke. It was another matter altogether that he had been powered by some divine source, but it didn't change the fact that he was still not even a Duke when he faced those damned Demigods. He was just on the process of being one and had consolidated himself into the realm after the battle was over and he was fully rested.

What would happen when he becomes a King or even a Demigod?

She wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up fighting a bunch of goddesses or even the Mother Goddesses themselves and somehow still live to tell the tale. Maybe, the worst would happen… He would come out triumphant and fuck this world in its entirety. Nothing was certain when it came to this abominable bastard.

If it was in the past, when she was still Bastet, she would have agreed to follow him at a moment's notice. Who knows, perhaps he would show her the road towards godhood?

But she already died too many times. Out of her nine lives, she only had one left. This was her last chance. She simply wished to sleep and spend time with her disciple in peace.

Seeing her like this, Sol couldn’t help but let a bewildered expression appear on his handsome face. Then, as if a realization dawned upon him, he fell silent before laughing out loud.

“Care to enlighten me about what is so funny to you?”

Sol laughed abated as he recovered his breathing rhythm that got disarrayed by all the laughing, then he spoke between intermittent heavy breathing, relaying his apology to Sekhmet, “Sorry, sorry. I just realized that I had become slightly arrogant.”

He waved his hand and turned toward the feisty cat, “Sekhmet, I will not bother you further. Also, if you wish to do so, I will ask Tiamat if you two can simply leave and roam the universe as you wish.”

Like this Sol vanished in front of their eyes, moving towards the 6th Circle of hell.

Now alone, Sekhmet couldn't help but let a sigh leak from her cattish mouth, “I am sorry that I spoke for you there, Nabu.”

“Do not worry…I have waited for a master for so long that I can't even recount all the years…I will follow your will, forever.”

The small cat gave a human-like expression as she patted the large dragon under her paws and sighed again.

She didn’t know if she made the right choice in refusing someone hailed as the future dragon emperor so clearly and with such bluntness. She knew that her chance of forming a greater relationship with Sol and obtaining more benefits in the future was now close to zero.

But it didn’t matter to her. Since she was the one who made the decision, then the consequence would fall on her and her alone. She thought she would be able to live with that. At least, this way, she could ensure that they lived. That was enough for her.

———

As Sol walked into his dimension, his gaze was calm and even refreshed. He had intended to ask for help from Nabu so that she could descend in Southern Pride in case of any dangerous developments.

After all, if something did happen, he wasn’t sure that Kiyohime and the others could come in time. Having a backup would have been useful for any scenarios.

But when Sekhmet refused him so clearly, Sol had to admit that he was greatly shocked. In fact, on the fly, he thought of threatening her by saying they owed him or by using his power to manipulate the situation in his favor.

Those thoughts completely sobered him up, almost horrifying him to his core at the first thoughts brimming in his mind.

He then realized that from the start, he had never even entertained the thought that he would be refused. He had been so sure that the deal would be accepted that the refusal was like a slap to the face that woke him up from the arrogant train ride that he was recently onboard 24/7.

The clear and concise refusal hurt him a lot, but what hurt him even more was the thoughts that were brimming in his mind.

Until now, Sol had never tried to threaten someone that had never done anything bad to him. Even less someone who helped him.

‘Is it because of my new powers?’

They said absolute power had the caveat of glorified corruption attached to it.

<<Deus Ex Machina>> was a power that entered in the territory of the gods or goddesses to be exact. He could observe Fate from a superior point of view and even manipulate the strings of Fate to his heart's desire to some extent.

In a way, when he used his power, the world became like a stage and he became its puppeteer.

In another way, he became like a being of a superior dimension looking down at the lower-dimensional being.

No matter how powerful a 2nd dimensional character became they could never even affect a insect residing in the 3rd dimension.

No matter how powerful a mortal became, they could never surpass the goddesses.

Unconsciously, Sol might have begun to look down on everyone. As if he was the only one able to see in a kingdom of the Blind.

“Well, at least I noticed this before it was too late.”

Sol had the right to be proud of his powers. But the line between Pride and Arrogance was very thin, too thin in fact. There was a reason that Pride was the worst of all sins. He needed to be careful of that from now on.

“Though, now that I think about it, it’s the first time a woman I am close to rejected me. Is my charm finally failing me?”

Sol laughed as he began to make light of the situation.

He was not particularly disappointed. Facing rejection sometimes wasn’t so bad. He thought lightly about the first rejection of his life.

———

(AN: Who wouldn’t be arrogant if they could change the world with a single thought? But arrogance in that world generally leads to death.)

(EN: Arrogance with that power makes you a human. Humbleness, however, is what makes you a GOD.)

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