Divine Ascension: Reborn as a God of Power-Chapter 37: A Party and a Peasant

Once the battle was over and I saw that the troops had disappeared over the horizon, only then did I begin to make my way back to the city’s fortress. But not before noticing that the place where Leontes had been standing was now empty, which meant that either the general had escaped or he had been taken away by the soldiers who remained standing without me noticing.

In any case, it didn’t matter; the war was probably over. Not even the king of Athens would be foolish enough to resume the conflict after a god from Olympus had basically descended and wiped out his entire army, right?

Anyway, the important thing now was that the city was safe.

Once the gates of the walls were opened, everyone on the walls was on their knees with their heads against the ground, their hands outstretched, clearly bowing to me.

And I don’t blame them. After what I did out there, if I were a mortal, even I would have knelt before myself.

My ego... well, my ego was happy. I’m not going to lie. If I could smile more without my face hurting, I would have.

I walked among them, slowly, partly because I liked the drama and partly because my body was still a little tense from the energy I had channeled. Every step I took echoed against the stones, and the only sound was the breeze rustling the banners.

It wasn’t until I crossed the inner gates that I saw Themistios running toward me, not knowing whether to embrace me or prostrate himself as well. I stopped him by raising a hand.

"Is everything all right inside?"

"Yes, my lord, there were no breaches or casualties in the city. Just a single arrow shot that didn’t even make it past the gate... And after that... well, after you did what you did..." he said with an awkward smile and his voice still shaking, "fear basically did the rest."

I nodded. I figured that would happen. When you see a man lift an entire cavalry into the air as if they were dolls, you start to question your priorities in life.

"And the people?"

"Waiting to see you."

I furrowed my brow a little. "See me?"

Themistios nodded toward the central courtyard.

There they were.

Hundreds of people. Old men, children, parents, and the militiamen who just hours ago had been preparing for invasion now looked at me with faces full of excitement and joy. They were all crowded between the square, the temple, and the bell tower. They were all looking at me as if I had just stepped out of a myth. Which, technically, wasn’t that far from the truth.

Some began to applaud, timidly at first, then louder. And suddenly the entire square was roaring as if it had won the Olympics and brought bread for everyone.

"It’s real!"

"The protector god!"

"Akhon has saved Kaeron!"

I scratched the back of my neck, somewhat uncomfortable.

I had never liked being the center of attention. Or rather, I had never liked being the center of attention when I wasn’t prepared for it. And I definitely wasn’t prepared right now. Now that the city was saved, but my mind kept returning to what had happened with Athena and my internal debate about whether or not to tell Aegle.

Themistios, always timely, turned to me with a half-smile, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Are you going to say a few words?"

"Me?" I looked at him as if he had just asked me to sing opera. "What am I supposed to say?"

"I don’t know... something inspiring. Something that will make people remember this day."

I just sighed and looked at the crowd, at the city. Little Kaeron had grown so much since it was founded by my faithful followers.

Sometimes I don’t know if they found me or I found them.

Anyway, at that moment, I took a step forward, climbing onto a wooden box next to the central fountain.

And with a voice that needed no powers to be heard, I said:

"Greetings, people of Kaeron."

The murmur subsided.

"Today we won, the city is safe. A community that believed in something greater than fear, and did not break in the face of an army. I only did what I had to do. You... you were the ones who resisted. Kaeron stands because of you."

And for a moment, there was no applause.

Only silence. A thick, reverent silence that slowly turned into something else: emotion.

And then someone shouted:

"Long live Kaeron!"

"Long live Akhon!"

And then everything exploded.

People were singing, laughing, crying. And there, in the middle of it all, I could only think one thing:

’Okay... this is getting a little out of hand.’

But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t mind.

(An hour later...)

Kaeron was celebrating.

And not one of those quiet celebrations with light wine, friends telling stories, and pats on the back. No. This was a true explosion of joy, the kind that only comes after surviving the brink of disaster. Music was coming from every corner: lutes, flutes, improvised drums made from pots and pans, and even a group of elders banging on empty barrels with ladles as if it were part of a ritual choreography. The rhythm wasn’t perfect, but no one seemed to care.

The streets were packed. Literally packed. People were singing, dancing, shouting, hugging each other as if they had won a war—well, technically they had. The central square had become the heart of the celebration. Children ran among the adults, wrapped in makeshift cloaks made from old tablecloths and sheets, pretending they had fought alongside me. Flowers were thrown into the air, wine spilled on the cobblestones, sweet breads handed out as if they were worthless.

At some point, amid the cheers and songs, someone had the brilliant idea of building me a throne.

It wasn’t exactly a "throne" in the proper sense of the word. It was more like a makeshift platform made of barrels, wooden planks, colorful blankets, and a mountain of cushions. At first glance, it looked like it would collapse if you looked at it the wrong way, but there it was, in the center of the square. And worst of all, they were already calling me.

"Akhon, to the throne!"

"Our hero!"

"The protector of Kaeron!"

I tried not to look like "please don’t do this," but it was clear I wasn’t going to get out of it. Seriously, they didn’t even let me finish my glass of wine. They gently pushed me, made way for me, and in the end, with a mixture of resignation and a half-smile, I sat down.

From there, with my eyes raised, the city looked like a burning anthill. But a happy one. There was constant movement, noise, life. An energy that made the air vibrate. There was no trace of this morning’s fear, nor of the tension of hours ago. Just a kind of collective relief that had turned into euphoria.

Themistios appeared at my side, with a new glass and a sly smile.

"Do you like the seat, my lord?" he asked, offering me the glass with both hands, as if it were part of an ancient ritual.

"It’s... more comfortable than I expected, for something made out of old barrels."

"The people needed a way to thank you. And I think this was the most democratic thing they could come up with."

"Democratic?"

"Everyone voted that you should sit there. And by ’voted,’ I mean they started shouting at the same time until someone built it."

I laughed. It made sense. It was very much Kaeron’s style.

From the throne, I looked around. I saw bakers handing out warm loaves wrapped in grape leaves. Weavers hung colored ribbons on the walls and wove flower crowns for the children. The elders sat in a circle drinking and recounting exaggerated tales of the battle that none of them had witnessed, while the young men tried to reenact it with sticks for spears. A goat with blue paint on its forehead trotted past the throne. No one seemed to know why.

"Is that... part of the ritual?" I asked, pointing to the goat.

Themistios followed her with his eyes.

"No, I think someone got her drunk."

"Perfect. Now the party is complete."

I leaned back a little, letting the music and the hubbub envelop me. I could feel the heat from the torches, the aroma of freshly baked bread mixed with wine and spices, the collective pulse of a city celebrating something even they didn’t fully understand.

However, at that moment, I felt someone touch my arm, just a soft, almost shy touch. I opened my eyes and turned my head.

In front of me stood a young woman. Tall, slender, with dark hair falling in perfect waves over her shoulders and a look that, quite frankly, was anything but ordinary. Her eyes were a deep violet, like the sky just before a storm, and her smile was... dangerous. Not because it was threatening, but because she had the kind of beauty that made you let your guard down without even realizing it.

She was wearing a simple tunic, without embroidery or jewelry. And yet she stood out from the crowd as if the entire party had been built around her without anyone noticing. The strange thing was that she didn’t seem to be aware of it. Rather, she moved with such natural ease that it was hard not to believe she was, in fact, just another resident of the place.

"May I ask you to dance?" she asked in a soft but firm voice.

The music continued to play, a lively melody with a celebratory rhythm, though not so fast that it was impossible to follow. Around me, some were already spinning in the square, others were clinking glasses and laughing. In the distance, I saw Themistios looking at me with a raised eyebrow and a restrained smile. Damn old man.

I turned my gaze back to her.

"A dance?" I repeated, as if I needed to confirm that I had heard her correctly. ’I don’t know, I’m already drunk and I don’t want my couple to get jealous."

"Just one," she said, raising an eyebrow mischievously. "I promise I won’t tell your couple."

I chuckled. I had already been through a war, why not a dance?

"Okay. But just one."

She offered me her hand without losing that smile, and I took it. Her skin was soft, but it had a particular warmth. I don’t know how to explain it, it was as if she was inviting me to relax without saying a word. We made our way to the center of the square, amid spontaneous applause, cheers, and the occasional drunken shout of "That’s it, let the god dance!"

The music changed just in time. Something slower, more elegant. It wasn’t a tavern dance, but a slower, almost ceremonial one. Harmony—though I didn’t know her name yet—moved gracefully, as if the rhythm flowed through her, as if she weren’t dancing, but simply letting the world spin with her at the center.

I did my best to keep up with her.

"Are you from Kaeron?" I asked, more out of curiosity than politeness.

"Recently settled," she replied. "My parents were merchants. We traveled a lot. But when we got here... I liked the place. It feels different."

"Yes, it has something special," I admitted, continuing to guide her in the dance.

"Although I didn’t expect to end up dancing tonight."

"And you don’t like it?"

"I like it. I just didn’t see it coming."

She laughed softly, as if she enjoyed that kind of response.

"My name is Harmonia." She said suddenly.

"Beautiful name. It sounds like... well, harmony."

"Something like that," she replied, with a soft laugh.

The dance continued for a while. There was no awkward silence, no pressure. Just that moment suspended in time where things simply were. As if, for a brief instant, nothing else existed but two people sharing a song in a city celebrating.

[IMAGE]

New novel chapters are published on fr(e)ew𝒆bnov(e)l.com