Divine Ascension: Reborn as a God of Power-Chapter 51: The Schism of Olympus (Part 11)

(2 days till the start of the War...)

"Damn it!" shouted the King of Olympus in frustration as he threw down the table he had been using just seconds before. And one might wonder, what is the reason for his frustration? Well...

"What do you mean only two of the five most powerful new gods will support us?" asked the god he had appointed as messenger in an irritated tone. This was his son Hermes, who at that moment wished he had stayed home.

However, despite his father’s tantrum, his expression remained unchanged, the same bored face he had had for the last 24 hours. He knew his father well enough, so an act like this on his part did not surprise him much.

"Gaia, kill me now, please," Hermes begged as he exhaled and began again the explanation he had been developing... until he was interrupted.

"...As I was saying..." Hermes continued in a measured tone, picking up a scroll that had fallen from the table with the tip of his sandal, "of the five new gods with growing influence, only two have agreed to support the guidelines you propose. The other three... are simply not interested."

Zeus frowned, his aura crackling with an electric tension that made the torches in the hall vibrate. Hermes, accustomed to his father’s storms, continued in the same flat voice.

"The reason, father, is simple: your proposals do not appeal to them. They have no real incentive to commit to your cause. You speak to them of order, hierarchy, duty... but not of power, influence, or independence, which is what they truly seek."

Athena, sitting with her arms crossed, said nothing, but she glanced at Hermes.

’Order, hierarchy, duty... yes, that sounds like Zeus. But the world is changing, and he refuses to change with it.’

Apollo, for his part, smiled with a mixture of mockery and resignation as he drummed his fingers on the back of his lyre.

’And what did the old man expect? That everyone would jump to their deaths for him just because he makes a little thunder?’

Artemis rested a hand on the back of her chair and tilted her head, looking at Zeus as if observing a wounded deer that still didn’t understand it had been hit.

"Olympus no longer revolves around you, father. And you know it."

Hera, on the other hand, kept her eyes fixed on her husband. Her face was a mask of stone, but her thoughts were sharp.

"You can’t even convince your equals, and yet you insist on ruling as if you were in the days of Cronus. Typical."

Zeus raised an eyebrow, and although his expression was still stern, there was now a shadow of doubt in his gaze. "Are you saying I have to... convince them? I have to convince those little maggots like if they have any influence?"

Hermes turned his face slightly toward him, still reading the scroll he now held indifferently. "Exactly. It’s not enough to command, you have to seduce. You know, offer or promise things that interest them. Make them feel that you will win... and that they will win with you."

Zeus was silent for a few seconds. His hands, still tense, trembled slightly, but no longer with anger, but with the calculation of possibilities. He knew what it meant to make concessions. He knew what it meant to show weakness.

Athena leaned forward slightly, her gray eyes narrowed.

’Will this be the time he finally listens?’

Apollo snorted under his breath. "Maybe you should appoint Hermes as your new strategist instead of yelling at him so much."

Hermes shot his half-brother a withering glance. "I don’t need another title, thank you."

Zeus narrowed his eyes but didn’t respond immediately. He walked slowly across the hall, stepping over the fragments of the broken table, and finally spoke in a lower tone. "Then... what do you suggest I offer? Because I already tried this strategy with Demeter, and although it worked, I don’t see it working with so many gods. They don’t like the new status quo I want to establish."

"That doesn’t matter, father," Athena said surprisingly, "some gods are too greedy to think about such consequences. All we have to do is offer them territory, influence, visibility, and they’ll be more loyal than a dog. Some will probably want temples, others cults, and others simply the freedom to pursue their agendas without you interfering. Whatever it takes to make them believe that joining you is better than staying alone."

This seemed to convince Zeus, who now looked thoughtful.

Meanwhile, Hermes was staring at a random fixed point, as if remembering something, and added with a slight sigh: "I almost forgot, before you ask, I tried to talk to Hephaestus. No use."

Zeus raised an eyebrow. "And what did he say?"

"Nothing useful, as usual." Hermes shrugged and sighed. "He’s as stoic as a statue. Besides, the bastard knows his position is advantageous. He can and will supply weapons to both sides, and as the conflict escalates, his workshop will continue to run at full speed. He has no need to compromise."

Hera pressed her lips together.

’So typical of Hephaestus... I guess he has some of my traits too, even if he doesn’t want to admit it.’

Athena looked away, a barely visible grimace crossing her face.

’You can’t reason with a brute, oh well, it wasn’t the donkey’s nature; the beatings made him so.’

Apollo lowered his gaze but smiled ironically.

’Pragmatic, cold, and profitable. The dream of any god who doesn’t need friends.’

It was then that a sharp crack, like the snap of a spear breaking, echoed through the hall. The shadows flickered, and a figure materialized between the marble columns, enveloped in a mixture of iron perfume and battle sweat.

Ares.

His armor was incomplete, his helmet hanging from one hand, his hair disheveled as if he had marched from a battlefield without stopping. His eyes were ablaze, not with fury, but with the weight of a void that not even a thousand battles could fill.

"I heard screams and the sound of broken furniture. I assumed Father was having another authority crisis," he said without greeting, advancing as if the meeting had been his idea.

Zeus looked up, surprised by his son’s sudden appearance. ’You were not summoned to this meeting, Ares. I thought you would want to be ’alone’ for a while."

"And yet here I am," he replied, dropping his helmet with a thud that echoed through the room like a dull heartbeat. ’Besides... if it’s a matter of deciding who will win a war, who better than the god of war to have a say?"

Hermes muttered something under his breath.

’Oh, great. The drama queen has just entered the scene.’

Athena watched him coldly, her expression barely changing.

’Here we go again. He was probably crying because that bitch, Aphrodite, dumped his sorry ass. How pathetic.’

Ares walked past everyone without looking at them, stopping in front of his father. "Look, father, the truth is that if you plan to wage a war of influence, you’re going to need more than diplomacy and promises. You’re going to need real weight. Power that makes columns tremble and blood that stains the altars."

Zeus narrowed his eyes. "And what is your proposal, son?"

"Allies," Ares said dryly, "We have to recruit the heavyweights, the great ones or the ancient ones, you know, the Cyclops, Poseidon, and Hades. Maybe even a repentant Titan. Because if the new gods won’t bow to your name, they’ll bow to the weight of those who still have temples under the sea or in the realms of the dead."

Apollo tilted his head, amused.

’Interesting. It seems that a broken heart has given him clarity for once.’

Artemis crossed her arms, not hiding her skepticism.

’Since when does Ares suggest anything that doesn’t directly involve breaking bones with his own hands?’

Hera, on the other hand, looked at Ares with new attention.

’Even in his misery, he knows what’s at stake for them. Maybe I’m underestimating him.’

Hermes was silent for a second, then raised an eyebrow. "Poseidon and Hades have already chosen sides. There’s no turning back with them."

Ares turned slowly toward him. His gaze was grim but firm. "Then let’s stop wasting time with those who have already closed the door on us. There are others who can tip the balance. The Cyclopes, for example. They were loyal in the last great war, and they would have no problem collaborating if we promise them the usual: forges, freedom of creation, and some protection."

Apollo blinked, surprised.

’Ares thinking about logistics? Maybe it wasn’t just his heart that was broken after all.

Hermes nodded slowly. "I know Brontes. I spoke to him weeks ago, just to be on the safe side. They’re waiting for a sign. They have no firm loyalties, but they do have memories. If you treat them as allies, not tools, they’ll come."

Athena couldn’t help but intervene. "Brute force isn’t enough. We need minds that can think beyond combat. Or are you going to tell me that the Cyclopes are going to negotiate treaties or calm cities?"

Ares looked at her unflinchingly. "No, but they’re going to build the weapons for those who do. And if that’s not enough..."

He turned to Zeus, his tone lower and denser. "...we could consider some Titans."

The air in the room grew heavier. Even the fire from the torches seemed to flicker.

Hermes glanced at him. "Are you serious?"

"If war is coming—and you yourself said that only two of the five new gods with real power are with us—we’re going to need something to tip the balance." Ares took a step forward. "There are Titans who remain imprisoned, forgotten, but not all of them are natural enemies of Olympus. Some hate the new gods as much as we do."

Zeus narrowed his eyes, his voice harsh. "And in exchange for what? Their freedom?"

Ares nodded. "Not complete freedom, obviously. It could be temporary and conditional. Besides, you could still keep an eye on them, if you want. But it’s either that or watch the new gods surround us and disarm us while you keep wondering why they no longer obey you as they once did."

Artemis frowned.

’Freeing the Titans... it’s madness. But isn’t fighting without allies also madness?’

Athena leaned back slowly, not taking her eyes off her brother, looking at him silently with a serious expression.

Hera crossed her arms, assessing the situation.

’How far is Zeus willing to go to preserve Olympus?’

Hermes let out a resigned sigh. "And to think that my only plan for today was to sleep for twelve hours and avoid family drama..." ƒreewebɳovel.com

Zeus frowned but did not respond. The silence in the room was as thick as a battlefield before a charge.

Athena fixed her gaze on Ares.

"I hate to admit it... but he’s right."

Hermes slowly rolled up the scroll.

’Just what we needed... the most sensible advice of the day comes from the guy who still sleeps in his armor because he can’t face his empty bed.’

Ares looked up at the ceiling of Olympus, as if searching for a something he couldn’t see from there. His voice was barely a whisper, almost to himself. "We don’t win wars by being the purest or the most righteous. Those who do whatever it takes to win, no matter the cost, are the ones who win. If you can’t handle that... then maybe we don’t deserve to win."

And for once, no one dared to contradict him.

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