Chapter 90: Chapter 67: Missed Opportunity

Translator: 549690339

In the midst of a daze, not knowing if he was truly drunk or feigning it, Iapetus was supported by Moanda as they walked through a garden and into a palace.

This was one of the palaces that the Divine King had deliberately built, serving as a residence for the deities who lived on the Mount of the Gods year-round. Indeed, Iapetus was aware of this place.

In other parts of Mount Othrys, as the ruler of the sacred mountain, Cronus was almost omniscient. As long as he wished, no existence below the Primordial Gods—not possessing special divine authority—could easily elude his notice.

But only this vicinity was different. Out of respect for the guests, the Divine King never peered into this area. No matter what happened, no one would approach.

Leaning against the corner of the bed with Moanda’s assistance, Iapetus quietly awaited the nymph’s next move. But in the next moment, he was startled awake by her words.

“Respected God of Speech,” Moanda said, straightening her expression with a smile, “I have come on a special visit, following the order of Mother Earth.”

Swish—

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Iapetus sat up straight, forcibly pulling himself back to sobriety.

“What did you say?”

Looking at the nymph before him with some disbelief, Iapetus even thought he had heard wrong.

This wasn’t a matter of carelessness—the God of Speech hadn’t been on guard against Moanda simply because he trusted too much in his own godhood. Earlier in the Underworld, Iapetus had encountered the Goddess of Deceit, Apate, and personally experienced her power.

Under the influence of his godhood, the words of the Goddess of Deceit felt as if laced with magic power, easily convincing everyone who heard her speak. However, through the office of “Speech,” Iapetus easily identified the flaws in her words.

But today, up until he arrived here, there had been no warning from his godhood. The authority of a deity is absolute; unless there is a great disparity in divine power or an overlap of godhood, there is no error.

Therefore, if the nymph in front of him wasn’t masquerading as one of the Primordial Gods, it meant that she hadn’t deceived him in any way, not even in the slightest.

“Do not misunderstand, I would not dare to lie in your presence. Indeed, everything I said earlier was heartfelt,” she assured.

“I truly admire the powerful True Gods, and I am indeed just a common nymph. If it weren’t for taking on a command from Mother Earth, I would have no contact with the other gods. If you wish, after we discuss the main issue, I think we can still have a chat.”

“However,” Moanda said softly with a slight smile, “compared to our matter, aren’t you going to listen to Mother Earth’s intentions?”

As he listened to Moanda’s explanation, Iapetus’s feelings slowly stabilized, and he began to regain his composure. Although Mother Earth was undeniably powerful, this was Mount Othrys, the domain of the Divine King.

Since taking control of the stars and subduing the mountains, Cronus’s divine authority had only grown. Considering that Mother Earth was not adept at combat, and having recently been weakened by the split of her godhood, she might not necessarily be able to defeat the Divine King now.

After a moment of contemplation, the God of Speech cautiously said:

“Whatever order the respected Mother of All Gods has, this is the territory of the Divine King.”

“Your cautious approach to meet with me here suggests that the Divine King would not approve of what you ask of me,” he continued.

“That, I am unaware of. The Highness ordered me to avoid the Divine King, and naturally, I followed her command,” she responded.

“Since you are unwilling to know, then I will take my leave,” she said, and without showing concern for the outcome, Moanda gave a slight bow and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Iapetus called out.

Even though he really wanted to watch her leave, how could he when he had followed her here in the first place?

Anticipating ahead of time, acting oblivious, and personally coming here to decline were completely different concepts.

Regardless of whether he intended to comply, it was necessary to listen.

“Speak plainly. What does Mother Earth want me to do?” After giving it some thought, Iapetus spoke slowly, “I will consider it before making a decision.”

Stopping in her tracks, Moanda showed no surprise at his choice.

Just as the nymph had no choice before the True God, the ordinary True Gods also had no choice before Mother Earth and the Divine King.

Some might choose to stand firmly on one side, but Iapetus was clearly not among them. He had always been just a temporary resident of the Mount of the Gods, and considering his weak power and his status as an Ancient Titan God, the Divine King had never asked anything of him.

In the eyes of Cronus, producing Atlas, the God of Strength, was the greatest contribution Iapetus could make.

“It’s not about opposing the Divine King or anything like that, in fact, Mother Earth simply wants to meet with you.”

With a smile, Moanda spoke:

“Actually, this could be a good thing for you, couldn’t it? No one knows what the future holds for the Divine King, but as one of the Primordial Gods born alongside the world, Mother Earth will surely exist forever.”

“… Perhaps, your task is done, whether I go or not, I will decide for myself.”

Looking somewhat displeased, but in the end, despite what he said, Iapetus decided to go.

Whether Mother Earth is eternal, he did not know; but according to the prophecy and curses, there’s a high probability that the Divine King is not. At least in his perception, even though Cronus’s power grew day by day, it still fell short when compared to the former Father God.

If he was careful enough, there shouldn’t be any problems. If need be, he could find a desolate place to hide until Cronus met his fate at the hands of destiny.

After the conversation, the God of Speech did not stay with Moanda for long.

He hurried back to the temple he had come from, found his two children, and instructed them to go to the territory of the God of the Ocean after the banquet. As for his wife Clymene, being one of the Oceanides, she usually spent quite a bit of time at sea.

Prometheus didn’t understand his father’s request, but he complied with Iapetus’s wishes. Epimetheus remained silent as always, and neither his father nor his brother sought to consult his opinion.

Another two months passed, and the birthday celebration for the second daughter of the Divine King finally came to an end.

The gods returned to their respective territories, and Moanda, carrying Cronus’s return gift to Mother Earth, set off back to the Delphic Great Plains.

Taking this opportunity, when no one was paying attention, Iapetus also left Mount of the Gods.

Blending with the multitude of departing deities, the presence of the God of Speech was unremarkable.

No one took notice of his whereabouts; in fact, this Titan god, who preferred the company of humans, had always been inconspicuous among the gods. Even the Divine King assumed that Iapetus had gone to join his two children in some human tribe.

Hurrying along the way, by the time Iapetus reached the Delphic Great Plains, seven days had passed.

Hovering in mid-air, the God of Speech was about to fly directly to Mother Earth’s abode, but suddenly, his gaze caught sight of a human tribe established not far away.

These were the Golden Humanity who once lived near the Oracle of Delphi. Unlike those dwelling at sea or the far western edge of the continent, being near Mother Earth, they had avoided the impact of the divine wars, even though Gaia rarely bothered with them.

Therefore, although they were equally near the end of their lives, there had been no change in their numbers. Their lives were primitive and constant, barely touched by the influence of other human tribes.

The God of Speech was curious. He and his two children had lived with different humans, but this did not include those from Delphi.

Due to his temporary stay on Mount of the Gods, he had always avoided this place.

“After meeting with Mother Earth, I’m afraid I’ll be busy again… Although I don’t know what the Mother Goddess will ask me to do, it’s unlikely to be an easy task.”

“Since there’s no fixed time appointed, I might as well take this chance to visit the humans from these origins. After all, because of the delicate relationship between Cronus and Mother Goddess, I’ve never come this way before.”

Making up his mind, Iapetus paused in his tracks. After some thought, he concealed his divine power and transformed himself into a large earthy-yellow snake, then landed on the ground and slithered toward the direction of the human tribe.

He did not intend to reveal his identity as a deity, after all, he was only there to take a look. The humans in these parts must revere Mother Earth, and if he displayed his true divine form, it would inevitably lead to their worship. He had no desire to overshadow and displease Mother Earth.

Following little paths carved by humans in the forests and wilderness, the God of Speech quickly advanced across the Delphic Great Plains. Birds and beasts along the way failed to detect his presence, and no unexpected incidents occurred. Iapetus easily sneaked into the settlement of the Golden Humanity.

He thus entered Delphi, but the God of Speech did not realize that surrounding the great plains in the sky was a seemingly naturally occurring current of air that drifted continuously.

This current of air circled the area, whirling swiftly, monitoring any life that drew near. The serpent that Iapetus had transformed into was also in its sight, but unfortunately, it did not realize there was anything amiss with the snake.

Just as Iapetus could not see through the true identity of the current of air and recognize it as Zephyrus, the God of the West Wind, the God of the West Wind did not penetrate his illusionary transformation.

Or rather, Zephyrus hadn’t even imagined that a god would come here in such a manner instead of flying in openly. His attention was mostly on the passing deities, not every animal entering or leaving the area.

After all, besides himself and the Divine King, no one knew that Zephyrus had been ordered to surveil the plains, so he focused most of his attention on the sky, with only a small portion on the ground.

Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps it was fate, but either way, the two deities unknowingly passed by each other.

Three days later, after concluding his observation of the human tribe, at the secluded dwelling of Mother Earth, Iapetus met with Mother Earth Gaia.