#1111 The God of Wisdom’s Conspiracy

I am the herald of the celestial realm.

Hermes, God of Wisdom.

As such, I take great pains to gather knowledge.

Wisdom without plentiful tidings is but an empty shell. And as the celestial realm’s messenger, I must swiftly bear significant news unto all who need it.

Thus I often linger upon the lofty sky, peering down upon the mortal realm.

All so that I might never overlook momentous events unfolding beneath.

And lo, on this day, I did behold news of the highest order, witnessed live before mine eyes.

The Saint of the Farm is about to found a kingdom.

Long hath he used the gift bestowed by mine own dear brother Hephaestus, along with strange knowledge from another world, to spark one revolution after another in this land.

And now, at last, this Saint shalt mingle in earthly affairs, guiding mortals as a ruler among them. ‘Tis glad tidings indeed.

Surely this world shall prosper all the more under his reign.

Only a few years ago, the peoples of these lands tore one another apart in ceaseless war straight out of hell.

Yet since the Saint arrived, conflict hath ended; diverse races have clasped hands in fellowship, forging a peaceful world.

And now he himself doth become a leader, guiding the common folk.

From this, unity and harmony shall flourish, and prosperity abound.

All thanks be to the Saint, indeed…

Observing it all, I cannot help but remember how mine own hidden scheme now bears fruit.

What I mean by “scheme”?

Even I, Hermes, being a god, felt many a pang of remorse.

For the fool that is mine own father, Zeus, and that war-mad goddess Athena, their wild revels cast the mortal realm into constant tumult, denying folk a life of peace.

For centuries unending, men have suffered under that chaos. I could bear it no longer.

Thus did I, Hermes the God of Wisdom, devise a plan.

First, I contrived to lure Athena away from the celestial realm, so that she might be absent for a spell.

Why so?

Because ‘twas she who bestowed skills upon those summoned from other worlds.

She performed not this duty out of duty’s sake.

Nay, she derived a delight from bestowing powers that would fan the flames of war, causing ever more men to be flung from the battlefield.

Moreover, so fond is she of war that she never offered a power so vast that it might end conflict altogether.

Nor that might let mortals threaten the gods themselves.

Hence, I had reason to ensure that goddess was kept far from the front lines, if only for an instant.

Fortune smiled on me, for deceiving that war-crazed wench was child’s play.

I spread a rumor that Poseidon had fallen into a lake and was flailing about in dire straits. With that, she flew away at once to witness the spectacle.

She loves naught more than to see another deity suffer.

Especially that pair, Poseidon and Medusa, whom she detests most fiercely. The misfortune of that couple is dearer to her than nectar.

With Athena absent, I seized the chance to force dear brother Hephaestus into her role, bestowing skills upon the summoned otherworlders.

A near act of brute persuasion, truly.

And why did I choose him, thou ask? Because if Hephaestus is involved, the results shall surpass all expectations.

In Olympus, no creation outstrips the power of that which mine own brother fashions.

Indeed, he delivered beyond measure.

The gift Hephaestus bestowed, called the “Hand of Supremacy,” soared far beyond mere “skill.” ‘Twas a divine boon.

Compared to Athena’s usual scraps, it might as well be the difference between dust and gold.

What is more, the mortal who received it disliked warring for no cause, cherishing instead the arts of creation and nurture.

A most fortunate alignment, indeed.

One could say the synergy between Hephaestus’s gift and the Saint was a match made in heaven.

Through it, he ended wars, brought many races together, and even brought about Zeus’s downfall—leading the wretched father to self-destruction and eternal imprisonment.

All proceeded according to mine own ideal vision!

And ‘tis all the fruit of mine own cunning plan, hatched by Hermes, the God of Wisdom!

Understand now?

This is what mortals call “foreshadowing!” Hahahahaha!!!

“Nay, that be not foreshadowing, is it?”

Who art thou?!
Artemis?!
Thou most tsundere goddess in the celestial realm, what brings thee here?!

“Foreshadowing, properly done, is plainly signaled in advance, such that later revelations mesh with prior events. Yet none of this so-called ‘secret scheming’ of thine was ever hinted at when that otherworlder was summoned.”

Guh…!
That only proves how flawless mine own hidden manipulations were…

“A sudden patching of events without any trace from the past is not called foreshadowing; we call that retcon. And be amazed: more than ninety percent of what mortals hail as ‘foreshadowing’ is but a retcon!”

What?!

That is rank heresy!

“It is the truth. Oft in lengthy tales, details pile up, and the author picks a stray thread to claim it was planned all along. That is how so-called foreshadowing usually happens!”

Lies!
Ye do conspire against me!

The hints were there! The hints were real, I say!

“Well, be that as it may, ‘tis true that thy grand plan hath rendered both the mortal and celestial realms quite entertaining.”

Ah, so thou admit that I moved behind the scenes?

“That Saint, was it? That common mortal who raised such a ruckus, imprisoning Father Zeus? ‘Tis quite the butterfly effect, indeed. Not that I mind. Father Zeus is despicable in mine eyes as well, so all’s well that ends well.”

Indeed, it seems that Zeus is loathed by all.
Despite having children in countless corners of existence, not one among them loves him. A father more thoroughly despised is hard to fathom.

“And to top it off, the biggest mover and shaker among the goddesses, Athena, was sealed away as well, which means we might witness an era of true tranquility in the celestial realm.”

Ah, Artemis.
Among the celestial deities, thou art hard to read indeed. Thy stance is always unclear.

Toward mankind, thou seemest at times aloof, yet at times nurturing…
When the celestial realm was divided and near to war, thou didst remain neutral until the quarrel passed, leaving all perplexed.

“Still, it shall not be so simple. We foresee more storms yet to come before our realm can truly find peace. I came to call thee, mastermind. If thou didst set these events in motion, thou must see them through to the end.”

Storms?
I know not what thou mean…

The mortal realm is already pacified and with the Saint founding a kingdom, that peace shall become all the more unshakable.

No cause for any new turmoil there.

“I speak not of the mortal realm, but of the celestial realm itself. Nay, not just here, this tempest shall wrack the underworld and the seas as well, shaking the entire divine cosmos. And at its center, from what I’ve gleaned, is thy precious mortal.”

The Saint… at the center of some disaster?
Pray, how can that be?

Shaken by doubts, I decide ‘tis best to see the situation myself. I hasten alongside Artemis to the scene.

And behold, I find a gathering of gods beyond compare!

Uncle Hades?!
Uncle Poseidon?!
And even Apollo, that so-called “God of Terrible Comedy”?!

Smack!
Ow!
Artemis just struck me!

“The nerve, calling him a god of terrible comedy! Only I have that right in all creation! Mark mine own words!”

There she goes again, this tsundere goddess with a brother complex, forever cursing her dear brother to his face.

“Die,” she would say as though it were a mere pleasantry.

Yet with Zeus sealed, Apollo is the celestial realm’s acting representative.
In other words… this assembly…!
It be the leaders of the heaven, the underworld, and the sea—chiefs of the three great realms of Olympus all in one place?!

‘Tis like a grand summit indeed. What chain of fate led to this?

“Is it not exactly as thou didst say? That Saint is founding a nation, is he not?”

Indeed, so he is.
Which shall only further cement the mortal realm in peace…

“And that very founding hath lit a spark of new strife since every kingdom requires a guardian deity.”

Ah.

“In short, the gods of all three realms now vie for the right to guard the Saint’s nation. They art but a hair’s breadth from coming to blows. Is this also part of thy cunning plan? If so, thou art a mischievous trickster indeed.”

Who could have guessed that the gods would end up feuding, each longing to watch over the Saint’s kingdom?!

Verily, if he were to revere a certain deity, that god would partake of the farm’s countless offerings each day!

No wonder all art eager.

They would happily elbow aside all rivals to claim that honor!

Should that escalate into a cataclysmic war among the gods, ‘twill be no mere jest indeed.

A Ragnarok to shame all lesser tragedies!

Even Loki would quiver at such pranks.

But now is not the time for wry remarks!
We labored long that the mortal realm might know peace; I shall not allow a great godly war to unravel it all!

I must do all in mine own power to stop this catastrophe at once!!!