Chapter 99 - Promise To An Old Friend
"We are getting married the next month."
Ajax stared dumbfounded at Zeus for a while, then grabbed his shoulders and shouted, "I am invited, right?!"
Zeus didn't say a word and furrowed his brows.
"I am, right?!"
Zeus still said nothing and kept staring at Ajax.
"Right?!"
"Fine. Fine!" Zeus shrugged and pushed Ajax back, "You may come."
Ajax sighed in relief, and he looked even happier than he looked when Zeus gave him the scroll.
"How did you two meet anyway? Ajax asked with a curious look on his face.
"Not telling."
"Then how did you fall in love with each other?"
"Not telling."
"Does she know that you are a demon?"
"Of course she does," Zeus replied instantly.
"I am seriously curious about your love story," Ajax said again.
"And I am not telling you— no matter how many times you ask."
Both Ajax and Zeus grinned and laughed out loud.
"What are you planning to do after you get married?" Ajax asked with a curious look on his face.
"I don't know. But I probably won't stop being an adventurer. However, I will stop doing quests," Zeus replied honestly.
"Have you thought of a retirement plan yet?"
"No. But I do have a fortune worth a room full of gold coins, so I am settled."
"Don't you want to spend your life in luxury? Like in a palace— on the throne. And maybe perhaps… ruling over the continent?"
Zeus sighed and shook his head in disbelief.
"You know, I honestly thought you were worried about me. But it just turned out to be one of your schemes."
"I am worried about you. As long as I am alive, you have my protection and a royal decree."
"Thanks…. I guess? Not that I need it."
"So, what is your goal in life? And don't say something like 'I don't have any' because one always has a life goal that they want to achieve."
"I just… want to live in peace. And… and make a family," Nero smiled wryly and continued, "Be happy. Smile with everyone. Grow old."
Ajax could feel the sadness in Nero's voice, as both he and Zeus were aware that his dream would never come true.
Ajax regretted asking Zeus and tried to divert the topic.
"This ring," Ajax pointed his finger at the ring Zeus was wearing on his right hand and questioned, "Is this ring a weapon too?"
"Not a weapon, but an instrument."
"You know, I have always been curious about your weapons. How many weapons do you have, and how do you store them inside your body? And how do you use it?"
"Well, they are part of my core system, and I have established a medium between my soul and my weapons. So I can just summon them whenever I want and use them."
"Can you take out one of your weapons? I want to see how you do it."
"I can't. They are all either celestial weapons or mythical weapons. If I use them here, you might need to rebuild the palace."
"Then let's not do it," Ajax shook his hands.
"What about this sword?" Ajax pointed his gaze at Zeus' sword. "Is it also selistial?"
Zeus wanted to laugh at how Ajax pronounced 'Celestial', but he held his laugh and said, "No. It's a mythical sword, and her name is Harpe."
Zeus raised the sword with sheath and handed it to Ajax.
"Can I hold it?" Ajax asked.
"Go ahead."
"What if I end up destroying the palace?" Ajax questioned with a worried look on his face.
Zeus chuckled and replied, "Don't worry. Only I can use this sword."
Ajax unsheathed the sword and revealed a sword with a tilted tip.
"Why is it tilted from the tip? Is it broken? But the scabbard shape is straight, so how is the sword tilted?"
"As I said, this sword can only be used by me. So if any other wield this sword, its shape changes, and it becomes unusable."
"So if you hold it, it will become straight?" Ajax wondered.
"Kind of, yeah." Zeus grabbed the sword from Ajax's hand, and its shape changed. The form of the sword changed, and now there were two tips; one was straight, and one was curved— like a sickle.
Zeus sheathed the sword and nodded, "I will take my leave now."
"Wait, Zeus."
"What is it?" Zeus groaned.
"I want you to promise me something."
"Promise you what?"
"First promise me, then I will tell," Ajax insisted.
"Hell no! What if you make me promise something like 'Marry my daughter' or 'Inherit my throne'. I ain't promising anything unless you utter the terms."
SIGH~
Ajax sighed and placed his hand on Zeus' shoulder, "I want you to promise me, that if in future— let it be any time. As long as you are alive and aware, if any of my descendants turn out to be evil, then please kill them with your hands. And if they are ever in danger, please protect them."
Zeus waited for a while before answering. Although he was giving any thought to it.
"You don't have to worry about it. If any of your descendants turn out to be evil, I will kill them anyway," Zeus promised.
"Thanks," Ajax thanked with a gentle smile on his face. "This should be my last request to you."
Zeus smiled back and patted on Ajax's shoulders. "Now that your wife is cured, go make a son with her, and let him inherit your throne."
"And what should I do about my daughter? I don't think she would forget about you. She even asked me if she could join your party or not, and I agreed. So expect her on your doorstep soon."
Zeus tightened his grip on Ajax's shoulders and almost crushed it. "You are the most evil person to me right now, so how about I start from you?"
-
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Later, Ajax summoned an emergency conference and invited Zeus as a chief guest.
In the meeting, Ajax ridiculed Gustav and pressed him with charges of trying to kill the queen, but Gustav kept denying it and said he would rather die than even think of harming the royal family.
Zeus found it odd since even though Gustav was sentenced to be executed, he kept claiming that he was innocent. Of course, that's what most criminals would say and do, but Gustav preferred to die rather than being called a traitor.
Zeus didn't talk about this to anyone other than princess Astrea. They both kept eyes on Helene to see if Gustav was telling the truth and was he innocent as he claimed to be.
After keeping track of every single person with who Helene was acquainted, Zeus suspected the three maids.
Zeus later confirmed with Astrea that the maids were the ones who always fed the medicine to Helene as Gustav instructed them to.
Upon further prosecution, the culprit turned out to be one of the maids who was appointed for the nighttime medicine and always mixed poison in the medicine.
The maid was exiled from the kingdom, and Gustav was back to his position as the royal's personal doctor.
This case helped Astrea to get closer to Zeus and know more about him. Later she joined his party and traveled with them for the adventurers.
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