"So... how did I do?" I asked Hera, who began walking closer to me.
Without meaning to, my eyes quickly drifted toward those enormous breasts swaying from side to side with each step she took.
I blushed slightly and returned my attention to her eyes.
’I didn’t see anything,’ I commented in my mind, hoping she hadn’t noticed.
"Well, well... you did very well for your first time," she said as she stood beside me, looking ahead.
My eyes dipped slightly again, but quickly returned to her.
"You weren’t rude, but you weren’t overly humble either. You knew how to choose your tasks based on the situation at hand. Just with that, you’ve already earned several points. A ruler must never be the same as those beneath him. Remember that."
Hera spoke with a more serious tone.
’If you’re too friendly with those beneath you, you may send the wrong message, and that can become a problem in the future.’
I raised an eyebrow, curious about her point of view.
"Could you give me an example?"
She smiled.
"Of course!"
"If you become too humble and show too much closeness to your people, they will become negligent. Your rules will be taken less seriously. The tendency for people to commit crimes will increase because they will think you’re too kind to punish them. But above all, the respect that should be given to a ruler will disappear. And the first mistake you make, they may attack you in every possible way. There will be chaos and, of course..."
She turned toward me.
"...there will be attempts."
"Gulp!"
I swallowed hard.
"Attempts?"
She nodded.
"Yes... assassination attempts."
"That will become recurring."
I stood there feeling a little cold as I thought about her words.
Everything related to the masses was complicated, no matter where you were. People changed their opinions all the time. Everyone was greedy, no matter how humble they might be. We all had desires rooted deep within our being, even when we didn’t show them on the surface.
All you could do was learn to control those desires and keep them from getting out of control.
Yes... what Hera said was one hundred percent correct.
"A ruler must know when to be benevolent, but he must also know when to be cruel. Sometimes, you will be an altruistic leader; other times, you will need to be ruthless. There will be moments when you are forced to make difficult choices, often choices that go against your own feelings and values. What separates a good ruler from a bad one is how he deals with his emotions."
She finished speaking and gave me some time to absorb her words.
I stood there for about a minute, simply allowing her words to settle in my mind and storing them there.
"That was very well explained and easy to understand," I said, complimenting her.
She didn’t react much, since this was part of her routine and wasn’t anything special to her. She simply gave me a small smile.
"So... since you understood my words, may I ask you a question as a test?"
"You can. Don’t hold back."
"Very well... Aster, answer me."
She stood in front of me, only a few centimeters away, looking directly into my eyes.
"After everything I’ve told you... what do you think is the greatest quality a leader can have?"
I gave a slight smile, as if I had expected that question.
Throughout all that time, I had been thinking about it because it was important to me, as someone who was learning how to lead properly.
In the end, after putting all the pieces together, only one word came to mind.
Yes. Just one.
"The greatest quality of a ruler is..."
I looked directly into her eyes.
"Adaptability."
I answered with complete conviction.
Hera stared at me for a while, analyzing my face without changing her expression.
I was sweating nervously under her silence.
’Did I answer incorrectly?’
I believed I was right because nothing else made sense. When you lead people and govern a place, nothing stays the same. People and places are constantly changing. Evolving. Creating.
Sometimes unexpected problems show up at your door out of nowhere, precisely when you least expect them.
You have to know how to adapt to the situation and solve the problem.
That was how I arrived at my answer after thinking about everything Hera had taught me.
But now, seeing Hera remain silent, I wasn’t sure whether I had answered correctly.
Hera continued looking at me in silence, but inside, things were completely different.
’Fufufu... look at how nervous he is. He thinks he answered incorrectly, and now he’s trying to hide it. I’ll make him suffer a little, you naughty boy. That’s what you get for staring at my breasts so shamelessly... Hmph.’
Hera continued thinking.
’Impressive... he reached the answer in only a few minutes, simply by thinking while I explained. Without any time to reflect, he was already analyzing my words as I gave them to him... Aster is truly intelligent. It will be enjoyable to teach him and see what he becomes in the future.’
[ ? Hera’s Trust increased by 5%! ? ]
The message appeared in front of Aster.
’Why did her trust increase?’
I wondered. Not that I was complaining. Far from it.
It could increase more.
Back to Hera...
Looking at him, as he was close to panicking, Hera decided to end her little punishment.
’That’s enough for now, you shameless boy. Fufufu.’
She thought as a slight touch of red appeared on her cheeks, disappearing as quickly as it had come.
"Your answer is correct."
"Phew..."
I let out a relieved sigh.
I ran a hand over my face and narrowed my eyes at her as she made small spasms, trying to hold back her laughter.
’Did she do that on purpose?’
’No...’
I shook my head.
’She wouldn’t do that. I mean, Hera is quite serious. She’s not the kind of person who would play little tricks... right?’
’But the system notified me that her trust increased while she was silent.’
I began putting the pieces together.
Seeing that Aster was beginning to suspect her, Hera changed the subject before his thoughts became too complicated.
She had an image to maintain. She couldn’t allow herself to laugh at her little tricks. She was a mature woman, and that was what she wanted him to see.
"Aster, I think it’s time to call the troops."
I put my thoughts aside and nodded.
"Yes. It’s time."
I stared for a moment at the Golden Ticket and the ten Silver Tickets.
’Which one should I summon first?’
"Should I summon the Golden Ticket first? I need someone to act as the leader of the troops. It would be better to speak with whoever arrives alone before summoning the troops."
I said, and Hera, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, looked at the ticket.
"Yes, that is a wise choice," she commented.
As she spoke, her long hazel-and-golden hair fell across my face.
She smelled so good, slightly sweet and refreshing. Her fragrance made me want to sleep in her lap all day.
Hera, unaware of Aster’s thoughts, continued.
"You can explain our situation to the first person and avoid having to explain everything again. It will also reduce the risk of confusion."
"So be it."
I answered and tore the ticket.
[ ? You consumed a Golden Ticket ? ]
[ ? You summoned Forest Mage Doriana — S-Rank ? ]
Aster’s smile widened.
"Jackpot," I muttered.
Soon, the runes appeared again, but this time with much greater power.
The grass around us began to grow, taking on a deeper shade of green. The flowers returned to the peak of their vitality, and finally...
"This smell..." The source of this chapter is g.com.
I said, flaring my nostrils.
The air smelled of flowers and sweet, pleasant nectar. It was an even stronger aroma than the scent lingering in Hera’s hair.
"Oh."
Hera murmured in surprise.
"You know what this is?" I asked her while my eyes remained fixed on the changes around us and the ritual continued.
"I do."
She answered calmly.
"But I won’t spoil the surprise. I’ll let you discover it for yourself."
Aster shrugged.
"All right."
The ritual was now reaching its climax.
A dark-green glow began rising from the runes until it formed a silhouette above the circle.
In front of Aster and Hera, a tall woman appeared.
Her dark-green, wavy hair fell over her shoulders and extended past her waist. A crown made of branches and flowers rested upon her head.
Her eyes were amber. Her face was refined, with serene, gentle, and peaceful eyes.
She wore a long green dress with thin straps that covered her feet. Golden branches and leaf patterns decorated the fabric, wrapping around her body and emphasizing her large breasts, which rivaled Hera’s.
Her figure seemed like a living forest.
She held a simple wand made of white wood, with several runes carved into its surface.
But there was something that particularly caught Aster’s attention.
Her ears.
They were slightly pointed and somewhat larger than normal.
"An elf?"
Aster wondered quietly.
It was the first thing that came to his mind.
"She’s not an elf," Hera replied. "Elves’ ears are larger."
"She’s a druid."
"A druid?"
Hera nodded with a smile as she looked at the woman standing before them.
Doriana observed her surroundings for a few moments before closing her eyes again.
She took a deep breath.
"Uhhhaaaaa... What a delicious smell. The nature here is so rich and dense."
She murmured with a satisfied smile.
Then she opened her eyes and looked at Aster, who was watching her curiously.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Aster."
She bowed, holding the side of her dress.
"Thank you for the opportunity to stand by your side. I will do my best to be useful to you."
Aster walked toward her and smiled calmly.
"The pleasure is mine, Doriana. I’m very happy to have you with me."
His smile widened.
’How beautiful.’
Doriana thought as she looked at the young man before her, whose skin seemed like porcelain and whose features were perfectly arranged.
A faint blush appeared on her face as she returned his smile.
Then her eyes moved behind Aster and landed on Hera, who was still standing upon the altar, watching the two of them.
Doriana’s heart sank and began beating faster.
Her breathing became heavier as cold sweat ran down her body, and her eyes trembled.
"T-t-there... t-there’s a goddess here?"
Doriana asked, somewhat frightened and surprised.