This made Athena feel that the child she cared so much about was a bit eccentric, but since he was still very young, she felt there was no need to overthink it; he would be fine when he grew up.
He was only eleven; what ill intentions could he possibly have?
Athena felt her mood brighten immediately just by looking at his delicate face, though her daily affairs were quite complex, and she couldn’t keep this Avatar by Asterios’s side all the time.
Athena reached out her hand to the child, and Asterios reached out his as well.
It was just like a mother taking care of her own child; Athena was very invested in this boy.
She even strongly considered using the precious Athena’s Heritage to strengthen Asterios’s body, but she inexplicably felt that if she did, the boy would surely shake his head like a rattle in refusal.
At this moment, she was merely holding Asterios’s hand and strolling across the lawn; the hearts of both the human and the goddess were already very relaxed and joyful.
Asterios did not call Athena “mother.” He had already learned from Chiron’s mouth exactly who this beautiful goddess was who came to visit him once a month.
Her divine office dictated that Asterios could not call her mother.
“Asterios, what kind of path do you want?
Is it the path of a hero, or the path of a king?
As long as you want it, I can give it to you.” Athena gave her promise with a smile; she was very willing to give this favored child of hers the worldly things he desired.
Whether it was to leave a name in history as a hero with Athena’s help, or to lead a nation bestowed upon him by Athena as a king, all of it was permitted.
Asterios fell silent.
At this moment, he had no calculations or schemes in his heart, but was simply reflecting on his future with composure.
Whether it was the path of a hero or the way of a king, he could accept either.
However, there was one thing he was not quite willing to accept, and that was Athena’s excessive interference in his life; that should be a path he chose and walked himself.
“Athena, if possible, I hope to walk my own path by myself.
I want to persist in what I want to do, and finally let everyone judge how my life has been.” Asterios gave his response, and Athena felt a wave of surprise.
This eleven-year-old child showed a strong sense of subjective initiative at this moment; he didn’t seem to want to spend his life under Athena’s protection, but hoped to carve out a future with his own will and strength.
This was also because Athena did not yet know what kind of power this child she cared so much about contained; if she knew, she would likely be dumbfounded and deeply shocked.
“If that is what you wish, then do so.
It doesn’t matter, Asterios.
I will always be here; when you need me, you only need to speak your desire to me, and I will be willing to help you.” After saying this, Athena turned around and let go of his hand, then used her steady and powerful arms to lift Asterios up.
As joyful as a real mother playing with her child, both of them laughed, their laughter drifting across the wide meadow with the wind.
The two spent a pleasant afternoon together.
During this time, Athena also gave Asterios some delicacies and fine wine that others had offered to her in sacrifice.
Asterios did not resist these, treating it like a picnic outing, and finally fell asleep with his head resting on Athena’s lap.
In this world of Greece, if one did not know how to drink, it would be too embarrassing to mention, and one would hardly be worthy of being called a hero.
Athena also smiled and stroked Asterios’s soft golden hair; the child’s physical features—the golden hair—were like her own, while those azure eyes were like those of the Heavenly Father.
This was so strange—if she hadn’t felt that there wasn’t a single trace of divine aura in his body, Athena might have suspected that this was another mess caused by her father’s philandering.
One could even say those blue eyes were far too iconic.
As far as Athena knew, that Son of God who would eventually face the Gigantomachy also possessed a pair of blue eyes.
As evening approached, Asterios woke up.
At this time, he was lying on the grass in a very peaceful posture, and he didn’t even know when Athena had left.
Asterios had slept very deeply, and Athena’s movements were very gentle, not waking him.
Asterios stood up from the earth.
The land at dusk had a gentle sense of beauty, like a young girl draped in gauze dancing under candlelight; that looming, ever-changing charm made one unable to stop.
Then he gave a soft laugh, immersed in his inner joy, and turned around to return to the Pelion Cave to share dinner with his father and other fellow disciples.
Even though he had eaten quite a bit while accompanying Athena in the afternoon, he still felt he could eat more.
But the moment he turned his head, Asterios fell into a momentary state of surprise.
He was silent for a moment before he spoke to ask, “Who are you?” Standing there was a goddess whose appearance and demeanor were somewhere between a young girl and a woman.
The outer layer of her hair was a fiery red, while the inner layer was an enchanting gold.
Thin gauze draped over her body added an invisible temptation, yet her face bore an expression of pride and flippancy, unconsciously stirring a desire to conquer her.
She was the complete opposite of Athena; Athena was a model of dignity and elegance, while the one standing before Asterios now was undoubtedly the pinnacle of passion and unrestraint.
Yet even Asterios himself felt surprised that he did not feel the goddess before him was a lewd or evil deity.
Seeing that the goddess before him had not yet made any response, a Golden Radiance ignited from Asterios’s body.
If no effective communication occurred between the two sides next, Asterios would not hesitate to launch an attack.
This was the first time Asterios intended to use this power of his to attack someone else.
Even though he had precisely controlled this power over the past year, he was still unclear about what kind of destructive force his attack moves would bring.
“So, you’re the child Athena cares so much about?
This is quite interesting—to think that yellow-haired girl would care about you so much.
Back then, she didn’t invest nearly as much in Erichthonius; the difference is just too obvious.” After this beautiful goddess spoke, Asterios withdrew the radiance on his body and no longer showed such intense aggression.
Since the one before him could call Athena by her name so directly, it meant she was an existence of equal status.
Her identity was undoubtedly one of the Twelve Olympians; as for who exactly she was, he would have to wait for her to speak.
In any case, it wouldn’t be Hera.
Asterios felt that if Hera were like this, Zeus would probably be under immense pressure.
“Quite a sensitive little fellow.
What you’re thinking is indeed correct.
I am one of the Twelve Olympians, Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty.”