Previously, Hades's actions had always seemed unhurried, for when referencing the past two eras, the one to two thousand years before a Divine King took the throne were often calm and tranquil. According to his plan, this period had been ample for the Underworld's power to significantly rise and for him to reach the pinnacle of formidable divine power.
But plans can't keep up with changes. The power Zeus suddenly displayed had made Hades greatly wary, with a touch of envy as well.
Up until today, the Lord of the Underworld had not feared his younger brother, for with the support of half the realm, very little could truly threaten him. However, as the confrontation between Zeus and Mother Earth unfolded, the matchless power altered Hades's thinking abruptly.
He needed to do something, and just so, as the guardian of oaths, Zeus still owed him a favor.
"...Minta, have you found the person I asked you to look for?"
With a flicker in his gaze, Hades turned to his maid beside him and inquired.
"Your Majesty, not yet..."
Minta replied respectfully with a shake of her head.
"Not yet?"
Frowning slightly, Hades didn't say anything. He pondered for a moment before making his decision.
"Then put this aside for now, I will find another way."
"What?"
With a gasp, the Naiad slowly lifted her head. Facing the gaze of her sovereign, Minta clenched her teeth but continued to speak:
All of the Underworld, either the native deities with dispositions as vile as their godhoods or the taciturn wraiths, was worthless. The only capable Naiad always had this or that idea. In this moment, he grew increasingly desperate for the idea of having a Queen of the Underworld.
He did not care about power or enjoyment; all could be shared. He wanted only the growth of the Underworld. But for some reason, even this modest desire was constantly met with obstruction by others.
······
Shush—
Above the earth, lightning roamed the sky, streaking across the vast land—it was the avatar of the Divine King.
Following a scent intentionally left behind, Zeus's form flickered in the sky. The war had just ended and Mount Olympus's surroundings were left devoid of any notable features. It was only after some time that he could see elevations and depressions on the ground, as well as water bodies and forests.
However, the voice that had been calling to him earlier should still be farther away—of course, Zeus was in no rush to get there. His avatar flew at a normal pace, while the Divine King pondered the whole affair in his mind.
The recent events still held many mysteries and, unlike Gaia, Zeus was very aware of some of the questions. For instance, since he truly hadn't stolen the Golden Apple, then the real thief must be someone else.
Considering the two fleeting presences not long ago, the enigmatic collision of darkness and obscurity, the identity of the true thief was almost clear.
The Dark Overlord or the Lord of the Spirit Realm, they both were suspects or perhaps both were involved. What puzzled Zeus was that both Primordial Deities seemed to harbor some malice towards him—unlike Gaia, he was not clueless about Erebus's purpose.
He had tried to spy on the nature of Zeus's ceremony, and also to sever the blessings of the deities who supported Zeus as the pillar of kingship. Although the ceremony turned out perfectly fine in the end, with the other party's actions a complete failure, the attitude these actions conveyed still made the Divine King wary and vigilant.
Of course, wary as he might be, Zeus wasn't too afraid of them. Having crossed that threshold, even if there was a difference in strength between them, it was unlikely that one could obliterate the other instantly.
Just like the end of the First Era where many Titans struggled against the weakened Heavenly Father, even if initially they were defeated almost without the ability to fight back, if they were determined to hold on, the battle would certainly not be concluded in a short time.