"Are you saying that even the gods can't provide you with answers to your problems?"
At this moment, the silver-haired girl's eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze took on an even stronger scrutinizing intensity, evidently less than satisfied with what she deemed a mere excuse.
She rarely extended invitations and even more rarely faced rejection.
"Of course!"
Luo En nodded without hesitation in response.
The silver-haired girl crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked with pursed lips, "Oh? Why don't you share your difficult question, and let me see what has left the gods helpless..."
Facing such relentless pursuit, Luo En helplessly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"It's not anything earth-shattering; I'm just filled with curiosity about this world.
I want to know why, when a sailing ship comes from afar on the sea, we always see the mast first, then the body of the ship?
Why do apples fall to the ground instead of flying up into the air?
Why do objects of different weights, when dropped from the same height, seem to hit the ground simultaneously?"
These outlandish questions hit her mind, causing the confidence and pridefulness on the silver-haired girl's face to involuntarily harden.
Why do you first see the mast, then the body, of a ship sailing in from afar?
Why do apples fall to the ground, rather than soar into the sky?
Why do objects of different weights, when dropped from the same height, land at the same time?
Indeed, why...
These everyday occurrences, now questioned with a "why," left the silver-haired girl, who had never considered these perspectives, somewhat befuddled.
Shouldn't the rules of the world just be as they are, determined by fate?
And shouldn't heavier objects hit the ground first when dropped from the same height? Why would they land at the same time? What's the explanation for that?
At this moment, not only was the silver-haired girl unable to solve the initial three questions, but she also found herself sinking deeper into contemplation, her mind becoming more chaotic as she pondered further.
Finally, after half an hour of deep thought, the silver-haired girl looked up in defeat, a mix of helplessness and confusion on her face.
"All right, I can't figure it out for now, but even if you did know, what use would it be?"
"To humanity, the [world] itself is a mystery!"
Luo En looked up at the sky, surveyed the earth below, and finally fixed his gaze ahead, his eyes reflecting a distant and profound depth.
"If one could seek out its essence and pursue the truth; thereby understanding life and touching upon concepts; then perhaps one could unravel all the enigmas, grasp the soul, and rediscover immortality."
"...!"
Watching the man before her speak with such ease and listening to his grand ideas, the silver-haired girl's beautiful face first registered shock, then she came back to her senses, a cold huff gathering between her brows.
"Immortality? How arrogant! Are you suggesting you want to challenge the gods?"
"Don't, don't— that's a burden I cannot bear."
Otherwise, this goddess famed for her wisdom would have most likely discovered his identity as Zeus's son at first glance.
"Cough cough, it's getting late; how about we have dinner first?"
Luo En steadied his composure, offering a friendly suggestion to Athena opposite him, while inwardly scheming.
He planned to finish hosting quickly, take Medusa and escape, then get as far away from this city of King Minos as possible.
After all, the goddess before him was too dangerous.
A slight oversight from before probably had already given her a hint, and if he were to stay any longer, she would undoubtedly unearth his deep secrets sooner or later.
However, before Luo En could think of where to find the fastest meal available, Athena across from him chuckled and shook her head.
"It should be me who treats you."
"Huh?"
"Although I solved one more riddle than you did, you raised the last three questions for which I had no answers, so I lost,"
Athena explained nonchalantly, then pointed towards a house at the end of the road.
"It so happens I'm going to see a friend. She should have already prepared a meal; let's join her."
Upon hearing this, Luo En's back broke into a colder sweat.
One guessing that those who could be friends with Athena were most likely deities themselves didn't need to think hard.
And it was very possible that she was one of the Twelve Olympians from Olympus.
Even though the Dice could keep his identity a secret, facing two upright Chief Gods at once piled the pressure on Luo En.
So, if possible, he preferred to decline this dinner invitation.
"Cough cough, to just barge in on your friend like this would be quite impolite, wouldn't it? Maybe another time?"
Luo En, with a smile plastered on his face, attempted to gracefully refuse.
"Next time! I'll treat you next time!"
"You don't want to?"
Athena squinted and smiled, and then her expression suddenly changed.
"Fine then, the wager is void. Guards, guards, where are they? There's someone here..."
"Stop, stop, stop! I'll go, I'll go! If you don't mind, isn't that enough?"
With his weakness in her grasp, Luo En instantly broke out into a profuse sweat, hurriedly grabbing Athena's raised arm, and humiliatingly consented to the dinner arrangement.
"That's better..."
Seeing the slick guy before her bend to her will, Athena's face showed a satisfied smile. She raised her hand forward, gesturing for him to follow.
"Then let's go, my friend..."
At this moment, he was in a situation where he'd be caught whether he retracted or extended his neck.
Luo En cast aside all his distractions, took Little Medusa by the hand, and strode towards the house ahead.