Chapter 970: A Game Played by Two.
The meeting fell into a subtle state of silence, and the gods present here who were not directly related to Victor began to ponder what to do.
Some gods like Indra thought about attacking Hela and taking her pantheon for themselves without wanting to spend any valuable resources in the process, after all, they had Shiva and Kali; even with three beasts of the END, they would somehow manage to win, right?
This incredibly foolish thought was immediately cut off when he remembered that Shiva and Kali were autonomous beings; they hardly followed rules, especially his. Not to mention that there was currently a non-aggression agreement signed by all present, and if Indra were to break that agreement, not only would he suffer the consequences, but his faction would as well.
Indra may be foolish most of the time and prone to impulsive thinking, but he is not stupid. Being in his position for so long has given him various perspectives on things... Although the authority of his position is constantly undermined by Shiva, something he deeply resents. After all, he is the God King, the gods who should listen to him! Not Shiva!
Unfortunately, he was too weak for that; because of this, the leadership of his pantheon is split between Shiva and him. Shiva being the one with the loudest voice and most respected, after all, he is the strongest.
Indra's situation was not uncommon; pantheons often had figures of power that not even the gods dared to provoke.
In the case of the Greeks, the Primordials, Nyx, Erebus, Tartarus, and Gaia were beings that not even Zeus dared to provoke. In Indra's case, Shiva and Kali were the ones he wouldn't dare to provoke.
The time of silence came to an end, and the pantheons began to make their offers. Even though internally some were very upset and didn't want to negotiate, they knew they had no choice, and the opportunity to gain more authority was something no one present would reject... Unless of course, you were someone like Victor who could literally create resources with a thought.
They were the richest faction for a reason; they could create them. And unlike some beings who have this capability and don't abuse it for some nonsense called not breaking the 'global economy,' Victor didn't care about any of that; for him, what mattered most was his family.
The first to make his offer was Sucellus, the king of the gods of the Celtic pantheon. Or should I say, the lack of his offer. "I have nothing that may interest Lady Hela, therefore, I abstain from negotiation."
Sucellus lied as easily as he breathed; he actually had something of value, something left by a primordial of his pantheon, but he wouldn't reveal it, even though the opportunity to gain more authority was good, he wouldn't risk it like that. Mostly because if he were to reveal this item, the gods' greed would be attracted, and since currently, he is the weakest pantheon, he needs to play his cards right.
Hela didn't care about Sucellus's words; she just looked at the celestial father, Shiva, Amaterasu, and Haruna.
She completely ignored Indra for an obvious reason that everyone here knows. An act that left Indra even more irritated, with veins popping up on his head. Fortunately, he knew he shouldn't explode here, or things would be ugly for him.
"I don't care about some stupid land; I'm very happy with my husband~." Amaterasu sneakily hugged Victor while smiling.
Oh... Yes, they had forgotten about that fact. The God Queen of the Shinto pantheon had already claimed the biggest prize by becoming Victor's wife. Naturally, being his wife, it was obvious that the man would support her, a support that couldn't help but make Indra a little jealous.
If he were a woman, he could charm the dragon, and would gain such support that even he could handle Shiva and Kali.
Indra's thoughts would make any mortal shudder, but not the gods, after all, labels don't hinder them in any way. And many of them are bisexual by nature, which is understandable considering they have lived for thousands of years.
A good example of this was Aphrodite herself, who liked both men and women but focused her attention on men after finding Adonis and later her true love, Victor, to whom she dedicated her life and body.
Despite loving the wives around Victor, this love was more like how sisters love other sisters; her 'love' is more obsessed with her husband.
Indra even considered for a few moments becoming a woman, but instinctively, he didn't want that, after all, he had lived most of his existence as a man; changing now would be strange... Although he wasn't against the idea if he could gain some benefits.
Coincidentally, the same thought passed through the mind of the God King of the Celtic pantheon, but his thought leaned more towards letting his sister handle that burden. Although she was a married woman... something that wouldn't deter the ambitious god; so what if she was married? Feelings were fleeting; benefits were eternal.
But again, he didn't go in that direction. For the one simple reason that... Victor scared him. Yes, he had no shame in accepting that fact; the mere existence of this man frightened him; he goes against the rules of everything that has been established in the world. It didn't even take a thousand years for him to rise in power to the existence he is now, a fact that is honestly terrifying considering he has been alive for thousands of years.
The celestial father, on the other hand, was focused on something else; he surreptitiously observed the 'Empress's' expression, seeing her acting normally while Amaterasu hugged Victor, proving to him that his family was quite harmonious, and there were no conflicts that a Harem would normally have.
This sight made him feel internally. 'As expected, love can solve most problems,' he thought to himself, a belief that almost shattered over time due to the things he faced with his children betraying him, and subsequently, humanity's actions.
But seeing such a great example of 'love' in front of him made this belief stronger again, but despite thinking about it, he wasn't foolish enough to believe that some things love cannot solve; therefore, power was necessary. As it always has been.
The only reason his pantheon was in relative peace and free from interference from other pantheons was because of him; he was a primordial and at the same time a god of creation. Despite not being a fighter and considering himself more of a craftsman, his power was not to be mocked, considering that he also wielded positive energy as a weapon.
He knew very well that if he were to die, his pantheon could very well crumble into ruins due to interference from others.
"My opinion is the same as Lady Amaterasu's; I do not need more lands," Haruna spoke gracefully.
The positions of the two women were understandable, so no one commented on it externally. They simply kept their thoughts hidden in their minds.
Next, everyone's attention turned to Shiva, Indra, and the celestial father.
"Due to recent events, and not having resources that can satisfy Lady Hela, I abstain from negotiating," he said.
Frankly, although not officially an 'ally' of Victor, he holds the great privilege of being his neighbor, and just because of that, his position was secure and comfortable.
After all, Victor's 'pantheon' was created by taking the lands of the Greeks as a pillar, and his personal dimension where his world existed, a place that beings unrelated to Victor did not know about.
Before Victor appeared, the Greeks as his neighbor were a great source of concern for the celestial father, after all, he knew very well the power-hungry tendencies of the Greeks, but now that Victor took over, he was much more relaxed... And he also had a good relationship with Victor, he could even call him his friend, which Victor wouldn't deny. The situation was that the celestial father wasn't satisfied with just that; he wanted something closer, so he would be even more pleased.
Again, the celestial father's situation was very understandable, and he was known to be a humble man; no one present here thought he would make an offer; he much preferred his peace than worrying about gaining more authority.
Therefore, the ball fell into the lap of the Hindu pantheon.
Seeing Shiva and Indra quite silent, Hela understood that it was time for her to act.
Hela sighed lightly and spoke as if she were making a very difficult decision. "Honestly, just offer anything of high value, and I will hand over the pantheon to you; I really don't want to keep these lands."
These words made the eyes of Sucellus and the celestial father darken slightly; this woman only says this now after they said they weren't interested! Now they can't go back anymore!
Although the celestial father was not really interested, it was still annoying to hear this; even if he wasn't interested, he should have said it earlier, right? That way, he could have made other decisions.
Shiva looked at Hela for a few seconds in silence, as if trying to assess her reaction, and all he saw in the woman was the reluctance to leave this meeting without any benefit.
'She is genuine... She really wants to get rid of this 'burden'... What should I offer?' Shiva wondered. New lands were not essential for him now, but that doesn't mean it will be the same in the future; after all, the sector is about to level up, and in this new sector with stronger beings, perhaps he will need to move to subdue weaker pantheons and add to his pantheon's army.
Shiva's interest in the lands of the Norse pantheon was not immediate; it was more of an investment for the future. Something that everyone here doesn't seem to take into consideration.
Apparently interpreting the silence of the two as indecision, Hela sighed again: "Look, I understand that the price is high, but the value is adequate. Remember that the sector is about to level up. Who knows in the future you may need lands to accommodate new subordinates or gods? Not to mention that with more authority, you will have the power to negotiate with the big guys of the next sector."
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