"So, you just brought them all back like that?"
In the temple of the Magic Network Goddess in Colchis, Aphrodite pouted discontentedly as she eyed Alaric, surrounded by the three goddesses, one tall and two petite.
"You said you were going to find some helpers for Hecate, and this is the result?"
She gestured pointedly at the goddesses by Alaric's side.
Alaric stood there, holding hands with the two goddesses, Stheno and Euryale, as if leading a pair of children.
When the two sisters discovered that Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, was not only present in the Magic Network Goddess's domain but also seemed to share a close bond with Hecate, their admiration for Alaric nearly burst forth.
This was no ordinary man, someone who could tame two of the most powerful goddesses.
Of course, they were also a bit apprehensive. After all, they had openly flirted with the man claimed by two formidable deities.
Casting aside their divine dignity, they clung to Alaric's hands like actual children, blinking up at Aphrodite with exaggerated, pleading expressions.
Behind them, Medusa facepalmed, pretending not to know her shameless sisters.
Resorting to their childlike appearances to garner sympathy? That was a new low, even for them.
Aphrodite, meanwhile, was exasperated by Alaric's knack for attracting women. Hecate, on the other hand, watched the scene with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"Big Sister Aphrodite, don't say it like that," Hecate teased.
"When we decided to recruit subordinate gods, we should've known this would happen, right? After all, this 'stingy' man would never let a male god join us."
"You're right, I should've seen it coming," Aphrodite sighed, sounding defeated.
"But who could've guessed that in just one trip, he'd get this close to them? I thought it'd take him longer to win over new goddesses."
"Eh? How does Big Sister Aphrodite know how far they've gone?" Hecate asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Oh, come on. As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, how could I miss the thick aura of love radiating from those three?" Aphrodite explained, her tone exasperated.
"I've been keeping an eye on this scoundrel, and somehow, he always ends up with new romantic entanglements."
"Oh, I see!" Hecate exclaimed, as if a revelation had struck her.
"I thought they looked like a family of four, mom and dad with their two daughters, so harmonious!
But even if that's not the case, now that I think about it, this kind of play could be fun too, don't you think?"
Hecate's words darkened Aphrodite's expression further.
Stheno and Euryale hung their heads even lower. If Alaric weren't holding their hands, the two goddesses might've crouched down in embarrassment.
They weren't the type to seduce men with weird roleplay fantasies!
Even Alaric could only manage a wry smile.
Hecate, you've gone astray.
The innocent, kind-hearted Hecate of old was long gone.
Medusa, however, felt a wave of relief wash over her as she watched the scene unfold.
The playful banter between the goddesses and Alaric spoke volumes about their genuine camaraderie.
And these two goddesses didn't seem difficult to get along with.
If this was the case, her and her sisters' future here might not be so bad.
What a relief.
…
And so, the three Gorgon sisters officially joined the Magic Network.
As part of the agreement for their allegiance, Medusa's plight was addressed immediately.
According to Stheno and Euryale, the solution was clear: remove Medusa's mystic eyes entirely, lift Athena's curse, and allow her to shed her "demonic" powers, enabling her to grow into a "complete goddess."
But Alaric disagreed.
In his view, for deities like Aphrodite or Hecate, additional abilities might be unnecessary.
But for native gods of the sisters' caliber, retaining the mystic eyes as an extra source of strength was a valuable asset.
To that end, he sought Medusa's opinion.
Her past experiences had taught her the helplessness of the weak.
Though the three sisters were lofty goddesses in the eyes of mortals, to deities like Athena or Poseidon, they were mere pawns on a chessboard.
A single careless move could sweep them off the board, powerless to resist.
This harsh lesson had instilled in Medusa a deep appreciation for the importance of power.
Without strength, they were at the mercy of Athena's whims, unable to fight back.
But with power, like that wielded by Alaric and Hecate, they could pluck Aphrodite from Olympus's grasp (a fact they had just learned), and their enemies dared not protest.
They could promise to protect the three sisters, and even Athena would hold her tongue.
Even with Alaric as their protector, Medusa now craved power of her own.
Power that, as a goddess, she could never attain.
Gods, though exalted and eternal, were bound by the domains they governed.
Take her sisters, for example. As embodiments of the "ideal woman" and "ideal maiden," Stheno and Euryale were powerless in combat.
They were immune to mortal harm, but that was the extent of their strength.
Their power lay in their domains, their appearance, charm, and ability to captivate men, rivaling even Aphrodite herself.
But beyond that…
As low-tier native gods, they had no real fighting prowess.
Medusa knew that if she reclaimed her divine form and became a true goddess, she might end up like her sisters.
Perhaps she'd become the "ideal young girl", another powerless goddess.
Before her ordeal, that might have been her dream, to become like her sisters, petite and beautiful.
Aside from not wanting the constant attention of men, Medusa had once longed to be a goddess like them.
But now…
She wanted to grow stronger. To have the power to protect herself, her sisters… and even that man.
The most immediate source of that power lay in the "demonic" nature of her mystic eyes.
Truth be told, if using her mystic eyes didn't risk driving her into a mindless demonic frenzy, Medusa wouldn't hesitate to wield them.
After all, to her, there was no difference between god and demon, it was a "god" who had condemned her to this fate, wasn't it?
And on this point, Alaric offered a definitive answer.
He could help her control the demonic nature of her mystic eyes.
With that, Medusa's choice was clear: keep the mystic eyes and embrace their demonic power.