Upon hearing Ares's words, Aphrodite's face turned pale with shock, and the gods erupted in an uproar.
"Ares, did you hear what we were saying?" Zeus composed himself, then asked his son, "Aphrodite, she wants to marry you, you know."
"I heard it," Ares replied. "But why should I agree to her? Oh, she wants to marry me, so I must agree? Is she Aphrodite one of the Twelve Great Gods, and I Ares am not?"
"That's not the issue. Of course, you have the right to refuse, but…" Zeus looked at Aphrodite, hesitating to speak, "Ares, is there something wrong with your body?"
"What could be wrong with my body?" Ares retorted. "Can you find any god among the fourth generation gods who is healthier than me?"
"Then since you're healthy, why wouldn't you agree when such a beautiful woman proposes to you?" Zeus tugged at his white beard on his chin, completely baffled. "Could it be that you like men?"
"Nonsense!" Ares stomped his foot in anger. "Father, you are insulting my divinity!"
"Exactly, what nonsense are you spouting?" Hera also shot her husband a displeased glance. "Where would our son get so many strange hobbies?"
"Actually, pretty boys aren't out of the question," Zeus muttered softly, but he didn't let Hera hear him.
"But Ares," Hera turned back to her son and began lecturing him again, "You're already this age, and it's truly time to consider your spouse. Look, you are powerful and handsome, and you and Aphrodite can be considered a match made in heaven. The children you have will surely be very strong gods. If you have more children, it will also make our Olympus more prosperous."
"But I haven't had enough fun yet, and I don't want to get married!" Ares behaved like a spoiled brat at this moment.
"Enough!" Seeing Ares's behavior, Poseidon, who had just been snubbed by Aphrodite, roared with displeasure, "This woman just rejected me and Apollo, and now she chose you, but you don't want her? What do you mean, Ares? Are you saying that something we fought tooth and nail for, you simply look down upon… Are you looking down on me and Apollo?"
Ares looked towards Apollo upon hearing this and indeed found the handsome man frowning deeply, his expression appearing somewhat displeased.
After all, he was a man who would forget his divine status for a beloved boy. Apollo was usually clear-headed, but once it involved such beautiful things, he would also get carried away.
There was nothing Ares could do. At this moment, he was cornered by two main gods. If he didn't nod in agreement, he would probably offend Apollo, with whom he had painstakingly built a good relationship, and his uncle Poseidon, together.
Fortunately, among the gods present, Ares still had his close companion Athena.
So he tried hard to wrinkle his face into a ball, showing an angry expression, and then suppressed his anger and said, "How could I have such a thought, Poseidon, you are arbitrarily provoking the brotherhood between me and Apollo! Even you, you must be responsible for what you say!"
"Oh?" Poseidon immediately sneered, "Then tell me, why are you unwilling to marry Aphrodite?"
"That's because of Athena, of course!" Ares pointed his hand, directly at Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, who was standing among the gods, originally holding a wine glass and watching the show. After he pointed at her, Athena showed a look of astonishment, as if saying, "How did this get dragged into me?" However, Ares ignored her feelings and continued on his own:
"Getting married means having children with a wife, and having children will delay my time. Won't my time for training and studying magic be delayed then? If this continues, when will I ever be able to defeat Athena!"
With you like this, you'll never be able to defeat her, will you?
Zeus thought so in his heart, but in front of Hera, he still couldn't arbitrarily belittle the son he had with her, so he said:
"Having children, what time can that possibly delay? Ares, it's good that you focus on training yourself, but you should also pay attention to balancing work and rest."
"I don't believe it!" Ares's eyes darted around, and he looked at Athena, saying, "Unless Athena also agrees to marry one of the male gods present, then I will marry Aphrodite."
It was difficult for anyone to realize that Ares's words were intentionally misleading, because when viewed in connection with Ares's own "persona," this was just another foolish remark from the impulsive and thoughtless God of War. However, this time, Ares's words struck a chord with Zeus.
Once Athena, as a goddess, was married off, then according to the prevailing patriarchal society, whether she liked it or not, her divinity would slowly be absorbed by her husband, gradually replaced by him, and eventually she would become a subordinate deity to her husband.
Such an Athena, no matter how strong or intelligent, would pose no threat to Zeus.
The Goddess of Wisdom herself clearly understood this point. Zeus had been planning this matter all along, but Athena had repeatedly defused it with ease. However, this time, Ares was dragging her down with him, even at the cost of self-destruction. No matter what, Athena could no longer just brush it off this time.
So Zeus turned to Athena and asked with a chuckle:
"Athena, I think Ares's suggestion is excellent. It's a great opportunity for you to marry a male god today. Our Olympus will have double happiness, a great auspicious event, indeed a great auspicious event."
He pointed to the male gods at the banquet and said:
"Look, all the famous male gods in the world are here today. Pick one you like, and I'll make the decision for you."
If you really don't like any of them, Daddy can make a sacrifice and be your husband.
Regardless of the perverted thoughts flashing through Zeus's mind, as soon as he spoke these words, the male gods present, who had originally lost interest, became excited once again.
In terms of appearance alone, although Athena was not as beautiful as Aphrodite, she was still an extremely beautiful goddess. Moreover, she exuded an aura of nobility even greater than Aphrodite's, like the Queen of Olympus, which greatly aroused men's desire for conquest.
Furthermore, she was also the one among the current Twelve Great Gods, apart from Zeus, with the most divine duties and the widest range of authority. If one were to marry her, it would not be an exaggeration to describe it as soaring to great heights.
"Damn you, Ares, you utterly despicable gorilla!"
Athena secretly seethed, but on the surface, she had to maintain a proper smile. She looked at Zeus and said with a smile:
"Great Zeus, thank you for your kindness, but I apologize, I have no intention of marrying."
She thought for a moment, then raised three fingers and suddenly swore to the heavens:
"By the name of Pallas Athena, I swear to this world that I shall remain unmarried and chaste for life. Should I willingly violate this oath, may all that I possess be stripped away, and may I be cast into the lowest depths of Tartarus, to suffer the most agonizing torments in the deepest hell!"
She swore to the world by her true name, and immediately received a response from the entire world. In the unseen, a protective force from the inhibitory power descended upon her, granting Athena the protection of the entire world. Now, she could rightfully refuse any related demands from the God King Zeus.
Feeling Athena's oath take effect, Zeus's face darkened. Even he could no longer force Athena, who had received the protection of the inhibitory power. So he said somewhat dejectedly, "Alright, since that is your wish, then I shall comply with my daughter's wishes."
In this way, Athena had both gains and losses. She had indeed preserved her last line of defense, but this also precluded the possibility of her seeking other male main gods and forming an unbreakable alliance with them.
All in all, Zeus was the one who profited.
However, before Zeus could finish organizing his thoughts, he heard the voice of his son, who was suspected of having a mental illness, again.
"Hmph, it's truly you, Athena. To be able to come up with such a method, to suppress your desires and focus on strengthening yourself," Ares said with a sneer, hands on his hips. "But do you think this can stop my resolve? Im—pos—sible! Whatever you have, I must also have!"
With that, he also raised three fingers and, following suit, swore to the heavens:
"By the name of Ares, the God of War, I swear to this world that I shall remain unmarried and chaste for life. Should I willingly violate this oath, may all that I possess be stripped away, and may I be cast into the lowest depths of Tartarus, to suffer the most agonizing torments in the deepest hell!"