It was a very one-sided conversation.
Frondier continued as if unraveling his thoughts.
“If she's that beautiful, wouldn’t that woman, Lupina, be unlikely to catch Aphrodite's eye?”
Frondier hadn’t seen Lupina in person, but he had witnessed a massive statue of her on his way here, and her pictures were plastered all over the capital like promotional flyers. He already knew what she looked like. The same went for Bruna, the other candidate.
Both were beautiful, but only to a certain extent.
Arald spoke up.
“As expected, Aphrodite choosing the most beautiful woman was nothing but a pretense. War is her true objective.”
“Yes, but that’s not all.”
Frondier nodded, his face unreadable.
“What if Aphrodite found a woman so beautiful that it threatened her own beauty? Would she really support her?”
“……Uh……”
Lily started to answer with an ambiguous expression but stopped.
Honestly, she didn't know.
Originally, it was a golden apple meant for the most beautiful goddess. But in this capital, they were choosing the most beautiful ‘human.’ And only within the capital, at that.
She understood that this was a move to somehow continue a story that had been put on hold. She understood that they chose a human because the gods couldn’t descend. Gods followed fate.
But that aside, could Aphrodite truly accept it?
A woman so beautiful that it threatened the beauty of the Goddess of Beauty herself?
‘Aphrodite is such a famous goddess that she appears in all sorts of stories in Greek mythology.’
Many people besides Frondier knew the stories about Aphrodite.
Every time Frondier read a story involving Aphrodite in his previous world, he had similar thoughts.
‘Isn't she the Goddess of Jealousy rather than the Goddess of Beauty?’
Aphrodite hated any god or human who was more beautiful than her, or who she perceived as beautiful. And it wasn’t just dislike; it was intense hatred. It was almost as if Aphrodite became the Goddess of Beauty by eliminating everything more beautiful than herself.
Responding to Frondier’s question, Arald asked,
“If Aphrodite couldn’t stand it, does that mean she didn’t choose the most beautiful woman in the capital, but rather someone adequate?”
“No, that wouldn’t be it. She needs the people’s approval, after all. She must have chosen the most beautiful woman in the capital, or at least someone with that reputation. Besides, the option of choosing an ‘adequate’ woman wouldn’t have been available in the first place. That would be admitting that the most beautiful woman in the capital is more beautiful than her.”
Aphrodite was the Goddess of Beauty. She must be far more beautiful than Bruna or Lupina.
What Frondier was focusing on was actually the opposite.
“……Aphrodite is bound to this land like Poseidon.”
“That’s right.”
“So she’s never met a woman like you two.”
Frondier said, looking at Lily and Selena.
Unsure of what expression to make, they subtly avoided his gaze.
“She’s never met Elodie, nor has she even laid eyes on Carla.”
Hera and Aphrodite each selected the most beautiful woman.
And people were divided into two factions, arguing over who was more beautiful.
No one doubted that the women chosen by the two goddesses were truly the most beautiful.
In that case…
“Didn’t Aphrodite find a sense of reassurance in that process?”
“Reassurance?”
“The reassurance that she is undoubtedly the most beautiful.”
At Frondier'swords, the others exchanged glances.
Gregory chuckled dryly.
“Frondier, she’s a goddess. Why would she think like that?”
Finding reassurance in the fact that others are less beautiful than her.
A human might think that way, but it seemed too petty for a goddess.
Hearing that, Frondier chuckled in agreement.
“You’re right, huh?”
“Besides, we’re all wearing masks, so that assumption is meaningless.”
That was true.
Charon was currently searching for Frondier and his companions. Unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn’t remove their masks.
“Ultimately, the important thing is to prevent the war. We’ll see how Aphrodite reacts and respond accordingly.”
“Right, I was thinking too much.”
Frondier admitted his thoughts were excessive and nodded.
Then, as if summarizing, he said,
“Poseidon will handle the gods coming from the Falind Continent first, and I’ll receive that information from the birds roaming around, through Gregory.”
Selena spoke up.
“The vote will take place in the capital square. Bruna and Lupina will appear there. Citizens can see them in person and decide who to vote for on the day. It feels like they're being put on display, but since a goddess is behind it all, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
This time, Lily spoke, arms crossed.
“That means Arald and I need to check on those two. To confirm if Lupina really has Aphrodite's backing, and if it’s truly a devil impersonating Hera who’s behind Bruna.”
Arald shifted his gaze slightly.
“Naturally, Aphrodite won’t reveal herself in the square. Nor will the devil impersonating Hera, or the fake Poseidon allied with Charon. In other words, our objective is to find out where they’re hiding. If we can do that, we can set things straight after the vote, when tensions are high. If we can let the citizens know that it’s devils, not gods, who are behind Charon and Hera, that would be the ideal solution.”
Frondier turned to Gregory.
“By the way, how is that ‘Nine’ organization that Colin belongs to? Are they not planning to make a move?”
“Well, I’ve been trying to communicate with them through that crow over there.”
Gregory rubbed his temples, frowning.
“Honestly, that woman, her words are overly bold, but her tone is so suspicious that it’s hard to believe anything she says. She must be doing it on purpose.”
“What kind of things is she saying?”
“That since they threatened Colin, Paladin Charon is an enemy of Nine, that Nine will turn the capital into a sea of fire on the day of the vote, that they’ll kill every last god and devil. And that we have nothing to worry about because they’ll take care of it. Things like that. And she says it all in a suspicious whisper.”
“……It’s impossible to trust her.”
In that case, it would be best not to expect any help from Nine.
Frondier rested his hand on his hip and let out a light breath.
“Well, whatever happens, leave Charon to me. He’ll have to show himself in the capital.”
“Naturally, a considerable number of Paladins will be there as well. Charon will be aware that you’re targeting him, Master Frondier.”
“To borrow the words of Nine,”
Frondier nodded.
“Charon is my enemy.”
His voice changed.
“Don’t worry.”
Simple words. Words meant to reassure Selena, who had expressed her concern.
However, Selena only felt a chill run down her spine.
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