Chapter 6 - God of Music

(3rd POV)

Leto looked at the goddess before her with a complicated look.

The goddess had beautiful features and a delicate face, with long black hair that fell down her back, her eyes were as black as her hair.

Her clothing was a white Greek toga, and around her neck, she wore a gold necklace with a red jewel set in it.

This beautiful woman who even looked like Leto is Titaness Asteria, the goddess of falling stars.

(Asteria Image)

Asteria was none other than Leto's sister.

Between these two sisters, a strange atmosphere reigned.

While Asteria looked embarrassed, Leto had a rather complicated expression in her beautiful blue eyes.

The reason for her complicated look at her sister is that when she was running away from Python, her sister refused to help her.*

*(A/N: Asteria actually helped her sister give birth in at least some version of Greek mythology. In one of the myths, after the fall of the Titans, Zeus chased Asteria across the sky, but she escaped by transforming into a quail, jumping into the sea to become the island of Delos so that her sister could give birth safely.)

Leto knew her sister's reason for not helping her back then and even understood it, but she still felt that latent feeling of betrayal.

Asteria had to refuse to help her sister, as Hera threatened her that if Leto received any kind of help from her, it would be her husband, the Titan Perses, the god of destruction, who would suffer the consequences of her actions.

Even though it was an almost empty threat since her husband was trapped in Tartarus, it still greatly affected the goddess of falling stars.

So in the end, she had to refuse to help her dear sister who was pregnant with twins.

Shame and guilt were what dominated Asteria.

Meanwhile, her daughter, who was next to her, had a completely stoic look on her face.

Asteria's daughter looked to be 18 years old, with long hair as black as night and her eyes that showed no feelings were a beautiful purple.

On her body, she wore a tight shirt that showed her navel, with short shorts, in addition to wearing a long cape and a cape around her waist. And tied to her waist was a sheathed sword.

The name of this beautiful young woman is Hecate, the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the path, the night, ghosts, and necromancy.

(image Hecate)

Although Hecate was only 30 years old, which was basically just a small period of time in the lives of the gods, Hecate was the strongest goddess present on the island of Delos, second only to Demeter.

In other words, Hecate is an absolute genius, in the truest sense of the word she is a prodigy.

Hecate didn't care at all about this family drama, she managed to understand her mother and aunt, but this family drama wasn't interesting at all.

Meanwhile, a white-haired girl approached her.

"Hellooo! I'm Artemis" A cute and innocent voice sounded next to Hecate.

Hecate turned to the cheerful white-haired girl.

{Your divine power is decent.} She thought, but in the next instant, she lost interest in her.

"Hello, Hecate." Hecate said as few words as possible and was silent.

"Oh! You're not the talkative type, right?" Artemis placed her hand on her chin and asked with a knowing look.

Hecate ignored her as the moon goddess continued to ask questions that she answered with a word or two.

Meanwhile, the two sisters were still staring at each other until Leto broke the awkward silence.

"Hello, Asteria." Even though her gaze was serious and without much feeling, there was still a slight note of longing in her voice.

"Hello, sister... Leto." Asteria said, with her head bowed, feeling that she didn't deserve to call Leto her sister.

And again the awkward silence fell over those two goddesses.

Demeter just placed her finger near her lips seeing that the conversation between these two sisters was not progressing.

Just when she was thinking about whether she should interfere or not, she saw her handsome nephew standing next to her daughter.

Demeter, seeing her daughter close to Apollo, despite being a protective mother, a smile formed on her full lips.

"Mother!" Apollo said, clearly seeing the uncomfortable atmosphere between the two black-haired goddesses.

"Oh! My dear son." Leto reached out and pulled Apollo close to her, wrapping him in her arms almost as if he were her great emotional support.

Her son's natural warmth calmed her and made her feel more centered.

Apollo's glowing golden eyes went to Asteria.

However, Asteria looked at her nephew guiltily.

"Dear! This is your mother's sister, her name is Asteria and that girl next to her is your daughter, Hecate."

"Nice to meet you, Aunt Asteria and Cousin Hecate, my name is Phoebus Apollo." Apollo smiled, politely.

Hecate tilted her head at her cousin, finding the vast quantity and quality of Apollo's divine power interesting.

"Hello." Hecate said, analyzing Apollo's divine power thoroughly.

"Nice to meet you, Apollo." Asteria said with an almost forced smile on her face trying to hide her guilt.

Although Apollo could easily see his aunt's guilty expression, Apollo could have an idea of what more or less had happened between Leto and Asteria.

The two sisters wanted to resolve this, but neither of them took a step to resolve this issue.

Apollo letting out a mental sigh hugged the poor woman in front of him.

Apollo's arms wrapped around his aunt's waist.

Causing the goddesses there to be surprised, especially Asteria, who was in a state of shock, but even in a state of shock, she felt joyful from the hug.

"Auntie, I don't know exactly what the problem is between you and Mother, but isn't it better to start with an apology, taking a step, even if it's a single difficult step, is always better than standing still." Apollo's golden eyes looked into his aunt's black eyes.

Asteria looked at her nephew who was smiling at her, his smile, his warmth, his eyes had the same feeling as the comfortable warmth of the sun on a day when it was only cold.

Tears began to threaten to flow from Asteria's eyes.

"Brother, you really need to stop making women cry." Artemis crossed her arms over her breasts.

Apollo gave a shy smile and looked at his sister with a critical eye as he gently pulled away from his aunt's embrace.

"Why! Looks like you have some weird fetishes." Persephone said with a teasing smile at Apollo.

"I don't have that kind of fetish." Apollo defended his honor.

"So you admit you have other fetishes, Mr. Sun?"

"You little snake." Apollo exclaimed with a smile.

Leto just smiled slightly, as her son's presence had already lightened the mood a lot.

Arteria had tears in her eyes, but she was also smiling at the situation that was happening in front of her.

While Demeter was holding back a laugh, at her nephew's slightly innocent behavior.

Meanwhile, Arteria's soft hand passed over her eyes, wiping away the tears, and she resolutely looked at her sister.

"Sister." She exclaimed, looking directly at Leto.

Leto turned to her.

For the first time in a long time, their eyes met.

Arteria didn't look away for an inch.

"I am really sorry." Just a simple but very functional apology.

"I forgive you, sister." The two sisters smiled at each other, even though it didn't completely resolve their relationship, it was a good start and a great first step.

With the mood much better, Leto pointed to the table.

"I think we better go eat." She smiled as Apollo and Persephone continued their little argument.

••• ••• •••

(Apollo POV)

Little snake.

I thought, sitting on the floor a little away from the group chatting after the banquet, as I finished putting the final touches on my lyre.

The lyre in my hands was now a deep gold, and the strings were a light golden hue.

The lyre emitted a faint heat and divine power.

Now only a few minor adjustments would be needed, and my lyre would be ready for debut.

While I was doing this, my sister was talking to Persephone.

And the three mature goddesses were sitting on chairs around the table talking.

Hmmm!

I don't see my antisocial cousin anywhere.

As if to laugh at my thoughts, fluttering sounds of fluttering butterflies sounded next to me, making me look in that direction.

I saw the remains of a ghostly black butterfly disappearing into thin air and a beautiful young girl with black hair was sitting on a rock with her hand on her cheek resting on her knee as she looked at me.

"Interesting!" She murmured looking at the beautiful lyre in my hand.

"Hecate?!" I exclaimed, a little confused.

"This object possesses your divine power, but it is not a divine artifact." She didn't seem to hear me, it was like she was in her own world.

Hecate tilted her face from side to side as her purple eyes studied my lyre.

"What objects did you use to build this instrument?" Her eyes, which had previously been emotionless, shone with interest and curiosity.

I always thought my sister was weird, but today her position is being threatened by Hecate.

"Guts, tusks, entrails, and pieces of boar bones." There was no reason for me not to answer her honestly.

"Oh! Such ordinary materials couldn't contain divine power. That's interesting... it could probably have something to do with some of your divinities? Or maybe it's the way you used your divine power?"

She would get a little cute, mumbling and stuck in her thoughts.

"I don't think it's that complicated of a thing, I just used divine power as a catalyst while using one of my skills called [Solar Construction] to decorate, fortify, and change things.

And about the divine power that this instrument emanates, and why I bathed this instrument in my divine power while using [Solar Construct]."

"I see. This is an interesting way to use your divine power. By the way, what is the name of this thing?" Hecate pointed with her slender fingers at the object in my hands.

"Lyre." I said proudly.

"Lyre!? But what is that for?" She asked, tilting her face to the side.

"The lyre is a musical instrument."

"So this thing called a lyre makes sounds." There was an incredulous expression on Hecate's face.

"Yes." I said, turning my face to look at my mother as my finger trailed across the first string.

A beautiful sound was emitted, attracting the attention of the goddesses, especially my mother, in which I smiled at her, and looked straight ahead again.

This is my gift to you, Mother.

My fingers began to trace the string slowly and gently, wonderful sounds were emitted from the lyre, forming beautiful music.

Instead of it being a sad serenade, I focused on happy, upbeat tones.

The 9 strings seemed to dance over my fingers.

And as if to accompany the beautiful melody, the sea waves swayed from side to side in a beautiful symphony.

The world seemed silent and the only sound was my music.

The sound continued to enchant all the goddesses, but when my finger passed the ninth string the beautiful symphony came to an end, awakening the goddesses.

The first voice I hear at the end of the symphony is Persephone's.

"This was…"

She couldn't finish saying it, but her mother Demeter completed her sentence.

"Beautiful." Demeter had a smile of pure happiness.

My mother looked at me as she held her sister's hand.

"Thanks." Leto says with a smile, while her sister looked at me with happiness

Artemis seemed to have stars in her eyes, while her gaze at me was almost adoring.

I smiled at my mother, sister, aunts, Hecate, and even Persephone who blushed strangely.

"That was... a beautiful performance, even though I don't really like music, I was enchanted." Hecate said, catching my attention.

That compliment did my Music God ego good.

"Thank you very much." I said, as humbly as possible.

Hecate gave a slight smile.

"By the way, do you mind if I study your lyre? The process of creating it is something very interesting." There was a spark of curiosity in Hecate's eyes.

The moment I was about to say yes, a thought crossed my mind.

I think I would be a fool not to make the most of this opportunity.

"I don't mind letting you analyze the lyre, but on one condition."

On Hecate's beautiful face, one of her eyebrows rose.

"Which?"

"I want you to spar with me regularly." I said with a smile.

An expression of surprise fills Hecate's face.

"I have to admit this is surprising and unexpected, but why would you want to spar with me?"

"Power, strength, and control." I answered, honestly.

"But this will all come naturally with time, it's literally only been 2 months since you were born."

"You're right, but I have something I want to resolve as quickly as possible." The gold in my eyes was intense as I stared at her.

I wanted to hunt Python as quickly as possible, I even set a time limit for myself.

3 years!

That was more than enough time for me to kill a creation of Gaia, Mother Earth.

Hecate looked into my eyes and remained silent for a few seconds until she broke the silence herself.

"Okay! I'll be back this week for our first sparring session" She replied with a nod.

"Thank you very much!" I said, feeling Persephone and my sister approaching.

And so I started talking to these two while a certain goddess of magic watched and made some slight comments.

Then dawn began to arrive, causing the meeting to come to an end and the visitors to leave.

Before leaving, Persephone teased me while Demeter laughed.

My mother said goodbye to her sister with a light hug between the two.

"Until next time." Hecate said, a simple sentence and lightly waved her hand, causing ghostly black butterflies to cover her and her mother.

"Until." With my words, the two goddesses disappear amidst the fluttering of butterflies' wings.

My eyes went to the incandescent orb that threatened to appear in the sky.

Today was much better than I expected

I thought, with a smile.