The gods of Greece often changed their appearances and walked among humans.
But their extraordinary bearing and the immense presence that came from the nature of their existence, no matter how thoroughly disguised, were like stuffing an elephant into an ant's body.
The overwhelming sense of pressure never disappeared entirely.
Humans occasionally noticed when a god descended simply by observing carefully.
But none of them had anything close to Night's level of sensitivity.
Without even seeing anyone yet, just following a distant instinct and the feel of the air around him, he could tell that something was off and that a god was present.
A walking divine being detection device was essentially what he had become.
And the certain goddess who did not know in the slightest that she had already been exposed and was still in a disguised state, at this moment, was waiting inside the camp tent for Night to come in.
After seeing him delay and not come in, that goddess slightly frowned.
If you won't come in, I'll come out to find you.
Already past the point of containing her curiosity and interest in Night,
She started walking toward the exit.
And at the same moment, the young man outside heard the approaching footsteps but didn't leave.
He kept his expression completely still.
Inside, his alertness went up a notch.
Finally...
He saw the other party's appearance.
A girl with long golden hair that rippled like ocean waves.
Blue eyes so vivid they almost seemed to speak, carrying a quality of guileless innocence with just a thread of alluring charm woven through.
Fair skin with the warmth of roses underneath, slender and graceful limbs, a figure that moved with gentle curves...dressed in a hunter's outfit.
The outfit was simple.
What caught the eye most were the bare feet and the exposed thighs and calves, drawing the gaze in a way that made it hard to look away.
She looked like a lily that had never known the world, beautiful in that untouched way, yet the allure that came off her didn't clash with that innocence at all.
The two qualities layered together into something that felt effortlessly pure and sensual at once.
The other party was dressed in a female hunter outfit...
This was the usual pose the goddess used when she seduced humans she liked in the mortal world.
She was the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite.
Aphrodite understood men's aesthetic tastes very well, knowing what type of young girl they liked.
That quality of innocence touched with a natural, almost unaware allure, like a naturally seductive peach waiting to be picked, stirred a man's instinct toward possession more than almost anything else.
Although there were also many male gods and heroes who didn't care about her track record and, even after knowing that she was fickle and lustful, were willing to roll in the sheets with her.
But Aphrodite was not sure whether Night was such an existence.
Especially given how he showed no particular interest or competitive drive toward the prize of Helen, a woman of absolute legendary beauty.
That suggested a hero with real principles.
That kind tended to be harder to approach.
Aphrodite was genuinely interested in Night.
She made that clear even while still in the heavens.
And she acted the moment she wanted to.
So she came down to the mortal world directly, taking on the form of a young huntress.
And though she was thoroughly experienced in every way, she still put on the act of an innocent girl who had barely seen the world, all to get closer to Night.
But all those carefully practiced little gestures, the smiles, the performed innocence, and the feigned naive confusion read to Night right now like an eight-hundred-watt bulb blazing in the middle of a dark night.
Which goddess was this?
There was something about her vibe that felt, well. Tea-colored.
The kind of green tea energy that almost hit you in the face from across the room.
Aphrodite's act was far more refined than average, driven by a beauty instinct that went bone-deep and was incomparably higher-class than the ordinary variety.
But in front of Night's super perception, which nearly rivaled a god's, and especially compared to the truly reserved and elegant beautiful maiden Briseis he just spent time with,
The disguised purity instantly had nowhere to hide, full of loopholes everywhere.
At this time Night, who did not know the other party's intention, could only pretend not to know her identity and frowned to ask, "Why are you coming out of my tent? Who are you?"
When Aphrodite noticed his eyes on her body, her mood lifted immediately.
It was worth dressing like Artemis and adopting that cool hunter look, albeit with a more revealing cut.
Sure enough, men liked this kind of pure yet seductive.
Innocence and charm combined… invincible!
She noticed Night's gaze had lingered on her bare feet and exposed skin, so Aphrodite intentionally or unintentionally showed a little more, tucking her hair back to reveal the soft curve of her collarbone, and smiled with careful shyness. "I came here especially to find you, Lord Griffith.
I apologize for intruding into your camp without permission.
I called out from outside earlier and got no response, so I took it upon myself to come in and check, and when I saw you weren't here,
I helped you tidy up the room a bit."
Aphrodite did her best to present herself as the image of an admiring fan of a great hero.
This perhaps could help her get close to Night.
But the latter had already confirmed her goddess identity, so, at this moment, he only felt endless vigilance and defense toward her in his heart.
He asked, "What is your name?"
"Venus. My name is Venus."
That was the alias Aphrodite gave.
Completely unaware that on the other side, Night, upon hearing this name, immediately saw through her identity.
Venus…!
Boom, his brain instantly exploded, a blank.
Of all people, Venus?
That was the name Aphrodite took in the Roman period.
Fuck… he was actually targeted by this slutty love and beauty goddess?
Night felt a jolt inside.
He didn't know whether this goddess spotted something about his nature or came purely to test him or whether she simply liked how he looked.
After all, when Aphrodite came looking for you, it wasn't necessarily about sleeping together.
It could also be the kind of gift she once gave Paris, the kind of surprise that came with catastrophic consequences.
Out of that wariness, plus the fact that he had no interest whatsoever in a goddess with Aphrodite's reputation, Night declined every attempt from the human huntress calling herself Venus.
Aphrodite, completely taken with Night at first sight and still unaware she had been found out, kept trying to hold his attention and extend the conversation.
She had correctly anticipated earlier that without a disguise, this man would never be drawn to a goddess like her.
But with the disguise already compromised, any chance of winning him over was already gone.
Every attempt to draw him in or get him talking was met by Night's elegant and perfectly polite smile of refusal.
This started to make Aphrodite genuinely anxious.
She was on the verge of using her divine power to take control and force Night to understand the sweetness and anticipation filling her heart, the joy of love, and the pleasure of joining her in paradise.
(Night internally: Is that what you call affection?) I don't even have the heart to call it out. Even Apollo isn't this impatient.)
Gradually Aphrodite exhausted every sweet word and generous offer she had, and the latter still looked at the goddess of love with what she perceived as mild disinterest, though in reality his expression hadn't changed at all.
The effect on her was devastating.
She was almost ready to collapse.
Gods, it should be noted, sometimes came down to earth in mortal form to pursue people and play at romance.
But underneath, they were all impatient.
The moment soft tactics failed, their true nature showed immediately, and they switched to force.
Aphrodite had reached that point.
.
.
.
(End of the Chapter)