Zeus was not a dullard.
As the child of prophecy, he possessed a beastly intuition and a natural sensitivity to fluctuations in power.
He could not ignore Hera's increasingly dazzling divine light, with its solemn aura of marriage vows.
He also sensed the power gradually coalescing around her temple—though still immature, it possessed a worrying centripetal force.
However, Zeus's reaction to this was not immediate vigilance or suppression, but a mix of arrogance and calculation, a deliberate non-interference.
His golden eyes gleamed with the light of a conqueror as he looked at Hera as if observing a precious bird meticulously decorating its nest.
"Let her manage," he chuckled softly, playing with the leaping thunderbolt in his hand.
"Hera, my sister, she will eventually need to rely on a stronger being. The power she now gathers, the authority she restores, will ultimately become my dowry. When she understands who is truly destined for her, she will bring everything she has and throw herself into my arms."
He even pictured such a scene in his mind: holding the goddess of marriage, who had become more charming and powerful, in his embrace—not only possessing her but also absorbing her power, so that the priesthood of 'marriage' could be used by him, becoming a tool to bind other gods and strengthen his future royal authority.
This thought, with its strong sense of possessiveness and power, temporarily suppressed his inquiry into the deeper meaning of Hera's actions.
But another sound, like a tiny mosquito, buzzed in his ears from time to time, disturbing him.
It was fragments of private conversations, chaotic, yet always managing to reach his ears.
"By the way, the power His Majesty Hades displayed last time was truly shocking..."
"Indeed, facing His Majesty Cronus... ahem, despite the tyrant's attack, he was able to withstand it unscathed and save Zeus and the others."
"They say the Underworld is in perfect order, and even the erosion of Tartarus can be resisted..."
"Compared to those who only know how to... ahem, perhaps an existence like that is more kingly..."
These conversations never mentioned names directly, but they could always pierce his proud heart like cold needles at critical moments when he was relaxed.
'Kingly'?
He, Zeus, the son of prophecy, possessing supreme thunder and the destiny of the heavens—was he less 'kingly' than a brother lurking in the dark land, surrounded by the dead and the deceased?
This comparison made him feel inexplicably irritated and aggrieved.
What troubled him even more was that whenever his emotions fluctuated and he gripped the thunderbolt in his hand, that extremely subtle sensation of stagnation, appearing like a phantom, would sweep past the peak of his divine power again!
"Damn it!" During training, Zeus roared and hurled the thunderbolt at a distant mountain, instantly reducing it to powder.
In the smoke and dust, he gasped and stared at the still-dazzling thunderbolt in his hand.
"It's my problem! I must still be unable to fully control its power!"
He blamed himself, believing he hadn't grown fast enough to fully tame this powerful artifact.
This realization drove him to train with a more frenzied, almost masochistic intensity.
He constantly pushed his divine power to its limits, challenged the boundaries of control, trying to completely erase that dissonance and prove to all doubters that he was the sole master of the thunderbolt and the undisputed son of prophecy!
However, this was doomed to be futile.
It was like a nightmare from which he could not escape, tormenting his confidence and amplifying his inner anxiety.
At the same time, his relationship with his other brother, Poseidon, was far from monolithic.
Poseidon, also a Titan son who had escaped Cronus's belly, possessed immense divine power that stirred the oceans and shook the earth.
He was as unruly and wild as the [Earthquake] and [Tsunami] he commanded, and deeply resented Zeus's self-proclaimed position as the 'son of prophecy' and his issuing of orders.
"Why?!" During a strategic meeting, Poseidon erupted again, armed with the trident forged for him by Hades (Orphos). The dark blue light emanating from his weapon reflected a face twisted with anger.
"Based solely on that nonsense prophecy? Zeus, your thunder may be dazzling, but my great waves are enough to flood the foot of Olympus! We should gather our forces, launch a direct attack, and smash Cronus's palace with absolute power! Why play with ridiculous schemes and alliances here, like a ground mouse?!"
He advocated for pure force, believing in the most direct conquest.
He mocked Zeus's tactics—trying to win over Koios, appease other Titans, and even turn a blind eye to Hera's secret maneuvers—calling them weak and a waste of time.
Zeus suppressed his anger and tried to remain calm: "Poseidon! Recklessness will cause us to make unnecessary sacrifices! You and I have both seen Cronus's divine power; a frontal assault stands little chance! We need to divide his supporters, seek his weaknesses..."
"Weaknesses?" Poseidon interrupted him, his voice like a tsunami.
"His weakness is his arrogance! If we are strong enough, these wavering flowers will fall to us on their own! Just like you now, flattering everyone everywhere, even seeing the meager power gathered by that woman Hera in her eyes, it truly shames the sons of Titans!"
"Poseidon! Watch your words!" Zeus was surrounded by thunder, and the atmosphere of the meeting instantly dropped to freezing point.
The two powerful gods glared at each other viciously, their divine powers clashing violently in the air, causing the makeshift council hall to tremble slightly.
The other gods around them, such as Demeter, Hestia, and some nature and river gods who had sought refuge, remained silent, not daring to speak or mediate.
This was not the first time such discord had occurred.
Zeus and Poseidon had clashed repeatedly over choices of offensive routes, resource allocation, and attitudes towards other Titan forces.
Poseidon craved a full-scale war that would prove his strength, while Zeus preferred a strategy combining politics and military action, with lower costs and more controllable risks.
These cracks spread silently among the rebels.
Some gods with hidden agendas, like Koios, were delighted to see the enmity between Zeus and Poseidon, as it gave him more room to maneuver.
He began to interact more actively with Hera, and even 'inadvertently' expressed his 'concern' about Zeus's strategy in front of Poseidon, fanning the flames.
Hera, on the other hand, watched all this coldly.
Zeus's arrogance and anxiety, Poseidon's recklessness and discontent, and the rift between the brothers—all of this was like fertile soil, nourishing the seed named 'Hades' in her heart.
She became even more convinced that Zeus was not the ideal leader, and that the resistance needed a stronger, calmer core.
She even began to use her status as the 'goddess of marriage' to re-emphasize the importance of 'unity' and 'stability' while mediating the minor frictions caused by the disagreements between Zeus and Poseidon.
The hidden contrast was the 'turmoil' and 'uncertainty' caused by the current leadership.
The rebels, on the surface, seemed to be gaining momentum thanks to Zeus's thunder and Poseidon's fury, but internally, undercurrents were already flowing.
Trust was eroding amidst calculations of interest and clashes of character, and loyalty was wavering in private discussions and constant comparisons.