Roger sat at a table inside the Gods’ massive library chamber, reading an open scroll about battle tactics. At least Athena allowed him to wear clothes while he studied her scrolls.

First, she forced him to fight a giant robot naked, sweat his body off while lifting weights, and now she ordered him to read warfare manuals as if he was back in high school. How would he have time to strategize when the Giants attack?

After he rolled up the scroll, Roger rubbed his forehead. Someone wrote the scrolls in Greek, but Athena changed the letters to English for him. Although he could read all of them, the English writing still burned his head.

Athena approached him with a golden chalice. “A gift from Dionysus. Your mind needs refreshment.”

Roger took the chalice. “Thank you.”

He sipped the glowing pink wine. It had a strong berry flavor, and it bubbled on his tongue.

He stared at the cup. "Not bad."

"Of course, it isn't bad. Dionysus is the God of Wine." Athena sat down in front of him. “You studied well?”

Roger placed his chalice down. “I think I have enough reading today. My head is hurting.”

“What a shame. I can summon Hephaestus to split your head open.”

“What!?”

“Splitting your head open will cure your headache. It cured my father.”

Roger rubbed his head, imagining his skull cracking open like an egg. “But that will kill me!”

Athena giggled. “My apology. I almost forgot you are mortal.”

Roger’s skin shivered. How primitive were the gods, believing splitting your head cures your headache?

Maybe the gods could survive by splitting their heads open, but not Roger. No wonder the human race invented pain relievers in the future.

“I will test you tonight to make sure you know all the battle strategies I recorded. If you fail, I will make you reread the archives again.”

Jesus! This woman is worse than my old math tonight! Roger should study harder, but he felt like his brain needed to rest for a while. Perhaps a conversation should clear his head up before Athena’s ridiculous test. “May I ask you something?”

Athena placed a scroll down. "You may ask."

“Why did you turn Medusa into a monster?”

Athena glared at him. “Why do you care?”

“Because she keeps blaming you for ruining her life. Her entire motivation is sacrificing our world to destroy your family. I believe if it weren’t you and Poseidon’s fault, our future wouldn’t be doomed.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Athena sighed through her helmet. “I never intended to turn her into a monster. I wanted to stop my brother, but fighting him would only destroy the city near the temple. So I transformed her to scare my brother away. Unfortunately, she couldn’t control her power, endangering many lives who gaze at her figure. Summoning Perseus to end her misery was the only way to save many lives. And her sacrifice wasn’t in vain.”

Roger never heard that side of Athena’s story. Everyone thought she was more of a monster than Medusa, but hearing her words was different. Athena felt pity for Medusa’s incident although she ruined Medusa’s life. She created a monster, and that monster needed to be put down.

“Do you doubt me?” Athena asked.

Roger shook his head. “I think other mortals would doubt you based on your actions.”

Athena crossed her arms on the table. “Understandable. No mortal would ever have the chance to hear my truth. You can judge me all you like, but you still have a duty to fulfill. Don’t cross me, or I will turn you into a monster too.”

The Goddess got up and strolled away. “I’ll leave you to your studies again, mortal. Don’t disappoint me.”

Roger shrugged and drank the wine from the chalice. After he finished, he continued to read the scrolls. Although the wine buzzed his head, he couldn't lose his focus, or else he would study forever. He held up the scroll to his face, reading the words closely.

Just then, light footsteps approached the table from the open doorway.

Roger sighed, assuming it was Athena. "I thought you were leaving me alone."

"Why should I?" The woman’s voice giggled.

Her tone was different, more high-pitched than the war goddess.

Roger lowered the scroll, finding a tall pink-haired woman standing before him. He immediately recognized her as Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. "Oh! It's you."

She giggled again. "You look quite busy. Am I disturbing you?"

Roger dropped the scroll. He felt like a schoolboy, staring at his crush.

The Goddess appeared more beautiful than any supermodel he had ever seen. Sharp legs, a curvy figure, and big round breasts on her bouncy chest.

"No! I was…" Roger shuffled the papers. "Studying! Athena told me to!"

Aphrodite licked her blossom lips. "Don't feel ashamed. I know you are lusting over me. Everyone does that to me, including the women?"

Roger’s cheeks blushed. "Women?”

"Animals too. Does it matter? Love is love."

"Um-hum." Roger shook his head, almost forgetting why he needed to study. "Sorry, but I really need to do this. Can you leave please?'

Aphrodite frowned. "But I have a message for you from your beast."

Roger beamed his eyes. "Cilla, Katina, and Labda?"

"Yes." Aphrodite strolled around the table, approaching him. She kneeled so her face stood close toward his face.

Roger gasped. "What are you-"

From her lips, Aphrodite blew pink gas into Roger’s face. The strawberry scent dazed him as it burned through his nose, entering his brain.

While the world spun around him with sparkling pink mist, Aphrodite’s eyes laminated brighter, hypnotizing Roger. His entire body froze as his eyes couldn’t leave Aphrodite’s captivating gaze.

"Your Cerberus is in love with you," the Goddess whispered. "I want you to love them back. Understand?"

Roger nodded.

"Good. In two days, you will have dinner with them at the dining hall. Make them happy or you will never defeat the Giants."

Roger nodded again.

"Enjoy your studies." Aphrodite kissed Roger’s cheek and strolled off.

After her mist faded away, Roger shook his head and glanced around. "What the hell happened?"

He remembered Athena leaving him, but he felt like someone told him to meet Cilla, Katina, and Labda in two days. Had he gone mad after studying too much?

Roger shrugged and continued reading the scrolls. If he wanted to confess his love to the beast women, he must pass Athena’s stupid test.