338 A Grand Wedding (1/2)
They say that a woman is most beautiful on her wedding day and Zero couldn't disagree with whoever said that. Medusa was stunning and even Poseidon was floored. Zero couldn't believe that the dresses he helped to choose, accessories and even makeup could transform the sisters by so much. It was a shame that Poseidon refused to get his eyes treated to see how beautiful his bride was. Still, the reinstated titan ran his hands over her face repeatedly and touched her hair to ensure that it really was the Medusa he knew from his younger days.
\”But how?\” he asked. Poseidon was no fool. He knew the rumours about the gorgon sisters and their appearances. It was also not a lie because when he went to visit them in Valhalla, he could hear and smell the difference. Back then, they really had snakes for hair and were covered in scales. Using echolocation, he was able to make out their general shapes in his mind but the shape reflected today is very different from what he remembered when he last saw them.
Medusa smiled. she really didn't know how to thank Zero for not only helping them with a beauty makeover but also giving them a place to belong. With the three divine sisters of Heaven gone, Medusa and her sisters were the new three celestial maidens of Heaven as they left their gorgon pasts behind. The glasses that Zero passed to them helped them to lead a more normal life and Medusa had a feeling that Zero did this out of his own volition instead of purely for the sake of a quest.
Zero really didn't have to go all out doing this for them. According to Freya, the quest only requested him to resolve the gorgon's grief. There was no need for arranging a marriage, reviving a planet, reinstating a Great God and helping three hideous women with a beauty makeover while restoring their former reputation. The teen really went all the way out and these glasses that they wore now were definitely expensive products beyond imagination. Zero didn't seem rich, Medusa knew that for a fact that most of the things Zero had were given to him by his teachers and the Great Gods. Yet, according to Freya, the boy used what money he had to ensure that the gorgons got the best they deserved. He was back to being dirt poor again apparently. She had a lot to thank Zero for.
The wedding at the House of Great Gods was very simple. The one marrying them was the archangel Uriel who made them recite vows and exchange rings. Zero watched the happy couple from the side and smiled. Things were finally coming to an end. While he was glad that he could complete the last quest to unlock the system's customising function, he was slightly sad that he no longer had much of an excuse to stay in Heaven once his business was complete.
\”Are all the pieces collected?\” he asked using the party call function.
\”Yes. They are very weak so I tried my best to preserve them but some have been lost to the void. Athena doesn't want to reincarnate,\” Tanya explained.
The teen sighed. He had a feeling this would happen. \”How much of her spirit and soul fragments are left?\”
The queen of dryads hesitated. She knew that the answer would displease Zero. In order to create a soul stone, there had to be at least sixty percent of the original soul. However, the fragments that were in her hands only amounted to thirty. It was too few to be able to condense the soul and spirit without damaging it and losing it forever.
\”Tanya,\” Zero called out warningly. \”How much?\”
The queen of dryads sighed. \”Thirty percent, maybe less. We should just let Athena rest.\”
Zero bit his lip. Thirty percent? That was worse than he thought. Without wasting more time, Zero hurried over to where the dryad queen was waiting. \”Can you talk to her?\”
Tanya nodded. \”What would you like me to tell her?\”
Zero thought for a while and smiled. \”Ask her if she wants to be reborn as Poseidon and Medusa's daughter.\”
Tanya did as told and the soul pieces glowed a faint blue. Tanya was slightly surprised and Zero smiled. \”Tell her that I am currently terraforming a planet called Hyacinth that will become Poseidon and Medusa's home planet. I need her help to stay strong as I find a way to tie her spirit to the planet and find her a vessel to occupy. King Yama or Hades could help to erase her previous memories if she wants.\”
After Tanya relayed the message, Athena's soul glowed stronger.
\”She said that it would be great. She wants her new name to be Minerva.\”
Zero grinned. \”It's settled then. Here, let me keep Athena. Thank you, Tanya. Also, Zeffery wanted you to have this even if I don't know how you'd be able to use it.\”
Zero passed the dryad queen a rouge box and smiled. Tanya was overjoyed and thanked Zero before waving goodbye to the young doctor who still had a few more last matters to attend to. The wedding was going well and the feast kept everyone occupied.