Tethys acted to resolve this trouble for Eurynome, and the Sea Power Goddess naturally knew how to thank her sister, immediately agreeing to keep an eye out for the actions of the God of Growth for Tethys.
The Goddess smiled and remained silent, intimately seeing her sister off from the Invisible Island.
The deities who had set their sights on the throne of the King of Gods were far more than these, and Tethys secretly weighed her options, still deciding to trust her son's stratagem.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the God of Thunder had the advantage. Since he already had the support of four main gods as a foundation, the more deities competed for the throne of the King of Gods, the greater Zeus's chances of becoming King of Gods would be. What Tethys worried about now was that the competitors would unite and eliminate the biggest rival first.
As expected, not long after, the Rainbow Goddesses brought gossip from the divine mountain to the main gods.
The gods were all privately spreading rumors that the Goddess of Justice and the God of Thunder were secretly involved in an affair. This scandalous news was immediately known to all the gods in the shortest possible time.
Tethys sighed inwardly. As expected, no one was a fool. Zeus, who had already become the target of public criticism, was about to face the first probing attacks from his competitors.
Leto indeed became the most obvious breakthrough. Dividing Phoebe and Coeus was only the first step; the next would be her and the Ocean God.
The rumors spread like wildfire. The gods were all willing to speculate about Zeus and Themis with the most malicious eyes, as if this would bring them satisfaction.
At such a time, stepping forward to clarify was the most foolish approach. It would only make the opponents more excited and incite public opinion to pour more slander onto Zeus.
Tethys believed her son would not be unaware of the consequences and naturally would not worry about Zeus. Leto would also understand the current situation under Phoebe's guidance and would not drag her husband down.
The scandalous news gradually died down amidst the silence of the parties involved. Zeus was not one to be trifled with, and he retaliated in his own way.
On the surging divine mountain, all sorts of news, true and false, mixed together and appeared incessantly. The gods were closely watching every subtle change around them. The probing that Tethys had warned about did not reach the Invisible Island, which instead made the Goddess even more vigilant. She immediately turned her gaze to the Ocean God Okeanos outside the world. kuAiδugg
Tethys was a step too late. The Ocean God was nowhere to be found on the periphery of the world.
Her heart tightened, and Tethys hurried to the divine mountain where Zeus resided, only to unexpectedly find her father, Okeanos.
The Ocean God explained to his daughter the reason for his arrival on the divine mountain, "Klymene found me. She conveyed Iapetus's words."
"The God of Souls? Does he also want your support to compete for the throne of the King of Gods?" Tethys was not surprised.
"I don't know what Iapetus intends," the Ocean God Okeanos shook his head. "He wishes for me to transfer my position as a main god to Zeus."
Tethys instantly understood and said softly, "I'm afraid it's more than that, isn't it?"
A cold glint flashed in the Goddess's eyes. "If I were to take over your position as a main god, the responsibility of guarding the world alone would keep Zeus more than busy. This is truly a good move. But for you to come to the divine mountain to discuss this with Zeus, there must be some additional conditions from the God of Souls!"
The God of Thunder answered his mother's question, "Prince Iapetus promised that if I can take over the position of main god from my maternal grandfather, he will support me in becoming the King of Gods."
"This is both a test and an opportunity," Zeus did not hide his ambition and was willing to take the risk.
Tethys pondered for a moment and agreed to her son's choice.
The transfer of the Ocean God's main god position to Zeus would not change anything. Taking on the responsibility of protecting the world in exchange for the support of a main god was not a loss. Moreover, the primordial energy brought by the main god position could accelerate Zeus's progress in becoming a powerful deity! Not to mention the advantage in status after becoming a main god, which could indirectly influence the choices of the gods, making it a weighty bargaining chip.
"But who would offer such a threefold benefit for nothing? With so many rewards as bait, the obstacles they set for you will not be simple!"
Tethys reminded her confident son to remain vigilant at all times. Then, in the presence of the main gods, she placed the crown symbolizing a main god on her son's head. The Ocean God also formally abdicated and retired to the sea with Tethys.
Taking over his maternal grandfather's position as a main god also meant that Zeus needed to fulfill the corresponding responsibilities.
Tethys thoughtfully considered the current main gods. She and Zeus, mother and son, naturally supported Zeus. The Goddess of Prophecy Phoebe and the God of Darkness and Wisdom Coeus naturally supported Zeus. The God of Growth Krios had his own ambitions and could be considered a faction. The God of Souls Iapetus, from what could be seen now, might support Krios. The God of Light Hyperion and the Goddess of Radiance Theia would definitely support the Sun God, but since Helios had not indicated his participation in the competition for the throne of the King of Gods, the intentions of the God of Light and his wife were temporarily unclear.
The remaining deities were the wandering Goddess of Justice Themis and the Goddess of Memory Mnemosyne. Among them, the Goddess of Memory was indebted to Tethys for her help in the competition for the main god position, so her vote was also within Zeus's grasp. Although Themis had also stated her support for Zeus, she was not as reliable as Mnemosyne.
The current situation was very clear. Zeus had five guaranteed votes, already half of the total. With the support of one more main god, he would have an absolute advantage. This was also why Zeus was willing to accept the deal with Iapetus.
Before taking over the position of the Ocean God, the God of Souls and Zeus made an oath by the Styx, which ensured the credibility of the transaction.
However, Tethys still had a trace of worry that she could not dispel. The premonition of the God of Destiny would not be without reason. The Goddess had to repeatedly consider whether she had overlooked any details.
The variable could only be Helios. If the Sun God also participated, then Zeus would lose her vote. But even so, Zeus would still have four votes, unless the God of Souls and the God of Growth were willing to help others and vote for Helios along with the couple of the God of Radiance, then the Sun God would also have four votes.
But this did not make sense! The God of Growth Krios, in order to obtain the throne of the King of Gods, did not hesitate to leave his wife Eurynome, whom he had accompanied for many years. What was he seeking?
Tethys was perplexed and her worries made her restless, but the cards were already revealed! Could there still be any surprises?
Was the hope that the work of guarding the world would drag down Zeus's promotion speed? The position of main god could completely compensate for this problem, which was why Tethys agreed with Zeus's judgment despite her lingering worries.
Just as Tethys was contemplating what surprises might appear, Zeus, accompanied by the Star Gods, began his first inspection.
Hawks pulled the chariot of the God of Thunder, and under the guidance of his subordinate gods, they soared into the sky. Tethys, who had been thinking and worrying about unknown situations occurring during the inspection, busied herself with empowering her son with the strength of the sky, wholeheartedly protecting Zeus.