Deity 2.309

After the meeting with the goddesses, Hitomi returned to Viggo's mansion in the northern region of Orario.

Hitomi from the black carriage with golden edges could see the three-story mansion with towers at each corner and celestial domes at the top. The dome in the center of the mansion was the one that stood out the most and was painted blue like the others. The walls of the mansion were white and surrounded by islands of grass and flowers.

Once Hitomi got off the carriage, entered the house, went to the third floor, and walked down the corridor to Viggo's room. Once she reached the door of the room, she knocked a few times, but since no one answered, she opened the door and entered the room. The windows were open, the huge bed stretched out and the pictures painted with all kinds of landscapes scattered throughout the room.

Hitomi did not find Viggo but assumed that he would be in one of the painted paintings. Soon it was going to be dinner time. So, Hitomi would have a good excuse to go and trouble him ahead of time. She went to the wall to the left of the bed, touched a button, and the wall slid to the side. Then a dark, rectangular space remained. It was the elevator to the secret room where Viggo kept his dimensional paintings.

Hitomi got on the elevator, pressed the stone button on the ground, and the wall slid down, hiding the room. The elevator descended several meters until it stopped gently, and Hitomi found a lighted room. It looked like an art gallery more than anything else. With the walls full of pictures painted with all kinds of beautiful landscapes.

Hitomi went through the painted pictures and as she saw the ground without marks of earth or water, it was difficult to decide where Viggo had gone. Then she stopped in front of a painting painted with the image of a desert surrounded by rocky walls. There was some sand on the ground, and she knew that this was a possibility.

Hitomi touched the painted picture as she had done other times and without realizing it, blinked, and found herself in front of a blacksmith workshop, in the middle of a desert. In front of her was a huge lintel three meters high by four meters wide. She investigated the blacksmith shop and saw work counters, tools, swords, and spears everywhere, grease, soot, and coal stains. You could hear the chipping of metal being hit by a hammer.

Hitomi pierced the lintel and followed the sound of the ringing. His eyes went to a corner of the workshop, where there was a huge anvil and a couple of meters beyond, a forge emitting terrible heat.

At the same time, a half-naked, red-haired man wearing a grease-stained leather apron was raising a hammer and tempering a sword. The hammer's collision with the red-hot metal threw sparks sideways. The redhead, named Viggo, stopped hitting the metal and immersed it in a stone fountain with a gray liquid. The gray water gurgled, released a cloud of steam, and calmed down. Viggo left soaking the mental and after a few seconds, he takes it out to place it back in the hot embers of the forge.

Viggo turned around, his red hair tied in a ponytail, and he had several black stains on his face. He smiled at the sight of Hitomi and turned away from the forge.

—Hello— Viggo said with a smile on his lips. He was almost two heads taller than Hitomi, who was only a little over six feet tall compared to Viggo's more than two meters.

—Hello, Viggo— Hitomi said with a broad smile. His eyes went to the face, especially the blue eyes and the big mouth with thick lips. However, his gaze also wandered over Viggo's body, especially the thick arms with defined muscles. She took a deep breath and continued —she came to ask you some things—

—Sure, tell me— said Viggo, looked at the forge and added —but first give me a minute to take the sword out of the forge. I think tomorrow I will continue with the forging—

Hitomi nodded, as it might seem that Viggo had been here for a couple of hours, but he had been stuck here for more than twenty-four hours. It was one of the great advantages of being a god with a special blood that allowed him to create pictures painted with a temporal distortion. An hour here meant a day in the outside world.

Viggo and Hitomi walked out of the blacksmith shop and sat outside, on a long wooden bench. The landscape outside was a desert with hills of solid rock. There was no sun as such, but there was natural lighting and a temperature that hovered around thirty degrees while a gentle wind ran.

—What did you want to ask me?— asked Viggo.

Hitomi looked at Viggo, he had taken off his grease-stained apron and was bare-chested and wearing dark pants. Breathed and all, he looked sensual, but Hitomi pushed those thoughts out of her mind and continued —well, Athena scolded me for fiddling with information to make money—

—Scolding?— asked Viggo and looked at her face.

Hitomi looked away and corrected —well, scold, scold, no. However, he said that he would now accompany me every day—

—Isn't that good? Are you going to have the goddess of wisdom to help you manage your resources?

—I feel like she's going to stop me—

—Why do you think that?— asked Viggo.

—Well— said Hitomi, looked him in the eye and continued —she seemed to disapprove of my way of doing things—

—Maybe, but don't run away from this challenge— said Viggo —you're always comparing yourself to Semiramis, which I don't support. However, I want you to know that for her not everything was pretty at first. She went through many difficulties, they wanted to rob her, and it can be said that she was only saved because a certain handsome and charming misthios was there to help her—

—A challenge?— asked Hitomi, somewhat confused.

—Yes, being with someone who knows more than you are always a challenge— replied Viggo —all the time you are exposed to being scolded, as you say, but it does not mean that it is bad. You just must be more cunning and learn the rules of the game—

—The rules of the game?— asked Hitomi, more confused.

—Yes, the rules of the game— said Viggo —everything has its own rules, and you are rewarded when you follow them. At the same time, you can be sanctioned if you don't follow them. For example, when you fight another person, you must be focused. If you don't follow that little rule, you run the risk of being knocked out— Hitomi nodded and Viggo continued —on the other hand, in business, if you don't read the contract, you run the risk of signing something that can hurt you—

—Yes, I understand that— Hitomi replied —also the fact that you don't know anything about a business you're interested in investing in. It's dangerous—

—You understand it very well, so learn from Atena and instead of seeing it as a problem, see it as an opportunity to be more creative and resourceful. As queen of the gods, you must be careful what you say, it could be used against you—

Hitomi clutched her stomach and said —ughh— as if something had gone wrong. At first, she thought it would be amazing to be with Viggo and be the queen of the gods, but as the days progressed and the date approached, she felt more nervous.

—Don't worry— said Viggo —you're going to do great—

Hitomi looked at Viggo, she smiled confidently, it was a friendly and pleasant smile —Do you believe it?— she asked.

—I think so, Hitomi is very intelligent— said Viggo —the other day, your turn-based system and delegation of responsibilities was very good.

Hitomi shook her head, and Viggo let out a sigh as if disappointed.

—Hitomi— said Viggo.

Hitomi looked at Viggo in fear and lowered her head.

—Hitomi, look at me— Viggo said, and Hitomi raised her face and looked into his eyes. Viggo looked at those beautiful green eyes, the oval face with red hair, straight and long. In addition to the long and pretty elf ears. Viggo smiled and continued —you're great, you're smart, and you know a lot of things. You shouldn't be afraid to present your ideas, they are the most ingenious and intelligent I have ever heard. On the other hand, you must understand something, no one is going to punish you for thinking differently from the rest. On the contrary, thinking differently is your power and makes you see the world in a different way.

—I'd like to be like Viggo— Hitomi said with a small smile.

—Careless?—

—No, I said that, you know, trust myself—

Viggo stared at the beautiful red-haired elf. He had pretty featured just like most elves. A slender body, but with quite disproportionate breasts for such a thin body. She was pretty, intelligent, very intelligent. Viggo didn't understand smart people at first. They seemed too withdrawn to strike up a conversation. The only (mortal) person who did not follow this trend was his father, but the rest were like Asfi or Hitomi. Viggo understood that trust was built with every achievement and enemy defeated, but that was in the physical world. Viggo could see his enemies, sense the danger, and respond. However, how did intellectual people do it? Who did they beat inside their heads to believe in their own ideas?

—You know, I think it would be good for you if you met my grandfather—

—Your grandfather? But if there is no one like that in your family tree?—

—I call him grandpa, he's a good person, I could give you some ideas to gain confidence. The truth is that I'm a warrior and I've built my confidence on fighting, but I don't think you can understand that—

—I understand, but, well, it's not like I'm confident—

—That's why I tell you to meet my grandfather— said Viggo —he has some tricks that I and my father have not been able to achieve. Maybe you can achieve what we haven't—

—No, never— Hitomi said and bowed her head.

Viggo let out a sigh and took her chin, raised her face, and looked into her eyes —you're going to do it—

—But I—

—No buts, got it? Just give it a try—

—Okay, if Viggo wants, I'll try—

—Well— replied Viggo, a little frustrated with the intellectuals. It was as if he had to take them and push them to face their fears. As if they lacked the courage and intelligence despite everything they knew. They, knowing so much, should be the ones who least fear the world. However, life had no meaning and those who knew less, like him, seem to have been less afraid to do things.

—Come, let's take a shower— said Viggo, took her by the hand and guided her.

Hitomi followed him and said —but I don't need a bathroom right now— but suddenly she realized something and smiled slyly —Viggo, I hadn't realized how much you liked it—

—Of course, I like you— Viggo said as if it were the most obvious thing and I take it out of the painted painting.