Although Ares, the God of War, wasn't the brightest, he knew the basics of keeping a secret.
His crimson cloak billowed without wind, and with a shake of his body, a faint golden light flowed from his palm, like liquid gold, tracing an elegant arc in the air. The light gradually expanded, forming a translucent spherical shield that enveloped Mobius.
The surface of the shield exuded the aura of war. To break through this thin shield, one would need to eliminate war itself. Thus, even the mighty Zeus's Eye of Thunder couldn't bypass Ares's power to invade it.
"Alright, I have a question for you." Ares lifted his deep-set eyes, gazing at Mobius, who emanated an aura of healing and purification.
Mobius breathed a sigh of relief, his fingers unconsciously starting to fidget. "Your Highness Ares, what would you like to ask me? I will answer anything I know without reservation."
"Oh, my dear Mobius, I want to know why your power can stop the continuation of war, and why, after the war ceased, I didn't receive the power from its success." Ares's mighty divine body exuded a sense of oppression.
"I apologize, Your Highness Ares, this was not my intention. I merely saw the injured soldiers fighting and wished to comfort them," Mobius said, as he conjured drops of holy water.
He paused, then continued, "At that time, my thought was that even if I couldn't heal their physical wounds, at least the power of purification could soothe their souls, allowing them to no longer be controlled by the desire for destruction."
"But..." Mobius hesitated.
"But your holy water healed the wounds of countless humans, making them abandon their desire for war, isn't that right?" Ares said with a half-smile.
He gently stroked Mobius's long hair, the shield in the air reflecting Ares's tender gaze.
"I don't mean to blame you. You don't have to be so frightened. You are my subordinate god, and I would never doubt my subordinate gods. I will always believe in my subordinate gods because I consider you the most important beings in my life. Even my great father, Zeus, and my gentle yet indifferent mother, Hera, don't hold the same place in my heart as you," Ares explained.
"Mobius, you don't need to worry, you don't need to be afraid. As long as I am by your side, I will shield you from the storms in the sky and the traps on the ground." The shadow of Ares's eyelashes cast intersecting cross-stars on his eyelids, and his little finger turned faintly white.
The sound within the shield grew silent, only the clear sound of breathing remained.
His strong physique was like the Eiffel Tower in the 20th century, tall and awe-inspiring, yet his words were like velvet, soft and warm.
He truly embodied war: full of iron and blood, yet also possessing tenderness.
"I'm not worried, dear Your Highness Ares. I am your subordinate god, so naturally, I would not betray my chief god, unless the chief god abandoned me. After all, Mobius, who purifies all, no matter how loyal, would never choose to abandon himself."
His pupils changed their translucency with his breathing rate—the upper layer was a faded blue dissolving into Venetian watercolors, while the lower layer was a lake condensing into the stained glass of a 16th-century cathedral.
"Don't worry! You won't have a chance to betray me, because how could a powerful chief god make his subordinate gods feel sad? How could a powerful chief god make his subordinate gods feel betrayed?" Ares raised his hand, holding his spear.
"Do you know why the spear is always a step higher than us?" Ares caressed the divine artifact in his hand. "That's because! When danger comes, the spear will tell you that your chief god will always take a step forward to protect you, letting you hide beneath the spear, sheltered by me!"
Mobius's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Ares to say such words.
He himself wasn't a particularly powerful being in the entire world, yet he made such a grand boast. Wasn't he worried his promise wouldn't be fulfilled?
The next second, a smile touched Mobius's lips. This was the Ares who was the master of war! War is born from conflict and exists for protection.
War might not always be just, but it will always protect those who belong to it.
Mobius continued, "Your Highness Ares, I feel that the power of my holy water can grant me a new divine office—healing. This divine office can assist Your Highness, allowing you to fully enjoy the power of war."
Although Mobius knew that the future Ares would become someone who would start wars by any means necessary, at least the current Ares was a normal god. Though not intelligent, he wanted to protect his subordinates.
Such a superior, in any world, was a reassuring presence. Mobius continued, "My dear Chief God Ares! I believe Mobius's healing power will always be there when you need it. If necessary, I can sacrifice my divine office." Mobius said with a beaming smile.
He gives me a peach, I return a precious jade.
Since Ares made this promise, Mobius was also willing to make his own promise: he would sacrifice his divine office to save Ares when Ares faced a fatal injury, allowing Ares to return.
Moreover, he would try his best to prevent Ares from heading towards the fate he had seen in his previous life—a god who only destroyed, who only provoked war, and who was controlled by war.
"That day will never come. The divine power of war will always exist. War will always be me, Ares!" Ares threw open his crimson cloak, revealing his strong muscle lines.
"I now know why this power of war didn't come to me, because this isn't war!" Ares crushed a wisp of destructive aura from afar.
"This is destruction. The emergence of war led to the birth of destruction. If I wish, I can immediately accept this power," Ares said, looking at Mobius.
"Then, Your Highness, do you wish to accept this power?" Mobius clenched his fists tightly, looking at Ares.
The appearance of the destruction divine office made Mobius somewhat worried. Destruction and war are intertwined. Ares would eventually have to accept this power, but this destruction divine office was like the influence of love on Aphrodite.
Mobius wanted to stop it, but what reason could he give? He couldn't possibly tell Ares to abandon the power of destruction. This power offered a slight chance for Ares to ascend to the position of a primordial god!
Currently, Mobius was a god of faint power. After that came gods of weak power, and then came Ares's rank, gods of intermediate power.
Between primordial gods and gods of intermediate power, there were still the ranks of powerful gods and great gods!