The three girls looked at their father, but they did not hold his gaze for long. Each of them lifted her head slightly toward the sky, as if addressing a higher fate, then spoke in a calm voice edged with sharp confidence:
"It isn't madness, Father… it's ascension."
Neither Odin nor his brothers immediately grasped the meaning of the twins' words, but what they said next made their intent perfectly clear. One of them continued, her tone utterly free of hesitation:
"Do you not realize, Father, that at our current standing, no one in Asgard deserves our respect anymore? We are seeresses, and in the future we will be able to speak with our grandfather Asgard himself. So how do you expect us to respect anyone other than him?"
Athena could not believe what she was hearing; her eyes widened in silent shock. She was about to respond, but Poseidon suddenly spoke before her, in a confident tone that stunned everyone:
"They are right about this. I think they are correct. Don't you agree, Odin? It seems only natural that they should show respect to no one but our father."
The place froze for a moment. Odin and his brothers were stunned by Poseidon's response, unable to believe what they had just heard. Then Hades spoke in a dangerous tone, filled with confusion and suppressed anger:
"What are you saying, brother? Have you lost your mind?"
Poseidon did not look at him. Instead, he calmly walked forward and stood beside the three twins, his stance alone sending a clear message to everyone present that he was siding with them—even if it meant standing against his own brothers.
Silence suddenly fell. No one spoke, not even Odin. He merely looked at his brothers with a grim expression, as thoughts clashed violently in his mind. After a few moments, he decided to put an end to the situation and the argument that was about to erupt. He said firmly:
"I will speak to our father about this matter and determine whether the twins truly hold such status or not. Until then, I want no fighting or conflict. Understood?"
No one answered. They were all shocked by what was unfolding. Athena, however, recovered quickly and said in a composed tone:
"You're right, brother. We must consult our father regarding this."
Athena understood very well the importance of the three twins' power. It was clear that in the future they would surpass even Odin himself in prophetic ability—something Odin had personally told them in the past. And Athena was not the only one thinking this way; the rest of the siblings had also begun to realize the twins' future importance and status.
Poseidon was the first to truly grasp how high the twins' standing would be in the future, and how significant their position on the island would become. That was why he wanted to show his support early—to stand beside them before anyone else did.
Hades and the other brothers quickly realized what Poseidon was doing, but they did not know how to describe it:
Was he clever for recognizing the twins' importance early and seizing the moment?
Or was he an opportunistic flatterer, drawing close to them and displaying loyalty like a faithful dog?
Odin was about to order everyone to disperse and return to their duties to end the dispute as quickly as possible, but Hades spoke first, directing biting sarcasm at Poseidon:
"Have you become a dog, brother, or what? What's happened to you?"
Poseidon's enthusiasm abruptly stopped, and the sense of triumph and cleverness he had felt moments earlier vanished under Hades' public mockery.
Poseidon was about to respond, but the twins spoke before he could. One of them said, in a calm tone laced with sharp sarcasm:
"No, Uncle Hades… I think we know exactly who you're calling a dog—judging by the animals you keep."
Hades could not speak or reply.
If Poseidon had said that, Hades would have beaten him mercilessly—or at the very least pulled out a clump of his hair as punishment, or made him clean up after his dog so he would learn who the 'dog' really was.
But this insult came from the three twins themselves, and so he did not know how to react.
He wanted to rush toward them immediately, to scold them, twist their ears until they turned red, and make them clean up after his dog for the rest of their lives… but he couldn't.
The twins' status had not yet been decided, and it was still unclear how important they truly were or what their father Asgard would say about them.
So he merely stared at them with restrained fury, then quickly turned to Poseidon. A dangerous smile spread across his lips as he said in a low voice:
"Do you know, brother… what it feels like to be buried alive?"
Poseidon did not answer—he didn't even think about replying.
He was no longer present at the scene at all.
The moment he heard Hades speak about burial and the feeling of being buried alive, Poseidon instantly moved far away from the area, unconcerned about how he looked in front of the children or his brothers. It wasn't cowardice—everyone knew Hades well. When he spoke like that, he meant it.
Hades looked at the place where Poseidon had been standing, then let out a short laugh and turned to Odin, saying:
"Find out quickly, brother… whether those three twins truly hold a status that allows them to disrespect us and show us no regard—or not."
As soon as he said that, he too vanished from his spot, trying to catch up to Poseidon before he reached the ocean.
If Poseidon reached it, Hades would never see his back again.
Odin could only cover his face with his hand, muttering to himself:
"What children they are… they'll never grow up."
Both Odin and Athena knew well that if Poseidon had wanted to stop Hades from hitting him or mocking him, he could have done so without hesitation. They were fully aware of how powerful Poseidon was when he fought seriously.
But he didn't—because he loved joking with his brothers since childhood and never took their fights or Hades' blows seriously. Poseidon and Hades had been like this since they were young, and nothing had changed.
Athena noticed Odin's sigh and understood that he was irritated by his brothers' childish behavior. She chuckled softly, then looked at the three twins and said with a tone tinged with mild anger:
"Come on, children. Go now… and don't cause trouble, all right?"