Sleep Together Tonight?

As evening falls, in the depths of the marshland, the afterglow of the setting sun spills into the forest, casting a blushing hue in the misty air, like the shy blush on a lover's face.

Only when the rustling sound came from behind the bushes, and the unharmed Themis, along with dozens of Nymphs circling behind her, appeared at the fork in the road, did Samael finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"I already told you I didn't..."

As the Goddess of Justice murmured, though there was a hint of reproach in her voice, a blush crept onto her pretty face.

"I came over to take a look."

Samael smiled knowingly and nodded slightly.

The fact that Themis was here at this moment meant that the negotiations had gone smoothly and there had been no major surprises, so he could finally relax.

"Is everything ready?"

Their eyes met, their fingers lightly clasped, and the Goddess of Justice looked up at the setting sun sinking below the horizon, asking softly.

"Of course, I've been waiting for you."

Samael smiled and led Themis toward his home's cave.

The chattering Nymph, each carrying a gift, had their little faces filled with inexplicable excitement and flush.

"I'll let you in on a secret: Samael's rice is absolutely delicious!"

"I haven't eaten for two days just to get this meal!"

Daphne, an old acquaintance, was flapping her wings and leaping about in mid-air, smearing glistening drool on her mouth, enthusiastically promoting her wares to her companions.

The atmosphere grew increasingly lively and festive as the little ones discussed.

As night falls, the cave is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and dishes of delicacies, such as seafood, gourds, and mushroom soup, are served on the table.

Besides Themis and her familiar Nymph, Echidna, the Serpent Mother from the Arima's Cave, also led the awakened Typhon's Offspring to help, along with the children and their teacher Chiron.

With so many people entering, the originally spacious cavern became somewhat crowded.

The lively atmosphere grew even stronger.

The Nymph, holding baskets, frolicked and chased each other in mid-air, or passed food to one another in a relay.

The monsters, still somewhat bruised and battered, weren't too agitated and naturally took on the responsibility of assisting the Nymph and teachers.

Of course, Euryale and Stheno, those two troublemakers, kept up their airs, did nothing but talk and did nothing, and continued to linger around the dining table, savoring all sorts of delicacies.

In her past life, Harpy. Whenever food was served, she would dawdle and sneak a few bites, leaving sauce on her lips without even wiping it off, which had long exposed her bad behavior.

The Serpent Mother and Themis sat together, their demeanor serene, occasionally whispering softly. Echidna glanced around the arena, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded slowly.

When Samael brought out the final, grand dish, "Roasted Poison Dragon," the Ancient Serpent clapped his hands, a subtle smile on his face.

At this moment, everyone held their breath. Whether it was the lively Nymph, the two Gorgon who loved to seek out others, or the Harpy, they all fell silent in unison.

A stream of gazes converged on a cave entrance that had been Magecraft sealed off, its surface shrouded in shimmering patterns and marks that induce drowsiness.

Samael took the opportunity to snap his fingers, and a crisp sound filled the air as Tina pushed the stone door open from the inside.

Immediately afterwards, a sleepy-eyed figure was mysteriously pulled out by Tina.

"Strange, how did I fall asleep? What time is it now?"

"Hey? What are you all doing here? And Harpy, your wing is broken, shouldn't you be taking care of your injury?"

Having just woken up, Athena, led by Tina, arrived at the hall. Coming to her senses, she looked at the assembled figures in surprise, scratched her messy silver hair, and muttered to herself.

"Athena..."

Samael stepped forward solemnly, grasped his adopted daughter's soft hands with both of his, and slowly raised them, his tone serious.

The Goddess of Wisdom recalled the battle they had encountered during the day, and her heart skipped a beat, causing her body to tense up involuntarily.

"Happy birthday!"

Just then, cheers erupted from all directions, and familiar faces beamed with genuine smiles.

"You..."

"It's my daughter's birthday, how could I forget? I spent the evening with her, wasn't that good?"

Samael winked at Athena, his smile mocking.

The Goddess of Wisdom immediately recalled how she had used a naked chokehold to pin down the person in front of her and vent her childish emotions in his ear. She was instantly filled with shame and felt like she had nowhere to hide.

What's going on? You all remember it, but you're keeping it from me!

Happy birthday, Athena ...

Then, holding a sweet butter cake, Medusa emerged from Typhon's lineage, surrounded by his sons, and walked gracefully towards him.

Looking at the cake with "Athena" written on the surface in yogurt, the Divine Name of Goddess of Wisdom glanced at it and slightly raised her chin.

"It's nothing special, but I saved a life."

Medusa's pretty face turned cold, and she made a move to withdraw.

"This is my favorite food since I was a child. If you don't want it, that's fine. Besides, I saved your life on the battlefield, so we're even."

"Hey! Once you've given something away, there's no reason to take it back!"

With a soft hum, Athena snatched the cake from Medusa while she was off guard.

"Give it back to me!"

"No way! Let me try it. Hmm, the outer layer is crispy, the inside is soft, and there's even a scallion filling inside! Are you still a child? You like sweet and sour things so much?"

Medusa, who had been rebuked, watched Athena happily eating large chunks of butter cake mixed with meat while criticizing her. Her face darkened, and she felt an urge to pick up the plate and smear it on Athena's face.

Of course, I still hate her as much as ever! And I still love to go against her as much as ever!

"Smack!"

Soon, having almost never lost an argument with the Goddess of Wisdom, he was punished with a sharp lash.

"Even eating meat can't shut you up, huh?"

Samael, with a sinister expression, grabbed Athena by the scruff of her neck and tossed the proud, cunning, and sharp-tongued Goddess of Wisdom aside, separating the two who seemed prone to bickering.

Thus, the birthday banquet Shiki began. The Nymph, carrying baskets, woven wreaths, and homemade crystal dew, presented Athena with birthday gifts in turn, all with smiles on their faces.

When it came to the remaining Typhon's Offspring, they had some hardcore gifts to present to Athena, such as the heads of their prey, like the Chimera and the Colchian Dragon.

Unprepared and fearing some malevolent spirit might covet it, he simply promised to let her choose any material from his own possession as a keepsake. For example, Hydra poison, a hellhound's shed tooth, Harpy's wind-manipulating feather, and so on.

Some people simply offer gifts like hibiscus or wreaths as a perfunctory gesture; this is the case with Euryale and Stheno, who are at odds with Athena.

Of course, the most ingenious one is the Sphinx riddle with the answer "Happy Birthday Athena".

In addition, there are those who are simply stingy and lazy, and simply give away a glowing ore instead.

Ladon, I'll remember you...

With a sinister glint in his eye, he glanced at the "sparkling" Dragon Kind and secretly made a blacklist.

Finally, the five elders, who served as the grand finale, proved to be quite rewarding for Athena.

The Serpent Mother sent over a pale golden fruit nourished by the Power of Earth, containing some self-healing ability. Samael felt that it was somewhat like a golden apple, but its purity was not as good as the legendary fruit that directly granted immortality.

Chiron then handed over a wooden shield he had made himself and a bag of bronze arrows, with a gentle smile.

Themis handed over a bronze suit of armor crafted to resemble Athena's figure, and gently stroked the girl's long, silver-white hair, as if she could see Metis nestled in her arms once more.

Tina's gift was unexpected; it was a song arranged by Samael. The Origin Goddess, who was unaware of the world's origins, opened her mouth in public and sang a beautiful ballad in an unpredictable tone. The scattered emerald light brought peace to everyone's mind and filled their bodies with vitality.

Finally, Samael solemnly stepped forward, took out the guardian spirit that Metis had secretly treasured for so long, stroked it tenderly, and solemnly presented it to Athena.

"This Goatskin Divine Shield is a memento left to you by your biological mother. Take it and protect yourself well."

The Goddess of Wisdom sensed the aura of intimacy within it, her eyes lit up, and she immediately took the shield, seemingly reluctant to part with it.

Immediately, the adopted daughter pressed down on Samael's left shoulder, extended her fair fingers and palms towards Samael again, and shook her head with a grin.

"This is a gift from my mother, what about yours?"

"One thing at a time. You promised to coax me to sleep tonight, so don't try to renege on your promise!"

Samael's breath hitched, and under the pressure from behind, he nodded helplessly.

"Aaaaaa (I want to be put to sleep too!)!"

Next to her, Tina imitated Samael, grabbing his right arm and making excited sounds.

Under the spotlight, flanked by two female ancient snakes, their eyes rolled back, having given up resistance.

That night, we slept together...