Sell Yourself for a Good Price 3/3
Mount Olympus, outside the palace.
The goddess Hestia, dressed in a white gauze dress and tied with a blue ribbon, stood beside the blazing Sacred Flame, looking down at the earth where flames flickered in the distance, her expression complex as she murmured to herself.
Prometheus, do you not know the price of angering the gods?
The Blue Ribbon Goddess complained and shook her head helplessly. As the goddess of the hearth and the guardian of human families, she really did not want to punish this newborn race that worshipped her on earth.
The disrespect and insult shown by the Great Sacrifice gave Zeus a reason to retaliate.
She only said a few words in the local dialect, and yet she was targeted and forced to do this thankless and arduous task. What bad luck!
Oh well, it's her own fault for always getting involved. None of her younger siblings are easy to get along with.
Presumably, after tonight, humanity will begin to harbor resentment towards her as the guardian deity of their families, and her faith in her will likely diminish considerably.
Tsk, then those gods who forgive humanity will be able to eat a few pieces of her cake.
No wonder you always waited for me to speak before you expressed your opinions.
Having figured out the crux of the matter, even Hestia, who was calm and indifferent to power and position, couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Just as the Goddess of Hearthfire was lamenting in her heart, a number of shadowy figures had already gathered at the entrance of the main hall.
If I try to outsmart you again, I'm a pig! From now on, I'd better stay out of things that require meddling!
Knowing she couldn't escape being blamed, Hestia turned her back to her family members, each with their own ulterior motives, and resignedly spread her hands apart, her power rippling outwards.
In an instant, the flames on the earth extinguished one by one, and thousands of fiery red streams of light shot into the sky, flowing towards the Sacred Flame burning on Mount Olympus under the guidance of the goddess of the hearth.
The next day, when the humans were preparing to cook, Hermione discovered that all the fire had gone out, and no matter how they struck the flint, they could not produce even a trace of red light.
As the oracle spread, they learned that, because of their disrespect, humanity's right to use fire had been stripped away by the gods.
Several Queen of Heaven, in Mycenae.
"Bang!"
Medusa slammed her fist on the table in anger, her expression gloomy.
Unable to light fires, food cannot be cooked, and water cannot be boiled for sterilization, people in the surrounding settlements have fallen ill for the past week.
More importantly, smelting, pottery, and other production and daily life also came to a standstill. Even if the gods were deceived and the burden of sacrifices was reduced, the situation of mankind became even more difficult.
"How about we think of another way? Didn't you mention in the story before how to start a fire by rubbing sticks together and how to use ice to make a mirror to start a fire?"
Athena glanced at Samael in the corner, her eyes flickering, and whispered a suggestion.
"You still won't give up? You can't even strike it with flint, and you can't start a fire by rubbing wood or using a concave-convex mirror!"
Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, was tasked not only with collecting the flames burning on the earth, but also with gathering the laws of fire suitable for humankind.
The ancient serpent rolled its eyes and hummed softly, extinguishing Athena's last glimmer of hope.
"Don't worry, there will be a way."
Prometheus smiled slightly, easing the oppressive atmosphere in the room. He stood up to pour wine for his friends and invited them to raise their glasses and drink.
Under the prophet's confident and reassuring words, the crowd, who had been somewhat skeptical, gradually relaxed their worries, clinked glasses, and continued their gathering for the evening.
That night, a figure quietly walked out of Mycenae. On the only road to Mount Olympus, he stopped and looked ahead helplessly with a bitter smile on his face.
"Athena, what brings you here?"
Holding a shield in one hand and a bronze spear in the other, the majestic goddess, who had been waiting on the blue stone, leaped down gracefully, raising an eyebrow with a half-smile on her face.
"So, you planned from the beginning to let Olympus walk right into your trap?"
Prometheus looked back at the dark and desolate city behind him and sighed.
"There's no other way now, so we can only try our luck at Olympus. Maybe if we break the laws that are contained within the Sacred Flame, the earth can reignite its flames."
Athena stepped forward gracefully, her eyes slightly narrowed.
"You decided on this plan the day you presided over the Great Sacrifice, didn't you?"
The helplessness and melancholy on the face of the God of Foresight and Prophecy faded, and he looked at the Goddess of Wisdom with great appreciation.
"So, when you said 'at the beginning,' you meant this?"
"What about Buhe?"
Athena pursed her lips and gave a light, annoyed snort.
"I don't understand, why did you have to provoke Zeus in that way?"
How could such a petty trick of hiding beef under cowhide possibly fool the King of Gods, who possessed the wisdom of Metis and was incredibly powerful?
Even though Zeus chose the one that was outwardly beautiful but inwardly rotten, probably to gain leverage over the prophet's weakness.
Although it was done to gain some convenience for humanity, it not only angered the gods but also gave them a reason to attack, and ultimately got itself into trouble.
The Goddess of Wisdom simply could not understand such a practice.
"If things could be resolved peacefully, who would want to offend Zeus? He had no choice but to offer his hand to the other side."
In the deep darkness of the night, a soft, lingering hum came from behind Prometheus.
Samael walked over with his arms crossed and annoyed, followed closely by Medusa.
"Did you do this on purpose?"
Athena looked at the prophet, her eyes filled with confusion. Some things she hadn't understood before suddenly became clear after the ancient serpent's guidance.
What was offered at the altar earlier was less beef and more Prometheus beings.
From the very beginning, he intended to sacrifice himself to give humanity a chance to breathe.
Similarly, Zeus also pretended to be ignorant, knowing that there was something fishy about the two offerings, but deliberately chose the one filled with bull bones, his purpose being to gain leverage over this.
This God of Foresight and Prophecy poses a greater threat than punishing humanity.
This King of Gods has been plotting this for so long, like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, just waiting for this opportunity to be handed to him. Once he got it, how could he not take advantage of it?
Unable to resist, Zeus then used this as an excuse to insult the gods, taking away fire and forcing Prometheus to submit.
The exchange between the two sides was a tacit understanding, with one willing to strike and the other willing to be struck.
Even Athena, with her exceptional wisdom, couldn't help but marvel at the intricacies of the situation.
"Can't we try any other methods?"
The Goddess of Wisdom looked at Olympus, hidden in the shadows, with a somber expression, her heart filled with resentment.
"Athena, please step aside,"
Prometheus chuckled lightly, his gaze softening as he glanced back at the outline of the city on the earth, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"Your good father won't be able to sleep well for a day if I don't deliver it to your door."
The wise King of Gods was quite wary of prophecies, and Prometheus was one of the key figures in this war.
The species "created" by this prophet even has the potential to shake divine authority.
With these two factors combined, it would be a miracle if anyone could feel at ease dealing with this enigmatic Zeus.
Therefore, Prometheus understood that only when he, this unstable factor, was gone would humanity have a chance to be accepted by the gods.
Taking a step back to advance is a last resort.
Now, neither humans nor the Olympian Gods; they can only submit and compromise.
Ultimately, the weak have no right to negotiate.