At that moment, Hera was pushing Hephaestus's wheelchair toward the dining hall.
Along the way, the two chatted and laughed, without the slightest hint of shyness or resentment. All that remained was the small warmth they had once hidden in their hearts.
When all was said and done,
Even gods longed for a happy life with their family!
Like humans, they too yearned for a warm home, for a place where they could rest.
Thaumas smiled as he watched the mother and son reunite after so long, unable to help feeling happy for them.
The two who had never known how to express themselves had finally let go of their past grievances. In truth, Thaumas had not done anything particularly remarkable.
They merely needed an opportunity to speak properly, a chance to get along.
When Hera cast aside her prejudice and overcame her shame, Thaumas knew he no longer needed to do anything else.
Family bonds were always so wondrous, forever accompanied by quarrels and companionship.
Come to think of it, wasn't I still short one offering for Hera? After all, this was my request to her.
I'll owe her one for now! I really have no idea what to give her at the moment.
Hera pushed Hephaestus to the dining table, then walked over to Thaumas, gently pulling him into her embrace and softly stroking his hair.
With gratitude filling her voice, she said:
"Child, thank you so much this time. If it weren't for you, who knew how long the two of us would have kept giving each other the cold shoulder? Perhaps for a lifetime."
"Goddess Hera, you flatter me. I should be the one thanking you. After all, you were the one who agreed to my unreasonable request," Thaumas replied with a smile.
Thus,
Hera and Hephaestus looked at each other and spoke in unison:
"Child, we will protect you forever. Whenever you need us, you may command our Authorities as you please. We will always answer your requests."
As they spoke, immense magical power gathered in their hands. Divine light flickered in Hera's eyes, while the fire markings on Hephaestus's body blazed wildly.
In an instant, those two surging divine powers were guided into Thaumas's Golden Bracelet.
From this day onward, flames would no longer harm him, and because he had been born noble, he would forever enjoy wealth and prosperity.
This was the blessing of two deities.
Together with Athena's guidance of wisdom, he now possessed the power of three chief gods.
On the Throne of Heroes, he should finally have the capital to contend with others, shouldn't he?
Thaumas suddenly had a premonition. If I still didn't die after this, I probably really would become impossible to kill.
"Then, thank you, Goddess Hera. And of course, Lord Hephaestus as well." Thaumas expressed his sincere gratitude.
The two deities nodded slightly. Then, under the care of the little maid Epluto, the three of them shared a warm dinner.
However,
Thaumas still chose to leave quietly. This mother and son still needed some time to adjust.
Since his purpose had already been achieved, there was little point in staying any longer.
Besides,
The Authority Athena had left on him had now been transferred into the Bracelet, which was flashing wildly with Athena's divine radiance.
The Goddess of Wisdom was already urging him on frantically.
"Then, Goddess of Wisdom, can you tell me why you wouldn't let me sleep in the middle of the night? Why did you call me out now?" Thaumas asked helplessly.
He had actually wanted to sleep a little longer before leaving, but Athena had urged him far too desperately. The blinding divine light was so bright that he could not sleep at all.
So there was simply no helping it!
"Mm~ Little Thaumas, don't be so angry~ I only wanted to see you sooner. You're not really angry, are you? Then the Goddess of Wisdom apologizes to you.
"But there's something very interesting to do now. Are you sure you don't want to go?"
Ah—
As expected, this wasn't anything good!
Nemean Lion, Heavenly Fire Reforging... Goddess, could you please be a little more reliable?
I'm only human!
Sure, I wanted to become a hero, but did it have to be this outrageous?
"Then, Goddess of Wisdom, I have acquired a weapon, learned combat skills from Teacher Chiron, and even gained a body impervious to blades and spears. What else do I need to do next?"
"Mm-hm, very well. You are already outstanding, but you still lack one indispensable thing.
"That is, you still need a companion."
"A companion?"
"That's right! Just as every god has their pets or mounts, heroes should have one too. After all, Thaumas, you don't want to trouble Hermes every single time, do you?"
"That's true. Then what do you think I should do, Goddess?"
"Do you know about Griffins?"
"Griffins?"
"That's right, Griffins!"
In the mythology of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome,
Griffins were popular legendary creatures, usually depicted as divine beasts with the head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and wings.
They first appeared around 3000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia. Their image combined the traits of lions and eagles, possessing a lion's body along with an eagle's head, beak, and wings.
Their image combined the strength of lions with the agility of eagles, symbolizing power and nobility.
Griffins were often depicted as creatures that guarded treasures, associated with gold and precious gems.
Their nests were often built atop high cliffs to protect those treasures from being stolen by greedy humans.
The Griffin's Ancient Greek name was "$γρύφων$" (grúphon), and its image also appeared on early Ancient Roman coins, demonstrating its status and symbolic significance in ancient cultures.
In Ancient Greek mythology, the Griffin was a mythical creature with multiple symbolic meanings and cultural influences. Its image and stories still held a place in modern culture.
But in the Nasuverse,
The Griffin appeared as a Rider-class Servant. Its true identity was a half-human, half-horse monster from Greek mythology.
According to the setting, if a Griffin mated with a mare, it would produce a Hippogriff.
But almost no animal would mate with its own food.
Therefore, the Hippogriff was a magical beast that should not have existed, yet it did.
And this Hippogriff was also a Noble Phantasm called Hippogriff: Phantom Horse Not Existing in This World, capable of increasing the power of its own Noble Phantasm and granting the entire allied side an evasion state.
This Hippogriff formed a contract with the handsome Astolfo, one of the Twelve Peers of Charlemagne in French legend, and became his mount.
But Astolfo's era was still very far away.
Besides, even a mere descendant of a Griffin had already reached the level of a B+++ Noble Phantasm. Wouldn't a Griffin itself have to be at least A-rank?
This was the Age of Gods!
So I really had a chance!
And there didn't necessarily have to be only one Griffin!
Many legends indicated that there was more than one of them.
Athena watched the pondering Thaumas and smiled faintly.
"You possess Hera's Authority. No one in the world is wealthier or more prosperous than you. Maybe you really can charm one over. It depends on your ability!"
Thaumas's eyes lit up. Didn't that mean the Rider class was practically his already?
"Then, Goddess, where should I go, and what exactly should I do?"
Before you continue