The lingering glow of the setting sun dyed the white clouds drifting through the blue sky red, like flames in the heavens burning with their last light.
Nyx gently picked up Thaumas and carried him floating upward.
Unlike Hermes's "roughness," it felt as though a soft, fluffy ball of cotton had caught him and delivered him into the air.
What came into view was an exquisite carriage.
The carriage body—its cabin—was draped in costly, finely woven silk. Its gold-inlaid, jewel-studded windows were veiled by pale blue crinkled gauze, displaying the owner's identity and status.
Four black horses pulled this Night Chariot. Originally, Nyx had possessed one white horse.
Night's three black and one white echoed the Sun's three white and one black from afar, corresponding to a certain law and representing the endless cycle of day and moon.
In truth, Artemis also wanted to expand her Authority. After all, as the "Goddess of the Moon," she was unable to drive the Night Chariot.
Artemis also wanted to raise the night and the moon, just as Apollo had seized the sun. She simply did not wish to provoke this primordial Night.
Helios and Nyx were different sorts of people. She knew whom she could offend and whom she ought to respect.
That pair of siblings—or perhaps elder sister and younger brother—were truly alike. In truth, neither could stay idle. They wanted a great deal of power, yet were unwilling to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities.
However, the original three black and one white had now become four black horses.
"Neigh—!"
When Phlegon saw Thaumas arrive, he nodded in greeting, then let out a long neigh as a greeting.
"Alright, Phlegon. Whatever you have to say can wait until later. We need to leave the Underworld first. You've already talked things over with your three seniors, right? Today is your first day on the job, so work hard!"
Nyx encouraged the new little fellow.
"Phlegon, I didn't lie to you, did I? Do your best, alright? Get along well with your senior sisters, understand?" Thaumas said with a smile.
"Neigh—!"
Phlegon excitedly raised his front hooves, looking as if to say, "Don't worry about it."
With a wave of her hand, Nyx brought Thaumas into the carriage. Everything was ready.
Then,
the sun set.
Night descended. Countless little stars dotted the deep blue sky, blinking as though inviting people to roam through the vastness of space.
And because it was Apollo's first time driving the sun, tonight's moon was especially full.
Artemis was working exceptionally hard tonight, deliberately celebrating Apollo's acquisition of the sun.
The bright moon resembled a silver boat sailing across a deep blue sea.
And bored Apollo had finally finished that irritating work and awaited Nyx's arrival.
After briefly handing over the shift with Nyx, he parked the Sun Chariot somewhere and concealed its radiance.
Apollo was no longer worried about those fire horses running off, because they were enthusiastically chatting with the newly arrived mare. It could not be helped. A group of males who worked overtime every day would naturally get excited when a girl suddenly appeared. They had begun working shortly after being born and had never experienced the charms of a mare.
After receiving Nyx's approval, Apollo boarded the Night Chariot as well.
"Honored Goddess Nyx, greetings." Apollo bowed respectfully, then nodded at Thaumas.
"Today was exhausting! I never expected the sun's work to be so troublesome! If possible, I'd like to find a chance to return the Sun Chariot to Helios and let him continue doing this annoying job." After greeting them, Apollo stretched lazily and spoke in feigned exhaustion.
"Alright, Apollo. What exactly did you come looking for me for?" Nyx asked calmly.
"This... Goddess Nyx, I merely wanted to see this child, Thaumas." Apollo hesitated, struggling for a moment before finally speaking.
Heh, so he really had come to steal her son-in-law!
Little Clotho, why were you so shy? Your husband was about to be stolen away! Ah, for the sake of these children, this old mother truly had worried herself sick.
"You, Apollo! Just like Hermes, you don't follow the rules! Truly worthy of being brothers!
"Thaumas belongs to the night today!" Nyx said unhappily.
Even the Queen of Heaven could not refute that point if she were here, though Hera was currently busy nurturing her relationship with Hephaestus.
Come to think of it, even Thaumas had not heard any news of the Queen of Heaven for a long time.
"Please forgive my disrespect, Goddess Nyx. I was simply worried about this child. I missed him too much," Apollo hurriedly explained.
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying this child has suffered grievances with me?" Anger appeared on Nyx's face, her displeasure plain to see.
"This... that isn't what I meant." Apollo was not good at arguing, especially with goddesses. In fact, he often followed Artemis's lead.
"Then why are you still here? What exactly do you mean?" Nyx demanded imperiously.
Thaumas felt reassured. As expected of Nyx! Hurry and persuade this newly appointed Sun God to leave.
Thaumas did not want to see Apollo at all right now. He was a normal human. Well, saying that might offend certain groups. He was an ordinary human, without any unusual preferences, and was not particularly keen on pursuing unconventional love.
After hearing that, Apollo looked troubled. He understood what Goddess Nyx was thinking, but still chose to meet her.
At last, Apollo clenched his fists and spoke as if making up his mind:
"Honored Goddess Nyx! What I mean is, I like Thaumas! Please give me a chance!"
After hearing him, Nyx replied coldly, "You certainly dare to say it. Zeus truly raised a fine child. They say Artemis is showered with affection, the most spoiled child on Olympus, but from what I can see, you are no less spoiled."
"I wouldn't dare. I merely wish to pursue love!" Apollo answered resolutely. Then he turned to Thaumas and said, "Child, I am already selecting a face. The next time we meet, I will become an incomparably beautiful goddess. Wait for me."
"Please don't do this, Lord Apollo. I do not like male gods, and I like male gods turned into goddesses even less!" Thaumas rejected him sternly.
Thaumas was shocked by Apollo's outrageous plan to cut himself up. As expected, Ancient Greece's lechery was extroverted, wild, and impossible to conceal.
For the sake of sleeping with someone, he could even cut it off himself.
But that had always been an excellent tradition in Ancient Greece.
Even Aphrodite, the deity representing love and beauty, had been born from the foam churned up by the sea after Uranus's genitals, cut off by Cronus, were thrown into it.
After making love, Aphrodite would use special means to turn herself back into a virgin, ensuring every time was the first time—a pure love.
The Ancient Greeks' love had always been closely tied to reproduction.
Although in the Nasuverse, she was a Large Terminal for Intelligent Life Education, a Psychic Information Warfare Attack Machine, this story still circulated, showing that her conduct was not much different.
Among the gods, she had a good reputation because she often treated herself as a benefit and gave herself to other gods or powerful beings.
That alone showed just how wildly the Ancient Greek gods played around. And this was only the tip of the iceberg.
"I... gods have no gender. How can someone as clever as you fail to understand that?" Apollo said painfully.
"Why are you talking so much? Didn't you hear what Thaumas said? He doesn't like you." Nyx shot back happily.
She was delighted. This meant her little Clotho had one fewer rival, and it even eliminated potential enemies such as Zeus.
"Then as long as I make Thaumas like me, that will be enough, right?" Apollo asked excitedly. He had thought of the love god's arrows.
"So long as you use proper methods." Nyx said nothing more. She had already made a concession.
"Good!" Apollo did not feel discouraged. Instead, he felt happy, then bade farewell to Nyx and Thaumas.
Throughout the whole exchange, Thaumas had barely found a chance to speak. Before gods, he felt a deep sense of helplessness.
Like a toy, he was being arranged at will.
Thaumas said nothing. He did not belong to this era, and his heart was destined not to be tied here. If they truly used force, then at worst, he would take his own life.
Still, perhaps going along with it would not be so bad? No, if it was Apollo, then absolutely not!
He was not even as acceptable as Goddess Clotho, whom he had never met.
He truly did not want to see Apollo again!
"Alright, child, that annoying fellow has finally left. Let's have a proper chat. How many grandchildren do you plan to give me in the future..." Nyx held Thaumas's hand and talked with him for a very, very long time.
The night was soft.
The moonlight was hazy, the starlight enchanting, and the lamplight brilliant. Multicolored lights reflected one another, silver radiance flowing down.
The breeze flew gently and softly, its enormous wings tenderly caressing everything.
This moonlight, starlight, and firelight, this faint breeze, wove together into a web of infinite charm, wrapping all things in the world and allowing people to fall contentedly asleep amid its warmth, sinking into one sweet, beautiful dream after another.
Tonight was still long.
But when Apollo drove the Sun Chariot again tomorrow, bringing light to the world,
the tale of a hero raising the night would be sung far and wide by bards.
P.S.
Come to think of it, Thaumas was already very strong now, and he would become even more absurdly overpowered in the future.
Perhaps under normal circumstances, like Heracles, many Noble Phantasms would not be able to come down with him.
I'll see what everyone thinks before deciding how to handle it specifically. I won't write the status panel for now; I'll sort it out when this is over.
And as for why I wrote this chapter this way? A swarm of bees moved into my house these past few days. They split off from their hive and occupied my room.
I also like sleeping naked, and I did not manage to kill all of them. Somehow, two bees were still alive, and they stung my dick...
I don't know how they could bring themselves to do it, but I finished today's update filled with resentment. My dick cannot be the only one suffering—Apollo, you have to cut yours off too. That will make me feel a little better.
Before you continue