The Queen of Heaven is Draining the Hero's Excuses

The afterglow of the setting sun illuminated the earth. Helios, the sun god, bid farewell to the moon and the night with lingering reluctance, leaving behind a gilded radiance that stained the sky rose-colored. Nearby, the river shimmered in the twilight, resembling a vast, polished expanse of endless metal.

Amidst the colors of the sunset, Thaumas stood guard around the camp, a longbow in his left hand and a dagger in his right.

Although they had just restocked supplies at a nearby village, Jason, that blockhead, couldn't sit still and had taken a sudden whim to hunt for game, leaving Thaumas to guard their temporary camp alone.

That guy Jason had even shouted about looking for bandits in the vicinity before he left...

What was going through his head? Out here in the middle of nowhere.

I really want to punch him.

"Hah~" The long hours of patrol only added to his exhaustion, and just as he began to grow drowsy...

"Child..."

The sudden, aged voice made Thaumas jump. After all, the evening was nearly over...

This isn't funny, it's terrifying!

Regaining his composure, Thaumas looked up to see an old woman with white hair and simple clothing standing before his clear, azure eyes. She leaned on a cane, limping toward him.

Though she appeared ancient, her silver eyes were unexpectedly captivating, as clear as those of a young girl.

She gazed at the youth and said gently, "Child, could you do me a favor?"

Huh? Wait? This soon? Oh no! Jason isn't here.

An old woman appearing out of nowhere in this wilderness made no sense; she had to be the Queen of Heaven testing Jason.

But Thaumas didn't overthink it. He immediately declared:

"Of course! As a devout follower of the great Queen of Heaven Hera, I shall uphold the belief of helping the weak and bring glory to the Goddess!

I am a man who will become a hero! I will not refuse you!"

Thaumas spoke with righteous indignation. This practiced tone and these sonorous words had clearly been rehearsed many times in secret.

Being a god-sycophant requires effort, you know! After all these years, if you haven't gained the favor of the gods, you should reflect on yourself and whether you've been praying diligently...

Hearing this, the old woman smiled happily. After all, the hero she had set her sights on was her own follower, and so sensible at that—it was hard not to be pleased.

Jason, that child, really does seem excellent; Athena certainly has an eye for talent.

She pointed happily toward a mountain peak and said with a smile:

"Then, little follower of Hera, my home is on that high mountain, but the road is too long. To return, one must cross a rushing river, and unfortunately, the small bridge has been washed away by the current."

"But it is late now, child. Are you willing to help me get home?"

Thaumas hesitated for a moment. He already knew that the person before him was the Queen of Heaven, Hera.

After all, this was the mysterious and perilous Ancient Greece; who lives alone on a high mountain for no reason?

Moreover, in such places, the appearance of old people, children, or women was never reasonable—it had to be one of these gods! It was dangerous!

However...

Goddess Hera, you seem to have mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Jason!

Hey! Jason, why are you dropping the ball now? Don't you have the ability to make critical decisions? Where is "Desperate Situation Jason" when I need him?!

No! I can't think about that! That God of Amusement might be watching too.

At this moment, Queen of Heaven Hera, disguised as an old woman, saw Thaumas's hesitation and asked with slight dissatisfaction: "What is it, child? Have I made things difficult for you?"

"No, no, no! Absolutely not!" Thaumas said quickly, not daring to make her feel difficult! He shook his head and replied:

"Grandmother, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I have a companion named Jason.

He should be hunting right now, and if he returns and can't find me, we'll both be in a lot of trouble..."

"How about this? We have an extra tent here. You can make do for the night, and we will personally take you home first thing tomorrow morning. Would that be acceptable?"

Hmm, a very interesting idea! He is worthy of being a hero recommended by Athena! What an excellent child! Truly satisfying.

Hmm, a companion, let me think about what to do... Wait? Hold on! What did this child just say? His companion is named Jason?

Looking at the divine aura of Chiron and Athena on him, that scent couldn't be wrong! But she had secretly used her power, and looking at this child, he wasn't lying! Could she have really mistaken the person?

Just then, the purple-haired God of Amusement watching from the other side was laughing his head off.

"Hahahaha~ Queen of Heaven Hera mistook the person, wow, I'm dying, hilarious.

I must tell Hermes later so everyone can have a good laugh..."

Hera was completely bewildered at this point. If word got out that she, the Queen of Heaven, had mistaken the person...

But looking at the excellent child before her, and remembering he said he was her follower.

Well, so be it. An excellent child is exactly who should be a child of Hera!

And so:

"That won't do, child. Tents are so thin, and I am an old woman who fears the cold! I must go home," Hera said gently once more.

Might as well stick with the mistake. A test is a test, regardless of who it is, right?

Besides, this handsome boy is quite excellent. If his character passes, then surely his companion won't be bad either!

Thaumas looked troubled, then said weakly, "Um, elder, we could build a fire and keep watch for you. It wouldn't be cold..."

Clearly, he wanted to try one more time. After all, Jason, the protagonist, wasn't even here, and his explanation and suggestion were perfectly reasonable! There was no reason to refuse.

You think it's a bother, so you think I don't?

"That won't do. I'm not used to sleeping in strange places. Besides, the Night Chariot of the Goddess Nyx is about to emerge from the Underworld, and the moon of the Goddess Artemis will soon rise. If the night falls, an old person like me will never be able to return home. So, child, I beg you to help me! Please." Hera cut him off immediately. Her request was phrased as a plea, but it was filled with an unquestionable tone.

Now, she wouldn't split hairs with Thaumas anymore.

She couldn't wait to play a game with this little believer, and no one could disturb her now, or they would face the wrath of the Queen of Heaven.

"Hmm... this... alright." Seeing the iron-willed Hera before him, Thaumas felt a wave of helplessness.

Why do the Greek gods place such importance on the process? Is this what they call a sense of ritual?

Besides, his suggestion was clearly reasonable. You know it's a bother, yet you're bothering me—you really are a bother.

Powerless, Thaumas followed Hera's lead and nodded, replying, "I understand. From here on, please leave it all to me."

Only when he agreed did the Queen of Heaven, Hera, reveal a smile again. One dared not imagine the price of refusing her.

These Greek gods were truly willful. Should one say, as expected of Machine God that have absorbed "humanity"?

Afterward, Thaumas carved some words into a thick ancient tree nearby to notify Jason. After all, if he really couldn't find him, even a mere Jason would be worried.

He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble for others, because it was unnecessary.

Immediately, Thaumas stepped forward, supported Hera, and walked in the direction she pointed.

After all, one should try to be as thorough as possible when doing things.

After they left, a certain God of Amusement who had been watching for a long time finally decided to show herself. With purple hair and golden eyes, she grinned from ear to ear, watching the direction they left with great interest.

She hadn't expected this child to be so capable of winning the Queen of Heaven's favor. However, she was even more curious now: what if she could snatch this child away from Hera's hands...

Just a moment ago, she had wanted to eavesdrop on Thaumas's inner thoughts, but Hera had blocked her, which poured cold water on her high spirits.

Therefore, she, who had only been slightly interested before, now truly wanted to snatch him.

Mm-hmm, interesting. Truly, I want to dote on this child. Ah, I'm a bit shy.

No! She didn't just want this child; she wanted this child to throw himself into the Goddess's embrace voluntarily. After all, she was the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, the mother of heroes!

If she did that, it would make Hera cry, right? That feels like it has great potential...

Accompanied by the sunset glow, Athena took a light step and slowly vanished into the twilight.

And after she left, bursts of magic attached themselves to that tree, making the words Thaumas left behind even more eye-catching in the dark. Perhaps she knew Jason was an idiot and feared he wouldn't even see the carving, so she made it extra clear.

Before long, Thaumas arrived at the river under Hera's guidance—no, it should be called a great river.

No, how could there be such a large river in these mountains? This isn't scientific... but it is very Greek.

"It is indeed very turbulent." Thaumas looked at the surging river, just as Hera had said.

Standing by the river, before Hera could say anything, he first placed his longbow, dagger, and other items on the bank, then rolled up his pant legs.

Next, he walked closer, chose a relatively good spot, and carefully extended his foot into the river to test it.

Afterward, he slowly put both feet into the water, took two steps to confirm he could pass without any major issues, and then quickly returned to the bank to Hera's side.

"Come, elder, I will carry you across. Just now, I was afraid that if I carried you directly and couldn't overcome the river, I would end up washing both of us away. So this was a necessary prelude! Please forgive my clumsiness."

Hera looked at this cautious youth, her eyes shimmering—a sign of using her divinity.

She was judging the truth of Thaumas's words; this was the power of a god.

Thus, Hera smiled with satisfaction. He was truly worthy of being the one chosen by the Queen of Heaven, Hera; her little believer was excellent.

After all, sincerity is the ultimate skill. To the gods, one should never deceive them; the price of a lie was not something he could bear. Even if one had to lie, one had to play word games in a different way.

Since coming to this world, he hadn't told a lie in a long time; he had even forgotten the taste of a lie. This was also a great gain in his life this time!

Honesty is a good character trait in most cases!

"That child, are you not bringing your things? These are your weapons and belongings, after all." Hera pointed to the bow and arrows on the ground, seemingly puzzled but actually full of interest and inquiry.

"If it's just to take you home, it doesn't matter if I leave them here. My valuables are all at the camp; I only carry these for self-defense. Besides, leaving them here makes it easier to cross the river. Also, we've scouted the surroundings, and there are no bandits or the like, so there's no need to worry about theft." Thaumas answered truthfully.

"Then what if your things are lost by accident? What then? Do you not care?" Hera seemed very satisfied, but asked with even more curiosity.

"Then they're lost! The most important thing now is to take you home!" Thaumas said nonchalantly. "In my view, as a living being, a person is always more noble than these dead objects!"

After all, compared to a person, these things were truly not worth mentioning. Not to mention that this was the great Queen of Heaven, Hera!

If he could establish a connection with her, no matter what, it would surely improve the quality of his Heroic Spirit. Forget reaching D-rank; even C-rank might be possible. Never underestimate the sheer value of the Queen of Heaven!

Although his own efforts would still be required moving forward, after all, a legendary reputation isn't built on a single encounter alone.

This was the truth, Without a shred of falsehood.

Her eyes shimmered, her authority flowed, and after a brief assessment, Hera's smile spilled over completely.

The satisfaction in her eyes toward him was something nothing could conceal.

Immediately, with the help of Thaumas, she was hoisted onto his back.

Huh? She was unexpectedly light! It felt just like carrying a fragrant, soft body pillow. He had assumed she would be heavy, considering this might have been part of the trial.

Not only that, but once he stepped into the water, although the river still looked turbulent, the resistance was nowhere near as great as before, as if it were merely an illusion.

He walked across the river as if it were flat ground, and before long, he had delivered Hera to the opposite bank. Yet, just as he intended to bid farewell and return, The river immediately surged, with some of the water even lapping at his feet.

Seriously, was there any need for this?

"This..."

Thaumas looked hesitant. This unforeseen turn of events caught him off guard; he preferred to plan ahead and was ill-adapted to such volatile situations.

"Child, look, it is already so late. Why not come to my home and stay the night?" Hera spoke again, pointing toward the stars in the sky.

"Child, look, the Goddess of Night has arrived, and Artemis has already hung the moon high. Could you please help me to the end and escort me home?"

Thaumas wore a look of hesitation and was about to open his mouth, but Hera interrupted him once more:

"If you are worried about your companion, there is no need. Haven't you already left a carving? Trust in your companion; he must be a brave child as well!"

Now he truly had no reason left; she had completely blocked off his excuses.

What happened to just delivering her to the other side of the river? Why was there a bonus attached? Besides, he only wanted to connect with the Queen of Heaven, Hera; he didn't want to get this deeply involved.

Gods are troublesome, and goddesses are even more so.

Ah! This doesn't match the plan! How can things not go according to the script? It's all Jason's fault!

Another day of wanting to bully Jason. You jerk, Jason, I hope you get beaten up by the whole world sooner or later!

PS: This chapter is four thousand words; that's enough. By the way, do you prefer short chapters or long ones? I'm not quite sure about the habits of Qidian readers, or does it just matter that I update enough?

Finally, today's three chapters actually hit nine thousand words. If I'm lucky enough to get published, I'll aim for ten thousand a day. If the results are good, I'll grit my teeth and add more during the holidays. As for now, I'll stick to this rhythm of eight thousand words across three chapters.

The author is exhausted and really needs to sleep. By the way, I write these in advance, and they are set to send automatically at 00:01 the next day, so if you want to wait for updates, that's the best time.

Last of all, oh great Goddess Hera! Praise be to you! Please bless me so that tomorrow morning I get a promotion and a raise without ending up in jail!