The afterglow of the setting sun shone upon the earth. The sun god Helios reluctantly welcomed the moon and night, leaving only that gilded lingering light to dye the sky rose-pink. The river beside them still rippled with light in the dusk, like a polished and boundless sheet of metal.
Amid the colors of the sunset, Thaumas stood watch around the camp, Longbow in his left hand and dagger in his right.
Although they had just replenished some supplies in a nearby village, that fool Jason simply could not sit still. On a whim, he had decided to hunt some game, leaving Thaumas alone to guard the temporary camp.
When Jason left, he had even been shouting about checking whether there were still any bandits nearby...
What was going on in his head? This was the middle of nowhere.
I really want to punch him.
"Haah..." The long patrol only worsened his already exhausted state. Just when he was starting to get sleepy...
"Child..."
The sudden aged voice made Thaumas jolt. After all, evening was nearly over...
This was not funny. It was terrifying!
When he came back to his senses, an elderly grandmother dressed plainly, with a head of white hair, appeared in Thaumas's clear azure eyes. Leaning on a cane, she limped toward him.
Though she looked very old, surprisingly, her silver-white eyes were especially captivating, as clear as a young girl's.
She looked at the boy and gently said, "Child, could you do me a favor?"
Huh? Wait? Already? This is bad! Jason isn't here!
An old person suddenly appearing in these remote mountains made no sense no matter how he thought about it. She could only be the Queen of Heaven here to test Jason.
But Thaumas did not think any further and immediately said:
"Of course! As a believer of the great Queen of Heaven Hera, I shall uphold the conviction 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 righteously. That practiced tone, that ringing declaration—it was clear he had secretly rehearsed it many times.
Praising gods took effort too, okay? After all these years, why had he not received divine favor? Think more about your own reasons. Had you seriously worshipped the gods...
Hearing this, the old woman smiled happily. The hero she had taken a liking to was her believer and was so sensible. It was hard not to be pleased.
Jason really did seem like an excellent child. Athena had good judgment after all.
So, smiling happily, she pointed at a mountain peak and said:
"Then, little believer of Hera, my home is on that high mountain. But the road home is too far away, and I must cross a rushing river to return. Unfortunately, the small bridge across the river has already been washed away by the current."
"But it is getting late, child. Are you willing to help me get home?"
Thaumas hesitated for a while. He already knew that the woman before him was Queen of Heaven Hera.
After all, this was mysterious and perilous Ancient Greece. Who would live alone on a high mountain for no reason?
Besides, under normal circumstances, old people, children, and women appearing in a place like this made absolutely no sense. No matter how he thought about it, they had to be gods! Very dangerous gods!
However...
Goddess Hera, you seem to have mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Jason!
Hey! Jason, why are you letting me down at a time like this? Didn't you have the ability to make crucial decisions? Where is Desperate Jason?!
No! I can't keep thinking about this! That God of Amusement might be watching too.
At that moment, Queen of Heaven Hera, disguised as an old woman, saw Thaumas's hesitation and asked with slight displeasure, "What is it, child? Have I put you in a difficult position?"
"No, no, no! Absolutely not!" Thaumas hurriedly said. How could he dare let her be inconvenienced? He shook his head and continued:
"Grandma, it isn't that I don't want to help you. It's just that I have a companion named Jason.
He should be hunting right now. If he comes back later and cannot find me, we will both be in trouble..."
"How about this? We have a spare tent. You can make do here for one night, and tomorrow morning, we will personally escort you home. Would that be alright?"
Hmm, what an interesting idea! No wonder Athena recommended this hero! What an excellent child! This was truly satisfying.
Hmm, a companion... Let me think about what to do... Huh? Wait! What did this child just say? His companion was named Jason?
Looking at the divine aura of Chiron and Athena on him, there was no mistaking that scent! Yet with the Authority she had secretly used, this child had not lied. Had she truly mistaken him for someone else?
At that moment, the purple-haired God of Amusement watching from elsewhere was nearly laughing herself insane.
"Ha ha ha ha~ Queen of Heaven Hera mistook someone else for Jason. Wow, I'm dying of laughter. This is hilarious.
No, I have to tell Hermes later and let everyone have a good laugh..."
Hera was utterly bewildered. If word got out that she, Queen of Heaven Hera, had mistaken someone for another person...
But then she looked at the excellent child before her and recalled that he had said he was her believer.
Hmm, then so be it. Excellent children ought to be the children of Hera!
Thus,
"No, child. How thin are tents? This old woman is terribly afraid of the cold! I must go home," Hera gently said again.
She might as well make the best of this mistake. Who she tested did not matter, did it?
Not to mention this handsome child was excellent. So long as his character passed the test, then surely his companion would not be bad either!
Thaumas looked troubled and weakly said again, "Um, grandma, we can make a fire and keep watch for you. It won't be cold..."
Clearly, he still wanted to fight for it. Jason, the protagonist, was not even here, and his explanation and suggestion were perfectly reasonable! There was no reason for her to refuse.
You find it troublesome, but do you think I don't?
"No, I am not used to sleeping in unfamiliar places. Besides, Goddess Nyx's Night Chariot is about to emerge from the underworld, and Goddess Artemis's moon is about to rise.
Once night falls, this old woman will never be able to return home. So, child, I beg you to help me! Please." Hera immediately cut him off. Though she spoke of a request, she was utterly unquestionable.
Now, she would no longer get caught up in pointless arguments with Thaumas.
She could not wait to play a game with this little believer. No one could disturb her now, or they would face the wrath of the Queen of Heaven.
"Um... this... alright." Looking at Hera, who had clearly made up her mind, Thaumas felt utterly helpless.
Why did Greek gods care so much about the process? Was this what they called a sense of ceremony?
And his suggestion had clearly been entirely reasonable. You know it is troublesome, yet you are still troubling me. You really are troublesome.
Powerless, Thaumas followed Hera's lead, nodded, and answered, "I understand. Leave everything to me from here on."
Only after he agreed did Queen of Heaven Hera smile again. He did not dare imagine the price of refusing her.
These Greek gods really were willful. Was that to be expected of Machine Gods that had absorbed "humanity"?
Afterward, Thaumas carved a few words into a relatively sturdy old tree nearby to notify Jason. If Jason really could not find him, even Jason would be worried.
He did not want to cause others unnecessary trouble, because it was unnecessary.
Then Thaumas stepped forward, supported Hera, and headed in the direction she indicated.
After all, one should try to leave no loose ends when doing things.
After they left, the God of Amusement who had watched for so long finally deigned to emerge. The purple-haired, golden-eyed goddess was smiling so broadly that her mouth would not close as she gazed with interest toward the direction they had gone.
She had not expected this child to be so good at winning the Queen of Heaven's favor. But now, she was even more curious. What if she could snatch this child from Hera's hands...
She had wanted to eavesdrop on Thaumas's thoughts just now, but Hera had blocked her, pouring cold water over her high spirits.
Thus, what had originally been mere curiosity now truly made her want to take him.
Mm-hmm, how interesting. Really, I want to shower this child with affection. Ah, how embarrassing.
No! She did not merely want this child. She wanted him to willingly throw himself into a goddess's embrace. After all, she was Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, the Mother of Heroes!
Would that make Hera cry? It sounded like it had potential...
Beneath the lingering glow of the sunset, Athena lightly stepped forward and slowly vanished into the evening light.
After she left, waves of magical power clung to that tree, making the words Thaumas had carved even more conspicuous in the darkness. She probably knew Jason was an idiot and feared that he would not even notice the carving, so she deliberately made it clearer.
Not long afterward,
Under Hera's guidance, Thaumas arrived at the river. No, it should have been called a great river.
Where did such a huge river even come from in these mountains? This was not scientific... but it was very Greek.
"It truly is swift." Thaumas looked at the surging river. Just as Hera had said.
Standing beside the river, before Hera could say anything, he set down his Longbow, dagger, and other belongings by the bank, then rolled up his trouser legs.
Next, he moved closer, chose a relatively suitable spot, and cautiously extended one foot into the river to test it.
Afterward, he slowly put both feet into the water and took two steps through the river. Only after confirming that he could cross and that there was no major problem did he quickly return to the bank and go back to Hera's side.
"Come, grandma. I'll carry you across. I was afraid that if I carried you straight across and could not overcome the river, it might wash both of us away. So this was a necessary prelude! Please forgive the spectacle."
Hera watched the cautious boy, and her eyes flickered. This was a sign that she was using her Authority.
She was judging whether what Thaumas had said was true. It was an Authority belonging to a god.
Hera smiled in satisfaction. He truly was worthy of being chosen by Queen of Heaven Hera. Her little believer was excellent.
After all, sincerity was the ultimate weapon. When dealing with gods, one must never deceive them. The price of a lie was not something he could bear. Even if he had to deceive them, he would need to play word games another way.
Since coming to this world, he had not lied for a long time. He had even forgotten the taste of lying. Perhaps that was one of the great gains of this life!
Honesty was a good virtue most of the time!
"Then, child, aren't you taking your belongings? Those are all your weapons and property." Hera pointed at the bow, arrows, and other items on the ground, seemingly puzzled but actually full of interest and scrutiny.
"If I'm only taking you home, it doesn't matter if I leave them here. My property is all back at camp. I only carry these things for self-defense.
Besides, leaving them here will make crossing the river more convenient.
And we have already searched the area. There are no bandits or anything nearby, so there is no need to worry about them being stolen." Thaumas answered honestly.
"But what if your things are lost due to some accident? What then? Would you not care?" Hera seemed very satisfied, yet asked with even greater curiosity.
"Then they're lost! Taking you home is what matters most right now!" Thaumas said without concern. "In my eyes, people, as living beings, are more precious than these lifeless objects in every way!"
After all, compared to people, these things truly were insignificant. Not to mention that this was the great Queen of Heaven Hera!
If he could establish a connection with her, his Heroic Spirit quality would rise no matter what. Forget reaching D-rank—even C-rank should be possible! Never underestimate the weight of the Queen of Heaven!
Of course, he would still need to work hard afterward. A glorious legend could not be achieved through a single encounter.
This was the truth,
Without a trace of falsehood.
Her eyes flickered, Authority flowed, and after a brief judgment, Hera's smile completely overflowed.
Nothing could conceal the satisfaction in her eyes as she looked at him.
Then, with Thaumas's help, she climbed onto his back.
Huh? She was unexpectedly light! It was like carrying a soft, fragrant pillow. He had thought she would be heavy, since that might have been part of the test.
More than that, once he entered the water, though the river still looked swift, it no longer offered as much resistance as before. It was as if it had merely been an illusion.
He walked through the river as if on level ground and soon carried Hera to the opposite bank. But just as he wanted to say goodbye and return,
The river immediately grew turbulent, and some water even surged around his feet.
Seriously, was there any need to go this far?
"This..."
Thaumas looked hesitant. This unforeseen development caught him off guard. He preferred to plan ahead and was somewhat uncomfortable with such unpredictable circumstances.
"Child, since it is already so late, how about you come to my house and stay the night?" Hera spoke again, pointing at the stars in the sky.
"Child, look. The goddess of night has already arrived, and Artemis has already hung the moon high in the sky. Could you help me to the end and take me home?"
Thaumas looked hesitant and was about to speak when Hera interrupted him again:
"If you are worried about your companion, there is no need. Didn't you already leave a carving behind? Trust your companion. He must be a brave child too!"
Now he truly had no reason left. She had completely blocked every excuse he had.
Didn't she say to take her to the other side of the river? Why did this come with an extra request? Besides, he only wanted to make a connection with Queen of Heaven Hera. He did not really want to become this close to her.
Gods were troublesome. Goddesses were even more troublesome.
Ah! This did not match the plan! How could she not follow the script! It was all Jason's fault!
Another day of wanting to bully Jason. Damn Jason, may you someday get beaten up by the whole world!
P.S.: This chapter is four thousand characters, so it's worth the price. By the way, do you prefer short chapters or long chapters? I'm not really sure about Qidian readers' preferences. Or is it enough as long as the updates are frequent?
Also, today's three chapters somehow came out to nine thousand characters. If I'm fortunate enough to get premium release, then I'll aim for ten thousand a day. If the results are better, I'll grit my teeth and add more during holidays. For now, though, I'll maintain this rhythm of three chapters and eight thousand characters.
This author can't hold on anymore. I really need to sleep. Oh, and I write in advance, then the chapters are automatically posted at exactly 00:01 the next day, so that's the best time to wait for updates.
And finally, great Goddess Hera! Praise you! Please bless me so that I get promoted and become rich tomorrow morning without ending up in jail!
Before you continue