The Hero Doesn't Want to Be Eavesdropped On

Nyx, the Goddess of Night, personally steered her chariot out from the Underworld, spilling the black of night across the sky and shrouding the mortal realm in darkness.

Thaumas supported Hera, who had transformed into an old woman, and under her guidance, kept the "old lady" company with idle chatter.

It is worth noting, however, that the mountain forest, which should have been pitch black, was currently surrounded by fireflies.

Interestingly, in Ancient Greece, these little insects were vividly and directly called "bright-tails."

He did not believe that just any mountain forest would have so many of these little things; as expected, the gods were truly "powerful"! Well... at least Hera and that god of mischief were.

The appearance of these little cuties added a touch of mystery and romance to the night. They danced in the grass, under the shade of trees, and by the ponds, making the surrounding environment appear even more tranquil and enchanting. Although their lives were short, they left behind moving beauty in this world.

They also illuminated the entire mountain path.

"Child, if only my children were all like you," Hera suddenly said with a trace of sorrow.

Thaumas dared not respond to this; he knew Hera's family situation all too well.

As the goddess in charge of marriage, yet unable to hold onto her own, it was truly a tragedy.

The King of Gods, Zeus, was an eternal, extreme stud, and his habit of cuckolding Hera had become a Greek specialty.

Moreover, her four biological children were all less than satisfactory...

Even counting his past and present lives, he was only twenty-six years old. He hadn't even finished living a complete life, let alone started a family of his own, so how could he dare to point fingers at others?

In a sense, Chiron was right; he was still just a child. He had died of illness at eighteen, spent two years in the modern Type-Moon era, and had been in this world for only six years (one year climbing mountains, five years learning his craft).

Of course, he had worked very hard; this was a life Heaven had granted him once more. He was desperate to improve and had decided to cherish his abilities and every segment of life that followed.

Seeing Thaumas remain silent, Hera felt dejected but not displeased. She reached out with a hand that was aged yet exceptionally warm, gently gripping his. Her eyes revealed an unconcealable sadness as she spoke slowly:

"Although my husband loves me, he is always wandering and chasing after flowers. If he were doing it only for that damned fate, I wouldn't be so angry.

But even some... he refuses to let go of even those..."

Through her words, Thaumas could already feel the woman's grief. As a goddess, her entire body was trembling slightly at this moment.

He could understand; after all, he knew the situation with that Zeus.

As the third-generation King of Gods, Zeus balanced power and ruled the entire Olympian pantheon. To maintain his rule, he absolutely would not allow any existence that threatened the balance to emerge.

Zeus's true form was an interstellar combat annihilation-type mobile fortress flagship.

During the First Titanomachy, the battle between the Olympian gods and the Titans was, in fact, a massive war between the Olympian fleet and the Titan-series fleet.

At that time, Zeus replaced Cronus and obtained the Proof of Domination, the Crown of Cronus.

Zeus was already incredibly powerful by then; in the "Atlantic Lostbelt," he could single-handedly slaughter numerous gods, including Athena, and beat many of them into "scrap metal." He was terrifyingly strong.

[Lostbelt]: Just as there is competition for existence in life, there are winners and losers in history.

"Now" is the history of the victors based on correct choices and correct prosperity. This is called "Proper Human History."

And the history of the losers based on wrong choices and wrong prosperity—as "unnecessary things" that were interrupted, or even abandoned by the theory of parallel worlds, "human history that walked into a dead end"—these are called "Lostbelts."

Simply put, it is a timeline where humanity or the world has no future, and the suppression force equivalent to the "Way of Heaven" forcibly "cuts off" this period, causing this timeline to transform into a special world.

But at that time, the Moirai and Prometheus both left prophecies that Zeus would be defeated by his youngest son.

So his approach was to "consume" those children destined to be powerful while continuously procreating, ensuring there would always be younger children.

Athena was one such case; she was originally meant to be a male god, but she was consumed by Zeus before she was even born, eventually becoming a goddess.

If it were only that, Hera could indeed endure it, but Zeus happened to be a god who was not picky about his appetite...

A man who would eat anything.

He must stay away from Zeus and Apollo in the future; both of these gods played a bit too wildly.

After pondering for a moment, Thaumas hurriedly snapped back to reality and listened carefully.

"And besides, one of my children is ugly and has a terrible relationship with me, while another boy only knows how to fight and brawl, bullying the clown day and night, never giving me a moment of peace.

As for the other two girls... they are well-behaved enough, but they have no highlights, and their relationship with me is average.

Tell me, what did I do wrong? How should I be punished? I just wanted our family to be happy together." Tears of sorrow flowed from the corners of Hera's eyes as she gripped Thaumas's hands tightly.

What the hell is a clown? Could it be Hephaestus, the God of Fire?

He didn't know the official history, but he had heard rumors about the Type-Moon history. She was a very good goddess; after all, Type-Moon Heavy Industries started out by selling that stuff... it was an old tradition.

Hephaestus was truly miserable, accepting the marriage to Aphrodite, but this Goddess of Love was constantly hooking up with Hera's other child, Ares. Although he had caught them in the act, he was forced to let them go due to the pleas of the other gods.

Fortunately, this was Type-Moon; the two goddesses couldn't help it, and it was understandable, um... though one could never be sure... Eh? No, where was his mind wandering!

Thaumas hurriedly shook his head, casting these distracting thoughts aside.

He didn't know why this strong goddess was secretly pouring her heart out to him, complaining about the injustices she had suffered for years. Perhaps she wasn't innocent, but at this moment, she appeared so fragile.

A family misfortune, indeed; it was quite tragic.

Every family has its own difficult scriptures to recite, and the gods are no exception. After all, the gods of Greece had absorbed "human nature."

"Goddess Hera, I have never been married and don't know how to guide you, but I believe that even if your children have conflicts with you, as long as you communicate patiently, there will always be a way."

"As for His Majesty the King of Gods, please forgive my incompetence. After all, I have rarely even held a girl's hand myself. Love and such? That is a bit difficult for me."

Thaumas answered honestly, attempting to comfort the heartbroken goddess. Things had reached the point of no return, and he decided to lay his cards on the table.

"How did you recognize me?" Hera composed her expression. Although she had not yet revealed her true form, she continued the conversation.

"As the most loyal believer of the Queen of Heaven, Hera, it would be difficult for me not to recognize you once you have spoken to this extent.

Besides, I was suspicious from the very beginning. After all, in such a desolate wilderness with so few people, one could only assume it was a goddess.

However, considering there might be special circumstances, I did not point it out immediately; after all, there are always exceptions. What if, by some chance, an old person just happened to live in this wilderness?

But as I said at the start, I am your most loyal believer. Though, I was really just testing the waters..." Honesty is a virtue, but a dash of lies for seasoning is not necessarily a bad thing.

He was taking the gamble. He was betting that the Queen of Heaven would not read his mind at this moment, nor would she exercise her divine power.

There was no excessive nervousness, nor was he sweating. After all, he had already rehearsed various scenarios in his mind. Even when facing the Queen of Heaven, there is always an invisible pressure, but that is the nature of a gambler.

Do not underestimate humanity! This was a game that would decide his fate!

"Child, you are truly clever!" Hera laughed happily. "That's right, since you are my believer, you are also my child.

Perhaps you are better suited for Athena, but if it is you, I will absolutely never let you go."

"It is my greatest honor, my Goddess." Flatter—at a time like this, one must flatter. Keep her happy first. Thaumas was a very devious person, and he was a mischievous child as well.

Time flies, as they say. After chatting for a while, they had already arrived at the "old person's home."

"Hehe~" Hera chuckled softly. "I originally intended to chat with you here, child, but it seems most gods lack patience."

"Come in and rest for the night, child. I shall protect you forever, until the day you abandon me."

Just as Thaumas was about to say something, he felt a wave of drowsiness and drifted off into a hazy sleep.

Before he lost consciousness, he only thought of one thing.

What should he do if Zeus messes with him like this in the future? Hey! This is important!

Hera placed Thaumas gently on the bed, carefully smoothed his hair, and stroked his face with doting affection.

"Athena, leave now!" A sudden, cold voice emanated from the goddess's lips. The unquestionable Queen of Heaven had returned.

At some point, Hera had reverted to her permanent mimetic true form, noble and magnificent. The moonlight shone upon her crown, making it sparkle.

"He is already my child. I will not allow you to lay a finger on him. At least for tonight, get out!"

Eh~ What a possessive Queen of Heaven. She didn't even let me eavesdrop along the way; I missed so many interesting things. How annoying.

However, for tonight, I'll leave little Thaumas to you. He belongs to wisdom sooner or later anyway.

Thus, the secretly amused goddess quietly departed, though she felt secretly pleased as she left. Perhaps, in a few days, there would be more rumors on Olympus.

Hehe, Hera is very petty, after all. She would like to see just how these rumors turn out.

On this side, Hera gazed lovingly at the cute child, removed her golden bracelet, and gently placed it on him, her face full of smiles.

"Child, with this, no one will be able to eavesdrop at will without my authorization and your permission.

You no longer need to fear that purple-haired goddess. This is the first favor the Queen of Heaven bestows upon you. Accept it, child."

When the Sun God Helios comes to the mortal realm tomorrow, you shall depart and embark on the great journey the Queen of Heaven has prepared for you.