Chapter 18 Proof and Command

Those cunning children are truly despicable.

Above the clouds, the Goddess of the Hunt sat in her golden-horned chariot, arms crossed, looking down at the realm of the Queen of Gods below.

She glanced at them with her beautiful eyes and saw the two blue snakes belonging to Arcadia cowering trembling beside Hermes' scepter, their cowardly appearance making her scoff. She wondered why the god of deception and theft had chosen them as servants.

Just now, reminded by Helios, Artemis rushed to her brother, who was hiding behind the clouds and observing from the shadows, and questioned him about how he could conspire with Hermes to do such a dangerous thing.

She snatched Hera's daughter from Apollo's arms and wrapped her in soft, comfortable swaddling clothes.

If that wicked and insane goddess were to find out that he had taken Hebe away, wouldn't that just give her a reason to punish them? The fact that Artemis, Apollo, and Leto had returned to Olympus was already enough to infuriate Hera; she was definitely looking for an opportunity to get rid of them. Why couldn't Apollo use his brilliant mind to weigh the immense benefits of helping Hermes?

Wait, unless...

The goddess of the hunt looked directly at Apollo's calm and collected demeanor. In her memory, her brother had always been rational and far-sighted, and it was indeed impossible for him to do something impulsive and reckless without thinking.

"Don't worry." Apollo's gaze remained steadily fixed on the Maiden of Maia below. "I have my own plans."

He looked confident of victory, as if he had already delivered the final blow to his prey, wounded by arrows and spears.

Artemis understood instantly, and frowned as she asked, "What did you foresee?"

Then she saw her proud younger brother's eyes slightly upturned, his eyes hazy with light, and a half-smile on his handsome face.

"Another one of our Olympian gods will be taken."

That foreshadows that Hermes will not only return to this majestic holy mountain, but will even seize the position of chief god like Artemis and Apollo.

There will be a place for that newly born girl among the twelve Olympian gods.

Coming to her senses, Artemis touched her fair forehead and felt the natural power within her.

Her dominion over nature stemmed from her request to the Father God for control over all the wild beasts, forests, and lakes in the world, and she also felt this inexhaustible power in Hermes.

That's why she deliberately tested Hermes after arriving in Arcadia that night, in order to confirm her suspicions.

As Artemis watched the two fools kneeling side by side before the goddess below, she glanced again at the two blue snakes that had re-entwined the deep golden scepter, a meaningful glint flashing in her amber cat eyes.

I was right. So the goddess of the hunt thought. It seems life on Olympus is indeed going to get interesting from now on!

*****

In the courtyard of the Queen of the Gods' palace, Hera looked down at Hermes and Apollo with an icy gaze. She had not expected that the god of light would be involved in this heinous crime; it seemed he had become too complacent in his position as the chief god, or perhaps the punishment Zeus had given him—to herd sheep in Arcadia—had not taught him a lesson.

He was increasingly an eyesore, just like his foolish and incompetent mother, Leto.

“Did I give you permission to speak, Apollo?” She clicked her tongue.

Apollo remained silent upon hearing this, and Hera's attention then shifted back to the utterly unreasonable brat.

However, it was thanks to Arcadia that she was able to find something to use against him.

Hera sneered and said, "Hermes, you really have audacity."

But how could Apollo be hanging out with Hermes?

"I thought the grand gift I gave you at that banquet would be enough to wake you up, you ill-mannered little thing! How dare you treat my daughter so badly and shamelessly deceive me!" Hera listed the crimes of the god of deception and theft with an expressionless face, exuding an imposing aura. "I should have thrown you into the underworld back then and let Cerberus tear you to pieces!"

Hearing the name Cerberus, Hermes couldn't help but shudder. After all, Hera, as the queen of the gods, might actually do such a thing, something even Zeus couldn't stop.

Perhaps it was because the goddess suddenly raised her voice and exuded a powerful and terrifying aura that the baby in the swaddling clothes felt something, her eyelashes trembled, and she squirmed a few times restlessly in her arms.

"Ugh... Ugh, Mother Goddess..." Little Hebe opened her eyes groggily, her large, watery golden eyes looking at her mother with curiosity and confusion.

Her child was Hera's soft spot and safe haven. She kissed her daughter's forehead and cheeks, comforting her precious little darling.

Hebe giggled happily, waving his chubby little hands as he tried to grab Hera's black hair that fell over her shoulders. His childish voice and lively appearance were adorable.

Seeing this, Hermes gritted her teeth and finally spoke.

The road to success is always fraught with difficulties, and she accepted the challenge from the moment she chose this path.

“Your Majesty, I am ashamed and regretful for my foolish actions. I sincerely apologize to you. I am sorry, Your Majesty. The Goddess of Youth is a simple and lovely child, and I am also deeply ashamed for offending her.” For the sake of the bigger picture, Hermes did not elaborate on the things that annoyed Hera, but now she was about to take another gamble: “But for the sake of your reputation, I dare to offer you a suggestion.”

This gamble was the biggest adventure yet... no, everything she went through was an incredible adventure.

Hermes ignored Apollo's probing gaze and instinctively sensed that there was something fishy about the golden throne crafted by Hephaestus, because before kneeling before Hera, she saw it surrounded by a dangerous black mist.

Perhaps that was a power bestowed upon her by the Earth Mother Gaia.

She is not the type to sit idly by and wait for death; she prefers to take the initiative.

Hera, still holding her child, had a dark glint in her golden eyes after hearing Hermes' even more audacious words, as if a storm was brewing within them.

"Very well." The Queen of Gods looked furious but laughed, the curve of her lips revealing obvious sarcasm. "I want to hear what other lies you, you shameless and despicable child, can come up with! Speak, Hermes, perhaps this will be the last time you can play your cunning tricks unscathed."

Hermes steadied herself, striving to remain resolute and determined: "That gift from Hephaestus—that golden throne—must be extraordinary, Your Highness."

She raised her head and looked directly at Hera, who was looking down at her.

“You must never accept it, much less sit on it.”

"That's why I just turned back to normal."

"..."

The nymphs present all gasped in surprise, and even the Rainbow Goddess Iris, who was quietly observing, looked astonished, after all, this involved the relationship between the Queen and her son.

Apollo withdrew his gaze from Hermes; he knew the goddess of deception always had a way of surprising him.

After a while, Hera placed her right hand over Hebe's eyes in the swaddling clothes, covering her daughter's eyes as she turned her head to look at Hermes.

"Is that so?" Hera's mature and beautiful face remained expressionless, and her eyes, fixed on Hermes, held an increasingly unfathomable depth. "What evidence do you have, Goddess of Deception?"

Those cunning children are truly despicable.

"..." Hermes mustered her courage and responded to the Queen's question: "I can prove it to you, as long as you are willing to give me this opportunity."

After all, Hephaestus's gift was a throne, and not just anyone can sit on a throne.

Yes, her method of proof was to sit in it herself and be harmed by the hidden mechanisms inside.

Hermes had already determined that Hephaestus intended to damage Hera's reputation.

“I forgive you and give you this chance,” Hera said, her voice and tone still icy. “If you deceive me again, then be prepared to take your mother to the underworld and never see the light again, Hermes.”

This is both a threat and a provocation.

Hermes was instantly overcome with fear and wanted to run away, but she had no way out.

—Please have pity on me, revered and loving Mother Earth!

“Yes.” Hermes stood up from the ground and turned to walk towards the Rainbow Goddess and the nymphs. “I will not let you down, Your Highness the Queen.”

—Please bless me, Goddess Gaia!

When Hermes stopped in front of the golden throne, even the rational Apollo couldn't help but turn his head to look, and saw the lonely yet resolute figure of the brown-haired girl.

Amidst their varied gazes, she placed her hands on the shimmering seat and sat down.

Almost instantly, black iron chains appeared out of thin air and swiftly and tightly bound the girl's body on the throne, binding her firmly to the golden throne like a pair of ropes.

At the same time, a line of white text slowly appeared on the chain: Dedicated to my mother who gave birth to me, the most noble goddess in the world.

Hera's eyes widened slightly, and she tightened her grip on the goddess of youth. Little Hebe, confused and uneasy in her swaddling clothes, squirmed, then blushed and burst into tears.

How could this be? Does her son truly hate her to the core? Hephaestus...!

Hera, who was always strong-willed, was instantly heartbroken.

Iris and the nymphs tried to help Hermes break free of the thick, sturdy chains, but how could the great god of craftsmanship, skilled in forging, easily let go of this deity who sat on the throne? No matter how hard they tried, it was all in vain.

"This is actually true..." one of the nymphs said anxiously and incredulously.

Upon seeing this, Apollo stood up, his light blue eyes calmly gazing at the goddess who was staring intently in that direction.

“As you can see, Hermes did not lie.” His voice sounded deep and steady, seemingly unsurprised by the recent turn of events. “She stopped you from sitting on that gift, rescued you, and proved it all to you, Your Highness, the Queen.”

Why does this always happen?

Amidst the chaos and the cries of her child, Hera unexpectedly calmed her turbulent emotions. Ignoring the obstructive God of Light, she stepped toward the golden throne.

She stood before the seat, looking down at Hermes, who was bound to it in her place. Even though Hermes' skin, exposed outside the chains, was bruised and blood was seeping from the cracks in her wounds, Hermes remained silent and unyielding, quietly waiting for what was to come.

"In that case..."

She knew that this cunning and treacherous little devil was definitely not surrendering to fate.

“I accept your sincerity, Hermes.” The Queen of Gods bent slightly, extended her left hand to the girl, pinched her chin with her thumb and forefinger, and forced her to look up at her with that face that looked so much like the mountain goddess Maia. “Then you shall make amends once again until I am satisfied and I will accept you back to Olympus.”

Hebe continued to wail, but Hera simply looked into the emerald green eyes of the God of Deception with her piercing golden eyes, which shone with unparalleled light, just like the expensive wedding ring on her ring finger.

She could no longer tolerate it, and thus made this even more insane decision.

“Bring Hephaestus back to me, that is an order, in the name of Hera.”

Hera was well aware that without Hephaestus, the trap known as the Golden Throne would not be eliminated, and Hermes would not be able to escape it.

So she was commanding the cunning Apollo behind her, making him willingly serve her.

[Author's Note]

MVP of the match: Heffist.