Chapter 26 The Secret Box - Origin

"Let's call this child... Hermes."

Gaia, the Earth Mother, often resides on the island of Crete. She helped Rhea, who was suffering from Cronus's torment, and also raised and educated Zeus, the current king of the gods, there.

In a sacred place far from humankind, she made everything lush and green, allowing countless adorable animals to remain there forever. Flowers, grass, cattle, sheep, and birds would accompany her day after day, and the heat of summer and the cold of autumn and winter would never invade the abode of the Earth Goddess.

And the Tree of Life, which made her its dwelling place, grew wildly and luxuriantly here, its roots connected to the earth. In this sacred tree that could almost pierce the sky, she witnessed many of the world's hardships and joys.

For a long time, Gaia lived in this small world where no one visited or disturbed her, as if she were truly just a silent observer watching the changes unfold.

She inherited the main will of Chaos, and her avatar and domain are both the earth; therefore, she should rightfully control everything in the world.

That is indeed the case.

Long, long ago, Gaia favored the child prophesied to become the eternal emperor, so she entrusted him with her status and power, helping him to rule over the gods and the whole world.

This had happened before, so she was quite adept at doing it again, like an endless cycle.

Gaia gave birth to Uranus, the first generation of god-kings, and Cronus, the second generation of god-kings. Although Zeus, the third generation of god-kings, was not born through her womb, he still possessed her bloodline.

She had assumed that peace and prosperity would continue indefinitely until she learned something unusual from her sister, the goddess of night, Nyx.

Nyx's daughters, the three Moirai sisters, held the reins of destiny, and even Gaia herself could not defy the future they wove with their spinning threads.

Gaia felt she could no longer live in peace with the Olympian gods who were now ruling the world. She could not allow herself to remain hidden away in a secluded paradise for long; her heart was with everything she had created.

Therefore, on a stormy night, she came to Arcadia, found Maia, the daughter of the Titan Atlas, who was hiding in the Kulenne Mountains, and forcefully implanted a seed of her own consciousness into her body.

Simply raising and educating is useless.

Those who can change the status quo must be conceived by her personally, must possess her power, and must inherit her will.

Only in that way could she, as before, calmly observe and control everything.

Under the bewildered, fearful, and respectful gaze of the mountain goddess Maya, Gaia gently stroked her large, swollen belly, feeling the healthy and lively little life inside.

In that foreseen aspect, she keenly grasped the information that satisfied her, and this was precisely why she chose Maya and her unborn child.

They are all part of nature.

This little life has flaxen hair and emerald green eyes, just like Maya and Gaia.

"My dear child."

The Earth Goddess gazed lovingly at the woman before her, who had once been intimate with Zeus, the King of the Gods, her serene and beautiful face filled with satisfaction and hope.

She will eventually turn the tide and bring lasting peace to the world.

Before that, Gaia will wait patiently and dedicate herself to educating yet another creature she values.

"Let's call this child... Hermes."

[Author's Note]

Some say the Three Fates were the children of Zeus and Themis, but this article adopts the version that they were the daughters of Nyx.