Chapter 31 An Unexpected Encounter with Hades' Bride-Snatching

This is getting more and more chaotic, help!

In response to Apollo's threat, Hermes blinked her round green eyes and gave a sly smile.

Well—

Hermes deliberately dragged out the last syllable, delighted to see Apollo's face instantly turn as black as an iron pot.

Then she immediately used her feet to propel herself up from the ground and flew directly into the sky.

"How could I possibly give it back to you! You idiot Apollo!" She twirled the winged hat on her head, letting her shadowed eyes look down at the God of Light she had abandoned on the ground. "If you want it back, come and get it yourself! If you can catch up with me, that's fine... but you're definitely not as fast as me, right?"

"Hehehe!"

How infuriating! She even made a face and stuck out her tongue to provoke him.

Apollo looked up at the light and agile figure of the young girl in the sky and clenched his fists, truly enraged.

"Hermes," he said through gritted teeth, his voice echoing across the entire grassland, "you'd better not let me catch you."

"Great! Perfect, I won't let you catch me! And your crow won't be going back either!" Hermes laughed even more heartily. She reached out and waved to the flute by the tree below, using her divine power to retrieve it back into her hand. "Epistony, Tokei, take good care of my sister Periope!"

"The just and impartial God of Light would never be so despicable as to harm my family, would he? And my temple! That's the work of barbarians! Right, Brother Apollo?"

The snakes that were also left on the ground immediately transformed into human form and helped up the nymph fairy who was stunned by the scene.

"Yes, Your Highness, you are right."

"How could the great God of Light be a despicable, shameless, and wicked person?"

The snakes were laughing at the cold-faced god with great glee.

At the same time, Hermes had already flown away at high speed and disappeared in the blink of an eye, thanks to those magical wing shoes.

However, her joyful laughter could be faintly heard from the horizon.

"Come and catch me if you dare! Helpless Apollo!"

Very well, this time she doesn't even call him "brother" anymore.

She's incredibly arrogant... She's clearly the real savage and shameless one.

Apollo, having reached his limit, strode onto his chariot and ordered the swans pulling it to catch up with that damned brat.

“If you can’t catch up with her, I’ll pluck all your feathers.” His voice was as cold as an iceberg.

The swans shook themselves three times and immediately sped off, fearing they might be forced to become ugly bald monks in the future.

As the chariot soared into the blue sky, a violent gust of wind swept through, and the creatures belonging to Hermes on the grassland could no longer be seen.

Apollo's eyes were dark and indifferent; he no longer cared about the foolish raven she had stolen.

Because all he wanted to do now was catch that wretched brat and make her regret it.

But this may be difficult to do.

After all, the opponent is a cunning, treacherous, and treacherous god of fraud and theft.

Hermes first flew back to Mount Kulenne and dug out the wooden cage that had been buried underground.

Apollo's precious raven was already on its last legs inside, and now it lay listlessly at the bottom of the cage, weakly letting her let it see the light of day again.

"Wow...wow..."

"Oh, you still have the energy to caw?" Hermes poked the little crow in the cage. Great, it's not struggling anymore. "It's alright, since Hebe isn't here today, I'll take you on an adventure!"

After speaking, she picked up the cage and flew back into the sky.

This time, she was going to search for an even more distant and mysterious place, one that Apollo could never find.

But before that, Hermes went to the Temple of Light at Delphi and, in front of the priestess, used her divine power to move the bronze triangular cauldron to her side.

Just like when she was still in Arcadia, she made the lyre float in mid-air, playing beautiful music for herself and Apollo.

The priestess Pythia was powerless to stop this blatant robbery and could only stand there in shock, watching the young goddess commit such an absurd act.

"Your Highness Hermes! What's wrong with you...?!"

"I'm sorry, Grandma Pitia~" Hermes held up the wooden cage containing the raven, which looked like a trophy, and turned back to the priestess with a smile, "But what belongs to Brother Apollo is what belongs to me, how can we distinguish between them!"

Thus, Hermes successfully took Apollo's treasure and flew away, while Apollo was still on his way and could not catch up with her speed.

Sorry, being fast means you can do whatever you want!

Hermes continued flying forward, and as she passed over human settlements, she could faintly hear their exclamations from below.

"Wow! Look at the sky! What's that?"

"Was it a shooting star? But how could it be in broad daylight?"

"It's so fast, it's gone again... Never mind, let's first pay homage and pray to the goddess Asteria!"

After an unknown amount of time, Hermes arrived at a remote island. This was not in Greece, so the furious god certainly wouldn't be there.

She slowly descended into a vast sea of ​​flowers, feeling the abundant natural power here. Overjoyed, she couldn't help but run westward, with the triangular cauldron she had stolen still floating in mid-air behind her.

Unlike her chase with Apollo, Hermes was now very comfortable. She no longer came and went without a trace, because she was completely free in this place where no one could come!

The crows in the cage were led by her to bump against the wooden bars, becoming increasingly despondent.

"Wow...wow..."

Why did it suffer such a desperate fate? If only it hadn't obeyed its master's orders to monitor Hermes last night, it wouldn't have ended up in this miserable state.

"Wow~ I'm so happy!" Hermes, exhausted from running, collapsed onto the ground amidst the fragrant flowers, letting the lovely blossoms embrace her. "I never imagined there was such a wonderful place! Hehehe, I'll bring everyone here to play next time!"

She wanted to share the most beautiful things with her Mother Goddess, the serpents, her sister Periope, and many, many other dear family members.

Hmm... As for that annoying Apollo brother, as long as he can follow her to find this place, then it can be considered as sharing it with him!

Thinking of this, Hermes's smile almost reached his ears.

She gently closed her eyes, relaxed her body, and fully experienced everything here.

It's so beautiful! This place is like a natural garden, as enchanting as a dream.

I've had dreams before... That place must be the abode of Gaia, the Earth Mother, on Crete...

—Hermes, come to me.

That gentle and loving female voice echoed in my heart again after a long time.

Hermes suddenly opened her eyes, not just because the Earth Goddess often called her.

She felt the ground beneath her trembling violently, so abruptly and terrifyingly, as if a huge crack was about to split open at any moment, plunging her into the abyss below.

"!!!"

Hermes immediately became alert and jumped into the air.

Sure enough, the instant she left the ground, a crack appeared and gradually widened.

What's going on? Could there be other gods or... monsters living here?!

Hermes watched this bizarre scene unfold with astonishment and disbelief. Even the crow in the cage in her hand was startled and started jumping around again, a true medical miracle.

At the same time, she actually sensed the aura of a deity.

However, it wasn't Apollo who caught up with him.

"Shh." It was a strange woman's voice that sounded in my ear.

Hermes rubbed her eyes with her left hand, quite certain that she had seen a woman emerging from the crack where she had just been lying.

When the other party stepped out of the crack, Hermes got a clear look at what it looked like.

The woman wore a black veil and a long black dress. She had a slender and graceful figure, long, dull silver-white hair, and a refined and elegant appearance.

But what's most striking is that her eyes are crimson, as if blood is flowing through them.

"You are...?" Hermes asked in surprise.

Who is this goddess? She doesn't remember ever seeing her before, whether in Arcadia, Delphi, the sea, or Olympus.

The strange goddess did not speak, but simply extended a finger towards Hermes.

Then, Hermes opened her mouth, only to find that she could no longer make a sound.

Not only that, but they can't even move their fingers or toes.

She was imbued with a divine power similar to binding by that goddess.

"—???"

Hermes was even more astonished, as were the crows in the wooden cage.

Because even it can no longer howl and fly around aimlessly.

The unfamiliar goddess turned her gaze to the distant west, her expression calm and indifferent.

Seeing this, Hermes couldn't help but look over as well.

Four black horses neighed and pulled a pitch-black chariot into the air; they seemed to have also come from the cracks in the ground.

In an instant, a cold, black-haired, black-eyed god in the chariot picked up another pale-faced goddess from the ground and forcibly brought her into his arms.

Amidst the screams of the blonde, green-eyed girl, the god and the carriage carried her back underground, never to emerge again.

After all of this was over, the cracks in the ground returned to normal, as if no accident had ever happened in this vast garden.

Hermes watched in stunned silence as the goddess beside her exerted her divine power, rendering her unable to speak or move, and leaving her only to be a silent observer.

In other words, it seems... that the one who came from underground, driving a black chariot, is Hades, the god of the underworld?

But who was the other girl he abducted and took back to the underground?

It was so chaotic that Hermes was completely bewildered.

She was just stealing Apollo's things and teasing him a bit, how could she have stumbled upon something even more outrageous?!

However, the words of the silver-haired, blood-eyed goddess beside her drew her attention back.

“My name is Hecate.”

Although Hecate had an unusual appearance, her voice sounded ethereal and melodious, like the sound of silver bells echoing in a valley.

"Perhaps you have heard of my name, Hermes."

"..."

Hermes froze.

With Hecate's tacit approval, she was now able to speak and move.

But she doesn't want to talk at all right now.

Because, if I remember correctly, Hecate's mother, the meteor goddess Asteria, was the sister of Leto, the goddess of night and nurturing.

It was Asteria and Hecate, mother and daughter, who helped Leto, who couldn't find a place to give birth, and together with Leto, raised and educated the newborn siblings Artemis and Apollo.

...

...Apollo, Apollo again.

It's like a persistent ghost!

Before Hermes could even properly complain, several more deities arrived.

What a coincidence! It was Athena and Artemis, old acquaintances, each carrying a fresh bouquet of flowers, but their expressions were a mixture of panic and seriousness.

"Hermes! What are you doing here?" Artemis demanded fiercely, her amber cat-like eyes practically spitting fire. "Is this the trouble you've caused again?!"

The composed and mature goddess of wisdom regained her composure. She remained silent, only frowning as she scrutinized Hecate, who stood beside Hermes.

At the same moment, the even more familiar swan chariot descended from the sky, and the ever-present Apollo, with his gloomy and handsome face, charged straight toward Hermes.

“Hermes.” His gaze swept over the triangular cauldron and the wooden cage with crows behind her, and he said through gritted teeth, “You’ve really been looking for me.”

Hermes: "..."

Hecate: "It's you. Then there's even less need to explain to you, Hermes."

Hermes: "...Absolutely amazing."

This is getting more and more chaotic, help!

[Author's Note]

Surprised? It's an extra chapter!

Athena, Artemis, and Persephone were picking flowers in Enna when Persephone was abducted by Hades. A quick search on Baidu suggests that Enna is located in central Sicily, Italy, and was influenced by Greek culture.