Chapter 68 Discussion

Of course, the measurer is always the supreme god.

To share the power of thunder with Zeus, the king of the gods?

Hermes found it absurd.

Because that thunderous power was a symbol of supreme royal authority, yet Zeus casually uttered it, it's hard not to suspect that he was setting a trap for her.

Hermes was quite certain that Zeus could see that she now had access to all of Gaia's divine power, so she was worried about what Zeus's true attitude was at this moment.

“That’s a valid point, Father God.” Hermes obediently handed over the Thunder Scepter. “This was originally your sacred object. Perhaps it’s because I am of your blood that I am somewhat familiar with it, but I am by no means suited to this incredibly powerful scepter.”

"As for Pan..."

Hermes turned her gaze away; Apollo had already healed the severely injured Pan.

“It’s a trivial matter, so there’s no need to trouble the Father.” Apollo picked up Hermes’ son, who had fallen into a coma, and lowered his eyes behind her, not looking directly at Zeus.

He had his own plans in mind, and had been planning everything since he sensed that Hermes was about to be born.

“You’ve always been steady, Apollo,” Zeus chuckled, turning his gaze back to Hermes. “Don’t worry, my daughter, this is just another gift from your father, and I suggest you accept it.”

This statement, though seemingly warm and affectionate, only made Hermes feel more uneasy.

"Hahaha~ Thank you, Father God!" Hermes rushed forward and took Zeus's arm, snuggling against him. "But only you and Princess Hera can perfectly control something as dangerous as thunder. Maybe I'll be able to when I grow up!"

In situations like these, an ambiguous answer is the best option.

At least after hearing Hermes invoke Hera's name, Zeus raised an eyebrow and reached out to ruffle her fluffy head.

Zeus stopped pursuing the topic and turned to look at Artemis and Hecate, his eyes seemingly filled with profound meaning.

"Keep the scepter you found, Al. It's a secret known only to a few of us."

Upon hearing this, Artemis nodded respectfully: "Of course, Your Majesty."

Hermes was taken aback.

What the heck? So the Father actually knew that Artemis had also discovered another thunder scepter in Cilicia? Artemis had mentioned this to the Father a long time ago?

"By the way, dear Hecate, how has Tartarus been lately?" Zeus asked casually.

Hecate sighed and replied, "Nothing different from usual, except that my father and his buddies are causing more trouble."

Perseus, the god of destruction, was the father of Hecate, the goddess of the moon.

This is not exactly a secret. After becoming the new king of the gods, Zeus ordered Hecate to guard the abyss of the underworld, where some of the Titans who had failed in their battles against the Olympians were imprisoned.

“It’s alright,” Zeus said, the smile in his blue eyes fading. “You know what to do, Hecate.”

Just then, Hecate heard the call of her dear friend from the depths of the earth. She raised her blue torch to bid farewell to Zeus and turned into a pool of black water that merged into the ground.

That night, Hermes, Apollo, and Artemis were taken back to Mount Olympus by Zeus, along with Pan.

The next day, an important meeting would be held in the main temple, and before that, Zeus wanted to have a talk with the children.

Sometimes, a father's love comes quite unexpectedly.

Hermes' expression changed when she saw Maia in Zeus's palace.

"Mother Goddess? What are you doing here?" She quickly flew over and hugged Maya, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Did Zeus bring Maia here? Did Hera know?

Maya hugged her daughter and kissed her forehead affectionately.

“I won’t stay here long, child,” Maia whispered in Hermes’ ear, her gaze meeting Zeus’s. “I will tell you something when you return to Arcadia.”

"I truly feel sorry for you, my dearest daughter. Ever since you became capable of standing on your own, I've started to miss the old days."

Hermes's weakness was her mother. If she could, she would love to go to a peaceful place with her mother and live happily in seclusion.

Apollo and Artemis watched the mother and daughter in silence, and couldn't help but feel a deep empathy for Leto, who was living on Earth.

"Alright, take Pan and leave, Maia," Zeus commanded the forest goddess. "Follow my eagle."

So Hermes met with her mother briefly, then quickly said goodbye. Although it wasn't a final farewell, she still felt somewhat agitated.

It's like having your secrets firmly held by someone.

Damn it, one day I'll steal all of that old geezer's stuff too!

Hermes puffed out her cheeks sullenly and sat down at the table with her older brother and sister, opposite her father Zeus.

She wouldn't be foolish enough to ask why Maya was just in his palace at this point.

“What do you have to say to us, Father?” Artemis asked first.

The goddess of the hunt received the most gifts from Zeus; besides Athena, she was always one of his most beloved daughters.

Zeus said, "In fact, I have recently had an idea, and I wonder what your opinions are."

Apollo: "Please speak."

Zeus: "I want to create a new generation of humankind."

These words surprised not only Hermes, who had a deep relationship with humans, but also Apollo and Artemis, the siblings.

Artemis was surprised because she knew that if she wanted to create a new generation of humans, she had to destroy the previous one.

Apollo, on the other hand, was even more aware that if he had actually done so, the subsequent events would have become far more complicated.

Because it won't just be this generation of humanity that gets destroyed.

But... what prompted Zeus to make this decision? Was it really because of what he foresaw?

Apollo had foreseen that humanity was selfish, disbelieved, and disrespectful of gods. However, for so long, he, Hermes, Athena, Prometheus, and the other gods had been helping humanity and teaching them to worship the gods. He thought that the future he had foreseen should be subject to some changes.

“Although this is not a major matter, please reconsider it carefully, Father.” Artemis clearly did not agree with the matter.

Zeus placed his hands on his lap and did not reply.

His gaze was fixed on Hermes, who seemed to be lost in thought.

After a long silence, Hermes spoke, "If your mind is made up, then I support your decision, Father. But I also think you should give humanity another chance."

"Human beings were created by our gods, and we are their parents and elders. We should not make them feel disheartened."

In layman's terms, it's about letting humans know the cause of their death, so that the gods won't seem like they're causing trouble. And if humans seize this opportunity and gain the gods' approval, then they won't simply die.

Of course, the measurer is always the supreme god.

Hermes was born relatively late, and in Zeus's eyes, she was indeed too naive and innocent.

However, he also knew that this was just a facade she was putting on.

Zeus asked with interest, "So how do you intend to give them a chance, Hermes?"

Hermes thought for a moment and said, "Did you make this decision because you are not satisfied with humanity's current performance?"

Zeus: "Yes. They are failures."

“That’s simple.” Hermes narrowed her eyes and grinned slightly. “I can just accompany you on a trip to the mortal realm to investigate, disguised as an ordinary mortal.”

Upon hearing this suggestion, Apollo and Artemis both raised their eyebrows.

“I want to go too,” Artemis said, but then she frowned and changed her mind, “Never mind, it’s all men there. I understand your decision now, Father. If only women could be created, I would prefer women to those smelly men.”

Especially brave and strong girls.

Artemis added this sentence in her mind.

Zeus laughed: "Ha ha ha, Arles, you're still as adorable as ever. Are there enough animals in your forest for hunting? Would you like to add some more?"

Artemis gave a soft hum and replied, "No need for you, Father, I can do it myself."

"By the way, there's something I'd like to report to you," the goddess of the hunt continued. "Aphrodite is pregnant with a son."

Hermes' eyes widened.

No wonder Aphrodite said she was avoiding Hera! The child in her womb must be Ares's, not Hephaestus's!

Great, it feels like I've just gotten some delicious gossip.

“Perfect, let her be.” Zeus nodded. “That’s settled then. It’s getting late, you should all go back and rest.”

After all, there's a meeting tomorrow.

Zeus watched his children leave his palace, rubbed his temples, and seemed somewhat weary as he spoke into the void.

“Metis, I should have listened to your advice sooner.”

Zeus stroked his flat belly, where his beloved wife lay hidden.

Although she is currently silent, he knows she is listening.

I've been listening the whole time.

That night, Hermes took Apollo back to his palace in Olympus, and felt perfectly justified in letting him pleasure him all night long.

When their emotions ran high, she mischievously bit his Adam's apple, then looked at it with satisfaction, leaving behind her pink teeth mark.

“You childish devil.” Apollo breathed heavily on Hermes, their fingers intertwined. “I will also leave my mark on your collarbone.”

“Whatever~” Hermes laughed happily, “In exchange, you have to give me something.”

Upon hearing this, Apollo chuckled and said, "You cunning and treacherous little merchant."

"Thank you for the compliment, dear Apollo brother~"

As her consciousness began to fade, Hermes remembered the poor fairy Perihope.

After Pan's birth, Hermes froze Pereopatra's body in the temple of Arcadia with frost, ordering the other fairies and priests to guard it day and night.

Although it's hard to admit, once a spirit of nature dies, it's truly dead.

However, Hermes, who had obtained all of Gaia's power, disregarded it.

What ordinary gods cannot do is utterly insignificant to her now; for example, the destruction of humanity and the creation of a new generation of humans is of no importance to Zeus.

Hermes was simply waiting for the right moment when she would bring Periope back into the world.

Now she is only thinking about whether to sacrifice Pan to revive Pereopatra, or to let Pan go.

With these thoughts in mind, Hermes embraced Apollo tightly, and together they went to blissful union.

The following day, at the Temple of Olympus.

The atmosphere among the major gods was not always harmonious, for example, between Aphrodite and Hera, and between Ares and Hephaestus.

Hephaestus was probably still haunted by the psychological trauma of Aphrodite and Ares's infidelity. The moment he entered the main temple and saw Ares, he grabbed his hammer and almost started a fight with him.

It was Athena who stopped these two gods who were clearly brothers by blood.

"You cripple, don't think you're so great just because you're my brother. Do you really think you can beat me?" Ares sneered, arms crossed.

"Shut up, you muscle-bound, simple-minded bastard!" Hephaestus sat back down in his seat, his face grim.

“That’s still better than some unlovable wretches.” Ares maliciously poked at his heart. “Some things are destined. I advise some unlovable wretches to face reality. If I were you, I would have found a quiet corner to live in long ago.”

“You’d better be careful when you’re out and about, little brother,” Hephaestus warned menacingly. “Don’t forget what I’m best at.”

"What? You still want—"

"Will this ever end?"

Hearing Hera's impatient words, Ares immediately shut his mouth in annoyance.

"I don't know how many times I've said 'What kind of behavior is this?' Did I give birth to you two just so I could listen to that nonsense every day?"

Hera seemed unusually angry today. Her face was cold and her golden eyes swept across the room, and the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze as a result.

The two brothers immediately said in unison, "We're sorry, Mother Goddess."

"Oh, how terrible, Hera~" This time, the one who spoke up without thinking was the goddess of love and beauty. "Look at you, a goddess who is so beautiful has had her appearance ruined because she is always angry. Let me tell you a secret, maintaining an optimistic attitude is the secret to staying beautiful forever."

"You really know how to rub salt in the wound," Hera sneered. "It's not your place to speak, Aphrodite. The reason I'm often angry is because of you. This matter is probably not a secret."

"Why?" Aphrodite tilted her head and asked the person next to her, "My dear little Arles, am I as wicked as Hera makes me out to be?"

Artemis, already thoroughly annoyed by a certain flirtatious goddess, said: "...I think you'd better shut up along with those two idiots."

"Wow, how cruel, little Al! I'm heartbroken~"

Seeing this, Hermes couldn't help but reach out and touch Apollo sitting next to her, successfully causing him to bend down and look at her.

She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Why does Hera seem so unhappy? Did someone upset her?"

Just then, Zeus arrived late.

Apollo replied, "Obviously, little strategist."

[Author's Note]

Yes, kids, I'm still alive! [thumbs up]