Chapter 44 Long Time No See
"Uncle Apollo, poor Apollo!"
Athena asked in surprise, "What did Pan do wrong? Why are you punishing him?"
Hermes told Athena everything that had happened. She hated those who disrespected their mothers and believed that Athena, who inherited her mother's wisdom, would understand her.
“…” Athena pondered for a moment and said, “I empathize with your feelings, but your education of Pan is a bit too extreme.”
Upon hearing this, Hermes frowned: "What is your opinion?"
“You’ve been telling Pan about Peliope day after day, which might only make him more resistant to her,” Athena explained gently. “It’s a very simple matter. He respects you greatly, yet you’ve been scolding and punishing him because of Peliope.”
"He deserves it! If we don't teach that little monster a lesson, who can guarantee what kind of ungrateful wretch he'll grow up to be!"
Moreover, even her mother, Maya, never criticized her for doing such a thing!
“Look, you still see Pan the same way.” Athena sighed, looking directly into Hermes’ angry green eyes. “Hermes, since you’ve accepted him as your child, then truly treat him as your own flesh and blood.”
“If Peripera were still alive, she certainly wouldn’t want to see such a strained relationship between the two of you.”
Hermes remained silent for a long time. She looked at Maya, who had resumed her focused sewing, and didn't know how to express the grievances and bitterness in her heart.
“…Poriope is indeed still alive.” She muttered softly, “I don’t care, under my protection, she is still alive.”
Athena was utterly helpless about this.
"It's alright, Your Highness, we're here for you!" Apistoni's letter touched her cheek.
"Yes, I'll go to the forest right away and teach that ungrateful little brat who angered you a lesson!" Tokei even slid off her, ready to fulfill his promise.
"You idiot Tokei! Don't make things worse!" Apistoni transformed into human form and jumped to the ground, grabbing Tokei.
【You're the idiot, Apistoni! What do you mean by adding fuel to the fire? I was clearly doing this for His Highness's own good!】
"Oh yes, yes, you're absolutely right. I'm so bored I'm yawning."
Toki wriggled in dissatisfaction in Apistoni's hands, and finally transformed into human form, fighting with the other party in front of everyone.
"..."
"..."
Hermes and Athena exchanged glances, and she was somewhat reluctant to admit that these two foolish snakes were her attendants and companions.
Athena coughed twice, stood up from the stone chair, and prepared to take her leave.
"Oh, by the way, this is a gift for you." Athena took out a wooden doll. It was genderless and looked very cute. "This child doesn't have a name yet. It can sing and dance, and it can also chat with you. If you need anything, you can call it."
She smiled slightly at Maya and Hermes, her expression a blend of elegance and playfulness.
"I will come here then."
Athena then transformed into an owl and left Arcadia. She was very busy and often helped humankind in various parts of the earth.
Maya put down the clothes she was knitting, which were not yet finished, and curiously touched the wooden doll on the table.
The wooden doll shyly covered its face, rubbing against the mountain goddess's fingers in a coquettish manner while making soft, childlike chirping sounds, which made the goddess smile and hug it tightly, kissing it repeatedly.
"Wow, it's incredible! It's clearly a wood carving, but it's so soft to hold, just like a real little doll!"
"Honestly, I'm even a little jealous, Mother Goddess!" Hermes complained, but her eyes were full of smiles. "But if it were here, you would be happy all the time!"
Maya smiled and said to her daughter, "What are you saying? I'm already very happy because you're here, my darling."
"But what should we name this new baby?"
Hermes poked the wooden doll in her mother's arms. The doll covered its belly where it had been touched and glared at her angrily, but it seemed even cuter in her eyes.
Suddenly, a figure flashed through her mind that was nowhere near as endearing as the wooden doll.
He always made her feel flustered and caused her a lot of trouble—although she often tricked him in return.
However, for some reason, when she was by his side, she felt most at ease.
Just like during her journey to the underworld, he stayed by her side, dispelling the gloom, darkness, and danger for her.
Hermes admitted that Apollo was a very special person to her because she had fallen for him more than once, a very strange feeling.
"How about I call you..."
Hermes stared intently at the wooden doll in front of her. It had calmed down and was now playing with her index finger in its little hands.
"...Right, then I'll call you Apollo!"
I wish that guy was this cute too.
Hermes' quick-witted mind began to wander, and she couldn't help but imagine Apollo wagging his tail and begging for mercy like a big dog.
Her face turned red.
Maya: "Hermes? Why are you blushing?"
Hermes puffed out her cheeks and poked the wooden doll's belly again.
Very well, the wooden doll got angry again, it opened its mouth and bit her finger, but this childish way of retaliating was nothing to a deity.
"That's hilarious!" Hermes stared at the wooden doll, feeling like it had grown dog ears and a tail. "Stop sulking, you idiot Apollo!"
One day she will definitely call this doll by his name in front of Apollo!
*****
The forest at night is quiet and mysterious, with the bright moonlight filtering through the leaves, making it both sacred and dangerous.
Hermes found Pan at the lake, where she had previously punished him for his disrespect towards his birth mother by having him baked in the scorching sun on the mountaintop until his head was burning up and then soaking in the icy water.
She did this both to test Pan's bottom line and to explore the extent of divine power within him.
In fact, she thought he probably wouldn't completely obey her orders, since she had previously taught him how to be cunning and sly with self-interest at the center.
But Hermes was stunned when she saw the little head in the center of the lake.
The little monster with flaxen hair was almost entirely submerged in the water, with only his neck and head showing. He held a flute in both hands and played it, the cheerful and melodious music like beautiful notes, which were carried away by the evening breeze to a distant place.
Pan is clever and sincere, but he is also cunning and treacherous.
Because Hermes found herself softening when she saw this scene.
The child in the lake under the moonlight gently closed his eyes, as if he had forgotten everything and was simply enjoying the solitude.
Fireflies danced leisurely around him, bringing scattered glimmers of light, as beautiful and peaceful as fairies of a summer night.
Hidden behind ancient trees further away were nymphs who felt admiration and pity for the child. Upon seeing the arrival of the goddess Hermes, they couldn't help but look at her with pleading eyes.
This child is the only one who is incomparable.
Hermes suddenly realized this, and she walked closer to the lake, quietly watching the clever little monster—his music was nearing its end, and his beautiful purple eyes slowly opened.
Pan is both the child of Pereopatra and the child of Hermes; this is a fact regardless.
He inherited the traits of both his mothers.
"I'm sorry, beloved Mother Goddess." Pan lowered his head, not looking directly at the noble goddess. His fiery red skin showed a special beauty in the clear lake water. "I thought of many things, whether it was my birth mother or you, my adoptive mother. From now on, I will worship you devoutly."
"The scorching sun and the icy moon disturbed my mind. In the tranquil lake at night, I gradually understood why you were so gentle yet cruel to me."
"So please forgive me for using the method you once taught me to make this instrument out of reeds and play it. It dispelled the naivety and confusion in my heart."
“I have never despised you, for I was born of my mother Periope and raised and educated by you. Without you, I would not exist.”
Pan finally raised his eyes and looked calmly and peacefully at the other mother who was listening to his heartfelt words.
"Your forgiveness is a distant dream for me, but please believe me, I am proud to be your and Mother Periope's child."
The cicadas' chirping begins at this moment in the summer night.
In the gentle, warm breeze, Hermes finally sensed Pan's sincerity, so she extended her right hand to him, a smile as bright as sunshine after rain appearing on her delicate, fair face.
“You have great musical talent and creativity, just like me and Periopo,” she said softly. “Then come on, my proud son.”
"I will never hurt you again."
—As long as you don't disappoint me like you did last time.
Hermes watched as Pan suddenly rose from the water with delight, waving a golden flute made of reeds, and skipped and hopped towards her like a fawn over the underwater stones.
He grasped her hand and threw himself into her arms, his grip so tight it seemed he never wanted to be abandoned by her again.
His tender, healthy body was covered in water droplets, his scalding heat mixed with a cool dampness.
“Mother Goddess!” Pan cried with joy, “I love you, I will always love you passionately…” He had not forgotten her teachings, so he solemnly added, “I love you and Mother Perius.”
Hermes smiled but said nothing. She shifted her gaze from the flaxen head of the child in her arms to the nymphs behind the trees in the distance.
From initial worry to current relief, they all smiled and offered her their blessings.
It's easy to see that they genuinely like this child.
“Alright, Pan.” Hermes gently kissed the sly little monster’s crown of hair. “Come home with me, Grandma Maya is waiting for us.”
Young Pan couldn't tell whether his mother's outward emotions were genuine or not, but at least he was very grateful that he was loved by her.
“I will listen to you, Mother Goddess,” Pan replied obediently, as always.
Time flies like an arrow, and soon it will be the harvest season of autumn.
Hermes had never forgotten her desire to return to Crete to pay homage to Gaia, the Earth Mother, and many doubts in her heart urgently needed to be resolved. But when she set foot on the land of Crete, intending to travel to that sacred place with its eternal greenery, the nymphal maidens guarding it blocked her way.
They said that the goddess Gaia was dormant in the sacred tree, and she could only meet her after Gaia awoke.
Even though Hermes repeatedly demanded to meet and speak with Gaia at this very moment, her loyal maids resolutely stood in her way.
That once peaceful grassland is no longer open to her as it used to be.
Even Hermes, who is favored and blessed by the Earth Mother, cannot set foot in this sacred and great realm without her permission.
So they had no choice but to give up.
Hermes flew back to Arcadia from Crete, dejected.
In the valley, she looked at Pan, who had grown into a handsome young man in the blink of an eye, and suddenly remembered that there was another important matter.
"Yes, Your Highness, shouldn't you have taken him to Delphi to purify his soul?" Toke, wrapped around her arm, remembered.
Apistoni, wrapped around her shoulder: [Purify the soul? What a joke! Isn't it about distinguishing the body from the soul? You're as stupid as a pig, a disgrace to our snake race!]
Why are you always picking on me? You annoying Apistoni!
[Because you're a complete idiot, you moron Tokei!]
[Damn it! Get off His Highness! Let's have a fight right now! The snake that loses isn't allowed to sleep in His Highness's bed tonight!]
【? Okay, bring it on then, who's afraid of who!】
They actually started fighting, but this time not in human form, but as two snakes entangled on the ground, each trying to bite the other's vital spot.
Hermes: "..."
Was it really a good idea for her to take them in?
Hermes rubbed her temples, deciding to leave the two mischievous little devils for now and head straight for Pan.
Pan, a boy, leaned against a big tree and played the flute for the cattle. As he grew older, he volunteered to take over her herding duties and care for these creamy-white sacred cattle from Crete.
From a distance, he looks like a small fireball, but when you get closer, he transforms into the handsome young man from the shepherd's ballad.
Even his goat horns, legs, and ears only added to his unique beauty, making him peculiar and eye-catching.
Speaking of which, the humans of Arcadia had also seen Pan herding sheep in the realm of elves and gods. Although the priests of the Hermes Temple never revealed his background, the humans here believed that this strong and handsome young man was a friend of Hermes, and thus regarded him as the new lord of the mountains and countryside, and honored him as the god of shepherds.
They would be quite shocked if they found out that he was actually her and Perius's child.
Hermes came to the child's side and was surprised to find that he had grown to be as tall as her. It was not hard to imagine that in a while she might have to look up at him.
...That's impossible, she's wearing winged sandals! She can fly much higher!
Hermes' eyes lit up at the thought.
Pan had already put away his flute and was looking at her with a smile.
“Mother Goddess, you’re back,” the boy said, his voice slightly hoarse—for some reason, his voice wasn’t as clear as it had been when he was a child. “Please rest assured, I’m taking good care of these cows. Look, they’re grazing over there, their tails wagging so happily!”
Hermes reached out and touched Pan's head. He had grown his hair long to his back, and it was soft and smooth.
"Yes, thanks to my good son, I'm finally able to relax a bit," she said with a smile. "During my absence, did anything good happen to you?"
Pan rubbed against her palm, his eyes narrowed as he thoroughly enjoyed being treated like this, like a cat dependent on its owner.
No, perhaps calling him a goat would be more fitting.
“Yes, I was very happy every moment in Arcadia,” Pan said, “but nothing compares to being by your side.”
That glib-tongued little monster is just like her.
Hermes's lips curved into a smile with genuine joy. Since resolving her misunderstanding with Pan, she had truly set aside her prejudices against him and genuinely fallen in love with him.
This is, after all, a child who possesses her bloodline and power.
Moreover, he really does look more and more like Pereopatra.
That nymph was the most beautiful and best singing and dancing nature spirit in Arcadia.
“Staying at home all the time can get boring, right, Pan?” Hermes lowered her hand. “Want to come with me to some new place? I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!”
"Moreover, that place also hides a glittering treasure!"
She leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear as if confiding something.
This overly intimate distance was far too dangerous. A blush crept up Pan's ears, but because his skin was already fiery red, it wasn't very noticeable from the outside.
"Where is that?" Pan's heart pounded, but he remained calm on the surface. "As long as I'm with you, there are precious treasures hidden everywhere."
Hermes laughed, "Sweet talk, is that it? Hahaha, that won't work on me, because it's something I, the amazing one, invented!"
Under Pan's unwavering gaze, she looked meaningfully into the distance, having foreseen a new future before any prophetic god—after all, she had sworn to steal everything from him.
"Delphi, the holy site of my good partner, Apollo, the god of light."
"It's quite touching to think about it. He held you when you were a baby, although he tossed you back into my arms a few seconds later... That guy was definitely shy!"
As she spoke, Hermes put her arm around Pan's shoulder and carried him into the azure sky.
She also reminded her eldest son, "Of course, you can call him uncle, or 'bad boy'."
"And we must add the most important prefix—darling!"
Pan kept the Mother Goddess's teachings in mind and repeatedly replied, "Yes, Mother Goddess. Dear Uncle Apollo, dear poor Apollo!"
"Good boy!"
They flew swiftly through the sky, and as they passed the waters of the Isthmus of Corinth, Hermes spotted a mermaid lying on the rocks of the beach.
The mermaid's enormous tail, which constantly splashes against the waves, is covered with dazzling, colorful scales. It is none other than Triton, the prince of the sea, son of Poseidon, the sea god, and Amphitrite, the sea queen.
Hermes felt a little guilty as she recalled that she had promised Terry that she would visit the seas again.
After all, she had once put this agreement out of her mind.
When they first met, she felt that Triton was a very love-starved guy, Poseidon was a failed parent, and Amphitrite was often depressed and cried, which made her feel sorry for him.
Hermes believes the time is now to fulfill the promise.
"Pan, come on! Let's go play here first!" She led Pan downhill, "The sea is a great place, even the daughter of the diva, Little Youthful Hebe, said it was beautiful~"
In short, Apollo and his Delphi could go play in the mud for now!
Pan showed no dissatisfaction with his mother's sudden change of heart; in fact, he enthusiastically echoed her sentiments.
“Your choice is always the best, and I will listen to you, dear Mother Goddess.”
Hermes was very pleased with how obedient her eldest son was.
She was about to fly down to Triton's side with him when an uninvited guest blocked her way.
The uninvited guest sat comfortably on a magnificent chariot pulled by elegant white swans. Her long, wavy, golden hair and pale, indifferent blue eyes were all too familiar.
Not to mention, his handsome, sculpted features and expressionless face were etched into her mind like a brand.
The fact that it's shimmering with gold goes without saying.
Hermes.
The God of Light spoke calmly, but his piercing gaze was fixed directly on her stiff face.
"Long time no see." Even the tone was laced with sarcasm.
Hermes chuckled dryly, about to say a few words, when Pan spoke first.
"Uncle Apollo, poor Apollo!"
"wrong."
"Hello! Dear Uncle Apollo, dear poor Apollo!"
Pan Chao waved his arm at one of the male gods in the Swan Chariot. He looked very excited and even repeated those two damn funny nicknames.
Hermes: "..."
Apollo: "..."
Unbelievable! He was caught red-handed for corrupting children, and by the very person in question.
Hermes was even more embarrassed in an instant. She looked up tremblingly at Apollo’s slightly narrowed light blue eyes and instinctively sensed a very unusual and dangerous aura.
Before Apollo could make his move, she decided to strike first.
"Haha~ Um, Brother Apollo, how have you been lately? Is Grandma Pythia still using the sacred fire in the triangular cauldron to heat the water?"
Hermes used a nonsense attack.
Apollo pursed his lips and remained silent.
"By the way! That crow is still really noisy, isn't it? Do you need me to train it again?"
Hermes used a mental pollution attack.
Apollo's expression grew even colder, and he clicked his tongue.
"No, how about I go with you to the Olympus wedding banquet six days from now?!"
Hermes used her ultimate move—sincerity can conquer all.
Apollo was just about to give her a good scolding when he suddenly realized what she had just said.
"..."
"Brother Apollo?"
Apollo's pupils dilated, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
—What? The brat has finally figured it out??
[Author's Note]
Pan: ...Perhaps I'm a divine intervention?
It's a two-way journey in a sense, haha~
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