Chapter 48 Transgression
"It's time to end this reminiscing session."
Hermes never expected to encounter Hebe in the sea; in her mind, the daughter of Hera should be shining brightly on Mount Olympus.
However, if that's the case, then the distinguished guest visiting the underwater palace today must be Hera, right?
But what was the purpose of that?
Hermes wanted to pick up Hebe like last time, but she found that the little cutie had grown a bit and was now as tall as her belly.
"It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you've grown so much taller, little Hebe." Hermes bent down slightly, raised her hand, and gently stroked the goddess of youth's delicate nose. "I'm so happy for you! Now we can go on adventures to even more places!"
Hebe giggled a few times, rubbing her soft cheek against Hermes's fingers, and said excitedly, "Yes, I'm growing so fast! Maybe soon I'll be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, sister! When that time comes, can you take me on an adventure to the Underworld? I've never met Uncle Hades..."
Hebe actually wanted to complain about how Hermes hadn't come to Olympus much, because she missed her dear sister terribly. But she worried that this would lower Hermes's opinion of her, so she cleverly changed the subject.
Although there wasn't much of a topic like this...
The timid Hebe sighed inwardly at her own foolishness.
Hermes was smiling when she heard the first part of Hebe's words, but her smile froze when she heard the word 'underworld'.
Has news of her and Apollo's journey to the Underworld to retrieve Persephone spread among the gods? Or has Hera, the Queen of the Gods, told the innocent Hebe another bedtime story about what she did?
That's incredible! She definitely doesn't want to become famous this way!
She had a premonition that if things continued like this, she would definitely become the goddess of errands.
That's so painful...
Several days later, Hermes unconsciously recalled the strange dream she had once had, about how she would be forced to help the old geezer Zeus to philander and annoy Hera.
What a terrifying dream and future!
Hermes had a slightly mocking thought: why not wait until that unlucky Apollo catches up and have him predict what her future holds?
“Of course, dear Hebe.” Hermes pulled her back to reality, gently patting the head of the hopeful goddess of youth. “Whatever your wish is, I will do my best to fulfill it for you.”
Upon hearing this, Hebe's cheeks flushed slightly, and she stood on tiptoe, stretched out her arms, and embraced Hermes' waist tightly.
"Thank you, dear Sister Hermes..."
She spoke softly in her arms.
Then a cool male voice came to my ear.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, esteemed daughter of the Queen of Heaven."
Hebe peered through the gap between Hermes's arm and waist, looking in confusion at the boy standing behind her.
The boy had goat-like horns, ears, and legs; his skin was as red as flames; his hair was flaxen; and his eyes were purple.
His physical appearance is clearly so unusual, so why...?
Hebe's pupils contracted for a moment as she noticed that the boy's appearance was remarkably similar to Hermes'.
"Sister Hermes, who is he...?"
Hebe did not respond to Pan's greeting immediately. She lifted her head from Hermes's embrace and looked at the other's delicate face with puzzled eyes.
She clearly remembered that her sister Hermes... was an only child, right? The goddess Maya did not have another child.
Hermes was about to explain when Pan impatiently stepped forward and stood beside her, looking down at the little girl who was still shamelessly clinging to her mother.
At the same time, Pan said, "My name is Pan, son of Perius and Hermes." He deliberately emphasized the latter's name, thus reaping the incredulous look of the ungrateful young goddess.
His heart was burning with jealousy and hatred.
He was never truly able to live peacefully with those close to the Mother Goddess.
This was true for the mermaid prince Triton, and it was also true for the god of light, Apollo.
Hermes glanced sideways at her adopted son beside her. Perhaps because his body and blood contained her divine power, she once again easily perceived all his emotions.
“Pan, Hebe is a sister I cherish,” Hermes said calmly, her tone carrying a subtle warning.
Pan blinked his purple eyes, inherited from Perius, and smiled innocently, "Yes, of course I know that, dear Mother Goddess."
After speaking, he glanced lightly at the young goddess who was biting her lower lip and looking panicked, then turned back and waved to the silent mermaid prince.
"Is this the place, Your Excellency Triton?" Pan asked casually. "Perhaps we will soon be able to meet His Majesty the Sea Emperor?"
Triton nodded, but his gaze shifted away from the three Olympian gods and landed on the sea goddess who was sitting upright on the large seashell not far away.
Thetis was the sister of his frail mother, who was always melancholy and weeping.
In fact, Hermes had noticed Thetis the moment she set foot here, but the cute little Hebe attracted her attention more.
And Pan, who always followed in the footsteps of the Mother Goddess, was no exception.
"I'll explain this to you later, Herb."
Hermes comforted the somewhat uneasy Hebe while raising her eyes to look at the sea goddess who had been silently watching over them.
The other person had a calm and aloof expression, but their skin was a striking azure blue, clearly indicating that they possessed noble blood.
Most importantly, she remembered what Hephaestus, the god of fire and forging, had told her when she was still on Mount Olympus.
—My foster mother Thetis was a friend of your mother; please pay homage to the goddess Maya on my behalf.
“Greetings, Your Excellency Thetis,” Hermes said respectfully, bowing slightly as she spoke, showing great respect for her mother’s close friend. “It is a great pleasure to meet you.”
So the sea goddess, who didn't seem to have a very high presence, finally responded to them and their group of gods.
Thetis nodded, but did not stand up from her seashell seat.
“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you too, daughter of Maia.” Thetis’s back was stiff and straight, and her figure, clad in a dark green dress, was tall and strong. “You must be here to find the Sea God, right?”
She was reluctant to mention Triton and Pan, who were right there, because she loathed these children who, as they grew day by day, robbed their mother of her nourishment.
Hermes' eyes crinkled into a smile, and her tone regained its former cheerfulness: "Your wisdom rivals that of Athena, Your Excellency Thetis~"
"To be honest, we've come because of the conflict between humans and sea monsters." She paused, then added cautiously, "The incident originated in the sacred site of Delphi, the home of Apollo, the god of light. The humans there suffered greatly at the hands of sea monsters while sailing the seas, so—"
Before he could finish speaking, two tall figures slowly emerged from the inner hall.
Queen Hera and Poseidon, the god of the sea, finally finished discussing their important matters.
"So you want me to open my heart to those ants again, Hermes?"
Poseidon stood expressionless by the coral fence, coldly watching the arrogant newborn deity.
“Oh, what’s there to be angry about, Poseidon?” But Hera smiled instead, seemingly in a good mood, and eased the somewhat awkward atmosphere. “Hermes is our messenger, and perhaps this is the mission she is entrusted with.”
Hermes froze upon hearing this.
She noticed that Hera was glancing at her, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
At the same time, Herbe held her hand tightly.
“Mother Goddess…” Hebe murmured softly, “You’ve finally come out. I’ve been waiting for you for so long…”
Thetis then chimed in, "Yes, Your Majesty Hera, little Hebe is terrified of me."
"Hehehe, interesting." Hera covered her mouth and chuckled, then stretched out her arms to Hebe. "Excuse me, my dear daughter, come into your mother's arms."
"It's time to end this reminiscing session."
Although Hera's gaze was focused on Hebe, she glanced meaningfully at Hermes out of the corner of her eye.
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