Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality - Chapter 177
Chapter 177: Chapter 30 Marriage and the Divided Goddess of Beauty_3
One was the King of All Gods, and the other was naturally his sister. Hera, stepping in golden shoes, wearing a golden crown adorned with Lily edges, her long hair draping down from the crown on both sides, resting on her bare arms.
In later times, the epithet ‘White-Armed Hera’ would be widely known, just as the Heavenly Empress’s fierce and jealous reputation. But now, she was still a young goddess basking in the joys of marriage.
“Yes, under your witness, I am willing to do so,”
She nodded, and her golden crown swayed. As Hera’s voice fell, an unseen force along an invisible connection placed her “fertility” divine power on one side of the scales.
“Of course, fair arbiter, under your witness, I will share my divine authority with my future Queen of Gods,”
He likewise promised, and when the Divine King lifted his restrictions, his “sovereignty” and “thunder” powers, along the connection, were placed on the other side of the scales.
In an instant, the Golden Balance wobbled, visibly dipping on Zeus’ side. The Divine King possessed evidently more than Hera, so moments later, it fairly returned the excess to its master until balance was regained.
“If that is so, then I bless your marriage to be eternally abiding,”
The voice was not loud, but the Goddess of Law’s words seemed to possess a power that resonated with the divine power present on both the Divine King and the Queen of Gods and turned into a new law.
This was more a ‘mandate’ than a blessing. When the goddess in charge of fertility took her place, the ‘marital’ order was also perfected. It had no power on its own, but the act of the Divine King and Queen of Gods sharing power endowed it with strength.
From then on, marriage would bind the couple with ties, rather than in name alone as in the past. They would influence each other, but the weaker party would be subject to the stronger.
With Themis’s proclamation, the powers on both sides of the scales overlapped, then split in two, flying back to their respective masters.
This act was akin to a Sub-God borrowing godhood, yet not exactly, for there was no hierarchy between these two deities. It was a grand achievement accomplished with the special power of the Divine King and Queen of Gods, henceforth Zeus could access “fertility,” and Hera could command “thunder.”
The assembled deities were surprised by the deep affection of the Divine King, unable to help but remark that although Zeus was known for his amorous nature, his love for Hera must be sincere. Only the Goddess of Law perceived the subtle hint.
Her own nephew was not such a person; if he was willing to share his own portion of divine authority, it must be because he was gaining more.
Fertility… Thinking of this, Themis also found some solace.
If it could be affected by human intervention, perhaps that would not be a bad thing. At least this way, the bloodshed between the Divine King and his offspring might be averted.
With a clear chime, the Queen of Gods firmly took her position. Hera’s somewhat youthful face proudly glanced over the deities, especially lingering on a few goddesses.
She was aware that Zeus had relations with other goddesses, such as the dark-clothed Leto, but now she didn’t care. Zeus had shared his divine authority with her, and to a Divine King, that was more important than anything else.
“Hm? What’s that…”
Just as he was preparing for a grand banquet to commemorate the day, Zeus suddenly looked towards The East.
“A new deity?”
His Divine Authority faintly reacted, seemingly related to another former Divine King. With a bit of speculation, Zeus identified the only target. Uranus—where the blood that birthed the Three Furies was about to give rise to a new deity, something he had long known.
“Zephyrus, the embodiment of the West Wind.”
So standing on the high dais, Zeus smilingly said:
“In the great sea to the east, because of my marriage to Hera, a new deity is about to emerge. Please invite her to Mount Olympus, where she rightfully belongs.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Bowing respectfully, though somewhat discontent with running errands on such a day, Zephyrus did not show it. He transformed into an invisible current of air and headed east, while behind him, Zeus announced the start of the feast.
“Sister, what’s the matter with you?”
At the Divine King’s wedding feast, the gods began to revel. Yet in a secluded spot of the temple, a goddess surrounded by three other goddesses suddenly wore a ferocious expression.
Her hand was embedded tightly into the flesh, her anger boiling as she looked at the new Heavenly Empress, adored and elevated by all.
Of course, there was also fear and anxiety.
“…It’s nothing.”
With a forced smile, for Hera becoming the Heavenly Empress, Keto indeed had been mentally prepared, and she was not angry because of this.
After all, even though she had once tempted the Divine King during his travels across the sea, this once mother of sea monsters knew very well that with her divine power and authority, it was impossible for her to become the Queen of Gods.
She had already suppressed the jealousy in her heart, but just now, apart from the Divine King, she was the only one present who knew who the new deity was.
The embodiment of love and beauty, born from the divine blood of Uranus, Aphrodite had descended to the world to take her seat as the Queen of Gods because of her governance over ‘fertility.’ At the moment of the other’s birth, Keto could feel her own stolen ‘beauty’ divine authority quivering slightly.
She didn’t know that if it weren’t for Laine, if it weren’t for the symbol of ‘uncertain fate’ who had spoken in person, with the stability of the world’s fate as it was thousands of years ago, she would not have been able to gain that twisted divine authority even if she had drunk divine blood. She only knew her nemesis was coming.
Just as she had always feared, all deities would be deceived by her ‘falsely adorned beauty,’ but the true Goddess of Beauty wouldn’t. With just a light wave of her hand, Aphrodite could make others see through the disguise and witness Keto’s true self.
If she let other deities or even the Divine King see her original form, Keto could already foresee her own end. Zeus was not like his brother, he was at most interested in normal life, not in half-human, half-monster beings.
“I’m not feeling well, would you like to leave with me?”
Looking at the Three Furies beside her, Keto asked.
The three goddesses hesitated a bit, thousands of years of companionship had made them understand each other, and they immediately realized the ‘leaving’ mentioned was not just for a short while.
However, they did not want to leave Olympus, and ultimately, only Megaera, the goddess of jealousy, agreed.
Because Keto’s twisted divine authority was already mixed with the force of jealousy, the attraction between divine authorities naturally drew them closer.
No one noticed their departure, and Keto left Olympus just like that with Megaera. But standing between heaven and earth, she suddenly felt a sense of having nowhere to go.
She did not want to live in seclusion; she enjoyed adoration and fine food, but apart from Olympus, where else could satisfy her?
“If the Divine King of Olympus can’t accommodate you, then how about you join us?”
“Who?”
With a fierce shout, Keto swiftly turned around. The newcomer did not hide his tracks; behind her, a young man with a handsome appearance stood there.
“Who are you, to dare speak such words around the Mountain of the Gods?”
Divine power circulated within her body, and Keto was ready for a confrontation, but the stranger seemed to have no intention of fighting.
His smile was friendly, easing Keto’s guard slightly. Looking at the distant Olympus that touched the sky, the young man slowly said to Keto:
“Don’t rush, madam, my name is Mephisto, and our meeting today is but a coincidence.”
“I wasn’t here for you specifically, but for another purpose. However, I think that due to an encounter not sought by fate, perhaps I could solve the worries you have at the moment. But let’s discuss the specific details on the way; this place is still too close to Olympus.”
“To be honest, I haven’t seen that deity who favors humans in a long time. Under his care, I wonder how manageable the Bronze Humanity really is.”
After a smile, the young man who called himself Mephisto gestured with his hands, then with his back to Keto, flew towards the farther East.
Watching his retreating figure, Keto hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, she did not make a move and instead followed him.
Unless she hid herself in the Underworld or in the depths of the stars forever, she would have to deal with the Goddess of Beauty eventually, but Keto did not want to go to those places.
The barrenness of the Underworld, the emptiness of the stars, all were well-known among the gods, and if she had no choice, perhaps she would have resigned to her fate. But now that she had unexpectedly encountered this fellow, Keto was at least willing to listen to what he had to say.
