Chương 54: Hera, you can't handle it
In the kingdom of Calydon,
As the flawless goddess brought her chosen hero before everyone, a star fell from the night sky and landed in front of them.
Pegasus, flapping his silvery wings, carried Promise and Athena away from the kingdom of Calydon under the gaze of all.
This was Athena's gift to Promise, a story that would undoubtedly be sung by bards and spread throughout ancient Greece.
The hero favored by the wise goddess Athena, riding the fallen star.
"Hehe, are you happy? How does it feel to be the center of attention?" On Pegasus' back, Athena sat sideways behind Promise, the night breeze stirring her silver hair.
She smiled at Promise and said, "Do you feel that you are one step closer to becoming the hero that everyone knows and sings about?"
"...Goddess Athena, you remembered all along."
"Of course," Athena nodded and replied. "After all, it was our agreement... I will witness you becoming the brightest star of this era and prepare the grandest finale for you at the end of your journey."
"But the gift I give you today is not over yet."
As she spoke, she leaned closer to Promise.
When she embraced him, bringing their bodies close together, she gently held Promise's hand, which was gripping the reins.
"Let the entire kingdom witness you becoming the most brilliant meteor in the night sky and falling to the earth."
Catching the silver meteor was Athena's oracle to Promise.
She told him that taming Pegasus would allow him to defeat the Calydonian boar.
What Athena didn't say at the time was that ever since Promise met the fate goddess Clotho and made it to this trial's end, it was the moment when Promise truly grasped the meteor!
Because before that, he had already faced the wrath of the moon goddess Artemis and changed the fate of the giant stag Actaeon.
And when facing Pegasus, he broke the prophecy given to him by the fate goddess and created a future that the goddess of fate could not believe!
From that moment, this matter had already reached its conclusion.
The hunt for the Calydonian boar was no longer a trial for the hero but a reward given by a goddess to this boy who aspired to be a hero.
To make this boy the focus of all attention and have his name widely known throughout ancient Greece!
The prophecy of the fate goddess was, in a sense, accurate and unchangeable, unless the most special deity in Greek mythology intervened.
Because the work of the three goddesses of fate essentially equaled writing a predetermined program for the world.
But Promise was one who had been abandoned yet favored by the goddess of fate.
Therefore, his destiny was never entirely certain from the beginning, only a possibility.
In the trial that no one, neither gods nor men, believed he could survive—except for Athena—Clotho's prophecy showed that in a hundred observed futures, Promise's fate was always to fall, without exception!
In fact, even Athena could not see a future where Promise survived at the time.
The future she later showed Clotho was one that he achieved, which she then successfully captured from countless possibilities.
At this moment, Athena sat on Pegasus, closely pressed against Promise, holding his hand together on the reins.
And then, under the gaze of the Calydonians who had been watching them, as well as several gods, they became a falling meteor in the night sky, heading towards the Calydonian boar.
Thus, the Calydonian hunt, which should have involved dozens of heroes, saw all its future glory and legends bestowed upon Promise alone!
That night, everyone witnessed a meteor falling to earth, and they also witnessed the birth of a new star.
"Quite breathtaking, isn't it?" Atalanta suddenly spoke, turning to Meleager, who was watching the scene from afar. "But... actually, this scene pales in comparison to the moment he caught the meteor a few days ago."
Atalanta, thanks to the moon goddess Artemis, was the only human fortunate enough to witness that event.
Meleager remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "He is really close to achieving it... becoming the hero that everyone on this continent knows."
"And then, having a grand hero's finale?"
After Atalanta said this, the two of them fell silent for a while.
After a while, Meleager couldn't help but sigh, "In many ways, Chiron is really confused!"
"That's right," The hintress nodded, agreeing with him for the first time. "Letting him come down from the mountain, your teacher was indeed quite confused!"
"But in fact, it's mainly because of Jason!"
"Jason?" Atalanta tilted her head.
"Yes, only that fool would bring Promise down from the mountain... Beautiful huntress, if you meet him in the future, don't hesitate, just punch him!" Meleager said earnestly to Atalanta.
The latter thought for a moment and then surprisingly nodded, "Yes, if I meet him in the future, I'll do that."
...
...
Meanwhile, on the other side...
"So, it's over just like that?"
As Pegasus ran at full speed, transforming into a falling meteor aimed at the Calydonian boar, it wasn't long before Promise dismounted and stood on the forest clearing, looking at the now lifeless boar.
Promise was momentarily dazed.
Even at the end, he hadn't gotten a clear view of the entire Calydonian boar.
"Of course, after all, I made my entrance," Athena responded with a smile.
"So... the fates of Actaeon, Meleager, and the others are also resolved?" Promise hesitated for a moment and then looked at Athena with confusion.
"Yes, it's all settled now. But for the specifics," The goddess paused, glancing towards the distant temple of the fate goddess, "you'll have to wait for the petite goddess of fate to come find you herself."
"I see."
Hearing this, Promise's expression relaxed, and he nodded, saying, "Then I can finally rest easy. Now I can continue to seek revenge and issue my challenges... By the way, Goddess Athena, can I meet Heracles now?"
With his mind at ease, he turned to look at Athena again, recalling the words she had once said.
Promise wasn't usually impatient, but these were the twelve labors of a hero destined to be famous worldwide!
And after transforming into a heroic spirit, it meant having twelve lives!
He wasn't asking for much.
Just participating in three or four tasks would suffice, giving him a few extra lives!
"Don't be so hasty. Although your friends' matters are resolved, haven't you noticed something missing on our side?" Athena said, winking at him and pointing to the moon.
Promise naturally understood her hint.
The painting for the moon goddess Artemis!
Without resolving this, the capricious goddess wouldn't wait until his summoning as a heroic spirit to tighten the noose; she would hunt him down now and lock him up!
"So, you still need to find..." Athena was about to instruct Promise to seek out Hephaestus, the god of craftsmen, while she would hold off Artemis.
But before she could finish, Promise's eyes lit up, interrupting her, "Yes, the painting for Goddess Artemis, Goddess Athena, I've already figured out how to present it to her!"
Athena was taken aback, seeing Promise's determined look.
She remembered this expression well, knowing that every time Promise showed such resolve, it always led to some significant event...
"Are you saying you can now present the painting to Artemis?"
Athena naturally grew curious and pursued further.
"A painting made with brushes and canvas would not suffice, but..." Promise looked up at the night sky's stars with determination and said, "If it is a painting imprinted in the eyes and the world, I can create it now!"
"And thanks to you, Goddess Athena, I have all the conditions met!"
Promise continued speaking, seeing the slightly bewildered look on Athena's face, "Because of tonight, everyone in Calydon knows me now, and they owe me a huge favor!"
"This way, they will be entirely willing to help me present that special painting!"
Hearing this, Athena, with her beautiful golden eyes, quietly swallowed the words she had originally prepared to say.
"Have you thought this through?" She then seriously asked Promise, "Are you truly certain that this painting will satisfy Artemis and make her give up hunting you?"
"...No, I'm not sure," Promise thought for a moment, then shook his head before the goddess, but he looked at Athena earnestly, "But I believe that this painting is the best I can create at this point."
"If, under those circumstances, Artemis is still not satisfied and continues to hunt me..."
Promise reached out and grabbed Athena's hand, with a mock-crying expression that almost made the goddess laugh, "Goddess Athena, I would truly have to rely on you!"
Seeing this, Athena barely held back her laughter and was about to comfort Promise with her divine demeanor.
"Ah-hem!"
When, a loud cough suddenly interrupted them causing them to startle.
Both of them instinctively turned their heads to see Queen Hera, her face completely dark, standing there.
Beside her was the moon goddess Artemis, who looked innocent and curious, her blue eyes wide open in curiosity about the painting Promise had mentioned...
Wait a minute, I'm not Zeus!
The feeling of being caught by Hera as if she were catching a mistress was utterly bewildering to Promise.
Coming out of his daze, Promise saw the clearly angry Hera and then looked at Athena, who now wore an awkward expression.
He was utterly confused.
"Athena, you..."
Just as Hera was about to angrily say something, Athena interrupted her with a seemingly cheerful welcome, "Ah, Hera, you're here! Just in time!"
"Did you see Promise's performance just now? Surely, after tonight, his name will spread across the continent. This means you, Hera, will gain even more glory."
"And did you bring any golden apples? I'm out of them, you know. Promise here is so delicate, like a newborn baby. Without enough golden apples, I fear a gust of wind might blow him straight to the underworld."
Not just Hera and Artemis, but even Promise was stunned by what he heard.
As he processed her words, he looked at the Goddess of wisdom with a strange expression.
Now he understood why she hadn't given him a golden apple last night—it turned out she didn't have any left.
And although he knew from the start that the golden apples belonged to Hera, watching Athena ask for them so straightforwardly and then give them to him felt oddly strange.
Hera, who had also snapped out of her daze, looked at Athena walking towards her with a beaming smile.
Instead of being angry, she found herself amused by Athena's antics.
She crossed her arms over her chest, slightly raising her head as she looked at Athena with her amber eyes under the forest's moonlight.
Go on, keep acting!
At this point, who are you pretending to be concerned about for my sake?
Seeing this, Athena was momentarily stunned, but she quickly realized what was happening and turned her sharp gaze towards Artemis standing next to Hera.
At this moment, Artemis was wholly focused on Promise, her curiosity piqued, ready to step forward and ask him about the painting they had just discussed.
But then she noticed Athena's piercing look.
Frightened, she instantly hid behind Hera, turning her head away with an expression that screamed, "I don't know anything."
Seeing her like this, Athena understood.
This foolish goddess had messed things up again!
With a sigh, she looked at Hera.
Noticing this, Hera's lips curved into a slight smile, and she slowly spoke, "Athena, I suddenly remember some things. For example, you were present during the matter with Jason and Promise...
In other words, you knew from the beginning but kept silent about me mistaking Promise for Jason... Isn't that right?"
Oh, snap!
Athena's getting caught!
This is quite exciting!
This was Promise's most genuine thought at that moment.
But before he could settle in to enjoy the drama.
"Yes, that's correct." Athena nodded, admitting it straightforwardly.
"When did it start?" Hera narrowed her eyes slightly. "You've been watching over that child, always thinking of taking him away from me!"
Hearing this, Promise felt like the imaginary fruit he was holding had just fallen to the ground with a splat.
He stood there, stunned, staring at Athena's back, then at Hera, who was glaring at her.
Wait, wait, hold on a minute!
'You guys are talking about me, right?'
Athena has always been kind to him,
Promise could definitely feel that.
However, because he knew that Athena was known as the mother of heroes and because of the oath, he didn't dwell too much on it.
At most, he just found it a bit strange that he did to not see Hera for so long...
"When did it start? Hmm... let me think."
What surprised Promise even more was that Athena admitted it quite straightforwardly at that moment!
Not only that, she even turned her head to wink at Promise before looking back at Hera, tilting her head as if in thought.
Finally, she smiled and said, "I think it was from the very beginning. From the moment I heard the prophecy of the fate goddess Clotho."
"Prophecy?" Hera frowned slightly at this.
"That's right," Athena nodded, smiling at Hera. "Hera, you might not know this, but in Clotho's prophecy, you weren't the only one who could gain glory from Promise's existence. I... was also one of them!"
Athena's words were shocking to both Promise and Hera.
Promise had thought he was just about to enjoy some juicy gossip, but instead, the gossip fell to the ground and landed on his foot!
Hera hadn't known that there was such a hidden secret in Clotho's prophecy.
And she certainly didn't expect Athena to steal Promise with such righteous confidence!
Meanwhile, the true culprit behind this situation, the gentlest of the three fate goddesses—Clotho—was sitting in the temple of fate, looking utterly bewildered.
She had been sitting there quietly for several days... to be precise, ever since the day Promise caught the falling star and Athena helped her see that future.
Since returning, she had been sitting quietly in the temple of fate, pondering the matter that had brought her so much shame—Promise's situation...
.........
In the Temple of Fate,
The fate goddess Clotho, with blank eyes, had been sitting there, motionless, for several days.
But tonight, she finally spoke her first words.
"He hunted that boar."
With her head lowered and her soft voice, Clotho whispered, "He ultimately did it; he rewrote the original fate and defeated me..."
Her words were light, making it hard to discern her current mood.
But as she gently held the crystal ball in her arms, Clotho's expression grew more complex...
On the night when Promise caught the star, Athena had said something to her.
That it wasn't Athena who had been harming Promise all along, but Clotho, the fate goddess.
And that was actually true.
The proof was the crystal ball she held, containing the thread of Promise's fate.
It wasn't a form of protection but a form of constraint.
Clotho used it to sever Promise's fate from the world, preventing it from intertwining with other destinies.
This crystal ball of fate first appeared after the pure white judgment of Themis, the goddess of justice.
Hera, through a marriage, had secured the souls of those she had cursed to death from Hades, the king of the underworld.
From that moment on, Promise had entered the sights of the three fate goddesses, who saw him as a nuisance.
Because of Promise's uniqueness, any fate he touched could change.
For such an unstable existence, the first thought of the three fate goddesses was to eliminate him.
But by then, Promise already had three goddesses standing behind him: Hera, Athena, and Themis, the goddess of justice, so they had to give up.
They planned to inform Zeus of this matter, letting him decide.
But at that moment, Clotho stepped forward.
Clotho, at the time, was very angry because Promise had altered the future on his own, touching her domain, and repeatedly changed the prophecy.
So she enclosed Promise's fate in that crystal ball and stepped out of the Temple of Fate, coming to Promise.
'I just wanted to show you, the fate goddess, a more beautiful future.'
Every time Clotho thought of this excuse from Promise, her heart would stir slightly—not with emotion, but amusement.
Quietly watching and weaving the future threads of all living beings, how could she be swayed by changes in fate?
Clotho believed she wouldn't be... She truly thought so once.
Until that night, when Athena showed her the captured future, where the boy she had seen fall to the meteor a hundred times, soared in the night sky, shining like a star.
After returning to the Temple of Fate, Clotho sat quietly ever since.
Until Promise hunted the Calydonian boar, she had to face her failure... The end of her bet with Promise.
Even though Clotho had known she lost the bet with Promise when she saw that future from Athena.
"Trying to show me... a more beautiful future."
The goddess whispered again, and at that moment, when everything truly ended, her body relaxed completely.
Then, as if thinking of something, she slowly stood up.
She gently placed the crystal ball in the air, then reached out, plucking a strand from the threads of fate above her head.
It was the fate thread of Actaeon, the student of the centaur sage Chiron.
Clotho grasped it and gently waved it, intertwining it with the crystal ball containing Promise's fate, observing the extension of fate.
Thus, she saw the ship named Argo.
Transformed into a giant stag by a curse, Actaeon stood on the ship, but he was smiling happily.
No one on the ship discriminated against him, and he raised his drink high, drinking with his friends.
Clotho also saw the thread grow longer, and at the end of the quest for the Golden Fleece, Actaeon brought glory to Artemis and spread his story throughout ancient Greece.
When Actaeon returned to Greece and stepped off the ship, he transformed back into the handsome hunter.
At that moment, all those around him were astonished and accepted him once again.
Clotho remained silent for a moment, then plucked another thread from the fate-woven sky of the Temple of Fate.
This was the fate thread of Meleager.
She then saw the wise mother who, this time, did not have to choose between her brothers and her children.
She protected the flame throughout her life, living happily.
Clotho also saw Meleager board the Argo, drinking with his friend Actaeon, whom he was destined to kill.
Seeing this, Clotho stood there in a daze, watching everything unfold.
She felt a sudden urge to throw all the threads of fate from her head into the crystal ball, but fortunately, her divine nature suppressed this desire.
However...
"Interesting," she murmured softly.
With that, she knelt back down, reaching out to gently grab the crystal ball again and carefully cradled it in her arms.
At that moment, a soft smile graced her lips, a smile she herself wasn't aware of.
All of this was seen by the two other fate goddesses, also clad in white robes, quietly hiding in a corner of the temple.
Second sister Lachesis, with her long hair as beautiful as the night, looked weak and frail due to her responsibility for the length of life threads, seemingly always on the verge of fainting.
Eldest sister, Atropos, the oldest of the fate goddesses, was meticulous, calm, and ruthless.
She was in charge of death, cutting the threads of fate at the destined moment.
Atropos was essentially mechanical, unmoved by anything or anyone, devoid of any emotions—no pain, sorrow, joy, or happiness touched her.
There was only one situation in which Atropos would change her predetermined decisions...
"Do we need to remind her?" Atropos asked Lachesis, devoid of any emotion.
"Remind her of what?" Lachesis looked confused.
"To remind Clotho that we should inform the great god-king Zeus of this matter... and also..."
Atropos extended her hand, pointing to the fate thread entwined around Clotho from the crystal ball—a thread similar to those entwined around Hera, Athena, and Themis.
"Are you stupid?" Lachesis rolled her eyes at Atropos. "If you want Clotho to never speak to you again, go ahead and tell Zeus. As for the fate thread... because it seems interesting, let's just pretend we didn't see it for now."
After saying this, Lachesis chuckled but couldn't help coughing violently.
After weighing her options for less than a millisecond, Atropos chose her sister over Zeus!
.
.
.
Meanwhile, neither Athena nor Hera was aware of these events.
In the forest near the Calydonian boar's death, under the moonlit night, the most revered queen of all goddesses, Hera, and the most brilliant wisdom goddess, Athena, were still staring each other down, eyes locked.
This made Promise feel like he was sitting on pins and needles!
...
"No, no, what is this all about!"
Promise stood there trembling, looking at the two goddesses before him, who were unmatched in status, appearance, and strength.
He was bewildered and frightened.
"My name is Promise, not Zeus, and I'm not having an affair! Why does this feel like a caught-in-the-act scenario?"
Feeling like a drowning man grasping for a straw, Promise's gaze naturally shifted to the moon goddess Artemis.
However, his hope turned to despair when he saw Artemis watching with shining eyes, completely engrossed in the spectacle.
"She'd probably get more excited if you gave her a couple of glow sticks," he thought.
With no one to rely on, Promise considered the pegasus nearby, only to find the clever creature had retreated and was pretending to graze far away.
"Maybe I should just accept my fate," he mused. "If I die because these two are fighting over me, it might not be so bad. At least the story would be legendary!"
Promise recalled the tale of Adonis, a demi-god in Greek mythology.
Adonis's beauty was so unmatched that it captivated everything around him.
He became the beloved of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty.
She gave up everything to stay with him, warning him against hunting dangerous beasts.
It is said that he was killed by a wild boar, which seemed to be the revenge of the moon goddess Artemis on the goddess of beauty, or the jealousy of the god of war, Ares.
But after knowing this, the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, felt extremely sad, so from that day on, this most beautiful goddess cursed love in the world.
Curse that love will always be filled with suspicion, fear and sorrow!
Later, the goddess of beauty carried the body of Adonis to Olympus, praying to Zeus to resurrect the beautiful boy, but the letter was helpless.
Because the moment Adonis came to the underworld, Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, took a liking to him and made him her attendant, so she refused to let him return to the human world.
Hearing this, Aphrodite shed tears of despair, which fell on Adonis' body, mixed with his blood, fell to the ground and eventually turned into the brightest and most beautiful red roses.
This finally moved Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, and she agreed that every year when she returned to the human world from the underworld, she would bring Adonis to the human world and let him meet the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite.
But when she would return to the underworld, the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, had to let Adonis go and let him return to the underworld with Persephone!
In addition, there are many versions of this legend, most of them about the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Beauty, with both goddesses vying for Adonis's affection.
In the end, Adonis became synonymous with exceptional beauty and charm.
The name "Adonis" itself came to describe a man of striking attractiveness.
Back in the present, Promise found himself caught between two powerful goddesses, each seemingly vying for his favor.
Although he didn't think he was such a handsome man,
Moreover, the confrontation between Hera and Athena was not like that at all.
But these two goddesses were special enough in terms of identity, status and strength!
Therefore, in the future, the topic will definitely be higher than that of a goddess of beauty or the queen of the underworld!
Thinking of this, Promise calmed down instantly.
He even picked up the melon that fell on the ground, blew on it twice, and continued to eat it, while thinking to himself,
Hurry up, hurry up!
'Anyway, the result is just death; at least this way, he wouldn't be caught by the Moon Goddess and get thrown into a small dark room.'
'Oh, yes, it's better to die early now and not worry about being hunted by Artemis, perfect!'
As soon as he thought of this, Promise noticed that Athena glanced at him faintly.
Only then did he remember that although he had tied the silver hair in his hair, it could only block others, not the Goddess of Wisdom herself.
So he silently threw the melon away again and stood there, looking so well-behaved and sensible...
"Now that things have come to this, Hera, since you know everything, let's discuss it." Athena then smiled and broke the silence between the two.
And once again, she spoke to Hera in a shocking tone: "You can't give Promise what he wants anyway, so just hand him over to me!"
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