Without hesitation, facts were delivered in rapid-fire succession like a skilled rapper.
At this, Hera, who had been twitching her eyebrows, finally couldn’t contain her rising anger and raised her clenched right fist high.
My prediction that she would smash the stone table with her fist proved accurate.
Her fist, aimed at destruction, plunged downward swiftly.
Bracing for impact, I tightly shut my eyes, worried about shattered fragments flying around.
…
But even after several seconds passed without the sound of destruction, I groggily opened my eyes.
Hera’s fist had rested gently on the table,
though it seemed she couldn’t fully control her force despite the pause, as the stone table had裂 several cracks resembling spiderwebs.
“Why… haven’t you destroyed it?”
“I simply deemed it meaningless.”
Hera then crossed her arms, turning her head away as if unwilling to deal with me.
A perfect manifestation of Hera’s clear dislike for me.
However, from this very behavior of hers, I found a thread hinting at reconciliation.
Thinking that I couldn’t afford to miss this chance, I took out an object resembling a tablet from my coat and placed it in front of her.
“What is this?”
“It is a jade tablet. Carved with the energy of the moon by Artemis, using jade gifted by Athena.”
“And? Why are you offering me this?”
“Anyone bearing this jade tablet in the future will receive a complete supply and sale of the cider I’ve produced.”
This marked the first step in fulfilling the promise I made on the podium that day during the commemorative event.
But, predictably, Hera did not easily uncross her arms in this situation.
“Hah! Ridiculous. You think you can win my favor with just a trendy item?”
“Not to win your favor.”
“Then what?”
“To reset our relationship.”
“Reset? To where?”
“Yes. Although I don’t know whether our relationship will improve or worsen afterward, I wish to resolve the tension between us. Therefore, I have declared the Charter of Rights. Even if you, Hera, were to reject my offer today, I intend to abide by the terms of this charter.”
This statement drew a slight reaction from the otherwise indifferent Hera.
That she wouldn’t revoke the praise and cider rights granted to her, even if she refused reconciliation.
It was evident that she had sensed a hint of sincerity in this particular point.
“It’s sincere. After all, I can’t go back on promises made publicly to all people.”
“… That day was indeed eventful. You offered a tribute on my behalf despite me being scorned, and even granted the right to cider. Plus, you had children with carnations stationed to prevent me from disrupting it.”
“Isn’t it true that the most vulnerable and hurt women are often the emptiest?”
“Hah! You chatter on despite having zero experience with women!”
“Though it may be sympathy, I believe my plan was quite successful.”
“Why?”
Instead of answering, I lifted my gaze and stared intently at the carnation pinned in her updo.
Realizing her mistake, Hera attempted to remove the carnation herself, but it was too late—just like a bus that had already departed.
Tsking, Hera re-pinned the carnation given by the children back in its original place.
“Tsk! That’s what’s irritating. Your mockery of my maternal instincts, you fiend!!!”
“Yikes!”
This was something she would absolutely not forgive, and Hera shot back with a sharp tone.
Her voice resonated in my ears like an echo, showing no sign of fading.
Even covering my ears was futile.
Worse still, it felt like my semicircular canals had been tampered with, as I suddenly felt dizzy. Though sitting, I could barely maintain my balance and collapsed to the floor.
Hera looked down at me disdainfully,
then her voice caught, her eyes slightly bloodshot. Covering her face with one hand, she turned her head to the other side.
Focusing even as I swayed, I wondered why she reacted this way.
“Hmph… Why have I become the Goddess of the Household?”
Her murmured denial of her divine role struck me like a sharp thorn.
“What… do you mean? Shouldn’t the Mistress Hera respect her divine role?”
“Phah! Don’t pretend! The Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia, suits the Household far better than I do with my fiery temper.”
“A…”
The origin of what Hera said was a book made partly for fun, produced long ago.
Researchers studying the history of Olympus compared the personalities of the gods with their domains,
posing hypothetical questions like, “Would a god with this personality be suited to this domain?”
Of course, these books are now banned for being disrespectful to the gods, but some of the more impactful ideas continue to pass down orally among people.
Among these was one:
The Goddess of the Household—Hestia.
The Goddess of the Hearth—Hera.
The gentle Hestia takes on the role of the household, while Hera, fiery-tempered, becomes the goddess of the hearth.
Though it’s hard to say, this divine role exchange seems to fit perfectly.
It’s been decided among the people that her fiery temper stems from jealousy.
What must Hera have felt upon hearing such things?
Even if she was respected to her face, what if she was mocked behind her back as a jealous and ill-tempered goddess?
“Lady Hera.”
“Yes?”
“Suppose I were granted the right to reallocate the divine roles of the gods… if there was one god I wouldn’t change, it would be you, Lady Hera.”
“Hmph! Flattery to that extent is poison.”
“On the contrary. It’s sincere.”
“Why? I hate bastards. I can’t stand them. I’ve tried everything to avoid them since ages ago. How can I fit as the Goddess of the Household?”
Instead of answering, I nodded, extending my right arm and raising a single finger.
Hera gave a hollow laugh.
Her tense expression softened as she took out a ruby from her dress and threw it to the ground, shattering it.
Then, she flicked her finger upward, causing the shattered ruby pieces to float gently.
It reminded me of Aphrodite’s technique that I had seen during the second labor.
“Hmph! Do you know the reason? Or are you clueless… well? Speak. If you fail to resonate with me, I’ll take you to the underworld with me in mutual destruction!”
“Have you forgotten? I’m the one who’s the fate of labor –”
“Fate-like nonsense! If this ruby fails to harm you directly… why not shift the target to me? Won’t the ruby explosion and its heat melt you as well?”
The sharp edges of the ruby shards swirled and aimed at Hera’s neck.
There was such a method…!
I’m not entirely sure if the fate of labor would protect me from an explosion I caused myself.
Hera read the waver in my eyes and stretched her lips into a long sneer.
“Ho ho ho… So even you, with your clever tongue, have no idea about this result.”
“…Are you thinking of self-destruction?”
“With no such resolve, how could I claim the title of Queen of Olympus?”
Hera was sincere.
I needed to be sincere too.
Indeed, I must trust myself.
My insight into Athena’s true nature would only bring forth the right words.
Indeed. Without a doubt.
“Alright. I’ll explain. Lady Hera dislikes people who act differently from what they seem.”
“Proof?”
“Just naming the people Lady Hera trusts provides plenty of evidence.”
Hestia, Demeter.
These two goddesses are among the mildest and most serene deities.
Hera has shown a clear tendency to open her heart only to these two goddesses.
As if dismissing my thoughts as obvious, Hera smiled faintly and spoke.
“Hestia and Demeter are siblings with whom I share a heart. It’s natural to rely on them. How does this align with my aversion towards bastards?”
“Hermes and Athena were also shown great favor. Although their relationship strained recently due to Olympus voting…”
“Hmph! They too are among the Twelve Great Gods. My favor is purely formal. Why should I waste emotion on bastards?”
Ah… Truly a stubborn Hera.
If someone declares coldness while showing ice, but the other insists on warmth, there’s only one method.
Make the opponent realize by rubbing ice on their cheek.
“Let me be more specific. Lady Hera, you like gods and humans who see you without bias. People may unconsciously categorize Lady Hera’s nature through books and fix it in their minds.”
“…”
“Lady Hera could instantly see through those people the very moment they met. No matter how polite they appeared outwardly, they couldn’t hide the dark feelings lurking within. And so, Lady Hera showed them the nature of what they believed she truly was.”
“If someone judged me merely as irascible without knowing the real me, you retaliated with your wrath, didn’t you?”
“Exactly. There’s a saying in my hometown: if someone dislikes you for no reason, give them plenty of reasons.”
“…”
Hera didn’t even open her mouth, as if her lips were taped shut.
She merely closed her eyes to hide her trembling irises.
However, her quivering eyelashes betrayed her.
Hestia, Demeter, Athena, Hermes.
These four gods seem to have nothing in common at all.
But I found it.
The one and only commonality among them.
Both Hestia and Demeter are gentle without discrimination.
Athena and Hermes possess straightforward and charismatic personalities.
It is the fact that they treat others without being swayed by others’ opinions.
Everyone has had a similar experience at least once.
You become friends with someone, and you’re gradually getting closer, but suddenly,
that friend starts to distance themselves from you. You later find out that it’s because someone spread rumors about you, causing that friend to perceive you through their gossip.
But what about these four deities?
Rather than being swayed by rumors, they immediately rebuke the slanderers.
Or sometimes they respond with a smile, subtly disregarding the rumors.
“What do you think? This is my reasoning mixed with personal experience…”
“…Athena, I admit. She isn’t a bastard. She’s Zeus’ legitimate first daughter.”
“Indeed. Though you recently quarreled over Lady Metis, you’re here at Athena’s commemoration.”
“True. But Hermes is different. Didn’t you see?”
“What are you referring to?”
“I attempted to kill Hermes’ mother, Maia, on Mount Cyllene, earnestly. Such a person like me showing affection for Hermes? Who would believe that?”
…
The fourth labor, the riddle battle with Hermes.
Hera had surely declared,
that the moment she lost, she would kill Maia.
Once the labor ended, Hera stormed into Mount Cyllene, dragged Maia out, and subjected her to all sorts of humiliations,
and easily disgraced Hermes and Artemis when they tried to intervene, showcasing that the name “Queen of Olympus” was not just a title.
Had it not been for my ingenious strategy of making Maia her secretary, what would have happened to her by now…
“Well, Priest Ark. Speak up, how have I shown affection or reliance on the bastard Hermes, given that I tried to kill his mother?”
“…”
“Speak up!”
The ruby fragments floating around Hera began to glow ominously in a fiery red.
As the ruby fragment floated closer, I flicked it away with my finger and spoke.
“It’s simple. Hermes hid his mother due to a love devoid of prejudice towards you, Lady Hera. You genuinely cherished Hermes for following you without bias. But what did he do behind your back? Out of fear that you’d oppress his mother, he hid her away in a deep cave in Mount Cyllene for thousands of years.”
“!!!”
“Even if it wasn’t me but you, Lady Hera, wouldn’t anyone feel betrayed enough to be chilled with anger?”
“No! No, that’s not true!”
Covering her ears hastily, Hera refused to listen, shaking her head.
Meanwhile, the floating ruby fragments began falling weakly to the ground.
Now, all that remained was the final blow.
But this final punch isn’t my place to deliver.
There’s a main character for that.
“Please come in.”
As I gave my permission, the glass door of the garden opened.
A goddess walked along the path of wildflowers laid directly through the center.
“Cough! Cough! He, Hera, Hera… Lady Hera! Lady Hera!!!”
With severe coughs and trembling legs, she fell several times as she walked.
Yet she continued, calling out to Hera each time she fell, mustering courage to stand up again.
“Hera, Lady Hera! I… have something to say!!”
Hera, shaking her head repeatedly and covering her ears, erected a figurative steel wall against the weak heart in her, struck deeply by the approaching goddess.
