[Greek Mythology] The Demons Under My Command - Chapter 20

In the capital city of the Bocape Dynasty, a bustling tavern named “Shiyue” (October) housed a group of people sitting at a table.

Li Jia had specifically chosen this establishment because it had the most patrons; the logic that the quality of food corresponds to the number of people seemed plausible. Delicious food might not always require a queue, but an empty tavern was almost certainly serving dreadful food.

Hera’s idea was slightly different from Li Jia’s. Located in the heart of the capital, the inn’s windows offered a view of street vendors and the bustling crowds, making it the ideal spot to gather information. Places like this were usually expensive, but with Winslow present, that was hardly an issue.

Hera used a touch of her divine power, covering them with a thin layer of red dust. This concealed their appearance, making their clothing and looks indistinguishable from ordinary passersby. They looked simply like four ordinary women in black robes.

Li Jia held the menu booklet and immediately began to salivate. Taking a vacation to relax from work stress indeed made sense, as it offered a chance to see different local customs and taste delicious, unfamiliar food.

After ordering a few snacks she hadn’t seen before and a cup of honey-milk tea, Li Jia finally put down the booklet. She propped her chin up, puffing air into her mouth, turning herself into a grumpy blowfish.

“What’s wrong?”

The food and drinks were ordered, so why the angry look? Hera couldn’t help but ask.

Li Jia looked up at her and whispered, “Because waiting is a very lonely thing.”

“Your Majesty, aren’t you lonely?”

Lonely?

When Hera heard the girl’s question, a subtle, unusual feeling rose in her heart.

Since the day she was born on the divine mountain, she had known her mission: to fulfill her divine duty and maintain order. Living for millennia, this was the first time anyone had asked her if she was lonely.

Perhaps a little. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have brought Winslow and Dorin home from the Northern Territory, having them follow her for thousands of years.

“Not really. It’s tolerable.”

Now with Li Jia here, Hera no longer felt lonely.

“That’s a relief. You’re good at waiting; you have good endurance,” Li Jia smiled, teasing her.

Just then, the waiter brought the snacks and milk tea. Li Jia’s face brightened with joy.

Li Jia picked up a churro, which resembled a fritter, coated in sugar powder. After finishing the sweet treat, she immediately grabbed a chicken pie—a salty and sweet perpetual motion machine—and ate with gusto.

Dorin hadn’t forgotten their main objective. She took a sip of the milk tea in her cup and asked the waiter standing nearby, who was attending to guests, “Hey, young man, we’re travelers who specifically came here from Xiangcheng Spring Capital. Can you tell me about interesting things in your area?”

As she spoke, she slipped a gold coin from her fingertips. The young boy standing there looked quite young, perhaps twelve or thirteen, with charming amber eyes and characteristic freckles on both cheeks.

Upon hearing Doriin’s words and seeing the gold coin in her hand, the boy’s eyes lit up.

Glancing around to confirm that no other server was paying attention to this table by the window, Felix mustered his courage and approached Dorin.

There was nothing more tempting than one gold coin. If there was, it was two.

“Beautiful lady, you’ve come to the right person to ask about local happenings,” he said, moving closer to Dorin, picking up the copper kettle, and refilling her half-empty milk tea cup, a flattering smile on his face.

“Oh? That sounds promising. Tell me two things first. If I’m satisfied, this lady has plenty more of this stuff.”

Winslow, sitting next to Dorin, pulled out a small gold-threaded cloth bag from his sleeve and lightly shook it near Felix’s ear. The clinking of metal against fabric made Felix lick his dry lips.

“I… I understand. I will make sure you are satisfied!”

Dorin inclined her ear, making room for him to speak more clearly.

The young boy began to ramble on about various tales: a four-headed bird, a couple who had seven sets of twins in a row, and so on. However, it was clear that, apart from Li Jia, the remaining three were not interested in these rumors.

“I’ve heard all that you’re saying, little brother. It’s really boring,” Winslow sighed, waving his hand dismissively.

Realizing the gold coins were slipping further away, Felix gritted his teeth and said, “There’s one more secret concerning the Bocape Royal Family. Speaking about it will surely result in death. You’re outsiders, and you’ll be leaving soon, so I’ll secretly tell you.”

You have to drop the big stuff to hear what we want to hear, Winslow thought.

“Have you heard of the Evil Dragon?” the young boy asked hesitantly, glancing around.

“Go on.”

The tallest woman among the four spoke flatly. The three ordinary words, seemingly simple, caused a cold sweat to break out on Felix’s back.

“The Evil Dragon came to the Fortress of Eternal Night ten years ago. I was only three years old then, and I actually saw that dragon.” Seeing that he had captured their attention, Felix knew he had placed the right bet.

“This Evil Dragon is not necessarily male.”

Felix shared his personal observation.

When he was three, he was washing his rabbit wooden carving by the Lite River when he accidentally saw it. The sky suddenly grew violently windy. He hid inside a patch of shrubbery, enduring the pain of the thorns, and witnessed the most terrifying sight of his life.

It lay on the riverbank, its obsidian-like scales glistening. Each scale looked as if it had been polished thousands of times, its edges glowing with a gold-silk sheen—the residue of devoured lightning and flame.

It wasn’t until it slowly raised its head that its golden pupils truly pierced the gloom. Squinting slightly, its gaze swept over the shrubbery, and a chill emanated from that golden slit.

Clearly, it disdained to vent its fury upon weak humans.

With a hint of flirtatiousness, the giant dragon shifted into a human form. A head of red hair covered its entire body, a beauty that was neither distinctly male nor female. The reason Felix didn’t believe it had to be male was because he saw its lower half in human form.

“Are you saying this Evil Dragon doesn’t have balls?”

“Yes, beautiful lady. I saw it with my own eyes.”

Li Jia was feeling a bit parched from eating and was slightly disappointed to see her cup was empty. Suddenly, a cup filled to the brim with milk tea was pushed towards her.

A slender, lean set of fingers moved momentarily in front of her. The girl’s eyes immediately curved into a sweet smile as she said to Hera, “I knew it, you’re the best.”

Such a straightforward person. She was someone Hera would never encounter again in her life.

Hera knew this well. People revered her, admired her, and desired her, but no one had ever expressed their feelings to her without any hint of an ulterior motive or request.

Li Jia picked up the milk tea and drank it all in one go.

Dorin continued to question Felix, “I saw in the marriage registry that a bond has been formed. By all accounts, only different sexes can be joined. Could the Evil Dragon have changed its gender to bypass the marriage scrutiny?”

“Perhaps, but the only thing I can be sure of is that the Evil Dragon, Murphyria is not male,” Felix stated firmly.

Having gained the information they sought, Winslow generously handed the boy a small bag of gold coins and winked. “I’ll buy this secret.”

Felix nodded, wisely accepting the gold coins and leaving.

“You guys are prejudiced, okay? Prejudiced! Who says a female can’t marry a female? In my hometown, men can marry men, and women can marry women. As long as they love each other, that’s enough,” Li Jia said, tapping the table a little excitedly.

She was a person of the God of Marriage Temple now; how could she be so old-fashioned? It was necessary to educate them on modern society’s marriage laws.

Hera was slightly lost in thought. She had read Li Jia’s life journal: she was born in the Northern Territory, and after her parents passed away, she returned to the side of her uncle in Aurit.

Were there new additions to the marriage contracts in the Northern Territory and Aurit? She hadn’t heard or seen any new regulations presented to her recently.

Hera was the God of Marriage. All marriage laws worldwide were under her jurisdiction. What Li Jia was describing was completely new to her.

Her hometown…

It wasn’t in the Northern Territory, nor was it in Aurit.

Then where did she come from, and where will she go?

Will she leave me…?

This unknown factor was something she had never sensed before, causing her an uncharacteristic sense of restlessness.

“But if men marry men and women marry women, they can’t have children to pass on the lineage. Wouldn’t humans become extinct, and our offerings cease?” Dorin, upon hearing Li Jia’s argument, didn’t find it completely unacceptable, but her concerns were more rational.

“But there will also be men who love women and women who love men, creating the fruit of love. If the only purpose is to have children and you force unloving opposite-sex people together, isn’t that pathetic? So, your argument doesn’t stand,” Li Jia said decisively.

“I don’t think a partner should be determined by gender.”

“Instead, my partner determines my sexual orientation.”

Li Jia spoke earnestly, without a hint of jest.

Hera listened, suddenly enlightened, and smiled sweetly. “You are right. It seems you are more suited to be the God of Marriage than Hera.”

Li Jia’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t know if Hera was being sincere or just flattering her. Having been a seasoned slacker in the workplace for years, she knew that in times like this, she should say something complimentary: “How could that be? It’s all because Sister taught me well.”

Remembering they were in public and she shouldn’t use Hera’s proper name casually, Li Jia stopped herself and called out “Sister.”

Hera’s expression paused for a moment, and she murmured, “Sister?”

Seeing Hera remain still for a while, Li Jia sighed inwardly, thinking she had committed a major workplace faux pas. How could she casually call a woman of unknown age “Sister”? She might be older than Hera; Li Jia assumed that being from several millennia in the future meant she was older than the past.

But asking Hera to call her “Younger Sister”… she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Li Jia actually wanted Hera to call her “Older Sister,” but she didn’t have the courage.

Well, she had already said it, so what could she do? It wasn’t like she could retract the voice note; this wasn’t WeChat.

Li Jia hatched a small plan. Given her understanding of this devil, she would let Hera hold her a few more times tonight when they returned and say some nice words, and the matter would pass. What kind of god would seriously quibble with a human?

Ultimately, Hera chuckled, “You’re too modest, Younger Sister.”

Damn it, she’s taking advantage of me!

Seeing Hera in a good mood, Li Jia wilted like a small cucumber hit by frost. So annoying! Yet she still had to maintain a smile.

Sometimes she found Hera sacred, majestic, and inviolable, but other times she felt this Lord God was like a mischievous elementary schooler, constantly teasing her over trivial matters.

“Full?”

Hera asked, noticing Li Jia beginning to look sleepy.

“Yes, I’m full, Sister.”

Li Jia had also figured it out. She had always lived an easy life, and figuring things out came easily. Since Hera wanted her to call her “Sister,” then so be it. No skin off her back, and being able to form a connection with the God of Marriage was quite a good thing to think about.

Hera extended her hand. Li Jia, of her own accord, snuggled into her embrace. Too much sugar had raised her blood pressure, and she was very sleepy. A human seat—why not lie on it?

Winslow noticed the usually pale base of Hera’s ear turning red, almost dripping blood.

What was the saying? Every turn deserves a turn, and everyone gets their comeuppance. However, the King should be quite fond of this retribution.

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