[Greek Mythology] The Demons Under My Command - Chapter 32

Shopping is a woman’s forte, and the Salted Fish (Li Jia) was no exception.

Li Jia browsed shop after shop, with Hera following behind her like a ruthless bag-carrying machine. The token given by the Merfolk Chief offered a discount, acting like a coupon.

“Two items, 10% off; three items, 20% off; four items, 30% off~”

“Limited stock, first come, first served~”

The small vendors were competing fiercely with their shouts, and Li Jia was completely in a frenzy. She had already finished shopping, but then she rushed back in for another major haul.

The shopping spree finally concluded with seven or eight strings of seashell bracelets, pearl necklaces, and some beautiful stones.

Li Jia said, completely satisfied, “Things are so much cheaper at the source. If I bought these in Spring City, they would cost several dozen gold coins. We only spent eighteen gold coins for all of this.”

Spring City was a major inland capital, lacking a sea source, and thus did not have an abundance of seafood and shells.

Seeing her joy, Hera asked, “Do you like it here?”

Li Jia saw Hera’s eager look and knew that her boss was likely thinking too much again. She took a seashell bracelet and put it on Hera’s wrist: “Your Majesty, I think this bracelet really suits you. As the saying goes, why seek wild flowers when the one at home is the sweetest? No matter how good other places are, I only love Warm Springs Gorge.”

The bracelet was made of three naturally shaped seashells strung together. The main shell was spiral, with a delicate matte texture on its surface. The moment Li Jia saw it, she felt it would perfectly match Hera—simple, elegant, and easy to wear without being obtrusive.

Hera was very receptive to this flattery. She raised her hand and looked at the unremarkable bracelet against the light, saying, “You like it very much?”

Li Jia: “Yes, I specifically picked it out for Your Majesty.”

Sure enough, upon hearing the word “specifically,” the boss’s mood improved. She put her hand down and said, “It’s alright.”

Ugh. What to do about a tsundere boss?

Having eaten, enjoyed the scenery, and finished shopping, Li Jia was very sleepy. She tugged at her sleeve, wanting to return to the room.

Hera led her back. As soon as they returned, Li Jia dropped her purchases on the table and collapsed onto the shell-shaped bed. Hera had to help her take off her shoes.

As Li Jia drifted into a hazy sleep, she sensed that the boss seemed to have gone out, but she was too lazy to care. She was a deity; who would be foolish enough to bother her?

Even spouses need boundaries, let alone an employee and a boss. She wouldn’t ask what Hera was up to.

Boundaries are the highest form of respect.

When she woke up, it was already night. She immediately saw those familiar red pupils.

“Your Majesty, you’re back?”

Li Jia asked her as a matter of routine. She didn’t know why, but they were now living like a couple. Sometimes, when she got up in the middle of the night to pee and didn’t feel Hera’s presence or touch her back, she would inexplicably feel uneasy.

“Mmm.”

Hera’s simple acknowledgment was enough. It was then that Li Jia noticed she was wearing an identical bracelet on her wrist.

When she bought hers, Li Jia had thought the style was quite unique. The vendor said it was the last one and would be out of stock, so Li Jia gritted her teeth and paid an extra gold coin to secure its ownership.

Li Jia stretched out her hand and compared it with Hera’s for a long time. Aside from the size difference, they were exactly the same; there was no discernible difference.

“Your Majesty, where did you buy it? I knew that vendor was lying to me. How could there only be one of these bracelets?” Li Jia mumbled. If she had known, she wouldn’t have spent that extra gold coin.

“I strung it myself,” Hera said lightly.

Seeing the little one’s disbelief, she felt a little smug.

Li Jia was very curious. Did she go out just to make this bracelet? It didn’t seem likely.

Li Jia flattered her, “I didn’t expect Your Majesty to be skilled at making bracelets.”

Hera countered, “Is it difficult?”

Fine, she didn’t want to argue with a god who was so good at showing off.

Li Jia quickly discovered the difference in this bracelet. It looked exactly the same as the one Li Jia gave her, but the difference was the scent.

It carried an extra salty, cold, metallic fragrance, clean, cool, and full of mystery, like seawater.

“Why does mine smell fragrant?” Li Jia held her wrist up to Hera’s nose, letting her smell the bracelet’s scent.

Hera touched her earlobe, not looking at her face, and said mysteriously, “You will know in the future.”

Alright then. Li Jia understood Hera. If she didn’t want to talk about it, Li Jia wouldn’t ask.

This was because Li Jia knew Hera would never do anything she thought was wrong. Everything she did had a reason and a basis.

Many people feel that in a relationship, one needs to get to the bottom of things.

What did you do?

Why did you do it that way?

And what was the result of doing it that way?

Li Jia believed that no matter what form of caring, one should know what discretion is and how to maintain boundaries. It’s not right to use the pretext of being a friend, acquaintance, or colleague to probe others and break their sense of security.

Moreover, as the ancients said: the more you know, the faster you die.

Perhaps the thing others are constantly curious about, she would forget in a moment. In life, it’s rare and valuable to be a little oblivious.

The bracelet was on her wrist, and Hera forbade her from taking it off. Li Jia could only agree; the scent of the bracelet was truly pleasant.

She lay in Hera’s arms. The boss had her eyes closed and was not speaking, but Li Jia could feel her close breath and the vibration of her pulse.

The next second, the familiar AI electronic voice sounded in Li Jia’s mind.

「Good evening, Master.」

It was the System!

Her beloved support system was finally back!

Li Jia couldn’t contain her excitement. She chatted with the System in her mind via telepathy and learned that the System had been away for training.

Its performance was too poor, so the Transmigration Task Bureau arranged for it to shadow and learn from another top-selling system.

This top-seller had previously been traversing various cliché novels. It had its own set of unorthodox methods. Although the process was often bumpy, the outcomes always reached the required Bad End (BE) or Happy End (HE).

The System followed the top-seller for a period of time and had a complete epiphany.

No matter if the theme was good, bad, green, or white, just turn everything into something explicit, and the job is done.

Sex and love are inherently inseparable. Platonic love is too far removed from ordinary people. Once you touch upon a bit of physicality, you’ll find that grudges and resentments don’t matter anymore. Physiological desire will break all principles.

「Master, your affection level with the target is currently stuck at a critical point. This kind of relationship is very dangerous. Whether you can move forward is entirely a matter of a single thought. One step forward, and you will be the most intimate people in the world; one step back, and you will become the most familiar strangers.」

The System coldly reviewed the data on Hera’s actions towards Li Jia during its absence. It came to a less-than-satisfactory conclusion.

A mortal’s lifespan is short and fragile. If things kept dragging on, Li Jia might perish before the mission could even be completed.

「Master, you can choose to activate the auxiliary function. This is a result of your continuous hard work during this time.」

Li Jia was still pondering the phrase “most familiar strangers.”

In that instant, her heart skipped a few beats, just like those first extra beats when she first met Hera, followed by a painful, numb, suffocating feeling.

So, what should I do?

What should I do?

The System had also asked the top-seller about the plot and mission points of its current book. The top-seller was direct.

「Since your main mission is to stop the target from marrying someone else, then you simply seize the opportunity to inscribe your name first in the marriage records. Wouldn’t that complete the mission in the fastest way?」

The unorthodox method truly is unorthodox. This was a one-step solution, a perspective the System had never considered before.

When taking notes, the System asked the top-seller what to do if the “A-side” (Hera) was unwilling and the “B-side” (Li Jia) had to proceed.

The top-seller was pleased to see such eagerness and offered its life-long knowledge. After a flurry of complex mental exchanges, the System’s internal light flashed brightly. So, it can be done this way!

Before leaving, the top-seller also emphasized a key point:

Remember, it must be facilitated unintentionally by the Host. The process is not important; the result is what matters!

If you tell the Host the process, she might not cooperate and would have the right to refuse. She might feel guilt towards the target, preferring self-destruction over completing the mission.

This would also cause the plot to stall or progress too slowly, dying a premature death. Better to apply a strong medicine.

A forced twist of a melon may not be sweet, but it is certainly quenching!

The System felt enlightened, as if it had learned a decade’s worth of knowledge from the top-seller. It resolutely jotted down in its notebook: Must be forced.

The System suddenly developed its own subjective consciousness, which was something it hadn’t expected.

Hearing Li Jia ask what she should do, the System frantically cross-referenced its database with the plot points it could perceive and its analysis of the surrounding environment.

「The target’s affection level has been stagnant, but Master’s life is rapidly fading. To prevent Master from failing at the last hurdle, the System will provide an auxiliary function.」

「However, the System is not 100% effective. If Master activates the auxiliary function, it may also cause your relationship with the target to revert to the starting point.」

「Does Master wish to activate the auxiliary function?」

It was only after the System’s reminder that Li Jia belatedly understood one thing: her identity in this world was merely that of a mortal. She did not have eternal life. Even if she was free from illness, she could only live a maximum of a hundred years.

If I don’t complete the mission before I die, will she repeat her fate and marry that scumbag?

The System paused for a few seconds and responded coldly.

「Yes, Master. If you cannot complete the mission before your death, the target will continue her fate as written in the book and fulfill her duty as the Divine Queen.」

What is the success rate of activating the auxiliary function?

Li Jia’s voice was muffled. She was truly unwilling—unwilling to let Hera marry such a rotten man.

「The probability of success and failure is 50% each.」

After a long while, Li Jia suddenly smiled and whispered, “Okay, activate it.”

「Master, are you alright…?」

The System felt the Host was a bit abnormal. Previously, no matter how big the matter, Li Jia would always prioritize her own interests; she was a complete salted fish.

Li Jia shook her head, and the System vanished from her mind.

She nestled into the golden-haired woman’s chest and used her hand to gently twist Hera’s hair. The strands of hair entwined on their shared ring; the ruby was bright and vivid in the dark night.

Li Jia buried her face deeper. The familiar woody fragrance of Hera’s body filled her nostrils. Her voice, mixed with a chuckle, was terrifyingly soft: “Your Majesty, you are the best person I have ever met.”

“May I be like a lamp, illuminating your endless night.”

“May I be like kindling, continuing your eternal night.”

“Your devotee asks for nothing more, only that the gods and demons treat my Lord’s soul kindly, protect her from all worries, and bless her with light once more.”

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