[Greek Mythology] The Demons Under My Command - Chapter 36

If a deity were to take a partner, divine signs would normally manifest, and auspicious light would descend upon the world.

The star-strewn brilliance, which should have erupted due to the union sealed by Hera, the Goddess of Marriage, was quietly wrapped in a gentle yet dominant red divine power and dissipated deep within the sea of clouds.

Hera reined in the faint glow on her fingertips and turned to look at the girl standing at the palace gate.

The girl had her head lowered, her light-blue robe making her shoulders appear even more slender, and even her hanging hair suggested a hint of apprehension.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Hera walked over and gently brushed her fingertips over the golden contract mark on Li Jia’s chest, the imprint that appeared after their union.

“If you don’t want the world to know, then we won’t tell them yet.”

Li Jia looked up, her eyes filled with scattered unease: “No, it’s not that. I just feel that things are not stable enough right now, the gap in our statuses… I need some time to process it.”

Her voice grew softer and softer, the last few words practically dissolving into the wind.

The concept of being well-matched in social status seemed to be an obstacle, regardless of the era.

She could ignore others’ opinions of herself, but Li Jia could not accept Hera becoming the center of public discourse.

“That you can accept me is a pleasant surprise,” Hera kissed her cheek. How much courage must Li Jia have mustered to walk into her life?

Li Jia also thought she was crazy.

Translating this to modern society, it would be equivalent to Li Jia being plastered all over the trending topics, accused of seducing a wealthy tycoon and using a one-night stand to climb the social ladder.

Li Jia didn’t yet have the resilience to withstand that kind of online abuse—the kind that would make her want to poop on the heads of her haters.

She needed to settle down a bit o_o

The mission was one thing, but her own feelings were greater than the mission, and she had agreed in a state of half-push, half-consent.

Being a goddess’s wife is so troublesome.

Hera smiled upon hearing this: “What kind of gap is this? My liking you, and your liking me, is enough.”

Hera held Li Jia’s hand, and the warmth from her fingertips gradually relaxed Li Jia’s tense shoulders. “You and I are now husband and wife. My divine power is shared only with you. The Divine Mountain’s four realms are peaceful; no one will dare to slight you again.”

Li Jia looked at the clear reflection of herself in Hera’s eyes, and her own eyes warmed slightly.

She suddenly understood that the so-called divine signs were never a gift from heaven.

Instead, it was the person before her who was willing to break the rules for her and personally present the glory to her.

Back in the inner sanctum, they lay together on the bed. She closed her eyes, and the sound of shallow, even breathing soon reached her ears.

“Host, the auxiliary function has been completed. The probability catalysis conversion rate is one hundred percent.”

“Congratulations, Host. The favorability has been achieved in one go. The favorability hourglass has now reached four-fifths of the progress, with only 10 percent remaining until one hundred percent.”

“Please continue to work hard.”

The electronic voice sounded in her mind; it was a unique voice that only she and the system could hear.

Seeing the system appear, Li Jia was instantly furious. She knew it; how could a mermaid girl appear in Landau inexplicably? It turned out to be just a tool to lure her.

Seeing that Li Jia was ignoring it, the system probably knew she was angry and quickly searched its database for:

“365 ways to coax a girl when she’s angry.”

“How to maximally avoid the risk of a girl getting angry.”

And “If a system is scolded by its host and shuts down, can it still be restarted?”

These clever (idiotic) questions.

“Host, I had good intentions, but things went wrong. However, in a way, it’s not entirely bad, at least you have registered your marriage with the target, and you no longer have to worry about someone else snatching her away.”

The system still didn’t understand what it did wrong. The process was a bit convoluted, but the result was good, wasn’t it?

Good intentions, but things went wrong?

Li Jia gritted her back teeth, her voice cold enough to drop ice shards.

Tell me, is using a mermaid girl to gain my sympathy, helping her destroy Lan dau’s light vortex, causing the whole of Landau to fall into panic, and turning me into the perpetrator—is that what you call good intentions?

The electronic voice in her mind paused. After a few seconds, it replied righteously.

“I know that what I did was wrong, but please rest assured, Host. The creation and birth of every mission go through precise numerical calculations and will not allow you to encounter any unforeseen danger.”

“My original intention was to manufacture a heroic rescue scenario between you and the target, but I got an unexpected surprise: the combined favorability between you and the target instantly increased by 30 percent.”

“This is the most efficient increase so far, and no one will ever be able to break the bond between you two.”

The system remembered what its predecessors said about secretly facilitating things for the host and began to play dumb.

Li Jia took a deep breath, feeling her temples throb.

When she bound this system, why didn’t she realize its logic was so bizarre?

But to cause the deaths of so many children in Landau for the sake of that 30 percent favorability, don’t you think that’s going too far?

Li Jia was well aware of the light vortex’s importance to Landau.

Qili’s admiration for the mermaid ancestor, the Mermaid Tribe Leader’s urgency, the Shark Guard’s fury, and the clumps of mutilated flesh made Li Jia’s brow furrow tightly.

The system detected the breakdown in her tone and lost its confidence, only retrieving data to defend itself. The electronic voice now had a slight stutter:

“Based on numerical evaluation, the probability of the light vortex being repaired is ninety-eight percent. Furthermore, as one of the Twelve Gods, Hera has the duty to protect all people and has the ability to safeguard Lan dau.”

What about the two percent risk?

Li Jia interrupted it. If something went wrong due to that two percent, and Hera coincidentally refused to repair the light vortex, could Lan dau’s children still wait for your ninety-eight percent repair probability?

Calculating everything with numerical values is too unbelievable.

The system was challenged by her question and was speechless. After a long moment, it muttered softly.

“Host, you’ve changed. You never used to consider anything beyond yourself.”

I didn’t consider it before, but that doesn’t mean I won’t consider it now.

Li Jia replied to the system in her mind, her voice losing its previous anger and gaining a measure of calm.

You said before that the mission was to help Hera and me reach one hundred percent favorability to complete the ultimate task of stopping the War of the Gods.

But if the accumulation of this favorability is built upon the suffering of others, then what good is it to me?

The system felt its brainwaves hurting. Its thought process mostly came from numerical calculations in its database, but recently, it noticed it was slowly losing control of its brainwaves.

It could only brace itself and speak according to the calculated value, the electronic voice stuttering:

“Mission logic priority is higher than individual emotion. The auxiliary function for this instance has been completed. Please continue to work hard, Host. Only by completing the mission can there be a ray of hope…”

Hey.

Li Jia cut the system off.

If you ever need to use the lives of others for this intangible favorability for the mission, then I will f*ing hang myself right in front of you.

A brief silence followed, as if to digest her phrase, “hang myself right in front of you.”

After a while, a panicked electrical current sound came through.

“Host, the electronic library model does not contain the ‘Host Self-Destruct’ risk option; calculation cannot be performed.”

You don’t need to calculate.

Li Jia spoke softly, her fingertip unconsciously brushing the golden contract mark on her chest, which still retained the warmth of Hera’s palm.

I will only say this once: if you use other people’s lives as mission props again, whether it’s the children of Landau or anyone else, I will immediately terminate the mission, even if the price is my own disappearance.

I mean it.

Li Jia was not making an empty threat; she truly meant it.

When she first bound the system, she was indeed only thinking about completing the mission and seeking a ray of hope. But she had met many people here, and she could no longer feel at ease only looking out for herself.

The War of the Gods must be prevented, but the cost of preventing it cannot be the innocent blood of others.

The news of Li Jia’s union with Hera was known only to Winslow and Dorin, as well as Artemis and Linai.

Linai and Li Jia were from the same homeland, and Li Jia felt it necessary to inform her, lest Linai complain later that she hadn’t told her.

As for Artemis, it was due to Li Jia’s intuition.

Artemis was a goddess as gentle and resilient as moonlight.

When Li Jia informed her that she and Hera were already married, Artemis did not mock or ridicule her as Li Jia had imagined. Instead, she smiled, looked at her, and sincerely said: “Congratulations on finding each other. I wish you a lifetime of happiness.”

The Goddess of the Hunt gave them the warmest blessing.

Li Jia had expected Linai to ask for the whole story or to tease her about what it felt like to suddenly marry into a wealthy family.

Unexpectedly, Linai only paused for a moment, then patted her shoulder, her eyes full of familiar smiles: “That’s good. You are all alone in this world, and now that someone can be with you, I can be completely at peace.”

But the seriousness only lasted for a few seconds.

“Oh my gosh, you are so ambitious, Little Sis! You actually plucked the unreachable high-mountain flower.”

Linai became increasingly exaggerated, making Li Jia blush.

There were no extra questions, only the unique tacit understanding of fellow travellers from a foreign land.

Li Jia had been worried that if Linai heard the news from someone else, she would blame her for not treating her as a confidante.

Clearly, her worry was unnecessary.

Linai immediately scurried off to boast to Clair that she had a great friend who was now a Queen of the Gods.

The animals’ minds were pure and simple. After hearing the news, they all brought out gifts they had prepared for Li Jia, congratulating her on her new marriage.

In a short while, Li Jia went to the Ephesus Great Grassland empty-handed and returned with a full load.

Clair gave Li Jia a hat woven from his fur. Lotta and Betty brought a jar of honey they had personally gathered. The little squirrel brought a full handful of plump acorns, and the little rabbit held a clover leaf still bearing morning dew in its mouth.

Li Jia thanked them all one by one. Just as the peacock chariot was about to arrive, Linai approached Li Jia, took the blue and white crescent moon tag from her neck, and pressed it into her hand.

“I don’t have much to offer, and you don’t lack anything anyway. It would be too shabby for your maiden family not to give you anything, so take this thing.”

“Artemis once gave me a wish, and she would do everything in her power to grant it. Now I’m transferring this wish to you. Just take the tag and find her, and she will help you.”

“This is a god’s promise.”

“No, this was given to you by Artemis.”

Li Jia tried to return the tag to Linai, but Linai flatly refused: “It was given to me, so it’s mine. It’s my right to give it to whoever I want.”

“Little Sis, you’re married to a god now, and no one can predict what will happen later. What if she’s abusive? Or treats you badly? Or gets tired of you? This tag can at least save your life, so just keep it.”

Before Li Jia could answer, Linai zipped away.

Li Jia clutched the cold tag, facing the flawed defense, then a warm breath escaped from between her teeth, and she curled her lips into a smile.

Fine then. This will be the “guarantee” from her maiden family.

But would Hera be abusive?

Treat her badly?

Get tired of her?

Looking up, she happened to see the peacock chariot approaching in the distance of the clouds. Gold hair and red eyes were the woman’s characteristic features.

The only difference, however, was that the cold, frosty expression described in the folk tales was replaced by a smile the moment she saw Li Jia.

Hera offered her a hand to board the chariot, but Li Jia didn’t move. Hera looked at her in confusion.

Li Jia pointed to the small pile of congratulatory gifts behind her and waved her hand helplessly, implying she couldn’t carry them all.

Hera: “…”

Furry hats, honey, acorns, clover, apples, oranges, bananas…

Hera: “Must you take all of this back?”

And there was even a round, long piece of wood.

Hera: “Does this have to be taken back too?”

Li Jia nodded solemnly: “This was given to me by Burr. He’s a beaver, and this is the best wood in his river area.”

Li Jia: “These are all wedding gifts from everyone. They are very important, and we cannot disappoint their kindness.”

Sure enough, Li Jia noticed Hera’s eyes flicker when she heard the words “wedding gifts,” and she slowly accepted and approved of the pile of “junk.”

Li Jia had a keen understanding of Hera’s nature; she was completely the type to respond to soft words but not hard ones.

And Li Jia just happened to be a flexible slacker who could advance or retreat, bend or stand tall.

When difficulty struck her down, she just lay there. Compared to dealing with various moody bosses, Hera, this super-boss, was far too emotionally stable.

Li Jia couldn’t help but mutter in her heart:

Heh.

Simp.

Everything comes to those who simp.

In the end, the peacock chariot dragged the small pile of “wedding gifts” back to the Hot Springs Ravine. Hera handed the items directly to Winslow, instructing her to store them properly and not damage them, or Li Jia would be upset.

Winslow looked at the small pile of fruits, vegetables, and a… log, and fell into contemplation. Finally, she decided to put them all in the freezer of the kitchen cellar, which contained ice that wouldn’t melt for a thousand years.

Freezing them meant they wouldn’t spoil—that was Winslow’s interpretation.

After uniting with Hera, Li Jia’s daily routine was largely unchanged from before; it was simply that her boss had upgraded to a boss with a marriage certificate.

Li Jia couldn’t help but sigh, this was the benefit of marrying the right person.

She was without father, mother, siblings.

Hera was a god born of the Divine Mountain, and she also didn’t have these things.

This was the legendary situation of having a car, a house, and dead parents, with no mother-in-law conflict, and financial capabilities that were beyond strong.

As for the issue of having children, Li Jia had vaguely asked Hera for her thoughts, because she had secretly asked Winslow how a god could have children if Hera wanted to.

Winslow said that if Hera wanted to give birth, she could become pregnant immediately.

A goddess’s child originated from her divine power. Unlike male gods, who needed a female’s womb for procreation, goddesses did not. The matriarchal clan was the natural continuation of the bloodline.

If a goddess bore a child, the child would take the mother’s name, inherit the mother’s divine power and divine residence, be eternally loyal to the mother, and share her divine duties.

While the patriarchal society was still fixated on the inheritance of the surname, the maternal gene had already constructed a truly eternal lineage outside of the chromosome.

Hera asked her if she wanted a child, and Li Jia quickly shook her head, saying she had no interest.

Li Jia didn’t like children. The destitution of her childhood, constantly struggling to find the next meal, made Li Jia often wish she hadn’t been born. Only after entering society did she realize that there were too many cases of just giving birth and not raising—children raising children.

But there are no “what ifs.” Fortunately, she grew up. All she could do was prevent children like her from being born.

Hera stroked her forehead: “I have no interest either. It is enough for me to take care of you.”

In the evening, the system prompt tone popped up with new brainwaves:

“Host, the latter part of the plot has been synchronized. The plot you need to follow is:”

“Promote the romantic relationship between Demeter, the Goddess of Agriculture, and Zeus, to ensure the smooth birth of the Goddess of Spring.”

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