[Greek Mythology] The Demons Under My Command - Chapter 64

The day after presiding over the wedding of Hades and Persephone, Hera voluntarily stepped down from her duties at the Temple of Marriage, letting Dorin take over as the acting officiant.

“I watched you grow up. I believe you will only do better than I have,” Hera said to Dorin with a smile, removing her divine robes and crown and changing into a simple, plain dress.

Hera left the Hot Springs Grove.

In the three millennia after she left, Hera accomplished many things. She used the divine power of the Queen of the Gods that she had allotted herself to help Hades purify the souls in the Underworld and the aggression beneath the Divine Mountain, allowing these wandering souls to return to their destined cycle of reincarnation and karma.

Hera wasn’t sure if the little one would blame her for misusing the divine power she left behind, but she knew the little one was a very interesting person.

She loved eating, drinking, and having fun, constantly chanting, “I just want to be a slacker.”

So, Hera felt she had to maintain the order of this world so the little one could slack off. When she returned someday, she could continue to be a slacker and do whatever she wished.

Hera went to the Eternal Rift.

This time, she concealed her divine features and wore a yellow chick cotton coat woven for her by the Goddess of Weaving. Its round, plump style made her look less divine and a little more clumsy.

The bone-chilling wind blew as she walked slowly across the ice plain above the demon cave, heading towards the familiar castle in the distance.

Having not been seen for thousands of years, the castle was no longer the terrifying, confining place it once was.

Dense flowers covered the castle walls: magenta roses, pale purple hyacinths, and even bright green Boston ivy showed vigorous life.

The once airtight gate was wide open. Mortals came and went, with girls holding bouquets laughing and bargaining with vendors, and children chasing butterflies running across the flagstone road—a scene of bustling activity.

Hera was stunned at the entrance. Before she could look away, she saw a woman in a floral dress emerge from the flower bushes.

It was Lorelai.

Her appearance was unchanged from that year, but her brows held a little more vitality, and her complexion was much better, clearly indicating that she had lived a very comfortable life these past years.

“Your Majesty Hera!”

Hera was about to quietly slip away when the call came from behind her.

She turned around. Lorelai had already hurried to her, bowed deeply, her eyes full of pleasant surprise: “I thought your aura was familiar. Your divine aura is too strong, it can’t be concealed no matter what.”

Seeing that Hera was not displeased, Lorelai began to chatter about old times, her tone full of excitement: “Did you come alone today?”

Hera was wearing the same yellow chick cotton coat as Li Jia, so Lorelai thought Li Jia might also be here. She looked around behind Hera but saw no one.

“She didn’t come,” Hera replied.

“Last time, the four of you came together and helped me change my destiny, and Morphelia also changed a lot. Li Jia is the one I should thank the most.”

“Oh?”

Hera raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

“You didn’t know?”

Lorelai blinked and continued, ” Li Jia said the flowers I grew were very beautiful, and she also said that Morphelia and I couldn’t always hide in the castle; we had to open our hearts and interact more with humans and animals. She even suggested that I start by selling flowers.”

She pointed to the flower stall below the castle wall, smiling sweetly: “I listened to her. Now, the Eternal Rift is no longer a lifeless place. Everyone calls it the Eternal Flower City, and Morphelia has also withdrawn the rule that mortals cannot enter.”

“Just as Li Jia said, this is a win-win!”

As Lorelai spoke, she bent down and picked a white lily-of-the-valley from the flower bushes, offering it to Hera: “Look, this is a new variety I planted, called ‘Forget-Sorrow Bell.’ It’s for you. I hope you will never have any worries or troubles.”

Hera accepted the lily-of-the-valley. Morning dew still clung to the petals. The icy touch through her fingertips brought a wave of warmth to her heart.

She looked at the bustling scene before her, at the genuine smile on Lorelai’s face. She understood that one person’s wish had allowed this land to sprout more beautiful things.

They chatted for a long time until a red-haired woman walked up to Lorelai, nodded slightly to Hera, and Morphelia took her hand and murmured, “It’s time to go home.”

Only then did Lorelai reluctantly end the conversation, instructing, “Next time, you must bring Lijia with you! I’ll have hot, steaming flower cakes ready.”

“I will.”

Before leaving, Hera went to see the small goldfish in the fountain. They were still swimming around in groups of three to five.

…

Hera then went to the East Pornastia Strait, to the fishing boat where they had stayed together.

She did not know how many generations of successors had changed. The person who received her was a little girl. Hera looked at the wooden sign on the pier behind her.

“I want room 32, the couple’s room.”

The little girl asked curiously, “Sister, you’re staying alone. You can ask for a single room. We have single rooms now, and they are much cheaper than double rooms.”

“Oh, so there are single rooms now? The smallest room available last time I came was for two people.”

“Sister, are you staying in a single room today?”

“No, I’ll take the same room. My wife had a sudden engagement and couldn’t come. I will bring her next time. Fishing boat 32 is the room we stayed in together, and I’m very particular about my bed.”

Hera chuckled, still asking for the key to “No. 32” on the small copper plate.

The Goddess of Marriage, Hera, had amended the marriage laws, and same-sex marriage was long commonplace.

Stepping onto fishing boat 32, the wooden deck gave a familiar creak, soaked by the sea fog.

Hera entered the room. The salty, moist sea breeze rushed in through the open porthole, lifting the corner of the curtain, just like that morning many years ago when Li Jia smiled and tugged at the corner of her shirt.

The furnishings in the room were much more plentiful than she remembered. The original single bed had been replaced with a large double bed, the old fishing net on the wall was replaced by a newly woven tapestry, and a potted succulent sat on the windowsill, its thick leaves radiating a healthy green.

Hera walked over. She placed the Forget-Sorrow Bell on the bedside table. The morning dew had long evaporated, but the petals were still crisp.

She turned and walked to the porthole, gazing at the sea of the East Pornastia Strait. The azure water merged with the horizon. Fishing boats in the distance moved slowly, trailing fine silver wakes, overlapping with the scene from when they sailed out on their little boat.

Li Jia always loved sitting at the stern, dangling her feet and humming a tune out of key, while Hera would lean against the mast, watching the setting sun dye Li Jia’s hair golden and listening to the waves slap against the hull.

She felt that there was no more peaceful time in the world.

As night deepened, Hera lay on the single bed, covered by a thin blanket smelling of sunshine. The sound of the waves became a natural lullaby.

It wasn’t until the first bird song outside the window that she slowly opened her eyes. She was the only one left in the room, only the Forget-Sorrow Bell on the bedside table still emitting a faint fragrance in the morning light.

The pier became lively in the early morning. Hera took the No. 32 key to the little girl and placed a faintly glowing seashell in her palm: “Please take good care of room 32 for me. I will stay here again next time I come.”

The little girl gripped the seashell, looking at the light circulating on it, and nodded vigorously: “Don’t worry, Sister, I’ll save it for you! You must bring your wife with you next time.”

Hera smiled, waved goodbye, and turned to walk toward the other end of the strait.

Finally, she went to the Northland, where the wind was still biting.

Hera lived there for many years. The crown of Stuart had always been inherited by women, not men, and the name Chesko was perfectly passed down by the Empress.

Here, women’s education is protected by law. They can choose to join the army and become warriors like Katherine, or they can choose to engage in commerce, agriculture, or anything they wish to do.

She stood in the square of Stuart Palace, watching the female knights in silver-white armor march in formation. The armor reflected the scarce light of the midsummer sun, and the sound of their boots hitting the flagstones was neat and pleasing to the ear.

When the new Admiral led the way, Hera noticed the insignia on her shoulder. It was identical to the one Katherine wore, but with an added circle of olive branches symbolizing peace around the edge.

At night, the moonlight was everywhere, and the cold wind howled.

Hera ordered a bowl of steaming hot noodles at a street stall. She took a bite of the meat slice and softly said, “If people don’t eat, won’t they just die?”

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