The Greece Antagonist

They continued along the road paved with small stones, flat and comfortable.

Luo En glanced at the surroundings with the corner of his eye, noticing that the stones on the road seemed to be cut into uniform blocks with a copper saw, and there was a well-designed drainage system along the road. Public places frequently visited by the upper class were made from clay, which was used to construct more comprehensive sewer facilities.

As for the buildings, the houses usually had flat tiled roofs and floors of plaster, wood, or large stone slabs, two to three stories high. They might have built low walls with rocks and rubble, using mud bricks for the higher sections. The transverse beams on the ceiling were meant to support the roof, serving both to light the patio.

At first glance, the scattered houses exuded the bustling and homely atmosphere typical of human society.

Creating something from nothing, evolving from barbarism to civilization, merely with hands and intelligence was truly remarkable.

The city details that could be created with the existing craftsmanship made Luo En, a soul from the future, feel somewhat amazed.

"We're here."

Just as Luo En marveled at the Minosians' wisdom, Athena stopped and smiled, pointing at the two-story small building constructed of stone bricks and wood in front of them.

The blonde little girl beside her immediately understood, nodded, and hurriedly tiptoed to the door, excitedly pulling and knocking on the bronze door knocker.

"Who is it, so early in the morning..."

With a lazy murmur, the tightly closed door was pulled open from the inside, revealing a petite, youthful girl with the characteristic black hair of the Greeks, rubbing her sleepy blue eyes, standing barefoot on the carpet behind the threshold.

Inside the house, the bright yellow flames danced joyfully in the fireplace, radiating cozy warmth.

Therefore, the girl was only wearing a white silk nightgown, the overly loose size hardly covering her thin and delicate figure.

Thankfully, her unusually ample bust and the blue ribbon that passed beneath her chest and tied on her arms managed to lift the upper part of the garment, preventing it from sliding to the floor.

Nevertheless, even from several meters away, Luo En could see that flash of snow-white and the slender waist that made one concerned about its sturdiness.

Mature branches bearing abundant fruit, delicious yet easily causing heartburn?

In an instant, an apt description crashed into Luo En's mind.

"Ahem!"

A deep cough from outside swept through like a chilly breeze, and the blue-ribboned black-haired girl shivered, more clearly awakening as she saw two familiar faces and two unexpected visitors standing at the door.

"Ah? Wait...wait a moment, I'll change my clothes!"

Suddenly, the blue-ribboned girl, realizing who the visitors were and her own less than graceful attire, blushed and hurriedly closed the door, dashing into the bedroom.

After the rustling of clothing, the closed door opened again. The girl, now wearing a plain white long dress, held her head high and chest out, maintaining a dignified posture as she came out to greet the guests.

"Athena..."

"Ahem!"

Athena coughed again, and her purple eyes twinkled, sending a subtle and obscure wave forward.

Clearly, the two were engaging in encrypted communication through divine intent.

In a moment, the girl with the blue ribbon at the door hastily fell silent, and after a series of winks and grimaces, she finally piled a smile on her face, shifting her words somewhat awkwardly.

"Pallas? How did you come? And you've brought guests?"

"They..."

Athena paused briefly, glancing back at Luo En and Little Medusa before gently speaking.

"...are some friends I've just made."

"Friends?"

The girl with the blue ribbon looked quizzically up and down at the two new faces outside the door, her azure eyes overflowing with curiosity.

She was well aware of just how proud and self-regarding her great-niece usually was in front of outsiders.

Up to this day, there were only a handful of people she acknowledged and referred to as "friends."

Those individuals were the brightest stars in their respective fields, each with some extraordinary qualities.

Could it be, these two were as well?

But their presence felt so ordinary, almost indistinguishable from common mortals...

"Ahem!"

Athena couldn't help but cough again, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she gave a reminder.

"We have guests, shouldn't you invite us in first? Auntie?"

"Oh, oh, sorry, sorry!"

The girl with the blue ribbon smacked her forehead and chuckled sheepishly, hastily inviting the four who had been left outside for quite some time into the house and spontaneously extending her hand in introduction.

"Hello both of you, my name..."

The girl with the blue ribbon's eyes darted about, her voice brimming with a cheery tone.

"...Heiya, just call me Heiya!"

"Nice to meet you, I am Luo En, and this is my sister Anna. Sorry for the intrusion today."

Luo En also extended his hand with a knowing smile, gently holding the blue ribbon girl's warm fingertips, and introduced himself and Medusa's identities.

After a simple exchange of pleasantries, the three adults looked at each other and smiled. A subtle atmosphere permeated the air, silently weaving a harmony that went undetected by any.

After all, they shared a quite extraordinary understanding when it came to disguising their true selves.

"Come, come, sit down first. I'll go prepare some fruits and snacks."

As the hostess, the girl with the blue ribbon warmly invited the visiting guests to take their seats, then hurried towards the spacious kitchen at the back of the house.

Luo En glanced at the devoted thin silhouette, then his gaze shifted to the warm and bright hearth inside the house, a flash of clarity passing through his eyes as his lips moved silently.

—The Hearth Goddess, Hestia.

She was the eldest daughter of the second-generation Divine King Kronos and Queen Goddess Rhea, and thus the big sister of Zeus, occupying the highest rank among the Twelve Olympians.

At the same time, she was also the Chief God in Greek mythology responsible for managing all household affairs of mortals, tending to the fires of Olympus and the Mortal World.

Fire symbolized her existence, representing her divine authority, and was the assurance of a family's continuity, stability, harmony, and prosperity.

This corresponds to the traditions of ancient times. The fire on the altar was lit by the ancestors, and it was the duty of their descendants to keep the flame burning, for the extinguishing of the flame signified the extinction of their kind.

On the other hand, every family had its own hearth, and every town had its altar. The fire on the altar symbolized the life of the town. When the people of a town established a colony somewhere new, the sacred flame would accompany these brave emigrants to other places.

Therefore, Hestia would also relocate with the migration of the fire and civilization.

In a sense, she was the Olympian closest to humankind.

And upon meeting her today, this Hearth Goddess indeed lived up to the legends, devoid of any airs and warmly welcoming to her guests.

However...

Luo En glanced at the Chief Goddess of Olympus who was having a great time with the two young girls and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

...Why does she seem to be not so bright?

"Achoo!"

At that moment, as if sensing something, Hestia sneezed loudly then mumbled a few words, placed down the fruit platter she was holding, and turned to look at her grandniece opposite her.

"Speaking of which, Ya..."

"Cough, cough!"

Athena, who was sitting down, glared at her aunt who was on the verge of a slip of the tongue, her face darkened as if she was about to breathe smoke.

Hestia, coming back to her senses, chuckled awkwardly and quickly changed her question.

"Pallas! Yes, Pallas, the Harvest Festival isn't here yet, why did you come to my place early?"

"What else could it be, another quarrel broke out at home. I came here to take cover," Athena said tersely after taking a sip of honey water to soothe her throat.

"Oh? What happened? Do tell!"

Suddenly, Hestia's eyes lit up, and she eagerly grabbed the fruit platter and moved a stool to sit opposite her grandniece, adopting the look of someone who's eager for gossip.

At the same time, Luo En couldn't help but perk up his ears, holding his breath in anticipation, waiting for Athena's revelations.

After all, this was a rare chance to get an insight into the internal affairs of Olympus, and not just for the sake of a gossip's curiosity.