Chapter 3 Hera, the Witch

'Putting that aside, my sister, it seems you haven't been slack lately. Your speed of purification and healing is increasing; it looks like you'll be able to condense those two divine offices soon," Ares said, looking at his youngest sister with a mix of admiration and affection. Not every god possessed Hebe's determination to resist the temptations of indulgence.

'Yes, I should be able to attempt to condense a new divine essence soon. With the assistance of these two divine offices, I should be able to elevate to the ranks of a second-tier deity," Hebe replied, her eyes shining with joy. After nearly a hundred years of effort, she was finally about to reap the rewards, and how could that not make her happy?

'Actually, you don't need to work so hard. Hephaestus and I can naturally protect you," Ares said, stroking Hebe's soft golden hair. Their mother, Hera, the goddess of marriage and childbirth, placed great importance on maintaining the relationships among her children. Thanks to her efforts, the bond between Ares and his siblings was strong, marked by mutual trust and closeness.

'Brother, I appreciate your good intentions," Hebe shook her head with a gentle smile, her delicate features reflecting a hint of pride and confidence. 'I am the daughter of Hera, the goddess with the cow's eyes, the daughter of the esteemed king of the gods. I refuse to live as a weak subordinate under someone else's protection. Everything I desire, I will obtain through my own strength!"

'Good! That's the spirit! No wonder you are my sister!" Ares couldn't help but exclaim loudly. As the god of conflict and war, he felt a mix of pity and admiration for his sister, but he appreciated those filled with ambition even more. If Hebe were to hide behind his protection and become a timid vine, Ares would not hold her in such high regard.

'Since that's the case, I'll be going down to the mortal realm in a few days to clear out some beast nests. You should come with me; it might help with your breakthrough," Ares said, patting Hebe's shoulder with his large hand. Since his sister was eager to improve, he would, of course, support her! 'And I'll check on how your archery practice is going. Don't let me catch you slacking off."

'Got it, brother," Hebe replied, twitching her mouth slightly. Ares, when excited, completely lost track of his strength. If it weren't for the resilience of divine bodies, a few slaps like that on an ordinary person would surely leave them spitting blood.

However, Hebe felt quite excited about eliminating magical beasts. Having been in this world for so long, she hadn't had many opportunities to take action, and she was itching to do something!

At the peak of Mount Olympus, in the magnificent throne room of the king of the gods, a woman with a noble demeanor and stunning beauty was seated regally on an opulent throne.

Her presence unmistakably conveyed her identity, as she was the seventh wife of Zeus, the supreme deity who wielded thunder, and the only powerful goddess among Zeus's many wives to share in half of his power-Queen Hera.

The queen was undeniably beautiful. She wore a crown, and her voluminous brown hair shimmered with a soft glow as it cascaded down. Her violet eyes, which seemed to outshine the stars, appeared to see through everything. Her luxurious garments accentuated her proud curves, and in her alabaster arms, as white as lilies, she held a golden scepter.

Standing respectfully behind her were two goddesses.

One of the goddesses had a resolute gaze, a strong physique, and a pair of powerful wings on her back. Her flowing garments gave her an air of both heroism and grace. The other goddess had a pure face, a voluptuous figure, and also bore wings. She was dressed in sheer fabric that displayed seven colors in the sunlight, vibrant and dazzling.

They were Hera, the queen of the gods, and her shared divine offspring with Zeus: Nike, the goddess of victory, and Iris, the goddess of the rainbow.

Hera picked up a grape and casually fed it to a nearby peacock, which trailed a magnificent tail behind it. The peacock's iridescent tail feathers had yet to be adorned with the peculiar eye-like patterns, as those eyes belonged to the hundred-eyed giant Argus, a beast kept by Hera. At this time in history, Argus had not yet met his demise, so Hera's sacred peacock still lacked the splendid tail it would have in later times.

As for why Argus would die, that story ties back to Zeus's numerous romantic escapades, and history will reveal the truth behind it.

The esteemed queen was idly toying with the grapes, glancing toward the empty throne beside her that belonged to her husband, Zeus. A cold glint flashed in her all-seeing eyes.

She knew all too well where her 'good king" and 'good husband" had gone.

However, Hera was not in the mood to concern herself with him today. After countless ages together, did she still love Zeus?

Naturally, she did. Perhaps she didn't love him at first; being the daughter of the former king of the gods, Cronus, and the queen, Rhea, Hera was undoubtedly a powerful and proud goddess.

Initially, all she felt for her brother, who had rescued her from Cronus's belly, was gratitude and the closeness of sibling bonds.

So when Zeus proposed to her later, Hera did not agree.

She understood Zeus's infidelity and promiscuity; as the protector of marriage, she instinctively felt he was not a suitable match.

But she underestimated the persistence and cunning of this king of the gods. Zeus exploited her compassion, transforming into an injured cuckoo, and took her virginity when she was unprepared.

As the goddess of marriage, tasked with safeguarding marriage and family, Hera had no choice but to marry Zeus.

At that time, Zeus was genuinely in love with her. To show his regard for the white-armed goddess, Hera was the only one among his many wives to be honored with the title 'Queen" and to share half of his power.

This respect and affection allowed the couple to enjoy a period of sweet harmony.

That time was the happiest and most joyful for Hera in this marriage; she even forgot how reluctant she had been at first and began to truly love her husband.

However, the inherently flirtatious king of the gods had a heart that drifted like clouds in the sky.

Just as Hera was nurturing their first divine child, Zeus cheated on her.

As the guardian of marriage and family, she could not bear the betrayal from her husband. In a fit of rage, she tore the oak nymph who was entangled with Zeus into pieces.

She screamed, cried, and questioned, becoming hysterical. In that moment, her goddess's glory and dignity were completely shattered; she sought the other's repentance.

But when she finally looked up, all she saw was the irritated and indifferent gaze of her once-loving husband.

Hera still remembers the feeling of that moment as if all the divine blood in her body had ceased to radiate divinity. It felt as if an invisible hand was tightly squeezing her heart, sending waves of coldness coursing from her golden-shod feet to her head.

Accompanying this was the searing pain of her divine office of marriage being undermined due to her husband's betrayal, which caused rifts in their family.

It was a mix of emotions, deeply etched in her memory.

She stared blankly as he turned away, and they began their first cold war.

Due to the damage to her divine essence and her weakened body, Hera could not conceive a healthy divine child. Their first child, Hephaestus, the god of fire and forging, was supposed to enjoy limitless glory on Mount Olympus.

Yet, due to the misfortunes during his gestation, this perfect divine child was born with a fatal flaw-his ugly appearance!

The gods of Olympus were naturally favored by the world, and none were born without beauty. It was easy to imagine the fate of a child with an ordinary, even ugly, visage in a place that revered pleasure and beauty.

Zeus harbored little paternal love for this unattractive child and often displayed indifference.

Not long after, when Hephaestus spoke up for Hera, Zeus, in his ruthlessness, cast him down from Mount Olympus, leaving him to fend for himself in the mortal realm.

Not long after giving birth, Hera was weak and unable to save her child. The only thing she could do was entrust him to the ocean goddess Thetis, who resided in the sea where he had fallen.

That child.

No mother could ever abandon her own child!

'Just a little longer. soon, my Hephaestus will be back by my side," the beautiful goddess with white arms and purple eyes murmured. For a brief moment, her expression showed vulnerability, but it quickly vanished, as if that fleeting weakness had been nothing but an illusion.

On the earth below,

"Whoosh!"

A sharp arrow ruthlessly pierced the heart of the hideous beast, and blood gushed forth. The beast let out a fierce wail and collapsed to the ground, its pupils fading to gray as Death claimed its life.

The girl with shining golden hair pulled back her jade-green longbow, her purple eyes gleaming with an unusual sharpness.

'Well done!" Ares exclaimed, standing nearby and sincerely applauding his little sister. 'No wonder you're the daughter of the mother goddess; you look quite reminiscent of her elegance during the Titan War!"

'Brother, don't underestimate me. Over the past century, I haven't just been practicing archery," Hebe replied.