NOVPUBChapter 769 -276: With Solomon
Bang鈥
鈥淯nreasonable!鈥
The heavy doors made a massive sound as Aphrodite, looking displeased, walked out of the Temple.
The mocking voice echoed in her ears, and just this once, she truly had nothing to say.
Thus, her exchange鈥攐r rather, her quarrel鈥攚ith Demeter inevitably ended in discord鈥攐f course, she never believed Hera鈥檚 request had any chance of success.
That woman wanted to make Demeter join them in their dark path, to completely destroy Eryxis鈥檚 entire grain storage.
...
By then, as long as they could exert their authority to the fullest and cause the prime grain-producing regions within Athens to have a poor yield, that would directly provide a great advantage to the future Alliance.
This war was destined to last more than a year or two; at least, conquering Athens was definitely no simple matter.
Even deities unconcerned with the mortal realm would not believe they could easily breach that great city of the East.
Under such circumstances, the supply of food naturally became a crucial element, and the presence of Demeter was indispensable.
However, Hera鈥檚 thoughts were quite optimistic, and she articulated her reasoning very clearly after all, Theseus had ultimately died in Eryxis.
The Athenians hated Hera first, then the treacherous Prince Demophon, and thirdly, they hated the city itself.
So no matter how one looked at it, Demeter should have had no choice but to comply.
潣梆潣凁潟橉潡?co
Yet theory is just theory, and as the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite understood Demeter all too well.
She was not like Hera, nor was she one to hold a grudge; in fact, they were complete opposites.
In the siege against Theseus, she had already provided so much help yet still deluded herself into not descending and participating in person.
This showed that as far as Demeter was concerned, unless someone held a knife to her throat, expecting her to fight to the end was pure fantasy.
鈥淭ruly鈥攗nreasonable!鈥
Taking a deep breath, Aphrodite clenched her teeth in frustration.
She didn鈥檛 know whom she was cursing, maybe it was Demeter, maybe Hera, perhaps Theseus, or possible even Hippolyta who had caused her great embarrassment.
But regardless of who it was, she wanted to do something to quell the anger in her heart.
Swoosh鈥
Divine light flowed, and the next moment, Aphrodite was in a prison.
This was an underground cell, located dozens of arm-lengths below the surface.
Above ground, it was part of a small manor, originally belonging to an Eryxis aristocrat.
However, once the deity arrived, it was naturally appropriated.
Pillars, chains, stocks, and various metal tools hung on the walls.
Without a doubt, this was no normal place.
No one knew what the previous owner did here, whether it was torturing slaves for pleasure or something else.
At least at this moment, bound by several chains at the center, there was a figure covered in blood.
Scars all over, blood dripping bit by bit.
But her chest was still faintly moving, as if she still breathed slightly.
鈥溾€his is the end of forsaking faith, the consequence of a traitor!鈥
鈥淗ow do you feel, Hippolyta? Do you regret it now?鈥
鈥溾€︹€
There was no response, perhaps she hadn鈥檛 heard, or perhaps she chose not to.
Faced with this silence, Aphrodite was initially angry.
But in the following days, she calmed down.
Yes, these mortals are all like this, always doing things beyond understanding.
There have already been so many precedents, it didn鈥檛 matter to miss one more.
Aphrodite鈥檚 previous anger was purely because she felt her divine authority had been challenged.
As the embodiment of love and beauty, she was the one to invoke love in others; she herself had never loved anyone.
Ares and the other male gods, they were but birds of prey, called and dismissed at her will.
Yet her own follower and vessel of divine descent, Hippolyta, was just the opposite.
She developed feelings for the enemy, who, from beginning to end, never reciprocated.
It was as if she was a negative lesson, the exact opposite of Aphrodite.
鈥淭his is how mortals think鈥 but it doesn鈥檛 matter anymore. Whatever you think can鈥檛 change your outcome.鈥 𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
鈥淚 wanted to give you an eternal punishment, Hippolyta鈥攐nce Hera killed the fleeing Theseus, I would have turned his corpse into a wolf and you into a lamb, forcing you to nourish him with your flesh and blood forever.鈥
鈥淏ut since Hera did not succeed, I shall find another way.鈥
鈥淒emeter hides in her domain, thinking she can avoid trouble? Well, I refuse to allow it!鈥
鈥淲hat she is unwilling to do, I will do for her. Consider yourself fortunate, Hippolyta. Eternity is an endless calamity for the weak, but you, you can find release at my hands.鈥
Now, Aphrodite was here in her true form, but she would leave this city before the Athenian army arrived.
Hera wanted her to 鈥榬edeem herself with merit鈥 here, but Aphrodite had no intention of obeying.
At most, she would leave something behind; as for the killing and fighting, how could that soil her hem?
鈥淗eh, this way, no matter how long Eryxis can hold out, the Athenians will never gain anything from here. Everyone will know they have blood-washed this city and taken vengeance for Theseus.鈥
With a satisfied smile, pondering her arrangements, Aphrodite suddenly felt a twinge of nostalgia for an old lover.
