Time flies, and months go by.

The weather was getting colder and the situation in the kingdom of Eleusis was getting more difficult, but this did not affect Demeter in the royal palace, and her life continued as before.

Although the stock was running out, King Cleus did not reduce the food he gave to Meril, even if he cut back on his own consumption, so the goddess did not notice any special change at all.

In this case, she did not need to worry about anything to worry about, and Demeter just anointed the little prince with holy food during the day and burned him in the sacrificial fire at night.

The flames burned away the original blood and bones of Demophon, and the vitality brought by the Holy Food allowed new ones to be born. The goddess's ritual went very smoothly, and there was nothing bad about it except that it made her a little tired.

It was the same on this day, when the prince fell asleep in the flames, feeling no pain. And beside him, Demeter was engrossed in baptizing him.

The night was dark, the palace was silent, and the only sound of the fire crackling in the whole house was heard, and everything was the same as before.

Until a certain moment, a knock came from near the door.

"Knock-"

"Knock knock—"

"Are you there, Moyle?"

There was a slight knock on the door, but it was clear in the quiet of the room.

It was the voice of Queen Metaniera. Her tone was a little nervous and a little anxious, but she still didn't speak loudly.

She hoped for a response, but after a while, there was still no other sound in the room.

Demeter, who had already been in the little prince's body, did not notice the comer, and she just went on with her work. The vast majority of flesh and bones have been replaced, and there isn't much left.

And the target of today's sacrificial fire is Demofeng's still pink cheeks. The goddess's fingers slid lightly across his face, and a mysterious change followed.

From now on, it will be difficult for the power of the world to harm him, even if it is the impact of divine power, it will be greatly reduced, and it will no longer be easy to kill him.

……

Outside, Metanella was hesitant and worried.

The light in the wooden house in front of him proved that the people who lived here probably hadn't slept yet. But there was no feedback to her about her call.

The queen did not know the identity of the person in the house, or rather, even if it was her husband, King Chryce only guessed the identity of Meril. However, as the most powerful warrior in Eleusis, it must be uncommon for him not to detect a strange existence, so he repeatedly told everyone in the palace not to disturb each other easily.

Her husband's admonition made Metanella realize that Demeter was different, so it stands to reason that she shouldn't disturb this mysterious being in the middle of the night, but today is an exception.

Not long ago, the queen woke up from her sleep and suddenly missed her child. She went to the room where Demophon had been staying to see her young son, whom she had not seen for a long time, but it was obvious that it was empty.

As she had done every night for the past few months, the Goddess had taken him away, leaving only the small wooden bed.

Metanella was a little flustered, she didn't know where Demorphon was now. But she soon remembered that her child had been left in the care of the mysterious guest by her husband.

So when the queen, who had hurried in, saw the still bright light of the fire in the house, she was a little relieved.

Perhaps he had just been brought to his room by Moyle, for there was no possibility of outsiders in the palace, and they had no enemies outside...... Having said that, Metaniera knocked on the door.

Just confirm it, and apologize seriously after the big deal...... Thinking so, the queen stood in front of the door, and she knocked on the wooden door again.

"Knock-"

"Knock knock—"

"Are you there, Moyle?"

“……”

“…… Moyle? Is Demophon with you? ”

However, there was no response, and it was as if there was no one in the room.

“…… If you're here, if you're here, if it's not convenient for me to come in, then please respond. ”

Metanella asked again, but there was still no answer from inside the house, and only the sound of a burning fire could be seen in the night sky, except for the sound of the wind hunting.

After asking a few more times, the queen, who still did not respond, hesitated for a long time. The longing for her young son finally prevailed, and the door was pushed open by the queen with the sound of a squeaky wooden shaft.

She cautiously entered the house, surveyed the scene, and almost immediately discovered Demeter, who was standing in front of the fire.

"Phew, Moyle, you're here."

Breathe a sigh of relief, as long as you haven't fallen asleep. So Metaniela took a few steps forward and asked with a smile:

"Why didn't you respond to me just now, I thought-"

“……”

“……”

“……”

“…… Yes!!! ”

In the starlit city of Eleus, a shrill cry pierced the quiet palace, and almost the next moment the lights were lit one after the other.

The guards woke up one after another, and the few who were still patrolling immediately left. They don't know what's going on, but the queen seems to be in danger. And in the depths of the palace, hearing his wife's mournful and desperate voice, Cleus also stood up from the table. The powerful warrior subconsciously drew his bronze sword, but the next moment, he froze in place.

The king, who had already touched the edge of the legend, could easily tell that the source of the sound was in the palace, or even not far away. And that place is where the existence of the suspected god lives.

In an instant, all kinds of emotions flashed through my heart. He wanted to draw his sword desperately and step forward, but all kinds of old rumors surfaced one by one.

Cleus didn't know why it all came to be the way it was, and why the queen had provoked that mysterious being, but if it was really a god, then the consequences of angering her were likely to be the destruction of the entire city-state.

The king began to hesitate, he felt as if he was carrying a weight of ten thousand pounds. As the son of the first city builder, Cleus, who followed his father to open a new city, didn't really care about his own life and death, but if his death was not only useless, but would cause even greater disaster, the courage to draw the sword suddenly receded from his heart.

What's more, he also has two sons and four daughters, which makes the king very entangled...... However, before he could really make a decision, the next moment, a terrifying momentum exploded again from the place where the voice came from.

The pressure covered the entire palace, stopping the guards who patrolled the various places...... Feeling the aura that he absolutely could not resist, the king gritted his teeth and walked in that direction.

Today, he was the only one in the palace who was still free to move. In the face of this terrible oppression, Cleus walked forward, no matter what, he always knew what was going on...... Regardless of the result, whether it is good or bad.

……

"Crackle—"

“……”

"Crackle—"

“……”

In the room, the goddess's hand rests on the baby's face. The subtle sound of fuel popping in the fire seemed to ring in my ears all the time, like a tune without rhythm.

But every time, Demeter was used to it. Even vaguely, when she seemed to hear something else, she didn't pay much attention.

The realm of mortals, whatever happened to them, it had nothing to do with the goddess, and now for her, completing the baptism of Demophon was the key.

She didn't feel that anyone would bother her with her happy life...... It seems that it will not be long before this mortal heir will be immortal and will be with God from now on......

“……”

"Crackle—"

“……”

“……”

“…… Yes!!! ”

Suddenly, a sharp cry suddenly came from her ears, and the goddess, who had been preoccupied, suddenly woke up. The fiery emotion contained in this voice frightened Demeter for a moment, and her men couldn't help but tremble in consciousness, and with it, the power to protect the little prince also shrank.

So the next moment, a loud cry rang out in the room.

"Wow——!"

Even if it was only for a moment, the pain caused by the sacrificial fire still woke the baby from his sleep. He began to weep loudly to express his displeasure, and at the same time, the queen realized that her child was still alive.

Her eyes widened violently, and the queen seemed to have forgotten the threat of flames. She rushed forward and picked Demophon up from the fire.

Feeling the normal skin of the baby in her arms and his loud cry, Metanella finally breathed a sigh of relief, and it was only at this moment that she turned her head to look at Demeter on the side.

The queen had already realized that perhaps the other party was not plotting to kill Demophon, but was doing something else that she did not understand.

Maybe that's not a bad thing...... Thinking of this, she was going to make some excuses for her impulsiveness. But when Metanella raised her head, she was greeted by a pair of cold and indifferent eyes.

At this moment, the queen felt that the other party was not looking at a person, but at a grass and a stone. She wanted to say something, but the other party spoke first.

"Mortal, do you know what you did?"

Having recovered from the previous shock, Demeter's unwavering voice sounded in the room.

Opposite her, the queen panicked and tried to explain:

“…… Moyle, I didn't mean to, I just ......"

"You've disturbed my ritual, mortal...... His face will henceforth be marked with an eternal mark – just like a sinner. ”

Calm narration, at this moment, boundless anger rose from the heart, but this anger was not for the little prince, but from another source.

At this moment, Demeter suddenly realized that he didn't seem to like this child so much. She was a little puzzled, not knowing why she felt this way, but when her words came out and looked at the reaction of Metanella in front of her, the goddess suddenly understood something.

Hearing Demeter's words, the queen's face did not show the slightest disgust, although there was some regret, but she would not change her feelings for Demophon because of this, but the goddess would not do so.

She likes this child, but what she likes is a perfect child who has no defects and has been nurtured by her. It was a diversion of longing for her daughter and a reflection of the jealousy of the son of Leto, the goddess of conservation.

also did not have great power, and was even forced by Hera to have no way to go to heaven and no way to enter the earth, but Apollo was so good, in contrast, Demeter could only let his daughter hide in Tibet, and even did not escape in the end.

A mortal only...... Even if he is a prince, what is so special about God?

He just appeared in front of the goddess of fertility at the right time, and then he received her affection. But he was never irreplaceable, especially at this moment, when a crack appeared in this masterpiece that should have been perfect.

The goddess has not experienced the games of the afterlife, and she does not know how frustrated and dissatisfied the person who is about to pass the level will be when faced with a low-level mistake. She only knew how much energy she had put into it before, and how high her desire to destroy was now.

"I'm sorry, Moyle, I didn't know you were doing it for him-"

"Enough!"

In front of Demeter, Metanella wanted to explain, but the goddess didn't want to hear it. The queen's voice only bores her, and the more she cares for the child, the more the goddess realizes that the other party is a mother and she is not.

So that's the end of this game-playing game...... Since it is no longer perfect, there is no need to exist.

So in the next moment, the holy power that had reached the demigod realm spread out violently, instantly enveloping the entire Eleusis. The lights that had just been lit were extinguished in an instant, and looking at a queen who had been crushed to the ground, Demeter's appearance began to change.

Old age recedes, youth returns. Gorgeous ornaments are worn on the body, and the garb of the gods replaces the mortals, and at this moment, the goddess who reveals her true body is so dazzling, and so noble and inviolable.

However, in the eyes of Chryus, who finally arrived outside the door, the goddess who showed her true face at this moment was so terrifying. The pressure of life frightened him, but the king stepped forward and tried to calm the anger of the other man.

"Your Highness, I-"

"I'm Demeter."

The king's voice was interrupted, and looking at the two people in front of him, the goddess's voice was like ice that would never melt.

"I am the main god of Olympus, the god who governs the growth of all things."

"Stupid mortals...... You have made a big mistake. ”

"I could have given your beloved son immortality, but now he is dead!"

Silently, the vitality in the baby's body, which was originally used to fight against the sacrificial fire, suddenly boiled. It was originally a treasure coveted by mortals, allowing the old to rejuvenate and the wounds of the dead to be restored. But now, its power is like a deadly poison, taking the life of Demophon in an instant.

The baby's crying stopped abruptly, and the queen's eyes widened suddenly. She put her cheek in front of her young son, but now, the other party was lifeless.

"No ——!"

A terrible voice rang out in the palace again, but this time, the goddess didn't even look at her.

The gift to Demophon only arises from one's own thoughts, and it should naturally end with one thought. So she looked at the king outside the door, quietly waiting for the other party's reaction.

Faced with Demeter's gaze, Cleus's hands clenched violently. His wife's reaction made him realize something, and he even pressed his hand to the long sword at his waist at one point, but in the end, the king put his hand down.

He fell to his knees on one knee, right beside the queen. Then, in a slightly trembling tone, he expressed to the gods in front of him that he had no two hearts.

“…… Thank you for your kindness, Goddess, if this is your decision, then this is his best fate. ”

"Good."

Nodding, when his anger was vented, Demeter's mood gradually calmed down. Looking at the king in front of her, she didn't feel the pain and resentment of the other party, but the goddess didn't care.

Not every mortal is as powerful as the man who swung his sword at the Son of God on the day of the Great Flood...... What's more, even if it was that human, he was only facing a demigod, and an existence like Triton, even if he was not good at fighting, the goddess could easily erase it.

So at this moment, a trace of pity arose in Demeter's heart - he had just personally caused the result, and now he couldn't bear it, which seemed to be very contradictory, but in fact it was not a contradiction.

The human heart has always been so complex, and the gods of Kaos are no different from humans in this regard. Standing in the house, Demeter thought of many things, the scene when she first came to the city and was warmly greeted by the king's daughters, the first time she saw Temophon, and she remembered that she was amused by an old servant of the palace with a joke when she remembered her daughter's sadness, and the pleasant life she had lived in Eleusis these days.

Looking at the queen who had fallen to the ground, already in despair, a sense of charity rose from above Demeter's heart. Regardless, she's just a mortal.

She bothered herself because of her ignorance, and now, she paid for it.

So looking at the king in front of him, Demeter slowly spoke:

"Your queen has disturbed me, the king of mortals, but I graciously forgive her sins. And since your sins are over, your merits should not be erased. ”

"From tomorrow, send your other son. Although your second son is not destined to be with God, my eldest son, I still give him the closest glory to God. ”

“……”

The blood seemed to be cold, and Cryus opened his mouth, not speaking for a moment.

He didn't know what Demeter wasn't going to do this time, or even really wanted to give some reward, he just thought he was going to lose another child. But in the end, the king only bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you, Your Highness...... Thank you for your kindness. ”

With a wave of his hand, Demeter turned. The baptism of the prince was already exhausting, and everything that followed made the goddess a little tired.

So she walked towards the house, and said lightly to the two people behind her:

"That's all for today...... I'm tired, you can leave. ”

“…… Yes, Your Highness. ”

Whispering, the king pulled up his distracted wife and silently withdrew from the room.

He is going to bury his children...... Even if he came to this world, there was only one spring and autumn.

······

The underworld.

Truth Pastoral.

Compared to the difference on earth, the core of this underworld has become a little more lively.

Over the years, the cold winter on earth has intensified, and a large number of mortals have died as a result. And because human beings have reproduced so fast and rapidly in recent years, that the vast majority of human beings actually don't have much faith in God.

Therefore, according to the agreement between Zeng and the gods on earth, a large number of human bones came to the underworld. The damage caused by Gaia was quickly compensated, and even exceeded.

And now, in the palace of Hades, Hades sat quietly on his throne, enjoying a rare delicacy in the desolate underworld, and beside him, Persephone also sat there.

Demeter's fears were justified, and her daughter inherited her beauty, and she was in the blue. But at this moment, contrary to the expectations of many gods, this goddess, who had been in the underworld for more than a hundred years, had no intention of being forced at all, or more accurately, she was still in a good mood.

And the reason why she is in a good mood is naturally the cold winter on the earth that affects the world.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the Immortal on the throne let out a soft sigh. He put down the cup in his hand and looked up.

However, he couldn't see through the formation, he only vaguely sensed something, it was a new dead man who had no faith...... However, to Hades' surprise, the aura was by no means a god, but it probably didn't look like a mortal either.

And by his side, Persephone was not surprised by this. She just tasted a fruit casually, and then asked:

"What, have any powerful mortals died?"

"Then you go, about the matter of holding the corpse...... I'm not interested. ”

(End of chapter)