While Aster and Doriana continued their exploration, the new troops were still adjusting to life at the fort.
The women began helping Mila in the kitchen, while the men went to assist Doran and Reiner with gathering firewood and storing it.
Tina searched for something that needed cleaning or putting away. Luza, meanwhile, stood beside Hera, who was sitting in a chair on the balcony outside her room.
"Lady Hera, do you need anything?"
"No... I’m fine."
Hera shook her head. Then she sighed and added:
"Besides, even if I wanted something, we hardly have anything here yet. It wouldn’t do much good."
Luza bowed.
"Then I’ll be going. Just call me if you need anything."
"You may go."
Hera continued gazing at the trees, though her mind was far away.
...
"Mother!"
A woman’s voice called out to Hera, who was in the garden of her palace, admiring the flowers.
Hearing the call, she turned toward the entrance and saw two people approaching.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she recognized her children.
"I thought you two were rather busy," she remarked. "Hebe, Ares..."
Hebe approached her mother and sat beside her.
"Ahhh... I’ve finished all the paperwork Father asked me to organize. I need to relax for a while."
Hebe was a slimmer version of her mother. Her hair had hazelnut and golden tones, but unlike Hera’s amber eyes, hers were golden like her father’s.
Ares sat in the chair opposite them, crossing his arms and leaning back as he let out a sigh.
Hera glanced at her son. He had a strong, compact build and wore an intricately decorated golden suit of armor. Runes were engraved at several points on the armor, and a red cape hung down his back.
His face showed signs of exhaustion as he gazed up at the sky.
"Son, you look quite tired," Hera remarked.
"The spatial beasts have been more restless lately," he replied.
As servants poured tea for Hebe and Ares, he took a sip and continued.
"Athena and I took longer than usual to kill them, and, well... We lost some good men during that expedition. Apparently, they’re causing trouble in neighboring sectors too. Especially in the Garden of Eden sector. I imagine they’re tearing their hair out over the chaos those beasts are causing."
"Anything else out of the ordinary?" Hera asked.
Ares simply shook his head.
"No... Other than that, everything is normal. Some of the beasts were left behind, but Hercules went to deal with them. He was restless, complaining that he hadn’t had a good fight in ages. As soon as he arrived, he took over the extermination in our place, so we returned."
Hera nodded.
"Where is your sister?"
"We went to see Father to deliver our report. I spoke with him for a while, but Athena stayed behind to give her own report. She said she was going to visit our mother, Metis."
As she sipped her tea, Hebe looked at her brother.
"What was Father doing?"
Ares shrugged.
"When we arrived in the throne room, he was talking to those strangers through the artifact that visitor gave him when he came here."
As soon as Hera heard those words, her eyes turned icy. Still, she remained silent.
Hebe, however, couldn’t hold back.
"What is Father thinking? Seriously!"
She frowned.
"That stranger didn’t seem trustworthy at all, and yet Father keeps getting involved with them. I searched through records from several sectors of the cosmos. I even contacted the most distant sectors, and they all told me the same thing: that man had visited every one of them, seeking suspicious agreements. On top of that, no one had ever seen him before."
"Well... We can’t say they haven’t helped us," Ares argued.
"Yes, but at what cost?"
"Exactly, brother! We don’t even know what agreement Father made with him. Much less what the other pantheon leaders negotiated!"
Their argument began to grow heated, but it was soon interrupted.
"Enough!"
Hera’s sharp voice left no room for argument.
Hebe and Ares fell silent immediately. Neither dared to continue. They knew very well that, although their mother was kind to them, she could also be merciless when her authority was challenged.
Hera took a sip of tea before speaking.
"No one is to bring up this subject again."
Both nodded, and silence returned to the garden.
Some time later, two more people arrived.
"Well, what’s with this atmosphere?" asked a calm, feminine voice.
"Indeed. I expected a more pleasant atmosphere," a male voice replied.
"I bet you two started talking about that stranger again... It was you, wasn’t it, Ares?"
The woman approached her brother and stared at him.
Ares grimaced slightly before sighing.
"I have nothing to say, Athena."
He turned his face away.
Athena was tall and wore silver armor. Her dark brown hair was long and straight. She carried a war helmet on her arm, adorned with a crest of red fur.
"You should stop causing trouble for everyone else, Ares," said the man beside her. "Especially for Mother Hera."
"And you should watch your tongue, Apollo," Ares replied defiantly.
Apollo was a tall man with handsome, delicate features. His blond hair was long, and his eyes were blue.
Seeing the argument between her children, Hera decided to put an end to it.
"Everyone, be quiet."
"Sorry, Mother," Ares said.
"Forgive us, Mother Hera," Apollo and Athena said together.
Hera sighed and offered the newcomers a faint smile.
"Sit with us."
They took the empty seats at the table.
Hera then turned her attention to Athena.
"Were you with Metis?"
As a servant poured her tea, Athena nodded.
"I went to talk with my mother for a while..."
She fell silent for a few moments before continuing.
"Ever since Father began getting involved with those people, he’s been neglecting Metis more and more. Until he reached the point where... he doesn’t even visit her anymore."
Athena spoke with weariness in her voice and faint traces of anger.
Apollo, sitting beside her, merely sighed and shook his head at his sister’s words.
"It’s not just Mother Metis whom Father has stopped visiting... My mother has been abandoned by him too. It’s been more than four centuries since he even looked at her."
Hera looked at her children sadly.
Only Hebe and Ares were her biological children. Even so, she considered all the children Zeus had fathered with other women to be her own. Seeing them suffer like this hurt her deeply.
She turned her attention to Apollo.
"Leto must be suffering terribly... She has always been so lonely," Hera said.
Apollo frowned and nodded.
"I ask myself the same question," Hebe remarked.
That family was far from happy with the situation.
"Enough of these depressing conversations. Let’s talk about more interesting things. Tell me, my children, how are things going for you?"
Hera adjusted herself in her chair, maintaining her usual elegance.
Gradually, laughter and relaxed conversation returned to the table. For the time being, their sadness and sense of abandonment were set aside.
They had not been forgotten. But at least, for that moment, they could rest.
...
Hera sighed as she recalled those memories.
Setting them aside, she rose from her chair and decided to take a walk.
...
Back to Aster and Doriana.
Aster watched his surroundings, taking in every detail through his spatial perception. His attention was entirely focused on finding any sign of life.
"Nothing," I said.
"There isn’t a single sign of life within a hundred-meter radius."
Doriana, who had been crouching beside me with one hand resting on the ground, stood up.
"If there really is a habitat for animals or monsters around here, it must be farther away... Should we continue?" she asked, turning to face Aster.
Aster looked around once more and nodded.
"Let’s go. If there’s a creature around here, it’s better to find it before the troops do. That way, we can assess the level of risk."
Doriana smiled and moved ahead.
Aster followed behind her, continuing to survey the surroundings. Every now and then, however, his eyes lingered on Doriana’s generous curves. Her round, plump backside swayed from side to side with each step, as though proudly displaying her assets.
Doriana could feel Aster’s gaze on her, but instead of feeling uncomfortable, she pushed her backside out even more, as if saying, ’Look all you want.’
After traveling another two hundred meters, they both stopped and silently watched something ahead.
They remained still for several seconds.
Then Doriana looked at Aster.
"Should we?"
Aster shook his head.
"Let’s just observe from a distance."
A few meters ahead stood a cave, its entrance partially concealed by bushes. Moss covered its walls, and the interior seemed swallowed by darkness.
"Let’s find a spot and wait for a while. If there’s something in there... it’ll have to come out eventually."
The two chose a tall tree to climb.
Using her Wood affinity, Doriana created a support that allowed them to climb without difficulty. When they reached the top, the spirited druid made a broad branch grow, wide enough for both of them to sit on.
Aster sat down first.
"Thank you," he said with a smile.
Doriana sat beside him, her shoulders touching his.
Neither of them minded the closeness. In fact, they found each other’s presence rather comfortable.
"Well... Now all we can do is find out what the hell is in there," I said, keeping my eyes on the cave entrance as I waited in silence.
More than an hour passed.
Then a faint tremor echoed from inside the cave.
Boom.
They both narrowed their eyes.
Leaning forward slightly without taking their eyes off the entrance, Aster spoke.
"Something’s coming... And it’s big."
...
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