The Greece Antagonist

After a moment of consideration, Luo En cautiously repeated his previous argument.

"Taking you home was just on my way; there's no need for any reward. After all, I didn't really help you much before, and I actually caused you quite a bit of trouble..."

"If I tell you to accept it, accept it. Are you afraid I can't afford it?"

Hera frowned and snorted, her face displaying displeasure.

Luo En thought for a while, then sincerely said,

"Then grant me a smile. During the time I spent with you, it was the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen!"

"..."

The unexpected response left Hera momentarily stunned.

Seeing this, Luo En showed an embarrassed expression.

"What, is that not allowed?"

"Boring..."

As Hera came to her senses, she glared at Luo En and turned her head away with a snort, but the corners of her mouth uncontrollably curled up into a faint smile.

Luo En caught that subtle change in expression, and a sense of achievement welled up in his heart.

Indeed, even the coldest people crave warmth in their hearts.

It seemed that the ice in the heart of this patient was gradually melting under his therapeutic words.

"Buzz!"

Just as the atmosphere before the Holy Spring was subtly transforming, a pattern of light lit up on the stone wall.

Upon seeing this, Hera's face suddenly turned sinister and wrathful.

"That bastard has been born!"

"Bastard?"

"It's the cursed child left behind from the last time my husband was intimate with his great-granddaughter, Alcmene!"

Hearing Hera's teeth-grinding response, Luo En's eyelids twitched.

The father is Zeus, and the mother, the granddaughter of the great hero Perseus, also His Majesty the King of Gods' great-granddaughter—Alcmene. Isn't this child the future Hercules?

Legend says that Olympus must endure three divine wars before divine authority is thoroughly secured.

These are the Titan War, the Typhon War, and the giant War...

The first two have already concluded, but the war against the Cottus clan, the giant war, has yet to occur.

According to the Divine Revelation of The Three Fates, Hercules is the key to winning this war.

No wonder Zeus fought fiercely with Hera over this affair, even going as far as to seriously injure his former wife, because this concerned his divine position and the prosperity of Olympus.

Realizing he might have gotten himself into a huge mess, Luo En's throat felt dry.

At that moment, Hera closed her eyes for a while and then slowly opened them, her gaze dark and ominous.

"I've found it, seems to be in Thebes?"

As the protector of women and children, as well as a killer of mistresses and a terminator of illegitimate children, she naturally had ways to sense the birth of certain special beings.

Feeling the murderous atmosphere, and being a king's illegitimate son himself, Luo En considered whether he should flee, when Hera stepped forward.

"Are you also from Thebes? Perfect, take me there!"

"..."

Once again suddenly drafted, Luo En was gloomily at a loss for words.

Why did I even pretend? In trying to look the part, I even disclosed my ancestry.

By blood relations, he was indeed from Thebes, but Crete Island and Athens were his true homes.

Moreover, the Alcmene that Hera was seeking to kill wasn't actually a native of Thebes; she was a princess from Mycenae who had been exiled to Thebes after committing a crime.

What a mess...

Luo En felt rather tearful and faintly sensed his homeland's full malice toward him.

The first time he respawned at his birthplace, he was struck dead by Zeus;

The second time he spread the Dionysian Sect, he was persecuted by King Pentheus;

The third time, he had to team up with Hera to raid his own hometown…

It seemed that as long as it involved Thebes, nothing good happened.

"What are you dawdling for? Get on the chariot!"

Hearing Hera's cold snort and seeing her stormy face, Luo En dared not say more and obediently climbed onto his bronze chariot, driving the divine horses towards Thebes.

They sped along, traveling day and night.

In just about a day and a half, the two reached the boundaries of Thebes.

It was the season of autumn harvest, with fields covered in golden straw following the reaping, and the sounds of the harvest festival joyfully coming from the distant city.

"Hurry up!"

Hera urged with a grim face, seemingly eager to doom her rival and illegitimate child.

"Wow~~!"

Just then, a loud cry of a baby echoed from a field nearby.

Luo En's heart stirred, he braked urgently and jumped out of the driver's seat. Following the sound, he rummaged through the straw next to him and picked up a small basket.

"What's the matter?" Hera furrowed her brow and asked.

"It's a child..." Luo En extended his hand, took out a tender, pink baby from the basket, his voice full of pity, "Abandoned by its mother just after birth, such a pity." Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire

Hera was silent for a moment, then slightly raised her hand, "Let me see..."

Luo En hesitated briefly, then subtly handed the child in the swaddle to Hera in the chariot, his heart pounding.

This time, this place, the appearance of an abandoned baby in the nearby fields, if there were no accidents, it would undoubtedly be the future Hercules.

Fearing Queen Hera's revenge, Alcmene, after giving birth, hid the child in a basket and abandoned him in the field.

According to the original historical trajectory, he should have been picked up by Athena and Hera passing by, and under Athena's persuasion, Hera breastfed him, thereby saving Hercules's life and granting him astonishing Divine Power.

But what Athena could hide from Hera didn't mean Luo En could do the same.

Moreover, Hera came here this time specifically to chase this mother and child due to sensing some information.

Fortunately, as if driven by inevitable Fate, the Queen merely held the baby to soothe him for a moment before returning the swaddle back to Luo En's hands.

"Just when we were heading to the city. When we get there, let's find him a family."

Hera spoke indifferently, instructing, then she looked away from that beautifully carved child.

Though usually the protector of women and children, and the baby looked tender and endearing, for some reason, she just could not take a liking to this child.

As the swaddle returned to his hands, Luo En's heart, which was in his throat, finally settled down.

Not wanting to risk a lengthy ordeal, he hurriedly drove the chariot to the outskirts of the Royal City and stopped, then took the initiative to speak.

"You go ahead with your tasks; I'll handle finding someone to adopt him."

Listenting to his usual considerateness, Hera nodded slightly, then stood up and walked alone into the Grand Gates of the Royal City.

Once Hera was out of his sensing range, Luo En touched his sweat-soaked back and heaved a long sigh of relief.

It really hadn't been easy to protect Hercules, the notorious illegitimate child, from under that Queen's watchful eyes.

So kid, when you grow up, be sure to remember to repay your brother here well.

Luo En pinched the chubby cheeks of the future great Hercules, then followed the crowd into the city, heading towards a certain part of the Royal Palace.

Given that Hera was pursuing Alcmene, he dared not follow the original historical trajectory and return the child to his mother.

Otherwise, mother and child might well perish, jeopardizing himself as well.

Thus, the caretaker Luo En thought of was his own Aunt, Agave.

Years ago, when his cousin Pentheus, due to his persecution of Dionysian Sect followers and his cruel absurdity, was killed by him, Aunt Agave had since been disconsolate.

Since she had lost a son, indirectly compensating her with another one seemed fair.

Just as Luo En was settling on this plan internally, the baby Hercules in his arms suddenly burst into loud crying.

At the same time, a graceful figure barefoot rushed out from a nearby gate, looking around for the source of the baby's cries, her gaze finally landing on a spot.

Then, she stumbled over the threshold and steps, heading straight towards Luo En in the alley, clutching the swaddle in his hands tightly.

"My child? My child? Is it you?"

Looking at the beautiful face, anxious yet filled with joy, Luo En sweated profusely.

Such maternal instincts shouldn't arise at this moment—it could mean death!

Luo En quickly covered Alcmene's mouth with his hand, casting dozens of magic spells like concealment and illusion, then sternly whispered.

"Shut up if you want to live and follow me!"

Just as Alcmene was about to speak, another somber whisper came to her ears.

"Hera is coming…"

In an instant, the Mycenaean princess's body shivered, her pale face filled with terror.

Seeing Alcmene realize the seriousness of their predicament, Luo En unhesitatingly pulled her arm, moving swiftly and cautiously towards the outskirts of the city.

Finally, after a nerve-wracking fifteen minutes, the trio finally made it out of the Royal City's gates.

With the danger now behind them, Alcmene, clutching her newly regained son, couldn't help but want to thank the kind stranger in front of her.

"I..."

"Say nothing more, just go, the farther the better!"

Luo En immediately cut off Alcmene's pleasantries, looking around and urging urgently.

With the situation having spiraled out of control, all he could do now was carve out a path of survival for this mother and child, buying them some time to escape.

As for the aftermath, he was helpless to assist further.

Hearing the urgency and unease in his voice, Alcmene promptly picked up her son and nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, be careful yourself, we're leaving now!"

"Go, where are you going?"

A chilly, deep voice came from above, causing Luo En and Alcmene, looking up to see the white-armed goddess who had appeared unknowingly at the top of the wall, to stiffen and their faces to dramatically change.