The Greece Antagonist

She was an elegant lady, her features emanating intelligence and harmony, her flaxen hair cascading loosely over her shoulders, and her white robe worn in a relaxed fit that did not particularly accentuate her feminine softness and curves. From a distance, the figure engrossed in her scrolls looked more like a scholar than a goddess.

"Weren't you at Olympus? How did you come to my temple?"

The calm voice echoed within the temple, her deep blue eyes sweeping over her daughters in the hall, a slight frown forming between her brows.

"Moreover, why has your aura changed too?"

Upon hearing these words, the Muses heaved a sigh of relief as though a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

Clearly, the mother goddess had not intentionally shut them out.

With this certain answer, the Muses steadied their minds, gathered their courage, and revealed their journey's encounters to their mother—Goddess Mnemosyne, the Goddess of Memory.

After listening to her daughters' chattering account, even the usually serene Mnemosyne couldn't help but show a slight change in her expression.

"You've broken with Apollo?"

"It's all because he went too far!"

Euterpe waved her fists indignantly, with the rest of the Muses nodding in agreement.

Looking at her spirited young daughters, the Goddess of Memory closed her scroll and asked expressionlessly.

"It seems you are not afraid of Apollo's retribution?"

"No, we're not afraid..."

The Muses, hearing their mother's unfriendly tone, stiffly replied.

"Then why come to me? According to the oath of the Styx, Titan gods cannot easily interfere with the affairs of Olympus."

The Goddess of Memory spoke calmly, her gaze piercing as she looked at her daughters within the temple, pressing further.

"So, would you like me to find a suitable chief god to serve you? The jealous Hera? The slippery Hermes? The rash Ares? Hephaestus, who knows only smithing? Or Athena, who is hardly able to protect herself?"

Clearly, Mnemosyne was not unaware of certain matters in Olympus; she had simply never spoken of them.

Under their mother's expressionless questioning, the Muses found even less to say.

How could they not know that compared to the other eleven chief gods of Olympus, Apollo was already the best option available at the time?

In order to have the God of Light look after them more, not pressing them into unwanted deeds, Mother Mnemosyne even granted Apollo a portion of the authority regarding "Sacred Words" from her divinity of memory and language.

But after years of peaceful coexistence, they eventually messed things up due to a moment of impulse.

If only they had known...

"It's not their fault!"

Just as the Muses' hearts were starting to drown in regret and confusion, Luo En stepped forward with resonating words, speaking out with righteous indignation.

"This whole situation is because of me; therefore, I am willing to take responsibility!"

Seeing the tall figure standing in front of them, hearing his solemn promise, the Muses felt deeply moved, their hearts melting in the warmth.

The God of Wine, he truly...

However, unlike her bewitched daughters, the Goddess of Memory looked at the young deity before her with a sneer and a shake of her head.

"You? What exactly can you do?"

"I can persuade Apollo to keep the secret..."

A meaningful hum suddenly piqued Mnemosyne's interest, who had not been too concerned until then.

Seizing the moment, Luo En immediately proceeded to outline his strategy.

"Being abandoned by his own lesser deities isn't a flattering situation. Fortunately, there are only I, the nine Muses, and Apollo who know about it. Given the character of the God of Light, he would surely not want to expose his embarrassment, especially since he's at fault as well..."

As the Muses heard this, they nodded in agreement.

Then, taking advantage of the situation, Luo En continued.

"In theory, as long as the Muses and I don't publicize this matter, nobody will easily find out. Even though the Muses will have cut ties with Apollo, they will still appear as his lesser deities on the surface. The gods of Olympus, none the wiser, are not likely to disturb the balance."

The Muses felt a sense of clarity upon hearing Luo En's plan; the problem seemed not as severe as they had imagined.

However, Mnemosyne, sitting behind the desk, saw through the crux of the matter instantly.

"Will Apollo agree?"

"Wrong direction, I am the one least affected in this whole event. It behooves him to keep the secret, and keeping secrets always comes at a price. If he doesn't want the knowledge that a chief god has been deserted by his own lesser deity to become widely known, he should know what to do."

Luo En lifted his head to look at the Goddess of Memory, smiling as he spoke, then added.

"Moreover, my relationship with Lady Artemis has always been good, I'll have the Goddess of the Hunt persuade her brother. After all, with the fierce competition among the gods and his recent offense to many, he surely wouldn't want to make it tough for both him and his sister in Olympus because of his weakened position, right?"

Mnemosyne, who listened intently, weighed the words carefully and gave a slight nod.

Indeed, she was right. Under the threat of a villain, they kept a secret as if nothing had happened, beneficial for all involved.

But the issue was—

"Aren't you afraid he will hate you to the bone?"

Mnemosyne looked at the young deity before her, asking solemnly.

She knew all too well the nature of Greek deities; even if they could suppress their anger temporarily, they definitely wouldn't let it go easily.

By devising such a plan, it would force Apollo to swallow his pride.

Her Muses could extricate themselves, but the God of Light would surely despise the young man before her.

In response to the Goddess of Memory's query, Luo En stood firm, his expression tranquil.

"If Apollo seeks retribution, let him come find me."

Subsequently, he turned his head to look at the Muses behind him, revealing a heartwarming smile.

"Moreover, I have promised to take good care of them; this is my responsibility..."

—God of Wine, my Lord!

Hearing that resolute assurance, witnessing that commitment to keep his word, the emotionally-rich Muses felt their eyes well up, almost ready to throw themselves into the arms of this male deity.

Even the typically detached Goddess of Memory softened her gaze when she looked at the man before her.

Having lived through the Titan War, Mnemosyne still preserved a good deal of rationality.

"Well then, go about your business, and for the time being, let them stay in my temple. Once things have settled, I will escort them to Olympus."

Subsequently, the Goddess of Memory gave Luo En a once-over with the scrutinizing gaze of a mother-in-law sizing up a son-in-law, her face breaking into a smile,

"By that time, they will probably still need your care."

Obviously, based on the reactions of the few, she also faintly grasped the hint of something more.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"I will certainly do my utmost!"

Luo En invariably made a solemn promise, outwardly composed, but inwardly he was grumbling about the Goddess of Memory.

Beautiful words, but aren't you just waiting to see the rabbit before you let go of the hawk?

To put it plainly, this was just giving me permission to scout out the situation, smoothing things over for her daughters, the Muses, while concurrently drawing Apollo's hatred towards me.

As for the matters that follow, we'd deal with them later.

At that moment, understanding Mnemosyne's intent, Luo En was not panicked; he smiled sheepishly as he took out two books from the Magic Circle Diagram and placed them on the table.

"Your Highness, this journey was quite sudden, and I didn't prepare a present that's truly worthy..."

As the Goddess of Memory, she naturally had a close affinity with books.

Before Luo En could finish speaking, Mnemosyne instinctively opened the ancient covers and began to immerse herself in reading.

Looking at the profound yet graceful phrases and the magnificent descriptions within the books, the Goddess of Memory's eyes sparkled with delight as she rapidly flipped through the pages, lost in the joy of reading.

However, it wasn't long before this long-missed pleasure came to an abrupt halt.

For both books had reached their end.

"What comes next?" the Goddess of Memory asked anxiously, unable to wait as she stared at the vast blank space that followed, as if something was stuck in her throat.

"That's all..." Luo En spread his hands, appearing quite innocent.

"That's all?" the flustered Goddess of Memory nearly went mad, itching to drag the irresponsible author who didn't finish the story out for a beating, "Who wrote this? Why isn't it complete?!"

Luo En cleared his throat awkwardly, pointed at himself and the Muses by his side, and managed a wry smile.

"I apologize, Lady Goddess, but it will take some time for us to complete the manuscripts."

"You?"

Hearing this unexpected answer, the Goddess of Memory looked at the Divine Chronicle and the Sacred Words in her hands with surprise.

Luo En nodded slightly, played up his helpless part to perfection, quietly waiting for her to name her price.

Do you want me to attract Apollo's hatred, to solve your daughters' troubles? You should offer something substantial in return, right? My lady?

His cunning purple eyes subtly flickered, his gaze lingering on the Goddess of Memory for a moment, conveying a deep and significant sentiment.

In the Orphism, where he originally emerged as the Dionysian Sect, Mnemosyne was one of the most important deities.

For memory holds a special and fundamental significance for the followers of Orpheus; not the memory of everyday trivialities but the remembrance of the true origins and living conditions of mankind. Recalling that humans have within them a part of the Titan realm – and this part hides the divine origins of man, along with their universally significant birth – as stated in the remnants of Petelia:

"You must tell them: 'I am the son of the earth and the wide sky full of stars, I am the offspring of deities. You all know this.'"

It is this memory that is the real inevitability, the salvation of departed souls.

For within the Dionysian Sect, humanity is born from the ashes of Titans, naturally imbued with Divinity; they need not labor for the gods!

To embed such heretical ideas into the souls of humanity, to make them fully realized, one would need the Authority of the Goddess of Memory.

- Legend has it that Mnemosyne controls two sacred springs.

One of which allows souls to retain eternal knowledge and memory, so that all the departed may live unbowed and die undying!

So be it the Muses who alter history or the Goddess of Memory who guards the sacred springs.

- His choice was to have them all!

And at that very moment, after a tumultuous struggle of thought, Mnemosyne, gripping the two incomplete manuscripts tightly, made her decision.

"Fine, you'll stay for a few days, and here, I will forge for you the 'Crown of Inspired Thought'!"

Although it wasn't safe to let her daughters venture out, imbuing parts of the Muses' Divine essence onto this outstanding author, thus enabling him to continue crafting these unprecedented masterpieces, was not an issue.

Hearing the Goddess of Memory's promise, the wolf in the room continued to disguise itself as a harmless little rabbit, beaming with a radiant and sincere smile.

"Good, as you wish!"

The Muses by his side, too, could not help but feel overjoyed, their eyes excitedly sparkling.

Forging the 'Crown of Inspired Thought' would require the use of their Divinity — didn't this imply that their mother had acquiesced to their binding relationship with the God of Wine, consenting to their growing closeness?

Discerning this answer, the Muses instantly cheered and swarmed him, some taking his arm, others tugging at his clothing, eager to escort the 'righteous' and 'noble' God of Wine for a tour of the entire Temple of Memory, incessantly chattering about the various seminal works housed within the temple along the way.

These unruly girls...

Looking at the now empty main hall, alongside the once again desolate surroundings, the Goddess of Memory couldn't help but shake her head and turned the pages of the two manuscripts on the desk, yearning to read through them all over again.

A breeze drifted through the hall, causing a loose strap to slip off the translucent skin, revealing the delicate collarbone and flawless white arm beneath.