Chapter 338: Chapter 88: Three Conditions and Maturity

“A day?”

As Hecate’s voice fell, a noticeable silence descended upon the scene for an instant. Leto looked at the goddess in the red dress before her, her hesitation turning into a mix of surprise and doubt, while Selene glanced at the black-robed goddess across from her and finally understood her identity.

The sister of the Goddess of Stars, Asteria, the Titan Goddess Leto. Over the years, as Selene guided her silver moon chariot across the sky, she had seen this goddess meeting with the Divine King under the cover of night more than once, and the other party’s recent plight was no secret either.

After all, the Zodiac and Bai Nuo territories are the core of the starry sky, and when Leto went to the dwelling of Coeus, the Principal God of the Titans, she could not avoid the gaze of the Goddess of the Moon. So watching this scene, Selene closed her mouth, deciding to remain a quiet bystander.

Although the reason they came here was Selene’s subtle premonition, now, she thought it was better to let Hecate deal with the situation herself.

“…Are you, the child of Asteria?”

“During the turnover of the epochs, you were actually the ‘Goddess of the Magic Net’?”

Leto could hardly believe it but had no choice but to accept it, as the familiar bloodline aura and unique power in front of her proclaimed the other’s identity. There had never been a deity who could ‘be born’ twice, and Leto had not dared to confirm that the deity who had once again proclaimed her birth to the world was the daughter of her banished sister. But now, such was the reality.

“Why do you obstruct me? You too belong to the Deity Race. This mortal dares to disregard my command. Should I not punish his insolence?”

Having recognized the visitor, Leto’s aura softened slightly, but her attitude toward the just-escaped mortal remained unchanged.

“Deity Race… Are you referring to me?”

Raising an eyebrow, Hecate’s lips still bore a smile.

“It seems that was the case. I once was a Titan Deity… but just like our kinship, it probably only lasted a day?”

Hecate had observed every event that had ever taken place on Mount Othrys through the reenactment on the slabs. That fateful negotiation that decided her fate, Leto didn’t have the standing to be present, but the goddess’s stance was unmistakable.

When she was exiled to the earth, and even when she vanished quietly among the tribes of Humans, the humans at that time pleaded for forgiveness in their worship of the deities, but the outcome was obvious: not a single Deity spared a glance, including the Goddess of Stars and Leto. It was as if she was forgotten, or rather, no one wished to remember such an ‘unfortunate’ symbol.

Of course, Hecate didn’t harbor much resentment against them. After all, the thin familial affections among Chaos’s deities were not an exception; at most, she chose not to see them as kin. In comparison, it was her nominal father and maternal grandmother who truly left a lasting impression on the Goddess of the Magic Net.

Cast into the Abyss for a permanent solution, and even that didn’t quite satisfy them. Thinking this, Hecate couldn’t help but smile again.

It was a pity she had not been able to find the whereabouts of Perse, the God of Material Destruction. Given his extraordinary Divine Power and close kinship with Crius, the God of Meteorology, he should not have disappeared without a trace.

The Goddess of the Magic Net pondered, and across from her, Leto was becoming aware of the indifference under Hecate’s smile. But indeed, the decision back then had come from the former Divine King and her own divine parents; if the other party was indeed a True God, it would be understandable for her to be discontent with it.

“…It was merely an accident, Hecate. There has never been immortality at birth, and no Deity of lower rank than a territorial god has appeared since you. Perhaps your innate Godhood was obscured, or for some reason, it failed to manifest, resulting in a misjudgment.”

“You have already become a True God. Cronus, who exiled you from the Titan Deity Clan, is nowhere to be found. The new King of All Gods has already acknowledged your status. You should stand alongside the pantheon.”

“And end up like you, with nowhere to go in Hera’s presence, unable to demonstrate your might before mortals?”

“You should thank me, otherwise you’ll soon realize that even in front of mortals, you can’t show any might at all.”

Without mincing words, Hecate mocked, pulling the nearby Selene closer to herself. It was because of her that they had come here; why was she hiding behind now?

“Since it’s you, that makes things simpler. You’ve been fleeing everywhere because of Hera, even carrying the child of Golden Mane—”

With a light snort, Hecate continued:

“I can solve the difficulties you’re facing, but you must agree to three conditions of mine.”

“—What conditions?”

Leto’s spirits lifted, the anger stirred by Hecate’s words instantly quelled. Right now, what Leto wanted most was to resolve the Divine Authority of the Heavenly Empress Hera and bring forth her children with the Divine King without issue.

For that, there was nothing she was not willing to give.

“That thing you sensed, is it on her?”

Without answering immediately, Hecate turned instead to ask Selene.

“I don’t know… perhaps, it’s not an ‘object’?”

Confused, Selene glanced again at the distant black-robed goddess. She indeed had felt something deeply connected to her, but standing here, the Goddess of the Moon started to doubt.

Because she felt the object of that connection seemed to be Leto herself.