Goddess, Isn't This Like a Hero?

When Demeter heard this, she naturally froze.

Her purple eyes stared at the young man before her,

She thought she must have misheard so, she didn't speak for a while,

But seeing the boy not explaining she couldn't help but frown before asking in an uncertain tone,

"You said Hades sent you, and you intend to take my daughter away."

"Yes," Promise nodded.

Demeter understood.

She also realized why Promise had made her two guardian lions fall asleep.

This boy wasn't here to pay his respects to the gods; he was here to intrude on her sanctuary.

But upon realizing this, Demeter did not get angry... no to be precise, in a fleeting moment of anger where she almost wanted to strike out, looking at Promise, that thought vanished quickly.

Instead, she laughed.

Just as she was about to say something, she heard Promise speak first, "Actually, the story is like this..."

Promise then recounted how he obtained the seven-stringed lyre from Apollo, sought out his friend Orpheus, learned about his plight, and ultimately made a deal with Hades in the Underworld, explaining everything to Demeter.

During this recounting, the goddess didn't interrupt him, and she seemed more intrigued as the story went on.

When Promise finished, she blinked and couldn't help but urge, "And then? What happened next?"

The boy did not answer, but looked at her with his emerald eyes, slightly subtle.

Only then did Demeter realize the "next" was now—Promise had come to her.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Demeter smiled and then said to Promise, "My dear child, you might be mistaken. Hades probably didn't mean for you to come to me but to seek out Athena, Hera, or the others."

Facing the boy, who had come to see her and claimed he wanted to take her daughter away, she really couldn't muster any anger.

To put it simply, Demeter felt like she was facing a very adorable kitten, meowing at her about taking her daughter away.

Demeter couldn't get angry; she even wanted to pet this cute and obedient kitten in front of her.

But what she didn't expect was...

"Yes, I know. Hades, the God of the Underworld, probably thinks so too."

Promise nodded, answering.

Hades' plan wasn't hard to guess, and he wasn't foolish.

"But for various reasons, I cannot leave this matter to the goddesses. And Goddess Demeter, there's something else I need to apologize to you and your daughter for: we actually met the night before last."

As he spoke, under Demeter's gradually widening eyes and incredulous gaze, Promise took out the invisibility helmet given to him by Hades from the package behind him.

"The night before last, when you met with Persephone, I was actually there too."

Demeter, stunned and staring at Promise, hadn't yet processed this when...

"Wait, Mother, don't harm this child!" Persephone, who had been eavesdropping all along—since the commotion caused by Promise summoning the hundred-eyed giant wasn't small—couldn't hold back any longer.

She anxiously ran out, standing in front of Promise, looking nervously at Demeter.

The latter looked at Persephone, then at Promise behind her and the invisibility helmet in his hand.

Her face finally turned grim, and her body started trembling.

She felt fear, and for the first time, sensed a real threat from Promise.

If Promise had given this helmet to Persephone the night before last... Demeter didn't dare think further.

She stood up, glaring angrily at Promise.

At this moment, if not for Persephone shielding Promise, Demeter might have already struck him down.

"Hand it over!" She demanded angrily.

And then...

"Okay, Goddess Demeter," Promise handed the invisibility helmet to her.

In an instant, silence fell.

The gods observing Promise, even Athena, were left with their mouths slightly agape.

Bruised and still eating his melon, Hermes dropped his fruit.

Persephone was utterly dumbfounded, staring at the helmet—the one thing that could free her from her mother's grip.

After a moment of shock, she instinctively reached out to grab it.

But Demeter reacted swiftly, taking the helmet and hugging it tightly, looking nervously at Persephone.

"Mother, you... and child, you...!" Persephone pointed at Demeter, then at Promise, eyes wide, unable to finish her sentence.

"Wait, Persephone, what are you trying to do!" Seeing her daughter getting agitated, Demeter, afraid it would affect Promise, quickly pulled him behind her to protect him.

..

On Mount Olympus, Hera watched in bewilderment before turning to Athena, then to the expressionless Atropos, and asked, "Is this also what you foresaw?"

"...I don't know!" Athena was equally confused.

Due to the special nature of Promise's fate, with too many fatal outcomes, Athena had eventually stopped trying to foresee it.

So she looked at Atropos.

"I don't know either," Atropos said calmly. "My sister won't let me look... or she's too busy to let me see. Ever since the respectful Apollo gave Promise the lyre, she's been trying to find a way to break his fate."

Upon hearing this, all the gods turned their attention to Apollo.

Hera glared at him furiously.

So you're the real culprit!

"It wasn't my intention for things to turn out like this!" Apollo hurriedly explained.

Even Artemis was giving him an unhappy look!

Meanwhile, Persephone, feeling utterly betrayed, was close to tears.

She looked at the invisibility helmet in her mother's hand, then at Promise being shielded by her mother, and couldn't help but accuse him, "You, you never intended to save me!"

"No, Goddess Persephone, I really did come to take you away," Promise answered honestly again.

"And this is how you're going to do it?!" Persephone pointed to the invisibility helmet in Demeter's hand, furious.

"Keep your voice down," Demeter said, displeased. "What if you hurt this child?"

For a moment, the expressions on Persephone's face were on the brink of collapse...

"Goddess Persephone, do you remember what I said to you the night before last when we met?"

At that moment, Promise, who had remained calm throughout, spoke in a steady voice: "I said that if I were to take you away, it must be with Goddess Demeter's consent."

Hearing this, Persephone paused and recalled the conversation.

"And that night, after seeing Goddess Demeter, I became even more convinced of this."

Promise glanced at the puzzled Demeter before continuing to Persephone: "Because even as an outsider, I can see how much your mother loves you."

Upon hearing this, Persephone, after looking at Demeter, finally began to calm down.

She realized that if she had truly relied on the invisibility helmet to leave, her mother would be heartbroken.

"But you shouldn't..." But even so, seeing the invisibility helmet, the only thing that could take her away, being held in her mother's hands, Persephone wanted to say something unwillingly.

"But this is not the main reason

Promise interrupted her, looking at Demeter, who was now gazing at him with gratitude and warmth, he spoke.

"Goddess Demeter, do you remember that I told you that I had reasons why I couldn't leave the matter of taking away your daughter, Goddess Persephone, to the goddesses."

Demeter nodded, recalling the conversation.

"The reason is that before coming here, I saw the future of this matter from Clotho, the goddess of fate."

"Clotho?" Demeter questioned, recognizing the name. "The goddess who gazes upon the future?"

"Yes," Promise confirmed. "I saw from her the future that was originally destined…Persephone was taken to the underworld by Hades, the god of the underworld, and you, who were sad and angry, brought desolation to the entire earth.

Within a week, all the food crops in the world disappeared.

The famine lasted for more than half a year, causing the deaths of tens of thousands, if not millions."

Promise spoke these words calmly.

But upon hearing them, both Demeter and Persephone were stunned.

Persephone then looked sharply at Demeter, who frowned deeply, remaining silent for a long while.

"If my daughter leaves me, I will definitely do that," Demeter said firmly, her gaze resolute.

To her, her daughter was her entire world.

Hearing this, Persephone, far from being pleased, trembled with anger, clenching her teeth: "Mother... my great goddess, do you realize it is precisely because of this that I have always wanted to leave you?!"

Demeter didn't respond, her eyes showing sadness but remaining steadfast.

"Anyway, I will never let you leave, especially not to the underworld!"

Before Persephone could respond, Promise spoke first to Demeter: "This is why I cannot leave this matter to the goddesses, because I want to change this future."

With both Persephone and Demeter looking at him, he continued: "Therefore, before I take Persephone away, I need you, Demeter, to promise me that you won't let that future come to pass."

Looking at the earnest expression on Promise's face, Demeter couldn't help but laugh again.

Persephone, though exasperated by Promise's words, also laughed helplessly, shaking her head: "Child, my mother will never agree to this because she will never let me leave..."

"No, Goddess Demeter will agree."

Promise said confidently, and before Demeter could speak, he smiled and glanced at the invisibility helmet in her hands: "Though it might upset Hades a bit, Goddess Demeter, you've already received my offering."

"And it's an offering you can't refuse."

As Promise finished speaking, all the gods, still processing his words, watched as Athena... smiled.

At that moment, she understood what Promise was doing.

And it was something that gods couldn't do, but only a human could.

"Great Olympian deity, goddess of agriculture, Demeter, I, Promise, a student of the centaur Chiron, and faithful follower of Hera, present you with this special offering!"

"Offering this special tribute!"

Promise took a few steps back, while Persephone and Demeter were still reacting, he performed a standard bow to Demeter and said, "This is the Helm of Invisibility from Hades, capable of silently taking away your cherished daughter Persephone.

And now, I present it to you!"

"Therefore, Goddess Demeter, please bestow your favor, or grant a trial to the one offering you this tribute that can fulfill his wish!"

"And the favor, or trial, I seek is for you to vow that under no circumstances will you let the earth become barren, nor vent your anger on the world.

Additionally, you must allow Persephone and Hades to meet so that I can fulfill my agreement with Hades!"

Demeter was stunned.

She looked at the Helm of Invisibility in her hand, then at Promise who was bowing and presenting the tribute, standing at a loss.

Persephone was also stunned for a while, and then, seeing her mother standing there with her mouth agape, not knowing what to say, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

She laughed happily, even somewhat heartily.

How to put it, the situation Demeter encountered at this moment was like being scratched on the face by the sharp claws of a seemingly cute kitten.

This left her standing there, unable to agree, nor disagree.

If she didn't agree, she would have to return the Helm of Invisibility to Promise.

After all, Athena and Hera were watching, and Demeter wasn't unaware of it.

But if she returned the Helm of Invisibility to Promise, she probably wouldn't be able to close her eyes ever again.

Yet if she agreed...

After a long time, Demeter laughed helplessly.

"Child, you seem a bit greedy."

"Yes, I know," Promise nodded.

"And aren't you afraid of Hades blaming you?"

"I'm not afraid," He shook his head and said, "Because if I can't change all of this, change the fate Goddess Clotho showed me, I never intended to live."

Upon hearing this truth, Persephone, who had been smiling, suddenly stopped.

Both she and Demeter stared at Promise.

"Why are you going to such lengths?" Then Demeter naturally asked this question.

"Of course, it's because of our vows," Athena, witnessing all of this, smiled happily.

Themis didn't speak, her scale of justice swayed lightly.

In the temple of the Fates, Clotho gently wiped the crystal ball in her hand.

And Hera suddenly felt like something was added on her head, not just one thing but more, and it felt heavy...

"If there's a reason, there are many."

After a moment of silence, Promise looked up, smiled, and said to Demeter,

"But to sum it up, it's this:"

"Goddess Demeter, because I think that being able to change so many people's fates, change the predetermined future, is very much like a hero!"

...