The Myth of the Greek Heavenly Demon

Chapter 29 – Atlus Amor

“It’s fortunate that I met you now. If such a lovely gemstone like you had been rolling under that tomboy Artemis’s command…”

Atalanta, who had changed into dozens of outfits in the blink of an eye, felt dizzy.
But more pressing than that was the identity of the noblewoman who brought this cloud, and even more urgent was the safety of Dianes.

“Excuse me, Goddess…?”

“Why? Is something uncomfortable? Is there something you don’t like? Would it have been better to have at least one necklace?”

Like a mother excitedly dressing up her daughter, the noblewoman asked her intentions with a loving smile.
And under that smile, with eyes sparkling like morning stars, Atalanta realized who she was.
The goddess who claimed to be the protector of the crescent moon and maidens, and who could call Artemis, worshipped by Atalanta, so freely.
Just facing her, the mesmerizing beauty of her eyes and the elegance that emanated from every gesture and movement were impossible to ignore.

“Miss H-Hera?”

The Queen of the Gods, the mistress of Olympus.
Atalanta was left speechless by the identity of the noblewoman who had suddenly appeared and adorned her beautifully.

“Hehe, how clever you are. Those dull-witted heroes can’t even recognize a god standing before them and just blabber nonsense.”

Even with such a dazed expression, Hera smiled as if she found it lovely, and personally smeared fragrant oil on her hands to touch Atalanta’s hair.

“Tsk, tsk… I should send some ointment to my Chariclo. The nymphs in the forest where young heroes grow up have no sense of reality in such matters.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

The Queen of the Gods, so exalted that no other goddess dares to stand before her, and even the King of the Gods yields his seat.
Atalanta felt like she was losing her mind at the fact that such a goddess was touching her hair.

“There, it’s done! Look at this!”

With a dazed feeling, Atalanta entrusted her body to the goddess’s touch.
A large mirror, slowly appearing from the clouds, reflected Atalanta’s image.

“Huh…?”

“Oh my! You look like a bride in early summer!”

The Atalanta reflected in the mirror was unrecognizable even to herself.
First, her body, now clean without a single scratch, looked like a lioness roaming the plains.
Elegant and beautiful, yet a mesmerizing beast with fangs that could be deadly at any moment!
For Atalanta, who exuded wild charm and elegance by herself, excessive decoration and flashy fabrics were rather poison.
When her disheveled, stiff reddish-brown hair was swept down with fragrant oil, bringing out the red hue, it sparkled like a flickering flame, and along with her healthy brown skin, she looked like a spirit of summer.
In addition, there was a twilight-colored scarlet himation, meticulously woven by the nymphs of the golden tree, and a belt decorated with daffodils carved from rubies and onyx on a body of blue gold and platinum.
And when combined with a shoulder shawl that added mystery with its serene magic, like the veil of night.
Atalanta was so beautiful that she could be compared to any goddess without falling short.

‘Is this… me?’

Atalanta couldn’t take her eyes off herself in the mirror.
The Queen of the Gods, smiling softly, gently held her shoulder and whispered in her ear.

“So, how is it? Do you like it?”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty…”

Nodding in a daze, Atalanta in the mirror also nodded back.

Would Dianes’s heart race just as hers did if he saw her like this?
Would he feel a thrill if he held her hand, and would the whole world stop if their eyes met?

These thoughts flashed through her mind.

“Dianes!”

“Oh my!”

“Y-Your Majesty! D-Dianes. Dianes is in danger!”

The vivid image of the enormous Hercules’s thunder hammer still lingered in her mind.
And Dianes, who had clearly faced it head-on.
This was not the time for her to be like this!

Seeing those beautiful ruby-red eyes moist with tears, Hera narrowed her eyes, which had widened in slight surprise, and smiled.
How lovely children in love were!
This was the perfect blessing for the young apostle who executed divine punishment on her behalf.

“Don’t worry. Your future partner is safe.”

At Hera’s gesture, the cloud at her feet slightly parted, revealing the land below.
Below, in the middle of the completely shattered Colosseum, stood a blood-soaked Dianes, alone in front of an unconscious Hercules.

“Oh dear… The injury seems quite severe.”

“Dianes!”

Dianes, who had been looking down at his arm unsteadily, slowly fell backward and collapsed onto the ground.
Despite lying there, looking up at the sky, and smiling as if something was amusing him, he soon closed his eyes, and his head drooped.

“Kyaa!”

“Calm down; he just fainted.”

“Pardon? Then, that means…”

“Of course, if we leave him like that until the medical team arrives, that black-haired bastard might be fine, but the child could be in danger.”

Of course, it was a lie.
Even Hera could see that the strength of this young hero named Dianes was no less than that of Hercules, so there was no way his life would be in danger from such a minor injury.
But crises had a way of making love more beautiful.
If this opportunity was used well, Dianes would be moved by the devotion of the gift sent by Hera and would praise her.
The daughter of Artemis, who had lived a barren life not knowing love, would shed tears at the sweetness of the love she had bestowed and would revere her.
She could already envision it.
The hero couple’s praise, echoing throughout Greece, would elevate her divinity to the highest…
The beautiful poems, so admired by Poseidon and Ares, densely decorate her temple!

All of Greece would praise her and wish her blessings.
Praising her divine status that leads young heroes to happiness!

Even just seeing the profane bastard, collapsed with eyes rolled back in that corner, cleared away a thousand-year-old indigestion, so her mood had already far surpassed its peak.

“Wh-What should I do?”

Atalanta, with tears welling up, looked ready to throw herself down below at any moment.

Seeing this, Hera smiled softly, and she handed her a beautifully crafted glass bottle from her bosom.

“This is an elixir crafted by my foster mother, Thetis. It’s a magical potion that heals any wound instantly.”

“Th-Thank you!”

So, was this enough?
Just as she was about to feel satisfied, the perfect idea to truly connect these two beautiful lovers struck her mind.

“However.”

Hera’s firm voice stopped Atalanta, who was about to leap down as soon as she received the potion.
As if the elegant smile that had just spread was an illusion, the Queen of the Gods looked at Atalanta with a dignified gaze and said,

“The name of this potion is Altus Amor. It means deep love.”

“Deep love… you say?”

“Yes, it only works when transferred with a single kiss, and the effectiveness of the potion is as strong as the love sent by the one giving the kiss to the one receiving it.”

Of course, it was a lie.
The potion she handed to Atalanta was the elixir of recovery that her foster mother, Thetis, had sent with love and concern to Hera, who had been hanging at the edge of the world not long ago.
An elixir among elixirs that restored even Hera, who had endured the hardship of being hung at the edge of the world with an anvil tied to her feet, with just a single sip.
If given to Atalanta, it would surely revive Dianes cleanly, even if he faced death three or four times, as long as he was still breathing.

‘What kind of face will that child show when she sees her lover cleanly restored by her own kiss?’

The Queen of the Gods nodded contentedly to herself and solemnly informed her young prospective devotee as the dignified queen.

“But if that love is false or if only you love unilaterally, that child will lose his life instead of living. How about it? Will you accept this?”

“…..”

Hera rejoiced at the truly supreme leap of logic she thought she had made.
Even at a glance, Dianes seemed destined to live a life as tumultuous as Hercules.
If another female hero, whom she had personally paired, could support and endure hardships alongside such a hero, what could be more beautiful?
But what if Atalanta refused the leap and chose to live alone here?
Then it would just mean she was not fit to be with Hera’s apostle.
She would simply find another extraordinary woman and pair her with Dianes.

“What will you do?”

Atalanta looked down at the potion in her trembling hands.
Hera quietly watched the prospective new bride.
Then, soon, the ruby-colored eyes that looked up at Hera again were dazzlingly sparkling with overflowing love and shining determination.

“I will do it! I will! Even if it means losing my life!”

Great!!
It was the moment when the Goddess of Family cheered inwardly.