The Greece Antagonist

In the following two days, as the wedding day approached, the entirety of Athens was immersed in an increasingly rich and festive atmosphere, with the entertainment-loving and lively Athenians enjoying the peace that came after the divine war.

Different delegations from various city-states, regions, and divine-blood families gathered one after another, spending their time touring the cultural center of Athens while waiting to celebrate the wedding of the shepherd atop War God Mountain.

In contrast, War God Mountain, as the wedding planner, seemed much busier. The Three Graces were responsible for the reception of guests, The Nine Muses oversaw the internal coordination, Medusa led the Gorgon Sisters and the power of the Academy of Athens to maintain order in public, while Typhon's offspring, under Echidna, the Mother of Serpents, lurked in the shadows, keeping watch...

As for Luo En himself, he confined himself to the Great Temple, dealing with an overwhelming pile of work. Except for essential meals and some meetings that he couldn't avoid, he barely saw anyone else.

It seemed that due to the overly burdensome affairs that needed to be resolved, the overworked shepherd visibly became more haggard after just two days and nights.

Fortunately, on the eve of the wedding ceremony, the long tug-of-war finally came to an end.

After Luo En finished the last document on his desk, he threw down his iron pen and, under the watchful eyes of six behind him, which still held unfulfilled expectations, he dashed out of the temple like escaping for his life and ran all the way to the Academy of Athens. He jumped into the lake, cleaning himself thoroughly, inside and out.

He then unceremoniously dragged out the sleeping Teacher Chiron from the lakeside hut and, pulling along this member of his makeshift entourage, they went to Hestia's residence to prepare for the upcoming wedding the next morning.

Meanwhile, during their busy preparations, the trio of goddesses, finally leaving the Great Temple after planning their silver party, arrived under Hera's leadership at the nearly completed wedding site for inspection, taking on the roles of the bride Thetis's maternal family on the spot.

Because in Ancient Greek weddings, many of the preparations are the responsibility of the bride's family. During the prep phase before the wedding, the bride's side prepares the dowry, and the bride's mother personally constructs the wedding venue.

As the goddess in charge of marriage and Thetis's foster mother, Hera still had to take some interest in her foster daughter's wedding.

As for Athena and Artemis, who were pulled in to help, they were making up to the bride in another sense for the "usage fee" of the groom.

The three goddesses scrutinized the wedding site in detail, corrected some small errors, filled in anything that was overlooked, and busied themselves for most of the night with patience. It was only after ensuring that everything was perfectly ready that they left the site contentedly and went to the new residence of the bride Thetis.

By tradition, on the evening before the wedding, the bride undergoes a baptismal ceremony, applying rock salt and minerals, bathing to purify and symbolize tranquility and purity.

As part of the bridal party, they naturally needed to go and help or show their faces to dispel certain suspicions.

Thetis, hearing the commotion, opened her bedroom door and, seeing the three members of the bridal party standing outside, greeted them with a sincere smile and warmly invited them to participate in her baptismal ceremony.

The three goddesses and the bride entered the bath of the mountain in high spirits, spending the final night before the wedding amidst a cheerful and harmonious atmosphere.

At the same time, a blood-red figure stealthily made its way into the wedding venue after sneaking around.

Seeing that there was no one around, the intruder played with the gold-embossed invitation in hand and a malicious smile spread across the face. Then, with a flick of the wrist, a Golden Apple was placed on a plate left at the table.

Under the moonlight, a row of inscriptions carved on the surface of the Golden Apple faced the entrance of the venue.

—"To the most beautiful Goddess!"

After doing all this, the uninvited guest satisfactorily turned into a streak of blood-red light and fled, vanishing into the dense blood-red mist.

Unbeknownst to her, the act was being observed by an owl perched atop a tree, watching everything from above.

And on a beam at the venue, a flickering rune quietly extinguished its remaining light.

At that moment, Athena, who was wrapped in a bath towel and chatting with her close friends by the poolside, slightly paused her speech and then continued to speak with a certain teasing and anticipatory smile on her face;

And the almost dozing bridegroom in Hestia's residence, as if sensing something, opened his eyes, which flickered mysteriously, and a playful smile spread across his face.

Here they come!

Saying that it was out of retaliation for not being invited, even if an invitation had been extended, your nature of causing inevitable chaos wouldn't necessarily settle down, would it?

Good, let's treat it as a side show.

Without some "surprise," it would be rather dull for the guests.

Luo En yawned and slowly closed his somewhat sleepy eyes.

~~

In the early morning, Teacher Chiron, who was conscripted into service, woke up the soundly sleeping Luo En. The groom got up in due course, dressed in a resplendent attire, and set off from his residence — Hestia's home. Surrounded by friends and family, he made his way to the residence prepared for the bride nearby.

Following the custom, Luo En took out the prepared baton and knocked on the bride's front door three times, calling and inviting, to show his sincerity and steadfastness. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

The well-prepared Thetis gently opened the door and, accompanied by Athena and Artemis, stepped out.

Seeing the two bridesmaids flanking him on each side, Luo En couldn't help but twitch his eyelids, as the unforgettable two days and one night seemed to flash before his eyes...

"My lady, you should really keep your two girlfriends apart in the future. They certainly had no qualms about using your chariot, just standing up and stomping down!

While Luo En silently grumbled to himself internally, he turned to gaze at his soon-to-be wife, his eyes revealing a trace of amazement.

Today, Thetis was dressed in a long white gown with gold patterns embroidered on the fabric, her head adorned with a flower crown woven from grape leaves. In her hands, she held wheat ears, symbolizing vitality and abundance, always reminding of the future happiness and prosperity.

Her dignified and elegant aura brought out the full sense of a gentle and tender wife.

Feeling the slightly hot gaze upon her, Thetis blushed and softly reminded,

"How long do you plan on looking? It's almost time."

Luo En, who was somewhat entranced, came back to his senses, apologized with a smile, and quickly gathered his thoughts. Taking Thetis's hand in his, he led her side by side towards the wedding venue.

The two bridesmaids left behind watched the couple snuggling up to each other ahead of them, suddenly feeling a bit jealous.

Let's just leave today to her. After all, we've already had our share of two days and one night.

The groom, very slick...

Athena and Artemis, upon this thought, revealed mischievous smiles and followed after them.

~~

Usually, the bride and groom would hold their wedding ceremony at an ancient temple in the area. In front of the Temple, a priest or a clergy member would perform prayers, beseeching deities for blessings and protection over their wedded bliss. Subsequently, the couple would exchange tokens representing the wedding covenant, symbolizing an everlasting promise and shared responsibilities.

However, since Luo En and Thetis were both amongst the ranks of deities, with the real gods already present at the spacious wedding venue, there really was no need to worship before statues in a temple.

Therefore, skipping this part of the ceremony, surrounded by friends and family, they walked over petals strewn on the ground to reach the cliffside wedding venue.

On one side was the azure Aegean Sea, and on the other, the towering War God Mountain, with the whole Acropolis of Athens visible below, offering broad vistas and breathtaking beauty.

Luo En and Thetis, hand in hand, stepped over a rope at the end of the marble staircase, officially entering the gates of the wedding venue.

The rope symbolized their entering a new phase of life and embarking on a new journey. This also signified that the couple would work together to overcome challenges in their life ahead.

At this moment, it was time for the guests to present their gifts to the couple, symbolizing their blessings and support for the newlyweds' life. The gifts could be gold, silver, jewelry, fine cloths, or items representing happiness and wealth; there were no specific requirements.

The straightforward God of Craftsmanship, Hephaestus, was the first to step forward and present his carefully prepared gift.

It was a shield, thick, large, and finely crafted, with a triple-layer bulge circling the edge, shining brilliantly, complementing the pure silver straps.

With five layers on its broad face, it bore a series of exquisite reliefs, imbued with his skill and craftsmanship.

He cast the earth, sky, sea, the untiring sun, and the full, round moon. The many constellations were like floral wreaths adorning the vault of heaven.

Moreover, the shield bore two bustling cities, rendered with stunning beauty.

One city depicted scenes of marriage and celebration, with friends leading the bride out of her chamber, walking along city streets with dazzling torches, marching to the melody of wedding songs. The Three Graces moved quickly and started dancing joyously to the sound of the Nine Muses' firm-playing lutes; the attending gods and mortals gazed admiringly and blessedly, perfectly corresponding to the scene currently unfolding in Athens.

The other city was like an orchard conquered by grapevines, the reliefs on the shield having golden fruit representing ripe, purple grapes sprawling on silver frameworks. A boundless storm hovered over the city, with gods roaring and stars falling, highlighting the air of the apocalypse.

But this vine-filled city was enjoying peace. People left their shelters to pick grapes. Groups of girls and young men, with youthful innocence, filled baskets woven from willow branches with ripe, sweet fruit and drank deeply of wine; among them, a young man plucked a clear-sounding harp, playing an enchanting tune and singing long poems from the "Sacred Words" with an expressive voice, sounding beautiful; everyone joined in the chorus, singing joyfully and stepping lively to the rhythm.

Without saying, Luo En guessed that this city was none other than Thebes, which he saved during the godly war.

Finally, the mighty currents of the Sea of Okeanos surged along the indestructible shield's rim, with the outermost pattern representing Chaos barely visible, enveloping the entire shield and the entire "World" represented on its face.

Looking at this exquisite shield, brimming with intense divine essence, Luo En asked instinctively.

"What is this?"

The God of Craftsmanship, Hephaestus, responded with a hearty laugh and a proud answer.

"Dionysus Cosmos, of course, you can also call it 'The Little World that Surrounds the Heavens.'"