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The next day, early morning, within Knossos Palace.
Hestia, treating King Minos, stood by the bed, carefully examining the patient before her.
Silent by her side were Princess Ariadne, Little Medusa, and Luo En, patiently awaiting the outcome as the atmosphere grew gradually more somber.
But after all, she was like a duck forced onto a perch, and shortly after, the Goddess of the Hearth shook her head in frustration,
"This is difficult..."
Upon hearing this, Princess Ariadne still held out some hope.
"Is there really no other way? Please think again!"
With a sigh, Hestia helplessly muttered, showing an expression of being unable to assist.
"The divine blood has almost burned out, the soul nearing withering. It's only the unspent vitality of the body that allows him to barely hang on. I'm out of options."
"But..."
Princess Ariadne was about to speak again when King Minos, looking even older than the day before, coughed softly, interrupting his daughter's query.
"No more words needed, mortals must eventually die. I'm well aware of the state of my body. To have held on this long is already a mercy from the goddess; there's no need to waste time on this."
Princess Ariadne pursed her lips, her gaze filled with sorrow and a touch of reluctance, "Father..."
King Minos gently patted his daughter's shoulder in comfort, then turned to look at Hestia beside him, managing a sheepish smile on his weathered face, "While I do not fear death, I still have much left unresolved. So might you grant me a bit more time?"
Hestia, already feeling somewhat guilty for not being able to help, nodded immediately and promised, "No problem, I'll find a way to help you adjust your body. As long as you avoid physical confrontations, you can live comfortably for a few more months!"
Hearing this slightly regretful response, King Minos let out a relieved, albeit wry, laugh.
He had been prepared to not last even seven days; the prospect of several months felt like a luxury.
The time left for him to prepare was now so ample it was almost bewildering.
However, the inability to engage in combat was a significant inconvenience.
He had intended to resolve the issue before letting go, but it seemed he would have to do as that bastard said and leave problems for his successors.
After a moment of thought, King Minos looked up at the figure standing before the bed, and spoke earnestly.
"I have an impertinent request. I want you to become the new king of Crete Island!"
Surprised by this sudden entrustment, Luo En involuntarily twitched his eyelid and quickly coughed in rejection.
"Uh, that might not be appropriate. I don't understand any of this..."
"Being admired by a goddess and handling various difficult problems with ease hardly speaks of ignorance."
"Don't worry, you're not going to die yet, I guarantee you'll be hopping around until the very end! Let's solve the problem at hand first; it's not time to think about that sort of thing yet!"
"Ah, right, right!"
Little Medusa tensed her little face and followed up tightly, combining their efforts in a combo technique.
Finally, after the two's persistent persuasion, King Minos began to dismiss the idea.
"Indeed, being so hasty is indeed disrespectful. We should wait for the goddess to return and then formally consult her..."
Hearing King Minos make such a reasonable choice, the two figures of varying stature nodded in agreement.
"However..."
But as the conjunction loomed, their hearts leapt to their throats once again.
"My body is no longer well-suited to manage affairs of state, so we need someone capable of bearing the burden, and right now there's only..."
King Minos in the bed seemed worried, his eyes involuntarily drifting towards the scribe, as if wanting to raise the issue again.
"Even if he doesn't take over, he could still help you share the burden, right? After all, Anna is the goddess's envoy, and he is Anna's brother and the man favored by the goddess. As long as everything is the will of the goddess, whether personal or official, it will be the best arrangement. With your approval, nobody will object!
And things have come this far; isn't he already the one?"
Hearing this clear and logical argument, Luo En looked at Hestia, who stood beside the bed speaking confidently, with astonishment in his eyes.
Isn't she intermittently brain-deficient? When did she get so clever?
By this time, King Minos on the bed was also persuaded and made a decision on the spot.
"That seems reasonable. I will hand over the affairs to the temple and have Ariadne transfer them to you. Whatever needs to be done, just command them to carry it out!"
As he spoke, the old man looked seriously at his daughter, solemnly advising her.
"Ariadne, support the scribe during this time, follow his instructions. He is the man chosen by the goddess for Crete Island; treat him with the same respect as you would the goddess."
"Yes, father!"
Ariadne obediently agreed, nodding seriously, and quickly slipped into the role she needed to play.
"Then, I'll go get the matters that need to be transferred, and the files awaiting processing, for the scribe's review."
"I'll help too!"
Little Medusa quickly followed behind Princess Ariadne.
Soon, the previously noisy bedroom was strangely silent.
In the blink of an eye, Luo En, having been elevated to the uncrowned king of Crete Island and the prospective son-in-law to King Minos, looked solemnly at the instigator of the turmoil.
Hestia shrunk back, her face holding a stiff smile, her gaze filled with a resentful light as she watched the two figures moving away from the doorway, murmuring regretfully in her heart.
Darn, I was too slow...