——God of Light and Prophecy, Apollo!
Almost the instant he saw the dazzling young man at the door, Luo En confirmed his identity.
There was no helping it, there were only so few male chief gods on Olympus that they could be counted on one hand.
Given his close relationship with Artemis and the standard silver bow and arrows, plus this peacock-like grandeur, he was most likely the legendary brother-in-law.
At this moment, the Apollo outside the door and the Athena inside were both so angry they almost seemed to seep ink from their faces.
Seeing that something was amiss, Luo En quickly interjected between the enthusiastically welcoming hunting goddess and made frantic eye signals to remind her of the occasion. Meanwhile, he managed to keep a polite smile and made a ritual inquiry in an attempt to divert the topic.
"Lady Artemis, Lord Apollo, what brings you both to Knossos City?"
Finally, Artemis noticed the subtle atmosphere around her, and as if waking from a dream, she quickly distanced herself from Luo En, returning to her poised stance and began to explain with a smile.
"It was Athena who invited us. She mentioned that there was a grand celebration happening on Crete Island, and that it was very lively, with some fine entertainment to follow. We happened to be free recently, so we decided to come and see."
The hunting goddess patiently answered the question, but her eyes did not glance at her accompanying brother nor at Athena, who had extended the invitation and was playing host. Her gaze remained fixed on someone else the whole time.
Gradually, a flash of irritation crossed the handsome face of Apollo, and he stepped forward, placing himself in front of Artemis, and asked coldly.
"Where is Aunt Hestia? Isn't this her home? And who are you? How come you're here?"
A scrutinizing glance was cast, filled with sternness and an underlying displeasure and hostility.
"He is a lesser deity newly recruited by my aunt, and, like you, is also a distinguished guest of Crete Island."
Athena quickly came forward with a smile, calmly responding.
Though the voice of the Goddess of Wisdom was soft and gentle, the message within was firm, exuding an authoritative presence that brooked no doubt.
The reprimanded Apollo paused for a moment, his innate arrogance dimming slightly as he reevaluated Luo En, still with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
"A new lesser deity recruited by my aunt? Why haven't I heard of this?"
At that moment, the Goddess of the Hearth, awakened by the noise outside the door, came downstairs rubbing her bleary eyes, and bluntly huffed.
"Hey, Apollo, what business is it of yours whom I recruit? Do I have to report it to you first?"
"Aunt Hestia, how could that be? I was merely concerned about you."
Upon seeing her, Apollo immediately put on a smile, hurriedly explained in a soft and genteel manner, his movements were graceful, making one feel as if bathed in the warmth of spring.
Luo En, listening to this, couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Reciting poetry? Composing music?
So, the God of Light was also an artistic youth?
But indeed, offering poems and music to the Goddess of the Hearth was like casting pearls before swine.
"To be honest, I moved out of Olympus and fled to Crete Island just to escape their annoying antics."
As Hestia continued to share her past in the kitchen, she began to complain about her equally unruly landlord.
"Athena knew all about it and still dared to let that guy in, wait until I deal with her later!"
Realizing that this stand-off was not the way to go, the Goddess of the Hearth, who had gradually picked up bad habits from someone, decisively added a few more spoonfuls of salt to the newly prepared dishes.
Moments later, the new meal was served, and after eating a few bites, the muscles in the faces of the three chief gods in the living room twitched slightly. They promptly put down their cutlery, ending the long and oppressive meal, ready to get to the main point.
"The weather is nice today, how about we go hunting together?" Athena suggested first.
"Sure!" Artemis and Apollo looked at each other and nodded happily.
Then, Athena turned to Hestia in the kitchen, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"It's rare for us to gather, how about you join us, Aunt?"
Being cooped up at home for so long, Hestia was somewhat tempted and immediately pulled Luo En along with her, nodding her head.
"Alright, Luo En and I will come along to have a look too!"
Seeing Hestia holding the hand of the newly promoted Lesser Deity with an intimate gesture as she walked out of the kitchen, a shadow fell over Apollo's sunny face, and his gaze toward Luo En was quite hostile.
Similarly, detecting the undisguised enmity from his young uncle time and again, Luo En couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
In the pantheon of Greek gods, Apollo represented absolute rationality, in contrast to the irrational madness embodied by Dionysus, the God of Wine. The Greeks believed that following Apollo's rationality would lead to a better life, whereas falling into the madness of the God of Wine was an excellent way to break free from constraints and shackles.
At the same time, the political stance of the Apollo sect in Delphi City, advocating for aristocracy, was in sharp contrast to the populist approach championed by the Dionysian Sect.
Clearly, he and this young uncle were naturally at odds.
Whether it was ideology or interests...
Luo En's gaze swept over Artemis and Hestia, his eyes flickering with deep thought.
Funny, I'm not too fond of you either, dear uncle...