Chapter 477 - 133: Twilight
High above, a divine light raced across the sky, heading straight for Eryxis from afar.
At that moment, Poseidon, pierced by the Golden Arrow, had nothing else in his heart but an intense love for Demeter. Unable to bear any delay, the Sea Emperor made no attempt to hide his whereabouts, and openly flew towards the Great Temple at the northern edge of the city.
It was the first, and so far the largest, temple that the citizens of Eryxis had built for the Goddess of Agriculture. Or rather, so far it was only its core that had been completed; the rest was still under construction.
The main reason such an important building was located outside the city rather than within was that the city center was already occupied by the palace.
The abode of the gods naturally wouldn’t yield to that of humans, but razing the palace would take far too long. So, to the north of the city, people had chosen the best location and planned to use it as the center for the expansion of Eryxis.
In the future capital, the original city would become the Southern District, with the Temple being the true center. King Cleius had no objections to this and even expressed his approval.
Thus, unbeknownst to them, a convention that would be passed down through future generations was established. Although later cities rarely placed temples at their center, the Southern District did indeed become the residence of the upper class. Over time, it became an established cultural norm.
Of course, the future was still far off. At present, without fear of famine, mortals were busily engaged in construction, building an earthly symbol for the Goddess of Agriculture.
Tens of thousands of people gathered here, working day and night on the ground and on the domes of the building, ensuring that the grandly designed temple changed a little every day.
Until today, when a tall deity with blue hair approached from the south, crashing directly through the temple walls from the sky.
He headed for where Demeter’s presence was, and for a moment, the aura of the deities collided, with Poseidon’s laughter ringing out in all directions. Although both gods were wary and did not use their full divine power, the sacred force of demigod level already began to lean outwards.
Almost in an instant, even without any direct conflict between the two gods, that invisible pressure almost suffocated the nearby craftsmen.
A few working at higher elevations even fell directly, splattering blood in a series of dull thuds.
"Hahaha... My sister, it’s been too long."
"You’re still so beautiful—or rather, you’ve become even more beautiful!"
Completely unconcerned about those bothersome mortals, Poseidon strode into the inner sanctuary.
The Golden Arrow from Volos indeed ignited an intense love in his heart, but it did not entirely change who he was. The Sea Emperor would express ’love’ in his own way, not taking the Goddess of Agriculture’s words as sacrosanct.
And quite obviously, Poseidon’s expression of emotion couldn’t be clearer—if I want it, I will take it by force.
"Poseidon? What are you doing here?"
At first startled, then regaining her composure, Demeter frowned at her brother’s impudence. She had been resting but was now well aware of the commotion outside. Because of Poseidon’s arrival, her temple, not yet fully built, had already been stained with blood—the goddess didn’t really care about the lives of those common craftsmen, but their behavior left her feeling dishonored.
"Are you here to plead Zeus’s case?"
"If so, you’re going to be disappointed... My demand has been the same from the beginning, which is for Hades to return Persephone."
Her tone was harsh. Previously, her pleasant time in the Mortal Realm had alleviated some of the Goddess of Agriculture’s distress, but Poseidon’s arrival reminded her of all these things.
It wasn’t just her daughter’s ordeal—she herself was similarly disregarded by her powerfully combative brothers. Just as with Zeus and Hades, Poseidon was no different...
Engrossed in her own feelings, Demeter waved her hand, signaling that Poseidon could leave.
She had been quite relaxed recently and thus failed to notice the increasingly infatuated gaze of Poseidon. The Goddess of Agriculture clearly had not expected that, at this time when she caused a natural disaster, someone would dare to do anything to her.
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But soon enough, the goddess realized her mistake. Poseidon not only did not leave but instead approached her with a smile.
"You think too much, my sister. Why would I come to persuade you... What do Zeus’s affairs have to do with me, when humans at sea only need good catches to live on?"
"What truly brought me here... was you—"
Jolted with alarm, Demeter abruptly looked up, only to see Poseidon’s face dangerously close. Seeing the heat in his eyes, she knew immediately what he intended to do.
In her panic, the Goddess of Agriculture transformed in an instant and turned into a streak of light that flashed out of the temple.
"Is it another chase game then? But where can you flee? You’d better run faster, hahaha..."
With a laugh, Poseidon soared in pursuit. As a result, another huge hole was smashed in the dome of the Great Temple, and the people of Eryxis City could only see two streaks of light—one brown and one blue—tear through the sky and depart, leaving behind a scene of disarray.
Once the deities had left, the pressure on the ground lifted. Shortly after, two figures hurried from the direction of the city—King Cleius and his eldest son, Triptolemos.