Under the dark veil of the Goddess of Night, Nyx, Mount Hymettus was unusually silent.
Of course, the silence was brief. By tomorrow morning, when Apollo's sun chariot slices through the sky, everything will be lively once more.
...
In a quiet valley of the Hymettus Mountains stood a two-story building made of white marble.
In the light of the candles, a small figure was busily moving around the room.
Ino sat in the first-floor hall, smiling as he watched the amusing scene before him.
Helena, like a little hamster, was bustling around, carrying various cherished items: broken statues, old wooden boxes, and all sorts of miscellaneous items...
Ino didn't use magic to help Helena because he understood the joy of moving into a new home lay in this simple busyness.
Just as he once felt joy moving from under a bridge to Hogsmeade, crafting furniture with his own hands, and decorating his room.
Fortunately, Helena didn't have many belongings. As time passed slowly, the last linen awning was dragged into the room, marking the end of the moving process.
"Take a break and come have something to eat."
Ino opened a suitcase, taking out some cheese, an assortment of Honeydukes candies, and a small barrel of butterbeer.
Hearing his call, Helena obediently came over.
Standing by the table, the girl didn't touch the exquisite-looking food. Instead, her small hands nervously intertwined.
"Aguamenti!"
...
A quarter of an hour later.
Helena was no longer a dirty little girl.
In a clean and neat linen dress, she looked tidy and fresh. The only flaw in her appearance was perhaps her face.
Not that she was ugly, but she was overly plain. Especially with her jewel-like violet eyes, she always seemed a bit out of place.
However, Ino was satisfied with this plain appearance.
In Greek mythology, beauty is original sin! Regardless of gender, too many people suffer tragedies because of their beauty.
An ordinary and plain appearance often becomes a true charm.
...
In the room, Helena happily munched on various candies.
Even while eating, she didn't forget to chat: "Who exactly are you a priest of? The goddess of harvest? The sun god?"
Hearing the old topic brought up again, Ino waved his hand helplessly.
"I've told you, I'm not a priest of any deity. You can think of me as a wizard."
"You are a priest!" Helena said with a somewhat serious expression.
"Suit yourself! But after you finish eating, go to bed early. Tomorrow I'll take you to Athens to tell stories. Your task is to watch and listen."
Ino said as he stood up and walked towards the room inside.
As for Helena's misunderstanding, he didn't plan to explain anything.
After all, in an age where gods manifest, many people's perceptions are not easily changed.
...
At the same time.
In the nearby city of Athens, in a white marble palace.
Several maids in linen dresses carefully surrounded a similarly aged beautiful girl, treating her like the moon surrounded by stars.
The girl stood barefoot on the floor, her fair skin faintly glowing in the candlelight, and her elegant dress appearing somewhat hazy.
Behind the girl stood a nearly 10-meter-tall statue made entirely of ivory.
The statue wore a war helmet, donned a Greek dress, held a long spear in the right hand, and a round shield with relief carvings in the left hand.
After a while, the girl slowly spoke, her ethereal voice with a hint of mischief echoing in the temple:
"Heh, another god-favored person has come to Athens."
At this moment, the maids around her, hearing this unusual tone, became even more solemn.
...
In the Hymettus Mountains, in the silent valley before dawn.
Ino sat quietly on the grass, his eyes fixed on the eastern sky.
As time passed, the night gradually receded, and a faint white light appeared on the horizon.
At this moment, a streak of golden light suddenly appeared on the horizon, a sign of the imminent sunrise.
Seeing this, Ino couldn't help but squint his eyes. He had gotten up early specifically to wait for this moment before dawn.
With the first ray of sunlight rising in the east, the scenery on the ground was bathed in a faint golden hue.
The golden light gradually spread, completely dispelling the darkness and heralding the arrival of a new day.
At this moment, the whole world seemed to be bathed in this warm sunlight, everything appeared so vibrant.
In contrast to the vibrancy, Ino leaned back on his chair, feeling somewhat despondent.
Just a few minutes ago, in the first glimmer of dawn, he had vaguely seen a golden chariot.
Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, it shattered the last bit of luck in his heart.
"What are you looking at?" Hearing the voice from behind, Ino couldn't help but turn around.
Unbeknownst to him, Helena was already standing beside him, fully dressed.
"I'm watching the sunrise." Ino didn't hide it, nor did he need to.
"Sunrise? Only the god-favored can see the sun god's chariot." Helena looked at the sky in confusion.
...
Athens.
In a bustling market, a rare quiet corner appeared.
The small corner was crowded with onlookers. Although there were many people, there was no noise. Everyone quietly perked up their ears.
In the center of the crowd sat two figures, one large and one small.
"...There are millions of roses in the world, but even in a blooming rose garden, the Little Prince still missed his rose. At this moment, he understood what true love is..."
With the gentle melody of a harp, Ino slowly narrated the story of "The Little Prince."
It was a carefully chosen story. In such an era of gods, there was nothing safer than talking about love.
As the story came to an end, the highlight of the paid segment followed.
Ino slowly raised his head, looking around, and forced a slight smile.
Directly in front of him stood a girl in a white linen dress, while to the left was a handsome young man with refined features.
Likewise, among the crowd stood several onlookers with extraordinary looks and demeanor.