Hymettus Mountains.
In a small valley spanning several hundred meters, vibrant wildflowers of various colors bloomed. In the same valley, a small house made of white marble stood peacefully. Beside the house, several olive trees, each over six or seven meters tall and requiring a full embrace to encircle, were planted.
...
Inside the room.
Ino gently wiped the sweat off Helena's forehead with a towel and then turned his gaze to the basket full of freshly picked flowers she had brought back.
"Don't be in such a hurry. I forgot to tell you, not all flowers can be picked. For making flower pastries, we need specific, edible flowers."
"But they are all edible! I've eaten them all!" Helena looked at the basket earnestly.
She had indeed eaten them all. Not just the flowers, but also olives and many other things in the valley when she was hungry.
"Not anymore." Ino sighed softly as he looked into those bright violet eyes. He understood better than anyone what the simple statement "I've eaten them all" represented. Those who have never experienced extreme hunger cannot imagine what it's like to be so hungry that you can't sleep at night.
"Come! Let me first teach you how to crush the petals."
...
Time always moves forward silently.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. In peaceful times, people often fail to notice the passage of time and the changes around them. For instance, in Athens, a new bakery named "Flowers" had opened. The shop was located on a small street not far from the temple.
To be honest, this was an honor for anyone, but with honor comes a price. For example, this bakery was destined not to have many customers. Even though the shop was less than thirty square meters, Ino always felt a sense of emptiness as if it were in the wilderness. It was too quiet here. The people of Athens seemed to genuinely revere Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, which resulted in a serene environment around the temple. Even passersby would subconsciously lower their footsteps.
...
"Sigh!" Ino let out a light sigh. If he could, he wouldn't have opened the shop here. He wouldn't have opened a shop at all. He was destined to leave, and Helena alone wouldn't be able to support the shop. The shop would not only be of no benefit but also a burden. But sometimes, some things are beyond his control. Faced with an invitation from Athena, no one in all of Greece would dare refuse.
Time passed as he pondered.
After a while, there was a sound of light footsteps outside.
Ino looked up to see a small figure appearing at the door of the shop.
"Yay! I sold out again!" Helena walked into the shop with a happy face. As if to prove she was telling the truth, she immediately placed the small basket she carried on the table, along with a small pile of various coins.
"The period before the festival is the busiest time in Athens. We need to make more. I sold all the flower pastries before I even reached the market."
Helena analyzed in a mature manner, despite looking only about 7-8 years old, she always seemed more mature than her peers.
"Take a break! We can't make money endlessly." Ino picked up Helena and placed her on a chair.
"As your teacher, my responsibility is not only to teach you skills but also to instill in you the qualities to manage those skills."
Looking into her eyes, which sparkled like gemstones, he knew that in this world of gods, the key to survival was to remain quiet and avoid trouble.
"Helena, we can't be too greedy. As long as we don't go hungry, it's enough. Too much wealth will only invite disaster..."
Ino carefully explained the qualities of survival to Helena, but he was interrupted by a soft, mischievous voice.
"You should go to Mount Olympus and say these words so they can understand the consequences of greed."
At the door of the shop stood the girl who had previously stolen the coins.
Ino stood up from his chair and bowed slightly. He wasn't surprised by Athena's appearance, as he had seen her several times in the past half month. But what truly surprised him was that the goddess seemed to have some leisure time. However, no matter how leisurely she was, she was still one of the Twelve Olympian Gods, and he would never lack respect and proper etiquette.
"You flatter me. Mount Olympus is not a place for mortals like me."
Ino spoke humbly. His attitude towards the Greek gods was always to say little and do little, keeping a respectful distance. Because of this strategy, despite seeing Athena several times, things had gone smoothly without any trouble.
However...
Today's situation seemed a bit different.
He had been standing there for a while and hadn't heard her characteristic laughter.
"Are you afraid?" This time, the soft voice carried a hint of seriousness rather than mischief.
"If you are afraid, you shouldn't have stepped forward! You shouldn't have chosen a patron so early, nor should you have secretly gone to the Hymettus Mountains to establish a temple..."
Although her tone was calm, to Ino, it sounded like thunder on a clear day, almost knocking him off his feet.
Athena saw his reaction and couldn't help but laugh lightly.
"It seems you truly understand nothing! I don't know whether to pity you or laugh at you."
After a while.
"What do I need to understand?" Ino looked up, for the first time directly facing the girl in front of him.
As their eyes met, he could see her clearly. Although her beauty was like a piece of art, it lacked the majesty associated with the goddess of war.
"This isn't me!" As if seeing through his thoughts, the girl spoke again, but this time with a hint of annoyance in her tone.
"You possess divinity but lack the corresponding authority. Otherwise, do you think Apollo would have been so kind as to give you those coins?"
"After the festival, you can come to my temple. We have many things to discuss, such as the fact that the Hymettus Mountains actually belong to the territory of Athens..."
...
Perhaps due to anger or some other reason, Athena eventually left, but not before arranging a meeting at the temple after the festival.
Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Ino was dazed for a long time, unable to gather his thoughts.
He roughly understood the concept of divinity. The existence of the sanctuary itself was a miracle, not to mention other aspects. For instance, the Flame of Hope, ice and snow magic, stories from other worlds, the Black Swan Mage, or the Hendon Myre Lamp Bearer—these things could all be considered divine within the context of Greek mythology.
In summary, divinity was not hard to grasp.
But what really troubled him was the so-called 'temple'.
Building a house in the valley somehow became a temple? Whose temple is a two-story building?
Moreover, from Athena's tone, this temple seemed to be a problem since she clearly stated that the Hymettus Mountains belong to Athens.
Things were developing too quickly, catching him off guard.
"We are not afraid of her. The valley is mine! I came first!" Helena raised her small head, speaking earnestly.
Ino chuckled and ruffled Helena's short hair. This little girl probably didn't even realize who they had just faced.
She really thought it was like a market stall, where whoever arrived first claimed it.
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