But the one before them now, despite being so weak as to be negligible, was far closer to the Sun itself than Helios.
A harsh shout came, Leto's undisguised approach had finally been discovered. Two human guards lifted their torches high, and under the glow of the fire, Leto's figure was seen by them.
An unknown female, perhaps some kind of elf, or maybe even a deity or demigod. For a moment, the two guards became anxious; they did not know why this stranger had come nor what she intended to do here.
However, across from them, the goddess paid no heed to the mortals' reactions. She simply stepped forward, revealing her own divine essence, and then she spoke loudly:
"Stand down, I am Leto, daughter of Coeus and Phoebe, descendant of Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, a naturally great and born deity. Mortals, I command you to prepare food and a chamber for me immediately, as is your proper tribute to the gods."
As her words ended, Leto quietly awaited the mortals' prostration and worship, which was unquestionable, even if they were followers of other deities, they would still bow to the true form of another god.
But after a brief moment, the goddess became angry when she realized that not only did these humans show no intention of prostrating themselves before her, but they were also making the opposite move.
One ran back, seemingly to notify someone, while the other kept a wary eye on her.
Seeing this, a nameless rage surged in her heart. Leto could not believe that after being persecuted by the Heavenly Empress, rejected by the gods, even the lowly mortals now dared to act this way towards her?
"Mortal, I give you one last chance. Although your attitude has already made me forgo rewarding you, if you choose to repent now, I can still forgive your offense."
With a cold laugh, Leto warned once more. Humans are treasures to gods, but those before her were not her own treasures. Thus, in order to avoid provoking another unknown deity at such a juncture, she had yet to directly punish these shallow believers.
To prevent these humans from having never heard of her before, the pressure belonging to a deity was unabashedly exerted by the goddess. If it were not upon the surface of the Earth, such pressure could itself crush the mortals before her.
The air trembled slightly, the divine oppression even slightly affecting matter, but the result once again infuriated Leto, as the human not only failed to bow to her but instead raised his weapon.
Who did he think he was, a servant daring to draw a sword against his master!
With a cold snort, Leto no longer hesitated; such humans, even if killed, would not be a concern to any god. After all, regardless of the situation, they were all of the Deity Race.
Just like in later eras, during the age of great seafaring, when humans came to the new world, they slaughtered the natives by day, yet by night, they were good husbands and good neighbors. The benevolence of most people ultimately extended only to their own kind, not to the 'uncivilized' others they saw.
So, removing her golden bracelet, Leto casually threw it forward. Under the transcendently powerful force inherent to a divine body, the gold streaked through the air almost in the blink of an eye, striking directly at the guard's body.
However, with the sound of a collision, the guard remained unscathed. A silver light covered the surface of his body, and instead, the bracelet itself was repelled and flew away.
First startled, then abruptly turning around. That was where the power came from, saving the human just now; Leto was about to question the comer, but she froze in place the next moment.
There, two figures, one red, one white, were slowly walking their way.
"So, the presence you sensed comes from her?"
Having casually saved the human's life, Hecate did not spare him a glance; the Goddess of the Magic Net cared not for the life or death of a stranger. She did so half because of the familiar essence deep within the dwelling, and half because of that woman.
Encountering each other here was somewhat unexpected for her. Although many years had passed, Hecate still remembered certain events quite clearly.
"...Yes, do you know her? If the relationship is not good... then let's go."
Noticing that the atmosphere was a bit odd, Selene, standing aside, said quietly. Despite her tall figure that made her seem like an elder to the red-clothed witch, the Moon goddess's voice was as feeble as ever.
"Leave? That's not necessary, but I do indeed know her, even if—"
Holding onto Selene standing by her side, Hecate suddenly had an enigmatic smile on her lips.
She looked at the black-robed goddess opposite her, and on her side, Leto's gaze held disbelief and avoidance.
"She's probably my 'relative,' Selene, to be more precise, she's my 'aunt,' hmm, although—"
The words paused momentarily, then Hecate continued with a smile:
"—although, she only was for one day."