The special fruit would still need a day or two to ripen, and outside the not yet constructed city, the figure of the black-robed goddess had already disappeared without a trace.
Since Leto had agreed to the request, Hecate had, as promised, fulfilled her commitment, which was not difficult for her. The Goddess of the Magic Net simply extended her slender fingers and made a slight gesture in the void, and some kind of shackle was silently unlocked.
Once, upon ascending to the throne, Zeus had promised that he would grant Hecate the right to be independent of the Divine Court, that The Sky, the ocean, and the earth could not bind her. Though Hecate was not particularly concerned with this gift, she had nonetheless accepted it at the time.
Now, the Divine King's promise had finally found a use, albeit on his lover and the Heavenly Empress herself. The Queen of Gods' power stemmed from the Divine King, and Zeus's word was the same; the two just slightly collided, and the limitations set by Hera disappeared without form or trace.
Feeling a long-lost sense of relief, Leto couldn't wait to leave the place. If there were further delays, no one knew what Hera might do next, so no matter how the Heavenly Empress planned to cope, Leto was determined to give birth to the Divine King's firstborn today—an outcome now unchangeable.
"Hey, what's your name?"
After Leto had departed, the faithful Guard who had been dutifully stationed was finally remembered by the two goddesses left behind. Turning around, Hecate casually inquired.
"My name is Lorraine, Your Highnesses."
His enunciation was clear, and although Hecate had just helped him, the Guard named Lorraine still firmly adhered to his duties.
"Our leader will be here shortly, please wait a moment."
In response to Lorraine's reply, Hecate merely nodded, for she sensed a familiar presence swiftly approaching their location.
Indeed, in just a short while, accompanied by the sound of the air being torn, Cohen's figure appeared there.
"Lorraine, that deity is... you?"
His expression was somewhat surprised, as the person who had gone back to report had not described it this way.
He had told Cohen that a woman claiming to be a Titan Deity had arrived here, and her demeanor was not friendly—given the human survivors' experience of a world-ending flood, one could imagine their perception of the old gods. No one thought Leto harbored good intentions, which was why the two Guards were so vigilant earlier.
However, the scene before him clearly differed, Cohern could assure himself, Hecate definitely was not one of the Titans.
"Hmm, it's me, it's been a long time indeed, but speaking of which, Uncle Cohen, do you have a place to stay here?"
Waving her hand, Hecate was not at all reserved.
"I'm going to wait here for my 'reward,' and of course, I can help you build this place as a thank-you for my temporary stay—You wouldn't refuse me, would you?~"
After a moment of silence, looking at the red-skirted girl who had never changed, Cohen nodded his head.
It was not the first time the two had met since Hecate left the foot of Mount Othrys, but Cohen still did not know what to say. Perhaps it was because he used to care for her by the god's decree, yet was forbidden to communicate with her, Cohen had gradually become accustomed to listening to her talk while he remained silent.
However, recalling the divine oracle Nuo had received earlier, he turned to look at Selene beside him, and this sudden attention made the Moon goddess involuntarily step back, as if she had forgotten her years of witchcraft training.
"What are you going to do?"
"The human leader, also the unanimously elected High Priest, has received a divine oracle that today, two Moon goddesses would come here, and the Lord's Angel has brought a gift for each of them."
While the whereabouts of the other Moon goddess were still unknown, the one before him was undoubtedly one of them.
"Come with me; it's modest, but this is all we have for now."
Passing through the gate between wooden fences, the human settlement was revealed before the two goddesses. As Cohen had said, it indeed appeared quite rudimentary.
The ground was merely compacted, with no defined roads or dwellings. Instead of resembling a city, the place seemed more like a temporary encampment. Since the population was small, the living area was also not extensive, and it didn't take long for Hecate to encounter Nuo.
Overseeing the team, organizing tasks, after several years of experience, Nuo had transformed from a young man of only faith and goodwill into a competent leader. He was dressed in a white Ceremonial Robe, approaching the two goddesses from afar.
"Are you their leader?"
Curiously observing her surroundings, what caught Hecate's eye the most was The Temple atop the sea cliff.
"I thought Uncle Cohen was still in charge here, like with the Golden Humanity; you don't look much like a fighter. And compared to the past Humans, you seem quite different. At least their reaction to seeing a deity was not like yours."
"'Leader' is merely a title. Maybe it's because I'm more acquainted with them. As for the difference in attitude—the people of old did not truly understand what they called 'god.' They believed gods to be lofty and grand, beyond their reach, but the great flood made the survivors see the true nature of most who claimed to be deities."
Smiling, Nuo spoke gently, as if he had forgotten he was conversing with a deity.