Just as a certain queen of heaven was growing engrossed in a coercive game, urgent knocking and a familiar phrase emanated from outside the door.
"Luo En, someone insists on seeing you, and we can't stop them,"
As the game seemed to have triggered a hidden plot, Hera turned her head intriguingly to ask on behalf of Luo En.
Outside, Medusa subconsciously answered, "It's the Craftsman God Hephaestus and Tethys. They have come together to discuss wedding matters,"
"..." Hera's face, previously bubbling with excitement, instantly solidified, her body stiffened.
"Oh, don't bother announcing us; we're almost like family. I just came to visit Luo En since it's nothing urgent; let me see if he's inside,"
At that moment, a rough voice came from outside. A somewhat hunched figure, dragging his characteristic limp, approached Medusa and reached out to push open the tightly closed doors of the temple.
Behind him, an elegant figure exuding a misty marine air also stepped onto the steps.
Hearing the doors begin to creak, Hera's soul nearly fled. In a sweeping glance, she dove under the desk in frantic haste.
"Make sure they don't find out I'm here; find a way to send them off first!"
Watching the queen of heaven dive under the tablecloth, Hephaestus, wearing a full smile, and the bride-to-be Tethys, who followed, entered the door. Luo En, responsible for blocking the front of the desk, appeared utterly resigned, an inevitable thought popping into his head.
"Should we just destroy it? Quick!"
The visible dismay caused Hephaestus to pause slightly as he entered.
"What's wrong with you? You look quite ill, and your expression is off,"
"Ahem, it's because the workload is too much,"
Medusa stepped forward, coughing lightly as she explained on behalf of Luo En.
"As you know, the war among the gods just ended. Although the chief gods are asleep as promised, the Mortal World has been ravaged by war and is in desperate need of replenishment. Many matters require personal handling, especially now in Athens, which cannot do without people,"
Tethys nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
Having once lived on War God Mountain, she had witnessed firsthand the cultural, artistic, entertainment, educational, and culinary advancements and developments that surpassed the era in Athens. She could also sense, with her wisdom, how different and important this city-state was for the human world.
And to maintain this glory, cooperation between the Athenians and the gods of War God Mountain was necessary.
Now, as Athena, Hestia, Themis, and Mnemosyne, the original four leaders of War God Mountain, had fallen into sleep for various reasons, Luo En, as the secretary of Crete Island and a spokesman with deep connections to these chief gods, had to step forward to manage the situation.
The enormous workload concentrated on him alone inevitably led to some overexertion.
Realizing this, Tethys looked at the inexplicably haggard figure and the mountain of files behind him, feeling somewhat heartbroken.
"Why don't you sit down and rest for a while?"
As Tethys said this and was about to step forward to help,
Seeing the chair behind the desk, Luo En seemed as if a switch had been flipped, involuntarily shivering and hastily shaking his head to decline Tethys's kind gesture.
"No need, I can hold on!"
What a joke; three were already stuffed below, and if he sat down, he might be torn in half by those lionesses clutching at his thighs in no time.
However, it was strange that the three of them hadn't fought on the spot...
Luo En, looking at the stable desk, inner thoughts quietly surfaced, a faint hope reignited in his heart.
Maybe, there's still hope for me?
With that, he perked up and forced a smile full of apology to the visiting Tethys.
"I'm sorry, as you can see, trivial matters abound, and I can't properly host you,"
"It's okay, I understand,"
Tethys spoke softly, her tone gentle, embodying the demeanor of a virtuous wife and mother.
"After all, I just came to see you and had no urgent business,"
"To ensure our wedding goes ahead as scheduled, I will definitely sort out these matters that need resolution as quickly as possible!"
Luo En assured fervently, revealing his hard-working intentions.
In truth, his arduous work was to stabilize the order in Athens, preventing any mishaps in the upcoming wedding.
A labor of love, visible to heaven and earth.
However, complications arose during the execution. Athena, Artemis, and Hera—those romantic debts he had incurred earlier—all showed up at his door, coincidentally mixing together, creating a situation tough to escape.
"Well, you be busy then," Tethys gently nodded, then placed the snacks and gifts she brought from home on the table, showing great understanding.
Hephaestus, on the other hand, scratched his head in resignation, feeling somewhat dejected.
"Looks like we won't be drinking,"
Upon hearing this, Luo En broke into a sudden laugh.
"That's simple, War God Mountain has plenty of divine brews, and there's a batch of this year's fresh brew. I'll have Medusa take you to get it, I guarantee it will satisfy!"
It wasn't just him, the God of Wine, but also many core members of the Dionysian Sect who resided permanently in Athens; they were naturally adept at brewing, and their accumulated stock over the years would definitely treat Hephaestus well.
Despite that, Hephaestus still felt slightly regretful.
"Even with good wine, it's only enjoyable when drunk with the right company,"