As everyone's attention turned to him, Hephaestus solemnly introduced his proudest creation.
The material for this shield came from the very chains that had bound Zeus in battle before he shattered them. Although they were but remnants, the metal that remained at the scene had absorbed the divine power of Zeus and the pantheon of gods during the fierce combat, making it exceedingly precious.
Therefore, Hephaestus collected these remnants, expending great effort to forge this divine shield specifically for Luo En, who was soon to marry Thetis.
With his masterful skills, this god of craftsmanship inscribed the sun, the moon, the stars, and all phenomena of the universe onto the shield, along with two city scenes significant to Luo En's life.
By stirring the divine power and calling upon it with his mind, Luo En, as the wielder, would be able to reconstruct time and space within a certain area, unfolding a "miniature world" under the encompassment of the vast sky for defense.
Theoretically, this divine armament's performance was no less than that of the two Aegis Shields; only an attack powerful enough to tear apart the world could barely affect it.
Upon hearing Hephaestus's explanation, the gods couldn't help but show their envy.
Being compared with the Aegis Shields held by Athena and Zeus was sufficient to demonstrate the strength of this divine armament.
As the recipient of the gift and having seen numerous divine artifacts, Luo En was also deeply moved.
"Isn't this too valuable?"
"Take it! A weapon is created to be used!"
Hephaestus unceremoniously pushed the divine shield into Luo En's hands, then lifted his sturdy right arm and heavily patted the shoulder of the man who was about to become his "father-in-law," speaking solemnly.
"Besides, I'm not giving you this for nothing. I hope you can use the shield to protect my foster mother, who truly is the precious treasure I entrust to you!"
Upon hearing such a solemn charge from the unsightly, lame man, all the gods present were visibly moved.
Hera, officiating the wedding from the stage, looked at this son whom she had once discarded like an old shoe, only to be picked up by Thetis, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
If she had not abandoned him, perhaps she too could have had such a dearly beloved relative who valued familial bonds.
Maybe in such a situation, it would have been her standing there receiving this goodwill.
At that moment, after a brief silence, Luo En came to his senses, raised his hand to hold Hephaestus's furry arm, and earnestly made a promise.
Hearing that firm response, the god of craftsmanship nodded in satisfaction, turned, and walked back to join the guests, leaving the stage to others.
As the Muses recited their pieces, gods lined up according to the registration order and successively brought forward their carefully prepared wedding gifts for the couple.
Hera's gift was her holy object, the pomegranate, with a blessing of "fertility," ensuring the couple would extend their bloodline soon and enjoy many children and blessings;
Athena's gift was a pair of adorable owl chicks, not just as pets, but also as messengers for couple communication; whether they had other purposes, the goddess of wisdom did not say;
Artemis's gift was two carefully selected hunting dog puppies, seeming similar in nature to Athena's gift; whether the two had coordinated beforehand was unknown;
Then, Apollo, Aphrodite, and other rebel Olympus main gods stepped up one by one.
In the divine battle three days ago, they mostly owed Luo En a favor, so they naturally weren't stingy, mostly presenting weapons, musical instruments, and various divine symbols.
However, with Hephaestus's exceptional gift beforehand, their presents seemed somewhat lackluster.
Reluctantly, the orthodox main gods of Olympus, led by Zeus, constrained by the limitations set by the Three Fates, could only begrudgingly hand over their gifts.
Yet, their offerings were noticeably meager, clearly exhibiting perfunctory effort.
Without a chance to find fault, Luo En maintained a professional, courteous smile and smoothly completed the formalities.
After the Olympus gods, the ocean deities, led by the elderly Nereus, presented their gifts.
As true relatives, his father Nereus and his sister, Queen of the Sea Amphitrite, were quite generous, bringing numerous specialties from the Sea of Okeanos.
However, due to their self-preserving actions during Thetis's betrothal incident which had deeply hurt her, Thetis felt somewhat cold hearted.
Therefore, regarding her father's and sister's well-intentions, she merely maintained a polite gratitude, their interactions tinged with subtle distance.
Nereus and Queen of the Sea, knowing their fault, reservedly retreated back into the crowd after presenting their gifts, hoping that time would mend the fractures in their familial relationships.
Finally appearing were the brothers, God of Death and God of Sleep, from the Netherworld, and Melinoe, daughter of the Underworld King.
Since Hecate's mishap and capture, this unrestrained daughter of the Underworld King seemed to have been thriving, strutting around with an air of disregard for all, with even the esteemed twin gods of the Netherworld merely tagging along behind her to save face.
However, upon seeing Luo En's vaguely smiling face, Melinoe involuntarily shuddered, hurriedly squeezing out a smile and cautiously approached.
"My father and mother asked me to give this to you."
With that, the daughter of the Underworld King waved her hand, and the God of Death and God of Sleep stepped forward to present their gift boxes.