The Little Golden Mouth

"Hm, you do have a point."

After hearing Hermes' analysis, Zeus pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Then let Apollo and Athena accompany you."

As the direct beneficiary, Apollo had to be involved.

Without Apollo taking the lead, even if they managed to take the Sun God position from Helios, Apollo would not be accepted as the new ruler among the gods of light.

A Sun God who cannot command all the gods of light is useless.

What Zeus wanted wasn't a figurehead. He needed Apollo to replace Helios in the ranks of the light gods and, at the same time, diminish the influence of the Titans.

"Athena, huh?"

Zeus actually wants Athena to go with them?

It seemed that Zeus still had some doubts about them after all.

Upon hearing Zeus' decision, Hermes couldn't help but mutter in his heart.

Athena, also known as the Goddess of Wisdom, was undoubtedly one of the best strategists among Zeus' children.

When it came to daughters, Athena was clearly the most favored by Zeus.

"Hm, having her go with us will make me feel more at ease," Zeus said, smiling at Hermes. He looked like a father concerned about his child, acting very kindly.

However, no one in the temple, including Hera, believed that Zeus' words came from genuine concern for his children.

But contrary to what they thought, Zeus had a very deep plan in mind for this situation.

Although, before imprisoning Prometheus, Zeus had received a prophecy saying that one of his sons would eventually overthrow his rule just as he did, he could not deny that, in the current situation, Apollo taking Helios' position as the Sun God was the only choice.

After all, compared to the future threat of his son overthrowing him, what Zeus couldn't tolerate was the Titans regaining power right under his nose.

"I must seize this opportunity to remove their power one by one!"

Having made up his mind, Zeus urged, "Alright, hurry up and find Athena."

"Wait, Father, why don't you let me go?"

Before Hermes could speak, Artemis, the Nature Goddess, couldn't hold herself back.

Artemis had a good relationship with Athena. She had no objections to Athena coming along to the Sun God temple. But what about Hermes?

As Apollo's closest sister, Artemis and Apollo, as twin gods, shared a unique bond and connection. But since Hermes' appearance, Artemis had noticed a subtle change. Apollo, who used to always be by her side, had started focusing more on Hermes, and naturally, his attention towards her had diminished.

Realizing this, Artemis began to feel a sense of crisis.

"Seems like Artemis is quite displeased with my going to the Sun God temple? I wonder if she's questioning my ability, or if she's dissatisfied with Father's decision."

As the atmosphere in the temple grew cold, Hermes spoke up.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the silent Zeus and the watching Hera. Hermes then restrained his smile and said calmly, "I am the messenger of the gods."

Just those few words immediately silenced Artemis' remaining objections.

He was the messenger of the gods, and it was his duty to convey Zeus' will to Helios. That was the core of Hermes' role.

Zeus didn't answer Artemis' question directly, but Hera, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke coldly after Hermes finished.

"Artemis, though you are one of the Olympian gods, this is the Hall of the Gods, and you cannot act recklessly here!"

Hera's unexpected words made both Artemis and Hermes pause.

Had the proud goddess changed her ways?

This question lingered in both their minds, but they quickly realized, no, of course not.

Hermes' eyes flickered as he quickly read the meaning behind Hera's words.

Hera wasn't a benevolent goddess. Normally, she would never miss an opportunity to strike at Zeus' illegitimate children.

Now, though she appeared to be supporting Hermes, her true intent was to incite Artemis' dissatisfaction with him.

It was the old tactic of making the conflict between Artemis and Hermes escalate while Hera sat back and reaped the benefits.

"Alright, everyone be quiet."

At first, Zeus had been ignoring the conflict between his two children, seemingly enjoying the internal discord. But with Hera now involved, Zeus could no longer remain silent. He had to intervene.

"I will complete the task with no problem," Hermes said, understanding Zeus' intentions. He nodded toward the king of the gods, but then added, "However, Father, there's something I think I should point out."

"You may speak."

Zeus gestured for Hera to stop trying to intervene and looked at Hermes with a calm gaze.

"In my opinion, it is understandable for Apollo to take over as the Sun God, but although Phaethon is the one who caused this disaster, he has already been cast into the Underworld. If we want Helios to relinquish the Sun God's position, we may need to reassure him. Otherwise, I suspect there will be more complications before we can obtain the Sun God position."

This was a subtle reminder to Zeus. Hermes was suggesting that, with only Zeus' orders, it would be difficult to gain a satisfactory result.

After all, very few gods from the Titan generation still held any real power. Take Apollo and Artemis' grandparents, for instance: though they retained some power, they had lost their positions as Olympian gods after the Titan War.

But compared to the second generation of god-kings like Cronus, they now lacked the influence and positions they once held.

Helios, despite his strength, had no real position, while Apollo, despite having power, didn't fully command the essence of light, especially not the "Sun" itself. This had left Apollo's position insecure, making his authority weaker.

"I will consider that, but before that, you must first go and complete your mission," Zeus said, smiling lightly, though he didn't immediately promise anything.

As the King of the Gods, Zeus was never generous, or at least, his generosity was limited when it didn't affect his interests.

Thus, minimizing losses to gain the maximum benefit was the best outcome for him.

"Since that's the case, I'll go find Apollo and head to the Temple of Wisdom," Hermes said, not disappointed by Zeus' typical response. He nodded and was about to leave.

"No need."

Before Hermes could leave, the Goddess of Wisdom, wearing light armor, stepped confidently into the temple. "I met Apollo on the way. From the divine guidance of Wisdom, I knew Father had something he wanted from me."

The Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, daughter of Zeus and the Water Goddess Metis, was known as the embodiment of wisdom.

In addition, unlike many of the other ornamental goddesses of Olympus, Athena was a goddess with immense power.

"Then let's go together."

Looking at Athena, Hermes noticed how she casually spoke to Artemis, who had a few words with her. Hermes couldn't help but feel confused.

Everyone knew Athena and Artemis were close friends, a natural bond between the two. But now that Artemis couldn't personally participate in this mission, why was Athena so amiable toward him? It was strange.

When things go unexpectedly, there's usually something hidden.

Realizing this, Hermes became cautious.

If Apollo was Zeus' most favored son, Athena was undoubtedly his most favored daughter. The affection Zeus showed to both was unmatched.

But when it came to Artemis, Hermes was confident he could stand his ground, but Athena made him uncertain.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything to you," Athena said, smiling at Hermes as they walked out of the Hall of the Gods. "I don't need to harm a little child."

Indeed, Hermes appeared youthful, but in Athena and the others' eyes, he was still just a child, albeit an extraordinary one.

Unfortunately, in the world of gods, there was little room for mercy when it came to the younger ones.

"Do you have any thoughts on this matter, Lady Athena?" Hermes asked, trying to show respect.

"Let's find Apollo first, then head to Helios' temple," Athena said, pausing for a moment. "But before we go, you should prepare yourself. Although I know you're good with words, facing a Sun God who has just lost his son, I think the three of us might not be of much use."

Not even the three of them, or even Zeus, would be much help in this matter.

"Well, we'll just take it as it comes," Hermes nodded, his gaze shifting to the sky.

Because of Phaethon's fall, the Sun God was deeply saddened and unable to perform his duties. Thus, the world was temporarily shrouded in eternal night.

The sky was pitch-black, with no stars or moon, seemingly calm, but Hermes could feel an immense power emanating from within.

It was the power of Leto, which resonated with Apollo's essence, and with the current imbalance between light and dark, it was not surprising to see Nyx, the Night Goddess, taking charge of the situation.

Though she typically remained low-key, Leto was now active, as the fate of her son depended on the outcome of this struggle.