The Greece Antagonist

He hadn't touched the newly brewed wine at the sacrificial site at all.

There was no helping it, even if one learned quickly, catching up to or surpassing his craftsmanship in winemaking was no small feat.

True to predictions, Artemis had barely lifted the cup to her lips and taken a few sips before she couldn't help but spit the wine out.

"So sour!"

"There's no way around it. The storage containers aren't very air-tight, so to prevent spoilage, we had to use some under-ripe grapes for the new wine."

As the future God of Wine, Luo En, with just a glance, could identify the cause by virtue of his innate divinity.

Then, to save face for the busy priestesses around him in front of the deities, he comforted Artemis with a light laugh.

"However, after it has been exposed to air for a while and oxidized, it will improve a bit. It might even develop hints of nutty aroma and a sweetness akin to honey."

"Really?"

The Goddess of the Hunt was skeptical but, seeing Luo En nod in assurance, she curiously tasted another one.

However, just as before, it was only one sip that made Artemis involuntarily spit it out.

"Why does it taste like herbs?"

Hearing Artemis's complaint, Luo En was somewhat speechless but helpless nonetheless.

In history, the wines of ancient Greece were not subjected to fermentation or refinement in oak barrels.

And to enhance the flavor of the wine, vintners would use various herbs or plant juices to increase the wine's complexity.

Thus, the ancient Greeks considered such wine a healthful drink, often combining it with medicinal herbs, tree saps, olive oil, or plant roots into concoctions to treat ailments like menstrual pain or depression.

However, clearly, the Huntress, free of diseases and calamities, couldn't get used to these artificially added strange flavors.

Still, the path to invention is bound to take many detours.

After all, wine was a new creation right now, and even if he offered his winemaking knowledge without asking anything in return, it couldn't curb the general populace's curiosity to boldly try.

As the future God of Wine, Luo En was consoling himself while excusing the unrewarded toils of the priestesses.

Faced with the eager looks around her, the Goddess of the Hunt forced herself to be spirited and tried a few more new brews before she finally couldn't bear it anymore, flung down the cup, and, grabbing Luo En, fled through the door.

"Their new product is simply undrinkable!"

Outside, Artemis, standing in a corner, criticized without reservation and then rinsed her mouth with honey water, sighing as she turned to her guide.

"Forget it, I'll just drink what you brew from now on."

Luo En glanced at the delicate hand on his shoulder, a sign of approval, his gaze flickering subtly.

Are you sure? Not afraid of waking up with a sore back?

While the one human and one deity were hiding in the shade, lost in thought, groups of people began to gather from outside the sacrificial site.

Artemis, who had developed a slight mental shadow about wine tasting, couldn't help but feel a jolt in her heart, subconsciously wanting to drag her guide away.

However, before the Goddess of the Hunt had a chance to move, a range of voices—aged, tender, deep, and clear—called out to the two.

"Mr. Secretary? And...Miss Cynthia, is it? By the grace of the Goddess, thank you for bringing so much game, we won't have to worry about the winter now."

"My family got a portion of pork, over a hundred pounds. Now I can give the children something to help them grow strong."

"I saw that giant serpent wreaking havoc on the southern slopes of Crete; the city tried to organize a hunt several times but never succeeded. My own brother died out there, and I lost an arm. Now, to see the day it's finally taken down, being able to eat its flesh, that's truly satisfying!"

"..."

Amidst the buzzing discussions, faces beamed with joy, gratitude, curiosity, and enthusiasm, pressing close to the two, expressing their heartfelt thanks.

Even in an era abundant with animals and natural resources, meat was still a rare commodity for most ordinary people.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

An amount exceeding thirty thousand pounds, brought into Knossos City and distributed freely, felt like a shower of good fortune upon these common folk.

The scribe, already a familiar face in the city, raised his hand slightly to calm the excited crowd and, with a smile, pointed out the real heroine.

"It has nothing to do with me; it's all Cynthia's doing. If you want to thank someone, thank her."

Suddenly, the grateful crowd surged towards the beautifully dressed young huntress.

"Thank you, Miss Cynthia, you really are a great person!"

"We have meat to eat, thank you Sister Cynthia!"

"To have hunted so many prey, you are indeed a top-notch girl!"

Some praised her without stinginess, their eyes brimming with sincere gratitude; others brought out dates, dried fruits, garlands, copper coins, and the like, which they owned, placing them at the feet of the huntress as a modest token of thanks.

Facing such a noisy and chaotic scene, Artemis, who was surrounded in the middle, was somewhat at a loss for a while.

For this Hunting God, hunting was merely a hobby to release energy.

Distributing the prey was only done because it was hard to deal with so much harvest, and it was done casually.

However, she did not expect that such a casual act could earn her more enthusiasm and gratitude from these humans than formal sacrifices and the miracles bestowed by the gods.

She didn't quite understand the reason for this.

But fortunately, this commotion didn't seem to annoy her too much.

Just as the Goddess of the Hunt was about to be overwhelmed by the passionate crowd, a lazy yet clear voice echoed in everyone's ears.

"Folks, I hear that after the main share of the prey is distributed, you can still get some offal and fur as scraps, but there's a limited quantity, and if you're late, it'll be gone..."

"More?"

"The fur is perfect for keeping warm through the winter!"

"Quick, quick, quick!"

Instantly, upon hearing the news, the crowd, as if injected with adrenaline, turned around and rushed to the sacrificial grounds.

The people around Artemis quickly dispersed, creating a peaceful environment once again.

After successfully diverting this group of enthusiastic uncles, aunties, and neighbors, Luo En approached and asked with concern.

"Are you alright, Lady Goddess? How do you feel?"

Artemis looked up at the newly risen fiery red sunrise in the sky, and at the smiling faces at the sacrificial grounds, her lips inadvertently curling into a slight smile.

"Not bad..."

Luo En, seeing the subtle changes on the Goddess of the Hunt's face, revealed a faint smile.

"Alright, the goods are nearly distributed, we should also be going, or else, I'm afraid I'll have to fish you out again."

Hearing this, Artemis thought of the overwhelming enthusiasm of the residents just now, and her expression changed, and she quickly followed the guide, asking subconsciously, "Where to?"

Luo En replied as if it were obvious: "Back home, of course."

Then, he looked back at the Huntress with a warm smile, "After being busy all day, you haven't eaten yet, have you? I made sure the city guards kept some decent ingredients, delivered to Lady Hestia's house..."

After a brief pause, Luo En stretched lazily, his smile growing even larger.

"In a moment, I'll cook personally, using these rare ingredients, to prepare a lavish meal to reward you for the hard work of this hunt."

"Good!"

Artemis's heart leaped with joy upon hearing this thoughtful and comfortable post-hunt arrangement, and she nodded gladly. Then licking her lips, she asked subconsciously.

"Is there wine?"

"Yes! There should be a few bottles of the grape wine we made before, down in the lower level of the cellar, guaranteed to give you a good drink!"

Now, the Goddess of the Hunt was even more delighted, her footsteps light as she followed along.

However, after walking only a few steps, Artemis vaguely remembered something, and the pleasant expression on her face paused for a moment.

At the storage room of the sacrificial grounds, among those who were first invited to taste the wine, someone, besides urging her to drink more, seemed to have not touched a drop from beginning to end?

...That guy!

Staring at the silhouette ahead that had walked quite far, Artemis, who realized the situation belatedly, frowned in annoyance.

But in the end, she ground her teeth and chose to catch up quickly.

—After all, it was time to eat first.