Mount Olympus, the dwelling place of the gods.
The divine glory envelops this majestic peak, keeping it in a state of eternal perfection.
The trees here are lush and verdant, maintaining their everlasting greenery and towering stature.
Golden, warm sunlight filters through the leaves, breaking into bright patches of light.
Lily of the valley, daffodils, and hyacinths proudly raise their ever-blooming beautiful flowers, and as the gentle breeze passes, the intoxicating fragrance of the flowers wafts through the woods.
'Hahaha, come chase me!"
The sound of laughter, like silver bells, echoes through the forest. It is a group of fairies with transparent wings on their backs, laughing and playing, appearing carefree and joyful.
These are the Nymphs who serve the gods, allowed to reside in this divine mountain forever shrouded in divine light, blessed by the gods, which is undoubtedly the highest honor for them.
'Anfran, you better be careful; this is a tribute meant for Goddess Hebe! It's your first day on duty, so don't drop it!"
Among the playful fairies, two of them pass by. They are both beautiful, and the younger-looking one holds a golden tray filled with clusters of grapes that shimmer with a purple-black sheen, resembling precious gems.
As Anfran cradles the grapes meant for the goddess, her eyes can't help but wander around; it's her first time at Mount Olympus, and everything around her seems so new and dreamy.
Upon hearing the slightly stern admonition nearby, Anfran quickly retracted her thoughts and stuck out her tongue.
'I know, Sister Mili, but the scenery here is just too beautiful, unlike the world below."
Mili looked at Anfran's youthful face, shook her head, and chose not to say more. Every newly summoned Nymph to Mount Olympus must go through this period of marveling at the resplendent glory and yearning for the eternal.
'Let's hurry; we can't keep the goddess waiting."
'Alright, I understand, Sister Mili."
The two fairies flapped their crystal-clear wings, gently carried by the breeze towards the forest above, to the temple nestled in the high mountains, shining with a soft glow.
This is the temple dedicated to the goddess of youth, Hebe.
The temple of the goddess of youth was personally arranged by Queen Hera, the only one among Zeus's many wives to obtain half of his authority. She undoubtedly holds significant sway on Mount Olympus.
As Hera's daughter, Hebe, who possesses the weakest divine power and has only inherited the 'youth" title, is especially cherished by her loving mother.
To prevent her daughter from being looked down upon by the gods of Olympus, Hera spared no effort in using her queenly authority while decorating Hebe's temple, commanding the gods to gather various rare treasures: white jade from the mountains, gold, pearls from the deep sea, precious gems from the earth, and rare divine flowers and herbs—all were brought in to adorn Hebe's temple.
The entire temple can be felt from afar, exuding an extravagant opulence.
It can be said that on Mount Olympus, few temples can rival it. A group of deities looked on with envy and jealousy at the magnificent temple, wondering how a weak third-tier goddess could deserve such grandeur. However, due to Hera's majesty, no one dared to act recklessly.
Who would dare to provoke Hera? If angered, she could snatch Zeus's lightning and throw it at them; gods may be immortal, but they are not immune to falling!
'Wow! This is truly…"
Anfran looked up at the dazzlingly luxurious temple before her, waves of emotion crashing in her heart. She struggled for a long time but couldn't find the right words to describe the beauty of this temple.
'Stop daydreaming and hurry inside; the goddess is waiting for us!"
Mili, having served in the Temple of Youth for a while, had developed a certain resilience to the overwhelming grandeur of the place.
She skillfully lowered her gaze to avoid being blinded by the radiant glow of the massive deep-sea pearl at the entrance, pulling the still-dazed Anfran along as they walked straight in.
The two Nymphs arrived at the temple, only to find that the goddess was not on her throne. Mili thought for a moment and concluded that the goddess must have gone to the garden behind the temple, so she led Anfran towards the back.
Following Mili, Anfran entered the garden behind the temple, where she once again encountered a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life.
In contrast to the astonishingly luxurious main hall, the temple's back garden exuded an air of elegant purity and beauty.
Vibrant and exotic flowers shimmered with gentle divine light, swaying gracefully in the breeze, always presenting their most beautiful forms, as if competing with the surrounding flowers.
Yet, no matter how stunning these flowers were, they could not capture even a fraction of the radiance of the goddess standing before them.
There stood a young goddess adorned with a floral crown. Among the exquisite features she inherited from her great father and mother, the most captivating were undoubtedly her hair, which shone like golden lightning in her mighty father's hand, and her violet eyes, reminiscent of her mother, often referred to as 'cow's eyes."
The title of 'goddess of youth" meant that her figure was not as mature and voluptuous as other goddesses but rather slender and graceful, full of the vitality and energy unique to young girls. Coupled with her eternally pure and delicate skin, as white as milk, she radiated a vibrant beauty, exuding the innocent charm of youth.
Yet within that rare innocence, the violet eyes inherited from her mother held a hint of indescribable allure and nobility.
These two seemingly contradictory qualities were perfectly blended in this goddess, making her utterly enchanting.
She might not be the most beautiful goddess on Mount Olympus, but she was undoubtedly the most unique, the one who left the most lasting impression.
'Good day, Hebe, goddess of youth. These are the grapes from Mount Dirce that the queen has sent for you."
Mili presented the delicious grapes to Hebe, her beautiful face showing utmost respect. She discreetly tugged at the still-distracted Anfran, feeling a flicker of annoyance.
This Anfran! She was indeed too young and unreliable, even dazing out in front of Hebe's temple!
'It's been a while, Mili."
The youthful goddess smiled, her lips forming two adorable dimples, and her violet eyes, reminiscent of her mother Hera's, held a hint of gentle curiosity as she glanced at the Nymph beside Mili, who was holding the golden fruit tray and secretly gazing at her.
'Your Highness Hebe, this is Anfran, a water nymph who has recently come to serve on Mount Olympus."
Mili, quick-witted, immediately brought Anfran before Hebe for the introduction.
'Esteemed Princess Hebe, may the glory of the gods be with you."
At this moment, Anfran snapped back to reality, obediently lifting the fruit tray beside Hebe, her eyes fixed on the youthful goddess without blinking, her heart constantly screaming: Princess Hebe, you are simply mesmerizing! That hair more radiant than the sun, those noble violet eyes, that skin so delicate it's enviable…
'Anfran? What a wonderful name."
Hebe picked a grape from the tray, peeled off its skin, revealing the crystal-clear flesh inside. As the sweet flavor exploded on her taste buds, a faint divine power flowed within her, and she squinted her eyes in delight.
Turning to look at the young Nymph beside her, whose eyes still sparkled with boundless innocence and vitality, she couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness.
As the goddess of youth, she naturally felt a close affinity for those who were pure and lively.
'It wouldn't be polite not to give a little gift on our first meeting."
The violet-eyed goddess playfully blinked, and with a flicker of divine light, a magnificent golden cup appeared in her hand.
This was the goddess of youth's divine artifact—the Holy Grail of Youth. The spring water that flowed from it could keep one eternally youthful and full of energy.
It was precisely because of this artifact that Hebe, the goddess of youth, was appointed by her father, Zeus, the king of the gods, to serve as the cupbearer for the gods.
For immortal deities, they did not need the spring water to maintain their youth; what they desired was the exquisite wine brewed from the fountain of youth that could make their hearts bloom with joy and vitality.
Thus, under the arrangement of her 'good father," the daughter of the noble king and queen of the gods had to serve wine to the deities at banquets.
While the spring water of youth held little effect for the gods, it was a rare treasure for aging humans or Nymphs.
The milky-white, wondrous spring water flowed from the golden cup, and Hebe filled a cup and handed it to the pure and lovely little Nymph.
'May youth and vitality be with you."
Anfran's eyes burst with infinite surprise and gratitude as she reverently accepted the cup of blessing from the goddess of youth and drank the spring water.
In an instant, a wave of intoxicating youth and vitality erupted from within her, and at that moment, this Nymph would remain forever youthful.
'Thank you, Your Highness. May the holy light and glory be with you." Anfran's innocent eyes were filled with admiration and respect.
Mili, standing by, felt happy for Anfran as well. Having served as a handmaiden to the queen, she had already received the gift of the spring water from Hebe. Now, seeing her friend gain this honor, she felt genuinely pleased for her.
Hebe smiled, nonchalantly putting away the golden cup. For the goddess of youth, this act of bestowing the spring water was merely a small gesture.
'Your Highness Hebe, we shall take our leave now; the great white-armed goddess is still waiting for our report."
After respectfully bowing to Hebe, Mili pulled Anfran, who was still trying to say something to the goddess, and they left the Temple of Youth.
