The Greece Antagonist

The visitor was none other than Queen Hera, the Guardian God of Argos. Upon hearing he was being dismissed on the spot, Eurystheus couldn't hide his astonishment. "Lady Hera, what do you mean by this?" "Didn't understand?" Hera looked towards Eurystheus with a chilling gaze, "You, out of personal resentment, dragged the nation into a needless conflict, disregarding my directive. You simply do not deserve to lead Argos!" If it had been just an ordinary family dispute, it might not have warranted such severe punishment. After all, relationships among relatives in Greece were never too friendly, each had their own sleaze, Eurystheus, though somewhat calculating, still diligently performed his religious duties. But this time, despite the divine edict I clearly delivered commanding military support for Thessaly, Eurystheus, as the sovereign, dared to embarrass Thessaly's state guest in public and made an enemy of Thessaly, which constituted a grave overstepping of authority. "Lady Hera, I did all this for you!" Seeing that he might actually lose his kingship right there and then, Eurystheus hurriedly defended himself. "I did not regard Hercules as an enemy out of personal desire, but only wished to rid you of this disgraceful illegitimate son and defend your sacred marriage!" For me? Seeing her chosen King of Argos, throwing the blame on her in public and still trying to save a sliver of dignity, Hera nearly trembled with rage. Moreover, that so-called "sacred marriage" sounded particularly ironic to her ears. Just as Hera was about to burst out, a calming, soothing inquiry came from the corner. "So, by suppressing Hercules, what could you gain?" "To keep my kingship unthreatened, maybe even gain favor from Lady Hera! Everyone in Greece knows well of her harshness towards illegitimate children and mistresses, wishing them all dead! As long as I handle this matter well..." Eurystheus, his face flushed and voice impassioned, continued until suddenly a jolt made him sober up, and his expression drastically changed. How had he carelessly spoken all his inner thoughts? At this moment, the assembly was utterly silent, heroes looked disdainfully towards the King of Argos. Even the soldiers of the Divine Blood Guard felt ashamed, lowering their heads and subtly distancing themselves from Eurystheus. Thinking back to that strange, intoxicating sensation lingering in his mind, Eurystheus looked at the God of Wine, who was smiling and raising a toast at the banquet, feeling an urge to cry but no tears came. Drinking leads to trouble, he thought, never wanting to drink again. Of course, assuming there would be a later... Looking at the grim-faced Queen Hera in front of him, Eurystheus's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he stammered his defense. "I didn't, I wasn't..." "Huh!" Before he could finish his sentence, a flawless white arm had already heavily swung down, and the surging divine power crushed Eurystheus into a heap of flesh from afar. Seeing how the King of Argos had walked himself into a dead-end step by step, Luo En chuckled and shook his head, draining his glass of wine. Eurystheus's death was not a wrongful one; he indeed was the kind who committed evil in the guise of the deities' names. Originally, according to Fate's prophecy, he was supposed to be the issuer of Hercules's twelve labors, acting against Hercules somewhat involuntarily. If it had all stopped there, he could have retired safely in his later years, continuing as the King of Argos. However, after the death of Hercules, no longer fearing his ascended demigod cousin, Eurystheus schemed against the hero's descendants, aiming to eradicate them completely. Most of those descendants stayed with Hercules's mother Alcmene, and to escape the king's persecution, they fled to Trachis in Athens, hoping for asylum. Upon hearing this, Eurystheus persistently troubled them, demanding that the Athenian king hand them over or face war. The descendants of Hercules, feeling threatened, were forced to rally together with the Athenians in resistance, and for a final victory, Hercules's daughter even sacrificed her life to the gods willingly. As a result, Eurystheus was defeated and captured, and Hercules's elderly mother Alcmene personally avenged her son and granddaughter. There's no misfortune without invitation, and the retribution of good and evil follows like a shadow; so it generally is. After personally executing Eurystheus, Hera's somber expression eased quite a bit as she turned to approach Hercules in the grand hall. Telamon, thinking of the formidable past Hera had with her illegitimate children and lovers, was about to stand up and intercede on behalf of his good friend Hercules, but Luo En held him back in his seat. Don't worry... As the lips of the God of Wine silently moved, Hera, already approaching the table, under the watchful eyes of all, reached out and grasped Hercules's arm, raising it high. "From now on, Hercules shall be the new King of Argos!" At this unexpected declaration, the heroes were astonished, even Hercules himself seemed taken aback. "Me?" "Yes, according to the oracle: The first grandson of Perseus shall rule the land of Argos, shall rule Argos, and shall govern all other descendants of Perseus. Since Eurystheus is now dead, naturally, the kingship should fall to you." Hera matter-of-factly replied, a golden olive branch crown representing royalty appeared in her palm, and then she personally placed it on Hercules's head.