A fire broke out in the varuto forest at the junction of romlu and Bayer, and Manda ignored the news.
In this era, there is nothing human beings can do about forest fire. Moreover, this forest is also special. According to the description of lathius, black velvet worm first appeared in this forest. After the fire, black velvet worm disease basically disappeared.
The vampire disease in Jiaoye city is also dying out. Although the infected people can''t see the light all their life, as long as they sit by the fire and bake for a whole day, they will lose the desire to bite forever. Naturally, diseases that can''t be spread can''t be regarded as epidemics.
In October, Hestia harvested more than 20000 pearls, much worse than Demeter.
Compared with the contribution, it was unfair to Hestia. Demeter sent a harvest, but Hestia prevented the epidemic many times, and the contribution of the kitchen fire goddess was no less than that of the God of agriculture.
Hestia didn''t care about it. In the past, he harvested the same faith as Hera. It was lucky to have more than a dozen pearls a day.
The harvest in this month is comparable to that in the past ten years, and the harvest continues after the end of October.
Mortals are forgetful. After a good harvest, they quickly forget the God of agriculture. Moreover, Manda also ordered to prohibit the God of agriculture from outside September. The God of agriculture only harvested less than 2000 pearls in October. These beliefs come from the sacrifices secretly made by some pious farmers at home.
In November, Hestia''s harvest did not drop sharply. He could still harvest hundreds of pearls every day. Even Hermes was quite surprised.
Mortals are used to offering sacrifices for Hestia, because where there is a stove is the altar of Hestia. People have no energy to organize grand sacrifices all the time, but they are used to putting a piece of bread and a can of wine in front of the stove. When the days are a little loose, they can also put a small piece of meat. Even if they pick fresh wild vegetables from the mountains, they have to put a plate on the stove.
November was the month of Artemis, which may have violated his interests, but Manda still ignored it.
It is clearly written on the decree. It is not allowed to offer sacrifices to other gods in public.
Putting a little sacrifice on the stove at home is not a public sacrifice, and Manda has no right to interfere.
Of course, the protagonist in November is the hunting goddess. The hunters who have been waiting for a long time finally ushered in their home.
Most hunters live a miserable life. They don''t have a stable harvest every year like farmers, but that doesn''t mean they will be stingy in sacrifice.
As the oldest profession in the world, most hunters maintain ancient beliefs. They are willing to take out a small amount of savings to prepare luxurious sacrifices for the goddess, and are also willing to contribute the most precious prey to their goddess.
On the first day of November, Artemis harvested 10000 pearls. At ordinary times, Artemis could harvest almost 10000 pearls a year. Now he has earned a year''s income a day. Artemis was not surprised or disappointed.
He felt that he deserved the harvest. If mortals didn''t humiliate him, they didn''t have to pay punishment. As for the reward, they thought too much.
"The sacrifice is too rough. You have forgotten too many rules," Artemis looked at the world contemptuously. "This is only the beginning. You have just achieved the most basic piety."
Hermes heard Artemis'' words through a spell. He summoned hundreds of parts and shook his head together: "this is not the beginning, but the end."
On the second day of November, the grand sacrifice came to a climax. Hunters divided the kingdom into hundreds of areas according to the ancient tradition. Hunters within dozens of miles around an area gathered together, raised the statue of Artemis, danced the unique dance of hunters and walked around every corner of the forest. They prayed along the way and sent sacrifices and blessings to the goddess.
On this day, Artemis harvested 20000 pearls. He piled the pearls in the temple at will, which is both a show off and a mockery of the gods. After all, the harvest in two days has exceeded that of Hestia in a month.
The hunters also reaped a lot. They all harvested black velvet worms that night.
On the third day, there was no sacrifice.
The hunters huddled under the statue of Artemis and waited to die.
Infected with black velvet worms, people will die in one day and one night. Now one night has passed, and there is still one day left for them.
A middle-aged hunter was crying: "why? Are we not pious enough?"
The old hunter gasped, "we must have done something wrong. The sacrificial process may be wrong."
A young hunter shouted, "even if the process is a little negligent, we shouldn''t punish us like this! When farmers offer sacrifices to the God of agriculture, there is no process at all, just send sacrifices to the temple!"
Another young hunter shouted, "and the kitchen fire goddess, you don''t have to send sacrifices to the temple, just put a can of wine on the altar! The goddess also sent protection, and my wife''s illness has recovered!"
"The goddess of hunting is too cruel to us. We are so devout to her that we have done nothing wrong!"
The old hunter kicked the young hunter: "don''t talk nonsense! Don''t blaspheme the goddess!"
"So what about blasphemy!" roared the middle-aged hunter. "We''re dying. What else to be afraid of!"
The old hunter said angrily, "even if we die, we will return to the arms of the goddess."
"I won''t go to her arms. I don''t want to see her again!" the middle-aged Hunter wanted to get up. "If I still have strength, I really want to smash her statue. No God will be so vicious as her!"
There was a cry under the statue of Artemis. A young hunter suddenly shouted, "our campfire is still on. Pray to the goddess of stove, and he will help us!"
"Are you crazy?" the old hunter reddened his eyes. "It''s November. You prayed to the kitchen fire goddess. You betrayed the hunting goddess and violated the law."
"I don''t care!" the young hunter took out some dried meat from his backpack. "These are all I have. They are all for Hestia! I want to go home. I want to see my wife and children!"
Other hunters followed suit and sent wine and food to the campfire.
Not only are they doing this, there are hundreds of sacrificial sites in the whole ROM Road, and the hunters participating in the sacrifice are doing the same thing under the leadership of a young hunter.
They are praying to Hestia, and they are making the last effort for survival.
Hestia could hear their prayers. He stood in the temple, looking down on the earth, and didn''t know what to do.
Demeter advised him: "sister, help them. Where there is a stove, there is your holy light."
Hestia shook her head and said, "but it''s November. I can''t steal Artemis''s faith."
"It''s not stealing, it''s redemption. Artemis made a big mistake. You''re redeeming her!"
Hestia still shook his head. Demeter couldn''t wait. These hunters couldn''t stand it, which related to the task Hermes gave him.
"Sister, even if you don''t want to help Artemis, at least help these poor people. They haven''t done anything wrong! Don''t add mortals'' resentment against us because of Artemis''s madness!"
"Just, the stove is home. Poor child, go home."
At dusk, the hunters had reached the edge of death. At the moment when they were about to lose consciousness, the old hunter was still praying to Artemis, but Artemis was discussing major issues with Apollo and ignored everything in the world.
The campfire was still burning, and a young hunter was stubbornly adding firewood to the fire.
"Who are you?" the old hunter had never seen the young hunter.
He did not answer, nor did he need to answer. On the edge of life and death, this question has no meaning.
The warm stove fire rose slowly, enveloping everyone''s body.
The old hunter wailed, "the stove goddess wants to burn us."
The middle-aged Hunter cried, "die, burn, the gods are crazy!"
……
One night later, the hunters did not die, and all the black velvet insects in their bodies were burned. They vomited, diarrhea, sweating and runny nose, and discharged the black velvet insects from every hole in their bodies.
After a morning''s rest, the hunters gradually recovered their strength. The old hunter took a sip of wine and got up and said, "let''s continue to complete the sacrifice. The goddess forgives us."
"Put your old fart!" the middle-aged Hunter spat. "It was the stove goddess who saved us. I dreamed of the goddess last night!"
"As like as two peas, I dream," cried a young hunter. "It''s Hess TIA, just like the temple."
The other hunters responded one after another. The old hunter shouted, "how dare you disrespect the goddess! You will be punished!"
"We have been punished, but we survived!" a young man threw a stone at the statue of Artemis despite the old hunter''s stop.
A group of hunters threw stones together until they smashed the statue to pieces.
On the same day, hundreds of sacrificial sites did the same thing. The hunters who escaped from death were crazy to vent their anger, and hundreds of statues of Artemis were destroyed.
The middle-aged Hunter picked up a burning firewood from the fire and said with a devout smile, "this is the holy fire. I want to take it home."