Mythology: Spiritual Ruler

On Mount Olympus, the banquet for the gods has just begun.

The mountain is particularly glorious because of the most distinguished guests, and the gorgeous clouds illuminate the sky in the east of the earth.

The fragrance of flowers dances in the air, and the birds in the sky linger.

But at the same time, far away on the southeast edge of the continent, in a town not far from Silver Moon City, two young people finally waited for the day and were able to continue their journey.

"What a long night... This time is much longer than every time in the past."

"Even in the coldest winter, the same situation has never occurred in the extreme north of the continent."

"If it delays any longer, I will even think that the sun has fallen from the sky and the world will never see the light again."

The primitive sled made of two wooden boards is tied to the rope, and it only takes a little force to lift heavy objects in the snow.

As he walked forward, Hercules couldn't help but sigh at Amon's ingenuity.

In the winter day when it just snowed, this is undoubtedly a good invention.

Although he was not stingy with his own strength, Hercules would not refuse its help.

"The sun will not fall. If it really goes out, I'm afraid the whole world will fall into turmoil."

Gently shaking his head, the young man following Hercules immediately looked up at the sun that finally rose.

Starlight flickered in his eyes, and the originally huge ball of light finally revealed its true appearance.

A golden chariot... would it be a divine artifact similar to the [Sun Boat]?

Amon didn't know, but it didn't prevent him from having a little interest in it.

If he was given a chance to choose, in addition to the gods who control time and space or spirituality, the one that interested him most was probably the eternally burning sun.

...

Walking in the town, the two chatted casually.

Today's town seems very active today, and the flow of people is more than twice as dense as usual.

Obviously, the sudden long night in the past period of time made everyone feel uncomfortable.

So when the day came again, they all came out of their houses, releasing their long-suppressed spirits and thanking the gods for their gifts.

Various prayers rang out in the city, and Hercules alone heard more than a dozen.

But there was nothing strange about this. Because the residents here not only had nothing to do with Silvermoon City, but on the contrary, they were mostly from the West.

For hundreds of years, ordinary people from the continent who gave up their faith for various reasons gathered here, and they built their own residences together.

Silvermoon City rarely paid attention to this, and other kingdoms were even less likely to come here to pursue prisoners.

So over time, the settlement gradually expanded, and this unmanaged town was formed.

"Haha, young man, I know your doubts. But as you can see, this town has no owner."

"It's not that no one has tried to manage it. There are even nobles who have fled here and want to bring this place under their rule and pass it down from generation to generation as the nobles of the blood of the gods."

"But what is their result? Those powerful clergymen certainly don't care about a group of refugees, but it doesn't mean that they can allow a country that does not believe in their gods to be born in their territory."

"So anyone who tries to do this has already died... I think you shouldn't do this, right?"

Under the guidance of the guards to the center of the town, Hercules finally saw the owner here again. A middle-aged man in his forties was also waiting for his arrival.

It's just obvious that although the great hero is not interested in power and status, until now, this famous businessman still has doubts about him.

"You worry too much. Of course I won't do this. I just want to get what I need on this trip."

After a slight silence, Hercules spoke in a deep voice.

He then reached out and pulled, and with a loud bang, the hero pushed the things on the sled behind him down.

The heavy object fell to the ground, and in an instant, the whole manor shook slightly, and the cloth covering the surface was scattered in all directions.

A wild boar that was several people tall rolled out from it, but the middle-aged man was overjoyed when he saw this scene.

"Ah-it seems that you have lived up to your trust. Hero who came from afar, your bravery really amazes me."

"To say alive is to capture alive, so you are much more powerful than those knights who bear the curse."

Taking a few steps forward, the middle-aged man circled the huge wild boar a few times.

There were some signs of injury, but the prey was obviously still alive, which was what made the middle-aged man most satisfied.

What he needed was a living Erymanthus boar, not a dead body.

Only living things can be used as sacrifices to the gods.

Only the gods themselves are qualified to decide its life and death.

"You flatter me. There are so many heroes in the world who can do this. Capturing a wild animal is not a feat worth boasting about."

"But anyway, since I have completed your request, will you keep your promise and give me the reward I deserve?"

Hercules did not take credit for it, but just put forward his request again.

In order to travel overseas, he undoubtedly needed a ship.

But even if he came to the territory of Silver Moon City in person, the hero still didn't know where to find what he wanted.

Fortunately, at this time, Hercules happened to meet the middle-aged man who had just issued the bounty.

He hoped someone could help him catch the Erymanthian boar without harming its life.

So after a display of force, the two hit it off and quickly made an agreement.

"Of course, hero from afar, no matter where you come from, since you have found a sacrifice for me to offer to the gods, I will naturally not break my oath."

The middle-aged man nodded affirmatively without hesitation.

"If the gift to the gods has flaws, it will not reflect my piety."

The middle-aged man led the way in front and invited Hercules to go to the house with him to talk, and the great hero naturally had no reason to refuse.

Soon, in the core of the manor, the middle-aged businessman spread out a map on the table.

"What is this?"

"This is a sea chart."

With a little bit of pride, the middle-aged man spread out a huge sea chart as tall as a person on the table.

There were strict divisions of large and small marks on it, and there were even many marks that Hercules could not understand.

"I remember you were going to prepare for going out to sea, but since it's a voyage, you must have a goal."

"Depending on the goal, I will give you different suggestions - so young hero, where do you want to set the end of your adventure?"

"...I heard that there is a huge whirlpool above the East China Sea?"

After a moment of silence, Hercules tentatively spoke.

However, to his surprise, the face of the middle-aged man in front of him suddenly changed when he heard it.

It was not fear, but just a little fear, but there was also a little shame in the fear.

As if he was lost in memories, it was not until a long time that the middle-aged man looked at the hero in front of him with a complicated expression.

"So that's it...you are also going to that big whirlpool...so the hero who came from afar, are you also going to pursue the legend of the 'Bronze Creator'?"

"What if it is, what if it's not?"

"...Not much, whether you are going there or not, let me tell you a story."

Shaking his head slightly, the middle-aged man waved his hand and then told his past memories.

…

About thirty years ago, the middle-aged man had not yet come to the town under the jurisdiction of Silver Moon City.

He was a nobleman from Olympia who believed in the almighty King of Gods.

Until one day, the young nobleman was summoned by the priest of the church.

In the majestic and solemn temple, he took on a task that would take him to the end in front of the statue.

"You mean, the priest of the King of Gods asked you to drive a large ship to the whirlpool of the East China Sea and pretend to fall into it accidentally."

"He told you that you would meet an imprisoned god there, and what you need to do is to repay his kindness with the greatest malice, and then repay his kindness with a curse?"

Hearing this, Heracles was shocked. Hearing this, he couldn't believe what he heard.

Is this true?

Although in his heart, the gods are not so bright, the great hero never thought that the king of gods would do such a thing.

No, this may not be the intention of the King of Gods himself.

After all, gods and humans are often not the same.

"I don't know who this order came from, the monarch of Olympus, or the priest who wanted to please the gods."

"But in the end, the young me took on this task."

The middle-aged man took a deep breath while sitting in a chair.

"At that time, I thought I could do well. After all, a god who was identified as a sinner was not worthy of my sympathy."

"But until I personally experienced the despair of falling into the endless darkness, and then the hope of being saved in despair, I was shaken for the first time."

"And this is just the beginning. When I saw the prisoner locked in the sea eye, I felt the mistake I made."

"So... you didn't do what the priest said?"

"... No."

After a long silence, he finally uttered this word.

Although the middle-aged man did not give a reason, Hercules still understood.

Fear of power, fear of priests, fear of power, and the influence of past education.

Obviously, even if the middle-aged man at that time felt regretful, he still did what the priest asked.

He finally returned with honor and was rewarded by the priests - but maybe one day later, he, who was no longer young, finally felt remorse.

He finally gave up all his status in Olympia and abandoned his past faith in the God King, and chose to come to Silver Moon City to start over.

"At that time, I figured it out. No matter what I choose, it actually makes no difference."

"Repaying kindness with hatred at the request of the priest is showing the evil of mankind to the Creator."

"And even if I give up doing this, I will be punished by the priests after leaving, which only shows him the despair of the 'good' people in the human race."

"No matter what I choose, the result has already been determined, so I backed off at that time."

"But now, I regret it again."

"Maybe it was a good choice to muster up the courage to die there at that time."

"..."

Silent, Hercules was a little confused.

He completed the trial under the guidance of the God of West Wind, but heard such rebellious remarks here.

He didn't know whether it was true or false.

But Hercules' intuition told him that the man in front of him was not lying to him.

"So the sacrifice you want..."

"I have abandoned my past beliefs. Now, I believe in the goddess of the wilderness."

"I hope to offer this wild boar as a sacrifice to her, hoping that God can forgive my sins..."

Putting away the chart, the middle-aged man suddenly smiled.

"But I've changed my mind now."

"Mighty hero, you may not know that the wild boar of Erymanthus once escaped the arrows of the goddess."

"It may seem huge, but its agility is rare in the world."

"The fact that you were able to subdue it without killing it has proven your strength - so I decided to go there with you and return to the place that I regret."

"My morals are so despicable, and my past was so cowardly...but I still want to try and kill my past self.

"You young hero, will you accept my request?"

"certainly."

Nodding affirmatively, although his doubts about the gods were still not dissipated, Hercules still reached out his hand decisively.

"Everyone has the right to regret. I am atoning for my past."

"So tell me your name, my unexpected friend."

"Although this journey is destined to not be easy, I am willing to go with a friend like you."

"And if you die in the end, then I will take your name with me... From now on, everyone in the world who knows the existence of Hercules will definitely know the deeds you left behind."