The answer was simple.
In fact, many had already thought of it the mont Pegasus descended from the sky.
But most had dismissed the idea, because...
"Is he really that Promise? The legendary hero?"
There was a shocked person in the crowd who said what almost everyone present was thinking.
"But he looks so... weak!"
Despite the artistic aura surrounding him-the aura of a poet and painter that made him stand our even among the heroes-Promise didn't appear to be the imposing hero one would expect from the grand stories told about him.
He did not look like a hero at all.
Promise clenched his fists, anger building inside him.
He turned his head angrily and looked at the screaming crowd not far away.
'Seriously, you just had to say that out loud, didn't you? Can't you speak a little more quietly? You are afraid that I can't hear you, right?!'
"Then let's begin." Atalanta, who was standing by, naturally heard it as well, so she smiled and said to the boy, "Shall we start, great hero?"
Promise shot her a blank stare, then silently pulled out his small notebook in front of her.
Taking his magical pen from the sky, he made a small mark in the book, adding Atalanta's na to his "grievance" list.
Atalanta, who imdiately recognized the notebook, sighed.
The "great hero" was holding a grudge.
She rolled her eyes at the narrow-minded hero, unimpressed.
"So," she asked one last ti before the race began, "are you *sure* you don't want Pegasus to help you?"
"And the rules of the ga, are you clear about them?"
Promise nodded.
"Well, if I can touch the marked ancient tree ahead and co back faster than you, and put the leaf of the ancient tree on this stake, then I will win."
Atalanta gave a slight nod of agreent.
Then, as she drew her celestial bow and prepared an arrow to signal the start of the race, Promise suddenly spoke up.
"Atalanta, did I ever tell you about a very interesting goddess I t recently?"
Hearing his words, Atalanta, feeling a bit curious, paused and looked at him as he said. "She's a very gentle goddess nad Thetis, the wise goddess of the sea. I did her a small favor, and in return, she told sothing important," Promise explained.
"You already know, I'm sure, that there are four special threads of fate tied to -threads connected to the Goddess Hera, the Goddess Athena, the Goddess Themis, and the Goddess Clotho."
Atalanta nodded, listening intently.
As Promise spoke, even the gods watching from the heavens focused their attention on him, glancing toward the goddesses he ntioned.
"The gentle sage of the sea, Thetis, revealed to the anings of these threads," Promise continued. "The thread tied to Queen Hera represents the favor of the gods.
The one tied to Goddess Themis symbolizes kindness and justice.
Goddess Clotho's thread shows my entanglent with fate.
And as for the thread tied to the goddess of wisdom, Athena..."
He paused, eting Atalanta's gaze as he finished, "It signifies that I will walk a path filled with the hardships of a hero, but it also gives the wisdom to overco any obstacle."
When Promise finished speaking, the gods above began to reflect thoughtfully on his words. Atalanta blinked in surprise.
Although it was the first ti she had heard such a detailed explanation, as she recalled what Promise had done and everything she had witnessed so far, she found that it perfectly corresponded to his current life.
Still...
"Why are you telling all this now?"
Atalanta looked at him in confusion, tilting her head to glance at her the bot, who just smiled faintly.
Promise, glancing at her with a playful smile, simply replied, "This race will be witnessed by the gods!"
As he said this, he pulled out a golden apple and took a hearty bite!
"...This race will be witnessed by the gods,"
Though slightly perplexed by his actions Atalanta saud the sa thing.
Then, she readied an arrow and notched it onto her celestial bow.
With a swift motion, she aid skyward and released the arrow, sending a prayer to the gods
for their blessing.
The mont the arrow vanished into the sky with a soft whoosh, Atalanta dashed forward at
full speed.
True to her word, she would give her all in this race.
When the ga started, all the onlookers couldn't help but hold their breath.
Because, they had just realized that Atalanta's final challenger, the one she had been waiting for, was none other than Promise-the fad child of Hera, the hero of legend.
Everyone believed that an extraordinary, unprecedented contest was about to unfold.
Moreover, this ga will definitely be recorded in the long river of history and beco a classic legend that will be passed down forever.
Even the gods thought so.
After all, Promise had just taken a bite of the golden apple, and they all knew what that ant.
Every ti Promise prepared to do sothing monuntal-whether rewriting fate or painting the gods-he would eat a golden apple.
So, now, it had practically beco his signal for when he was about to get serious.
Then...
Then everyone-gods and mortals alike-witnessed sothing completely unexpected that shocked them.
As Atalanta sped away, disappearing from sight within monts due to her incredible speed, Promise didn't show the slightest bit of panic.
In fact, he didn't even try to chase her.
Instead, he turned around and did sothing entirely unexpected.
He walked over to the three-foot wooden post and as his face flushed with effort, he began
trying to pull it out of the ground.
"This thing is stuck too tight... I can't get it out... Hey, Brother Pegasus! Why are you still standing there? Co over here and lend a hand, help , will you?"
The dumbfounded Pegasus, having finally snapped out of its shock, looked at Promise, who was urging him, then at the now-vanished Atalanta, before finally realizing what was
happening.
'Ah... So that's your ga, my little master.'
It suddenly made perfect sense.
From the mont Promise had t Atalanta, the series of words he said to her, making all those promises, and even the series of words you said to her, his true intention had been clear:
He was stimulating her... pushing her to give her all, to run at full speed right from the start. Pegasus, being one of the few who knew Promise well enough, now fully understood his plan.
Who had been by Promise's side more than anyone recently?
The one, who was more familiar with the boy more than anyone else?
Atalanta?
No, it's our horse brother who loved to eat grass!
The one and only Pegasus, the trusty companion who knew him inside and out!
Realizing the truth, Pegasus quickly trotted over, eager to help, even feeling sowhat pleased with the cleverness of the plan.
Thinking about seeing Atalanta's reaction soon, Pegasus couldn't contain its excitent.
It was practically giddy with anticipation, already imagining munching on fields of fresh
grass in celebration.
Of course, there was also the inevitable truth-No matter who won and who lost, Promise was definitely getting a good beating from Atalanta once this was all over.
"...Unmatched wisdom that can overco any obstacle," muttered several gods, exchanging amused glances as their eyes shifted toward Athena.
And then, all the gods nodded in understanding.
'Ah, of course. You are worthy of being the one whose fate intersects with that of Athena!.'
So ti passed, and as Promise had barely covered a tenth of the distance, Atalanta ca
back.
She had already retrieved one of the leaves from the ancient tree.
Seeing her approach, Promise waved and greeted cheerfully. "Wow, you're really fast,
Atalanta! Impressive as always."
Atalanta paused for a mont, staring at Promise, who was jogging leisurely and didn't seem
the least bit hurried.
She remained silent, her expression growing more confused by the second.
'What's the hell?' she thought, frustration rising. 'Didn't you say that you are going to beat
and change my fate?'
A wave of annoyance surged within her.
At this mont, Atalanta was actually a little angry
After all, Promise had said so many grand things before the race, yet here he was, acting as if
he'd already given up.
Then, when the boy ran past Atalanta, the latter stopped and her body stiffened.
Because at this mont, she suddenly recalled what leager said to her during the ga
three days ago.
'If it were Promise, would you stop for him?'
'Should I stop? Should I defeat him?'
Victory was within her grasp, but instead of feeling joy, Atalanta felt a deep sense of unease.
The chance to finally defeat Promise was here, yet why did it feel so wrong? However, when her mind was in a ssy conflict, Atalanta recalled her promise to him before
the race began: she had sworn to give it her all and to never, under any circumstances, throw
the match for him.
To do otherwise would be to disrespect him.
Steeling her resolve, Atalanta's eyes hardened, and she resud her race, sprinting toward
the finish line at full speed.
Back at the starting point, Pegasus stood beside the gods and mortals who had gathered to
witness the race.
In fact, if Atalanta had been paying more attention, she might have noticed the peculiar expressions on everyone's faces.
Not only was no one celebrating her imminent victory, but many people were struggling to suppress their laughter.
While others wore expressions of pity, as if they were mourning sothing lost.
As Atalanta neared the finish line, she ignored the odd stares and prepared to place the leaf on
the wooden post, ready to end the race and claim victory.
But then... she froze. 'Wait, where's the post?'
Atalanta blinked, her eyes darting around in confusion.
She looked at the starting point, looked down subconsciously and saw only a gaping hole
where the post had been.
She stared at the hole for a long mont, falling into silence.
And then-
"Pffft... Hahahahaha!"
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