Late at night,
Tonight there was a beautiful full moon, and its bright light illuminated the entire land.
Following Themis, Promise walked for several hours, and during this ti, the goddess did not say a word.
However, the boy did not feel tired, his eyes were bright and full of energy.
After all, he had just eaten a golden apple not long ago.
He was already full of energy, and the golden apple made his stamina overflow.
Just as Promise began to find the path increasingly familiar and was feeling puzzled,
Themis's sudden words made him pause.
"Actually, if it weren't for , you should have been following Athena to the temple of Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, eting that god."
Hearing this, Promise instinctively looked towards Themis in front of him.
"Because this was Athena's original plan for your trial."
Walking ahead of Promise, leading the way, she spoke in an emotionless tone, "She prepared this relatively easy trial for you with the intention of eting the god of craftsmanship, Hephaestus, as your reward.
This way, she could give you the ability to move around the world without fearing that a gust of wind would blow you to the underworld, thus allowing you to fulfill your promise to her." "The river goddess Aegina was ant to be your first painting, prepared by Athena. However... everything was completely disrupted by my arrival."
Hearing this, Promise began to understand the nature of this trial, but...
"But I suppose you have always been curious about why I appeared suddenly at that ti and ultimately placed you in the judgnt seat."
Promise nodded honestly; he had always been curious about this.
Themis did not answer, she simply quickened her pace.
Promise hurried to keep up, and after so ti, he finally realized why this path seed so familiar.
This was where he had stayed when he painted that picture of the kingdom for Aegina.
A place on the mountainside overlooking the entire kingdom.
'... When I was painting, was this goddess standing beside ?'
'No, no, Athena must have been there too!'
'I rember wondering why, despite staying there for so long, no wild animals disturbed , not even a single flying insect...'
With these thoughts, Promise couldn't help but glance at Themis beside him.
But with her face covered by the white cloth, he could not discern anything.
And just as he was thinking this and blinked,
He saw his canvas appear before him, and the paintbrush that was in his luggage was now in his hand.
...Wait, does that an?!
Just as Promise instinctively looked towards Themis,
"It is not ... because you are not yet able to depict ," the latter said, explaining, "Even if I allowed you to paint as you did Athena, once the painting leaves , it will still quickly fade."
Hearing this, Promise felt a pang of regret, but then he saw Themis's right hand draw out the sword of judgnt, the sword that could cut through all injustice and evil in the world!
As if sensing his thoughts, Themis responded.
"That's right, child, paint it onto your canvas."
She said, "Your journey has just begun, and it will protect you along the way, until..."
She didn't finish her sentence.
She simply placed the sword down and then ca beside Promise, helping him lift the paintbrush.
And although it was just a sword, when Promise regained his senses, having been fully imrsed in his painting with Themis's assistance, the sun had already risen.
Promise put down his paintbrush, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
"Promise..."
Hearing the voice by his ear, he instinctively turned his head, and a golden apple was placed into his mouth.
Promise blinked, looking at Themis.
Another golden apple!
He then obediently ate it, feeling his energy and spirit recover, and couldn't help but marvel at how wonderful it was.
It's just a pity that the two he had saved up were all sacrificed to Hera...
As Promise thought this, Themis suddenly took out two more golden apples and placed them
in his hands.
He was stunned and looked up at her.
"Counting the first ti, we've t three tis in total, so here are three golden apples."
Themis explained, but her explanation only confused Promise more.
What does that an?
It sounds like every ti I et you gods, I get a golden apple...
As Promise thought this, he noticed Themis seed to be gazing into the distance... even though her eyes were covered by the white cloth.
Following her gaze,
He saw the kingdom that had awakened from a night's dream.
Even from a distance, he could vaguely see the people of the kingdom moving about, bustling
in a scene of prosperity.
Seeing this, and recalling the initial image of the kingdom ravaged by disasters and plague, Promise naturally smiled.
And at that mont,
"The reason I placed you in the judgnt seat is simple. From the mont we first t, I saw this future through the scales of judgnt... When we first t, I asked the scales two
questions.
Are you just and kind, and is your judgnt fair... And now I have the answers."
As she spoke, the scales of judgnt appeared once again in Themis's left hand.
It was still swaying, representing Promise's uncertain future, both abandoned and cherished by the goddess of fate.
"That day, I asked you why you ca here, what feelings you had standing before Hera. Your answer was that you ca because you wanted to."
"And I think if I asked you now why, despite wanting to beco a hero, you chose to deliver a dream judgnt during that trial, your answer would be..."
"I didn't think that far ahead."
Because if it weren't for Promise's judgnt turning everything into a dream known only to the gods, the feat of judging gods would have brought him unimaginable fa.
But at that ti, Promise simply believed it was the best outco...
Yes, despite its flaws, it was the best outco he could think of under the circumstances.
The kingdom was restored to its original prosperity, those who shouldn't have died returned to the world, and the goddess in the high tower smiled, having regained what she had lost. Even Hera did not loose anything, after all, her rival built a temple for her and beca her
most loyal devotee, praying to her every morning.
This wasn't the first ti such a choice had been made.
Back in Jason's holand, in that kingdom, facing the imminent wrath of Hera, Promise had
also achieved what he believed to be the best outco.
Hera, who had mistaken him for Jason and was ready to bestow all glory upon him, lost
nothing and gained even more.
And Jason, trusting in Promise's promise and courage, did not hesitate to seek the Golden Fleece, and found hope for the future.
"Whether you are just and kind, the scales of judgnt did not provide an answer. This shows
that your future cannot be observed by fate, and it also ans... child, you don't have an answer in your heart either."
Holding the scales, Themis told Promise, and this ti, her previously cold voice was much
gentler.
"Athena has already told about your promise and her vow, but... child, have you ever thought about what kind of hero you want to be, and what kind of end you truly desire?"
Promise was stunned, looking at the goddess of justice before him.
In Greek mythology, there was a hero nad Achilles.
His father was the great hero Peleus, and his mother was the sea goddess Thetis.
Before he was born, his mother knew from the goddess of fate that her child would die in
battle.
"He will be famous, but he will not live to old age, dying young on the battlefield".... This was the prophecy the goddess of fate told Thetis.
In response to Achilles' birth, Thetis held his heel and dipped him in the River Styx, making
his entire body invulnerable except for the heel she held, which did not touch the river water,
leaving a weak spot.
In addition she also forbade him from going to war, hoping this would escape the notice of the goddess of fate, but after learning all this, Achilles responded to his mother. "Rather than living a peaceful life under your great power, Mother, I would rather burn my
life on the battlefield, fighting bravely.
Even if it is short, I want to live gloriously!"
That was Achilles' choice, the finale of an epic story.
When Themis asked Promise, he imdiately thought of this story and realized he truly could not answer the question posed by the goddess of justice before him.
"Even though the goddess of wisdom has promised you a grand finale, child, I hope that when
that day cos, it will be your own choice, a result you yearn for and decide in your heart."
Seeing that Promise did not answer, Themis was not concerned and continued speaking softly, "But you need not worry too much, for your journey has just begun. Along this path, I believe you will eventually find your answer. Until then, my sword will
protect you..."
"And child, when you have your answer, please use your brush to paint on your canvas."
Promise's green eyes reflected the goddess of justice, Themis. The sunlight shone on her,
making her appear radiant.
"...I understand, Goddess Themis."
After a long ti, Promise looked up at Themis and nodded firmly.
Then said with utmost seriousness, "There will co a day when I am worthy of painting you,
Goddess Themis, on my canvas!"
"Then, do we have a deal?" The latter smiled and asked softly.
"Yes!" Promise also smiled at this mont, "We have a deal!"
"I look forward to that day, and I believe it won't be too far off, for... as I said from the
beginning, I already have the answer in my heart."
With these words, Themis once again raised the swaying scales of judgnt in front of
Promise. Clad in her white robe, she stood illuminated by the sunlight, with her back to the kingdom that had awakened from a night's dream, and the temple built by the river goddess Aegina.
She reached out, steadying the continuously swaying scales, and in Promise's watchful gaze, gently raised the side representing goodness.
"Go forth, child, and let your na, your deeds... be known to the entire world!"
.
.
And then,
That afternoon, Promise departed.
He left the kingdom, bidding farewell to the river goddess Aegina.
Aegina had known for a while that Promise would leave, but she hadn't expected it to be so
soon.
At first, she seed quite flustered and even thought about asking him to stay, but in the end...she chose to give her blessing.
"Go, Promise, may your future journeys be illuminated by the sun, and may the stars and
moon watch over you, guiding your way."
Aegina had intended to give everything to Promise, the accumulated wealth of the kingdom,
even the crown and throne that symbolized royal authority, but Promise ultimately accepted none of it.
He left behind only a wish that made the sad, tearful Aegina eventually smile again. Though Promise still didn't have a clear idea of what kind of hero he wanted to beco or
what kind of end he would choose, he did have one goal...
"Please help spread my na. I am a student of the centaur sage Chiron, and I will beco a
hero and leave my na in this world!"
After nearly three months, Promise finally left the place.
His next destination was quite clear.
After all, in three months' ti, Jason, who had been waiting for his news, must have grown
quite anxious. Promise, carrying his little book of grudges and the sword of judgnt that would protect
him on this journey, set out to et the heroes who were either already famous or destined to beco renowned in ancient Greece.
He would invite them to join him in Jason's holand.
To complete the trial given to him and Jason by Queen Hera, the most famous story in Greek mythology... the legend of the Argo!
But, while that was the plan, where exactly were they now?
Should he perhaps prepare an offering and ask Athena or Hera?
As Promise pondered this question,
He hadn't walked far outside the kingdom when he suddenly saw a familiar figure under a
large tree by the roadside...
It was a delicate-looking girl, dressed in a white garnt of ancient Greek style, with a few
strands of white hair peeking out from her hood.
She sat with her eyes closed, holding a crystal ball, seemingly asleep under the shade of the
tree.
Promise looked at her in surprise, recognizing the petite girl before him.
He had seen her before, in Hera's temple in Jason's holand.
She was the goddess of fate who had foretold that Promise would bring glory to Hera...
Clotho!
And just as Promise was staring at her in surprise, wondering why the goddess of fate had
appeared
here,
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Clotho's eyebrows trembled slightly before she slowly opened her
eyes.
Although she couldn't actually see anything due to the white cloth over her eyes,
The goddess of fate, Clotho, raised her head towards Promise.
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