After I had fully recovered from my injuries, I learned that my retainers and knights had dealt with Valcion, the mastermind behind the conspiracy. From then on, I simply tightened the surveillance and interference over those who had survived from the royal palace.
Following that, I offered sacrifices to the gods to celebrate our victory in the war.
...The gods are merciless in realms such as these...
Recalling the words of my teacher, the goddess Hecate, I made offerings to every single deity, ensuring not one was omitted, so that I would not repeat the mistakes of other nations.
To efficiently govern my vastly expanded territory, I pondered long and hard before enacting new land laws and various statutes.
Furthermore, I utilized my newly acquired ports to establish maritime trade, bringing immense wealth to the kingdom.
To mitigate the discrimination faced by those from the conquered lands, I encouraged marriage between our peoples and showed respect for their native cultures.
As a result, the existing traditions blended with the new, giving birth to a unique and vibrant cultural synthesis.
***
Eventually, the situation settled into a stable rhythm.
I spent my days ruling the country or passing the time in the company of Hecate and Medea.
Occasionally, I would venture out on hunts with my retainers, enjoying the simplicity of daily life.
Then, one day...
As I often did, I left my retainers behind and ventured deep into the forest, the moonlight carving a path through the trees.
But that day, the forest felt unnervingly cold and silent, as if the air itself had frozen into a sheet of ice.
“...Strange,” I muttered under my breath.
The forest had never been like this before.
Noticing the complete absence of wildlife, I moved forward with cautious steps.
Just then—
Rustle—
The faint sound of stepping on dry leaves reached my ears. I lowered my center of gravity and crept slowly toward the source of the noise.
As I advanced, I saw a shift in the darkness ahead.
“...!”
A massive shadow.
It was undoubtedly a beast.
However, its size was far beyond the ordinary.
Its back rose so high it nearly brushed the canopy, and its breathing was as long and heavy as a gust of wind.
I slowly raised my bow.
I locked my gaze on the target and held my breath.
Just as I reached out to draw the string—
“Don’t shoot.”
A low, clear voice rang in my ear.
Whoosh—!
An arrow streaked across my field of vision.
And then—
Thud—
It buried itself precisely in the massive beast's neck.
The creature writhed in agony from the strike.
But it did not fall.
“...I missed,” a woman's voice murmured.
A white figure stepped out from the shadows.
Silver hair and eyes that held a cold, sunken stillness.
She didn't spare me a single glance.
“Move aside.”
At that moment, the wounded beast charged.
“...!”
Just as she began to raise her bow again—
Whoosh—!
My arrow flew first, piercing the beast's eye.
I dropped low, kicked off the ground, and drew my sword in one fluid motion. I rushed the thrashing creature and drove my blade deep into its throat.
As the sword pierced through, the beast's strength vanished, and it collapsed on the spot.
“...”
Watching this, the woman finally looked at me.
For a moment.
Only a fleeting moment.
“...You're usable,” she remarked.
Then, suddenly furrowing her brows, she spoke again.
“...That was my prey.”
“You already killed it,” I replied.
She stared at me intently.
“...This is my hunting ground. I will forgive your rudeness today because of your skill, but next time, I will not.”
As the words left her lips, a powerful gust of wind swept through. By the time I opened my eyes, she had vanished.
***
On the outer balcony of the halls of Olympus.
Below the clouds, the mortal realm stretched out in a vast expanse.
Hermes, watching the world below, leaned against the railing.
“He doesn’t seem to have any intention of stopping, even after the war. He started moving the moment he returned.”
Beside him, Ares spoke in a low rumble.
“There is nothing wrong with not resting. However, the faster one runs, the easier it is to collapse.”
“And yet, he doesn't collapse,” Hermes replied with a light laugh.
“Normally, something would have snapped by now, but he just keeps going.”
Apollo, leaning against a nearby pillar, kept his gaze lowered.
“He does not overextend. He moves only as much as is necessary... is that it?”
“Perhaps that is why he endures so long.”
Hermes looked down once more.
“The people gathering in his city aren't leaving either. If anything, the numbers are only growing.”
Ares fell silent, joining the other gods in their quiet observation of the earth.
Inside the hall, where a gentle fire burned, three goddesses were gathered.
Hestia, Hera, and Demeter looked at one another in the soft light.
Hestia spoke first.
“...The fire does not go out.”
Opposite her, Demeter gave a slight nod.
“There are almost no starving people compared to other regions. The children of the earth all sing his praises.”
Hera then joined the conversation.
“...Compared to other heroes and kings... that boy is the best.”
Hera's words were brief and clipped compared to the others.
“...A king should be at least that capable.”
Yet, her expression held an inexplicable warmth.
The other two goddesses said nothing more.
In their hearts, they were thinking the same thing as Hera...
At the center of the hall, Zeus stood alone.
The voices of the gods outside faded into the distance.
He gazed down at the mortal world in silence for a long time before finally withdrawing his sight.
“...I must confirm this.”
Recalling what he had witnessed, Zeus turned and left the hall.
He arrived at a place where no light reached.
A space where threads of fate were woven and severed.
The sisters of the Moirai were there.
Standing before them, Zeus voiced the unease that had taken root in him while watching the world below.
“...Lately, the name of a human called Astellon keeps reaching my ears. Tell me of his future.”
As Zeus finished speaking, the threads of fate trembled faintly.
Then, the three goddesses spoke in unison.
[After the marriage to three, the child born to the goddess who weds him shall cry out the names of the gods and elevate their authority.]
The Moirai fell silent immediately after the prophecy.
Zeus, too, remained speechless for a long while.
Eventually, he turned and departed.
As he left, his gaze was fixed firmly upon the land of mortals.
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