And so the banquet continued until the night turned pitch-black.
After I had fallen asleep beside my wives,
[Child. Come here.]
“Ugh... what is it?”
I was jolted awake by a sudden, mysterious voice.
The voice that had roused me continued to insist that I come toward it.
[Come to this place.]
I rose from the bed and looked out the window. From within the forest, I sensed an unusual presence, and I realized it belonged to the owner of the voice calling me.
For a moment, I hesitated over whether to follow the call, but...
“...Let’s go.”
In the end, I set off toward the forest.
***
How long had I walked after entering the woods?
I had been here several times before, and yet tonight, everything felt strangely unfamiliar.
As I continued along the path, I eventually came to my senses and found myself in a place I had never seen before.
It was a vast, empty plain.
I looked around, wondering if such a place had always existed.
[See? You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?]
[Indeed, you have, my dear.]
“..!!”
Then, all at once, two unknown voices reached my ears.
I could hear them clearly, yet the owners of those voices were nowhere to be seen.
In such an extraordinary situation, I immediately realized that the ones intervening here were none other than...
“...The King of Eirene greets the gods.”
I knew that at least two gods were present.
[Hmm?]
At my words, the voices watched me with curiosity.
[An amusing child.]
[You seem to like him, don't you, my dear?]
“Mm...?”
As the two gods conversed, a memory suddenly surged in my mind—one of those voices sounded as though I had heard it somewhere before.
After thinking carefully about where I had heard it, I spoke.
“...Thank you for your aid in the subjugation of Leviathan, divine one.”
I realized that the voice was strikingly similar... no, identical to the god who had appeared and vanished during Leviathan’s defeat, and I bowed respectfully.
[Hmm. So you’ve finally noticed.]
“I apologize for only realizing it now. The situation was so sudden.”
[No, it matters not. I did not summon you here merely to hear such words. Well... then I suppose it is about time we told you.]
The god who had aided in Leviathan’s subjugation answered, and as soon as he finished, a tremendous wind swept through the area, making it impossible to see ahead.
Bracing myself so I would not be blown away, I finally came face to face with two immense divine presences, the likes of which I had never felt before.
[Since you are qualified, I shall tell you. My name is Erebus. And this one is...]
[Erebus’s wife, Nyx.]
In that instant, the two gods revealed their True Names.
I was struck with absolute astonishment.
“I do not understand why the two of you, great gods as you are, would go so far as to seek me out. If you would be so kind as to tell me your purpose, I would be grateful, primordial gods.”
They bore the very same names as the primordial gods I had heard of from Hecate.
[It is nothing much. Or perhaps, from a certain perspective, it is quite important.]
Erebus replied to my question.
[You are our vessel.]
Vessel.
At that unexpected word, I looked up at the two gods and asked,
“...May I ask what you mean by ‘vessel’?”
[Exactly as it sounds. For some reason, you alone possess the qualification to fully contain our fading power.]
[That is why he tested you.]
“A test...?”
[Leviathan. He watched how far you could utilize my husband’s power. And as a result, we became certain.]
Nyx answered me in a gentle tone, suddenly gliding in front of me to caress my face.
[That you truly are a sufficient vessel. How very amusing. Even one who has not received divine blood possesses the qualification to inherit our power.]
She laughed with genuine delight as she spoke.
[So I shall make you an offer. Become the adopted son of me and my husband, and become the priest of us both.]
The moment I heard those words, it felt as if the world had stopped and my mind had turned into a blank sheet of white paper.
Nyx spoke as though it were a casual request, but the true implications were staggering.
First of all, these two were primordial gods whom even Zeus and the other Olympians could not treat lightly.
Their power and authority were beyond anything I could possibly imagine.
If I inherited the power of such beings, Eirene would grow into a mighty kingdom that even the gods would not dare touch.
And... I too would become far stronger than I was now.
“...I do not quite understand. Why would you make such an offer to me...?”
[You have a tendency to underestimate your own worth.]
Erebus answered my hesitation.
[It is enough that you have grown to stand equal to, or even surpass, the children of gods. And above all, I found your heart pleasing. You possess a pure spirit and a clear soul that are hard to believe belong to a man of Greece.]
[So what Erebus means is that you are more than enough. All you need to do is say one thing.]
“...I...”
[...If you become our adopted son, you will inherit a portion of our power and grow. Your lifespan will also be extended. And...]
[Honestly, you. The child is trying to speak, and you keep interrupting. You seem impatient, which is unlike you.]
[....I am not.]
[Hmph. Liar.]
[.....]
[You must understand, dear. He often says things that differ from what he truly feels.]
Nyx, having finished her banter with Erebus, kept her gaze fixed on me.
[Now, what will you do?]
“I...”
I paused, thinking of what would happen to my wives or to Eirene—the things most precious to me—if I were to die or disappear.
“...I will do it. I will become your adopted son.”
After weighing the risks, I decided that to protect what I cherished, I must obtain a power that even the gods could not treat lightly.
[Hmm...]
[Heh heh...]
At my answer, Erebus wore an unreadable expression, while Nyx broke into a radiant smile.
[That means from now on, you’re our son~!!]
Whoosh—!
“...Huh?”
She suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.
“W-what in the world...?!”
[...There she goes again.]
While I was flustered by Nyx’s reaction, Erebus responded with a sigh of familiarity.
[Nyx is incredibly soft-hearted when it comes to her children. And now, you are one of them.]
“I-I see... Th-then... wait a moment! Lady Nyx!”
As Erebus spoke, Nyx continued to squeeze me closer and closer.
I-I can’t breathe...!
Panicked, I hurriedly struggled to get free. Nyx finally released me, though she now wore a very serious expression.
[Call me mother. Call me mother, my son.]
“N-no. Isn’t this moving a little too fast?!”
I was already shaken by her solemn face, but I was utterly stunned by her next words.
[I’m going to keep calling you that from now on anyway, so what does it matter? Come now, our youngest. Quickly, call me mother.]
“Th-tha... tha...”
[Quickly.]
“Mo... moth... mother...”
Unable to withstand Nyx’s urging, I finally forced the word out. Nyx beamed with absolute joy.
[Ah! As expected, our youngest is just adorable!]
And once again, she pulled me back into her arms.
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