After I had fully recovered from my injuries, I heard that Valcion, the one who had masterminded this affair, had been dealt with by my retainers and knights. From then on, I only increased the interference and surveillance of those who had survived from the royal palace.
After that, I offered sacrifices to the gods in celebration of our victory in war.
"...The gods are merciless in matters such as these..."
Remembering the words of my teacher, the goddess Hecate, I made offerings to every single one of them so I would not repeat the mistakes of other nations.
And in order to govern my vastly expanded territory efficiently, I pondered long and hard before enacting land laws and other statutes.
On top of that, I began sea trade based on the ports I had newly acquired, and thus gained wealth.
I also encouraged marriage to ease, to some degree, the discrimination against those from the conquered lands, and I respected their cultures.
Thanks to that, the existing culture and theirs blended together, and a new cultural form was born.
After that, matters were settled to a certain extent.
I spent my time ruling the country, or passed the days with Hecate and Medea.
And from time to time, I went hunting with my retainers and lived out my daily life.
Then, one day...
As always, I was cutting through the forest beneath the moonlight, leaving my retainers behind.
But that day, the forest felt strangely cold and silent, like a sheet of ice.
"...Strange."
At that, I muttered under my breath.
This forest had not been like this before.
Seeing no beasts anywhere, I slowly moved forward.
Then, at that moment...
Rustle-
The faint sound of leaves being stepped on reached my ears, and I lowered my body before slowly approaching the source of the noise.
As I moved, I saw the darkness before my eyes shift.
"..!"
A massive shadow.
It was clearly a beast.
Yet it was no ordinary size.
Its back rose so high it seemed it might brush the trees, and its breathing was long as the wind.
I slowly raised my bow.
I fixed my sight and held my breath for a moment.
Then I reached out to draw the bowstring.
At that instant...
"Don't shoot."
A low, clear voice reached my ears.
Whoosh-!
And an arrow cut across my field of vision.
Then, just like that...
Thud-
It sank cleanly into the beast's neck.
The beast, struck by the arrow, twisted its body.
But it did not fall.
"...I missed."
And then a woman's voice came to me.
From the darkness, a white figure stepped out.
Silver hair, eyes sunk in cold stillness.
She never once looked at me.
"Move aside."
At that moment, the wounded beast charged.
"...!"
Just as she was about to raise her bow at the sight of it...
Whoosh-!
This time, my arrow flew first and pierced the beast's eye.
Then I lowered my body, kicked off the ground, drew my sword, and rushed at the beast as it thrashed in confusion, driving the blade in.
When I pierced the beast's neck with my sword, the strength left it and it collapsed on the spot.
"..."
Watching that scene, she finally looked at me for the first time.
For a moment.
Only for a very brief moment.
"...You're usable."
She spoke to me.
Then, suddenly furrowing her brows, she addressed me again.
"...That was my prey."
"You already killed it."
At my words, she stared at me and said, "...This is my hunting ground. I'll forgive your rudeness today because of what just happened, but next time, I won't."
As soon as she said that, a strong wind blew, and when I opened my eyes after squinting against it, she was gone.
The outer balcony of the hall on Olympus.
Beneath the clouds, the land of mortals spread out below.
Hermes, watching it, leaned against the railing and spoke.
"He doesn't seem to have any intention of stopping even after the war. The moment he returned, he was already moving."
At that, Ares, standing beside him, said in a low voice, "Not resting is not a bad thing. But it also means it's easier to break."
"And yet he doesn't break."
Hermes answered with a light laugh at Ares' words.
"Normally, something would have blown up around that point, but he just keeps going."
Leaning against a pillar, Apollo lowered his gaze and said, "He doesn't overuse himself. He moves only as much as necessary... is that it?"
"So that's why he can endure for so long."
Hearing the two of them, Hermes looked down below again.
"The people gathering in the city aren't leaving either. If anything, more are coming."
After that, Ares said no more, and together with the other gods, he looked down upon the mortal world.
Inside the hall, in a place where the firelight burned softly, three goddesses had gathered.
The three were Hestia, Hera, and Demeter, and as they sat together, they looked at one another.
Then Hestia spoke first.
"...The fire isn't going out."
At Hestia's words, Demeter, seated opposite her, gave a slight nod.
"There are almost no people starving, compared to other places. The children of the land all praise him."
As Hestia and Demeter spoke, Hera also opened her mouth.
"...Compared to the other heroes and kings... that one is the best."
Hera's words were shorter and more restrained than those of the other two goddesses.
"...If he's a king, that much is only right."
Yet there was some inexplicable warmth in her expression.
Seeing that, the two goddesses said no more.
They, too, were thinking much the same as Hera in their hearts...
At the center of the hall, Zeus stood alone.
The voices of the gods outside gradually faded away.
He looked down upon the mortal world in silence for a long while, then finally withdrew his gaze.
"...I should confirm it."
Remembering what he had seen while watching the mortal world, Zeus turned and left the hall.
And where he arrived was...
A place untouched by light.
A space where threads were joined and severed.
There, the sisters of the Moirai were waiting.
Standing before them, Zeus spoke of the unease that had arisen in him as he watched the mortal world.
"...Lately, I keep hearing the name of a human called Astellon. Tell me of his future."
When Zeus finished speaking, the threads trembled faintly.
Then the three goddesses opened their mouths at once.
"After marrying three women, the child born to the goddess who married him will cry out the names of the gods and raise his authority higher."
The three goddesses of fate who spoke those words said nothing further afterward.
Zeus, too, after hearing them, remained silent for a long while.
Then he turned and left that place.
And the direction of his departing gaze was unmistakably toward the land of mortals.