Chapter 108: Just Spread my name
Chapter 108: Just Spread my name
This time,
After receiving the oracle, King Proetus, Queen Anteia, and many guards and ministers were waiting outside the palace early.
The handsome and graceful Pegasus, flapping its silvery wings, descended from the azure sky, bringing the hero who had vanquished the Chimera as foretold by the oracle.
When the dark-haired, green-eyed youth appeared before them, everyone present couldn't help but be surprised, not only because the youth looked less like a hero and more like an elegant poet or painter but also because he seemed as dazzling as a god.
Just then, a white-bearded old man came forward, leaning on a cane.
He was the prophet of the kingdom who had received the oracle.
He approached Pegasus with great reverence and said, "Hero from the cave of Pheres, it is an honor to meet you, esteemed and great one.
This is our great King Proetus and the wise Queen Anteia.
We have received divine instructions and know of your great deeds; you have vanquished the Chimera that laid waste to our lands and saved our kingdom.
Therefore, honoured hero, please pause your journey and rest here for a while; we will offer you the highest gratitude and prepare the richest rewards!"
Then, under the gaze of everyone, Atalanta took Promise's hand, helping the fragile hero down from Pegasus...
As soon as the boy stepped off, Pegasus Atalanta, whose perception was as sharp as that of a wild beast, suddenly turned her head and cast her gaze towards the queen whom the prophet had just introduced...
The stunning Queen Anteia...
As if it were fated, the moment she saw Promise riding Pegasus to this place, the beautiful queen hopelessly fell in love with him.
So, seeing Atalanta holding Promise's hand, her look became angry and jealous.
Noticing this, Atalanta slightly furrowed her brow turned back to look at Promise, about to say something, but then she suddenly stopped.
Because Atalanta suddenly realised that she actually had no status or qualifications to influence his choice in this regard...
So, as she fell silent, Promise approached the gathered crowd.
With a gentle smile on his face that lacked the arrogance often shown by heroes after great feats, he spoke calmly, "Greetings to the noble king and the beautiful queen..."
Although Promise was merely offering polite compliments, the queen, overwhelmed with excitement at that moment, had already decided.
She would meet with Promise tonight, no matter what!
"It is an honor to meet you both, but... I do not require lavish rewards, and I regret that I cannot stay here."
Atalanta looked up in surprise upon hearing this as the boy continued, "I am bound by a divine oracle, and the gods direct my path, so I cannot stop."
This statement stirred up the crowd.
The elderly prophet stepped forward and said, "But Lord Promise, the gods have given us an oracle instructing us to show our highest gratitude to you, the hero..."
"If that is the case, then please help me by spreading my name... I am Promise, a student of the centaur sage Chiron, a follower of Queen Hera. I will become a hero, a dazzling star of this era!"
Promise responded with a smile to the stunned crowd, "That, to me, is the highest form of thanks, the richest reward one can offer."
Hearing this, Atalanta suddenly remembered the past.
The bandits, the capture of Pegasus, and even the incidents in the kingdom of Calydon; Promise's sought rewards had always been the same.
He really hadn't changed at all.
As Atalanta thought this, she couldn't help but smile faintly.
Wait!
I remember, at this time, he usually would...
"Oh, by the way, this is Atalanta, a follower of the moon goddess Artemis; she is like me..."
Before Promise could finish his words, Atalanta, who had finally come to her senses, suddenly stepped forward and covered his mouth.
But it was all too late.
Everyone now knew the names of Promise and Atalanta.
Thus, the legend of their battle against the Chimera began, and in that legend, the two of them.
He was like the god of light, Apollo, a handsome and dazzling young man.
She was like the moon goddess, Artemis, a beautiful and pure woman.
As Promise was about to leave, the beautiful queen couldn't help but step forward, approaching him, pleading with him to stay.
But the boy did not even spare her another glance, politely declining before returning to
Pegasus.
The winged horse then spread its wings and soared into the blue sky before all eyes.
"Wasn't that queen very beautiful?"
Pegasus was standing on the horse, looking at the crowd below, which was getting smaller and smaller.
And there was the queen who was still looking at this place from afar with a dazed look in her eyes until now.
Seeing which, Atalanta couldn't help but speak to Promise.
"Ah?" The latter turned his head, looking somewhat bewildered at Atalanta, "She is certainly beautiful. The king looks so old, but I didn't expect him to be so blessed... But what does this have to do with me?"
Looking at his puzzled expression, Atalanta simply shook her head and said, "Never mind." Hearing this, the boy couldn't help but tilt his head as he looked at the smile that inadvertently appeared on the girl's face.
Pegasus observed all this,
At the same time, feeling the gaze of a familiar goddess in the distance, he couldn't help but
shake his head.
Poor girl, good luck to you!
Atalanta was one of the two who had been fortunate enough to witness the events of the
previous night.
Oh, and speaking of the other person.
Meanwhile, in the Underworld.
Within Hecate's divine realm.
Medea, dressed in a light purple magical outfit, watching her familiar, a butterfly of the
underworld, playing with her teacher, finally couldn't help but quietly ask, "Teacher Hecate, didn't you say you would have Promise take me to see my aunt Circe?"
At that, Hecate, with her striking red eyes, glanced at her beloved student and rolled her eyes,
saying wearily, "What, you're so eager to leave me?"
"No, of course not, Teacher Hecate, I just... I just..."
As she spoke, Medea's face turned red.
Seeing this, Hecate became even more exasperated, "I'm saying, you really let that
troublesome guy hook your soul away in an instant; couldn't you resist a little?"
"Teacher, what are you talking about? I'm not hooked!" Medea protested loudly, recalling everything she had seen the day before.
"I just think that he's... really an impressive person."
"Impressive? Isn't that troublesome... and you said you haven't been hooked. How about I
conjure a mirror so you can take a good look at yourself?"
Medea was speechless, then simply turned her head away and ignored her teacher.
Before coming here, Medea had been very much in awe of Hecate.
After all, her family had always told her how mysterious, beautiful and great the goddess
Hecate was since she was a child.
Even her aunt Circe said the same.
But after arriving, she found that, while mysterious and beautiful..etc etc.. were true, she
didn't look like a goddess at all!
"Oh, okay, okay, I won't say anything."
Seeing her student ignoring her, Hecate said with a smile, "And I will certainly do what I
promised you, but we don't need to go find him.
In a few days, he will come to find you on his own."
...
Two to three days later,
Promise returned to the cave on Mount Pelion.
Atalanta did not accompany him because she suddenly received an oracle from Artemis
midway.
So, under the watchful eyes of Pegasus, she went to see the goddess she believed in, Artemis...
Back in the cave, Promise immediately met the friend whom Hermes had mentioned, the one
he had always wanted to see.
It was none other than the most famous hero of all ancient Greek mythology.
The great hero, Hercules! However, Promise quickly realized it was not a good time to return.
Even before fully grasping the situation, he was so startled he almost turned around and ran.
Because Hercules, who was tall and strong, and looked like a statue made by God, was in stark contrast to his delicate promise, at this moment, was squatting in front of the angry Chiron. The latter, who had a ruler in hand, had lost his usual calm and was sternly reprimanding him. Even Promise, who had once been caught after secretly running away from the mountain, had
never seen Chiron this angry.
So swallowing hard and realising something was wrong, he was to about to sneak away for the
time being.
"Promise, I heard your footsteps, come here!"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
With his body stiffening at the call, Promise had no choice but to return.
When Hercules saw Promia, he was so excited that he wanted to stand up and say hello, but after being glared at by Chiron, he obediently continued to squat.
After exchanging glances with Hercules and blinking, the curious Promise walked over and
asked Chiron, "Teacher Chiron, what did Hercules do to make you this angry? Tell me, and I'll help you scold him thoroughly!"
Promise was genuinely curious; he had never seen Chiron this furious before.
Even when he had been constantly seeking death, Chiron had never lost his temper like this.
"It's all because of you!"
Chiron, looking at Promise's innocent face, was both amused and frustrated.
"Me?"
Promise, widening his eyes and pointing at himself, said, "Wait, Teacher Chiron, I haven't
done anything! Hercules has been down the mountain for so long, but I just saw him today..." "Now, the gods are saying that to see you, they need to prepare a golden apple."
"The golden apple is the treasure of Queen Hera, the Queen of Olympus, so, for your sake, the
goddess of wisdom and the divine messenger teamed up to find Hercules and, while Queen Hera was fully focused on you, took him to steal the golden apples!"
Hearing this, Promise, stunned and blank, was still trying to process the information, when another news struck like a canon.
"In fact, if he had just stolen them, then, it wouldn't have mattered that much. Even if he stole dozens or more, as long as Hercules gave you all the golden apples,
I think the noble Queen will not do anything to Hercules for your sake because they were
originally for you,
However Hercules, you are really brave.
What exactly did Athena and Hermes tell you that you dared to chop down the golden apple
tree!"
...What the hell?
As Promise listened in disbelief,
Chiron, rubbing his temples, gestured to the side.
Following his direction, the boy saw a golden apple tree planted next to a spring, gently
swaying...
"I only cut a little bit."
Hercules, unable to raise his head, quietly defended himself, "Lord Hermes told me it was
okay. He said the golden apple tree was so big, a little cut wouldn't matter, and if I brought it
back, Chiron could replant it.
That way, Promise wouldn't run out of golden apples..."
At this moment, both Chiron and Promise fell silent.
.
.
Meanwhile, just recently returned to Mount Olympus.
At Hera's place,
She had just arrived to find three nymphs in her temple, faces filled with panic and fear,
trembling as they awaited her return for a long time.
They were known as the Hesperides, along with the hundred-headed dragon Ladon, guarding
the golden apples in Hera's garden for the Queen.