Having traversed countless realms, can you possibly be as clever as me?

"In the name of Selenne, your face will be shrouded in the shadow of the sun, and only the radiance of Helios can dispel it."

"In the name of Hermes, your bloodline is hidden in deception. Only after your appearance is revealed can the goddess who protects the family unveil your true form."

"Finally—your existence will be concealed by the Three Goddesses. You will be discovered by the Three Sisters of Fate on the day you turn twenty, but before that, no one can track your whereabouts."

"As you wish! (x2)"

Three vows, three incantations, three blessings, three curses

The oath Hecate made for him would be unbreakable—or rather, he would be absolutely safe until this curse-like oath came to pass.

The next moment, a baby boy appeared as all the swirling liquid in the Shadow Cauldron dried up. Hecate reached out and lifted him out, examined him for a moment, and then laughed.

"I originally wanted to grab your feet and immerse them in the River Styx to grant you a body of steel, but now it seems you don't need it."

Tsurugi didn't speak, but stared straight at Hecate. The hair that had sprouted on her head was no longer long and golden, but short and dark.

"Alright, alright, let's get going."

Hecate chuckled and, holding the baby, walked through the deep purple belladonna field, amidst the blooming mollusks, until she arrived at the entrance to the mortal world.

But right there—a man with a sickly face, bearing sorrow and grief, stood there, seemingly having waited for a long time.

"It is an honor to meet you, Mistress of the Underworld." Hecate bowed slightly to the goddess before her. As for why she recognized her at a glance, it was simply from the sight of Cerberus, the three-headed dog, obediently lying beside her.

In the underworld, besides Hades, only the mistress of the underworld could command such submission from her fierce guard dogs.

"Hecate...may I see the child in your arms?" Persephone's gaze lingered on the sleeping Tsurugi in Hecate's arms, and she spoke plaintively.

“Of course.” Hecate handed the thrush over with delight. Persephone stared intently at the child’s face, kissed him on the forehead, and then returned it to Hecate.

"Go, go quickly, don't linger in the underworld any longer."

She seemed unable to bear some kind of sorrow, and departed sadly. Hecate watched the departing figure of the Mistress of the Underworld, a soft laugh escaping from beneath her veil.

"Oh, what a human tragedy, a mother who will never see her child again..."

At this point, she glanced at the sleeping Tsurugi in her arms and smiled knowingly.

"I really don't know if you're pretending to be asleep or if you're really asleep, but it doesn't matter."

She took Tsurugi away from the underworld and returned to the human world, and soon—

A 'shooting star' carrying a gift unknown to anyone fell into the forest of Colkis.

A daring hunter brought the treasure back to the palace and presented it to the new king, Aeetes. The king then took out an infant from the treasure and immediately declared that it was a gift from the sun god.

"He is a gift from the sun, a gift from the gods, and so am I; he too is a descendant of Helios!"

"Therefore, he will become the successor of Colkis, and I will name him—Karl!"

1013

733. I'm a pure military commander!

On the boundless Ocean Sea, in the kingdom of Calydon, blessed by the goddess Artemis, lived a beautiful princess named Ianella, daughter of King Oenius, whose beauty was renowned throughout Greece.

Legend has it that her eyes were like lake water in the dark night, and her hair was like ripe wheat ears in autumn. Her beauty was comparable to that of the gods in heaven.

Well, okay, such descriptions and princesses are not uncommon on this sea.

Beautiful princesses, like brave demigod heroes, are as numerous as wild dogs, and most of them are brainless fools...

"Ouch! Ouch! Little sister, don't twist my waist! I know you're beautiful and very intelligent, you're the exception!"

Okay, let's continue the story.

Because of Ianila's fame, princes and heroes from all directions flocked to her side to propose marriage, like rivers flowing into the sea. But the king had his own judgment. He knew that his daughter needed not only a husband, but also a protector strong enough to withstand the storms of fate.

So he set up three trials, each as sharp as a blade. The first was an archery competition. Calydon was a kingdom blessed by the god of hunting, so testing the warriors who could marry the princess to see if they possessed formidable archery skills was especially important.

The second round of competition is a contest of strength. The challengers who advance to the second round must compete to see who is stronger and who will win.

The third level of the competition—well, there isn't actually a third level.

The original story did not have a third level of competition, because one of the winners of the second level was named Hercules.

Just hearing this name, aside from the incredible numerical values ​​and the subtle yet irresistible allure of the ocean of milk, is enough to kill the game.

"So, brother, did you come here to marry this princess?"

High above the clouds, a small, delicate, and adorable purple-haired girl blinked her large, beautiful, and sparkling eyes, like cat's eyes, as she looked at her brother who was standing in the sky holding her, and asked curiously...

"Oh, my dear little sister Medea, you must understand one thing."

The young man in the red cloak tapped the tip of the cute girl's nose with his finger, then grinned, revealing a perfect smile with eight gleaming teeth.

"Most people focus on results and ignore the process, but there is another kind of person in the world who cares about the process and doesn't care about the result."

"Your brother is just that kind of hopeless person, and I value the process more than the worthless prize!"

"Don't think this is boring. In fact, my hobby is just as noble as that of the bored gods!"

Medea tilted her head slightly, blinked her big, bright eyes, and seemed not to quite understand what her brother was saying.

But this is quite normal; it's just everyday food, nothing to brag about.

From as far back as she can remember, her brother, whom she only knew was very handsome but never knew what he looked like, had always been a very strange person.

He is as warm and enthusiastic as the sun, possessing immense strength and magical abilities that many demigod heroes cannot match, and he will help everyone in Colchis without expecting anything in return.

Therefore, he was loved and respected by everyone in Colchis, who firmly believed that Karel would be the greatest king of Colchis.

However, he was also considered by some to be the least deserving person to become king.

The reason is simple, just like his blasphemous remarks—he is disrespectful to God.

Colchis was a nation founded by the descendants of the sun god Helios, but they did not actually worship Helios exclusively.

In the mortal realm, sacrifices to the Olympian gods were mandatory, and the numerous city-states on the Sea of ​​Oceanus were required to worship one or two deities.

In short, it boils down to one sentence: you always need someone to protect you.

If you do not respect God, then if monsters invade your country or heroes plunder your country, no one will stand up for you.

Colchis respected Helios, but did not primarily worship him, because the sun god was actually quite powerless. Therefore, Colchis mainly worshipped Apollo.

Because people no longer worship the sun, since it still goes about its business even without worship. And they don't actually worship Apollo's light; they worship other aspects of Apollo.

Although many people mention Apollo in terms of light and the sun, in the time of the Olympian gods, Apollo was not worshipped for these reasons.

In fact, the ancient Greeks' worship of gods was also a very realistic and pragmatic approach. They rarely worshipped the natural aspects of the gods, but rather the more practical aspects.

Just as people worship Poseidon more for his role as a "fishing god" and "protector of the sea" than for his title as a sea god and earthquake demon, Apollo is worshipped more for his other divine roles.

1013 >>

In the age of the gods, Apollo's essence was the quadrant of light, just as his sister Artemis was the quadrant of the moon. However, in the eyes of mortals, they were more known as gods of medicine and art. But the main reason he was worshipped was his identity as the god of oracle.

The priests of Apollo were arguably the most versatile priests in all of Greece. His Temple of Delphi was renowned throughout the land, and almost every temple had a connection to Apollo. Furthermore, Apollo's priests could interpret the oracles of all gods, including Zeus, the king of the gods.

Apollo's priests were also known for their accurate prophecies, so people respected and worshipped Apollo because they valued his ability to ward off evil spirits.

However, this does not mean that Apollo did not desire divine power of light. The power of humanity is the foundation upon which mortals worship and support deities, and the basis upon which they will not be forgotten by the world. Only by being forever remembered by civilization and the world can they avoid falling into the eternal slumber of the primordial gods and some of the Titans. But in essence, the symbolism of the primordial world is the foundation of power, and only in this way can he have more say in Olympus.

Although Colchis were descendants of the son of Helios, Helios, besides controlling the sun, only had the divine function of 'harmony' and couldn't help much. Therefore, they chose to worship Apollo as their main deity, and Calair—who had beaten up an Apollo priest!

That was only a year ago for Medea.

The reason for this was that the priest of Apollo summoned Karel to hear the oracle, but for some reason, when he came out, he was carrying the priest of Apollo, who had been beaten black and blue.

During that time, the people of Colchis were filled with fear and panic. The terrified populace even tried to expel Calair in exchange for Apollo's forgiveness, lest he unleash a plague.

But after some time, nothing happened, and Apollo did not punish him at all—no one knows why, but Calair took the opportunity to leave Colchis.

He was just out having fun with his little sister when he stumbled upon a martial arts contest to find a husband, so he decided to go down and join in.

There's never any complicated reason; why do you need a reason to have fun?

At that moment, in the arena below, colorful flags fluttered like clouds.

King Oenius of Calydon sat atop a high platform, his silvery beard trembling slightly in the morning breeze. Looking down at the scene below, he was undoubtedly very pleased.

For so many heroes have gathered here at this moment—probably heroes from almost half of Greece!

This was enough to prove how beautiful his daughter was, while these heroes stood on the sand, bows hanging on their backs, quivers clanging, fully prepared for battle.

The first to step forward was Iphicles of Thessaly, who fired three arrows, each hitting the bullseye. The crowd erupted in cheers, and the king nodded slightly.

Next came Cometus of Messenger, whose arrow arced through the air, bypassing the wicker shield in front of the target and piercing the bullseye from behind. This skill made the old king stroke his beard and smile, clearly taking note of it.

The third was Amphidamas of Thebes. He took out three arrows, nocked them simultaneously, and fired three arrows at once. Two hit the bullseye, and the third precisely severed the fletchings of the first two. This exquisite skill caused a stir among the crowd. The king stood up, poured himself a cup of wine, and ordered it to be served.

One hero after another emerged, showcasing their exquisite archery skills, making it difficult to distinguish who was better.

The competition continued until the last person—

That last controversial 'hero'

The man who had praised the Heavenly Queen stepped forward last. He was broad-shouldered and thick-backed, and the muscles beneath his lion-skin vest gleamed bronze in the sunlight. His face was resolute and powerful, but he did not move. Since arriving here, his gaze had been fixed on the pillars of the colonnade to the side of the platform.

There stood a girl, her red dress as fiery as fire, a golden arrow-shaped hairpin tucked into her braid. The beautiful Princess Ianila was looking down at the tips of her shoes, occasionally glancing up at the scene, her eyes as indifferent as if seen through a layer of morning mist.

"Hercules," the master of ceremonies called his name.

He stepped forward. The other heroes glanced sideways, whispering like the wind rustling through wheat fields. This was the man who had strangled the Nemean Lion, undoubtedly a hero among heroes, but at the same time, he was also a slave.

He had not yet atoned for his sins, he still had work to do, and he was still a slave of Eurystheus, the King of Mycenae.

But Hercules ignored the gossip. He casually took the giant bronze bow off his back, nocked an arrow, and the bowstring emitted a deep hum.

He didn't aim. He didn't even look at the target. The arrow shot through the air like a black lightning bolt, hitting the bullseye squarely. The immense force sent the entire target tilting backward, splintering wood and causing it to explode on the spot.

1013>>>>

His bravery and strength are evident!

But who is the winner of this competition?

King Oenius rose to his feet, faced the crowd, and spoke in a voice as loud as a bell.

"You heroes are worthy of your illustrious names. Today's test is intended to select the best archers." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

"However—beyond archery skills, true heroism lies in the courage to face one's opponent head-on. Tomorrow, still in this place, a second contest will be held: a wrestling match. Anyone interested may stay."

Perhaps the archery competition was merely a performance to please Artemis; the real competition would not take place until the next day. Some people in the crowd, knowing they had no hope, left, but many heroes remained.