Myth: The Spiritual Dominator

Bone rolling...

The wheels rolled, raising clouds of dust.

Say whether it is far or not, say whether it is close or not.

When Ryan stood on the cliff of the Acropolis, in the northwest of Athens, a big city was bustling with people.

The main gate of the city was wide open, and a line of carriages passed through. On both sides of the convoy, fully armed soldiers were ready to fight.

The collision and friction between the armor gaps were dull and rhythmic, and the uniform sound of horse hooves hitting the ground seemed to prove the elite of these knights.

On both sides of the city's central avenue, a large number of people cast various glances at this.

Fear, disgust, admiration, indifference... these were scenes that they would rarely see in their lives. Each fully armed knight could fight a hundred men, and ordinary people could not afford to buy a helmet with all their savings.

Under their protection, no one could crash into this luxurious convoy. Of course, all the onlookers knew that these cavalrymen who seemed to be protecting the carriages were just a decoration.

Although the person they were protecting was in the car, he actually didn't need their protection at all.

After all, he was the king from Athens, the most powerful mortal known to all nations on earth. Even if not everyone agreed with this statement, his actual record had not yet been broken.

Theseus, the king of Athens, came here today with his future heir to personally attend the celebration of the city-state.

Not everyone likes him, but on this day, the people of this city are more or less proud of him.

Because the other person's name is so heavy, and the name of his heir to the throne is so familiar.

Demophon, the same name as the ancient prince. The King of Athens gave his heir such a name, and today he brought him here, the meaning is self-evident.

For this was Eleusis, the holy city of the goddess of agriculture on earth.

……

"Why, a little nervous?"

In the semi-enclosed space, the noise from the outside world is isolated.

Theseus sat upright in simple and formal attire.

Looking at his son in front of him, the middle-aged king spoke in a gentle tone.

Demophon, who has the same name as the ancient prince who was killed in the Eleusinian Mysteries in ancient mythology, is also an unforgettable name for this big city located northwest of Athens.

It's not that the hatred is remembered, on the contrary, it was from the death of that prince that the great goddess of agriculture began to favor the city.

In the era before Athens was born, this small city near the East Sea was already on the edge of the human world. But from that day on, it became famous for its prosperous and sophisticated farming technology.

The small town became a big city, and the poor became known to the world. The sufferings of the mortal king in the past have long been forgotten by the people. They only remember the great achievements of the king's other son, Triptolemus, the first pope of the agricultural church.

As for Demophon... the reason people remember him is actually because they think his death brought the attention of the goddess and the various legends brought about by the mysterious Eleusinian mysteries.

Some say that it was his death that perfected a powerful ritual that guaranteed eternal life and a body indestructible even to the gods to anyone who could endure it.

Some people also say that this is actually a sacrificial ceremony to the goddess of agriculture, and no one can succeed - its only function is to attract the attention of the goddess and calm her anger when she is angry, so that she will not vent her anger on mortals.

There are many different rumors, but no matter which one it is, it is indeed widely circulated among the people. Even before this trip, Demophon personally asked Theseus whether this mystery really existed.

Theseus' explanation for this is, 'It is possible in theory, but I don't know in practice.'

After all, he had no in-depth understanding of this so-called ritual, and only knew a few words about it from ancient books.

In this situation, Theseus had no choice but to "believe in God's authority, but not in God's power."

Theoretically, the authority of Princess Hestia and Demeter should be able to do this, but Theseus has never heard of any successful example in all these years.

"…Father, I'm not nervous, I'm just a little worried."

The deep voice called back the king's attention, and the young prince stood straight again.

In the original history, Demophon was also the successor of Theseus and the king of Athens during the Trojan War. However, this time, he probably would not have the opportunity to form an Athenian coalition and implement the Trojan Horse plan to capture the enemy city.

"Actually... Father, I am worried about the situation at home. Many people think that your decision is too hasty."

"Unify the Athenian states, promote alchemy, expand shipping routes, popularize new farming methods, develop forging technology... If you complete one task in a hundred years, you will be remembered in history. If you complete half of the tasks in your long life as a descendant of God, people will still be singing your name thousands of years later."

"Future generations will use 'Theseus' as a synonym for a wise monarch, and the system you left behind will be passed down for generations... But now, not only in the western countries of the continent, but also within the kingdom, a considerable number of people oppose you."

"And now you are in Eleusis again."

Stopping the topic, Demofeng knew that his father understood what he wanted to say.

Before, although Theseus's behavior was radical, he was still somewhat cautious. But in recent years, his behavior has become more and more urgent.

Take the example of alchemists making fertilizers. These by-products discovered in the gaps of studying material transformation can be produced on a large scale without the intervention of any professionals.

But considering that Athens now had enough food to be self-sufficient, Theseus never promoted it on a large scale.

Until recent years, even though the Agricultural Church protested several times, believing that this was an evil creation that blasphemous to God and a symbol of the alchemist's violation of the authority of the Goddess of Agriculture, the King of Athens continued to do as he pleased.

As a result, dissatisfaction from Eleusis grew, and his people began to reject Athenian rule.

You know, hundreds of years ago, this city near Athens no longer called itself a kingdom.

It became part of the Panathenaic states, so for the stability of the kingdom, Theseus had to come here and stabilize its situation.

Whether the form of stability he chooses is the promise of peace or the threat of force.

"Ha ha……"

With a gentle smile, Theseus did not look like a hero who often fought with humans and gods.

Just like an ordinary middle-aged man, he just shook his head slightly after listening to Demofeng's words.

"I know you're confused, kid, and I understand that too many people have told you how wrong they think my actions are."

"But I hope you understand that the reason I was able to take back the rights of the Athenian states in the past was not because of how clever my plan was, but simply because they could not defeat me."

"The reason why I was able to open up the sea route was not because I was proficient in navigation technology. In the final analysis, it was because I defeated the owners of those places one by one."

"I quickened my pace, not for any other reason, but if a new battle is bound to come, I must ensure that the winner this time is still Athens."

"If you win, you are right. If you lose - no one will speak for you."

"...So you didn't come to Eleusis for negotiations?"

After a moment's silence, Demofeng asked.

"Of course, but only in the way I ask. If they don't accept it - remember your name?"

“So, they’ll accept it.”

Demophon certainly remembered his own name, and he also knew what Theseus wanted to say.

There are two mainstream folk legends about the Eleusinian Mysteries of the goddess of agriculture. In the first story, it was a gift from the gods to Demophon, but it was interrupted by the foolish royal family, resulting in failure. In the second story, it was a sacrificial ceremony, and Demophon's life was their sacrifice to the goddess, and in the end, it was exchanged for glory and respect.

So Theseus' meaning is very clear. If you are not stupid and are willing to accept my kindness, then the Demophon you brought is a gift.

But if you are unwilling, then Eleusis will be the first sacrifice in this war.

but……

'After all, you are only a mortal with a limited lifespan.'

"If you can defeat one god, can you defeat all gods..."

'Even if it is possible, you will eventually grow old. When you leave this world, will everything built on your strength continue?'

Demophon didn't know the answer, but perhaps finding a way to achieve eternal life could circumvent this problem.

But Theseus had no chance to obtain eternal life by relying on God's grace, because his "divinity" was not given by God in the beginning.

God can grant a mortal immortality through his power, but that mortal will also be affected. Because of his previous contact with God's power, he will no longer be able to climb to the top of the world on his own.

On the other hand, although those demigods who ascended to the human world on their own were more powerful and possessed powers comparable to those of the incarnations of gods in the human world, they could no longer receive the gifts of God and obtain long and eternal life.

This is also a choice. After all, the former was infected by the power of God and was destined to be unable to make further progress on his own. But in this era where mortals cannot become gods, no one cares about this.

This is also why we have never heard of any immortal heroes in the world, because at least so far, this is an unsolvable problem.

'You will grow old, and I...will be crowned king.'

'But when that day comes, can I bear the burden that you can bear?'

Bone rolling...

The carriage continued to move forward, and not far away was the former palace of Eleusis.

The casual conversation in the carriage continued, but Demofeng's heart became heavier.

……

Jingle Bell……

In the bustling palace, the sound of clear bells rang out. Maids brought dishes to the banquet from both sides with fragrant breezes, and the sound of cups and plates colliding was pleasant and moving.

The distance from Athens to Eleusis is neither short nor far. If Theseus were alone, it would naturally not take long.

However, such a formal visit could not be made by only one person, so after more than a day's journey, when Theseus and Demophon entered the palace of Eleusis, it was already evening.

So brighter lights were lit in the kingdom, and in order to welcome the King of Athens who came from afar, the contemporary Grand Duke of Eleusis held a grand banquet to welcome his arrival.

"Demophon, what do you think of their attitude?"

After a brief speech, the guests and hosts took their seats.

Theseus briefly exchanged views with the nobles of Eleusis one by one, and Demophon followed him and listened.

As the future heir to the throne of Athens, he was naturally brought here not only because of his special name, but Theseus was also cultivating his abilities.

So when another noble who came to greet him stepped back, Theseus couldn't help but test him by asking while the next person was not yet approaching.

"…Looks very enthusiastic, but is actually a dagger in disguise."