Myth: The Spiritual Dominator

Walk through the corridor connecting the outer hall and the main hall, all the way inside.

Although the Royal Palace of Athens did not have structures like some later palaces that could make assassins lost, it still covered a vast area.

Passing by the main hall where meetings were usually held, Andrea saw one person after another who was usually in a high position of power in Athens.

At this moment, they were gathered in twos and threes, discussing the sudden events that happened late at night.

On weekdays, Theseus would summon everyone here to discuss matters, listen to their opinions, and announce his own orders.

But he was not here at this moment, and the top seat was vacant.

"Your Highness, come this way."

Hearing a greeting, Andrea looked in the direction of the voice.

That was my father's close confidant, and he was standing near a small door at the rear side of the hall.

Her heart sank again, and Andrea noticed from the corner of her eye that some people around her were looking at her inadvertently.

The king returned in the middle of the night but did not meet with his ministers in the main hall to calm the people's hearts. Instead, he asked the princess of the kingdom to meet him first.

No matter how you look at it, this doesn't seem like good news.

"Hoo——Andrea, don't panic, stay calm."

"You can do it, it's just a small scene, it's not a big deal."

Cheer-ing herself up in her heart, Andrea raised her head and gave a polite smile.

She turned and nodded to everyone who looked at her, as if this was just a normal night.

Some people smiled back, some looked worried, and some ignored it. But Andrea didn't say anything. She just did what she was supposed to do and walked to the back of the hall.

"I'm here, please lead the way."

There was no further explanation, because Andrea knew very well that most of the people who could come into the hall at this moment were professionals with extraordinary strength, and even the slightest movement could be heard by them.

So even though she was very worried about her father's condition, she didn't ask anything.

"Okay, please come with me."

After speaking briefly, the captain of the guards turned around and led the way, with Andrea following closely behind.

As soon as I stepped out of the hall, the discussions behind me became more intense.

Debates, arguments...some people were thinking about the next king. After all, Theseus actually had more than one prince, Demophon.

Others are discussing how the new king can stabilize relations with the surrounding areas after he ascends the throne.

After all, Athens was so unscrupulous when Theseus was around, so it would suffer so much backlash when he was gone.

Eleusis was just the beginning, and many people were aware of Athens' secret preparations for war over the years.

They knew who their enemies were; they were nothing more than the ancient human kingdoms of the West.

Before today, although there were objections and fears, since Theseus insisted on having his own way, everyone had to obey.

But no one knows what the choice will be after today.

……

Clang…

Bone rolling——

--Snapped!

The wine glass fell over and broke into pieces on the ground.

Theseus, who was sitting in front of the throne, withdrew his hand and was speechless for a moment.

The cup fell to the ground, but it was not just the cup that broke. Shaking his head slightly, Theseus didn't know what to say.

Although the gods' siege was unsuccessful, he eventually returned to Athens. But they were also successful, because the dagger that pierced his back is still there.

Generally speaking, for a powerful demigod like him, piercing a vital point does not mean death. Some powerful divine arts can even revive people who have just died, allowing their souls to return to their places and their bodies to regain life.

But Theseus knew very well that none of this would be of any use to him.

Because the dagger had long been filled with the power of evil, and as the previous battle gradually got out of control, it began to flow throughout his body.

Even if he used all his strength to delay this process, he could only delay the final result.

Perhaps asking for help from the gods could help sustain his life with their power, but from then on, he would never have the chance to hold a sword again.

This ending was not what he wanted.

Tread...  

Tread-tap-

"--Father!"

At the gate, hurried footsteps were heard approaching, and Andrea rushed into the hall in a hurry.

She immediately saw the pale-faced Theseus standing in front of the throne and smelled a hint of blood in the air.

"How could you——"

Taking a few steps forward, light immediately appeared on Andrea's hands, and the divine power of healing fell on Theseus.

However, the next moment, Andrea felt a chill from head to toe.

The power she released seemed to flow into a bottomless black hole. Not only was it useless, it also made people feel a deep sense of fear.

"Well, don't waste your time. This is not something you can cure. Even the gods are very afraid of it. Divine magic... is useless against it."

He shook his head slightly, and it was not until this moment, looking at his daughter who had hurried over, that a smile finally appeared on Theseus' face.

She is still very young and her actions are immature, but she is no longer a child after all... Maybe she was not her original choice, but looking back now, it seems that there is nothing wrong with it.

Although traditional human countries had no queens except in places like the Amazon, Theseus had never been a man who followed the rules.

Moreover, when thinking of the Amazon, Theseus couldn't help but think of Hippolyta.

She once tried to seduce him with the goddess of beauty's belt, but not only did she fail, but she was impressed by his character and ability.

In the past, Theseus had never taken this matter to heart until what happened tonight.

"Father, what are you doing..."

After coming back to her senses from the chill just now, Andrea felt even more depressed.

She didn't know what it felt like, but it undoubtedly proved that Theseus' injuries were serious.

However, the king just waved his hand slightly in response to his daughter's doubts.

"...Andrea."

"I know what you want to ask, but if nothing unexpected happens, I'm going to die."

"What?! But——"

"Hear me out."

Interrupting quietly, Theseus looked at his somewhat flustered daughter.

At this moment, he considered many things, but in the end, he made his choice.

"I'll tell you everything in a minute, but I'm telling you now."

"After I die, you will be the next king of Athens."

click-

Theseus' voice was not loud, but it was accompanied by thunder.

The power stirred up by the incarnations of the gods finally affected the atmosphere, and Athens, which was already on the sea, was hit by a heavy rain.

Thunder and lightning streaked across the sky, creating a series of loud noises. A heavy rain was about to fall, clearing away the dust inside and outside Athens.

However, at this moment, Andrea had no joy of inheriting the throne in her heart, only endless sadness and helplessness.

……

"Father, I remember..."

In the hall, Andrea was stunned for a long while, a little confused.

She wanted to say that Demofeng was the heir, but then she thought of her father who returned alone.

Perhaps he had been killed, but even so, Theseus had more than one son...

"Demophon chose the gods and is the source of everything today. Although Hippolytus is rumored to have a grudge against the goddess of beauty, I no longer have time to verify the truth of it."

Theseus looked at Andrea in a calm voice. No one could easily accept the sudden knowledge that their brother was the traitor.

But he didn't have much time left, so without giving it more time to digest, Theseus continued, "Now that I think about it, this isn't surprising."

"Demophon has always been afraid of the gods, but this fear looks like respect... In fact, you are a believer of the goddess. I didn't want to choose you at first, but Andrea, do you know when I changed my mind?"

Her eyes widened slightly, and although she was a little overwhelmed by the continuous news, Andrea was shocked again.

Because I am a believer of the goddess, I don’t want to choose her... Could it be that in my father’s eyes, the goddess is actually not trustworthy?

"That's not the case. I mean no disrespect to the goddess."

As if he had seen through his daughter's thoughts, Theseus said calmly, "But gods are gods, and humans are humans."

"You have to understand that gods have their own interests, and humans have their own. In the eyes of gods, humans are property, interests, and tools for them to increase their power and gain status, but they are not the same kind as humans."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with Her Highness Athena, and I believe she cares a lot about Athens's 'property'. But since it's about interests, then she can naturally give it up for greater interests. This is the difference between gods and humans."

"The king of Athens does not need to oppose all gods, but he should not be so devout in believing in a certain god that he really regards himself and the whole of Athens as the private property of the god. So I really like your speech at the debate, Andrea. Since you are a human being, you should have 'human justice'."

She was a little shocked, and although she still felt sad and helpless, Andrea was still a little embarrassed.

She herself knew very well how she conducted that so-called debate.

"So... is that when you changed your mind?"

“That’s half the reason.”

Nodding slightly, Theseus smiled and said, "The other half of the reason is that I unexpectedly discovered that you are actually related to hell."

"!"

Andrea was startled and stunned again.

Seeing his daughter's reaction, Theseus smiled again: "It's surprising, isn't it? But since I found you, I will naturally investigate your whereabouts when you disappeared."

"The Lorehouse in Thuringia, the caravans you met along the way, the sacrificial rituals discovered by the paladins who went to investigate, and your experiences in the Acropolis."

"It's easy to target your companion, but just like the demons I encountered before, once you, a burden, are gone, his ability to hide his tracks is also very strong."

"I don't approve of you dealing with the devil, Andrea, but the fact that you were able to maintain this contact even after gradually guessing the other party's identity proves that you don't blindly trust the gods. This is what really makes me happy."

"And speaking from my personal experience, I actually prefer dealing with demons to gods. Even though I only met them a few times, they still left a deep impression on me."

Tapping lightly on the table, Theseus recalled his adventures before he inherited the throne.

He had experienced a lot of things at that time. He had been an opponent of the demons that sneaked into the human world, and had also made deals with them.

"There's a saying they have that I really like: Those who make rules for people other than themselves to follow are the gods. Those who make rules for gods other than themselves to follow are the kings of gods. But those who make rules and strictly follow them as long as they don't leave loopholes in advance are the devil. So really, I don't mind dealing with them, as long as you don't get cheated."

"It is precisely because of these two things that I have occasionally allowed you to sit in on my handling of state affairs in recent years. Of course, if it weren't for today's incident, I probably wouldn't have made up my mind to let you replace Demofeng."

"Cough cough..."

He had said too much and Theseus was a little out of breath.

He stopped Andrea who wanted to come forward. It would be better not to contact him at this time.

"Okay, these are all side issues. Now I want to tell you what you are going to do after I die."

"Whether it's gods or demons, they can believe in them, but they can't believe in them completely. You have to remember that only power belongs to you, and only profit is what they want."

Looking into his daughter's eyes, Theseus' voice gradually regained some strength.

"Hermes is my friend, yes. His origins are mysterious, but just like the friend from Hell you know, he may not be trustworthy after I die, but he will definitely not stand with the gods."

"You can seek his help to fight against the gods, but you must also treat his request with caution."

"You should have known the ministers of Athens over the years. Who is the war advocate and who wants peace. Who is related to which god's church and who is dissatisfied with me taking over the power. I didn't kill them all before. I wanted to do it slowly, but now that I am going to die, you can kill them!"

“Only by killing can you make more people obey you and unite Athens in your hands.”

"Father, I..."

He subconsciously wanted to refuse, but looking at Theseus' pale face, he thought of the count who was knocked down by him.

Andrea was silent for a moment, and finally nodded.

But looking at my own hands, can I really do the same thing as my father with my own strength?

"Of course you can, Andrea. I'll leave you everything you need."

The power of the clergy comes from God, which is why Theseus did not intend to let Andrea succeed to the throne.

Because once the gods decide, she will become a mortal. But since Theseus has made a decision, he naturally has a solution.

Among the incarnations of gods that had been hunted down before, only the incarnation of the God of War was truly killed, and he also took away the remaining parts of the other party.

There is also his own sword, which has been with him for nearly a hundred years.

"I will give you everything you need, but Andrea...you have to remember."

"Only humans care about human affairs."

"Depending on others for survival... one could die at any moment."

"Whether it's the flattery or fear of others, those relationships, interests, and favors, all of these are built on your own abilities."

"Your wisdom, your force, and everything you master are the foundation of all this."

"Dignity is always on the edge of the sword, and truth is always within the reach of your power."

"Let the gods fear you as much as they fear me. Hold this sword."

"From today on, you are the king of Athens."

laugh--

In an instant, blood-red flames burned from Theseus' body, and the remaining metal and divine power of the incarnation of the God of War were also ignited.

They converged upon the sword and became part of it.

At this moment, Theseus felt as if he had come into contact with another realm.

He saw the world in motion, and with each breath, the laws of all things circulated and gave rise to new forces.

This power originates from all things and returns to all things. If there is no external force, perhaps the world is through this internal cycle, constantly accumulating and strengthening its own power, making everything in the world thrive.

It was a little regretful, but Theseus' intuition told him that there might be some essential mystery contained in the cycle within this world.

However, he no longer had time to comprehend, as his life was nearing its end, and vaguely, Theseus felt that he wanted to contact this cycle, as if he was missing some medium.

"This is what future generations will be concerned about, and my story ends here."

With his soul and flesh ignited by his own divinity, Theseus had no intention of having a next life.

Regardless of whether reincarnation exists or not, what does it have to do with him if he loses his memory?

If he kneels before the gods and prays in his next life, that would be the greatest denial of him.

Then everything returned to his sword, Theseus' figure gradually disappeared, and only the weapon was reborn in the fire.

……

Clang——

Clang——

After a long time, the dagger and the sword fell to the ground one after another, making crisp sounds.

In the empty hall, only Andrea's frail figure was left.