-!!!!!!
While the room was filled with such boisterous noise.
Step, step—
"....."
Bell emerged from the room alone, heading somewhere.
"Where are you going?"
"...!!"
Swish—
"Lady Freya..."
The one who called out to him was another Goddess of Beauty, who had been waiting for Akumo outside the room.
"You have the face of someone burdened by worry."
'He resembles that child. Is it as I thought?'
Freya noticed the conflict etched into Bell's features—a weight he couldn't quite hide—and led him away.
"I am not your goddess... but as a fellow deity, would you allow me to listen to your troubles?"
Slightly—
"You don't have to accept. The choice is yours."
Bell felt it instinctively; there was no malice or ulterior motive in her invitation.
Step, step—
Following Freya's guidance, he walked with her toward the outer terrace.
Thud—
They arrived at the terrace.
From there, the sight of the clear moon illuminating the city was laid out like a masterpiece.
"Aphrodite... she really hasn't changed a bit, has she?"
"Tell me about it~ Akumo and Bell are the ones suffering for it...."
With that scenery as their backdrop, the goddesses of Olympus—the Goddess of the Hearth and the Goddess of the Moon—were deep in conversation.
".....Lady Freya."
"Speak freely."
"I... I almost killed Lady Artemis."
That day, when he faced that despairing existence in Elsos and held the arrow imbued with divine power in his hand.
"If my brother hadn't been there, I would have had no choice..."
He would have loosed that arrow and taken the goddess's life.
Failing to save the girl he so desperately wanted to rescue.
"...."
Gently—
"Do not overthink it."
The arrow aimed at the goddess.
In the end, what it struck was not a deity, but a path toward a radiant destiny.
"And you seized that destiny."
A soft smile bloomed.
"Smile at the conclusion."
"Lady Freya...."
"The smiles of children are one of the joys we gods cherish."
That day, Freya's smile was more beautiful than any Bell had ever seen.
Bathed in the moonlight, her eyes as she gazed clearly at the heroes were blindingly beautiful.
The next day, Akumo left Freya and Artemis at the lodging, entrusting their protection to Hedin and Horn.
"I think we'll have to move like this for a while. Sorry for the trouble."
"Following you is the Goddess's command. It is not something you need to apologize for."
".....Just please, do not bring any more dangerous business our way."
Leaving them behind, Akumo headed toward the Great Temple.
"Lead the Savior of the Nation deep into [The Candlestick]..."
There, he heard that a new oracle from Prometheus had been delivered.
"That is the new oracle from the God Prometheus."
Ilia recited the new oracle carved into the stone monument for the group.
The 'Savior of the Nation' mentioned in the text undoubtedly referred to Hestia, but...
"[The Candlestick]...? What is that...?"
Confronted with another term lacking context, Mikoto directed her question to Rhea.
"[The Candlestick] refers to the space sprawling beneath Olympia."
Slowly—
"It is a sort of dungeon. At its deepest point lies the [Altar of Heaven] for prayer."
"We wish for the Goddess Hestia to come to that underground altar."
To extinguish the tainted flames, Hestia had to be guided to the altar.
However, if it was a place similar to a dungeon, danger was guaranteed.
"I, Ilia, will serve as the guide. Other shrine maidens will accompany us as guards."
Olympia seemed aware of the risks, as they were making efforts to ensure Hestia's safety by assigning Ilia and elite shrine maidens as her escort.
"Wait, Lady Hestia is our Patron Deity. If she needs an escort, shouldn't we be the ones to help?"
"She's right. Considering our combat strength, it would be better if Master Akumo and Master Bell accompanied her..."
For Welf and Lili, entrusting their deity's safety to outsiders was not an ideal arrangement.
"[The Candlestick] is a sacred altar. We cannot allow foreigners to enter so easily; that is our regulation."
"Sacred traditions... I see. If that's the case, it's difficult for us to interfere..."
"It shouldn't be dangerous if it's just for a prayer..."
At Ilia's explanation, which sounded more like a plea, Haruhime judged that as outsiders, they couldn't recklessly ignore local customs.
Lili was also about to agree, recalling how devotedly the shrine maidens served Hestia, when—
"No."
"Yeah, I refuse!"
A firm rejection came simultaneously from Akumo and Hestia.
"What?"
""""?""""
Question marks practically appeared over the heads of the group, including Ilia.
Hestia, however, did not stop there.
"If I cannot go with Bell, then I shall not go at all!"
"Eeeek!?"
"W-Wait a minute! Lady Hestia, what kind of stubbornness is this!? Lili was just about to agree because we had no choice...!!"
"If I say no, I mean no! I am the Savior of the Nation; surely you can grant me one small request~!"
Despite the suddenness, Hestia insisted vehemently on taking Bell with her.
"Regulations are merely your internal rules. Objectively speaking, having Bell go is the much better decision."
"Wouldn't it be fine? If it's just Bell."
"If permission is granted, let him go with her."
To add weight to Hestia's claim, Akumo, Hermes, and Hephaestus all chimed in with their support.
"What!? Master Hermes is one thing... but even Master Akumo and Lady Hephaestus...!!"
"Supporter-kun~ Regardless of foreign customs, weren't you just hoping to spend time with Bell while I was away~?"
"Ugh..!! You always monopolize him!!"
As Lili expressed her bewilderment, Hestia's provocative words hit a nerve.
Crash—!
"Whoa!? Supporter-kun! What are you doing!!!"
Ultimately, consumed by jealousy, Lili ended up in a scuffle with Hestia, creating a chaotic atmosphere.
"....."
'Lady Hestia.... As expected.'
"Bell."
Akumo, sensing a different kind of dissonance in the scene, quietly called out to Bell.
"What is it, brother?"
"You have grown strong. So, do not worry and keep moving forward."
"....?"
"Just go already~!"
That was all Akumo had to say to him.
"..."
While observing Ilia's guilt-ridden expression, Akumo sent Bell off with a smile of trust.
"....."
Step, step—
"I have heard much about you, Master Akumo."
Having entrusted Bell and Hestia to Ilia, Akumo was walking slowly through the Great Temple.
"I apologize to your companions, but I have many things I wish to ask..."
Beside him walked Eton, wearing his usual smile as he posed various questions.
"It's fine. Ask whatever you wish, Master Eton."
"Thank you. Hehe."
Step, step—
"Then, first..."
From mundane questions about his place of origin and how many years he had been in Orario.
"Regarding Lady Aphrodite, and how you managed to enter Olympia... Could this also be a result of the flames being tainted?"
"Ahaha... Well... perhaps that is the case?"
To questions that were blatantly digging for information.
Akumo understood that as a leader of Olympia, Eton's vigilance was only natural, yet a certain unpleasantness lingered in his mind.
Step, step—
As they walked and talked, the two arrived at a certain location.
"This is...."
"You've been here before, haven't you? This is the sword of Epimetheus."
"..."
'As I thought, he already knew?'
Eton was fully aware that Akumo had secretly infiltrated this place to speak with Hestia.
"I also know the story of Epimetheus."
'Since it was one of the fairy tales Zeus read to Bell...'
Of course, Akumo being aware of this was also part of the plan.
As long as he didn't know Eton's true intentions, the best he could do for now was help Bell and the others move freely.
"Then you must also know that the story is a tale of failure."
"A tale of failure... You are quite harsh."
"It is merely the truth. Especially when compared to the feats achieved by Zeus and Hera."
Leviathan, Behemoth, Antares, and even the Black Dragon.
Epimetheus was a hero of the past who had faced the divine assassins Akumo had encountered long ago.
And he was a hero who had lost.
"A tale of failure...."
Epimetheus's story was a tragedy, a chronicle of defeat.
It was the polar opposite of the Argonaut's tale, which felt like a comedy and resembled the story of a certain boy.
"I have never seen a child who admires him. Even when he is mentioned, it is only as a cautionary tale."
"I do not view it favorably either."
Even if one possesses power and becomes someone's hope.
If they ultimately fail, it only makes the fall more painful.
".....I see."
At Akumo's meaningful response, Eton replied bitterly.
"That is true—"
"If you view that story only as a Heroic Tale, that is."
He was about to agree.
Until Akumo's follow-up words continued.
"Pardon....?"
Akumo's sudden interjection succeeded in drawing a look of confusion from Eton.
"Only as a Heroic Tale... what do you mean by that...?"
A hero sent by the gods, a hero who saves the world, and then a happy ending.
"A dream-like story prepared for children. No, it is a dream."
Brilliant, happy stories written to provide hope.
"From that perspective, Epimetheus's story may indeed be a tale of failure."
However, Akumo knew better than anyone.
"I'm not just talking about obvious realism."
Step—
"I simply cannot look unfavorably upon a story that captures the reality of the countless heroes who have fallen."
Zeus and Hera, whom Eton compared to Epimetheus.
They certainly achieved feats that would remain in history; they struck down enemies of that magnitude.
Crunch—!
But Eton likely had never seen it.
-Dammit!!!!!!
-Don't worry about us, just keep pouring on the attacks!!!!!
-Move faster!! If you fall behind, you only die!!
Just how many heroes fell in that process, and how many stories ended as tales of failure.
"Blindly praising them isn't necessarily a good thing either."
The fact that their stories were by no means the Heroic Tales found in fairy tales.
That reality was recorded all too clearly in Akumo's own story.
Drip! Drip!
-'What is happening...?'
Desperate retribution against the Familias that tried to drive them out.
Whether it was a place harboring the seeds of heroes or a place where heroes were active didn't matter.
-'Seth Familia, Sobek Familia, Osiris Familia. All have been annihilated.'
Reducing competitors, eliminating obstacles to growth.
It was ordinary news; it was an era where such things had to be accepted as ordinary.
"It seems I was mistaken."
Approaching the crimson greatsword, Akumo spoke as he examined the blade that looked as if it were burning.
"Epimetheus's story is indeed a Heroic Tale."
Because Akumo had seen so many stories—because he had clearly witnessed their failures and their successes.
No, because he was a man who had lived through such an era, he could say it.
"As one who represents the countless heroes who have fallen, leaving their story behind in this world..."
A thin smile.
"He is a warrior more magnificent and worthy of respect than anyone."
========================
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