Chapter 75
Several months after the oracle about Thebes spread widely in the mortal world, a robust man entered Thebes.
This protagonist was Philatos, known for his great strength in Sparta.
'So this is Thebes, it's an incredibly large city as I thought.'
As soon as he passed the city walls, he heard merchants' solicitations and children's laughter from all directions.
The faces of passersby had a glossy sheen, and a subtle, refreshing scent emanated from the bodies of those brushing past him.
A little away from the main street, simple houses made of well-baked bricks were densely packed together,
and he could also see wealthy nobles' houses with gardens and the largest royal palace in Thebes.
"Selling high-quality olives blessed abundantly by Goddess Demeter!"
"How much is this?"
"We also have fish left over from offerings to the Olympian gods! Just a small price per fish..."
"Phoebus must have blessed you, hahaha!"
'As expected of Pluto's city, the scent of mint is everywhere... Hm?'
Bump.
Someone bumped into Philatos as he stood absentmindedly in the middle of the road, observing his surroundings.
Although the main street was wide, there were many people, so he seemed to be causing an inconvenience.
"Hey, what are you doing blocking the road? You look like an outsider who came to Thebes to become a hero... Go to the Agora or something."
"...I'm sorry."
"Tch. There are too many clueless outsiders these days..."
A merchant wearing a chiton made of animal fur and cowhide sandals grumbled as he passed by.
Seeing servants following him in a line, it was clear he had made a hefty profit from trade.
As Philatos walked on, looking around, a group of children ran past him towards somewhere.
"Kyahaha! So that's why there was thunder yesterday, because Zeus..."
"Let's climb the mountain without our parents knowing today...! We'll bring back lots of wild strawberries!"
"Won't you get scolded again? The guard will stop us anyway."
"Go pray at the statue of Hypnos in Pluto's temple, didn't you say you're scared to sleep lately?"
'Why is there a statue of Hypnos, the god of sleep, in Pluto's temple?'
Curious about what the children said as they passed by, he stopped by Pluto's temple for a moment.
Although it was on the outskirts of the city, the temple, as majestic as the royal palace, was packed with people.
As if to prove that another aspect of the god of wealth and mercy is the underworld,
all of Pluto's priests and servants were dressed in black and gloomy attire.
"Ugh... There are particularly many people today."
"I brought a few eggs laid by our house's chicken as an offering."
"I wonder if the god won't be angry for offering just that?"
"Friend, you don't know. Pluto is the god of wealth and mercy, so he's indifferent to offerings."
"That's right. It's the thought that counts."
As he barely made his way inside, Pluto's priests and servants were controlling the crowd,
and those who brought various offerings like honey, grain, or animal skins also looked quite serious.
After waiting in line for a while, a beautiful priestess in black clothes approached him.
Looking to be in her early 30s, she clasped her hands towards Philatos and spoke.
"May Pluto's grace be with you. I am Philona, a junior priestess. What brings you here?"
"I just stopped by out of curiosity. I heard there were statues of other gods here..."
"Ah! If you want to see the statues of other gods belonging to the underworld, please go that way."
The priestess pointed in one direction with her finger.
***
As he wandered around the temple following where the priestess had pointed,
he soon saw numerous statues and long lines in front of them.
Heavily armed guards were protecting each of the marble statues.
Judging by their attire, they were undoubtedly royal guards.
"Next person!"
"You already prayed earlier. One prayer per person. It's a measure we've taken due to the increasing number of people..."
"O Lord of the River of Forgetfulness, our son hasn't been able to sleep since returning from war..."
"I swear before the statue of Styx that I will surely..."
"To show an upright appearance before the fair and just God Pluto today as well..."
"Ahem! To the Goddess of Mint..."
Devotees closed their eyes and clasped their hands, muttering in small voices before the statues of their respective gods.
Puzzled by this strange scene, Philatos asked a guard.
"Excuse me. I'm an outsider, so I don't understand well. Why are there statues of other gods in Pluto's temple?"
"Ah, how many times have I heard this question..."
As if many people had asked the same question to the guard,
he explained with an annoyed expression.
"I'll explain just once, so listen carefully."
"Alright."
"God Pluto is merciful, so he had statues of most gods residing in the underworld made in his own temple. As you can see, aren't there even goddesses of vengeance and Thana... ahem. The god of death?"
"That's true, but..."
Come to think of it, there were even statues of gods that people usually avoid here.
At least in Sparta, they didn't even speak the names of Thanatos, the god of death, or the three goddesses of vengeance.
"He embraced even the gods who don't receive worship because mortals avoid them, or those whose names are unknown. Thanks to this, we've been able to let go of many prejudices."
"I see..."
Philatos waited in a suitable line for a while, then clasped his hands and prayed before the statue of an unknown goddess.
The content of the prayer was... well, just a general expression of gratitude for blessings...
Whoosh!
"Hmm?! What's this?"
"Another one has been chosen."
"He looks like a foreigner, how enviable."
"Is that the statue of Goddess Styx?"
Surprisingly, a soft light emerged and enveloped his body!
However, not many were surprised by this divine miracle, and the guard he had just been talking to approached and spoke to him.
"Congratulations. If you came to Thebes wanting to become a hero, would you follow me?"
"What just happened..."
"Goddess Styx has noticed the potential power within you. People who are chosen like this appear here from time to time."
"It's true that I came here wanting to become a hero, but..."
"You've passed the first test, so come this way."
Philatos followed him with a dubious expression into somewhere inside the temple.
***
Philatos was guided into a large room that looked like a banquet hall and was told by the guard to sit and wait.
There was a lot of food around, and about 10 other people were passing time like him.
"You're free to do as you please, just wait until evening."
"Are all the others also chosen by the statues?"
"Of course not. You can go to the Agora in the city center and wait to receive training from an instructor. You have to pass various tests, but... well, anyway, most people come here after standing out there."
Those who want to become heroes are made to gather at the Agora in the city center,
where they are sorted by carrying rocks, displaying swordsmanship, or showing unusual talents.
Sometimes, those chosen by the gods or designated through oracles are selected.
"Among those who don't become heroes, many become soldiers. Recently, one was even selected as a royal guard."
'No wonder the Theban royal family follows the words of the gods. It's all for their benefit.'
Those who stand out are gathered in the room where Philatos is.
After understanding this, he nodded, and the guard returned to his original position.
When evening came, a man in a black robe who looked like Pluto's priest entered through the door.
Behind the middle-aged man followed soldiers and other priests.
"Hmm. Is this all for today? Come forward one by one and touch this!"
Thud.
The middle-aged priest took out a faintly glowing stone from his bosom and placed it on the table.
One by one, people came forward to touch this mysterious object.
Whoosh.
"Hmm. It's glowing. Stand over here."
......
"There's no reaction at all. I'm sorry, but you've failed."
"What? Just because of this piece of stone..."
It seems those for whom the stone glows can become heroes.
The failed man was furious, but Philatos could tell.
He could feel the divinity from that stone, as if a god had directly infused it with power.
"What's so special about this stupid stone? I didn't come all the way to Thebes for this kind of nonsense..."
"...This won't do."
Thwack!
"This is what happens to those who cause a disturbance. Remember this, everyone."
The man who couldn't accept the result and grabbed a soldier's collar soon fell after being hit in the neck with a spear shaft by a guard.
So that's why they came in with so many soldiers and priests of the god.
Without even looking back at the unconscious man being dragged away by two soldiers,
the middle-aged priest continued the screening process.
"Next, come forward."
"Is it my turn?"
The next person to step forward was a scholar who looked like he couldn't even kill a chicken.
However, the result was a pass.
Whoosh-
"That's the second one. Stand over here."
Does this mean that even someone who looks so frail can become a hero chosen by the gods?
"Next."
Now only a muscular bald man and Philatos remained.
The muscular man brushed past him and placed his hand on the stone, and soon a reaction appeared.
Whoosh-
But... something was strange.
The stone that had been emitting white light until now was now emitting a bright red light.
The bald man tilted his head, wondering why this was happening only to him, and suddenly drew a knife from his waist.
Saliva dripped from his mouth that had been fine just a moment ago, and his eyes gradually turned red.
"Ugh... Ugh...!"
"He's a spy consumed by madness! Kill him!"
As incomprehensible words spilled from the middle-aged priest's mouth, soldiers rushed towards him.