Fate: I Heard After Death, You Can Ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

The next morning,

Fluttering its silver wings, the Pegasus carried Promise through the skies.

It passed over wilderness and lakes, taking Promise to where Io was located.

Promise naturally knew who Hermes was, and when he heard the name Io from him, he recalled this mythological tale.

Like the river goddess Aegina, Io was also a woman persecuted by Hera. 

The only difference was that she was one of the few women who had a better ending.

According to the myth, just when Zeus caught the fleeing Io and was about to rape her, Hera arrived in time and discovered the situation.

In the end, Zeus had no choice but to turn Io into a white cow.

Although Hera realized this, she didn't reveal it; she merely admired the cow's beauty and demanded it from Zeus, assigning Argus, the hundred-eyed giant, to guard it day and night.

Io, though turned into a cow, did not lose her human thoughts, and thus spent her days in tears. 

Later, after Hermes decapitated Argus, she was again pursued by Hera.

In the end, Zeus, having witnessed everything, reluctantly made a vow to Hera. 

He swore to give up his love for Io and proved that the maiden was still pure.

Only then did Hera finally let her go and allowed Io to regain her human form and return to her country.

"Argos shouldn't make things difficult for me. After all, he should be able to tell at a glance that I'm a follower of Hera." Promise muttered while sitting on Pegasus.

Pegasus did not respond to this. After all, it was just a horse and at most it knew how to lower its head and eat grass at the right time.

Yes, Promise had agreed to Hermes' request.

The reason was simple, apart from the fact that this was a legend, Hermes had very generously given Promise an artifact, a pan flute named Syrinx, which in the legends was used to lull the all-seeing giant to sleep.

He had given this as a reward for Promise's assistance.

The morning breeze, slightly cool, brushed against Promise as the galloping Pegasus suddenly neighed softly towards him.

"Hmm, what is it, do you want to rest a bit?" The latter looked at it puzzled.

Pegasus first shook its head, then after thinking, nodded.

Although Promise was confused, considering that Pegasus had been flying him around all night and that he was also a bit hungry, he let it land beside a stream in an ancient forest.

Not long after landing, Promise heard the beautiful sound of a lyre close to his ears.

And that lyre music was somewhat familiar, making him instantly think of one person, one of his targets for revenge and also a future crew member of the Argo, Orpheus, who had once taught him music for a while.

He was the child of the god of light, Apollo, and his most famous deed in the future would be to move the king and queen of the underworld with his music, thus exceptionally earning the right to bring his wife back from the underworld.

After a moment's surprise, Promise's first feeling was delight; he hadn't expected to encounter a friend in this era.

But soon, he realized something was off.

Because the lyre music, as if enchanted, made him uncontrollably start walking towards the source of the stream.

And according to Promise's understanding, in the ancient Greek age of gods, there was only one person... rather, one god, who possessed such magical lyre music.

Promise didn't walk long before he emerged from a thicket, and the scene opened up before him revealing a stunningly beautiful spring.

By the clear spring, there stood a very conspicuous laurel tree, its leaves shimmering silver. 

When Promise saw it, the tree seemed to tremble slightly, and a silver leaf fluttered down, landing in the hand he had instinctively extended.

As if greeting him.

And under that laurel tree, Promise finally saw the person playing the lyre.

He bore some resemblance to the lyre-playing Orpheus and also somewhat resembled Asclepius, the future god of medicine.

With his eyes closed, he was playing a seven-stringed lyre, nestling under the laurel tree, and basking in the sunlight. His golden hair spilled down his back and was loosely tied into a ponytail hanging in front.

His appearance was incredibly handsome, dazzling as if embodied by the light itself.

His name was Apollo, one of the twelve main gods of Olympus, acknowledged as the most handsome male god among them, and also the twin brother of the moon goddess Artemis.

As Promise looked at the man before him, he immediately discerned who he was and turned his gaze to the Pegasus following behind.

Sensing Promise's look, the latter immediately turned its head away and began to nibble on the grass...

"Child, could you paint a picture for me?" Apollo spoke up at this moment. 

Opening his sky-blue eyes, similar to those of Artemis, he looked at Promise with his magnetic voice and gently said, "It is a painting dedicated to my beloved.

Although she has not accepted my love and become my wife, I still wish that, like Artemis, she will always be remembered by all.

Because I love her so deeply!"

Hearing this, Promise instinctively looked towards the laurel tree next to Apollo and his expression suddenly turned strange.

'So even though she turned into a laurel tree to avoid you, you still can't let her go, and you want to use her branches for crowns, her wood for lyres, and her flowers to decorate your bow?'

Daphne, the laurel tree goddess... Yes, the laurel tree beside Apollo was indeed a goddess named Daphne, whom Apollo loved unrequitedly.

Even to escape Apollo's love, she ultimately transformed into the laurel tree before him.

Seemingly reacting to Apollo's words, the laurel tree gently shook again. 

And God Apollo, seeing this, excitedly laughed and said, "Ah, my beautiful Daphne, do you feel my love and are responding to me?!"

'Let me guess, is there a chance she isn't really responding to you... Well, she is responding, but probably just expressing her speechlessness and helplessness, right?'

Promise blinked.

Due to a strange sense of déjà vu, Promise accurately read the emotions expressed by the laurel tree goddess Daphne at the moment.

Just like Meleager and Atalanta... only, unlike Atalanta who never really paid any attention to Meleager, and the red haired man never dared express his love for Atalanta.

Really, birds of a feather flock together, like Artemis they are all extreme romantics, and all even have the potential for yandere tendencies...

Thinking this, Promise also felt somewhat relieved.

Actually, from the moment he realized that the person might be Apollo, he had been wrestling with whether to loudly call for Hera or Athena for help.

After all, Apollo is, let's say, versatile... Simply put, he is a typical example of 'if you're handsome, you're right.'

But now, Promise could be a little relieved because it seemed, for the moment, all the focus was being absorbed by the laurel tree goddess Daphne.

"I apologize, noble god of light, Apollo, I am not currently capable of creating such a painting because my paints and brushes cannot bear the weight of a deity," 

Upon regaining his senses, Promise truthfully revealed Apollo.

Hearing this, Apollo, who had been playing his lyre, paused briefly and looked at thr boy somewhat surprised.

Indeed, the ability to carry a God implies actually being able to depict a God, a realm nearly unreachable for mortals.

"And what about a painting like the one on that night?" Apollo asked again.

"That painting could not have been achieved by me alone; it was carved from the heartfelt wishes and blessings of all the people."

Hearing Promise's explanation, Apollo nodded slightly and did not get angry, despite the repeated refusals.

He had seen that painting and thus understood why it was envied by the gods—not just because it used the night as a canvas but because it contained the heartfelt prayers and blessings of the people.

Those prayers that lit the lanterns, illuminating the night, were indeed the moments that truly caught the gods' attention.

At that moment, the laurel tree gently shook once more.

This time, Apollo genuinely understood her message and smiled back, "Rest assured, my love, I am not angry.

This child's words contain no lies, and he is also favored by Artemis, so I will take good care of him."

Apollo's relationship with Artemis was very close; more precisely, he was somewhat overprotective.

The death of Orion was primarily because Apollo felt he wasn't worthy of his sister.

Also, for this reason, Apollo took quite good care of Atalanta.

"Then when you are capable in the future, would you be willing to paint a picture for both me and my beloved?" Apollo then asked Promise.

"Of course, it would be my honor," Promise did not refuse this time.

The reason for not refusing was clear, and moreover, Promise vividly remembered what Athena had once said: that by depicting a deity in a painting, he could directly pray to the gods and thus receive their blessed powers.

Just like using the painting of the river goddess Aegina could briefly control the rivers.

'Wait, so am I collecting paintings of the twelve Olympian gods, like collecting stamps?'

'And wait a minute, why do I feel like the path I'm taking is getting weirder?'

Not the typical close-combat hero of ancient Greek myths, but a summoner?