HPDBC Chapter 778: 281 Witness_2
Chapter 778: 281 Witness_2
Chapter 778: Chapter 281 Witness_2
Stomp—
The footsteps stopped not far behind, diverting attention away from the mural. Laine turned slightly.
Before him stood a tall and robust youth, his eyes lively.
Like sculptures of the Ancient Greek deities, he embodied a masculine beauty.
“Heracles, the criminal?”
It was a rhetorical question, or perhaps a reaffirmation.
...
Yet, the youth did not take offense; after all, he was nameless in this world.
“I am, but I am not a criminal.”
“Since coming to this city, I have not violated any of Athens’s laws. Or do you mean that, by your rules, any foreigner present in Eryxis is a criminal?”
Heracles seemed irritated by the keyword “criminal.”
He could not deny the crime of patricide, even though he himself did not understand why he had committed it.
Other than that, he would admit to no wrongdoing not his own.
“Is that so?”
“So you think that if you have not made a mistake, you are not a criminal, and you should not be punished?”
“Isn’t that the case?”
Heracles retorted, but Laine just smiled and pointed to the mural at the dome of the Temple.
“Have you heard of the history behind the establishment of the Church of Agriculture?”
“Of course.”
Despite not remembering every church’s history, the fame of the Eryxis Secret Rite meant stories of the Church of Agriculture were widespread.
Naturally, Heracles knew about it, a tale that asserted the greatness of the Deity and the ignorance of mortals.
“That being the case, Heracles, the self-proclaimed guiltless hero, let me ask you—”
“Since you know the story, about the deceased prince, the Goddess that brought storms, each person’s fate.”
“What do you think their sins were?”
Laine faced him with a serene smile, speaking neither rushed nor slow.
In his heart, he had always been proud.
Although he seldom showed it, ever since Heracles realized his unique strength at a very young age, he knew he was different from others.
Just like his fearless choice to stay in this city occupied by the army, dealing with the army’s Commander on equal terms was actually a subconscious arrogance.
Only now did he truly acknowledge this obscure Athenian.
“I’m just saying, in your heart, you probably value your own morality more than others’ rules, right?”
“But the education you received since childhood told you otherwise, that’s why you feel bound by it.”
Nodding inwardly, Laine watched the young man’s reaction before him, certain that his guess was correct.
However, since he was still uncertain about what ‘crime’ the other party had recently committed, he only skimmed the surface and did not delve deeper, opting to change the subject instead.
“Now, whether you are a ‘criminal’ or not, young man, I can sense the extraordinary potential within you.”
“You are a very capable person, and your so-called mission, ‘to rescue the trapped Goddess of Agriculture,’ no longer exists.”
“So, what are you going to do next? Continue on with your so-called ‘mission’?”
“...Yes, but before that, I would like to ask you a question. After all, I have long heard about the wisdom of the Athenians.”
After a moment of silence, Heracles temporarily set aside the debate about the ‘criminal.’
He remembered why he had chosen to stay in Eryxis and also recalled the deity who had appeared before him in his moment of agonizing despair.
In reality, Heracles thought the timing of the God of the West Wind’s appearance to be somewhat coincidental, but he was certain that the deity could not influence his mind, not even a Principal God with immense Divine Power.
Thus, he had accepted the God’s challenge, but he was not as trusting of the Wind God’s promise.
But mortals have their limitations, and even with his inherent great strength, he could not close the gap of understanding with the Ancient Gods.
So he had to place his hopes in Athens, a Kingdom renowned for its Wisdom and knowledge.
“A question? By all means,”
Laine said with a slight arch of his eyebrow, smiling, “There’s little in this world that I do not know.”
“Whether in heaven or on earth or in the past or the future.”
“Of course, seeking knowledge should come at a price. So, what do you want to know, and what are you willing to give up for it?”
“I am here to seek the secrets of Resurrection and ways for mortals to avoid Death,”
Heracles said earnestly, his eyes shining brightly: “If you can unravel my doubts and help me find the means to accomplish all this, then let the day’s Sun and Moon and the endless stars bear witness.”
“Heracles will certainly repay your kindness, defeating your enemies for you, as long as it does not violate the morals in my heart.”