Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

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.

"The queen who lost her child, the dead prince, the Goddess who gave birth to children from the Divine King's violation, they may all have done wrong, but it was before disaster struck them. After they actually committed their atrocities, they faced no punishment."

"So what then determines the establishment of punishment and crime?"

"Because these acts are indeed unjust. But the King is the definer of Order."

Heracles furrowed his brow. Such querying had explanations in this era.

Not everyone may accept this reasoning, but it was a perspective all the same.

"They can dictate whether an act is criminal, then both he and others will abide."

"The Divine King did not decree violation by Gods as a crime; the King did not decree the killing of mortals by Gods as a crime. So their subsequent actions are naturally not considered sinful..."

"So in your eyes, if the law doesn't deem an act criminal, even if it goes against the morals, customs of the world, against your own beliefs, it doesn't warrant punishment?"

Interrupting, Laine did not actually know why this version of Heracles had to undergo trials.
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In the original story, he committed the great sin of infanticide due to Hera's instigation, but the present Heracles should have no children.

However, the methods of the Gods are limited, so even without clarity, there likely wouldn't be much difference.

"Yes."

Nodding in agreement, Heracles asserted, "Since the rules don't dictate, then—"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence. At that moment, the youth realized a problem. Because it seemed he was the same.

He had indeed committed the sin of patricide; however, classical era laws often varied by state and circumstance.

Moreover, while people often established rules after a wrongdoing to make amends, they seldom learned from one case to prevent others.

Hence, after Tantalus, mortals only considered 'killing one's child' a major sin, without stipulating other similar behaviors.

Of course, it might also be due to the fact that throughout history, Divine Kings were often persecuted in the 'son's' position before retaliating with a son slaying the father.

In terms of the law, Heracles was actually innocent.

But that did not mean he could convince himself, as at the same time, people of this era did not hold such a high regard for the laws as one might imagine.

Just as in later dynasties, like the Han, when a commoner killed another to avenge his father, the officials and the public would often praise rather than consider it an offense.

The more classical the era, the more morality outweighed the law.

Therefore, even though he had not violated the law, Heracles still admitted his wrongdoing from the bottom of his heart.

"...Well, you're right. I admit that errors are not solely confined to the breaches of the law, but what exactly are you trying to convey by telling me this?"

Looking at the Laine before him, the young man's expression finally grew stern.

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."