Chapter 313
Chapter 313
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 313
Chapter Title: Laughter #3
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I bowed my head as low as I possibly could.
I curled my back into a ball and didn't forget to cover my head with both arms.
If anyone saw me, they would have thought I looked like a dog that had heard a gunshot. It was ridiculous how excessively I was hiding my head and eyes, to the point where it seemed like my head might burrow into the floor.
But right then, I didn't have time to worry about any of that. In fact, I thought even hiding my face like this wasn't enough.
Hwaaaaa—
Even though I was using every means possible to shield my face, what was this piercing light drilling through my eyelids?
『At last, it's our turn—. Zigres, you're probably wondering why you're here and what you must do.』
Of course, I knew its identity. A beautiful, resonant male voice.
It was the same voice I'd heard during my nighttime duel with Hippolyte—the voice that must belong to the God of Light, Apollo.
I could clearly sense that a being revered as a great god was right in front of my bowed head. Probably not just me, but everyone else here with their heads lowered felt the same.
Was it because my eyes were closed?
My other senses, starting with hearing, were reacting excessively. The rhythms of trembling breaths from all around tickled my ears and nose, along with the scent of cold sweat.
Everyone was trembling in fear.
They held their breaths so completely still, like statues, ensuring not even the tiniest sound or quiver escaped.
It was instinct.
The basic instinct of any living creature to survive.
The presence that had descended before us was so overwhelming that it made us forget we were adventurers or heroes and reduced us mere to animals.
I hadn't even imagined something like this could happen.
Of course, this wasn't my first time meeting beings called gods, but they had only appeared when I was alone, right?
Facing a transcendent existence like this in front of everyone was a first for me too.
As I panicked in that feeling, a beautiful voice spoke from ahead.
『Zigres, you have no need to kneel before me. Raise your head.』
“...”
Raise my head?
I was one step away from being overwhelmed by this intense light trying to pierce through my eyelids. If I lifted my head in this situation, I might really go blind.
I'd seen plenty of bad and horrific things with these eyes, but I still preferred what I could see with them.
My eyes were the light of my world.
So I couldn't easily lift my head and only prostrated myself flatter.
『Raise your head and face the truth you've so desperately wanted to know—.』
But the next voice shook my resolve a little. If I raised my head, would the answers to all my questions be laid out like a solution manual?
Why was I here like this?
Why had I climbed all those stairs to reach Delphi's temple?
Why had I sought out the Hydra's nest, prepared to die?
Why had I journeyed nearly a month to Delphi?
Why had I been freed from slavery to become an adventurer?
Why had I become a slave in the first place?
Why was I here?
My questions traced back step by step to the root reason—the answer to what I'd wondered about for over two years while eating dirt and dust.
What is this place, and why am I here?
The chance to hear that answer was now right in front of me.
Once I clearly realized the resolve with which I'd come here and for what purpose, I thought, screw it, and slowly raised my body.
Swish—
And when I finally opened my eyes, my entire field of vision was enveloped in an intense light that seemed like it would blind me.
If I said it stabbed into the corners of my eyes and churned my brain, that might somewhat resemble the sensation.
But it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined.
In fact, it felt like my mind was clearing, as if I'd solved a problem that had been troubling me.
As my eyes adjusted to the light, what gradually came into view were the people kneeling with heads bowed, prostrating themselves flat.
Luna, Hippolyte, Elfriede, and Paranoya.
They were all just like me moments ago, desperately focused only on hiding their faces. My brow furrowed slightly at how pitiful they looked.
『How is it—.』
Standing before me was a man with intense golden hair billowing around him. His build was similar to mine, wrapped in bright white clothes like fluorescent lights fluttering this way and that.
The God of Light, Apollo.
He was a figure of such perfect form that describing him felt redundant. I'd heard so many praises, writings, and songs about the God of Light in Delphi, but none of them could match the real thing.
And that man was speaking to me.
『The sight of everyone prostrated in worship. People's backs. The trembling of shoulders stained with fear. This is the view a god sees. How is it, your impressions upon facing the truth—.』
“Is this... the truth?”
『Of course, it's not the answer to what you were curious about. But your eyes are darker than I thought. Even my radiant light can't reach their depths.』
At Apollo's words, I touched my eyes lightly. Then Apollo added a few more words.
『With the amount of karma you've sent, even in this Delphi, the time I can manifest isn't long. So I'll get straight to the point. Listen well—.』
At those words, I perked up and listened intently.
『Zigres. My brother. You have two paths. One is to return to where you belong, knowing nothing—.』
The God of Light, Apollo, extended his hand toward me.
In that white, broad palm was a small, blue seed-like thing. It didn't take long to realize it was a pomegranate seed.
Apollo was offering me a single blue pomegranate seed.
“If I return to where I belong, does that mean I can go home?”
『Yes, but it's a one-time chance. You'll lose everything from this place and return to your original spot. And—.』
Swish—
Then he extended his other palm.
『Your other choice is to learn all the truth and be bound here forever. But you'll never escape the fate you carry. Forever—.』
In that palm lay a single red pomegranate seed glowing faintly.
『Now, the time has come to choose your destiny. With just one pomegranate seed, this entire world could be yours.』
I...
I pondered more deeply than I ever had in my life.
If I ate the blue pomegranate seed, could I cast aside everything here and return to my original world?
Where I belonged.
My hometown.
My home.
My mother's soybean sprout soup—
My father, frowning as he brewed some mysterious tonic in that musty, damp, utterly unpleasant health tonic shop. My little sister's laughter.... Old Spot the dog.
My comfortable bed where I could sleep peacefully without worrying about pickpockets or knife-wielding thugs.
The peaceful daily life that once seemed eternal. Things that now felt unreachable were reflected in the blue pomegranate seed before my eyes, replaying like memories.
That was what I'd always wanted for the past two years. I'd even imagined waking up to find it all a dream, my smartphone alarm pulling me from my bed.
But whenever I woke from the dream, I'd sigh with lingering regret.
Even in dreams, the escape I'd longed for.
Yet my hand didn't move rashly.
I turned my head again to look at the people trembling and prostrated around me.
In this barbaric world where I'd thought there was nothing good, my companions had made me forget about my original home.
In the past, I'd have discarded anything for my comfortable life with small-minded thinking, but now I couldn't.
It was absurd.
I thought it impossible myself, but I'd grown attached to this world.
In this world too, people lived laughing and crying together with me, bumping shoulders along the way.
Foolish, lacking, ignorant, and utterly barbaric, yet impossible-to-hate idiots.
Pitiful beings no different from me, with beating hearts that shed tears for the answers they sought. And so, the seed I chose was the red one.
『Are you sure? This chance won't come again.』
“It's fine. If I eat this, will I learn why I'm here?”
『No, you won't. It was a lie to test you, after all. Well, did everyone see?』
The God of Light, Apollo, glanced around with a swish. Then the strangely scattered smoke around us began clumping like cotton candy, taking on human forms.
There were twelve in total.
『See, Minerva. I won the bet after all. I said he'd choose the red one.』
『Damn it, to lose to the likes of Mars.』
As they muttered one by one, I was utterly bewildered. A test directed at me? What the hell?
So I couldn't return to my original world after all, and I wouldn't even get answers to my questions?
As my vision blurred slightly with that thought, someone poked my chest.
『You have proven your own worth. You've chosen to become a resident, not a wanderer or guest.』
It was the God of Light, Apollo.
『And the answer you seek is already in your heart. You know full well we don't need to tell you.』
“...”
『Eat that red pomegranate seed. It'll clear the confusion filling your head and heart. Your eyes will brighten, and you'll gain wisdom like the light.』
Suddenly, wisdom?
At Apollo's words, I quickly picked up the pomegranate seed and swallowed it. Then strange letters appeared before my eyes.
『Grace: Blessing of Chaos』 has been granted.
At the same time, a clear, refreshing wave surged through my head. To use strong words, it felt like my brain was being washed with cold water.
『Zigres, your place is here. The deepest, darkest seat where all waters and souls converge—the lowest, hottest seat of all things. It is yours.』
“My place...”
『I am the God of Light, the radiant glow that cannot be hidden—Apollon. As a member and spokesperson of the exalted Hypnos, I answer your question. First, it was not us who called you to this land—.』
Fwaaah—
An intense light enveloped me, so strong it felt like my head would split open. I covered my face with my palms to block it, but it was no use.
『Unscheduled guest from foreign lands, Zigres. You will kill with your own hands your first family, the one you loved most. With that, your existence will become utterly whole—.』
Fwaaaah—!
The explosively intense radiance gradually dimmed. And what appeared in my eyes was neither the God of Light nor the strange clouds, but just one sentence.
『Son of Hades—.』
And that was the answer to most—no, everything—I'd questioned.
“No...”
Honestly—
—I had thought it was strange.
But I thought suspecting that situation itself was even stranger, so I'd ignored it.
Honestly, it was unbelievable.
Who would have ever thought it?
The hazy fog filling my mind cleared away sharply, leaving me disoriented instead.
What I saw.
What I smelled.
What I heard.
The wind touching my skin.
Everything was vividly clear beyond compare.
It felt like until now, a thin membrane had covered all my senses, making me perceive everything dully from behind it.
Inevitably, my thoughts sharpened even more.
Since the absurd event of falling into this bizarre world had already happened, it was only natural to think there was an equally absurd reason for it.
I—
“My father really was a strange man.”
I realized my fate.
And suddenly, laughter burst out.
Like all the laughter suppressed by other emotions until now was demanding to emerge right then, endlessly spilling from my mouth.
I never knew I was someone who could laugh like this until today.
“Ha—.”
Even after everyone prostrating around me hesitantly rose and looked at me, I couldn't stop laughing.
“Th-the exalted gods of Hypnos themselves coming to greet us...! Pl-please, L-Lord Ha-Hassan, d-don't forget the promise you made with me...!”
I was the fool.
And at my feet, letters scorched into the rock by lightning were burning.
『Son of the King of the Underworld, Hassan. Now escape shallow chaos and claim your rightful rights—.』