A Slightly Different Tale of Thebes - (1)
Months after the prophecy about Thebes spread widely in the mortal realm, a robust man entered Thebes.
He was none other than Philatos, who had made a name for himself with his incredible strength in Sparta.
'So this is Thebes? Just as I imagined, it is a grand city.'
As soon as he crossed the city walls, the sounds of merchants calling out to customers and the laughter of children filled the air.
The faces of those passing by glistened with a sheen, and a subtle, refreshing fragrance wafted from the bodies of the pedestrians brushing past him.
Not far from the main road, simple houses made of well-baked bricks were closely packed together, and he could also spot the homes of wealthy nobles with gardens, as well as the largest royal palace in Thebes.
"I have high-quality olives blessed by the goddess Demeter for sale!"
"How much is this?"
"There are also fish left over from offerings to the gods of Olympus! Just a mere..."
"Surely, Phoebus has blessed you, ha ha ha!"
'It truly is the city of Pluto, filled with the scent of mint...
Hmm?'
Thud.
As Philatos stood there, dazed and looking around, someone bumped into him and hurried past.
Though the road was wide, the crowd made it seem like an inconvenience.
"Hey, what are you doing blocking the road? You look like an outsider who wants to become a hero in Thebes... Why not head towards the Agora?"
"... I apologize."
"Ugh.. Tsk. There are too many clueless outsiders these days..."
A merchant wearing a chiton made of animal fur and leather sandals grumbled as he walked by.
Following him were several servants, indicating that he had made a good fortune in trade.
As Philatos continued to look around, a group of children dashed past him.
"Ha ha ha! So the reason for yesterday's thunder was because of Lord Zeus..."
"Today, let's sneak up the mountain without our parents knowing...! We'll bring back a lot of wild strawberries!"
"Are you all going to get in trouble again? The guards will definitely stop you."
"Just say you went to pray at the statue of Hypnos in the Pluto temple, you know how hard it is to sleep these days?"
'Why is there a statue of Hypnos, the god of sleep, in the Pluto temple?'
Curiosity piqued by the children's words, he decided to stop by the Pluto temple.
Though it was on the outskirts of the city, the temple had a grandeur akin to a royal palace, filled with people.
The other aspect of the god of wealth and mercy was evident in the underworld, as the priests and servants of Pluto were all dressed in black and somber attire.
"Hmm... There are particularly many people today."
"I brought a few eggs laid by my hen to offer as a sacrifice."
"Do you think the god will be angry for such a meager offering?"
"This friend knows nothing. The god Pluto is a merciful deity, indifferent to offerings."
"Indeed. It is the heart that matters."
Finally entering, Philatos saw the priests and servants of Pluto managing the crowd, and those who brought various offerings like honey, grains, and animal skins looked quite serious.
After waiting in line for a while, a beautiful priestess in black robes approached him.
She appeared to be in her early thirties and clasped her hands towards Philatos before speaking.
"May Pluto's grace be with you. I am a junior priestess named Philona. What brings you here?"
"I just stopped by out of curiosity. I heard there are many statues of other gods here..."
"Oh! If you wish to see the statues of other gods of the underworld, you can go that way."
The priestess pointed in a direction with her finger.
Following the direction the priestess pointed, Philatos wandered around inside the temple, soon spotting numerous statues and a long line in front of them.
Each statue, carved from marble, was guarded by heavily armed soldiers.
Judging by their attire, they were certainly royal guards.
"Next person!"
"You prayed here earlier. One prayer per person. This is a measure taken due to the increasing crowd..."
"O master of the river of forgetfulness, my son has been unable to sleep since returning from war..."
"I swear before the statue of Styx that I will..."
"Today, I must show a dignified appearance before the just Pluto..."
"Ahem! To the goddess of mint..."
The worshippers murmured softly, closing their eyes and clasping their hands in front of the statues of their respective gods.
Philatos, intrigued by this strange sight, asked a guard.
"Excuse me. As an outsider, I don't quite understand. Why are there statues of other gods in Pluto's temple?"
"Oh, how many times have I been asked that question..."
It seemed many had the same curiosity, as the guard displayed a hint of annoyance while explaining.
"I'll explain just once, so listen carefully."
"Understood."
"Pluto is a merciful god, so he allowed the statues of most gods residing in the underworld to be placed in his temple. As you can see, there are also the goddesses of vengeance and Thanatos... Ahem. The god of death is also here, right?"
"That may be true..."
Indeed, there were statues of gods that people tended to avoid.
At least in Sparta, they never uttered the names of Thanatos, the god of death, or the three goddesses of vengeance.
"Even gods that mortals shy away from or do not even know the names of are included. Thanks to that, we have been able to let go of many prejudices."
"Is that so..."
After waiting in a suitable line, Philatos clasped his hands in front of a nameless goddess's statue and prayed.
The content of his prayer was simply to express gratitude for the blessings...
Paaah!
"Hmm?! What is this?"
"Another one has been chosen."
"He looks like an outsider, but I'm envious."
"Is it the statue of the goddess Styx?"
To his astonishment, a gentle light began to emanate, enveloping his body! However, not many were surprised by the divine phenomenon, and the guard who had just spoken approached him.
"Congratulations. If you came to Thebes to become a hero, would you follow me?"
"What was that just now..."
"The goddess Styx has recognized the power within you. Occasionally, those chosen emerge from here."
"It is true that I came to become a hero..."
"You have passed the first trial, so come this way."
With a somewhat reluctant expression, Philatos followed him into a deeper part of the temple.
Led into a spacious room resembling a banquet hall, Philatos was told by the guard to sit and wait.
There were many dishes laid out around, and about ten others were also passing the time.
"Whatever you do is your freedom; you just need to wait until evening."
"But are all the others here also those chosen by the statues?"
"Of course not. If you go to the Agora in the city center and wait, you can receive training from the instructors. You will have to pass various trials, but... well, anyway, most who stand out there come this way."
Those who wished to become heroes gathered in the city center's Agora, where they were tested through tasks like carrying rocks, swordsmanship, or showcasing peculiar skills.
Sometimes, those chosen by the gods or marked by prophecies were selected.
"Among those who do not become heroes, many become soldiers. Recently, one was chosen as a royal guard."
'It is no wonder the royal family of Thebes follows the words of the gods.
Everything is beneficial for them.'
Thus, those who stood out would gather in the room where Philatos was.
Understanding this, he nodded, and the guard returned to his original position.
As evening approached, a man in a black robe, appearing to be a priest of Pluto, entered through the door.
Following him were soldiers and other priests.
"Hmm. Is this all for today? Everyone, come out one by one and touch this!"
Thud.
The middle-aged priest placed a small glowing stone on the table.
One by one, they began to step forward and touch the mysterious object.
Paaah.
"Hmm. It shines. Step this way."
......
"No reaction at all. Unfortunately, you are disqualified."
"What? Just for this little stone..."
It seemed that those who shone when touching the stone could become heroes.
The disqualified man fumed, but Philatos understood.
He felt a divine essence emanating from that stone, as if the gods themselves had infused it with power.
"What does this little stone mean? I did not come all the way to Thebes for such nonsense..."
"... It seems it won't do."
Thud!
"Those who cause a disturbance will end up like this. Everyone, remember that."
The man who could not accept the result and grabbed the soldier's collar was soon struck down by the guard's spear.
So that was the reason for the many soldiers and priests accompanying him.
Without even glancing back at the man being dragged out unconscious by two soldiers, the middle-aged priest continued with the selection process.
"Next, come forward."
"Is it my turn?"
The next person to step forward was a scholar who looked like he couldn't even catch a chicken.
However, the result was a pass.
Paaah-
"That's the second one. Step this way."
Could even someone who looked so weak be chosen by the gods?
"Next."
Now only the muscular bald man and Philatos remained.
The muscular man brushed past him and placed his hand on the stone, soon showing a reaction.
Paaah-
But... something was off.
The stone, which had been emitting white light, now shone a bright red.
The bald man tilted his head in confusion as to why this was happening to him, then suddenly drew a knife from his waist.
Saliva dripped from his mouth, and his eyes gradually turned red.
"Ugh... Ugh...!"
"A madman possessed by madness! Kill him!"
With the middle-aged priest's incomprehensible words, the soldiers charged at him.