CH 18

“Once upon a time, a woman challenged the main god Styx to a battle.”

“Huh?”

“The result was a draw.”

“What?”

“Since then, the main god Styx disappeared from the earth and only appeared in the prepared divine realm Arche of Apeiron to give oracles.”

It’s a story I’ve heard a little bit about. After the establishment of the Styx Kingdom 1,400 years ago, the temples that worshiped the gods in various places stopped giving oracles, at least in terms of prophecy, becoming a formal existence. This was largely due to the existence of the divine realm Arche of Apeiron, and people began to respect the Styx Kingdom, which owned the divine realm and received the main god Styx’s oracles. That’s the story, I think, of the previous stage.

Nevertheless, it’s an incredible story that a woman challenged the main god Styx to a battle and even drew with her.

“That woman was Dimitra, the first queen of the Styx Kingdom, and the reason she challenged the main god Styx was because she realized something.”

“What did she realize?”

“That praying to the gods was useless.”

Thanasios speaks with a tone of “oh well.”

“Queen Dimitra was persecuted in her homeland as an illegitimate child due to the prophecy of the priestesses, and wherever she went, she appealed to the gods to restore her honor. However, the gods claimed that it was the prophecy of the main god, Styx, and that they could not overturn it. Therefore, she challenged the main god Styx to a battle, to revoke the prophecy and to stop the trivial gods from being prayed to… that was her goal.”

It was probably very progressive for that era and led to the end of the time when the gods were close to people. Despite various motives, Dimitra was a strong woman who could complain to the gods who did not save her. However, I am very different from her, as I do not want to believe in gods and hate prayers.

“To be honest, it’s not entirely Styx’s fault.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Nevertheless, it was decided that the proliferation of oracles that confused humans was not good, and since then, only the oracles of the main god Styx, which were promised with Queen Dimitra, have been respected. After that, countries other than the Styx Kingdom were no longer able to conduct politics in the name of the gods. And the Styx Kingdom expanded its authority throughout the continent and finally gained recognition from all countries just twenty years ago.”

While holding me in his arms, Thanasios spoke softly about a difficult topic. He must have been trying to find a way to make me understand. In truth, there are many complicated stories and confusing details in the legends, but Thanasios cut through all of that and made it easy to understand.

“You have a lot in common with Queen Dimitra, and above all, your character is noble. Humans lie, but you didn’t. You didn’t try to deceive me. You told me everything, even things you didn’t have to.”

When he praised me so straightforwardly, I felt embarrassed. I wanted to be humble and say that I just told him everything, but I thought it might be disrespectful to Thanasios, so I held back my words.

“Perhaps, before becoming an enemy of the main god Styx as the second coming of Queen Dimitra, she tried to win you over. Hahaha, just kidding. I don’t think you would challenge a god with just your fists.”

“Challenge a god with just my fists…?”

“That’s what the legend says.”

It was a scary story. I don’t have that much in common with Queen Dimitra, and I can’t challenge a god with just my fists. I was a little dissatisfied with that part too.

At that time, I didn’t really feel it, but it seemed like that was the kind of story that would be told among people other than us. I still didn’t know.

——Meanwhile, at that time…