CH 41

Early in the morning, Thanasios told me that he had something to discuss.

“It’s hard to talk here, let’s go outside.”

With that, Thanasios took me out of the royal castle and headed towards the castle town.

Thanasios took my hand and led me through the alleyways. The narrow paths were spotless, and the strong morning sun shone through the gaps between the buildings. It was almost summer. Thanasios said so and took me to a small tavern on a street corner.

It was still too early for the tavern to be open, and I wondered what we were going to do. Thanasios boldly opened the door to the tavern. The bell on the top of the door rang as we entered. I followed him nervously.

The slightly old-fashioned tavern had several skylights that let in the light. There were three tables with four matching chairs each, and five chairs of various sizes at the counter. The young chef, who seemed to be the owner of the tavern, and a young man were peeking through the gap between the hanging frying pans, wondering what was going on.

Thanasios smiled.

“It’s been a while. I’ve been busy lately and couldn’t come.”

Then, the owner’s expression softened.

“What’s up, Prince? You’re still sneaking out as usual.”

“Alright. Oh, this is Eleni. She’s my wife, although we haven’t had the ceremony yet.”

I was surprised and frozen by the sudden introduction, but I quickly turned to the owner and managed to nod my head.

The owner was also surprised.

“Well, well… that mischievous boy has grown up. Oh, you want food? I’ll prepare it right away, so please sit down.”

“Wait, we’ll order something different today. Something that Eleni can eat.”

Thanasios took the menu from the counter and quickly placed several orders with the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper took notes, and Thanasios handed him a drachma coin as payment. I remember that one drachma coin was worth six obolus coins. It should be enough for the two of us to have a meal.

Thanasios turned around and led me to the table. He pulled out a chair, made a grand gesture, and gestured for me to sit down. It was a bit too much and made me feel uneasy, but I sat down on the chair. The chair, which had become so blackened and old that it could be called antique, had probably been sat on by hundreds or thousands of people, and the wood was comfortably indented.

Thanasios whispered to me.

“This is the tavern where I’ve been coming since I was a kid. I used to sneak out and eat here, and then go to the gambling den where Nikita is. The owner is like a childhood friend, and his father, the previous owner, was always good to me.”

I see. It’s one of those secret shops that you go to incognito. Clever Thanasios seems to be able to easily sneak out of the royal castle, making it difficult for people to find him.

From behind the counter, there was a loud popping sound. The sweet and fluffy smell, like when baking wheat sweets, also wafted over.

“Thanasios-sama, what is that sound?”

“They must be making fried food. Have you never heard the sound of oil splattering?”

“No, I haven’t. Oil was…a precious commodity.”

“I see. They’re using olive oil to fry. In the southern part of the Styx Kingdom, the production of oil squeezed from olive fruits is thriving and is circulating at a low price.”

Thanasios explained it to me politely. The monastery’s meals didn’t use oil, so when the smell of oil filled the air, I choked a little. Thanasios, who was watching me, went to open the window. His consideration was appreciated, but it seemed like it would take some time to get used to it.

The sound of the oven opening, the sound of a knife hitting the cutting board, the sound of taking dishes out of the cupboard. When I was about to pass out from all the smells, the owner skillfully brought three large plates and several small plates as serving dishes.

On the table were freshly cooked dishes steaming with heat.

“Please enjoy the spanakopita, gemista, and lokma. Take your time,” said the owner, who had nothing left to do, and returned to the other side of the counter.

I had never heard of these dishes before, some kind of pie with vegetables stuffed inside, and small round fox-colored things. I was getting hungry, and my stomach was starting to growl.

Thanasios skillfully served the dishes onto a plate, giving me a slightly smaller portion. He then handed me a fork that was placed on the table.

“Here, try it.”

“Y-Yes. I’ve never heard of these dishes before.”

“None of them contain meat, but the oil might upset your stomach. Would you like some yogurt?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll try it.”

“Okay.”

I thanked Thanasios for his consideration and held the fork. Then I remembered the main topic.

“Um… Thanasios-sama.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you have something to talk about?”

“Oh, yes. I’ll talk to you properly.”

“You won’t lie, will you?”

“That’s right. I’m just a little lost on the order of things to talk about. It’s all a bit…complicated in this world.”

The world is complicated. That’s for sure. Thanasios is someone who has to deal with these complicated matters. Perhaps he’s trying to explain it to me in a way that I can understand.

While waiting for Thanasios to get to the point, I try to distract myself with something else. For now, I want to find out what’s inside the vegetables that were baked in the oven in front of me.

“What is this? Gemista?”

“It’s stuffed peppers with rice and vegetables.”

“Rice?”

“Don’t you know? Well, try it and see.”

With that, I scoop out the contents with a fork. It’s tightly packed and crumbly. It’s not like couscous or any other tiny pasta, and I can see bits of chopped tomatoes and herbs.

I put it in my mouth. The flavor of the vegetables spreads gently. When I chew, the crumbly bits easily break apart.

What is this? The closest thing I’ve had to it before is…barley?

“It’s definitely a grain.”

“It’s different from boiled barley.”

Hmm, it’s a new texture for me. Chewy. The more I chew, the more the flavor comes out.

After swallowing, I aim my fork at the next target.

In front of me is something like a triangular pie, filled with green vegetables. The round, fox-colored thing next to it seems to have some kind of syrup on it.

“Is this a pie? It’s filled with spinach… a lot of it.”

“It’s a cheese and spinach pie, spanakopita. We stuff it with various ingredients.”

“And what about lokma?”

“It’s a honey-covered fried bread. It’s a common breakfast for commoners in the Styx Kingdom.”

When I cut the spanakopita with a fork, the cheese falls apart. I expected the pie to have a strong flavor, but it’s actually light and easy to eat. The cheese is salty and rich. Yes, I could eat this.

Finally, there’s the lokma. It’s a small, round fried food. I poke it with a fork and take a bite. First, it’s sweet. The syrup is sweet. The sweetness hits my tongue directly. The crispy exterior and the syrup that envelops the soft and chewy dough are the main components. My mouth can’t help but say “wow” in happiness.

“Is it good?”

Thanasios asks me, and I nod vigorously.

Thanasios hasn’t touched the food yet. He doesn’t even have a fork.

But Thanasios finally seems to have decided to speak.

“First of all, what I’m about to tell you is information that is not yet widely known. It will eventually spread, but Nikita will bias the information to some extent before releasing it. The shock is just too great.”

Munching on my lokma and swallowing, I listened silently to Thanasios’ story.

However, the story was just as Thanasios had said, too shocking.

“Two weeks ago, at the annual ball held at the Kailus castle, all the kings and nobles from various countries who had gathered there were massacred by the rebellious commoners. Regardless of age or gender, the bodies of the nobles were all severely damaged, to the point where they could only be identified by their clothing. Your half-sister was also among them. In addition, upon receiving the news, the Duke of Uranos went insane. The rebellion of the commoners in the former Kailus Kingdom spread to surrounding countries, causing the Hyperion Empire, Minava Kingdom, and Uranos Principality to collapse. With the death of the nobles who ruled the country, a new regime will be born.”

Thanasios smoothly delivered the story up to that point.

The content reached my head clearly. Unfamiliar words, unheard-of words, and above all, the word “death” overflowed.

That alone weighed heavily on my heart and made it sink.

“I see.”

That’s all I could say. I didn’t know what to say.

It was a story that made the world seem to crumble. The ugly world and the ugly people I hated were swallowed up by a terrible torrent mixed with death. It was so painful to hear. Does Thanasios always listen to such stories? In such a terrible world, Thanasios fights. I felt like I had been told a small part of that story.

As I was trying to think through my sluggish thoughts, Thanasios brought me back to reality with his voice.

“Eleni, let me ask you one thing. With this… is your revenge over?”

Revenge?

For a moment, I was puzzled by what he said.

Oh, I see. He must be talking about the deaths of the Duke and Princess Paulina. The man who drove my mother to her death and the woman who despised me, the daughter of that man.

Is the revenge I wished for to the main god Styx over now?

No, it’s not over.

The flame of revenge burning in my heart has not yet subsided. My mother’s regret has not yet been cleared. My resentment has not yet been cleared.

I honestly confessed my feelings to Thanasios.

“I still feel that way.”

I said it out loud.

Is it despicable to seek a heavier punishment? I looked up at Thanasios.

However, Thanasios didn’t change his expression at all. On the contrary, his eyes looking at me remained the same.

“I see. No, I have no intention of blaming you. But who should you seek revenge on from now on? I’ve thought about how far the divine punishment of the god Styx can reach.”

Thanasios was thinking about my revenge as if it were his own matter. It was surprising that someone of his noble status, like Thanasios, would take such a serious approach to such a vulgar matter as revenge.

Or is it because it’s about me? No, that’s not it. It must be because the god Styx is involved.

My revenge is only possible because of the backing of the god Styx – that’s why.

“I…am worried that your revenge will become like a wildfire.”

Thanasios looked straight at me.

Normally, I would be captivated by his beauty. But now, I couldn’t feel that way. After all, Thanasios was deeply concerned about me. I was overwhelmed with regret and shame for making Thanasios worry about me. To overwrite those emotions, Thanasios spoke calmly and advised me.

“If you hate something, everything related to it will become hateful. But that hatred will never end that way. The target of revenge will never run out, and you will have to risk your entire life. Won’t you end up hating everything in this world?”

Unconsciously, I repeated those words.

Hating everything in this world.

Is that what my revenge is about?

Do I hate not only the man who abandoned my mother, but also the country he rules and the world that allows it?

Do I hate everything indiscriminately and want punishment for it all?

I don’t know. I wanted revenge without even understanding that.

I had to tell Thanasios about it. I didn’t want him to misunderstand me.

“Thanasios-sama, it may be irresponsible of me to say this, but I don’t understand it well either. How far is revenge supposed to go? What is the will of the god Styx, and how do I determine who I should take revenge on?”

If the main god Styx accurately understands my desire for revenge and is making those who deserve divine punishment pay for it, that would be good. But who is included in that punishment and how far does it go? How long will the revenge continue?

Only Thanasios and I know that the revenge I wanted is being accomplished as divine punishment by the main god Styx.

Thanasios is probably anxious. I wanted to somehow alleviate his anxiety.

“I see… I would like to know more, but humans cannot know the intentions of the main god Styx. It can’t be helped.”

Thanasios pondered for a moment.

Finally, Thanasios moved his fork towards the spanakopita. He needed time to think, so I tried to distract myself with the sweet lokma.

But then, thanks to the sweetness, I thought of something.

“Um, Thanasios-sama. After we finish eating, would you like to go to the Styx Temple?”

“What for?”

“If we pray and make a wish, we might receive a divine oracle from the main god Styx. It’s just a possibility, though.”

That’s right, it was a simple matter. If it was the work of the main god Styx, the best thing to do was to ask directly. Although there was no guarantee that I would get an answer, it was still better than doing nothing.

As a priestess, I might be able to receive a divine oracle.

Thanasios seemed to understand and agreed.

“Okay, let’s do that. By the way, lokma is delicious.”

“It’s chewy and sweet.”

“What about dessert? Let’s order baklava.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

Afterwards, the baklava we ordered arrived and it was too sweet, causing me to shiver.

Anyway, the task at hand was decided. I was eating the rice in the gemista, enjoying the texture of the grains.