Type-Moon, I heard that after death, you can ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

Aegina was stunned when she heard this. She looked up at Athena in surprise, probably because she didn't expect Athena to say such a thing.

Then she followed Athena's gaze and looked towards her own country.

Soon she also laughed, and replied to Athena with pride and joy: "Thank you."

"Um... By the way, you're in love with that kid, right?"

It seemed like a casual question, but it made Aegina completely stiffen.

But soon Aegina's body relaxed again. After all... she had never thought that she could hide from the eyes of the goddess of wisdom and the goddess of justice.

"Yes." So Aegina nodded, and turned her head to look in the direction of Nuoyan's back as he followed the goddess of justice Themis away.

“I fell in love with that child, but...please forgive me, my wise goddess. After all, he was the only one who reached out to me in that tower.

What's more, I will never forget the scene when he stood in front of me, in front of Hera..."

It was like when you were about to fall into the abyss, you suddenly looked up and saw a beam of light shining through the crack in the abyss.

That night, when she learned that the young man stood in front of Hera and prayed for Hera's blessing, it was not out of ignorance, but when he made that choice even though he knew everything.

Besides astonishment and guilt, what remains is emotion and anxiety.

If the goddess of justice Themis had not appeared, what Aegina would have wanted to do most at that time was to break her promise.

Because she didn't want Nuoyan to fall into the abyss with her.

From the very beginning, Aegina didn't think that Hera would really bless her.

Hearing this, Athena looked at her who was smiling gently at the moment, and was about to say something.

"But goddess of wisdom, please rest assured that I am not planning to do anything." Aegina retracted her gaze and looked at Athena in front of her. She said to Athena with a somewhat lonely tone and a wry smile: "Because even if I appear in front of that child in my most beautiful appearance, his eyes... do not have my shadow engraved on them."

"I know what you're worried about. You're worried that I'll hurt him, but how could I possibly hurt him?"

Athena's golden eyes looked quietly at Aegina who was standing calmly in front of her for a while, and she said nothing more.

"But... Goddess of Wisdom, you seem to like that child very much?"

Looking at Aegina who was looking at her curiously, Athena was silent for a while. Obviously, she didn't expect that the river goddess would have the courage to ask her, but in the end she still gave an answer: "In fact, at the beginning, it was just a little interest."

"You know I like heroes."

Aegina nodded. Everyone in Greece and among gods knew that Athena loved heroes.

"So I wasn't very interested in him at first. He was too fragile, like someone who could be blown down by a gust of wind."

"Yes." Aegina nodded and said with emotion: "But it is precisely because of this that when he stood in front of me and the noble Queen Hera, how could I remain indifferent?"

"Later, he presented me with a painting. It was a very beautiful painting. I liked it very much, so I was ready to fulfill his wish... Do you know what his wish was?"

Athena smiled, and before Aegina could answer, she continued, "He wishes to be a hero, and...longs for a heroic end!"

"...The end?" Aegina blinked.

"Well, die with a bang." Athena replied: "Because it's so interesting, I agreed to it... But in fact, if that's all, I still just think he is an interesting child, and naturally I won't think about fighting for anything."

"But this time, because of Themis, she broke everything that was originally arranged, but at the same time, she also allowed me to see what he looked like in court."

"Let me tell you an interesting story." Athena's lips curled up slightly, and she continued, "When the child just came down the mountain from Chiron, he would defeat every thief he encountered and then make them swear to us.

His name must be announced to the first 100 people you meet."

"...What is this, so cute!" Aegina couldn't help but say.

“Yes, but it was this child who longed to become a hero and make the whole continent sing praises of his existence.

But he gave you a dream during that trial."

Athena said: "After waking up from a dream, people naturally forget everything."

Aegina was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then she finally reacted and looked at Athena.

At this time, Athena had already turned her head and cast her gaze in the direction where Nuoyan left with Themis, and said: "So since then, for the first time, I was thinking...

Giving him to Hera like this, isn't it... a bit of a waste?"

Chapter 27 The goddess of fate raises her head towards you.

Midnight,

There is a beautiful full moon tonight, and the dazzling moonlight illuminates the entire earth.

Nuoyan followed Themis and walked with her for a long time, even for several hours, and Themis didn't say a word during this time.

But Nuoyan didn't look tired, and his eyes were bright.

After all, he had just eaten a golden apple.

His physical strength was already full, and once he ate the golden apple, his physical strength overflowed.

Then, just when Nuoyan found that this road was becoming more and more familiar and was feeling confused.

Themis' sudden words made Nuoyan stunned.

"In fact, if it weren't for me, you should have followed Athena to the temple of Hephaestus, the god of craftsmen, and met the god of craftsmen."

Nuoyan was slightly stunned when he heard this, and subconsciously looked at Themis in front of him.

"Because this was Athena's intention in preparing this trial for you."

Themis, who was walking in front of Nuoyan and leading the way, said to Nuoyan in a tone without any emotion: "She prepared this not-so-difficult trial for you, and her original intention was to meet Hephaestus, the god of craftsmen, as a reward.

This will give you the ability to move around in the world, and I won't have to worry about you being blown to the underworld by the wind, and thus failing to fulfill my promise to her."

"The river goddess Aegina was the first painting Athena prepared for you, but... everything was completely disrupted because of my appearance."

Hearing this, Nuoyan was thoughtful and finally understood what this trial was all about, but...

"But I guess you must have been confused as to why I suddenly appeared at that time and finally made you sit in the judgment seat."

Nuoyan nodded honestly. He had indeed always been curious about this.

Themis did not answer, but quickened her pace.

Seeing this, Nuoyan hurriedly followed. After a while, when he reached his destination, Nuoyan finally understood why this road looked so familiar to him.

This was where he stayed when he painted the kingdom for Aegina.

On the mountainside overlooking the entire kingdom.

...When I was painting, this goddess wouldn't be standing next to me, right?

No, that's not right, there's probably Athena too!

I was wondering, I stayed there for so long, and there were no wild animals in the mountains to bother me, but how come there wasn't even a flying insect...

With this thought in mind, Nuoyan couldn't help but glance at Themis beside him.

But under that delicate face covered with white cloth, Nuoyan naturally couldn't see anything.

And just as Nuoyan was thinking this, he blinked the next second.

He found that his canvas appeared in front of him, and the paintbrush in his luggage also appeared in his hand.

...Oh, could it be?!

Just as Nuoyan subconsciously looked at Themis.

"It's not me... because you can't draw me yet." Themis said, explaining, "Even if I asked you to draw Athena like I did that day, as long as the drawing leaves me, it will still disappear quickly."

When he was feeling regretful after hearing the promise, he saw Themis taking out the sword of judgment in her right hand, the sword that could cut off all the injustices and evil people in the world!

As if sensing the thought of the promise, Themis answered him.

"Yes, child, paint it on your painting."

Themis said: "Your journey has just begun, and it will protect you along the way until..."

Having said this, Themis stopped talking.

He just put the sword there quietly, came to Nuoyan and helped him lift the paintbrush in his hand.

Although it was just a sharp sword, when Nuoyan came to his senses, with the help of Themis, he engraved the sword of judgment on his painting and came out of the state of being completely immersed in the painting.

The sun has already risen.

The moment Nuoyan put down the paintbrush in his hand, a strong feeling of fatigue instantly hit him.

"promise......"

Hearing the voice next to his ear, he subconsciously tilted his head and a golden apple was stuffed into his mouth.

Nuoyan blinked and looked at Themis in front of him.

Why is it the golden apple again!

Then I ate it obediently, and felt my energy restored. I couldn't help but sigh in my heart that it was really a good thing.

It's a pity that the two pieces I saved with great difficulty were all sacrificed to Hera...

Just when Nuoyan was thinking this.

Themis suddenly took out two golden apples and placed them in his hands.

Nuoyan was stunned for a moment and looked up at her.

"Including the first time, we have met three times so far, so these are three golden apples."

Themis explained again, but her explanation made Nuoyan even more confused.

What do you mean? It's as if every time I meet you, you have to give me a golden apple...

Just as Nuoyan was thinking this, he found that Themis in front of him seemed to be looking into the distance... Even though her eyes were covered with white cloth, Nuoyan followed her gaze.

What I saw was the kingdom I saw after waking up from that dream that night.

Even though it was quite far away, one could still vaguely see people in the kingdom moving around and it was a prosperous scene.

Seeing this scene, Nuoyan smiled naturally as he recalled the disastrous scene when the kingdom was first persecuted by natural disasters and plagues.

And at this moment,

“The reason why I let you sit in the position of judgment is very simple. Because as early as when we first met, I saw such a future from the Judgment Scale... When we first met, I actually asked the Judgment Scale two questions.

That is whether you are just and kind, whether your judgment is fair... and now I have the answer to all this."

As she spoke, the scales of judgment appeared again in Themis' left hand.

It is still shaking, which represents being abandoned by the goddess of fate but also clinging to the promise and the uncertain future.

"That day I asked you why you came here and what kind of mood you were in standing in front of Hera, and your answer was that you wanted to come, so you came."

"And I think, even if I ask you now why you, who wanted to be a hero, gave a dream judgment on that day, your answer should be..."

“I haven’t thought about it that much.”

After all, if it weren't for the promised judgment, turning everything into a dream known only to God, what a terrifying reputation would it be to judge God as a great cause.

But Nuoyan at that time really just thought that this should be the best result... Yes, although there are still some flaws, this is indeed the best result that Nuoyan could think of under the circumstances at that time.

The kingdom returned to its original prosperity, people who should not have died returned to the world, and the goddess in the tower smiled and regained everything she had lost.

Even Hera, her hated rival, built a temple for herself and became her most loyal believer, praying to her on time every morning.

This is not the first time such a choice has been made.

That day in Jason's hometown, in that kingdom, facing the enraged Hera, Nuoyan also achieved what he thought was the best result.

Hera, the queen of heaven, mistook him for Jason and was ready to give him all the glory. She did not lose anything but gained more.

Jason also did not back down because of the promise and trust, even though he had to go to retrieve the Golden Fleece, and he had hope for the future.

"Whether you are fair and kind, the scales of judgment have not given an answer. This shows that your future cannot be predicted by fate. In fact, it also shows that... child, you actually don't have an answer in your heart either."

Holding the scales in her hand, Themis told Nuoyan this, and this time, her originally cold voice became much softer.

"Athena has actually told me your agreement with her, her oath, but... child, have you ever thought about what kind of hero you want to be, and have you ever really thought about what kind of ending you will face?"

Nuoyan was stunned, looking at the goddess of justice Themis in front of him.

In ancient Greek mythology, there was a hero named Achilles.

His father was the great hero Peleus, and his mother was the sea goddess Thetis. Before he was born, his mother knew from the goddess of fate that her child would die on the battlefield.

[He will go down in history, but he is destined not to live to old age and will die on the battlefield at a young age]....This is the prophecy that the goddess of fate told Thetis.