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—
/The next day…/
"What... How?... The city..."
'Silver and the others left their temporary home, stepping into the streets of Olympia outside of the barrier. But what they saw blew their expectations to the other side of the great river.'
'They expected to see destruction, flames, smoke, and charred grounds everywhere. But what he saw surprised him like few things had done so before.'
'The city… Olympia… Was completely fine! As if the chaotic madness of last night was nothing but a distant nightmare.'
"This is impossible!"
Silver was the first to react, jumping forward to look around closely. He climbed atop a nearby building, glancing at the city and its surroundings from a vantage point.'
'Olympia was built at the foot of a mountain, so gazing down at the sea allowed him to see most of the city itself, given its angle.'
'He looked everywhere, from the busy streets to the silent alleys, but no matter where his eyes fell upon, he couldn't see, smell, or feel any signs of the fire.'
(Image?)
'Instead, he saw the people walking and going through their morning as if nothing had happened. As if… As if…'
"It's as if the entire island turned back time!"
'Silver was in disbelief. No matter how incredible the Gods were, they were one thing; this was another. How could mortals turn back time and manipulate causality to such a degree?'
'Not even he, at the prime of a life long gone, could do such a thing. But then again, the more he lived and experienced this world, the less impressed he became with his past life's achievements.'
'But the conditions then were others, there was no point comparing one life to another.'
'Still, when comparing any kind of mortal achievement to that of a God's existence, such an outcome was but expected.'
Could this be what that lady meant by everything would be explained today? Did she want to show this to us?
'Silver began putting the pieces of what he knew today, coming to a shocking realization:'
This feels wrong, but I can't think of other possibilities.
Could the people of this land be trapped in a time loop? Their city burning at night by the flame and their soldiers fighting it off every time? It's one of the few answers that fit...
This wouldn't be my first time experiencing such an anomaly… But that was a completely different occurrence.
'He found many oddities in the endless parallel worlds and the many Silver explored. From Paradise worlds to Hellish landscapes, oftentimes, he would find himself in a world so odd it was hard to affirm it was another interpretation of reality.'
'Still, it was in these strange lands he found the deepest inspiration, many of which would eventually gather in the creation of his Magnum Opus.'
'But that is a story buried deep down in the past…'
Wait a minute… Something isn't quite right… Why is everyone so calm?
'The people of Olympia moved on with their lives with no second thoughts, enjoying the morning breeze as they went on with their day.'
'Some went to fish in the docks, others left the city and into the fields outside, many flocked to the city center where a grand market slowly took shape.'
'They all had one thing in common: A lack of urgency.'
Was my interpretation wrong? Shouldn't they act differently if they're trapped in a time loop? Shouldn't the guards be acting to prevent the worst outcome?
Could it be that they've forgotten about it? That shouldn't be the case either… Those soldiers were highly proficient with the situation. I'm sure they experienced it before. Besides, I remember it all clearly.
Even then, what makes those guards unique?... Their blessings? Maybe only those with strength can resist the pull of this strange phenomenon?
Assuming that's the case, what's powering this? What kind of power aside from Divinity can make such a thing possible?...
'Silver went through a sea of thoughts, eventually stopping at the most obvious solution:'
"The Flame of Heaven?"
"... Silver! Silver!"
"Hm?... Huh?"
"Ha! You finally snapped out of it, huh?! How long do you plan on staying up there?! It's rude to jump into someone else's ceiling! I told you that multiple times before!"
'On the ground, Hestia raised her head in protest, trying to get his attention as she jumped up and down, powerless to pull him down from the ceiling.'
'Silver knew he had been in a daze, so after reaffirming his findings, he jumped down, apologizing for his behavior:'
"I'm sorry for that. It's just… This is a little ridiculous, even for me..."
"So even you can get surprised." Artemis joked as she approached them from the side
"It happens more frequently than you think… But I can't deny it this time, I lost myself there for a moment."
My thoughts are all over the place. I'm slowly losing my composure.
I guess this is a result of everything that has happened since Belthane... Or rather, a consequence of my behavior in the last few months.
'Silver looked at the torches around the street, they were different from before, rather than burning blue, they burned in crimson flames.'
Why maintain torches in the morning? Is it a form of prayer to the Gods? Who changed them, anyway?
Rather... When did time rewind?... I knew it, I shouldn't have slept last night. I should've...
'Silver's dangerous thoughts were brought to a momentary halt as Artemis pointed out:'
"Well… Staying here won't answer anything. Should we go after those people we met last night? They're likely in the temple on the mountain."
"Artemis' right, I can't focus on enjoying the scenery after… Yesterday…"
"... Me neither… That said, let's take the long way there. It wouldn't hurt to take a look around the place."
"This is still the land of myths. It's a little bit of a stretch, but I can trace my ancestry to this place. There's no harm in learning a bit from the past."
I want to take a closer look around the area, at least to try to quench these thoughts before going up there.
That said, thousands of nameless Heroes were born in these streets that stood the test of time. It would be too bad to just work all the time… Besides, I feel like we won't be able to enjoy this again anytime soon…
"Things look stable enough for now. If the situation were that dire, they would've been waiting for us to guide us there. Since they aren't here, I'll take it we have some time to spare."
"... Ha… I suppose we can sightsee a little… Artemis is dying to know more about the place anyway."
"Look who's talking…"
…
'After exchanging some words, Silver and the two followed the streets, taking several turns as they made their way to the Great Temple.'
'On the way, Silver looked around warily, a strange feeling at the back of his mind as he observed the people perform their daily tasks, doing their usual activities as they came and went.'
Everything looks fine, but something's off… No one's reacting to us at all.
To a city isolated at the tip of a peninsula and the central land of an archipelago surrounded by a flaming barrier in the middle of a river that carves the continent, it's hard to believe no one here would find us odd or even show a light degree of curiosity... We're in the middle of nowhere.
This city isn't that large either, it isn't even as large as a District in Orario... Although Orario is pretty big already.
This place likely has a few tens of thousands of citizens, a few times that of Belthane, so it would be hard for everyone to know each other. That said, I am walking with two Goddess...
I would've expected some curiosity, especially from the children, yet they run around without care and the adults continue their business without care…
How can they go past us without so much as a stare?... No, that would be wrong.
They do react, but their reactions are subtle; they may as well be nothing. When I look at them, it's like looking at a doll—or rather, an android.
Robots doing as told. They react to us, but we're not part of their "programming," so they glitch…
There are also some inconsistencies... Sometimes, I see people interacting with others who aren't even there, as if they're speaking with ghosts. And when that happens, they often stop in their tracks, motionless, before resuming their actions some time later.
That's the strangest thing about all of this.
Had I not seen what happened yesterday, this would've been the first thing I would notice and suspect. But with both together, it's hard to take in the atmosphere.
'Silver had many ideas for what was going on in the city, but like before, they were nothing but his exaggerated conjectures.'
/Chatter!.../
'Eventually, they arrived at a busy marketplace with dozens of stalls and merchants.'
'One of them looked at Silver, exclaiming:'
"Welcome! We've got the finest fabrics from Kyria!"
"Take a look! I'm selling rare fruits! You can't find them anywhere around here!"
"Fish from the shores! Goldenfish from Mercura island! I've got it all!"
/Chatter!.../
"... Kyria? Isn't that your name?" Silver asked as he looked at Artemis
Mercura... If written down, that's a name awfully similar to Hermes'...
"It's one of the possible translations of the Titles given to me long ago… Never thought I'd hear it again all the way here. But it was to be expected…"
"Right, they seem to pray to all of the Olympian Gods around here, or at the very least, pay their respects to them."
I saw many decorations and carvings in honor of the Olympian Gods, albeit most of them were toward Hestia and other Divine entities related to fire and the Holy Flame itself, like some Spirits and Priestesses I don't recognize.
It's not out of place that some unusual details lost to time in other parts of the world are typical here. It's similar to how the Far East is a land dedicated to the Eastern Gods, preserving their culture for generations.
"Silver! Isn't that one of the fruits Demeter sells?"
"... You're right… How did they get all the way here, huh…?"
'Silver approached the stall selling fruits, looking at the assortment of plants and vegetables, specifically at the yellow-green ones... Bananas.'
It's similar, but they're not the same. Orario's Bananas are larger, likely due to Demeter's Divine presence and them being another species.
I'm certain Olympia doesn't trade frequently with the outside world, so he must've gotten it from one of the islands… Or outside the barrier… But that latter part doesn't make much sense either.
Should I ask where he got it?...
"Can we get some? I'm a bit hungry…"
/Growl!.../
"... I suppose we did skip dinner yesterday… But that won't be possible now. These people don't trade with anything I have on me."
"They're using copper coins… I'm afraid we'd have to trade something else for some change first…"
/THUD/
'All of a sudden, something collided face-first against his back, startling him.'
'He turned back in a hurry, only to see a small girl with blue hair holding her head in light pain.'
(Image)
'He also saw several flowers bundled together on the side, which Artemis promptly picked with a faint smile.'
"A little kid?... Are you okay? That was quite the crash."
"Here, your flowers. Cutie, take good care of them." She said as she gave them back to the girl
"Hi! I'm Cyan! I've got flowers for my sister, Ciate. She loves these."
"I see… They are quite pretty."
She's quite enthusiastic... Sigh... What did this kid deserve for her nation to burn down like that?
'Silver smiled. While the situation yesterday seemed quite grim, he was happy to see such a scene, it showed him that not all hope was dead.'
"I'm bringing these flowers to her! She's sick and resting in bed!"
"Oh! I'm certain she'll appreciate them and heal faster with such a cute little girl like you doing this for her."
'Artemis was genuinely happy as she patted her head, and so seemed the little girl as she beamed a smile:'
"I'll do anything for Ciate! I'm her big sister!"
"... Then don't forget this one." Silver added as he grabbed one last flower from the ground, putting it on her bouquet
"Thanks, mister! See you!"
'She bolted off into the distance, vanishing into the crowd soon after.'
"... A rather unusual place. It's been a while since I've seen children running around so energetically. Back in Orario, most parents are still too fearful to let theirs out of sight..."
I couldn't see how things were back in Melen due to Evilus' movements, and things weren't that good either in Belthane, although it was probably the closest place to a happy city aside from the villages I passed by earlier in our journey.
"I agree… But don't say such depressing things while trying to mask them with pretty words!"
/Smack!/
'Artemis knocked on his arm with quite some energy, making Silver twitch his lips in pain.'
"Ouch… You do know that hurts, right?"
"That's why I do it!"
"Right… Still, it seems we'll be cutting our sightseeing short. Our escort is here."
""Hm?""
'Artemis and Hestia looked around, and finally, they noticed a woman standing behind them with a faint, distant expression.'
'Silver did not miss the changes as he followed her eyes, noticing how they were fixated on the girl as she ran away. It was full of melancholy.'
(Image)
"You've been around for a little while. How about we introduce ourselves once and for all?"
"... My apologies. I did not want to interrupt you, and before I knew it, I lost my timing. Speaking out of place would've been awkward."
'A woman stepped out from the crowd, approaching the three of them as she gave them a light bow.'
"It's late, but I'm Rhea, leader of the Shrine Maidens of Olympia. It's a blessing to stand before the Goddesses of Olympus. You honor us with your presence."
"Hehe, no need for the formalities..."
"She's right, miss, we're just tourists here at best."
"Shrine Maidens?"
"Yes, we're responsible for all ritualistic events in Olympia, honoring the Gods for generations. Yesterday was hectic, I apologize for not welcoming you all properly."
"We essentially threw you all in a corner without answers; there can be no greater act of rudeness. Especially towards a deity. Please accept mine and everyone's apologies." She said deeply as she bowed once more
"T-That isn't necessary! We know it was for our good. Right, Silver?"
"... Yes. It was a situation outside of our jurisdiction to interfere."
"..."
'Artemis remained silent…'
"Thank you. If you allow me, I'll explain it all in due time."
"... Can I ask some questions then?"
"Silver! Don't be rude!"
"... I'm curious about it too."
"A-Artemis…"
"..."
Something's going on between them… I figured given how they acted last night... Something is wrong, and Artemis doesn't like it one bit.
I hate this... They're hiding something from me... But I suppose this is my Karma.
It's not like I've been transparent about myself either...
'Silver knew Artemis well enough to tell she was royally upset, maybe even more than her time in her temple.'
'Before, she was full of regret, helplessness, and melancholy. But now, she was upset and visibly angry. Albeit not in an ordinary sense…'
'It was frustration… But with what?'
"Make whatever questions you feel are needed. It's my obligation to answer them all… No… It's what I owe you."
"..."
This girl is quite polite. I feel a certain familiarity with her… Where have I felt this before?... Ah! Right… The girls in Artemis' Familia.
They're all just like her.
'Before continuing with their conversation, Silver urged them to move, since speaking in the middle of a crowded street wasn't comfortable.'
'On their way to the mountain, he finally asked:'
"Here's my first question… Where are the others? The ones we saw back then…"
"They're all awaiting at the temple and patrolling the walls like usual."
"You leave no guards to patrol inside the city?"
"Oh yeah… I've seen none around ever since we got here." Hestia pointed out as she touched her chin
"There's no need for that. In Olympia, all are blessed by the flame. And that itself is a connection that binds us all."
"Crimes would leave behind traces easily trackable by us. As such, crime rates are exceedingly low. It's not that they don't happen, it's impossible to stop someone from acting out of passion… But whenever they do, they usually sort themselves out quickly."
"We also have a culture of solving the problem by tackling its roots. With our bountiful fields and the sea before us, we haven't experienced famine since our inception. With the blessing of the Holy flame, monsters don't dare approach either... And so do other nations."
"Our economy is based around our people working to supply themselves as each island seeks and sends whatever it needs and has in excess."
"If you're curious about some of the products around. The truth is that Olympia was never truly secluded. While we never let anyone inside, which makes your arrival extraordinary, we have sent many voyages to the world outside. Their numbers reaching the thousands."
"Olympia's golden days of being the center of the world and the force at the forefront of challenging the Dungeon are long gone, but we never stopped observing the movements outside. Whenever possible, we'd send a group to scout and learn more about the efforts made toward the Great Quests."
"Our predecessors failed in taking out the Leviathan and Goliath, including other famed beasts, but this doesn't mean we've given up on them."
"I see, a self-contained economy… That answers some things."
"Still, is there a reason for the secrecy? Why is Olympia secluded from the world in the first place?"
"That… Goes back to the Great Hero's desire."
"The Great Hero?"
"Yes, our greatest legend, Epimetheus."
"!"
"After failing to take down the beasts of the Great Quests, Epimetheus received a Divine Oracle to return to where the Flame of Heaven first fell and enshrine it. And that was what he did."
"If you're unfamiliar with the story, long ago, the world was in chaos; attacks by monsters, plagues spreading, and people committing crimes against each other ran rampant in all corners of the continents."
"Unable to bear this madness, lord Prometheus sent down the Heavenly Flame, naming him as his chosen with the intent of having him shed light into the darkness."
"He would clear all monsters from the vicinity of Olympia, gathering the brave and marching to land, bringing order to the nations of the past, consolidating the scattered tribes and nations into powers strong enough to fend against the onslaught of monsters."
"As they grew in power and fame, lord Prometheus set his sight on the greatest shadows that eclipsed our world."
"With the support of all nations he assisted and the people that revered him, he marched against the Three Great Quests and other ancient disasters... Failing every time but always returning alive to try another time."
"In the end, however, he achieved nothing... The whole world was disappointed, hating on his failures, blaming him for their losses... Their despair."
"The People disowned him and called him various names with disdain, marking the end of his story."
"But here in Olympia, we carry on his legacy, singing his tale for what it was worth. He was Prometheus, the first Hero. The one that brought hope onto a cruel, dark world."
"How cruel... To blame another for trying to change the world for the better..."
"... It's just how people are. I'm afraid things will remain as such for eras to be." She replied as she looked at Hestia
"Outside, this would be the end of his story, but it's not entirely where it ends to us."
'She looked at the mountain where the Great Temple stood:'
"After failing one last time, he returned with the remnants of his Great Army and built the Great Temple in the mountain. That was where the Great Hero received the Divine Flame and the Mythical blade to assist him in his journey."
"Despite his failures, the Great Hero dedicated his remaining life to protect the fire and prevent it from being used by those unworthy. Over time, those seeking protection, to be close to the Gods, or merely believing in his actions, gathered in the Archipelago. Over the centuries, it became what you see around you."
"I see… So this land hasn't changed in thousands of years?"
"Not at all. Olympia's population has always been contained, prompting little need to reformulate its space. The walls surrounding us have stood tall for over two thousand years."
"The bricks beneath your feet have been there for thousands of years. The power of the holy flame preventing excessive decay over time."
''
"The holy flame… It seems quite powerful. I've noticed the excess symbolism and even… Your unique "abilities"."
"... It's nothing to be surprised about, for us Olympians, flames are something to be worshipped. All our lives and country depend on it. It's part of our culture."
"We employ the flame everywhere. From the bonfires within our homes to the lights in the night."
"And those torches around us?..."
"Yes, they're empowered by the flame. The same goes for us. What you saw was something exclusive to those blessed by Prometheus. The ability to interact and directly manipulate the holy fire sealed deep beneath us."
"Interesting…"
Manipulate the heavenly fire? Is that possible?... Her words make sense, though.
It's not strange for the children of Gods to gain abilities related to their patrons. It's natural for those deeply connected to their Gods to end up reflecting them in some way, shape, or form.
From their behavior to their Status, it's a change that goes all the way to one's Soul… I'm not free from that either. It's just that Hestia's Divinity is centered around something far too complex for me to notice a difference in my daily life. However, her influence has already made its way to my status.
The only thing I can tell Hestia has influenced me aside from that would be how comfortable I feel around a fireplace. But I can't say if that's something intrinsic to me or something I developed a taste for over time.
The people of the Soma Familia tend to be skillful in brewing wine, and the children of the Miach Familia tend to be skillful alchemists, even if their focus is solely on combat and gathering materials.
You could say the same to many others, and even though there's an argument to be had about how certain Gods attract certain people, it's something to think about if there isn't something more to that fact in the first place.
It makes me wonder though… If they can manipulate the holy fire, shouldn't I, a child of Hestia, be able to do the same as well? Hestia was able to interact with the barrier surrounding the archipelago, so it isn't far-fetched to think like that.
Could the flame be the source of my strange emotions?...
"It's like in Orario. This city is powered by fire and Orario by Magic Stones." Artemis pointed out as she looked at the torches
"That does sound quite fitting… Before we move on though, I have one last question."
'Silver stopped at the foot of the mountain, feeling the presence of many above.'
'Before confronting them, there was one last thing he needed to know.'
"Feel free to ask it, the day is still long."
'Rhea smiled faintly, a little more relaxed than when they first met.'
'And so was everyone, which was exactly why Silver did not hold back:'
"Let's stop beating around the bush. Tell me the truth."
"What happened last night? Why is everyone acting as if nothing happened?"
""!""
"I had my doubts... I tried to ignore some of them but can't stay silent anymore. I won't climb this mountain without knowing this."
"Say… Are these people even alive?"
"!!"
…
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Notes