Name: Promise
Age:16
Era: Age of the Gods, Ancient Greece
Identity: Transmigrator
Heroic Spirit Class:Unconfirmed
Heroic Legend Events:
- Met the future King of Athens, Theseus, and became a student of the centaur sage, Chiron.
- Completed Queen Hera's trial after being mistaken for Jason and gained her favor.
- Demonstrated incredible adaptability in near-impossible situations, single-handedly pulling a nearly out-of-control scenario back on track, becoming the one prophesied by Clotho, the goddess of fate, to bring glory to Hera!
Heroic Spirit Rank Improved: E (Somewhat Famous)
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Afternoon
In a private room of the palace, Promise looked at the Heroic Spirit Class Card in his hand, nodding in satisfaction.
"As expected, just as I thought, the quality has improved... I guess this is the benefit of the Age of Gods. Harvesting the blessings of the gods is indeed the best shortcut to improving the quality of a Heroic Spirit!"
"Even though on the way here, I, uh, reformed more than a hundred bandits and taught them to sing my praises, it didn't increase my legend at all!"
As Promise muttered to himself, feeling slightly indignant,
"Promise, I'm going out. Do you want to come with me?"
Jason pushed the door open, his face full of confidence as he walked in.
He had changed into a luxurious outfit, and it had to be said that Jason's appearance was quite impressive—a typical blond, blue-eyed Western prince image.
"Where are you going?" Promise looked at him, puzzled, not bothering to hide the Heroic Spirit Class Card in his hand.
After all, he had already tested it, and only he, the host, could see the card; others couldn't.
"Of course, to experience the customs of my country properly!" Jason said proudly. "Promise, you wouldn't believe it. Just now, I stepped out for a bit, and everyone suddenly became so enthusiastic towards me, calling me the future king.
And so many beautiful girls were giving me flirtatious glances..."
Hearing this, Promise instantly lost interest.
He casually put away the Class Card and turned his head. "Not interested, you go have fun yourself... Oh, and don't get too carried away. Remember, Queen Hera is still watching you."
Jason's expression froze at his words.
He muttered something under his breath, looking disappointed as he left.
Watching his retreating figure, Promise couldn't help but think about his future.
In the original history, Jason passed Hera's test with the help of Athena, becoming her devotee and favorite.
Hera then did everything in her power to give hom what he wanted.
She gathered almost all the great heroes of the era, had Athena help build the Argo—a ship that would never sink in the sea—and supported the decade-long voyage. Hera's influence was evident throughout.
Those years were the most glorious times for Jason.
All of this lasted until he retrieved the Golden Fleece and returned to his kingdom.
In the end, Jason brought back the Golden Fleece, but his uncle, Pelias, went back on his word and did not give the kingdom to Jason.
If Hera had still been supporting him, Pelias wouldn't have dared to defy the oath witnessed by the queen.
But by then, Hera had already abandoned Jason.
Because Jason had betrayed Hera... to be precise, he had committed the one act Hera could not tolerate.
Jason had betrayed Medea, his wife.
He had betrayed their marriage!
On must know that Jason and Medea's marriage was personally arranged and officiated by Hera herself!
As mentioned earlier, Hera in Greek mythology symbolizes chastity.
She is the absolute defender of monogamy, the goddess of marriage and childbirth.
Therefore, her taboo is very clear—she cannot tolerate such betrayal.
This is also why Hera often appears as a malicious antagonist in Greek mythology.
In Greek mythology, Hera's reputation isn't very good, leaving behind many villainous images.
Whether it was tormenting Heracles or transforming her rivals into mad gorgons, casting curses on entire nations, causing various natural disasters, or bringing suffocating plagues that turned lands into hellscapes, her temper was clearly bad.
However, despite all this, when Promise had asked Chiron about the Olympian gods' temperaments during his lessons, Chiron had told him,
"Hera is a gentle and kind goddess."
Thinking about it, it makes sense.
Of course, he wasn't glorifying the goddess afterall she was still a greek goddess and no one among them was a good person.
But Hera's her evil deeds have a huge premise—Zeus, the king of gods...
And Jason's misbehavior wasn't a one-time thing, but until the wedding, Hera tolerated it, turning a blind eye.
It wasn't until he betrayed Medea that Hera was thoroughly disappointed and left him.
"That's also why I want to be her devotee. After all, I don't plan to get married..."
Hera's biggest taboo was betrayal in marriage.
And Promise had no plans to marry in this era.
His goals were always pure, so much so that Chiron had been reluctant to let him leave the mountain.
After all, how could someone so single-mindedly seeking death, wanting to die a glorious death, possibly think about romantic entanglements?
"Besides, this is the Nasuverse. Who knows where we'll meet again in the future, and a harem situation... Ugh, women would only slow me down!"
The thought of getting himself into trouble and having a bunch of women come after him with swords made Promise shiver.
For this reason, the chaste Hera became the best choice for him.
"I thought it was impossible, but because of Clotho's prophecy, it seems I still have a chance..."
While he was muttering and thinking about these things, he felt bored being alone in the empty room after Jason left.
So he turned and pulled out a paintbrush from his luggage.
This was not an ordinary paintbrush but a gift from the sage Chiron.
As mentioned earlier, Promise had an exceptional talent in the arts, particularly in painting.
When Jason had left earlier, it was to get a painting from him, which led to many subsequent events.
On that day, Chiron had noticed that Promise' painting skills had surpassed his own and had given him this paintbrush.
It didn't require any dye; just a bit of water was enough to draw the colors Promise needed... Yes, it was a divine artifact and currently the only divine artifact Promise possessed!
To be precise, this was Chiron's graduation gift in painting, though Chiron would never admit it, to prevent Promise from using it as an excuse to leave the mountain.
Promise also took out a canvas from his luggage.
After having servants set up the easel and bringing in some water, he sat by the window.
Bathed in the afternoon sunlight, he pondered over the canvas.
What should I paint...
Oh, right, if I want to get Hera's attention, I might as well make a vow like in many stories, promising to dedicate everything to her and never marry.
As he thought about what to paint, his mind wandered, and he naturally picked up the paintbrush, dipped it in some water, and began sketching on the canvas.
'And come to think of it, I've always overlooked something very important for a Heroic Spirit.'
'That is... Noble Phantasms!'
'Yes, I still don't have a Noble Phantasm!'
Legendary deeds often ascend to form Noble Phantasms.
Currently, do I have any legends that could ascend into a Noble Phantasm...
Well, it seems that there really aren't any?!
Oh my god, that was a close call, luckily I didn't die.
If he had died only to find out that hia Noble Phantasm was his second-rate archery skills, I would have really cried!
'If I think about it this way, for the sake of the Noble Phantasm, whether it's the Twelve Trials of Hercules or the Calydonian Boar, I really have to find a way to sneak in...'
With the paintbrush in hand, he gently outlined the figure of a person on the canvas.
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At the same time,
"Huh?"
Athena, who was still lingering in the palace, suddenly looked up with a puzzled expression.
"Who's been calling me…"
In the Age of Gods, it's best not to call a god's name or think about them too much because they can truly hear and sense it!
"Wait, could it be…?"
Athena's eyes lit up with joy, and in the next moment, she disappeared from where she stood.
Then, she reappeared behind Promise.
But as she was about to greet him, she quickly covered her mouth.
Because she saw the young man sitting by the window, bathed in the afternoon sunlight, with a gentle smile on his lips, peacefully and elegantly moving his brush.
He seemed very relaxed yet serious at the same time.
Promise hadn't noticed her arrival at all.
She saw her image slowly forming on the canvas.
Exquisite painting skills… Athena blinked, then looked at hom with even more interest.
Whether it was his performance this morning or the prophecy from the Fate Goddess Clotho, Athena was already greatly intrigued by Promise.
Now, she discovered another side of him.
She stood silently, watching him paint her.
When Promise finally snapped out of his thoughts and saw the half-finished painting of the silver-haired, golden-eyed goddess, he was slightly startled.
"Why did I paint her…? Maybe because our first meeting left such a deep impression, or perhaps because she's the first goddess I ever met?"
Hearing his muttering, Athena, who was about to pat his shoulder, stopped.
She noticed his expression change, and his brows furrowed seriously.
Promise looked at the goddess in the painting, who smiled so gently, and suddenly felt a strong sense of incongruity.
"…No, this isn't right."
What's not right?
Athena tilted her head.
"This isn't her." the boy said to himself.
Then, to Athena's bewilderment, he used his brush to erase the image on the canvas.
This time, he fully immersed himself in the painting.
Now, Promise painted slowly.
But Athena didn't feel bored.
She stared at the gradually forming image, her mouth slowly opening in astonishment.
As Promise got more absorbed, he lost track of time.
The goddess in the painting now held a shield in her left hand and raised a spear in her right.
The white dress was now covered in golden armor.
The painting depicted dawn breaking through the night.
She stood alone outside a grand temple, bathed in the first light of day, looking down with her golden eyes at the world below.
She was still smiling, but unlike the gentle image before, her gaze now was filled with pride and confidence.
Her golden eyes seemed to control everything in the world.
The breeze brushed her face, making her long silver hair flutter gently.
The light of dawn adorned her, like the brightest star in the galaxy.
After a long time,
As the sunset's glow bathed Proms, he finally put down his brush.
And stared at the figure in the painting for a while, and then…
"Goddess of Wisdom, Athena…"
He softly spoke Athena's name.
At that moment, Promise finally realized who the goddess he first met truly was.
And at the same time,
"Hmm."
The goddess responded softly and leaned closer, whispering in Promise's ear with a light laugh, "Yes, it's me."
"You've really surprised me again and again, Promise."
In the twilight of the evening, Promise turned his head to see Athena leaning over, her silver hair falling onto his shoulders.
The two of them exchanged glances for a moment.
"Wait—" Promise's eyes widened as he instinctively stood up and raised his voice, "Goddess Athena, why are you here…!"
Before he could react further to her sudden appearance, a strong wave of dizziness overwhelmed him.
As the world spun and his vision darkened, Athena, as if anticipating this, reached out and caught the staggering boy in her arms.
After a while, Promise finally came to his senses.
Feeling the softness and fragrance of the goddess, just as he was beginning to enjoy the moment and relax, he suddenly remembered that this goddess was Athena.
Not only was she the Goddess of Wisdom, but she, like Artemis, was a virgin goddess!
Realizing this, his body stiffened, and he quickly pulled away from Athena's embrace.
The latter blinked her golden eyes and smiled at Promise, saying, "You can rest a bit longer. I don't mind."
"No, no, thank you, Athena…" Promise forced a smile and tried to stop himself from taking a step back.
'It's fine, Promise, even though she's a virgin goddess like Artemis, it doesn't mean she's a romantic fool like Artemis!'
"Hmm…" Athena squinted slightly, her golden eyes seeming to see right through Promise, giving him immense psychological pressure.
She sensed that he was thinking something inappropriate and had the ability to read his thoughts directly, but in the end, she chose not to.
Glancing at the radiant image of herself in the painting beside them and then looking back at Promise, recalling the surprises he had given her today...hm she decided to be forgiving.
"Did you always know who I was?"
As she spoke, Athena took two steps forward and, from who knows where, produced a golden apple, which she personally fed to Promise.
Then, with barely restrained excitement, she approached the painting.
While Promise, still chewing on the golden apple, watched, Athena carefully picked up the painting and examined it, showing the most genuine, beautifully serene smile she had ever revealed.
The sunset bathed her in its glow, and the breeze outside rustled her waist-length silver hair.
In this moment, Athena, though not as dazzling as in the painting, exuded a gentle beauty.
Promise, who had engraved this beautiful scene in his mind, almost couldn't resist the urge to sit down and capture this exquisite moment on canvas again.
Resisting his artistic impulse, he took a bite of the golden apple.
As it melted in his mouth and a warm current surged through his body, rejuvenating his spirits, Promise finally shook his head and responded to Athena, "No, I didn't know."
After a slight pause, he continued, "I just felt halfway through that this was the real you…"
As he spoke, he glanced at the painting.
Indeed, Promise didn't know at first.
It was only halfway through when he felt the inconsistency that his mind pieced together Athena's true likeness.
And once he completed the painting, he knew who she was.
"...It seems Hera was right."
Hearing this, Athena turned her gaze from the painting back to Promise.
She remarked, "You truly are an exceptional child."
Promise was a genius.
Even though he was indeed at the bottom of Chiron's class, in the realm of painting, he was truly a prodigy, with a talent that could only be described as astonishing!
After all, he had surpassed Chiron completely in just three years.
The reason Promise never cared about this wasn't because he was unaware of his own abilities.
Besides Chiron's reluctance to talk about it to prevent him from using it as an excuse to leave the mountain, the main reason was that the legend inscribed on his Heroic Spirit Class Card didn't include this aspect.
So Promise always saw it as a hobby, not paying it much mind.
But he didn't realize that the reason it wasn't inscribed on the card was simply because he hadn't created a painting that could be considered legendary.
And now, clearly, he had done so!
Faced with Athena's praise, he wasn't particularly pleased.
Instead, he thought of something else, and his gaze toward the goddess grew strange.
"Is something wrong?" Athena tilted her head slightly.
"Well... it's nothing significant," Promise hesitated, thought for a moment, and finally couldn't help but say, "It's just, Athena, do you remember the oracle you gave to Jason?"
"Of... course..." Athena, who had nodded instinctively, suddenly realized what he meant.
This was essentially admitting that she had known all along that Hera had mistaken someone else for Jason.
So the farce that morning...
The atmosphere suddenly grew silent.
Athena blinked, looking at Promise, and the latter blinked back at her.
After a long moment...
"Yes, the painting is really good."
Athena, shifting her gaze, expressed her admiration for the painting.
"It's an honor to receive your praise, Athena."
Promise replied dutifully.
They tacitly agreed not to continue discussing that matter.
However...
It turns out, dealing with virgin goddesses is really so much trouble!
He had already known that these gods cared about nothing but their own entertainment.
If he were a normal person aspiring to be something else other than what he was aspiring to be, he would have really hated and resented this goddess, who just saw her own amusement and didn't care that this so called amusement would take two innocent lives.
Sure..
'Athena is absolutely unreliable. '
'I need to stay away from her from now on!'
Even though he wanted to die.. but he only wanted to die and did not wish to be turn into some animal o tree.
Athena glanced at Promise, who still seemed to be smiling, and felt amused.
Although she hadn't pried into his thoughts, given her wisdom, she could roughly guess what he was thinking from his demeanor.
However, Athena was in a particularly good mood today.
So instead of getting angry, she found his demeanor somewhat endearing.
Smiling gently, she admired the painting and asked, "By the way, Promise, what is your wish?"
"My wish?" The latter looked at Athena in confusion.
"Yes," she nodded. "Since you have offered me a tribute, I should grant you a favor in return. So... tell me your wish."
As she spoke, Athena looked at Promise again and said, "Just like Jason's wish is to become a king and reclaim his throne."
"Tell me your wish, and I shall make it come true!"
...When did I offer it to you?
Looking at Athena, who was clearly captivated by the painting in her arms, Promise wisely kept that question to himself.
As for his wish, did he even need to think about it?
"I want to become a hero..."
Athena glanced at Promise with some surprise, given his frail appearance.
However, in the age of ancient Greece, such dreams were normal, so she didn't think much of it.
She was just about to nod when...
"And die gloriously on the path to becoming a hero!"
...Huh?
Athena blinked, looked at the boy, hesitated for a moment, and then asked uncertainly, "Did you just say..."
"To become a hero!"
"No, the last part."
"To die gloriously!"
Athena remained silent for a while. As a well-traveled goddess, she had heard all sorts of wishes, but this wish...
"Are you sure you don't want to become a hero and enjoy the glory and praise?" Shr couldn't help but ask.
"No, while I do hope people will sing of my legends, I more desire to die in a grand epic, a heroic sacrifice."
"To have my legend live on forever!"
Looking at the boy, who was shaking his head and growing more excited and passionate as he spoke, the goddess fell silent.
After all, she could discern lies and sense the determination in Promise's words.
"I think I understand why you haven't been allowed to leave the mountain and why Chiron is still overseeing you..."
'It's one thing to say you want to die gloriously, but basically, you just have a death wish!'
"But that's not a bad dream!" Athena smiled.
Anyone else might hesitate or be confused, but not her.
She was Athena.
Mother of Heroes!
In ancient Greece, she was always either causing trouble or on her way to cause trouble.
So this was right up her alley!
Moreover, Athena finally understood Clotho's prophecy about Promise.
"He too will bring you glory!"
Thus,
"I accept." She agreed readily.
Facing this frail youth, probably the most fragile she had ever seen, who yearned to become a hero and meet a grand end, Athena gave her response and made the vow she would regret for the rest of her life...
"I swear by the name of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, that Promise, the student of Chiron, will become a shining star of this era under my witness."
"And when that time comes, I will grant you an end that will astonish the world."
"Let the world sing your name, and let your legend be eternal!"