章 82: Lyre playing contest
Promise excitedly walked towards Daphne, who had transformed into a laurel tree.
And Daphne, seemingly guessing Promise's thoughts, irritably extended a branch to hit the boy on the head.
No sooner had she done so Daphne realised she was being targeted.
Looking up, she saw the Moon Goddess Artemis pouting, her face full of displeasure and jealousy directed at her.
Daphne, momentarily stunned, looked at the Goddess and then at Promise, who was clearly planning to hide under her tree for protection.
Instantly, she understood.
'So, you poor little thing, you're actually worse off than I am!'
Thinking about this, she couldn't help but tremble, as if laughing.
"Ah, my love, Daphne, are you welcoming me back?"
At this moment, Apollo walked over, his face full of joy.
He gently caressed Daphne's form and spoke tenderly, "Don't worry, from now on, we will never be separated again!"
Daphne froze,
While the smile now shifted to Promise's face.
Eurydice blinked at this scene and then looked at her lover, Orpheus, who seemed indifferent, not minding at all.
After all, Orpheus, though not particularly close to Apollo, didn't dislike him.
Unlike Asclepius, Apollo's other child and the future god of medicine, who despised his father the most.
"Lord Apollo, your lyre."
After laughing for a while and realising that Daphne couldn't bear the burden forever, Promise brought out the lyre, ending this brief farce.
However, Apollo did not take the lyre and just took a look at it.
Instead, his gaze softened as he looked at Promise for a moment, then turned to Orpheus and Eurydice, saying, "My children, do you know what Promise did to allow you to be reunited?"
Without waiting for a response, Apollo gently recounted the events, playing the lyre softly as he spoke.
It was as if he were a bard singing the tales of heroes.
"…and thus, this child altered your original fate, allowing you to reunite now."
A few minutes later, Apollo stopped playing, and even the laurel tree Daphne was completely immersed in Apollo's story.
"Now, my children, knowing all this, do you understand what you should do next?"
With that said, he looked earnestly at the deeply moved Orpheus and the tearful Eurydice.
"Promise, such a great favor; even if I became an ox or a horse to serve you all my life, it wouldn't be enough to repay it!" Orpheus said with emotion.
Hearing this,
"Who wants you to become an ox or a horse?" Promise replied, not with happiness but disdain, "And I didn't help you guys for such deep reasons. I reunited you just to make my revenge easier!"
The boy had just finished speaking when the Moon Goddess Artemis couldn't help but laugh.
After all, this moment of Promise's revenge was so similar to the night of the hunting sacrifice when Actaeon was turned into a giant stag.
"Little Promise can be quite stubborn sometimes, but this stubbornness is cute too. I really like it!" As she spoke, Artemis gently poked Promise's cheek.
'Hmm, maybe I should be more straightforward in the future.'
Promise made a silent resolution in his heart.
Apollo was also smiling and said warmly, "That's right, child. You should keep this lyre, and... I think it would prefer to stay by your side."
As he finished speaking, the lyre in Promise's hand suddenly glowed a bit, as if responding to Apollo.
Orpheus also reacted, and before Promise could speak, he said, "Yes, Promise, you should keep the lyre.
Otherwise, I would live my life in guilt and wouldn't dare to see you again."
Eurydice also spoke up, saying to Promise, "Take it, Promise. This is the only thing we can give you in return."
"...What do you mean the only thing? You both still have to get on the ship and work for me for free. Don't think you can escape!"
"But even so, I can't just take it." Promise said, gently plucking the lyre.
Then he looked seriously at Orpheus and said, "Orpheus, let's have a contest witnessed by the god of light, Apollo and the goddess of the moon, Artemis."
"A contest?" The latter was slightly taken aback.
"Yes, exactly." Promise nodded, raising the lyre in his hand with a smile, "Let's compete in our musical skills, and... this is also my revenge."
Thus, under the witness of the two deities, Orpheus and Promise began to play their lyres together.
When Apollo heard the joyful music, he immediately realized that this was not a contest at all. It was an excuse for Promise to hold a small celebration.
A celebration to welcome the reunion of Orpheus and Eurydice after crossing the realm of the dead.
Orpheus also noticed this.
Hesitant to play poorly on purpose, he looked at Promise with a complex expression, then smiled wryly and joined in the music.
Apollo, also smiling, took out his instrument to accompany them, and let the light spread the sound, attracting more and more beings to the place...
Some sat with Artemis and Eurydice, while others perched on the laurel tree Daphne.
The bright sunlight illuminated the scene, with the little pool reflecting the gathering of all the beings accompanying the music.
This moment, this scene, was like a beautiful painting.
Later, night fell.
Promise called forth the white Pegasus from the stars, preparing to bid farewell under Artemis's displeased gaze.
He presented a reason that even Artemis couldn't refute: he had to visit Persephone's mother, the goddess of agriculture, Demeter.
So, even though she was unhappy, Artemis handed over a golden apple, and Apollo also placed one in Promise's hand.
Along with the ones from Hades and Persephone, Promise now had five golden apples.
"Oh, right, little Promise," Artemis suddenly remembered as she looked at the golden apples and said to Promise, "Little Promise, make sure to visit little Ata sometime. She's still mad at you."
"Angry?" The latter was momentarily confused, looking at her.
"Little Promise, did you forget? The day you left, you didn't say goodbye to little Atalanta. She waited for you in Calydon, and it was only after seeking me out that she found out you had already left."
Upon hearing this, Promise's body stiffened slightly.
He remembered now.
In his haste to escape from Meleager, he had left with Hermes without thinking and had indeed forgotten all about it.
"Little Atalanta was really mad," Artemis said with a twinkle in her eye, smiling at Promise. "She even told me that the next time she sees you, she's definitely going to hunt you down!"
Promise was dumbfounded.
He never expected that while he had managed to evade Artemis, he couldn't escape Atalanta!
Since Atalanta had already told Artemis about this, there was no way he could avoid being hunted the next time they met.
"Atalanta...?" Eurydice, sensing something, leaned in curiously and asked, "Is she beautiful, revered goddess Artemis?" Even Daphne, the laurel tree goddess, perked up her ears in curiosity.
"Little Atalanta is very cute," But before Artemis could respond, Apollo answered with a laugh.
"She's a smart, adorable, and energetic child."
"Oh!" Eurydice understood, then smiled at Promise. "Promise, that's quite irresponsible of you. How could you neglect such a lovely girl?"
"No, it's not like that between us..." Promise began to explain but, seeing Orpheus's sudden interest, realized there was no way to clarify without making it worse.
So he simply stopped talking.
Instead, he simply rolled his eyes at the two of them and then signalled to Artemis and Apollo that he understood.
Pegasus spread its silver-white wings, ready to take Promise away.
"Wait, Promise!" At that moment, both Orpheus and Eurydice called out to him simultaneously.
Seeing them like this, Promise couldn't help but laugh. "What is it? Not satisfied with my revenge?"
The two of them exchanged a glance and then laughed together. As if they had discussed it with everyone so far, they looked at the boy and said, "Promise, don't you think Chiron was out of his mind?"
"Hmm?" The latter was puzzled.
"Because he actually let you leave the mountain!"
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