Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Just as with speeches, debates are endeavors that test both the mind and body.

The brain's reasoning, the agile responses, the expression of emotions through body language — this was not the so-called debate competition of later generations where one person only had a few minutes to speak; rather than speaking rapidly, participants placed more importance on the impression they made on the judges.

After all, the true objective of convincing in a debate seems to be the opponent, but in reality, it is the audience watching. As long as they acknowledge the logic of your argument, then your debate is successful.

"Ladies and gentlemen present here, my friends sharing this stage with me, and deities above and below us."

The order of the concluding remarks was the opposite of the opening speeches, so at the end, when it was Odysseus's turn to make his final address, he stood at the center of the venue, arms outstretched, as if embracing the entire world.

"Previously, we thoroughly examined the circumstances of the Bronze Age's destruction. And Miss Leah's critical view of the gods' deeds and misdeeds, the right and wrong in their actions, centered around 'human justice,' is a thought-provoking perspective."

"But as I said, gods are born innately, they are the creators of the world; all spirits are made by the gods, and every being is the creation of the gods. As mortals who are not born with innate knowledge, from the distant Golden Age to the present, whether it be human 'good' or 'evil,' which aspect exists independently, born without the influence of the gods?"

"Believing in human justice does not conflict with understanding the gods, because the relationship between humans and gods is close, with an inseparable connection between the two. In the distant Golden Age, the gods fashioned humans in their own image and endowed them with all that is positive and good, establishing the bonds between humans and gods from that moment. And concepts like 'justice,' which are not naturally occurring but are built upon the society of living beings, naturally follow this principle; since the norms of human society originally stem from the gods, then humans should naturally learn it first, rather than question it."

"I have heard that ancient heroes achieved countless feats in their lifetimes, and in the end, they were raised to the heavens, which is the closest depiction of the relationship between humans and gods. Everything about a human comes from the gods, and all that the gods represent is ultimately the destination of humanity. Lastly, I dedicate this grand debate to the wisdom of Athena, as is fitting etiquette for a foreigner like myself."

A hubbub of voices arose among the audience below, and applause for these wise men of the nations rose and fell in waves.

The debate had ended, but the ultimate victor had not yet been chosen. Everyone knew that soon, it would be time to select the champion.

Almost simultaneously, another box was opened on the audience's seats, a similar arrangement to the one used at the beginning to select the topic appeared before them.

All the spectators will once again use flags bearing the names of different contestants to draw a perfect end to this grand event.

"As the organizer, before the results come out, I will announce the prize for the champion of this competition."

The host took the stage once again, facing the audience present.

"The treasury of Athens will be open to him; the victor will have the right to choose what he desires from it, and the prize from the church will be personally reviewed by the deity."

As his words fell, the atmosphere on the scene heated up even more.

The noise ebbed and flowed as the host lifted his hand, and the official voting for the final victor began.

A few projected numbers floated in mid-air, updating in real-time the changing vote counts for the different contestants. However, it was evident that two numbers were far outpacing the rest, not even in the same league as the others.

"This is indeed fair," Iapetus nodded as he sat below.

But the fairness he referred to was not about the count but about the competition itself.

"Purely from the standpoint of debate, this young man actually finds himself at a disadvantage — the topic of this competition is to discuss the justice and injustice of the Bronze Age's demise, but due to identity and stance, he could only limit the discussion to the justice of the gods, often leaving him at a disadvantage during the debate."

"Yet, from the external environment, people ultimately revere the deities, and their voting tendency will naturally be biased. The plus and minus between these create a balance that cancels each other out."

As his hobby, Iapetus hoped for a fairly adjudicated outcome for the event.

Thus, satisfied with everything, the God of Speech quietly awaited the determination of the victor.

As time ticked away, the numbers in the sky grew larger. The ethereal hourglass reminded the audience to make their choices quickly, and before the sand ran out, the last spectator finally cast their vote.

The results were in, and the crowd should have been cheering the birth of a champion, but an awkward silence had fallen over the contest.

Because whether by coincidence or not, the two highest scores turned out to be exactly equal, not a point off.

"This..."

For a moment, Modia, the host, was frozen in place once again.

In the past, the judge's bench for a competition would generally have an odd number of votes to prevent a tie.

With the voting involving tens of thousands of spectators this time, he had assumed that such a situation would not occur.

After all, obtaining equal votes out of tens of thousands would be incredibly difficult, yet there it was, happening right before his eyes.

"Ahem, Mister Modia, please announce the final champion," Odysseus coughed lightly, breaking the silence at that moment. He looked at the host and then glanced at Andrea.

"You have won this competition — not because of the debate, but because to this day, I have not solved your riddle."

"This is a contest that tests wisdom and justice, and the debate is only a part of it. I, Odysseus, will not claim honor that doesn't belong to me."

The young prince's voice arose within the arena, instantly easing the previously awkward atmosphere, followed by enthusiastic applause.

And faced with this sudden turn of events, Andrea was taken aback.

She intended to decline because only she knew the truth behind her string of victories. But in the end, she smiled and accepted.

"It wasn't me who defeated you, Odysseus, I too stood on the shoulders of giants, it was the wisdom of my predecessors that made me."

"However, since you are so interested in my game, I will tell you its secret. A game in itself does not represent wisdom, but I think its solution could indeed bear more fruitful knowledge for this era."

In the midst of speech, the champion of this assembly was thoroughly determined.

As the host, Modia too breathed a sigh of relief, waving his hand as gorgeous floral ribbons fluttered out from all directions, starting to dance in the sky.

After a series of twists and turns, the debate finally ended, and the floating platform where Andrea stood slowly rose and then moved to the center of the arena.

A few transcendent individuals were already sensing a powerful presence rising from the east—the presence was surely that of Theseus, the King of Athens, protector of the fortress city to the east of the Acropolis.

He would present the award to the champion personally, a tradition of long-standing.

The legendary King of Athens, who had elevated it from a mid-level nation to today's regional hegemon, guests from various nations all wished to see for themselves what this king, who respected the All Gods less than the rumors suggested but was still bold and domineering, looked like.

Andrea felt a slight pang of guilt, after all, since escaping the pursuit of the Resurrection Sect, she should have returned to the Royal Palace.

Although this was because Laine did not allow it, she knew very well that throughout the journey, she had never tried to secretly contact any official personnel in Athens.

'Hmm— I wonder how angry father is...'

Her heart was in turmoil, but she tried her best not to show it.

Like all the spectators present, Andrea awaited Theseus's arrival.

However, in the next moment, the quietly waiting Little Princess suddenly looked up, and so did the audience.

For the clouds in the sky had suddenly parted to form a 'hole', and the sun's light previously obscured poured through, shining in mid-air.

A figure dressed in a pale blue Chiton and a Golden Robe appeared within the sunlight.

In his hand, he held a scepter, looking down upon the tens of thousands of people in the spacious arena. Invisible currents of air swirled around him, causing his robes to flutter noisily.

"I am Zephyrus, the Principal God of Olympus, the lord of mortal meteorology."

His voice was calm but slightly hurried.

The God of West Wind extended his hand and a golden ladder immediately materialized out of nowhere.

"I am here by the Divine King's command, to invite the most wise and just mortal to the deities' banquet. So mortal, do you accept this honor and agree to partake in the feast of the gods?"

Normally, Zephyrus wouldn't ask for acceptance, but sensing the approaching King of Athens, he used more gentle words.

As a Wind God skilled in evasion and roaming, he did not have the same trepidations as the Sea God who ruled over fixed maritime domains concerning the thorny powerful mortals. But now he was here by the Divine King's command, and it was best not to court trouble if he could avoid it.

"...If you had listened to the debate just now, perhaps you would understand that for such an honor, it might be better to choose Odysseus."

After a moment of silence, facing the God of West Wind, Andrea spoke up.

"So you're refusing my invitation?"

Zephyrus furrowed his brow slightly, actually a bit unsure of what to do.

The counts from earlier had been close, theoretically, he would have chosen Odysseus if possible. But when he departed, the Divine King seemed to have no aversion to Andrea.

Who knew what Zeus was thinking... But after sizing up Andrea, Zephyrus suddenly had a moment of realization.

"Ah, the gods do not harbor dissatisfaction over mortal debates, mortal, do you accept my invitation?"

"Then I accept."

Taking a deep breath, Andrea nodded in agreement.

She called out to Laine in her mind, and then received a corresponding response.

Perhaps this was the reason she had come to this great assembly... Realizing this, Andrea relaxed slightly.

Thus, amidst the envious, jealous, curious, and mocking gazes of the tens of thousands of spectators, Andrea stepped onto the golden ladder.

A banquet of the gods, it was her first time witnessing it.