Fate: I Heard After Death, You Can Ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

Chapter 197: Make the judgement, Promise ...



A few days later, on the Mount Pelion...

A grand wedding was underway.

Gods and goddesses gathered to offer their blessings to the beautiful sea goddess, Thetis, and her groom, the hero Peleus.

The wedding was arranged by the noble goddess of marriage herself, Queen Hera, and given the highest regard by Zeus, the king of the gods.

So they invited almost all the gods to participate, including the three goddesses of fate.

But as in myth, they did not extend an invitation to Eris, the goddess of discord.

However, even though she was not invited, this time Eris did not take out a golden apple with the inscription "to the fairest," for the simple reason that she had none left.

Due to Promise, and especially the fact that Athena, Hermes, and Heracles stole the golden apple tree, with the latter taking away a whole branch, the gods' reserves of golden apples were now depleted.

Yet despite this, a golden apple did indeed appear at the wedding feast.

And the one who quietly set it upon the banquet table was none other than one of the wedding's honored guests-Peleus.

It didn't take long before the gods noticed the apple.

And then...

"I am the rightful owner of this golden apple."

Queen Hera lifted her head confidently as she gazed at the apple. "I am the most revered goddess on Olympus, respected by gods and mortals alike. Naturally, this golden apple should belong to me."

Hearing this, Athena's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement as she looked at the golden apple in front of her and couldn't help but laugh. "But wisdom and compassion surpass mere power, so, clearly, I have more claim to it than you."

"What are you two talking about?"

Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, scowled as she approached and gazed at the apple bearing the inscription. "To the Fairest," she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "Can't you see? It's dedicated 'to the fairest,' and I am the goddess of love and beauty. There's no one fairer than me."

The three goddesses refused to give in to each other and started a quarrel that cast a shadow over the once joyful wedding celebration.

"They are so boring."

Seeing this, Artemis, the moon goddess who was not involved in the fight, said, "What's the point of fighting over this?"

Hermes chuckled at her comment and looked at her as he spoke, "Artemis, are you sure you don't want to join in? If you keep standing back, you might miss your chance and never get it again."

"Not interested," Artemis shook her head, indicating that she had no interest at all.

As time went by, the quarrel among the three goddesses not only did not stop but instead tended to gradually expand so much so that even the king of gods, Zeus, was unwilling to stand out in this horrific Shura field.

Realizing that the escalating tension would ruin the gathering, Zeus finally turned his gaze toward Hermes.

The latter had been waiting for this cue.

With a smirk, he adjusted his winged cap, then stepped forward to address the crowd.

"To the fairest, you say..."

Hermes came to the golden apple and picked it up, casting a mischievous glance at the assembled gods, especially the three hopeful goddesses, who were looking at it with anticipation.

Laughing, he continued, "This indeed is a tricky dilemma, for I believe every goddess present today is worthy of it."

As soon as Hermes finished speaking, he immediately aroused the dissatisfaction of the goddess of beauty Aphrodite and the queen of heaven Hera, but Athena did not react particularly strongly.

"So I must admit I don't know which goddess to entrust it to... but," he added with a smile, "I happen to know someone who could make the fairest judgment."

The moment Hermes said this, Queen Hera and Goddess of Beauty Aphrodite were stunned; even Artemis was stunned for a moment, and then stood up with eyes wide open as if she thought of something.

"After all, his judgments are fair enough that even the goddess of justice herself holds them in esteem... isn't that right, Goddess Themis?"

Hermes looked over to Themis, the goddess of justice, whose eyes were covered by a white cloth.

Hearing his suggestion, Themis, who also understood Hermes' intentions, nodded in agreement.

"So, noble Father Zeus, should we invite that child here to act as the judge for this matter?" Hermes held the golden apple labeled "to the fairest" and winked at the god king, Zeus.

The god king, fully aware of Hermes' meaning and who this "child" was, couldn't help but chuckle at his words.

He looked at Hermes and then at Hera, the Queen of Heaven, Artemis, the Goddess of the Moon, and Demeter, the Goddess of Agriculture, who had all become visibly excited at the mention of this idea.

Zeus knew quite well that Hera had "let go" of Promise, and now every goddess had been quietly vying to be the one he would worship next.

Therefore, bringing that child here as the judge would not only calm this scene down but also escalate it beyond a mere contest over a golden apple among Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. "Of course!" Now fully entertained by the idea, Zeus immediately agreed to Hermes' request. Shortly after, Pegasus brought the black-haired, green-eyed young man to the gathering.

As Promise entered the grand banquet and was handed the "To the Fairest" golden apple amid the' gaze of all the gods, even Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who had half-expected

this turn of events, looked at the boy with a newfound intensity.

In that instant, Promise became the absolute center of attention at the wedding.

"My child, it has been a while."

Zeus greeted him with a gentle smile.

"It has indeed been a while, great King of the Gods." Holding the golden apple, Promise

respectfully bowed to the king of the gods in front of him.

"Are you clear on what's happening?" Zeus asked with a knowing smile.

"Lord Hermes already explained it to me on the way here," Promise replied.

"And can you make a fair decision?"

Upon hearing this, the young man instinctively glanced around.

Facing the piercing, watchful eyes around him, even Promise, who had been prepared, had to

swallow hard.

"I'll... do my best."

Just then-

"Quick, Apollo! Hand me your lyre!" Hermes came over to Apollo and called out urgently.

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"To play a song for this thrilling moment, of course! A little music to liven up the mood!" Hermes replied with an innocent smile as Apollo shot him a skeptical look.

He really felt this guy's memory was so weak.

He had been "hunted" by Promise before, and he was still so eager to seek death like this. Unlike him, who was very honest and had no intention of tempting fate today. But after a moment, Apollo handed over his lyre, and after getting it, Hermes immediately began to play a somber, melancholic tune, matching Promise's own anxious feelings.

So the moment the music of the Lyre sounded, even Zeus almost couldn't help laughing, and he barely managed to control the expression on his face.

Promise, who was so angry that his teeth were itching, turned his head and glared at Hermes.

'Hermes, I'll remember you!'

"We all believe in you, child. Whatever decision you make, I'm sure it will earn everyone's respect," Zeus said, barely able to contain his laughter as he patted Promise's shoulder in

encouragement.

Hearing his words, before Promise could respond, Zeus, finally unable to bear it any longer, turned away, finally bursting into an unrestrained laugh as he walked off.

Zeus had barely left when Queen Hera eagerly leaned toward Promise and said. "Promise, this 'Golden Apple to the Fairest' is obviously meant for me!

Don't forget, you've told me countless times that I'm the most beautiful goddess in your

heart!" Athena gave Promise a knowing smile as she said. "Promise, dear, I trust you'll make the wisest choice. Don't let power cloud your judgment."

Then, Artemis, the moon goddess, pushed Aphrodite aside and rushed forward, saying. "Pick me, pick me, Promise! If you give me the golden apple, I'll give you Atalanta as a reward!" "But isn't Atalanta your follower?" Persephone, the queen of the underworld, joined in with a gentle smile. "As for this apple, it's meant for me, isn't it? After all, Promise, I am your elderNôv(el)B\\jnn

sister."

"Then shouldn't it be given to me rather than you?" Demeter said.

"No, mother, please! Why are you even joining in?"

In an instant, the place became a chaotic chorus of claims, each goddess insisting on her right

to the golden apple.

Meanwhile, Hermes seamlessly shifted his melancholic tune to a lively, festive melody, perfectly mirroring the increasing clamor.

"Now, now, no need to rush, and no need to make things difficult for our dear Promise," Hestia, the elder sister, chuckled, approaching with a serene smile. "If you ask me, I will say Promise will definitely give it to Clotho, right? After all, in his heart, little Goddess Clotho has

always been the cutest."

"Exactly, exactly! My Clotho is clearly the one who deserves Promise's golden apple!"

Lachesis, the second sister of the goddess of fate, praised and pushed her younger sister

Clotho towards Promise.

"Um..." Themis, the goddess of justice, whose eyes were still covered with a white cloth,

suddenly spoke in her usual calm but suggestive tone. "Actually, I feel I, too, might be worthy of Promise's golden apple."

When she said this, silence fell over the room.

All the gods, even Zeus, stared at the goddess of justice with an incredible look on her face.

At this, even Apollo, the god of light, couldn't help it.

He pulled out his own lyre, joining Hermes in a lively duet, pushing the atmosphere to the

hottest level!

"What exactly are you all trying to do?"

Just then, the gentle goddess Thetis moved to stand beside Peleus, who was also observing

the unfolding scene and looked at him with curiosity.

She had noticed how Peleus quietly placed the golden apple in the center of the gathering.

And considering the preciousness of the golden apple today, how could Thetis not guess that this was a play directed and acted by Promise himself?

"I'm not entirely sure," Peleus glanced at Thetis and shook his head honestly.

"In our duel, I lost to him, and placing this golden apple here was his only condition. He said

that by doing so, he could rewrite your fate."

Hearing this, Thetis, who had rarely felt confusion, now found herself just as perplexed as the

rest.

Looking at the intense drama around them, she struggled to comprehend Promise's true

intentions.

And then...

"If it were any other day, I'd likely be carefully considering which one of you goddesses I

would choose."

Looking at the goddesses in front of him who wanted to swallow him up, Promise gritted his

teeth and said, "After all, in my heart each of you is beautiful and kind beyond compare; it's impossible to rank one above the other."

Slowly, and with no small amount of caution, he withdrew from their intense circle and turned around, walking towards Thetis, who looked at him, equally uncertain.

"But today, on this special day of celebration, I believe there is only one who truly deserves

the title of 'the fairest,' don't you?"

With these words, he came before Thetis.

He looked at her deeply and then handed the golden apple to her.

Thetis stood frozen, staring at Promise, then at the apple in her hands.

And at this moment, she experienced firsthand how a single look could kill a god... She felt

that even if she and Promise had fought the gods on Mount Olympus, the danger level would

not have been even one-tenth of what it was like now!

The golden apple in her hand suddenly felt scorching hot.

But...

This Golden Apple, 'to the Fairest," was offered to her by Promise himself, so Thetis had to

admit that even at the risk of being torn to pieces by the goddesses in front of her, she still could not resist the allure of this golden apple. And so, with a deep breath, she reached out and took it.

The moment she did, she saw Promise lean over as he whispered softly in her ear, "Goddess Thetis, I... have come to seek revenge on you."