“Alright. Shall we proceed to the first question of your fourth task?”
When Hermes lightly tapped the ground with his Caduceus, the staff twisted with two serpents,
the first challenge gradually began to reveal its words, as if they were being printed before our eyes.
[Which way of thinking applies more to you? Choose one.]
1. It’s okay. Being human, we all make mistakes sometimes! Everything will work out fine.
2. No way! There’s no room for mistakes. Perfection is the only option.
“…Huh?”
Thinking I might have misread it, I rubbed my eyes and read it again.
But the words etched into the ground weren’t going anywhere,
and the reality before my eyes remained unchanged.
What in the world…?
Is this even a proper question?
Isn’t a question something like a quiz, a riddle, or a quest?
Doesn’t a problem usually involve asking a question and then choosing the correct answer?
This clearly deviates from that definition.
“Why so puzzled, Ark? Is it because this one’s too easy?”
“Hey! How is this even considered a question?”
Before I could respond, Artemis stepped in and pointed at the question with her finger, arguing on my behalf.
She had previously acted like she didn’t want to get involved,
but now she seemed genuinely curious.
“Ho~ our elder sister. Have you already forgotten what the fourth task entails?”
“Huh? How could I forget? It’s clearly ‘Solve three of Hermes’ riddles.'”
“Right. So, as long as you solve any three problems in the way they’re presented, your work’s done. Since this is a choice-based question, just pick one!”
“Ugh… You’re at it again with your wordplay! This isn’t about picking; both options are technically correct!”
Artemis frowned deeply, as if the Wi-Fi signal in her mind had dropped to zero.
She stomped her foot hard on the words, starting another tantrum.
Hermes, clearly aware that there was no point in reasoning with her, turned his mischievous smile toward me.
It was like he was asking, “What do you think?”
“This cannot be considered a question of choosing the right answer.”
“That’s correct. My puzzles are about ‘solving’—so if you follow the intent, just make a choice. That’ll be enough.”
“Hera will surely be furious if she sees this.”
“Haha, that’s possible.”
It wasn’t a possibility—it was a certainty.
This first problem was like giving away one of the three for free.
This is a matter of life and death for Mother, so he isn’t fooling around…
After muttering the question again, I strained to grasp the hidden intention.
It was like seeing something through haze, almost there but not quite.
“Could this be… related to the next steps?”
“Ho~ you’re really something. Though you can’t call it entirely correct, you’re close enough.”
He clapped loudly in admiration of my supposedly incredible intellect.
Then, waving his Caduceus over the question again, he continued.
“To tell you the truth, this first problem is just a freebie. It’s merely to assess your personality.”
“Isn’t this about asking how humans respond to mistakes… and could someone not intentionally choose the opposite of their true intentions?”
“Yeah. No problem.”
His tone suggested he truly didn’t care which option I picked.
What is this feeling?
This foreboding…
If a stranger offered me cash out of the blue, I’d hesitate to accept it—and similarly, I couldn’t easily reveal my answer.
Actually, it’s more like I didn’t want to say it at all.
Seeing my hesitation, Hermes glanced around, noticed the servants watching us, and spoke again.
“I was just thinking—it’s no fun to present three hard questions. So, I’ll assess your tendencies with the first problem and set up the other two to challenge your weak points accordingly.”
“Two challenges…”
In the modern world, when you see a psychiatrist, they don’t rush to diagnose you with depression or bipolar disorder right away.
Instead, I’ve heard they conduct IQ tests or personality assessments to understand the person’s tendencies first.
So this was his plan?
Now I completely understood.
Sly Hermes was offering me some breathing room at first, but with the intention of later hitting me hard.
And yet, here’s a man who gave away one of his three chances so easily…
The result being…
His seemingly amicable smile now felt less cheerful and more desperate.
Even being one of the Twelve Olympians, Hermes is clearly giving it his all to try and defeat me.
So even if I don’t want to, I must take this challenge seriously. Otherwise, I don’t even deserve to participate.
I reviewed the question again, like checking the answer key during an exam.
[Which way of thinking applies more to you? Choose one.]
1. It’s okay. Being human, we all make mistakes sometimes! Everything will work out fine.
2. No way! There’s no room for mistakes. Perfection is the only option.
“I’ll go with option 2.”
As I lightly pressed my index finger on option 2, the words vanished as if swept away by a strong desert wind.
“Hmm… So, you’re the type who doesn’t tolerate mistakes… Why did you choose this one?”
“Am I obligated to explain?”
This is Hermes trying to figure out my tendencies and weaknesses to devise tougher challenges for me.
Of course explaining would be counterproductive.
I’m not the kind of teacher who patiently explains why I chose option 2.
“Mmm, true. You don’t necessarily have to. I just thought it’d be polite to return the favor after I explained the purpose of the first problem.”
With a smug, innocent smile, he added nonchalantly,
“Besides, I don’t really mind if you choose not to tell.”
Ugh…
His honest and open attitude somehow pricks at my conscience uncomfortably.
Remaining silent would be the strategically right choice.
But still…
In front of my amazing girlfriend, Artemis, I want to be the confident man I truly am.
“I’ll explain.”
“Cluck! You idiot! Why would you tell him? Are you a pushover?”
“…”
Artemis gave me a light but firm bonk on the head, scolding me for being too kind.
Well…
She makes a very rational point, but…
Why do I feel so frustrated inside?
“Haha, you two seem to be getting along so well.”
“Shut up, Hermes. This is a smart goddess educating a dumb priest—that’s all!”
Artemis emphasized the word ‘education’ to drive her point home.
Hermes, pretending to ignore her completely, glanced at me again.
“Ark? Aren’t you going back on your word?”
“…Not really. I don’t mind explaining. It’s simple. I don’t want to leave any room for error in what I do.”
“Ho~ sounds refreshing. Everyone who chooses option 2 seems to be quite smart.”
Hermes’ irritating remark made me unconsciously furrow my eyebrows.
“Everyone”?
So you had some kind of preconceived notion about people who choose option 2?
“Our elder sister… Hmm~ never mind!”
While talking, he briefly glanced at his sister,
giving the impression that Artemis is the type who is lenient with mistakes.
The way he left things open ended added to my growing contempt.
Could this be another attempt at creating discord, like what happened with Aphrodite?
“Although tendencies and IQ might correlate, they are not causal relationships.”
“Really? Did I say anything offensive? I noticed your voice got a little sharp there.”
“If you think you can drive a wedge between me and my goddess and insult her through comparison, you’d better stop now.”
Ignoring the fact that I’m standing before one of the Twelve Olympians, I issued a stern warning.
Purely out of a desperate desire to prevent further misunderstandings with Artemis.
“Wow, you’re scary!”
“During my time managing the city of Luna, I hired many environmental workers. Most of them were poor and hadn’t received much education from an early age. But when they performed their duties, there were some who were lenient with themselves and others who weren’t.”
Through my experiences, I explained that tendencies and sharp intellect aren’t absolute.
At this, Hermes clicked his tongue and wiggled a finger.
“But listen, Ark. Imagine someone close to you needs surgery to survive. If a minor mistake by the surgeon leads to their death…”
“What do you mean…?”
Hermes, wearing a satisfied smile, continued with his story.
“Now, imagine the doctor scratching his head and telling the family, ‘Well, I’m only human, so I can make mistakes too, right?’ What would you do? Would you say ‘that’s fine’ and forgive him?”
“I…”
“The reason certain professional fields are dominated by intelligent individuals is because they require the trust of people. But what if they start thinking it’s okay to make mistakes?”
“…”
“Isn’t it true that a surgeon’s hands allow no room for errors? And isn’t it also true that a judge’s gavel must never deliver a wrongful verdict?”
“…”
“Consider the job of sanitation workers… Sure, they’re undeniably important in our world now. You built this, Ark. But would anyone lose their cool just because one piece of trash is overlooked?”
“That’s…”
Though Hermes said a lot, I couldn’t find a single effective counterpoint.
No matter how hard I try to view the world rationally and logically,
when something illogical affects me or those around me, I realized it’s something I’ll never fully understand.
It’s natural that professions dealing with people need careful and wise individuals.
But my mistake was getting worked up when I thought Hermes was belittling Artemis—that was the error in my judgment.
As I bit my lower lip in frustration, Hermes raised a single finger, hinting that he wasn’t done yet.
“Actually, the first problem was meaningless.”
“What…?”
“The real meaning came from the conversation we just had. Seeing you so worked up, spilling your true thoughts, was quite impressive.”
Damn… I fell for it.
That crafty Hermes.
He made me focus all my caution on the first question,
but extracted what he truly wanted to know through sensitive questions afterward.
Indeed… Indeed, this is why Hera chose Hermes.
I now understand why she judged him capable of ensuring victory in the fourth task.
The desperate struggle of Hermes to save his mother, Maia,
is impressive, but his cunning mind is as deep as an unfathomable well.
Can I really defeat this creative thinker?
“Hmm… calm down, moron.”
Still feeling the sting of deception and clenching my fists,
Artemis gave me a few awkward coughs and lightly tapped my hand with hers.
“Ah… Artemis.”
“You just fight your way, Ark. You don’t need any shortcuts. Isn’t following the straightforward path what you’re best at?”
“The straightforward path…”
That’s right.
I’m not like Hermes, filled with cunning schemes.
His raw intelligence might even surpass mine.
But Hermes…
That seat you’ve reserved beside you for a calming goddess will eventually become your downfall.
“Though I may have won the battle, it looks like I’ve lost the war… Hmph! On to the next question!”
“Right, this way it’s more fun!”
Having expected I wouldn’t break down so easily,
Hermes grinned, swung his Caduceus, and presented the second question on the floor.
