“Do you understand now? Not just the wine, but every single drop of alcohol in Luna has turned tasteless, as if it’s merely water. All because of Dionysus’s curse!”
Furious, the face of the merchant-turned-riot-leader Clepeion twisted in rage, overwhelmed by the harsh reality.
Scolding myself fiercely for the sin I had committed, I threw the oak barrel full of wine from the ladder with all my might.
Upon hitting the ground, the shattered oak barrel spilled its contents—a five-year aged wine—without any restraint.
Thus, the pristine white square was flooded with the deep crimson of the spilled wine, resembling the site of a murder.
“It’s definitely water… but the color remains the same as high-quality wine…”
Tied to a wooden post and suspended in mid-air, I muttered these words as I observed the puddle of wine on the ground from a distance.
I then confirmed the certification carved on the remnants of the barrel stating the wine was authentic.
Unquestionably, the taste had become that of colorless, odorless water.
But the essence of the wine had not changed, preserving its original form.
“Feels like a prank.”
Yes, a prank.
Like stealing a classmate’s notebook in elementary school and teasingly debating whether to return it.
The kind of malicious joke played in the spirit of causing discomfort out of amusement and false hope.
Why would Dionysus play such a joke on us…?
No.
More precisely,
Why is he playing this joke on me?
“Clepeion!”
“What?! You’re going to lecture me more after I’ve already tasted this cursed wine?”
“Proclamation! Show me again the proclamation issued in Luna by Olympus!”
“Still trying to survive? Stubborn to the end!”
“You idiot! Are you so sure you’ll survive like this? Just show me the proclamation, for crying out loud!”
“…Tch!”
Though displeased with my tone, Clepeion reluctantly pulled out a crumpled parchment from his pocket and thrust it in front of my face.
“Kill the priest Ark who is disturbing the harmony of the gods. -Dionysus”
The proclamation is from Dionysus.
The curse too.
Thus these two seemingly unrelated events converge with Dionysus as the common denominator.
Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry.
An order to kill me.
A curse that alters the taste of alcohol to water without changing its physical form.
And the ensuing uprising of the citizens.
Yes.
All the puzzles are solved.
“Clepeion! Hurry, untie me! You’re being deceived!”
“Shut up! You’re just trying to pull another trick!”
“Idiot! This is ‘borrowed knife homicide’!”
‘Borrowed knife homicide’.
The tactic where, instead of attacking directly, you manipulate a third party to strike your enemy.
In simpler terms, ‘killing without getting your hands dirty’.
This tactic is coupled with the mockery of their hopes.
Let’s take a gold ingot as an example.
Imagine you possess a precious gold ingot as your wealth.
What would you feel if that ingot suddenly turned into a mere stone?
You’d probably give up in despair, collapsing helplessly, not knowing what to do.
But what if only half of that ingot turned into stone?
You’d desperately fight to restore it.
To do that, you’d definitely find someone to blame and overthrow.
The situation for the citizens of Luna is similar.
All alcohol in Luna has been cursed by Dionysus.
But instead of turning the alcohol into water, only the taste has been altered.
This has dealt a near-fatal blow to traders, merchants, and tavern owners.
In such circumstances, upon seeing Dionysus’s proclamation ordering my death, the citizens would naturally hope their wine returns to normal and would react violently toward me.
In other words, this is…
Dionysus’s scheme to manipulate the fragile hopes of the citizens and make them act according to his will.
Because I am protected from fate due to my tasks,
He cursed the innocent citizens instead, directing them to attack me—an insidious and evil plot!
Eros, Ares, Hera.
Numerous gods have tried and failed to kill me.
But Dionysus, learning from their failures, devised this ingenious, this worst-of-the-worst strategy.
I was careless.
Had I known about this conspiracy orchestrated by Dionysus lurking behind the scenes, I wouldn’t have fallen into this hostage situation.
But how could that drunkard…?
Is there perhaps some mastermind behind him that I don’t know about?
Tch! I don’t have the luxury to entertain such thoughts now.
I must resolve this crisis first.
“Snap out of it, everyone! This is Dionysus’s scheme!”
“Shut up! Your attempt to incite us now is futile!”
“Clepeion! You fool! Open your eyes! You’re being used!”
Frustrated to the point of madness, I pounded on the wooden post with my heels as I protested and tried to persuade them.
But Clepeion and the rioters remained unmoved.
They had convinced themselves that retreating now after causing such an uprising would mean certain doom.
“It’s too late for us to turn back now.”
“Fool! Why is swaying so bad? If you realize you’re wrong, it’s natural to change course! Why are you stubbornly walking towards death?”
“Be quiet! Humans are born to be utilized by the gods.”
“What?”
Stunned by his absurd reply, I forgot to be angry and left my mouth slightly agape.
We are beings created to be used by the gods?
And that is just how it is?
His inexcusable passive mindset irked me deeply.
“Say that again, Clepeion.”
“We humans are created by the gods. Therefore, serving them is our duty. Why are you so upset about this?”
“You idiot! The world works in such a way that those who bow too easily get trampled on! Even if we can’t win, we should at least show resistance against injustice!”
“Rebel…”
“What?”
“What can weak humans do before the almighty gods? If Ark had obediently served the gods, you wouldn’t have ended up in your current predicament. Kak~ Pht!”
Clepeion spat in my face with disdain.
His eyes looked at me as something alien and otherworldly—not as a fellow human—for daring to defy the gods.
And that is how they push me away.
“…”
“What is it?”
“Your thoughts are so predictable. You must think we’re rebels for causing this uprising, don’t you? But the true rebel is you, Ark!”
Clepeion designating my disposition to defy the gods as the real rebellious spirit.
Rebel.
The rebellious attitude that does not submit to authority.
Am I a rebel…
If I am wrong for believing that obeying the gods is not a virtue,
If opposing their whimsical violence and injustice is wrong,
And if comforting someone I love who has been disrespected and denigrated by the gods by blaming her for angering them is what I must do…
Fine.
I’ll be a rebel any day.
“…Clepeion.”
“What?”
“If a nasty god came and wanted to take away your wife and daughter, would you pave their way with flowers? Hmm… Rhododendrons would be best, don’t you think?”
“What, bastard?! This lowlife!”
Enraged at my mention of his family, Clepeion grabbed my collar.
Bound and unable to resist, I simply smiled brightly at him.
“Hey hey~ You should obey! The all-powerful gods might want your wife and daughter! Of course, you should offer them up, you disgusting NTR pervert freak!”
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
We shouted at each other, our mouths wide open, with just enough space for one clenched fist between them.
If this were a simple shouting match where the loudest voice wins, Clepeion would probably triumph.
But this is no contest of volume.
“Someone like you who incites a riot because of lost money thinks they can break my pure sense of justice? Never!”
BAM!
I sharply lowered my head and butted it against Clepeion’s forehead.
Grimacing in pain, Clepeion quickly grabbed his now-swollen forehead.
Raising my head again, I charged at him with another headbutt.
“GAH!”
Now destabilized, he stumbled and fell off the ladder.
Pushing away the commander who came to his aid, Clepeion struggled to his feet and shouted unsteadily.
“Damn it! I was going to take you to Dionysus out of old affection, but this won’t do. You’ll be burnt alive! Boys!”
At Clepeion’s call, the rioters moved in unison, gathering firewood underneath the wooden post.
As the commander arrived with a torch and hesitated to look at me,
Clepeion pressed on from behind, so the commander tightly closed his eyes and set the firewood alight.
The flames quickly spread along the oily path, and black smoke soon began to rise.
But there is still time before the fire reaches my body.
I need to take advantage of this opportunity.
Hoisting the final chance like a sail,
I waved my left wrist, conjuring the form of a rainbow.
Fidgeting my fingers, I gripped the end of the bow tightly and lowered it, positioning the string under the sole of my shoe.
I then found a way to create some slack and drew the string.
“Lord Hermes, give me some strength!”
A yellow aura sprang forth from the empty bow, taking the shape of an arrow.
The yellow tinted with Hermes’ power.
[Yellow (Mail) – Sends your message to the desired person or place without being detected.]
“Please… let it hit!!!”
Lifting my ankle, I fired the bow straight away.
While intensely focusing on someone in my mind!
The arrow shot out and immediately dispersed its yellow light, concealing its form in the center of the market square, which was full of Dionysus’s angry energy.
The Silver Knights, the rioters, and myself.
Living day after day without even the time to gaze at the sky.
Everyone, mesmerized by the glittering light falling like flower petals, looked up to the heavens.
A moment later.
BOOM!
RUMBLE…
As if protesting against the burning of me, a supposed act against a god,
Dark clouds immediately covered the sky, and a torrential downpour began.
As the fierce rain drenched everyone, they all lowered their heads,
And then, right in the center of the square,
Someone I trusted without a shadow of doubt appeared—
My girlfriend, Artemis!
“Artemis!”
“Lord Artemis!”
Artemis extended her palm forward, catching the raindrops, but didn’t respond to our calls.
With an ever-so-annoyed expression, she muttered,
“Woke up in a warm room, and now I’m out here getting soaked… pisses me off.”
Tossing her wet, disheveled hair, she looked for someone to vent her frustration on, just like she always did.
