Whoosh—
Splash!
The tempestuous night wind brought forth relentless waves that crashed one after another onto the shore.
The raging waves—capable of swallowing a grown man—clashed against the rocks. They transformed into foamy, beer-like, pristine white bubbles before returning to the sea, only to repeat the cycle again.
Bathed by the crescent moon that served as our torch, Clotho and I sat atop a pile of boulders, allowing the fragmented spray of the crashing waves to envelop our bodies.
“It seems your vision still hasn’t fully recovered. If the moonlight from such a faint crescent can be blinding…”
Clotho squinted carefully, but the sting in her eyes became too much, and she eventually had to close them tightly.
Seeing this, I thought it was the perfect moment. I reached into my cloak and withdrew a black object, handing it to her.
“What is this…?”
“It’s sunglasses. It might be better for your eyes to wear them for now, wouldn’t it?”
“Hmm… then this shall become a personal gift from the Savior, shall it not?”
“That’s right.”
Clotho had previously turned down expensive and rare gift bundles with a casual wave of her hand.
However, the sunglasses I offered were accepted with the utmost reverence, as though they were the one and only treasure in the world. She gently took them in both hands and bowed her head slightly.
“They’re cheap, mind you. Sure, I did buy them from the highest-quality shop, but—”
“Something given by the Savior cannot be measured by market value.”
She smiled faintly in response, promptly put on the sunglasses, and glanced at me.
With her eyes now partially open, she summoned the courage to lift her eyelids even further.
“So this is what the Savior looks like.”
“You don’t have to make jokes about how much better I look when you can’t see me.”
“Ho ho ho. On the contrary, you look even better than I imagined! You’re the best-looking man I’ve ever seen.”
Clotho bombarded me with compliments that were hard to believe.
She edged closer, pressing her shoulder against mine, then brought her right hand close to my face to brush away some stray strands of hair.
It felt like flirty behavior, and I flinched for a moment, but…
I couldn’t help but feel calm under the sincerity of her touch, like a child nestled in its mother’s embrace.
“So does this mean Artemis’ rumors about me being fickle are unfounded?”
“Ho ho ho, Savior, are you feeling insecure?”
Hey, what was that?
She was trying to press a button I can’t afford to let her push, wasn’t she?
“Being insecure? What are you talking about? I’m the one in control here! I could snarl and scare you senseless with one glare!”
“The Savior? Even so, you shouldn’t belittle yourself.”
“Belittle? But we’re not even at the point of introductions yet!”
“Ho ho! Fu fu fu fu!!”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Unable to hold back my laughter when I heard my own overly high-tenor voice, Clotho dissolved in giggles.
There was no stopping the laughter that leaked from her lips, and eventually, I let it flow freely as well.
Caught in the undertow of her laughter, I leaned back and laughed heartily with her, gazing at the vast sky above.
“Though Artemis might get jealous, I’ll pretend not to notice today.”
“Hmm. Now that you mention it, she was unusually obedient today.”
“Perhaps. She did make some mistakes, and maybe she doesn’t want you to return to your original world… so it’s only natural.”
“That’s correct. In our current situation, Clotho, you’re the supreme authority here, wouldn’t you say?”
“Ho ho ho… Yes, but I don’t wish to be the supreme authority. No matter what, I am destined to fulfill my role as the one who will deliver and save this world. Playing around with such a prestigious fate would incur punishment on me.”
As our light conversation continued, her mention of the word “destiny” felt like scissors cutting through a thread, and our chat abruptly cut off.
Fate.
Clotho had foreseen the destiny of the great hero.
If only she would share it with me beforehand…
Could the knowledge of my future allow me to use my modern-day knowledge in this medieval world like a cheat and produce effects akin to an army of soldiers?
Surely, through what she foresaw, there must be a way to prevent me from parting with Artemis.
While other gods tried desperately to avoid their fates, they all eventually met them no matter how they tried.
But I believe I can be the exception.
Isn’t there an animal that acts like that?
The honey badger—fearlessly taking on hyenas or lions despite its small size!
“Forgive me, Savior. I’m curious about how much you already know.”
“I don’t know much. All I understood was when you declared that Artemis would endure eternal suffering and the fact that I would eventually return to Earth.”
“Yes. After the Savior’s triumphant completion of the Twelve Labors, you’ll leave this world, having saved it, returning to your original world just like a homing pigeon finding its way home.”
“Ah… is it alright?”
“With what, Savior?”
“Is it fine to tell me all this in such detail?”
I had expected that Clotho would speak in abstract riddles about my destiny, like reading symbols on oracle stones.
But what she disclosed was like the big reveal of a whodunit mystery—powerful spoilers that unraveled everything.
“What part do you feel was too detailed?”
“Well… that the Twelve Labors will succeed. Even though Artemis, who’s been by my side and witnessed all my trials, believed in my potential, she never outright confirmed my absolute success. However, what you’re saying is almost like stating the result.”
“That is true.”
“Though knowing this certainty makes things easier for me, are you sure you’re alright, Clotho?”
“With what, precisely?”
“In my world, revealing divine secrets can lead to death… Fate counts as one of those secrets, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. Let’s say I’ve revealed divine secrets. Now, what is the Savior’s current situation?”
As I felt her conversation veering in circles, I furrowed my brow for a brief moment.
It seemed she was testing me with questions while already knowing the answers, a behavior that left me slightly puzzled.
Still, there was no malice in her, so I accepted it as a teacher guiding a student to the right answer and carefully considered my current situation.
“Hmm… let’s see…”
The oath Artemis swore by the River Styx had been replaced by the Twelve Labors.
Completing the Twelve Labors would result in Zeus officially acknowledging me as Artemis’ boyfriend, Ark.
That’s why I’ve been diligently fulfilling the tasks.
After all, I’ve already succeeded in eight of them.
But the reality I face now is what?
Even before completing the Labors, I’ve already gone beyond being a temporary boyfriend and become Artemis’ genuine partner.
“Something odd only struck me now thanks to you, Clotho.”
“What is that?”
“Why hadn’t I considered what would happen after dating Artemis? What about the remaining four Labors? And what happens if I complete all Twelve Labors?”
“Exactly. The Twelve Labors you initially understood have been broken—a severed thread of destiny imprinted within the Savior.”
Clotho applauded lightly as if praising a student who gave the correct answer and smiled brightly afterward.
Then, folding the old blindfold she’d used for over a century, she gracefully tossed it into the raging waves that continued to crash against the shore.
Yet, her spontaneous action didn’t feel particularly joyous to me.
An unsettling sense of unease, like vapor, continued to rise within me.
“Then what? What happens?”
“Let me tell you all that I foretold. Your original destiny was that after completing the Twelve Labors and becoming Artemis’ official boyfriend, the Savior would save the world and receive a gift from Zeus.”
“A gift? What kind?”
“To the great Savior for saving the world, the choice would be made: return to Earth or remain here and ascend to godhood.”
“What… what? Then does that mean…?”
“Yes. While Artemis loved you, she never became truly aware of her feelings or perhaps deliberately hid her true self from you. Ultimately, the Savior, having failed to win Artemis’ heart despite winning her body, would blame themselves and ultimately choose to return to Earth.”
“The Savior leaving would leave Artemis in eternal regret, leading to the conclusion of the great hero’s fate.”
Faced with this chilling vision of the future, I couldn’t stay seated.
Like sitting on a bed of thorns, restlessness overtook me, and I jumped up, pacing around Clotho like a dog with its tail on fire.
Two people who genuinely care for each other, yet ultimately end up eternally apart.
That’s why Clotho had scolded the returning Artemis with her bitter words, “You will endure perpetual suffering because of him!”
“Then, Clotho, does this mean if I save the world, I can receive a gift from Zeus? That’s the way not to return to Earth, right?”
“Savior… there’s one thing you’ve overlooked.”
Neglected?
What have I missed in the destiny Clotho revealed? A different choice I could make…
“Wait a second! Original destiny?! Are you saying this doesn’t apply to now?”
“Yes.”
“Why?! How come?! So the way not to return to Earth is blocked?”
“The Savior seems to be selectively omitting another possibility.”
Faced with Clotho’s piercing insight into my thoughts…
I froze in place, rooted like a stake in the ground.
“The change in my destiny because I confessed and started dating Artemis in the middle of the Labors… is that it?”
“Yes. In fact, I’ve been unable to foresee the great hero’s destiny for a few days now. It wasn’t until today when I met both of you that I realized it was due to your genuine relationship.”
“So… what happens to me now? Or rather, what should I do? Tell me, Clotho!”
“From here on, the path ahead is one that no one has ever walked, and we may even need to create a way where there is none.”
All went pitch black.
The dark curtain of the night sky and…
My destiny.
