Hermes grinned broadly as he swung the Caduceus to inscribe the final question on the floor.
The final question was exceedingly abstruse…
First, let’s recap the story Hermes just showed us.
The tale of Argoros and the young girl was quite a touching one-act play.
It felt like a much-needed rain for my drought-stricken emotions.
The story goes:
Argoros, exceptionally talented but unable to understand others who were 2% short of his perfection, met a young girl by chance and learned how to connect with people.
He realized that music is something everyone can enjoy, regardless of mistakes.
It seemed like a happy ending as the spiritually grown Argoros successfully held a solo concert.
But after drinking wine gifted by all the orchestra members, he collapsed in agony.
It was clear Argoros had drunk poisoned wine.
Those wounded by his harsh words had marked their revenge with a poisoned drink.
Instead of a happy ending, the story left a bitter taste with its tale of futile revenge.
Just as I thought it had ended with some lingering emotions, Hermes submitted the most absurd final question, relating it to Argoros’ story.
Which was:
[Explain with an answer why Argoros, who drank the poisoned wine and closed his eyes, woke up moving perfectly fine the next day.]
At first glance, the feeling was one of sheer incredulity.
What kind of nonsense is this?
How could someone who died come back to life?
Could this be some desperate move from Hermes, who had lost his composure for the final problem?
Shaking my head at the absurdity of the question, I finally managed to open my trembling mouth.
“This isn’t a proper question.”
It was almost a confession of my inability to know the answer.
To this, Hermes, now regaining his composure, dramatically exclaimed.
“Hooh~ hooh! Why not?”
“A problem with multiple possible answers isn’t a proper question.”
“Could you elaborate?”
“Assuming both A and B are correct answers, if I say A, you could simply claim B is the answer and escape. No matter what I choose, you could win just by picking the opposite.”
Argoros, who drank the poison and closed his eyes.
Yet, the next day, he was moving around perfectly fine.
Scientifically, this is impossible.
How could someone who drank poison and closed his eyes be moving normally the next day?
It’s utterly unrealistic.
There’s simply no way this could happen.
If I had to hazard a guess, the only answer that comes to mind from modern movie genres would be “zombie.”
But the word “perfectly fine” rules out zombie as a definitive answer since it means both body and mind are intact.
However, considering my current situation…
I’m in another world.
Thus, incorporating this special context, countless answers can be created despite defying scientific logic.
For example, cases where Argoros drank the poison and is still perfectly fine:
1. Argoros was actually a god.
2. The poison was not wine but Nectar.
3. Apollo, the god of music, who pitied his musical talent, revived him.
4. It was a poison that only simulated death for two hours.
5. As Artemis might say, he’s a monster.
And so on.
In a fantasy world, countless answers can be concocted.
Therefore,
I must confirm one of two things:
That this is an event in a purely human world without any divine powers.
Or, being related to the supernatural, any answer that makes sense will be accepted.
Personally, the latter would be the easiest solution.
Just stating one of the answers listed above would suffice.
“Please confirm. Is the Argoros incident purely a human event without divine powers?”
“Hmm~ Hmm~”
Like an adult deciding whether to give candy to a child asking for it,
Hermes, now in control, teased and deliberately stalled.
Unable to bear the short wait, I urged him further.
“This attitude regarding premise confirmation just looks like nitpicking. Please answer quickly.”
To Hermes, I pressed aggressively, surprising even myself with my tone.
I, a human who should revere the gods, had spoken irreverently without any filter.
However, Hermes merely shrugged as if this level of disrespect was nothing.
This playful demeanor revealed the wisdom accumulated through his life.
“Hmm~ troubling, troubling.”
Ah, since it’s the final question, you’re holding back until the end?
Fine then, let me throw a bluff.
“I won’t solve this.”
Picking up the hesitation in my voice, Hermes smiled slightly before stiffening his expression.
Apparently, he was steeling himself not to let his guard down like in the second question.
“Go ahead. I already anticipated this kind of troublemaking.”
“What…?”
“Hey~ our Ark has a poor memory, doesn’t he? Didn’t I announce before the tasks began? That I need to solve three questions within a week.”
“…”
Damn.
I temporarily forgot.
If the opponent drags things out, there’s nothing I can do since I lightly agreed to this rule, which now strangles me.
This makes me even more suspicious whether there’s an answer at all.
What should I do?
As it stands, I can’t give any answer…
“Hmm…”
Artemis observed my trembling eyes as if there was an earthquake.
For a moment, our eyes met.
I thought she would mock and tease me with a “Hey, what’s wrong?”
But her expression was serious, void of any jest.
Lifting her head again, she pointed at Hermes with the fork she used to eat strawberries.
“Hey, this is unfair as a challenge under the name of the Twelve Labors.”
“Big sister? That’s clearly interference!”
“What nonsense? I’m the witness. I have the right to judge whether the task is being conducted properly.”
Hermes tried to block Artemis’ interference at its source.
However, these Twelve Labors were originally a duel between Ark and Artemis,
And Hermes, as Artemis’ proxy, couldn’t block her statement if she declared herself the mediator.
“Ah~ Big sister, you finally intervene at the last moment. So, which part do you find unfair?”
“It’s simple if Argoros is a god.”
“That’s what Ark said too. And—”
Hermes caught our gazes and directed them downward.
[Explain with an answer why Argoros, who drank the poisoned wine and closed his eyes, woke up moving perfectly fine the next day.]
Pointing to the final question, he spoke with a firmer voice.
“I clearly stated the answer in the question. How to answer is something Ark needs to consider.”
“Right. That’s true. But Hermes, are you satisfied with that?”
Artemis’s gentle voice, coaxing like a sister watching her impatient sibling’s rushed choices.
It was as if a sister who fully understood her brother’s nature was advising him not to regret.
“What do you mean? This is the last duel for both me and Ark. It’s obvious that the person tied to each of us is too precious. I don’t think I need to offer any extras like a merchant.”
“Hermes, you’re a cunning trickster who only uses your wits.”
“Such sudden criticism…”
“Still, isn’t it Hermes who, despite angering countless gods, eventually makes them smile and acknowledge him by the end?”
“Even so, I will protect Mother with this question—”
“This final question, in my opinion, is excellent. If this is a purely human event, not involving any gods, not a single answer comes to mind… Hermes, are you going to package this splendid question with your timidity?”
“…”
Her intended meaning was surprisingly deep.
The message that your question is difficult enough even without being so crafty.
It was hard to believe such a statement could come from Artemis, who usually causes trouble.
It’s advice only someone who understands Hermes’ deep psyche could give.
Still, the reason she can reprimand her restless younger brother like this…
Isn’t it because they are bothers full of loving resentment?
“…”
The bright yellow of Hermes’ eyes flickered restlessly.
The gaze that alternated between Artemis and me was initially full of hesitation.
His eyes that were filled with various negative emotions had been murky.
But gradually, the yellow grew denser, turning into gold, illuminating the dark surroundings.
“Thank you, big sister. I momentarily forgot who I am.”
“Tch, good that you realized now.”
“I am Hermes, the god of messengers. Always delivering only the truth, whether it’s sad news or good news.”
He murmured to himself, reinforcing his resolve.
With those radiant eyes, he stared at me.
“Ark.”
“Yes, a-a.”
Even his short call carried weight, causing me to stutter unintentionally.
“The story of Argoros clearly involves divine intervention. However, the question itself does not involve gods or powers of transcendence.”
“So it’s a human event?”
“Yes. Try solving it now. It’s my best question.”
“Of course!”
In response to his authoritative challenge, I boldly accepted it.
Thus, we glared at each other, simultaneously sensing each other’s conclusions through our whole bodies.
