7 Graduation

Eschios pov:

I usually hung out with Heracles. Heracles always resisted my beauty with his extremely high mental capability, and I treat led him like a normal human when others didn't and though of him like a monster.

Since others are scared of Heracles, they don't approach me when I'm with him, and he gets to be with me, his first friend ever. It's like how some animals coexist and help each other.

And now, Heracles at the age of fourteen has grown really big compared to when I first met him. His facial structure even seemed to have changed (...), he looks completely different now.

I wish that face-changing thing worked for me too, in a more ugly way. I'm younger than Heracles, so I have a chance of that happening to me.

"You're really tall now, Heracles."

"Thank you, Eschios."

Today is Heracles' graduation day. Heracles came here before me, so he's graduating earlier. It feels sad to have a friend leaving.

I know what fate he's going to suffer... so when I graduate, I'll try to save him from that fate. He's one of the only friends I have.

To save him, I'll first need to get close to Hera to have my punishment a lighter one.

She already is close to me thanks to my constant unwilling visit to Olympus, but I don't know if that will be enough.

And the hardest part of it is... I'll be giving up my dream life, my peaceful future. I could be hated by Hera, the No.1 goddess in the ranking of bullying demigods.

I'm not an angel. I'm not the typical hero to save all. I still can't overcome my fears.

Uhhh... Let's move to a more happy topic.

Anyways, unlike Asclepius, who is studying like a monster as he is nearing his graduation, and Castor, who recently graduated early, those goddamn students just don't stop sending me these sticky lust-sight... Don't they have something better to do?

Nope, this isn't a happy topic at all.

Oh, Heracles finished saying goodbye to master.

Wait...

"Are you crying?"

"No... I'm not."

pfffft. This is the first time I've seen him acting like this. I guess it's pretty embarrassing for him, huh? It's refreshing to see him like this.

"Alright big guy, give your friend a hug before you go, ok?"

Ooof.

He's hugging a bit harder than I expected.

Ahhh! My bones!

"See you after graduation."

"See you, Eschios."

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Eschios pov:

Sending a friend away isn't easy.

Damn, this is sad.

Since there is no Heracles around, I'll stay away from other students from now on.

It'll be all peace and quiet.

...

I was wrong.

"Hahahah! How are you, Eschios, my subordinate!"

"Bad. The worst, since I saw you right now."

Go to hell, Jason.

There has been... ABSOLUTELY NO PEACE AND QUIET SINCE THIS GOLDEN CRAP SHOWED UP. ABSOLUTELY NONE.

This arrogant golden crap's name is Jason, the prince of Iolkos. After his parents asked Chiron to take care of him and teach him, he's been my roommate and classmate.

If Heracles didn't let me sleep with his snoring, Jason doesn't let me sleep by talking all night without sleeping about how he'll be the king of Iolkos.

I dare say that he's surpassed Luffy's level of desire to be the pirate king.

"Why are you talking to me so much anyways?"

"If I become close to you, then you'll be of use to me in the future!"

"You're not even hiding it..."

Jason already told me his purpose since he met me. He hated being in the school of master Chiron.

To be precise, Jason detested the fact that he, a prince, got his right to the throne gone because of his uncle taking the spot of the king, and that he got put into a place where a centaur lives. In addition, he doesn't even know if his parents are alive or not.

But he endured it all and grew his skills. He didn't lose confidence as a normal boy among countless demigods.

To grow stronger and reach higher, Jason approached me and outright told me what he wanted to do. No trickery, but just plain honesty. That's why I don't push Jason away.

And also...

"Hey, Jason, how do you think I look?"

"Disgusting as always, why do you ask?"

"...Yep, casual Jason behavior."

...The major reason is that like Heracles, Jason doesn't send him those sticky sights of lust. The reason is that Jason thinks he's the most attractive male and because he viewed me as ugly.

Although his personality is like a third-rate villain, I can't hate him. I guess studying under master Chiron really made me soften up.

"So Eschios, this is plan number one of getting my kingdom back!"

"Let me sleep, as$hole!!"

Nevermind, I hate him.

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Eschios pov:

*Boom*

*huff huff*

I've made great progress so far. I can run around the whole mountain in less than one second and can lift boulders with ease now.

Master Chiron's harsh training was hard, but it helped me out a lot.

Now that I think of it... My graduation day is coming around soon...

Back then, I didn't know what I'll do when I graduated, but now I know. I can't just stay like this when the two friends I have will be suffering cruel fates.

Also, I feel like Jason will find me no matter what and drag me to join the Argonauts using any means possible...

Putting those thoughts behind me, I started to run again.

_________________________________________

Graduation day.

I packed all my things and leave behind all those boys crying for me to stay.

Adios! Disgusting peers! I'm leaving to find and protect people's happiness! Hahaha!

Walking more out of school, I see master Chiron.

"Eschios."

"Master."

"I don't think I have anything else left to teach you. You learned a lot."

"Thank you for teaching me over all these years, master."

My father, Endymion was put into eternal sleep of youth by Zeus.

As I have fragmented memories from my past life, I know a little bit about what my father was like before being reborn.

However, those are only a small part of the flashbacks, and I never knew what having a father actually felt like when I was little.

I tried waking Endymion up, but I didn't succeed. I remember mother seeing me do that and apologize to me with tears in her face. I mean, it is her fault, but what happened couldn't be changed.

But as I learned under master Chiron, I began to unknowingly view him as a father figure.

He was nice, always taking care of me, and gave me advices to help me with my worries.

"…Father."

Oops, I accidentally said it out loud.

Master looked surprised for a moment, then smiled.

"I feel honoured that you think of me as a father."

"I'll be back when I'm a better man. One you can be proud of."

"I am already proud of you, though. Also, be careful. You know better than anyone that it's a harsh world out there."

"Don't worry. Goodbye, master."

With that, I left the school I spent most of my late childhood in.

Walking down the pathway to get down the mountain, I soon found a blond haired boy who's the same age as me blocking my way.

"I have something to say to you, my right hand!"

"Something to say?"

"It's super easy! You just have to wait for me and my orders! So that when I call you, you'll always be there as my servant!"

Just waiting for him? Calling me? Sure. I know what that means.

The Argonauts. The ancient version of the Avengers. I'll be there, all right.

I should play along for the final time.

"As you wish, your future majesty."

Calling him "future majesty" means that I'll help him regain his throne. As he understood that, he gave me a smile and a thumbs up.

He seems quite happy.

Although he has lots of negative points, Jason is my friend who've helped and hung out with me, not caring about my beauty. I'll help him with what I can help.

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Apollo, the sun god, was in quite the sad state. No matter how much wine he drank, he couldn't forget about his first love Daphne, the beautiful boy Cyparissus, and the beautiful princess, Coronis.

Apollo always tries to think that he had everything, and lived perfectly as a god, but every humans he ever loved were all gone.

Thinking of Coronis, Apollo thought of the son between him and Coronis.

Asclepius.

Leaving him to Chiron was the best choice.

Some time after leaving Asclepius, Apollo heard a story of a famous hero from the other gods.

"Heracles, huh… Father's child…"

The one born to help them in Gigantomachia…

Heracles is the child that his father Zeus is putting the most expectations and hope in. But to Apollo, another story of a demigod caught his attention.

The youngest child and 51st son of Selene, and her only son, Eschios. Recently, he's heard that Eschios graduated and travels around Greece time to time, defeating monsters and helping people.

Apollo has heard that Eschios visited Olympus a lot, but the two couldn't meet, as Apollo was always doing his duty as a god when Eschios visited.

"Eschios… I wonder what he's like?"

The usual gloomy Selene became bright and cheerful when she was talking about her son, so Apollo couldn't help but be curious. To satisfy his curiosity, Apollo sent out large flock of crows all over Greece to find Eschios.

And after one crow found him, Apollo saw Eschios through the crow's eye. Eschios was washing his face by a stream. As he saw Eschios' face, Apollo's eye gleamed.

"Oh… I still had this warm feeling in me, after all…!"

Eschios' beauty was beyond what Selene boasted about. Eschios was over the term "beauty". Apollo has never been so much in love before. Maybe, Eschios overall was better than Daphne.

Even though he did not get shot by Eros' arrow, Apollo fell in love right away.

"This is fate."

Him ending up with Eschios is fate. That's what Apollo thought. And letting love guide him, Apollo ran out of the Olympus Temple.

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A/N: Eschios' pain officially starts now. F to pay respects.