chapter 17 ( edited)

"No, I will become the person I want to be," Cyd declared.

Despite his apprehension, Cyd glanced at the now-normal-sized package he carried and then at the imposing bronze palace behind him. Though fearful, he had spent the entire day resting on the goddess's knee, even enjoying food personally fed to him by Hephaestus. Despite the rough treatment, he cherished the experience of being attended to by a goddess.

Cyd had made it clear that several days of hunger were unimportant, but Hephaestus, citing boredom, rejected his attempts to leave, insisting on staying with him the entire day.

"It doesn't matter much here," Cyd thought, relaxing.

The familiar sound of hammering resumed, signaling that everything was back on track, perhaps urging him on.

"Alright, getting heated about little things isn't my style," Cyd said, looking at the bracer on his left hand. "After all, I still have my [blessing] brace."

Cyd patted his face. "Having a goal is good. Now I have a destination to reach."

Although this goal might cost him his life, the more challenging it was, the more determined he felt to face it with a smile.

With a sunny disposition, Cyd entered the forest.

Where would he go? What could he do? He had no clues. Mount Olympus was the gathering place of the gods, the most convenient place to find them, but it was not a place mortals could easily stride into. That left him with simple options.

The chaotic revolutions and the gods' aversion to constant attention meant they wouldn't willingly meet him, even if he knelt and begged. On the other hand, gods might seek him out...

Cyd's eye twitched as he saw a young man with a caduceus approaching.

"Um..."

"Hey, I'm Hermes," the young man said simply, introducing himself.

"..."

"No need to be so formal, just call me Hermes," Hermes shrugged, jumping down gracefully.

"What do you need from me, Hermes?" Cyd asked after taking a deep breath, carefully examining Hermes.

"I do have a favor to ask, but you've worshipped me for eight years. I haven't done anything for you yet, so helping you makes me feel better," Hermes said, looking at the bracer on Cyd's left wrist. "If you help me, I'll give you [blessing]. How about it?"

"You knew?" Cyd covered his left wrist subconsciously.

"It's not hard to figure out," Hermes said, not bothered by Cyd's reaction. He casually draped an arm over Cyd's shoulder. "I'm Zeus's messenger, so I always have the latest news."

"The gods will know," Cyd muttered, his mouth twitching.

"Of course, but don't worry. It's common for followers to seek blessings. Your case is just a bit different," Hermes said, holding up his fingers. "The gods will create some obstacles for you because they're bored."

"So you're creating obstacles for me," Cyd said, resignedly covering his face.

"Not at all! I sought you out, and this task isn't too difficult," Hermes said, patting his chest. "If you succeed, I might even help you bypass needing another god's blessing."

"Really?"

"Naturally, I never deceive people!"

"I need to go back," Cyd said unemotionally, trying to leave.

"Hey, don't waste this rare opportunity," Hermes said, tugging on Cyd's sleeve. "Even though he's upset now, he'll..."

"You're there, right, Hermes?!"

A flaming arrow traced a beautiful arc in the sky, ending in a mushroom cloud.

"I thought he wanted to tie you behind his chariot and drag you all day," Cyd said, squatting down to avoid being injured by the blonde youth with the bow and arrow nearby.

"He did plan to drag me all day," Hermes admitted, squatting beside Cyd. "But being dragged by the Sun chariot would kill me!"

"What did you do?"

"I borrowed his lyre and left a little... problem," Hermes said, holding up his fingers.

"Hermes, come out! Today I, Apollo, the Sun God, will tie you to my arrows and shoot you into the Sun and drag you on my chariot!"

Cyd edged away from Hermes silently.

"Seems like this lyre is more than just a little problematic."

"It broke," Hermes said dejectedly. "I didn't think it'd be discovered so quickly."

"Lord Hermes, I think the blessing can wait. I don't want to be dragged by the Sun," Cyd said, taking cautious steps back.

"He won't harm you! You have a connection with the Moon, and I bet even in anger, Apollo won't hurt you," Hermes said, giving a thumbs-up. "If you succeed, I'll not only bless you but also cover for you in the future."

Cyd fell silent, pondering.

Though Hermes was a rising star among the Twelve Gods, he was also Zeus's messenger. Through him, Cyd could accurately locate each deity. Calming Apollo's anger wasn't impossible; Hermes had a history of irritating Apollo, like the time he stole Apollo's cattle and traded them for a lyre.

"I can try," Cyd said, rubbing his temples, trying to recall any Greek musical instruments he knew.

"Please! I don't want to be shot into the Sun," Hermes pleaded, his hands together in sincere prayer, while secretly studying Cyd with narrowed eyes.

Hermes was curious about Cyd, this Pure Son of Man walking a more difficult path than a hero's. Zeus had described him this way. Besides Zeus's suggestion, Hermes had his curiosity.

Hermes knew how to calm Apollo's anger; otherwise, he wouldn't have approached Cyd. He wanted to see how Cyd would manage.

"Hermes, have you heard of an erhu?" Cyd asked, his mouth curling into a smile as he sketched an instrument on the ground with his finger.

"What's that?" Hermes blinked, clearly unfamiliar with it.

"Just do this..." Cyd whispered in Hermes's ear, explaining his plan.

"Hm, that sounds... feasible!" Hermes's eyes shone with excitement. "I'll gather the materials right away!"