"Purity is a non-existent concept."
"Absolutely pure emotions do not exist in reality. All emotions are complex aggregates, jointly constituted by multiple factors such as blood ties, friendship, nationality, and ethnicity. Even the most universal love has its boundaries."
"Just as you wouldn't feel sympathy for xenos, nor shed tears for ants."
"Dammekos 's love for Calliphone stems from blood ties, while his love for you is mixed with considerations of interest."
"Do not criticize his utilitarianism, because love and interest often go hand in hand."
"If you deconstruct emotions, love for blood relatives is merely about preserving the continuation of genes, and love for a partner is about the interest of reproductive instinct."
"However, true love has a transcendent power. It can break free from the shackles of interest, placing love for others above one's own life."
Perturabo's brow furrowed deeply. "I am not criticizing him!"
He acknowledged Caelan's earnest teaching, but he couldn't agree. When had he criticized Dammekos?
"I believe you didn't. This is just preventative education."
"Your prevention is unnecessary."
A soft snort escaped Perturabo's nose, considered an acceptance of Caelan's explanation.
"Mentor!" Calliphone raised her slender arm lightly. "What story will you tell today?"
The girl's eyes sparkled with anticipation. The wonderful stories Caelan told, whether Harry Potter or the Legend of Zeus, were completely different from the ancient tales passed down in Olympia.
These stories were usually full of wisdom, and Calliphone felt this was true edutainment.
The girl quietly observed Perturabo. Although he still had a stern face, his tense shoulders had relaxed, indicating he was also looking forward to today's story.
Caelan pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting towards the sun outside the window. "Let's continue with the story of Zeus today."
"Zeus's father, Cronus, was the second King of the Titans, ruling over the Titan race."
"He seized the throne by overthrowing his own father, Uranus. Before his fall, the enraged Uranus left a prophecy that Cronus would eventually be overthrown by his own child."
"This prophecy made Cronus restless. Whenever his sister-wife, Rhea, gave birth to a child, he would swallow the newborn. Until the sixth child, Zeus, was born. Rhea finally resolved to resist."
"She wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes and presented it to Cronus as a newborn, while the real Zeus was hidden in a cave on the island where he was born."
"During Zeus's infancy, the goddesses Adrasteia and Ida carefully cared for the young Zeus."
"They nurtured him with the honey of their father, the bee-god Melisseus, and the milk of their mother, the goat-nymph Amalthea."
"However, when Zeus grew up, he ordered the god of fire, Hephaestus, to skin Amalthea to make the Aegis shield, and broke off her horns to create the Cornucopia, the Horn of Plenty."
Calliphone's eyes widened in shock, "That... that's incredibly ungrateful..."
Her voice trailed off, her gaze unconsciously flicking towards Perturabo, whose expression remained calm.
Perturabo angrily said, "The patricide is fated to be killed by his son. Cronus deserved to die, and Zeus deserved to die too!"
Caelan asked, "Because of patricide?"
"Patricide might be justifiable. Cronus tried to kill him first. But matricide is an unforgivable crime!"
Perturabo understood Caelan's metaphor. In the past, he might have flown into a rage, angrily demanding why Caelan thought so little of him.
But the past was the past, and the present was the present.
When people suffer setbacks, they feel anger.
When they get angry over the suffering of others, it's called righteous indignation, or sometimes, taking it personally.
Anger is a protective veil for weakness, stemming from vulnerability and insecurity.
Only when a person sees a reflection of themselves in someone else's words do they become enraged because their sore spot has been touched.
Since he was not Zeus, why should he be angry?
If he were Zeus, then Calliphone would be Amalthea.
In the future Caelan had foreseen, he would become a beast like Zeus.
However, the future was the future, and the present was the present.
Now, he had a father, a sister, and a mentor.
He would not become his future self; he would have a new future.
Perturabo was not Zeus, nor was he Cronus. He was Perturabo.
Calliphone was not Amalthea, nor was she Rhea. She was just Perturabo's sister.
Caelan said, "In Greek mythology, patricide and filicide are a cyclical fate."
"The first king of the gods, Uranus, was Gaia's son and also her husband."
"Uranus, greedy for power, forced his children back into Gaia's womb. Gaia conspired with her youngest child, Cronus. When Uranus violated Gaia, Cronus cut off Uranus's genitals."
"The genitals were thrown into the sea, and from the sea foam, Aphrodite was born."
"After becoming king of the gods, Cronus also became greedy for power. Like his father who imprisoned his children, Cronus devoured his own offspring."
"After Zeus overthrew Cronus, he too feared the prophecy that he would be overthrown by his son."
"The prophecy said that after giving birth to a daughter with bright eyes, Metis would then give birth to a son who would overthrow Zeus."
"Fearing his child would overthrow him, Zeus swallowed Metis while she was pregnant."
"Although Metis still gave birth to Athena inside Zeus's belly, and Athena was safely born after Hephaestus split Zeus's head open, Metis had already merged with Zeus. The prophecy was successfully averted. From then on, Zeus began his life of licentiousness."
A flicker of complex emotion crossed Calliphone's eyes, "The Greek gods really do run in the family!"
Perturabo's voice rang out like metal striking stone, "Olympia is not Olympus. We are not gods. There is no such cycle here!"
He would never commit patricide!
This was not just a promise, but an oath and a restraint, a vow to himself, a binding he placed upon himself.
Caelan lightly clapped his hands, "Today's homework is, What kind of person do you want to become? I'll ask you tomorrow."
"Class dismissed!"
Calliphone's eyes curved into crescents as she cheerfully tugged at Caelan's sleeve, "Brother Caelan, shall we go play in the city this afternoon?"
During class, Caelan was the dignified mentor. After class, he was just Caelan.
This was the dual role Caelan deliberately maintained. There was always a pitiful, thick barrier between a purely teacher-student relationship. Only by being both mentor and friend could one truly enter a primarch's heart.
Though Calliphone addressed him as brother, Dammekos didn't actually treat Caelan as a nephew. The father and daughter each used their own forms of address.
Caelan yawned, "We can play, but what do you want to play?"
Calliphone gracefully moved closer to Caelan's side, her slender hands naturally taking his arm as she playfully coaxed, "Being cooped up in the palace all day is so boring. I want to breathe some free air."
"Then let's go to the market for some fresh air."
Calliphone shot the boy a sly glance, casually revealing the heavy coin purse at her waist, "A-Bo, how about coming with us? Today's expenses are on me!"
"Don't call me A-Bo!"
A snort escaped Perturabo's nose, but his feet involuntarily followed Caelan.
The days spent together had already accustomed him to the warmth of this family. Dammekos 's care was clumsy but sincere, and Calliphone was attentive to him. Perturabo thought she was the best sister in the world.
However, Perturabo sometimes found Calliphone very annoying, like now. She was too clingy with Caelan!
Calliphone affectionately held Caelan's arm, and Perturabo stared intently at her slender fingers wrapped around Caelan's arm, the ends of her hair leaving a faint fragrance as they brushed against his sleeve.
'Why were they so intimate? He was the one who came first!'
When the girl cast a sly look back at him, Perturabo immediately turned his face away.
This wasn't jealousy, nor was it twistedness, but he still hated it!
'Why did Calliphone have to cling to Caelan?'
'Didn't she have her own father?'
Between the Lochos palace and the city's residential quarters stood towering walls. The golden-adorned gates were guarded day and night by elite palace guards.
Even though Calliphone was a princess, she usually could only roam within the manicured gardens within the palace walls. Even the observation tower closest to the inner wall required a lady-in-waiting's company to visit.
However, Caelan had special privileges.
Dammekos had issued a decree that Caelan could freely enter and leave the palace, even reaching the private chambers of the Tyrant and Queen.
The doors that were insurmountable for others would silently open for Caelan.
When Caelan casually walked through the palace gates, even the usually stern-faced guards immediately lowered their crossed spears, extending their right arms in a 45-degree salute.
Wherever the warhammer went, Rome followed.
Macragge was the Rome of the Consuls, Nuceria was the Rome of the Gladiatorial Arenas, Olympia had Greek skin but Roman bones, and the Imperium of Man was Space Rome.
The ancient Roman military salute was a clenched fist striking the left chest, then raising the arm at an angle to the brow. The Imperium adopted the former as its standard salute. Olympia integrated both, using either.
The temples of the gods stood between the palace and the residential areas. Their bronze domes gleamed in the sun, overlooking the bustling mortal world below.
Caelan pointed to the magnificent temple, slowing his pace, "Looking at these resplendent temples, what do you think?"
Perturabo answered directly, "Temples are nothing but tools for the powerful to fool the common people and consolidate their rule."
"They symbolize the status of divine authority above the masses but below the power of the king." Calliphone, after a moment's thought, offered a more politically astute insight.
They had left the classroom, but learning had not truly ended.
Caelan had merely shed the dignity of a mentor, guiding his two students with a gentle, friendly attitude.
Perturabo glanced sideways at Calliphone. Her answer made him think.
Calliphone saw temples as weights on the scales of power. This insight was far beyond the typical noble lady's perspective.
Perturabo said, "Divine authority and secular power are interdependent, each taking what they need."
"Priests need secular military force to defend their faith, while the royal family uses oracles to embellish their rule."
"But the sky cannot have two suns, nor the people two masters. Both divine and secular authority seek dominance. Their conflict is inevitable."
"If the gods truly exist on Mount Telephassa, then divine authority must inevitably stand above the royal family."
Calliphone, while adjusting her hair, secretly observed her brother's reaction. He still despised the gods as always.
A sly smile played on her lips, "A-Bo, although what you say makes sense, it won't convince the priests."
Caelan said, "Divine and secular authority are always in a game."
"The royal family believes in the gods, but they reject the authority of the gods. They refuse to submit to it unless a god descends in person."
"The priests believe in the gods, more devoutly than the royal family, but they also want to use the gods' authority to overwhelm the royal family and pursue their own interests."
"The conflict between divine and secular authority has nothing to do with faith. It lies in human nature."
Calliphone asked, "If a certain god gave an oracle demanding the royal family cede power to the temple priests, what then?"
"Which god?"
The sudden counter-question left the girl stunned.
"In Olympian legend, there are many gods on Mount Telephassa. The temples here are dedicated to different deities."
"Even if a god did descend upon Lochos, which god's will should Lochos obey?"
"Even if a certain god overturned secular authority with thunderous force, placing divine authority above the mortal world, what would become of the followers of other gods?"
"Would the priests whose faith was supplanted willingly submit to the rule of other priests?"
"The gods themselves are also in constant conflict."
"Divine authority can suppress secular power, but divine authority cannot suppress divine authority."
Perturabo and Calliphone were both lost in thought. Though their thoughts differed and their directions varied, they both gained some insight.
The three walked along the main road paved with blue stones. On either side, tall residential buildings squeezed out deep alleys, from which curious little faces occasionally peeked out from behind iron-barred windows.
A dirty boy suddenly poked his head out from a dark alley at the corner. A moment later, he dashed out, stumbling unsteadily as he headed straight for the three.
Just as they were about to pass each other, the boy suddenly cried out in pain, losing his balance as if to fall heavily towards Calliphone.
Just as he seemed about to touch Calliphone's white dress, Caelan suddenly wrapped his arm around the girl's waist, lightly pulling her half a step back.
Perturabo swiftly seized the boy's wrist and slammed him against the mottled brick wall. The boy's back hit the wall with a thump.
"What are you doing? Ouch!" The boy yelped in pain, his voice a mix of panic and guilt. He struggled and twisted, but Perturabo's golden dagger was already at the boy's throat.
The boy instantly froze like a stone statue, pinned to the wall like an insect.
Calliphone was kind-hearted, but she also watched coldly as Perturabo pinned the boy to the wall.
She was no naive young lady. She dared to walk through the dark alley because she had Caelan and Perturabo with her, so she didn't have to worry about danger.
Under Lochos's strict hierarchical system, the common people's reverence for the nobility was deeply ingrained.
This deeply rooted class consciousness meant ordinary people would give a wide berth to nobles. Yet this ragged boy did the opposite; not only did he not avoid them, but he stumbled straight towards them.
He was either trying to take advantage of the situation or to steal Calliphone's purse.
Caelan pulled Calliphone closer, his voice carrying the scholar's characteristic precision, "A thief should choose a crowded market. In the hustle and bustle, physical contact is inevitable, and the victim often doesn't even notice when something is taken."
"Even if the victim notices, you can escape using the crowd for cover. Which thief steals in a dark alley? Robbery in a dark alley is far more profitable than theft."
"How can you not even know such basic common sense? Didn't your parents teach you?"
Calliphone looked up at Caelan, her eyes carrying a mix of playful reproach and helplessness.
'Are you lecturing him or giving him advice?'
The boy didn't try to deny it, just stubbornly raised his chin, "I have no parents!"
"Then your master?"
"I have no master either!"
Perturabo said, "No wonder you're so stupid."
The boy's face flushed red, but the cold steel at his neck made him face reality.
His face turned pale, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, carving tracks through the grime on his cheeks.
Caelan didn't rush to punish the boy. Instead, he crouched down, looking directly into his eyes, which were trembling with fear.
Caelan asked, "Why did he steal?"
"To survive."
Calliphone's gaze swept over the boy's ragged clothes and gaunt cheeks, her voice tinged with pity.
"Poverty." Perturabo was blunter than his sister.
They both understood that Caelan was asking them to consider why the boy had become a criminal, not to judge his crime.
They were not aloof rulers. Even though the boy had done wrong, they could understand.
Their ability to empathize with the common people was a rare virtue.
There is only one incurable disease in the world, poverty.
This boy was indeed foolish. He'd chosen the wrong time, place, and target.
But who could expect a starving, desperate boy to have a clever plan?
He wasn't a seasoned thief, just an orphan with nowhere to turn.
And the heavy purse at Calliphone's waist was the bait. Though she hadn't meant to lure anyone, walking through a dark alley was itself a provocation.
Caelan asked, "Does Lochos have laws protecting orphans?"
Calliphone nodded slightly, her voice soft, "The Code of Lochos stipulates that if a father dies, a minor orphan should be cared for by the guardian designated by the father before his death, or by a male relative within the family, until they come of age."
Laws are the bottom line, but they can't control the calculations in people's hearts.
Wealthy citizen families might take in orphans out of charity, or perhaps to covet the inheritance left by the orphan's parents.
The poor might not even have such thoughts because there was no inheritance to speak of.
Uncles and aunts could barely feed themselves with black bread mixed with bran, sawdust, or even sand. How could they spare food for someone else's child?
"How old are you?"
"Eight!" The boy raised his chin, his eyes that had seen too much of the world's indifference fixed intently on Caelan.
He thought the noble must be kind. The boy holding the knife to his neck was kind too. The beautiful sister was even kinder.
They were good people.
Caelan yawned, "Calliphone, what is the penalty for theft?"
....
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