Heracles—
This name was no ordinary blessing. Its meaning was anything but simple.
The abandoned infant Hera had found in the wilderness had been given a name that began with a god's name and ended with the Greek word for "glory," thus forming the name Heracles.
That is—
The Glory of Hera.
[Even though your unfortunate brother inherited your original name, within the kingdom he is still called Iphicles.]
[This was a stopgap measure devised by your birth mother, Alcmene.]
[Because you, the very one Hera should have hated, were returned unharmed, the name "Heracles" was seen as both a threat and a warning.]
[Alcmene had clearly misunderstood its meaning. She believed it to be a provocation directed at Zeus, the Father of Heaven.]
[Hera renaming the illegitimate child she despised as "Her Glory" was, to her eyes, an act of factional rivalry.]
[Thus, she had no choice but to resort to this compromise.]
[In public, she told everyone that you belonged to Hera's camp, yet in private she still leaned toward the Father of Heaven and continued calling you Alcides.]
[And so, Alcmene spent the next eight months raising you in constant fear and anxiety.]
[During that time, you would occasionally see a snow-white weasel in the nursery. It was the maid who had once been cursed by the goddess of childbirth.]
[You expressed friendliness toward her, and in your heart you shortened her name to "Galan."]
[She would also come to visit you from time to time, bringing you curious little things from the outside world—things you could never see within the kingdom.]
[Of course, aside from these small episodes, you grew extremely robust over those eight months. Your constitution became stronger and stronger. Even objects that grown adults could not lift, you could easily toss around as toys.]
[And so, one night, you lay resting as usual beside your unfortunate brother.]
For some reason, Tia found himself unable to fall asleep tonight.
Normally, by this hour, he should already have been drowsy.
"Ah... ah..."
He tried to speak, but his undeveloped vocal cords could still produce only babbling sounds.
Yet the little white weasel beside him seemed to sense what he wanted. It planted its two paws on the edge of the cradle and stared at the infant lying in the center with sapphire-like eyes.
As though sensing his discomfort, it began pacing anxiously in place.
[You want to tell Galan that you simply cannot sleep, but obviously, as an infant, you are incapable of effectively stopping her.]
[When you try to shift your body and shake your head, Galan's fur suddenly bristles all over. With a fierce expression, she glares toward a corner buried in shadow.]
[When you follow her gaze, what you see are two emerald-green snakes slithering toward you.]
[Judging from the patterns on their scales alone, they are clearly dangerous creatures packed with deadly venom.]
[However, these two snakes do not seem intent on attacking you. The ruthless eyes fixed on their prey are instead aimed at—your unfortunate brother, the one who inherited the name Alcides.]
[At that moment, memory rises within you, and you realize where the snakes came from: they are Hera's instrument of attack.]
[Most likely, the false information Alcmene spread had worked as a smokescreen. The snakes that were meant to attack you have now turned their fangs elsewhere.]
[At this moment, you suddenly recall what Hera told you eight months ago—that Alcides would be the rival of your life.]
[And the snakes sent this time seem to be Hera's way of meddling in that. She wants to secure your position more firmly, to ensure that your childhood will no longer require you to struggle against anyone.]
[And so, in Hera's name, she means to kill Alcides and guarantee you a life of peace.]
But Tia did not see it that way.
As someone who still possessed the moral compass of modern society, he found the murder of an innocent infant utterly indefensible.
Of course, he also understood that this was Hera's way of caring for him—an elder's concern, even affection.
But unfortunately, Heracles and Alcides had originally been the same person from beginning to end, and his brother in this case was a completely innocent bystander.
Tia rocked the cradle a little, snapping the hissing white weasel back to attention.
Galan looked at him blankly, but seeing the snakes drawing closer and closer, she instantly understood what Tia meant.
The white weasel darted forward, using nimble movements and flashing claws, baring her fangs and making a show of herself to draw the snakes' attention.
Apparently, the snakes mistook the white weasel for a guardian protecting the sleeping target, and decided to kill the "pet" first.
"Hiss... hiss..."
Tongues flickering, long bodies coiling and twisting, they steadily advanced toward Tia.
In the end, beasts were just beasts. Even guided by divine power, they still lacked intelligence.
The simplest lure was enough to shift their target entirely.
Galan danced about, feigning panic. After glancing around instinctively, she finally stumbled down beside Tia.
The scent of the child seemed to entrance her—or perhaps it was the influence of divine power, leaving her slightly intoxicated.
The snakes struck, climbing up the cradle. The instant they spotted the target beside the child, they opened their bloody jaws and lunged.
Crack!
Tia moved.
Though he still possessed the body of a mere infant, the divine power carried in his demigod blood was more than enough to support his actions.
The two snakes attacked from left and right, paying no attention at all to the quietly reclining Tia beside them.
Their sharp fangs shot forward in a vicious bite—
only for the child in the cradle to seize them both by the neck in one swift motion.
With a cold snort, Tia tightened his grip with all his strength. The neck was a vital point for snakes, and even these ancient magical beasts, steeped in mana, could do nothing but let out hoarse cries beneath that overwhelming force.
The snakes had never imagined that the very target their master—the Queen of Heaven herself—had intended to protect would become the blade that killed them.
They struggled angrily, trying to counterattack.
But the terrifying strength soon made them writhe in agony. Venom dripped continuously from their fangs, splattering onto the floor and corroding small pits into it like acid.
Naturally, during their thrashing, some of that poison splashed onto Tia as well.
But how could a body already steeped in Hera's divine power ever be corroded by the venom of mortal creatures?
[Very soon, you squeeze the two venomous snakes to death right there on the spot.]
[The white weasel beside you witnesses the scene and seems so shocked her jaw nearly drops off.]
[After repeatedly confirming that both snakes are truly dead, you set their corpses aside—placing one next to your unfortunate brother.]
[You do not wish to draw too much attention to yourself, so you toss the other snake's corpse onto the floor as well.]
[It all looks very much like a glorious deed accomplished by your unfortunate brother alone.]
[After finishing all that, you spend a little time calming the stunned white weasel, then lie back down in the cradle and force yourself to fall asleep.]
[As someone who came from modern times, you believe that maintaining a healthy sleep schedule is extremely important.]
Of course, just as Tia drifted into a light doze, the azure screen flickered twice more.
He never saw what appeared on it.
[Athena witnessed your heroic deed, and she seems to like you even more.]
[In her heart, you are the first man in history to earn her favor by appearance alone.]
[Her feelings toward you are no longer limited to that of a cultivated test subject.]
[She witnessed the way you covered up the snake-killing afterward, and now believes you are her kindred spirit.]
[Athena likes you even more now.]
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