"Long, long ago…"
"There was a god named Apollo."
"He was the God of Light; no darkness could be found in him. He never told lies, and was open and upright."
"He was skilled in music, his melodies as divine as a heavenly chorus, and he was a master archer who never missed his mark."
"He was wise, with knowledge of all worldly affairs, and thus was also known as the God of Prophecy, answering the doubts of mortals."
As Alice's gentle voice continued…
The Apollo within the vision lost all the sleazy air he had among the gods. In this moment, whether male or female deities, they all felt:
This Apollo truly deserved to be called the representative of the gods—completely unlike the pervert from before.
"One day, Apollo grew bored of the daily routine of staying in his temple. So, he decided to venture out to clear his mind and feel the breeze."
And within the vision, Apollo…
Began to act out the story following Alice's words.
"And it was this decision that led Apollo to meet the one he would come to adore—a beautiful youth from the mountains, Hyakinthos."
"The peerlessly beautiful youth Hyakinthos deeply captured Apollo's gaze. It made the god Apollo desire to become friends with him."
--+--
Within the illusion, Apollo, holding his lyre, wandered aimlessly.
Apollo knew clearly that this illusion was under Alice's control, and he could roughly guess what was to come.
No doubt, it would present him with some unbearable scenario within the dream, forcing him to admit defeat here.
The truly frightening thing was always the unknown. Since he could guess what was coming, he could prepare himself mentally.
A confident smile graced Apollo's face now. No matter what story Alice had prepared, he wouldn't be afraid.
The scenery of the illusion shifted rapidly as Apollo walked on.
He remained utterly unruffled by it.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared within Apollo's line of sight.
"Hyakinthos?" Watching Hyakinthos catching fish by the river, Apollo was deeply surprised.
Unlike gods, who remained unaffected by illusions, Hyakinthos was merely a Level 3 adventurer. His spirit wasn't strong enough to resist Alice's dreamscape.
Thus, the Hyakinthos here was simply a radiant, beautiful youth.
In his current consciousness, he was just an ordinary boy living in the mountains, albeit with a rather sturdy physique.
By the river, he was catching fish for his evening meal.
When Hyakinthos spotted Apollo, his face lit up with delight.
'So, using Hyakinthos to scheme against me, are we? How amusing.' Seeing Hyakinthos like this, Apollo gave a faint smile.
Holding his lyre, he walked toward Hyakinthos.
As if meeting for the very first time.
"Hello, my name is Apollo. Would you be my friend?" Apollo's face bore a smile, one as warm and pleasant as a spring breeze.
Seeing that smile, Hyakinthos felt a stir in his heart, gazing intoxicated at Apollo's flawless features.
--+--
Alice's voice continued the tale.
"After meeting Hyakinthos, Apollo fell in love with the youth. From then on, Apollo and Hyakinthos began a happy life together."
"Hyakinthos loved hunting and sports, so Apollo accompanied him."
"When Hyakinthos went fishing, Apollo attended to him like a servant, holding the nets and leading the hounds."
"Their life together was blissful and perfect."
The gods could clearly see that the Apollo on the screen was indeed enjoying everything within the illusion.
Every member of the Apollo Familia had been chosen by Apollo himself.
And the fact that Hyakinthos had become captain showed he was Apollo's most beloved.
This joyful life, completely like that of ordinary people, was something Apollo had never experienced before. Gradually, the gods noticed that Apollo had sunk deep into the beautiful dream world woven by Alice.
Involuntarily, a chill ran through every god's heart.
There was no doubt Apollo hadn't been affected by magic. Even with their divine power sealed, gods could be gored to death by a wild boar if they weren't careful.
But illusions targeting the mind held no sway over gods.
Yet it was precisely because he should have been unaffected that Apollo's current transformation shocked them all.
How long had it been?
Had it even been half an hour?
While the gods were reeling inwardly, Alice's story pressed on.
--+--
Apollo remained perfectly aware, knowing clearly that he was in the midst of Alice's trial, that all of this was an illusion crafted by her.
But he was real. Though Hyakinthos was affected by the dream, his memories gone, he too was real.
Everything he was experiencing with Hyakinthos here in the dream was real.
"Truly… a beautiful dream," Apollo murmured, lifting his gaze to the sky. "How long has it been? An hour? Two? How I wish such happy days could last forever."
In his hand, Apollo held a discus.
In the distance, Hyakinthos shouted, "Apollo, it's your turn now! I bet you can't throw it farther than me!"
Hyakinthos's voice was brimming with delight and cheer.
Hearing it, Apollo couldn't help but smile. "As much as I love this place… it is, after all, an illusion."
"Miss Alice, I acknowledge your illusion. While you are indeed captivating, for me, Hyakinthos is truly the best match."
"I will remember your lesson deeply. In the past, I truly did neglect Hyakinthos too much."
"And not just Hyakinthos—from now on, I will treat every child in my Familia with sincerity."
Happy times always blurred one's sense of time; the hours slipped away unnoticed.
The time spent with Hyakinthos had let Apollo experience feelings he'd never known before. This joy surpassed even the thrill of seizing a desired child by any means.
Now, after who-knew-how-long of merry play with Hyakinthos, the smile on his face was filled with warmth, as if he'd been reborn anew.
Apollo decided that after playing with Hyakinthos a little longer, he would directly forfeit and concede Alice's trial.
"Apollo, what are you doing? Hurry up and throw it!"
"Coming!" Apollo's face was full of smiles.
"My actions have long been criticized by many, and the reputation of the Apollo Familia isn't very good either. For that, I am truly sorry."
"After this ends, let's strive to develop our Familia, Hyakinthos. I will work hard to make the Apollo Familia surpass even the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia."
Thinking this, Apollo hurled the discus in his hand with all his might.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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