Fate: I Heard After Death, You Can Ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

(Words: 3240)

"So, didn't I tell you from the start to keep things low-key?!"

The next day, after Promise and Flat settled the outcome with chess, the sun rose, the former suddenly received a call from Weber at the suburban villa.

As expected, the moment the call connected, Promise was greeted with a tirade of scolding, with a lot of colorful language included.

The powerful sound caused several nearby students to shrink their heads and quickly avert their gazes to avoid being dragged into it.

It was not until a while later that Waver, who had vented his anger, calmed down a little.

"Forget it, fortunately I had already prepared for this... So, now that you're officially the winner of this Holy Grail War, have you decided when you'll make your wish to the Grail?"

He asked with a helpless tone while rubbing his temples on the other end of the line.

"Yes, I've already decided."

Promise chuckled softly and replied, "Right now."

"Right now?"

Not only Waver but also some nearby students who had been eavesdropping were taken aback for a moment.

"Yes, because I'm actually quite looking forward to it,"

Promise said candidly.

"...I see."

Waver's voice carried a sense of emotion, along with a hint of envy.

Promise understood the source of his envy—he must have been thinking about Iskandar, the King of Conquerors.

"Then go ahead. I won't disturb you anymore… but since you're still technically my student, I expect you to prepare yourself mentally. When you return, you'll need to face the consequences of your recklessness!" Waver's tone was stern, though tinged with concern.

Even after learning Promise's true identity, Waver, who hadn't been told directly, still chose to regard Promise as his student, giving him a place at the Clock Tower—a place to belong.

"Understood, Professor,"

Promise replied softly and after those words, the line went dead.

Setting down the receiver, Promise noticed Shirou Emiya, Rin Tohsaka, and the others looking at him.

The atmosphere grew still for a moment.

"So..."

It was Rin Tohsaka, the corners of her lips curling into a mischievous smile as if a small devil's tail had appeared behind her as she teased, "Our great hero, have you decided which goddess you want to meet?"

Rin's playful words had barely fallen when the sound of suppressed laughter echoed through the villa.

By now, Promise was used to such moments, so he simply ignored them, and just smiled while speaking, "Actually, I'm also very curious to see who will come to meet me."

He was indeed filled with anticipation.

So, after exchanging a few more words with them, Promise left the villa alone, heading outside.

Walking through the dim light of dawn and the brightening sun, he strolled down the suburban path, calming his heart.

In his hands, the Holy Grail appeared, and he made his wish.

As the Grail received Promise's wish, time froze in that instant. Leaves, falling gently with the wind, halted in midair until Promise unconsciously took a step forward.

With that step, the scene before him shattered like a mirror.

As the fragments scattered, the pieces of the world were swiftly reassembled.

Promise disappeared from where he had been moments before, traversing time and arriving at a certain place in the past.

During this process, his appearance changed slightly, becoming younger and more youthful.

As he came back to his senses and looked around, Promise immediately understood where he was.

After all, everything here was far too familiar to him.

It was the place where Promise had spent three years of his life studying alongside numerous Greek heroes—the foothills of Mount Pelion, outside the cave of the centaur sage Chiron.

Teacher Chiron... No, it couldn't be him.

After a slight though, Promise quickly dismissed the thought.

Countless faces flashed through his mind, but he soon smiled, letting the speculation go.

After all, the answer was already waiting for him and he just needed to step inside to find out.

Promise entered the natural, wooden cave house crafted from ancient trees.

There, at a wooden table outside the house, he saw the goddess who had been waiting for him.

As Promise's gaze fell upon her, she lifted her amber-colored eyes, having sensed his presence.

Their eyes met.

She froze for a moment as the excitement flashed in her eyes, her hands clenched unconsciously, but she quickly calmed herself.

Then, as Promise stood there staring blankly at her, she took a deep breath and showed him the most beautiful smile as she said gently, "Promise, you're back."

"...Yes."

Promise, gradually regaining his composure, looked at the noble goddess before him and couldn't help but smile as he said, "It's been a long time, Goddess Hera."

Yes, the goddess sitting here waiting for Promise was none other than Hera, Queen of the Gods.

In Greek mythology, she was the most esteemed of all goddesses, the deity that Promise had initially believed in.

Clad in elegant, regal attire, her golden curls cascaded from beneath her crown. Her amber eyes carried the dignity of a queen, but when they rested on Promise, they were filled only with gentleness.

At this moment, Promise seemed to have grown younger, just like he was when he first secretly followed Jason down the mountain.

That youthful attire and slightly tender expression brought him back to Hera as she remembered him.

The reason Promise appeared like this now must have been because it was the version of him that was most deeply etched in Hera's memory.

"You don't seem surprised,"

Hera asked, suppressing the excitement in her heart and doing her best to appear composed as she looked at Promise, who seemed as calm as usual.

"I wouldn't be surprised no matter who answered my call... let alone you, Goddess Hera," Promise replied with sincerity.

Hearing this, Hera's smile grew even warmer.

What Promise said was true.

As long as it wasn't Hecate sitting here at this moment, he could understand even if it were the God-king Zeus or Apollo.

But for it to be Hera, one of the four goddesses whose fates intertwined with his, felt all the more fitting.

"But shouldn't you have expected it to be Athena?" Hera asked.

At her words, Promise raised his head and glanced at her, a flash of realization passing through his eyes.

He now understood which goddess had been behind the oracle—the one who had told him, "I've found you."

Promise had always known that the trial involving the Bull of Heaven and the oracle was merely a performance or mimicry by some deity.

It wasn't Athena herself.

After all, if it had truly been a trial designed by Athena, it wouldn't have been so simple.

Given her style, during the Holy Grail War, Promise would've at least been pitted against everyone, with no allies.

Within that nearly impossible trial, he would've had to find the one path to victory and create a dazzling miracle—that was the style of the goddess of wisdom.

"No, it wasn't her," Promise said, shaking his head as he replied to Hera. "In fact, I've always felt that it might be you, Goddess Hera."

Seeing the flicker of surprise in Hera's eyes, he explained, "Because of Jason and Heracles. Because of the Argo setting sail once more.

And because of the oracle Ishtar gave me... 'I've found you.'"

The reason the Argo set sail in the first place was because of Queen Hera's trial.

It represented Hera's glory, and Jason was her devout believer.

So, when Promise learned from Jason that he had once again set sail, he began to suspect that this might have something to do with Hera.

Had Hera, full of hope, always been watching over Jason?

And it was clear that Promise's guess was correct.

When Jason responded to the Holy Grail's summon and appeared before Promise, Hera had already noticed Promise at that moment.

The subsequent events in the Holy Grail War, where more and more gods were able to descend with their manifestations, were made possible because of the authority granted by Hera, the Queen of the Gods.

Hera fell into a brief silence before she smiled again.

Reaching out, she gently ruffled Promise's hair and said with a doting smile, "You really are the kind of child who can't be fooled by anything."

"No, there is one thing that truly surprised me."

Hearing this, Hera looked at him curiously but soon noticed his evasive gaze, tinged with sadness and worry.

She quickly understood what he meant so, she lowered her hand as her amber eyes fixed seriously on Promise.

"At the beginning, I was truly heartbroken and in pain,"

Hera's voice both gentle and firm.

"I never imagined that one day, you would leave me. In my heart, you were like one of my children. No in fact, far more precious than any of my children.

I was filled with hope and pride, watching you defeat Typhon, the Progenitor of All Demons, and fulfill your dreams.

"Along with the other gods, I waited for your return, eagerly anticipating the day you would become one of us. But we never thought that on that day... only Athena came back."

On that day, after Typhon, the Progenitor of All Demons, was defeated, the rebellious Titans were once again suppressed and imprisoned in the depths of the Underworld.

Atalanta and Medea, with the help of the gods, drove the Sun Chariot to bring light back to the mortal world.

Everything seemed so perfect—until Athena returned to them in tears.

"None of us could accept your departure. In our grief and rage, we even... almost threw Athena into the abyss!"

Hearing those words, Promise abruptly raised his head, looking at Queen Hera with a shocked expression.

Seeing his wide eyes and panicked reaction, Hera couldn't help but smile softly as she continued in a gentle tone, "Don't worry, we didn't throw her into the abyss. At the most critical moment, your adorable Goddess of Fate arrived.

"She told us that you weren't dead, only that you had gone to a very distant place. She swore an oath that we would meet again someday.

"Only then did we spare Athena. But..."

At this point, Hera's gaze turned reproachful.

She reached out and gently pinched Promise's cheek as she said, "You, as always, acted recklessly. Do you have any idea how devastated Athena was after you left?

"I've never seen her like that before.

Her expression was empty, and the wisdom in her eyes seemed to have disappeared. Even when she was faced with being thrown into the abyss, she didn't show any reaction.

"It wasn't until the Goddess of Fate swore her oath, promising us that we'd see you again, that her eyes regained their light."

Promise listened to all of this in a daze. To be honest, he couldn't fully process it. Even trying to imagine it, he found it difficult to picture.

After all, in his memory, that wise goddess had always been so proud and radiant, the brightest and most beautiful jewel among the gods.

"Then... how is she now..." Promise instinctively started to ask but was stopped by Hera, who raised her index finger and gently pressed it against his lips.

"Not allowed," Hera said with a teasing smile.

At this moment, there was a playful glimmer in her eyes as she looked at Promise. "If you want to know everything, you'll have to see her for yourself. After all... little Promise, you're the first person to ever make her cry."

Promise froze for a moment, then his expression grew resolute and nodded seriously toward Hera.

Afterward, his eyes shifted hesitantly as he looked at Hera, who was smiling warmly in front of him.

After some hesitation, he finally took a deep breath and asked cautiously, "Then, Goddess Hera... are you still angry with me?"

"What do you think?"

Hera couldn't help but roll her eyes at Promise, puffing her cheeks in annoyance. "Do you think I shouldn't be angry? You lied to us, deceived us... Promise, we are gods! Do you know the consequences of deceiving the gods?"

"...Yes, I know." After a moment of silence, Promise raised his head again, his eyes clear and resolute as he looked at her. "And I am prepared to face divine punishment. Otherwise... I wouldn't have come to see you."

"Are you truly prepared?"

Hera asked, her expression turning stern as she gazed at him.

When she saw Promise nod firmly, sh3 said, "Alright, then I shall grant your wish."

As her words fell, Promise braced himself to endure whatever torment the gods would inflict on him.

Instead, he saw Hera reach out her hand, placing it near his forehead, and then—

Flick!

"Alright." In Promise's stunned gaze, Hera solemnly nodded and said, "The divine punishment is over."

Pfft!

Hera tried to maintain her serious demeanor, but in the end, she couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter.

Laughing, she watched the bewildered expression on Promise's face, and could not longer supress her emotions as she gently pulled him into her embrace.

"You... at first, I truly intended to harden my heart and punish you. I even convinced myself that I should. After all, there is one thing I still hold a grudge about, even now—how you dared to choose Athena over me."

As she held the young man in her arms, the most noble goddess of ancient Greece spoke with a gentleness no one else would ever witness, her voice soft and filled with helplessness. "But when I finally found you, learned the whole truth, and saw your confusion and transformation, I realized I couldn't do it.

"You wanted, from the very beginning, to leave the best version of yourself in our memories and let 'him' truly die, didn't you?"

Promise stayed silent for a moment before nodding.

Because initially, he had indeed been afraid—afraid that once everything was over and he returned, he would no longer be the person loved by all the gods, the one who could always create miracles.

So his original plan had been to let 'him' die in the battle against Typhon, the Progenitor of All Demons, and afterward ascend to the Hall of Heroes.

In doing so, 'he' would remain in everyone's most cherished memories forever.

However, after returning and experiencing everything that had happened recently, Promise came to understand that those memories were an inseparable part of him, the life he had truly lived.

Through Jason, Hera had seen everything unfold, so, she gently stroked Promise's hair with a loving touch and said, "So, amidst my frustration and amusement, I realized you hadn't deceived us. You were simply lost and a bit tired. And... you've embarked on an entirely new journey."

Just like in the Age of Gods, Promise's journey here came to an end.

The Pegasus, with its holy wings, carried him to the next destination.

Realizing this, Hera no longer felt angry after all, he hadn't stopped moving forward, and as his goddess, Hera would, as always, continue to protect him.

What's that?

You say Athena is his goddess?

Oh, don't worry about such small details!

"In fact, when I realized you were setting off on another journey, I actually felt a bit happy, because this way, I can finally make up for the regrets of the past!"

Hearing Hera's words, Promise raised his head, looking at her in confusion.

Regrets?

"Athena held your hand and guided you to that magnificent conclusion."

"The Goddess of Fate, Clotho, accompanied you wherever you went, her shadow always present, because you continuously rewrote what was supposed to be destiny."

"The Goddess of Justice, Themis, bestowed upon you the Sword of Judgement and raised the scales of justice for you."

"All three of them perfectly fulfilled their promises to you and their roles. But... what about me?"

Having said this, Hera's gaze turned a little resentful as she looked at Promise.

Hearing her words, Promise blinked and instinctively recalled his agreement with this goddess, the so-called "role" she had.

A marriage that would involve all the gods and shock the world…

"So," Hera said with a bright smile, tightening her hold slightly to stop Promise from squirming out of her embrace. "Originally, I thought I'd wait until you became immortal before arranging a marriage for you. But I always felt that doing so wouldn't truly fulfill my duties as a goddess.

"However, now, I don't have to worry anymore.

"That child... let's happily fulfill the promise we made back then~~>"

"In the journey ahead of you, I will, as always, keep watching over you. And before your journey truly ends, I will prepare the most grand wedding for you—one that all the gods will attend!"

…Can I refuse?

Promise was a little dumbfounded but didn't dare voice his thoughts.

After all, he was really afraid that if he spoke, it would truly bring about divine punishment.

"Oh, by the way, child, let me tell you one more think. To he honest, I thought someone as clever as you would've realized it a long time ago. But it turns out that, when it comes to matters like this, you're unusually slow."

She pinched Promise's cheek lightly as he stood up, her expression filled with amusement.

Seeing the confusion in his gaze, Hera explained further, "Do you know why I've repeatedly emphasized that the wedding I'm preparing for you will be the most grand, with all the gods present to offer their blessings?"

"Do you understand why I let you go and made you choose your goddess, even though I knew you might choose Athena?"

Every time Hera mentioned Promise becoming Athena's follower, her gaze would carry a mixture of dissatisfaction, reproach, and helpless affection.

But seeing that even after such an obvious reminder, Promise still looked at her with a confused look, Hera couldn't help but sighed loudly.

"Alright, I admit it. You're truly clueless when it comes to this… No, wait. Now that I think about it, Athena is just as dense in these matters. Since you've inherited her wisdom, no wonder you've never realized it."

Ah, can this be blamed on Athena too?

Seeing how Hera had conveniently found a good excuse to him by putting the fault on Athena, Promise couldn't help but find it amusing.

"Promise, you know, don't you?"

"Athena is a virgin goddess. She swore an oath to all the gods that she would never marry and would remain pure for eternity."

Promise nodded at her words, his hand subconsciously moving to rub his neck.

Recently, because of something Hecate had said, Promise had been feeling a strange weight around his neck.

Hera didn't pay any attention to his little gesture as she smiled and her tone became teasing, "That's why I kept telling you all along—this wedding I'm preparing for you is the grandest, and all the gods will attend to bless it."

However he heard her words, initially, Promise remained as confused as ever.

After all what does his so-called grandest wedding have to do with Athena...?

But when he noticed the peculiar glint in Hera's smile, he tilted his head and started to think more seriously.

As a result, the confusion in his eyes faded, replaced by growing clarity. But that clarity quickly turned into shock, horror, and eventually, he was left in stunned disbelief as he looked back at Hera.

...Huh?!