Chapter 260

As Davos bowed respectfully to Heraclides’ bust, the people all bowed in prayer and wished they too could receive such divine favor upon death.

With the statue carried into the temple, it was already afternoon. Although the people were somewhat tired, the succession of novel, unprecedented ceremonies kept their spirits high.

Now, only one, the most important one, remained—visiting the temple for prayer and viewing.

Under Davos’s command, the soldiers maintained order, and the people consciously adhered to the order, entering the temple in successive groups…

Having gone through the previous ceremonies, Kanios’s perception of the Lord of the Underworld, Hades, had greatly improved. At this moment, he urgently wanted to enter the temple and explore its interior.

Following the crowd up the entrance steps and onto the temple platform, he saw two statues placed on either side of the temple’s main entrance: the left side held a handsome youth, carefully playing a lyre; the right side held a beautiful woman, delicately adjusting the folds of her clothing. Her eyes held a gentle smile, looking lovingly at the youth.

The two milky-white marble statues were smoothly sculpted and lifelike. The deep affection in their gaze created a harmonious atmosphere.

Kanios’s eyes lingered over the two statues until someone exclaimed, “Could this be the hero Orpheus and his beautiful wife, Eurydice?!”

Reminded by the exclamation, Kanios looked closely and found that it was indeed true, as their names were engraved on the statue pedestals.

Orpheus, the son of the Sun God Apollo and the Muse Calliope, was a legendary hero of ancient Greece, unrivaled in singing and playing the lyre. His wife, Eurydice, died from a snakebite. Orpheus, deeply in love with her, ventured into the Underworld, moving the Lord of the Underworld Hades and Queen Persephone with his beautiful singing, allowing him to take Eurydice’s soul. However, he was forbidden to look at Eurydice before leaving the Underworld, or she would be eternally trapped in the realm of the dead. Orpheus strictly kept his promise, trekking laboriously with his wife. Just as they were about to exit the Underworld, he accidentally glanced at his wife, causing Eurydice to be recaptured by the Underworld. Orpheus fell into regret, dying of sorrow.

But at this moment, the two statues did not display sadness or resentment but rather happiness and warmth.

Influenced by this emotion, Kanios stepped into the temple with a peaceful mind. What greeted his eyes were the three stone steles that had been carried into the temple earlier.

This was the Hall of Heroes, Kanios read the letters engraved on the eaves.

The Hall of Heroes was only a side hall of the temple, not very large. The four walls were decorated with colored paintings. Kanios looked closely. They mainly depicted the magnificent war scenes of the former mercenaries’ arduous journey, crossing the sea, rescuing the people, fighting the barbarians, building a new city, and founding the alliance…

Even Kanios, an outsider, couldn’t help but sigh at the difficulty of Theonia’s founding journey. But unlike the people of Theonia, he did not make a pious bow. Instead, he walked to the fire basin, bowed in salute, and then exited through the side door.

To the right was another side hall. That must be the Hall of Sages mentioned by the people earlier, and it seemed quite a few people were already pausing inside.

Kanios walked straight ahead, crossing the central doorway into the main hall of the temple.

This grand hall was over 20 meters high. As soon as a person entered, they immediately felt their insignificance. Standing directly in front of the main hall was a bronze statue over ten meters tall. Its enormous size also gave a strong sense of oppression. Fortunately, this statue of Hades did not display the fierce and hideous face of legend. Instead, it was the image of a kind and benevolent elder with a merciful appearance. Beside him leaned another statue—the beautiful Queen of the Underworld, Persephone. She lovingly held her husband’s arm, smiling at the masses. The most feared Lord of the Underworld among the Greek main gods was now in perfect harmony with his Queen, inspiring a sense of closeness.

Looking at the floor, it was paved with meticulously selected marble tiles with bright patterns, smooth as a mirror. The four walls were still adorned with colorful murals: dense forests, emerald mountains, lush green grasslands, various rare animals, immortal couples, and divine messengers. Humans also frolicked and enjoyed themselves among them, coexisting in perfect harmony… The sight was captivating. Sunlight streamed through the central skylight and the windows high up on both sides, intertwining with the bright colors inside the hall, making the grand hall even more magnificent, as if one were in a fairyland. Many Theonia citizens gazed with intoxicated eyes, murmuring, “Elysium?! This is the Elysian Fields!!…” Some even knelt in front of the sacred fire, reluctant to rise for a long time.

The soldiers maintaining order could only helplessly urge them repeatedly.

Witnessing this scene, Kanios couldn’t help but sigh: How boldly and cleverly the Theonians designed this, turning the Underworld into a paradise and a fierce god into a benevolent one! With such a warm and inviting place, why would people not come to worship!

Kanios walked out of the temple, still savoring the beautiful sights inside.

“The temple on that side is too scary! Many people don’t dare to go in!”

“No way?! This side is quite good! If the soldiers hadn’t urged me, I would have stayed inside!”

“That side… that side is completely different from this side. If you don’t believe me, go see!”

…

The people’s conversation reached Kanios’s ears. He was stunned: Another temple? That’s impossible; there’s only one building here. Could it be… that’s impossible?!…

Many people were as shocked as Kanios. Surprise was normal. After all, from ancient times, Greek city-state temples typically housed only one main god. The appearance of the statue of the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, in this temple was already a bold breakthrough, though people viewed the Queen of the Underworld as an appendage of the Lord of the Underworld, so the astonishment was not too great! But they never imagined that the designers had an even bolder approach, dividing one temple into two parts—one temple, two gods! No wonder the length of the Temple of Hades was double that of a typical temple!

Driven by strong doubt and curiosity, Kanios quickly passed through the outer corridor of the temple, supported by a dozen huge Doric columns, and reached the other side of the temple.

Indeed, there was another temple entrance here, equally bustling with people.

On both sides of the main entrance were two black stone sculptures: the ferryman of the River Styx, Charon, and the guardian of the Underworld gates, the three-headed dog Cerberus. Their ferocious appearance made Kanios’s heart tighten.

Walking into the entrance was a side hall, with the letters “Prison of the Wicked” engraved on it. In the center was the fierce statue of Thanatos, the God of Death, holding a sword. Black letters were engraved on both sides: “Traitors to the city must enter this prison! Murderers must enter this prison! Rapists must enter this prison!…”

A bloody skull was painted at the end of each sentence, sending chills down one’s spine. The murals on the four walls depicted various terrifying scenes of demons tormenting souls, which were even more gruesome.

Kanios stumbled out. The horrific sight made him quite hesitant: Should I still go inside?

At this moment, he saw “Confessional” engraved on the right side hall, with a prominent string of large characters next to it: “Repent your mistakes, and the gods will forgive!”

Kanios steadied himself and continued forward. He walked through the Confessional and entered the main hall.

This was a world of black. Black marble floor, black walls, no skylight, and no windows. Thus, there was no sunlight, only the fire basins burning in front of the statue bringing a little light to the hall. However, it did not add much warmth to the temple. Instead, the flickering flames cast shadows on everyone’s faces.

There was not just one statue in front. The ten-meter-tall statue of Hades no longer had the beautiful and gentle Queen of the Underworld beside him. He wore a black robe, held a trident, and had a majestic face. His piercing eyes seemed capable of discerning the good and evil within people.

In front of him were three eight-meter-tall statues: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus, the three judges of the Underworld. Each had a stern face. One held a scroll, one shouted fiercely, and the central one held up a scale. One pan held weights, while the other held a fresh, red heart. This was the only red object in the entire temple, but it made all the worshippers in the temple nervous and sweat profusely, as it was so conspicuous, as if asking: How is your conscience?!

Kanios stumbled out of the temple in a daze. The fresh air couldn’t relax his mood: This was simply a test of the soul!

Kanios walked down the hill, still involuntarily looking back at the magnificent temple.

People emerging from one side of the temple were smiling and cheerful; people emerging from the other side were solemn and contemplative. Heaven and Hell, diametrically opposed, yet perfectly contained within one temple. The Theonians’ ingenious conception built this peculiar temple. What impact will it have on the people of Theonia in the future!

***

In the twilight, the hustle and bustle of Thurii city had not faded. People on the streets and in the alleys were still enthusiastically discussing the day’s temple celebration, which naturally included the well-known Crystoia Restaurant.

Kanios chewed on bread and drank mutton soup while listening to their conversation.

He learned that the peculiar design of the Temple of Hades originally came from Archon Davos’s suggestion. Even every unprecedented ceremony during the celebration originated from his arrangement, further increasing his curiosity: What kind of person is the Archon of Theonia exactly?

At the ceremony, Kanios had only seen Davos from afar in front of the temple, looking very young but with extraordinary bearing. Remembering that he still hadn’t been received by this powerful Theonian figure, Kanios felt somewhat frustrated.

“May I sit here?” A person came to the opposite wooden table and asked politely.

Kanios nodded.

“One large plate of tripe!” The person shouted loudly. Not long after he sat down, steaming hot food was served. He quickly scooped a large spoonful of sauce from the clay pot on the table with a wooden spoon and put it on the plate. It was a sauce brewed from sea mollusks; the taste was strange, and Kanios wasn’t used to it, but the person opposite ate the tripe dipped in the sauce with great relish.

“Mmm, this is delicious! I haven’t had it for months. I’ve been craving it every day!” The person looked intoxicated, which brought a slight smile to Kanios’s face.

The person looked at Kanios and said, “Do you know that when the Greek mercenaries were in Persia, Davos was initially just an ordinary soldier. He conquered the palates of the other soldiers with this tripe, which attracted everyone’s attention, and he later became the leader of the mercenaries.”