Half an hour later, the hunters returned laden with their spoils. Both teams piled their catches onto the clearing.
Samael, Chiron, and Themis surveyed the scene, scoring each team based on wound location and depth, weapon proficiency, residual Ether intensity, and prey tier, then tallied the results.
Initially, both teams were neck-and-neck. But when the centaur sage noticed that one of Athena's team's does had a slightly swollen belly and its entire skeleton was crushed, he frowned and marked a large red X on the parchment, deducting ten points. Samael and Themis, observing this, nodded in agreement.
Ultimately, victory went to Ana's Team Two. As their reward, they were exempt from preparing lunch, free to lie back and await the meal.
Group One's gaze shifted to the Hydra in the center. Unable to control its strength and savagery, the creature drooped its head, its expression gloomy and remorseful, letting out a plaintive whine. Athena gently stroked the smooth, cool head of the young creature, offering a hint of comfort. Then she raised her right hand and looked at Chiron.
"Teacher Horse, bloodlust is Hydra's true nature. In this era, slaughter and competition are the norm. Shouldn't destruction and combat prowess be the more crucial factors in evaluation?"
"I fail to understand why restraint toward prey has become the standard for scoring."
The Goddess of Wisdom then glanced at the bow and arrows in the centaur sage's hands, her lips parting in contemplation.
"Moreover, since you intended to kill that stag anyway, this notion of 'putting it out of its misery' strikes me as rather absurd."
"As descendants of the Titans, combat and slaughter are the very foundation of our survival. To restrain our power and flaunt so-called mercy—is that not profoundly hypocritical?"
Though outwardly silent, the flickering gazes and furrowed brows of the assembly spoke volumes. Compared to most mortals in this world, they were terrifyingly powerful, standing high above all. Disposing of these weak lives was as simple as crushing an ant. Why should they shackle themselves, burdened by so many considerations?
Chiron gently stroked the longbow in his hands, gathering his thoughts. His expression grew solemn, his voice deep and measured.
"I was abandoned by my parents at birth, learning to survive entirely through nature."
"Thus, I know well that beneath nature's seemingly tranquil and gentle surface lies a world drenched in blood and strewn with bleached bones."
"Truthfully, the entire world facilitates competition. Nature's metals can be forged into weapons, plants become tools, animals provide the Ether our bodies require..."
"Thus, in nature's competition, I neither oppose nor condemn killing—I even advocate and encourage it."
"But remember: I support only rational, necessary killing—not senseless, rampant slaughter!"
The centaur sage paused, pressing his hands down. The students obediently sat on the grass, patiently lifting their heads to listen.
"Simply put, to satisfy hunger and learn hunting basics, I can shoot that stag without a shred of guilt."
"I killed it, and it will provide us with hide and flesh. Its discarded entrails, buried in the soil, will nourish future flowers and grasses."
"Everything nature bestowed upon it, through our hands, returns to nature—this is the sacred refrain of life."
"We won't sentimentalize this natural cycle with talk of gratitude or praise, but at the very least, we can refrain from tormenting these creatures, ease their suffering, and avoid squandering the gifts they leave behind."
The students sat on the ground, listening and thinking as they always did. Each formed their own understanding of Chiron's act of freeing the stag. This is not hypocrisy, but respect for nature, respect for life, and respect for oneself.
Therefore, in the struggle for survival, killing and plundering are permissible. But wielding force to inflict senseless cruelty upon other lives is profoundly foolish.
"Furthermore, why expend effort to select prey? Let me explain."
Themis broke a branch from the tree trunk she leaned against, smiling as she walked gracefully forward.
"Your purpose is merely to satisfy hunger. Young cubs and pregnant mothers can perpetuate their species, endlessly supplying fur and flesh."
"Our bloodline's gifts certainly place us at the apex of the natural ecosystem, allowing us to take whatever we desire from the Cilician Marshes."
"But brute force is not omnipotent. Our unrestrained exploitation will inevitably provoke fiercer retaliation."
"Take the man-faced spiders, nearly driven to extinction by your hunting—a prime example."
At this amusing anecdote, the Typhon's children—all of whom had savored the delicacy of roasted spider legs—couldn't help but grin knowingly, still nostalgic for that exquisite flavor. Observing her students' reactions, the Goddess of Justice nodded silently. She then pursed her lips thoughtfully, preparing to delve into deeper truths.
"Indeed, in Greece, we are far mightier than most living beings.
The powers and divine strength inherited through our bloodline grant us dominion over vast territories, placing us above countless species. To torment them takes nothing more than the flick of a wrist.
Perhaps, no matter how excessive our actions, we need never fear retribution.
But precisely because of this, we must learn to restrain our arrogance and recklessness!
To hold goodwill toward this world, to exercise necessary restraint against violence, to preserve respect for all life—only then will you be worthy of the Titan blood flowing through your veins, and only then will you fulfill the expectations we hold for you."
As she spoke with grave sincerity, Themis's gaze, soft as the morning light, swept gently across her students through the veil that covered her eyes.
"You are fortunate, born already at the summit, with the world as your pasture.
Yet at the same time, you bear the duty of restraining your beastly nature and protecting your domain."
In that moment, the Goddess of Justice recalled words once spoken by one of her own teachers—remarks that had struck her deeply at the time. She murmured them now as her conclusion.
"Divine power, bestowed at birth.
Divine duty, from beginning to end.
The world may not become more beautiful because of your existence, but neither should it become worse because of you."
To recall such offhand words in this kind of setting... seems you still haven't reached your limit.
The ancient serpent's lips curled into a crooked smile.
Sensing the teasing gaze behind her, Themis's body stiffened, her cheeks flushing faintly. She turned her head, and a trace of reproach flickered in her eyes.
Finished lecturing? Can we eat now?
The harpy, always most concerned with her three daily meals, perked up the instant she saw the Goddess of Justice step down. The tuft of feathers on top of her head shot straight up, quivering with excitement.
"Uh, next, I'll just say a few words..."
Hearing that all-too-familiar tone used for every closing summary, Harpy's vision went dark, and she nearly collapsed on the spot.
...
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