The winter should arrive before long.
The blowing cold wind mercilessly froze the bodies of the humans. Furthermore when summer came, this land would completely change into intense heat.
Dry wind would strongly blow wildly for the whole year constantly──.
It was that kind of desolate land.
「O the radiant Apollo.」
Goddess Athena asked with a lovely and dignified voice.
While she had the appearance of a maiden in her teen, she possessed a cold majesty.
「This is your destination……is that right?」
「Yes. I should add that after all this is only the 『first place』 though.」
The one who answered with a ruffian smile was a muscular and handsome young man.
A crown of bay laurel was decorating his lovely golden curly hair. He was the dandy who was the pride of Greek mythology and the sun god, Apollo himself.
Right beside him, the goddess of wisdom and war Athena narrowed her eyes.
The daughter of Zeus wasn't staring at the sun god, but to a 『picture of animals』.
「This place was a shrine at the faraway past wasn't it?」
「And then, it was also a village where humans were living. That was if you traced back for around ten thousand years from now.」
What the two gods were staring at──
It was a line drawing that was carved on a huge rock.
A herd of buffalo, a herd of deer, a herd of horse, dolphin, wolf, goat, panther, and so on. Diversed animals were drawn on the surface of rock with a very simple method.
It was a rock wall.
Rocky mountains were assembled at the center of a wasteland with nice visibility, forming a gorge.
And then, animals and humans were drawn here and there on the rock surface of this area──.
Humans singing and dancing, humans hunting with bow and arrow.
This land was 『by the side of sea』, it seemed that in the ancient time this area was also at the bottom of the sea. The name of the place seemed to be Gobustan.
But, Athena and Apollo who were gods didn't pay any care about that.
By the way, they were also accompanied by a human.
Princess Cassandra. The princess of Troia royalty was staring at the numerous line drawing with blank eyes.
Her beautiful purple eyes were reflecting animal picture that had deep charm despite its simplicity.
However, Cassandra didn't say anything. She was only staring at the beasts that were drawn on the rock surface without doing anything else. Her emotion also didn't surface outside at all.
Also, all of them were wearing outfit with ancient style.
They were dressed like in mythology while being on earth of the first half of 21st century.
Apollo was wearing a red mantle, golden gauntlets, and silver bow. He asked Athena who was wearing a green robe and carrying a staff.
「Zeus's daughter. In what way you intend to destroy this surface world?」
「It ought to be destroyed with great flood.」
Athena instantly answered with a severe tone.
「That is natural. After all that is the promised demise of the world.」
「Hmm. That's different from my opinion.」
「What? Then Phoebos, let me hear your opinion.」
「It ought to be destroyed with great fire.」
「Foolish. One day when the time comes, the great flood will surely arrive, but even with the eyes of I the goddess of wisdom, I still cannot see the sign of the great fire.」
「What. If this Apollo call for the great fire of inescapable destruction──then that's what will happen.」
Athena shook her head hearing the boating of the sun god.
「You are certainly a mighty god. You're the one who illuminate the world and the humans with the light of the dazzling sun. However, you aren't the bringer of flame that will bring about the destruction of the world.」
「Only right now. But, I can become something like that.」
「……Hou?」
Athena grinned at Apollo's implicative reply.
「I see. So you're searching for your birthplace because of that. Very well, in that case let's join the destruction of water with the destruction of fire. That'll be also suitable for this polluted world.」
「I'm humbled by your discernment. As expected from the princess of Metis who is overflowing with wisdom.」
He hadn't explained anything, but Athena was easily convinced.
Apollo smiled at her wisdom that was exactly like in the myth, and then, her gaze turned toward Princess Cassandra who still hadn't said even a word.
「Now then, I'll have you prove your usefulness soon.」
Troia's cursed prophet. The beautiful princess who was once Apollo's priestess.
Reasoning had been stolen temporarily from Cassandra. It was Apollo who invited her to the mental state of half awake and half asleep. It was for the sake of drawing out her power.
He whispered into the ear of the Trooia princess who was still in a trance.
「Princess. The people who drew the drawing of animals──no, the 《holy gods》 in this land after that sought for new land that they still hadn't seen and departed. Some went to the west, some went to the east, and some other went to the south.」
Cassandra didn't say anything. But, light was dwelling inside her eyes that were staring on the drawing.
「They didn't know how to work with bronze, let alone iron. They were people who shaved rock to create tool and weapon. Through several thousand years, these people advanced to the east and the west. In other words this land was none other than the original homeland that gave birth to many civilizations and gods. That was the homeland of this Apollo, Hyperborea──」
「Can you see the situation of that country, princess?」
「Oo Hyperborea. The land yonder of the north wind. You are the country of the everlasting spring. The light of that land will never come to an end, continuing to illuminate the heaven and earth for eternity. Oo Hyperborea. O homeland of Apollo, the god of far shooting, the owner of silver bow. The path to arrive to that country, no one has any hope to go through it──」
Apollo sang in praise of his birthplace.
His was a beautiful voice even at the normal time, but when he sang his voice sounded even more beautiful.
If humans listened to it, they would cry with river of tears from feeling moved. Cassandra who monopolized that song was──
Silent even now.
However, her eyes were emitting strong golden light.
The prophet Cassandra now shouldn't be seeing the drawing drawn on the rock anymore, but a different scenery. Yes. The land that gave birth to the sun god Apollo──
「…………I, saw」
The lovely lips of Troia princess whispered with a hoarse voice.
「Sea……blue sea that is spreading without end……a lot of islands……torn apart life and reborn life……the holy land where the heroes of salvation gather……」
「Good work, princess.」
The instant Apollo extolled her, Cassandra's knees crumbled powerlessly.
She ran out of strength and fell. The sun god's tough right arm quickly caught the body of the prophet. Athena was staring at that with admiring look.
「That's quite the plan, o radiant one.」
「So you've guessed it. The wisdom eyes of Athena are truly terrifying.」
「The legend that imparted the definite location of Hyperborea isn't remaining in this era. But, these drawings are gods, legends that were drawn by the people of that country. How do they change later on──if Princess Cassandra, a prophet is made to have a vision of the 『future』……」
「That will become the 『key』 to open the gate to the sanctuary. Well, I myself have the authority of foresight but……」
「Well, I myself am a god who possess the authority of foresight but……」
「You are Apollo, the heaven sent child of reasoning. You have no hope of reaching the state of trance like this and obtain the oracle inside your dream. You kidnapped Princess Cassandra is for this.」
「Everything is exactly as you say. Well then, let us depart.」
In order to bring about destruction to the polluted surface world.
Apollo proclaimed the resumption of their journey with a beautiful voice without equal.
「To the second destination. Our journey has only began.」
Sun god Apollo.
In Greek mythology, his birthplace was considered to be Delos Island.
Leto, the mother of Apollo and moon goddess Artemis quietly gave birth at an island with a lot of boulders floating at Aegean Sea──furthermore she was doing it hidden in the depth of the earth.
The father of the twins was the god king Zeus. She gave birth there in order to escape from the rage of Zeus's legal wife Hera.
Right after he was born, Apollo grew to become a strong young man. And then he killed the monster Python that was nesting in the holy land Delphi with his bow.
Spurred by that momentum, Apollo appeared before Zeus.
The gods unanimously praised him──.
That was the tale of Apollo's birth. However there was a strange tale. Before he appeared at Olympus Mountain where Zeus was at, he was living for a year at the land that was called Hyperborea……was what the tale said.