CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION

The tavern was silent. There were a couple of tables where men were playing and gambling, with drachmas, food, and even a chicken. Yes, even a chicken.

Behind the bar, a blonde girl was cleaning some mugs, absorbed in her task, not noticing the arrival of new customers. Feeling watched, she lifted her gaze and saw the trio that had just entered. When she saw them, she smiled, but her face immediately turned into a frown when she noticed Erianthe's condition: blood-stained clothes and a bandage on her head.

Without hesitation, the girl stopped what she was doing and stormed out from behind the bar in fury. To Hades, her expression reminded him of one of the harpies, except for how voluptuous and stunning she was. "Hashi-Baba, she's stunning. That girl could give Aphrodite a run for her money!" Hades thought, now understanding the tavern's password.

The most curious thing was that, despite the girl's fiery gaze and exuberant appearance, she wore a black eye patch covering her left eye.

"You're an idiot," she said as she got closer and closer.

The three guys looked at her nervously because they knew she was mad—really mad. And bam! The girl punched Patroclus, knocking him to the ground in one swift blow. "What the hell happened to Eri? You were supposed to take care of her at that damn quarry!"

"Whoa, Ilena, you should try not to draw attention, or you'll spark the curiosity of the people here, or worse, you'll expose us."

"Seriously? You just called me by my name." Ilena shot Tadd a death glare.

"Oops, sorry, should I call you Miss Boo— ?"

"Finish that sentence, and you'll end up like Pat."

"Yes, ma'am. At your service!"

The girl turned to look at Eri, who was stunned and worried about whether Patroclus was still breathing.

"Eri! What happened to you?" The blonde threw herself at her, wrapping her in an overly enthusiastic hug that nearly suffocated her. "They're nuts," Hades thought as he watched the scene, already convinced that Hercules' daughter's friends were a bit insane.

"Mhm! Mhm!."

"Huh?"

At that moment, Patroclus got up:

"You're such a brute. Let her go, or you'll end up suffocating her!"

"Sorry, Eri, I didn't realize! Sometimes, I get too enthusiastic."

"It's okay, no problem. But don't worry, I'm fine."

"A manticore tried to eat her."

"WHAT?"

"But at last, it didn't eat me. I'm fine, and I'm standing here in front of all of you. So, let's drop the topic," Erianthe said, clearly annoyed. Yes, a manticore had attacked her, but luckily, she survived—though it was thanks to her personal stalker who had saved her.

"Alright, alright. So, what brings you here? Are you here for a drink? You know, I managed to get some Herculade," said Ilena, knowing how much they loved the drink, especially the guy with the crutches.

"Herculade? Pour me one. It's been a whi-"

"Guys!" Patroclus interrupted. "We need to focus. The High Priestess showed up at the hospital."

At that statement, Ilena was taken aback. She knew that the presence of the palace's High Priestess was never a good sign, especially when everyone knew she was an excellent oracle. The blonde turned to look at Erianthe, who had lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see her face—a mix of sadness and anger.

Even though she tried to hide it, her expression didn't go unnoticed by those present, especially Ilena and Hades. The latter remembered how sad the kid had been when she thought about her foolish father. He even noticed how the lively sparkle in her blue eyes had faded. The High Priestess had struck a nerve, hitting her where it hurt the most.

"What did that witch do?" Ilena broke the silence that had formed.

"She said she'd make a good courtesan for the king, but the worst part is that she knew who she was—she knew she's the daughter of…"

"Shhh, Pat, you need to be more careful. Let's go behind the bar and talk about it there, so no one overhears us," the barmaid suggested.

The tavern was large, with a decent distance between the bar and where the customers were sitting. The customers who came to the tavern were people seeking refuge, cheaper—or even free—food, and an escape from what was happening on the surface. Many also came looking for a certain group of people.

The mixed group was opposed to the tyranny of King Licario, the current ruler. Licario was not the legitimate heir to the throne, but the brother of the previous king who had left to fight in the war along with the men recruited from across the region.

The former king, King Leandro, believed his brother would serve well in his place, as the throne had to remain in the hands of men and his sons were still too young and inexperienced to take the throne. So, he left his brother Licario in charge of the throne and entrusted him with the supervision and education of his two sons. But it was a terrible mistake.

Licario quickly disposed of his obstacles, starting with the queen, Dione, who suddenly became very ill and died as a result of her illness. The princes were devastated by this. They accused their uncle of poisoning the queen, but he simply condemned them as traitors. In response to their accusations, the two princes disappeared, though rumors say they escaped from their uncle, as he intended to kill them.

And so, the current king had free rein to do as he pleased. Naturally, there were people who opposed him—most ended up dead or imprisoned—but there was one group that always remained in the shadows, making life extremely difficult for the king. This group was known as the Children of the Revolution, the sons, and daughters of those seeking revenge for the hell the ambitious king had made them live through.

Their headquarters and main base of operations was the tavern, where they gathered to discuss how to sabotage the king. But the main topic of conversation was always the plan to overthrow the king, and, in fact, part of the group was about to meet behind the bar to discuss this very plan.

"Okay, let me get this straight," said the blonde. "That bitch went to the hospital, saw you, and told you, you'd make a good courtesan, and moreover, she knows who you are." Erianthe nodded, and Ilena continued, "Well, holy crap. We're screwed!"

"Watch your language, Ilena."

"Oh, come on, Pat, I'm old enough to swear," and she was right—she was the oldest of the group. "It's not like we're in a children's play… puny."

"What did you just call me?"

"Enough!" Eri shouted. "Stop arguing. Ilena, the truth is, this could be a good opportunity to get into the palace. In six months, we could end all of this. I just need to become his courtesan, and then, and then…"

"No, Eri! No! He could kill you."

"We'd take the palace before that happens. I know how to defend myself. I…"

"The first thing the king does is violate his courtesans! Is that what you want? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself like that?"

"Better to sacrifice one person than to continue to live as if we were in Tartarus." SMACK! The sound of Ilena's slap echoed through the entire tavern. Silence fell. The customers stopped their games and stared at the bar, while the guys looked at both girls—Eri, on the verge of tears, and Ilena, fuming again.

Erianthe reacted and stormed out from behind the bar toward a door nearby. Ilena followed her, feeling guilty for reacting that way, but she needed to make her realize how risky this was, not just for the plan but because she couldn't let Eri sacrifice herself—she just couldn't.

She found her sitting in a corner. Her hair covered her face, but Ilena knew perfectly well that she was crying. She approached her until Eri lifted her head and looked at her. Her gaze stopped Ilena in her tracks—it was a look full of pain, frustration, and… fear? Yes, fear.

"Eri, I…"

"No, Ilena! Listen to me. You know as well as I do that the situation in Thebes is about to explode. People are dying, everything we've known, everything our parents built, is going to vanish. I'm not going to—no, we're not going to let Thebes fall."

Ilena stared at her. When had Eri matured so much? Well, to be fair, she had always been quite mature, but here she was, determined to overthrow the king, no matter the cost. She had to admit it—it was their last option.

"You're right."

"What?"

"I said you're right. We'll start planning around your entrance into the palace."

"Really? I thought that slap and your speech back there. I thought you were going to oppose me more, honestly. Maybe even beat me up to change my mind."

"Oh, kiddo. I can be rough and foul-mouthed, but above all, I'm your friend, and I love you, Eri. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"I don't doubt it. Come on, get up. Let's train a bit; you look like you need to hit someone. Plus, you'll need to defend yourself when you're in the palace. But I'm only going to ask you this once: Are you sure about all of this? About having to sleep with the king?"

"Yes, if that's what it takes."

"It's not going to be pleasant, Eri; believe me, I know. Remember, I was in your position once. Back then, we thought it was best for my brother Egan to be the palace liaison. But when I got into the palace, instead of the king taking me, it was a guard. He caught me by surprise, and because of that, I was nearly executed for being impure. Luckily, I managed to escape, though I lost an eye in the process. So, let's train, in case you need to break someone's face."

"Hahaha, you're right. Let's train."

Hades watched them as they trained. What was happening with these mortals? He was astonished. The gods of Olympus were ignoring this precarious situation, which was so convenient for him—except for the fact that the daughter of Jerkules was about to sacrifice herself to save the people of the city. How heroic of her, but it disgusted him. Mortals killing each other benefited his business, but the girl. He was about to ruin the plan. Erianthe wouldn't be able to get into the palace, and instead…

"Girls!" Patroclus burst into the room. "Stop what you're doing. Eri has to leave the city immediately. They're conducting raids in the eastern district."

At that remark, the girls stopped, and Ilena rushed out of the room. Eri could hear her giving instructions to the men who had been playing cards while Tadd entered the room.

"Eri, come with me. I'll take you through a safer passage." They quickly set off, but not before she glanced back to see Patroclus standing at the door, looking at her with sadness. He nodded and then disappeared behind the tavern door.

Tadd led her down a hallway to a trapdoor. Eri didn't recognize the place, but she wasn't going to argue—he knew the underworld like the back of his hand. The boy turned, looked at Eri, and pulled a scroll from his tunic.

"Take this. When you can, read it. It's the plan. Memorize it, and then burn the scroll. Make sure you memorize everything."

"Alright, Tadd. I'll do it. Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Eri." And with that, the boy on crutches hugged her. "You're our only hope, our only light. Now, hold your nose, or water will get in."

"What? Wait, Tadd, don't tell me you—"

She didn't have time to finish the sentence. Tadd opened the trapdoor right beneath Eri's feet, and before you could say "muse," she fell into the void. A scream echoed through the hallway.

"See you in six months, Captain and Founder of the Children of the Revolution!"

Hi everyone, it's me again! I've decided to continue translating the story, so I can stay in sync with the original, and you can enjoy it in English as well.

I might be updating another chapter later today.

There are 15 chapters in total, so my plan is to translate the remaining ones over the next week. As I write each new chapter, I'll update it and translate it right away. Both versions will be available at the time.

Thanks for your support, and for continuing to read it.

Please don't forget to review. Having feedback from all of you will be great.