I. Lying Cat's Travelogue
1-1
A thief tells few stories —
“The first story is titled:
'The Golden Apple? It doesn't have to go to the fairest.”
That city is named Paphas,
Where the golden light of Mnestia shines.
The Golden Apple Tree sits in the city's middle,
Only the fairest can pluck its apples.
The beauty pageant begins on time,
As the fair ones stretch their supple arms,
Trying to pluck the fruits above their heads.
Yet every time the apples come within reach,
A breeze blows the fruit away without a trace.
The audience in displeasure disbands,
With only one girl left standing there, her features bland —
Yet to her surprise she finds,
Her arms full of golden fruits, a harvest grand.
1-2
“The second story is titled:
Trying to argue? Don't trick yourself, please.”
That city is named Idilia,
Where Cerces' roots bury deep and wide.
The sophist scholar holds a tortoise aloft,
But his theories? Common sense bereft —
“Even the best athlete
could never catch up to this turtle.”
None can overturn him in arguments,
And he obtains the champion's crown in merriment.
Yet as he is about to leave,
A wind blows the tortoise in front of him.
And behold, his paradox becomes truth —
To catch up to the turtle, an entire day and night he spends.
1-3
“The third story I will tell is titled:
A competition in trickery? Who do you think is the grandmaster?
That city is named Dolos,
Where even Zagreus was once tricked.
The king promises to reward the perfect lie,
Wishing to recreate the deceit of the Titan, his grand feat.
“I think the world is a gourd!”
“In truth, we are already dead!”
The liars take their turns in the challenge,
But no one pleases the king.
With a gust of wind, the girl emerges before the king's face.
And when she leaves, she already has the king's promised gold in a pouch.
The others are curious as to what lie she raised.
“Zagreus can only tell lies,
And I am Zagreus.”
1-4
“The fourth story is called:
You like money? Good. But you must pay the price.”
That city is called Mythemis,
Where the sea breeze intoxicates the people with delight.
A wealthy penny-pincher prays to the Titan:
“Please, give me the power to turn anything into gold!”
With a breeze, the rock in his hand turns to gold.
But his joy is fleeting to behold —
For with once embrace, his wife turns into coins, scattered on the soil.
He howls at Phagousa to retract the blessing
But sees a girl in a hood in passing.
The girl laughs hilariously, holding his hand in hers.
“Go back and check your vault.
Some gold may be missing.
But your beloved is right there, waiting.
1-5
“Cifera, you took another long journey.”[1]
“And we want to hear… Your fun stories!”[2]
The girl with the hood dangles her feet in the bath,
As two coins dance and fly between her fingers.
“Basically, I visited four places.
Tricked them to my heart's content… And came back fully rewarded.”
The girl pauses her words and looks out the window,
As the light above the Titan's shoulder casts her right cheek aglow.
“The dawn will never cease, and the Thief Star wanders in foreign lands.
How would you know that I am not lying right now?”