Dionysus

"Not having a heart is a very painful thing; much of the joy in this world requires a heart to feel it."

The old man bent one of his legs, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"You don't even drink alcohol, so you have even less fun."

"Once you've tasted better wine, you naturally won't think about drinking this kind," Shaya said.

"Oh?" The old man turned his head, looking at Shaya with interest. "What kind of wine have you drunk?"

Shaya also found a wine barrel to lean against, watching him and saying, "The wine brewed by the God of Wine, Dionysus."

The old man clearly paused, but then he burst into laughter, laughing heartily.

"Then you must have gotten very drunk."

"Not really, I didn't drink much."

But the old man raised a finger and waved it, saying earnestly, "All wine brewed by the God of Wine is intoxicating; wine that isn't intoxicating is definitely not brewed by the God of Wine."

Shaya said with great interest, "Is it that absolute?"

"Do you know why the God of Wine is also the God of Theatre?" the old man asked.

"Why?" Shaya replied cooperatively.

"Due to Hera's jealousy and persecution, Dionysus lived a life of wandering. Although the days of escape and wandering were painful, they also brought him infinite joy, excitement, intoxication, and ecstasy.

And what brought him these was wine."

He looked at the celebrating crowd around them and said joyfully, "Life is a tragedy, and the greatest tragedy lies in its lack of ultimate foundation.

Human birth and existence are meaningless, but life's courage to embrace its own meaninglessness without becoming despondent or declining is precisely life's pride!

And getting drunk is such an experience; it confronts pain directly, yet finds joy within that pain, achieving a tragic intoxication.

Shedding traditional constraints and returning to a primal state, humans find immense joy in life amidst the desperate cries of despair as the individual disappears and merges with the world.

This is the pleasure of drinking!"

The old man's intoxication deepened, "Dionysus would absolutely never make uninteresting things like non-intoxicating wine!"

Shaya was also watching the celebrating people around him. He recalled the scene of everyone singing together just now, and he could now understand what the old man meant.

It wasn't pessimism, because it praised life; it wasn't optimism either, because it accepted suffering.

It was very similar to Zhuangzi's "Free and Easy Wandering," forgetting everything, enjoying life's pleasures, turning inward, pursuing freedom and transcendence.

Although the old man hadn't explicitly stated it, he also understood why the God of Wine was also the God of Theatre.

This spirit could be summarized in one sentence: to laugh at all tragedies.

"Go, go and revel!"

The old man grinned, his face flushed, "Even those without a heart can enjoy the joy of the God of Wine Festival!"

Shaya felt a force pushing him into the celebrating crowd, and a large goblet of wine appeared in his hand at some point.

Alicia was also in the crowd, her shoes gone at some point, her bare feet treading on the damp ground as she jumped excitedly, raising her wine glass high and shouting loudly.

Arthur was entangled by several dancers dressed like nymphs of forests and waters. They grabbed Arthur's hands and led him in dancing around the bonfire, and he seemed to be enjoying it.

He silently raised the wine in his hand and took a sip. The rich aroma of the wine bloomed in his mouth, creating an urge to keep drinking.

It was exactly the same as the wine from the God of Wine that Sebas had given him before.

The old man's identity seemed to be revealed.

According to Sebas, the vast majority of the gods had fallen into slumber, but some gods were still alive, including the missing God of Wine, Dionysus.

Shaya took several large gulps and quickly noticed the difference from the wine he had drunk before; its after-effects were stronger, and he was already feeling a bit dizzy.

But for some reason, he felt exceptionally joyful mentally.

At some point, Alicia came to his side and took his hand. Her face was flushed, reeking of alcohol, and a smile involuntarily played on her lips.

The palace was a very oppressive place, where Alicia couldn't even easily express her emotions.

Once released, these suppressed emotions became exceptionally turbulent.

"Come on! Shaya!"

She pulled Shaya into the crowd, cheering excitedly, jumping in place with the crowd, screaming and roaring loudly.

Pulled by her, Shaya also joined the revelry, his gaze fixed on the happily jumping Alicia.

If the Alicia he first met was a flower on a high mountain, unapproachable, with an ethereal nobility, then at this moment, she was like a newly bloomed red rose, passionate and fiery.

As if sensing Shaya's gaze, Alicia also looked at him, their eyes meeting.

Looking at his face, which was much calmer compared to the hysteria around them, a large amount of dopamine was released in her brain, shaking her reason.

"Shaya!"

She shouted his name excitedly and loudly.

"I love you!!!"

Shaya raised an eyebrow slightly, the corners of his mouth curving into a barely perceptible arc, but he didn't respond. He quietly watched her, seeing through her disguise to the depths of her soul.

A moment later, he said with a teasing tone.

"What did you say? I couldn't quite hear you!"

Because it was so noisy all around, Shaya subconsciously raised his voice.

"I said..."

Alicia took a deep breath and then shouted with all her might.

"I love you!!!"

The surrounding crowd seemed to quiet down for a moment due to the sudden shout, but it was brief.

Then, there were even more enthusiastic cheers and screams.

"Oooooohhhh!!!!"

Alicia also shouted excitedly, waving the wine in her hand.

Shaya just watched her quietly, a gentle smile on his face, his eyes as tranquil as the night also holding a hint of amusement.

The revelry continued until the sun rose the next day, though Shaya and the others returned earlier because Alicia had gotten drunk and collapsed onto Shaya around one or two in the morning.

In the latter half of the revelry, Shaya understood all too clearly why this kind of festival had been banned.

People were venting their emotions without restraint, shedding all their inhibitions. While gaining joy, they also unleashed their inner desires and darkness.

The latter half of the revelry was practically synonymous with chaos.

Of course, the townspeople were experienced, so there were still some sober administrators nearby maintaining order.

Although the spirit of Dionysus was very similar to carefree wandering, it possessed self-destructive desires, becoming even more unrestrained and frenzied.

When Shaya rescued Arthur from the crowd of dancers, he had a confused look on his face, covered in lipstick marks.

Indeed, as Foster had said, this was definitely not a place for children.

While drunkenness could indeed vent emotions, on the other hand, as long as one didn't drink to the point of neural paralysis, the memories of this drunkenness would actually remain in their minds.

Many people who claimed to not remember anything after getting drunk simply didn't want to recall it, and sometimes, people's memories of their drunken state could even be incredibly clear.

Alicia, waking up the next morning, proved this point.