"I don't mind. It's fun to get out and just do something with your hands sometimes. Just physical work that doesn't need a lot of thinking." There's so much going on around camp lately that could fry a person's brain if they let it, so it was kind of a relief to concentrate on those things he didn't need to think about. Even the Greek activities like the climbing wall of death and learning to ride pegasi were good for that, he'd found. If it was physical, he didn't need to concentrate on it too much.

But he couldn't help her with her question. Ven's not entirely sure either, and at first he shrugs in confusion, but - well, something does kind of make sense to it. "I guess... it's just cultural, really. The Greeks always made a big deal out of heroes in the old days, being the first or the strongest or the quickest or whatever, so they're still thinking like that. I mean, the Spartan women used to tell their sons to return with their shield or on it. Us Romans had heroes, but there was always a lot more emphasis on working as a unit and integrating, making everything Roman as much as they could. When you hear about Rome in mortal history you hear about all the political stuff and the emperors and conquering other nations, not quests and everything like that. I guess they figure that if the demigod's good enough, they'll learn everything they can here, then they'll get out in the world and be a kind of modern-day hero. And those that don't, they weren't meant for it in the first place, probably."