Chapter 64: Poseidon doesn’t like Greek and Roman mythology

Chapter 64: Dionysus (8)

When Dionysus arrived at the main gate marked [Charybdis’s Thrilling Amusement Park], the light surrounding him quickly faded.

“…….”

Unlike the bustling plaza from earlier, this place was completely empty.

There were no people, no animals, and not even the birds that had been flying in the sky.

Tensing up at the completely different atmosphere, Dionysus opened the building’s door and stepped inside.

Creak—

“Is anyone here?”

The first thing to greet Dionysus was a snake mascot made of the same plush material as the rabbit mascot he had seen at the entrance.

— It’s been a while since we’ve had a guest. Nice to meet you.

The snake mascot had been sitting in a chair reading a newspaper, but upon seeing Dionysus enter, it welcomed him warmly.

Compared to the rabbit mascot earlier, this one seemed younger, with a notably high-pitched voice.

If one only listened, it sounded like a young boy with a clear, beautiful tone.

“Yes, nice to meet you. This ticket said I should come here.”

Dionysus showed his ticket.

The snake mascot nodded without even checking it, as if it already knew.

— Yup, I’ll explain everything, so wait just a bit. There’s someone—well, some thing—else who noticed the weirdness here besides you.

At those words, Dionysus nodded, feeling a small flicker of hope.

If we cooperate, maybe we can escape this place.

After about ten minutes, the old hinges groaned as the door opened.

Dionysus turned toward the entrance, curious about who he might be working with.

Thump… thump…

Heavy footsteps echoed as an otter beastman entered.

The beastman had well-kept, glossy, dark-blue fur, a cute otter face, and a necklace made of seashells.

But the most striking thing was the large, gruesome scar carved across its abdomen—as if something had once pierced straight through its belly.

This was the first time Dionysus had ever seen an otter beastman, but he instinctively nodded.

Of course—among aquatic mammals who could travel both land and sea, otters were tied with beavers as one of the most popular beastman species in Greece.

Their cuteness was practically a weapon.

I wonder if I can touch that fur at least once…?

But that thought was instantly shattered.

“Where is this place? Human, can you explain?”

The moment the otter beastman opened its mouth, everyone fell silent.

Because that voice was…

A deep, echoing bass that sounded like it belonged in a cave—completely mismatched with its adorable appearance!

“…….”

“What? Are you the kind who can’t speak? Well, that can’t be helped.”

“…….”

“Hey, then you—Mr. Snake. I’d appreciate an explanation. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

— Ah… yes, yes. Explaining is my job, so of course I will.

While Dionysus was still stunned by the otter’s unfittingly deep voice, the snake mascot remembered its professionalism.

With a flick of its tail, it used magic to conjure a large floating screen, instantly preparing for a presentation.

— Ahem. Then I’ll begin the explanation. If anything’s unclear, feel free to ask any time.

According to the snake mascot’s explanation, this was Charybdis’s amusement park, a place filled only with things the goddess personally enjoyed.

As the eldest daughter of Poseidon, Charybdis had lived a long time, yet was still very young.

Whether it was because she inherited the blood of overwhelmingly powerful gods… or for another reason entirely, no one knew.

— Hehe, and since she’s still a child, she gets bored very easily. That’s why the energy powering this place comes from the visitors like you.

— And here’s the important part: our mascots must keep this park lively and fun at all times, so that Charybdis will always stay interested.

— Do you understand what that means? This amusement park must never become dull or quiet.

— No matter what…!

The snake mascot, cheerful until now, suddenly shifted to a chilling expression. Its voice grew sharp and hissing, raising goosebumps on Dionysus’s skin.

Dionysus tried to ask something, unnerved by the sinister tone, but—

“That’s enough useless chatter. What does any of this Charybdis nonsense have to do with me? Just tell me how to get what I want.”

The otter’s words—so unhinged despite its cute appearance—left the room frozen.

Of course, Dionysus was horrified, but there was nothing he could do.

The otter beastman had already said everything far too bluntly to take it back.

A crazy human—no, a crazy beastman.

What if the snake mascot got offended and attacked…?

Fortunately, the snake mascot did not attack despite the rude remarks.

But even though it was made of cloth and stuffing, Dionysus could practically see its vein popping.

This is insane…

— …Fine. I suppose there are creatures like you too. But let me warn you—don’t run your mouth carelessly. I won’t be responsible for what happens otherwise.

“You needn’t worry about that. I can handle myself.”

— …….

As the snake mascot fell silent, Dionysus made up his mind.

He didn’t know who—or what—this otter beastman was, but one thing was clear:

He needed to stay far, far away from him.

Yep. Time to cancel my earlier plan.

Grrrk—

How a plush mascot produced the sound of grinding teeth, Dionysus had no idea, but he heard it clearly.

He even caught the snake mascot muttering under its breath:

[Damned… why can’t I just eat creatures like that?]

“…….”

— …Haa. I’ll continue the explanation. What I’m giving you now is the user guide for the amusement park. It lists the places where you can obtain what you want. Each section and attraction has mascots like me. You can pay an appropriate price… or offer something else in exchange to receive what you seek.

Despite being interrupted several times, the snake mascot fulfilled its duty to the end.

Still, the conclusion was simple:

They had to go find everything themselves.

“You’ve wasted my time. Next time, just hand out the guide and send us off. How much time must you waste on pointless chatter?”

With that dismissive comment, the otter beastman opened the door and walked out.

And that was when Dionysus realized something.

I should’ve left first!

Look at this—

The suffocating awkwardness, and the trembling, about-to-explode snake mascot left behind.

“Thank you. I’ll be going now!”

Dionysus bowed hurriedly and dashed outside. He couldn’t endure the atmosphere a second longer.

“Haa… because of that crazy otter…”

Only after stepping outside did Dionysus truly understand what it meant to feel drained just from a conversation.

“From now on, the cuter something looks… the more cautious I should be.”

Resolving himself, he began to unfold the guide map the snake mascot had given him—

But—

“You’re finally out. Taking your sweet time like that will only put you behind everyone else. You should fix that habit. It’s not a good one.”

…This crazy—

Dionysus almost cursed aloud.

Because the otter beastman who had rudely kicked the door open earlier was now waiting for him right outside the information booth.

“Uh… Why are you standing here?”

“Hmm. I’ve been thinking… You speak rather slowly. Do you have an illness or disability?”

“…What?”

“If you’re not disabled, then that’s a serious problem… Well, it can’t be helped. To safely get what we want and escape this place, we’ll need to cooperate. Even if I have to shoulder the burden, I’ll work with you.”

What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that?

Dionysus opened his mouth to say he was fine, that he would travel alone.

If he stayed with this otter beastman any longer, who knew what fate awaited him?

Yes, he would have refused—

If the otter beastman hadn’t handed him something at that exact moment.

“Here, take this. I borrowed it from the souvenir shop earlier.”

The object forced into Dionysus’s hands was a water gun.

A colorful toy water gun that little children would play with.

But the moment Dionysus saw it, he understood immediately.

He could tell instantly that this children’s toy contained divine power.

What an absurd waste… but it’s strong. At minimum, it was crafted by a sorcerer on the level of a witch-goddess.

“Hm. You may have noticed already, but it’s quite a good item. Especially effective against things without life. And as you’ve surely realized—if we want to get what we came for, we must destroy this entire amusement park.”

“…What?! What do you mean?”

Dionysus recoiled in shock.

From what part of the snake mascot’s explanation had this lunatic derived “destroy everything”?

The snake had even mentioned the goddess Charybdis’s name and warned them to be careful!

“Hm? Did you not listen properly? You really should pay attention, even if you’re bored.”

“No, what are you… Isn’t it just about going to each mascot and completing their trials? Why would we—”

Dionysus tried to protest the otter beastman’s absurd interpretation—

—but was immediately cut off.

“You young people are so passive. How do you expect to achieve anything like that? Pathetic…”

The otter beastman silenced him completely, as if he had no intention of listening.

“Mmph—?!”

No way. He blocked my mouth this easily? What is he?

Dionysus tried every possible method to break free, but nothing worked.

The otter beastman’s power was far beyond what he had imagined.

“Since we’ve exchanged enough opinions, let’s introduce ourselves. I am Neptune. A name passed down only to the greatest of kings. And you?”

When the otter beastman—Neptune—introduced himself, the spell blocking Dionysus’s mouth finally faded.

“…I am Dionysus.”

Dionysus accepted the name without question.

He didn’t even complain about having his mouth forcibly sealed.

This otter beastman was on a completely different level than him.

From what he sensed… this Neptune seemed stronger than anyone Dionysus had ever encountered.

How can an otter beastman feel stronger than Lady Artemis or Lady Hera? No way… he isn’t a real god, is he?

Whether he knew Dionysus’s doubts or not, Neptune casually pointed at a spot on the guide map and strode forward.

“Hurry up. You’re too slow.”

“Eh? Wait, where are we going? You should at least discuss this with me—”

After many stops across the park, Dionysus found himself being dragged into the bumper car area.

According to the guide, it was ranked within the top 20 of Charybdis’s favorite zones.

But if it’s in the top 20, doesn’t that basically mean she likes everything…?

He thought so, but wisely kept it to himself.

A turtle mascot was staring right at them.

Unfortunately, Dionysus forgot that he wasn’t the only one with a mouth.

“Hm… At this point, does ranking them even matter? She seems to like everything equally.”

As Neptune finished speaking, the turtle mascot’s gaze sharpened noticeably.

Dionysus squeezed his eyes shut.

This was definitely not the time to make eye contact.

A moment later, the people in line cleared out, and it was finally their turn.

“When I give the signal, get ready to destroy this place. We have many more areas to deal with.”

“No! What… Neptune-sir, let me handle it this time. Just stay still, please.”

“You…?”

Neptune looked at Dionysus with eyes full of doubt—

The kind one would give a child who seemed completely unreliable.

It was the first time Dionysus had ever been looked at like that, and it was maddening.

“Yes. I’ll handle it. And! All I want is to get out of here safely. I don’t need anything extravagant. So just let me do this!”

Neptune stared at him with a “Can he really be trusted?” expression, but after a moment, he nodded slowly—like an adult grudgingly humoring a child.

“Well, if you insist, I can’t stop you. But don’t be too disappointed if you fail. Boys your age are bound to ma— …I mean, make mistakes.”

Dionysus felt fury rise inside him at Neptune’s words—as if his failure was already guaranteed.

But there was nothing he could do.

Neptune was far, far stronger than him.

||Previous||TOC||Next||