Chapter 66: Dionysus (10)
Although the three had exchanged names, none of them mentioned forming an alliance or cooperating.
From Dionysus’s perspective, he stayed silent because he had no idea what else might appear.
The other two stayed silent simply because they didn’t trust anyone.
“……”
They ran for a long time in silence, warily keeping each other in check—
Until Dionysus suddenly remembered someone he had completely forgotten.
“Oh no—Lord Neptune!”
“Huh? So you actually know that crazy otter?”
Mage Melchires looked surprised as Dionysus scanned the area for Neptune.
Crafton, though silent, was clearly curious as well, casting glances toward Dionysus.
“Ah—It’s not like that. I only met him here for the first time.”
“Then why bother looking for him?”
“……”
Melchires questioned him further, sounding even more confused.
Why search for someone you just met—
And not just anyone, but an insane beastman who tried to pick fights with amusement park mascots?
It was like choosing to stand beside someone who was literally on fire.
“Well… that’s…”
Dionysus struggled for an answer.
Because honestly, Melchires was right—
Keeping distance from Neptune was the wise, sane choice.
Just the mess Neptune caused on the way here…
Borrowing things “for a moment,”
Starting a campfire inside a building,
Bullying the ghost pirates,
Shooting amusement park dolls with a water gun—
Too much had happened just on the way to the bumper car zone.
Well… bullying the ghost pirates DID get applause.
Even from this short list, “troublemaker” fit Neptune like a glove.
However…
Dionysus’s instincts screamed that staying with the otter would be beneficial.
…But I can’t explain “my instincts told me so” out loud…
So Dionysus, unable to find a real excuse, blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Lord Neptune may look like that, but he’s actually quite wise.”
“……”
Melchires and Crafton both thought the same thing:
If that insane otter counts as wise, then everyone in the world must be a grand mage.
And both subtly inched farther away from Dionysus.
Hearing their silence, Melchires quickly changed the subject.
He didn’t want to talk about that otter anymore—
Especially since Neptune resembled his own master in a few terrifying ways.
If Circe heard this story and showed interest, Melchires would be the one suffering.
He knew well that in this world, there were just as many lunatics as mysterious races or magical arts.
“More importantly—what are you planning to do? At this rate, the next course will appear soon. If that otter is your ally, you should wait. Though… he was probably eaten by Cetus.”
Dionysus narrowed his eyes at Melchires’s unexpectedly “kind” advice.
What trick is he trying to pull?
Noticing Dionysus’s suspicious glare, Melchires clicked his tongue as if offended.
“Tsk. Cetus’s avatar appearing is just a filter. Those who can’t pass that section will be trapped in this amusement park forever. There’s no reason to cooperate with people who won’t survive it.”
That much made sense.
Dionysus nodded—he could understand that.
His priority was simply escaping, but most people here had come because they wanted something.
Forming a team wasn’t impossible…
But some minimum level of verification was clearly necessary.
“I see. So are you saying this because you do want to cooperate?”
“Right. I’ve seen that knight a few times, so he’s reliable enough. And you’ve already passed the first round of verification. Besides, as a child of Zeus, you should have at least a minimum level of strength.”
Dionysus, having lived secluded in the forest, did not know this—
But Zeus’s children were scattered all across the world.
And as the offspring of the chief god, their power and abilities were well-known.
At least by human standards.
Those among them who had talent or divine strength comparable to a true god…
Had all unfortunately been killed by Hera.
“Hm… So Zeus’s children are recognized to some extent. Well, I suppose they aren’t weak.”
“ …???”
Melchires and Crafton tilted their heads at Dionysus’s words.
Why was he suddenly bragging about himself?
It wasn’t like anyone insulted him for being Zeus’s child.
Does he want us to praise him more because he’s a child of Zeus?
Unable to understand Dionysus’s twisted perception, the mage and knight simply thought:
As expected, Zeus’s children really are eccentric.
‘I need to finish this trial and get away from him as soon as possible… starting with that otter…’
Thus, their misunderstandings continued piling up.
“Fine. My goal is to escape this amusement park anyway. Working together doesn’t sound bad.”
“Good. A wise choice.”
“I agree.”
Once they decided to cooperate, each explained what they were good at.
“I’m mostly confident in illusions and elemental magic. I can do other things too, but not at a very high level.”
“I’m essentially a shield knight. I specialize in holding the front line.”
“I specialize in poison magic, curses, illusions, and foresight.”
Their introductions sounded modest, but each one was terrifying in reality.
Melchires, the mage studying under Circe, said he was good at illusions and elemental magic—
But in truth, his other skills were also far above the average mage.
In short, only his illusions and elemental magic surpassed even fairies and other witches.
And Crafton, who called himself a shield knight, was practically a heavy cavalry lancer.
These knights, who dominated the frontlines, were equivalent to modern tanks in this world transitioning between bronze and iron.
Crafton’s charge was famously unstoppable—even the centaurs couldn’t block him.
Dionysus had already proven his strength in Artemis’s forest.
After they finished introducing themselves, Dionysus gradually slowed his bumper car.
Melchires and Crafton immediately looked confused.
“What are you doing? True, this should be the entrance to the next course, so Cetus won’t follow us here… but this isn’t the time to relax.”
“Oh, I’m not relaxing. I’m waiting for Lord Neptune.”
“…What?”
“According to what you two said, the next course requires cooperation to pass, right?”
“That’s… true?”
“Then since you asked to cooperate with me, naturally Lord Neptune is also included.”
“……”
The mage and knight fell silent at this absurd demand.
What kind of—
This “deal” was obviously only meant to include Dionysus.
And what about the fact that they had just said the otter was probably eaten by Cetus?
“Oh! There’s no way Lord Neptune was eaten. He’s stronger than me.”
“……”
Another long silence.
This time it was pure shock and disbelief.
Dionysus—whose aura felt equal to or greater than theirs—claimed the cute little otter beastman was even stronger?
“Fine. We’ll wait. But only ten minutes. That’s all we can spare. If we delay any longer, the track might change.”
Melchires and Crafton had no choice but to wait.
From the beginning, the three of them knew they couldn’t clear this place on their own.
They had already challenged it several times—and failed.
One only had to look at the number of vengeful spirits clinging to their backs to know that.
It annoyed them, but after so long, they finally found competent allies, and they couldn’t afford to discard them.
Most long-time challengers in this amusement park considered backstabbing to be normal behavior.
Fine. As long as I can get out of here, I’ll agree to anything. My foresight is clear—
If I follow this man, I’ll leave this place and fulfill my wish.
If he’s someone my master chose, he must have something extraordinary.
With different reasons in mind, they accepted Dionysus’s insistence.
“Alright. Time’s up. We’re leaving.”
Melchires, who had been keeping exact time, stood up the moment ten minutes passed.
Melchires absolutely did not want to spend even one second more waiting.
Especially because Melchires had no desire whatsoever to travel with that insane otter—
The one creature Melchires’s foresight couldn’t read at all, a deeply ominous sign.
“No matter how long you want to wait, I’m te—”
But Melchires couldn’t finish the sentence.
Because in the distance… A cute otter face popped up, swimming toward them.
His bumper car was nowhere in sight. He was swimming across the deadly field with just his bare body.
“What—?! That’s impossible!! The ground here is highly acidic—anything that touches it dissolves instantly!”
“True enough. Most are melted down and trapped underground.”
“You idiot knight! This isn’t something to calmly admire— This is something only someone at the demigod level can withstand!”
While Melchires and Crafton shouted in equal parts awe and outrage—
Neptune and Dionysus greeted each other like old friends reuniting.
“Dionysus, you were waiting for me? If I knew you’d wait, I would’ve hurried.”
“I knew Lord Neptune would make it. That’s why I waited.”
“Oh ho! You’ve grown into a man. Just a moment without seeing you, and you’ve changed.”
“Hahaha.”
Watching the cute otter and Dionysus talk so naturally, Melchires had no choice but to accept it:
They thought differently than normal people.
And annoyingly… this otter really was similar to her master.
“Fine. We’ll be parting ways once we pass this area anyway. Let’s get it over with quickly.”
Melchires convinced herself as she nodded.
“Haa… Fine. Let’s move. We’ve already wasted too much time.”
“…Interrupting a conversation between men? How rude of you, woman.”
“…….”
A moment later—
“You damn @$#%^&*!!!”
Melchires’s fury exploded.
All the waiting, all the stress, and the trauma of encountering someone like her eccentric master again boiled over.
Of course, Neptune simply looked at her and declared she was a crazy woman.
“Tsk. You really have no eye for allies. That woman is clearly unwell in the head.”
“……”
Melchires nearly lost her sanity from rage, but soon enough—
Dionysus and the group entered the second track:
The Garden of the Gorgons.
“Dionysus. And you too, otter. From here on, be extremely careful. The Gorgon sisters’ poison and curses fill this place.”
At Melchires’s explanation, Dionysus frowned in confusion.
“Melchires, the Gorgon sisters’ petrification curse is famous… but was their poison well-known too?”
His question was reasonable.
On the surface, the Gorgon were feared mainly because of the youngest sister’s petrification curse.
Melchires nodded, understanding his confusion, and kindly explained.
“It’s a common misconception. The real terrifying part of the Gorgon isn’t the curse—it’s their poison. In poison-related magic, even my master Circe is helpless before them.”
The moment Circe’s name was mentioned, everyone around nodded.
If Circe said so, it must be true.
“That’s correct. Even among us otters, the Gorgon sisters are famous. They played a huge role in the battle between Poseidon and Pontus.”
“…How do YOU know that?!”