Chapter 68: Poseidon doesn’t like Greek and Roman mythology

Chapter 68: Dionysus (12)

To think he, a servant of the gods, was being handled like this!!!

Dionysus didn’t know it, but the real test of this place was to earn the recognition of the Cockatrice.

Normally, the Cockatrice would issue a trial, and the challenger would solve it.

A very simple test.

But because of the humiliation of being captured by beginners, the Cockatrice thrashed wildly even after realizing defeat.

However, with its greatest weapon—the petrifying evil eye—sealed, it had no way to resist.

And above all, the otter restraining it from behind was suspiciously strong.

The power Neptune gave off reminded the Cockatrice of Charybdis, who once subdued it in a single move.

Eventually, the Cockatrice tired out and was forced to surrender.

There was simply nothing more it could do.

Once its movements calmed, Dionysus carefully placed a makeshift bridle over the creature.

He crafted the bridle from the plants nearby using techniques he’d learned on Mount Nysa, where he had often made harnesses to tame wild animals.

“By the way, Lord Neptune…”

“What is it?”

“As far as I know, beasts classified as ‘Phantasmal beasts’ are intelligent enough to communicate. Is it really okay to muzzle and bridle it like this?”

Dionysus had some concerns.

His caretakers and teachers had taught him that Phantasmal beasts were dangerous to treat carelessly—they always retaliated later.

Hearing Dionysus’s worries, the Cockatrice silently cheered him on.

Yes, yes! Push harder! Keep restraining me! When I get free, I’ll spare you at least!

Unfortunately, that hope shattered instantly.

“Tsk, tsk. How naïve. Phantasmal beasts only listen when beaten. If you sympathize and try to talk, you’ll end up eaten.”

“…Ahh. That makes sense.”

Dionysus nodded earnestly.

Neptune clearly understood Phantasmal creatures far better than he did.

And after all—he had the goddess’s chronicle in his hands.

As expected… with that divine book, he must know more than my teacher or nannies.

Meanwhile, the Cockatrice was on the verge of losing its mind.

These… these cursed fools!!!

“Haa… Well, that’s done. All that’s left is to hurry and get out of here.”

“Yes. We should move quickly. The other two are probably close to collapsing—neither seemed very strong.”

“……”

Dionysus had plenty he wanted to say about that comment…

But chose to stay silent.

Retrieving the statue took priority.

Right. Let’s keep this conversation a secret from the others.

Soon, the poison in the Garden of the Gorgons dissipated, and the thick fog began to clear.

They had successfully captured the Cockatrice and obtained the statue.

Along the way, they found Melchires and Crafton collapsed from poison, and Neptune clicked his tongue, muttering, “Of course…”

—but that was a minor detail.

“So, does that mean the bumper car section is over?”

Cough cough “No… There’s still one final course left. The problem is that neither I nor Crafton have ever made it that far.”

Melchires shared what little information she had, even while still suffering from the lingering toxins.

Neptune only sighed loudly.

“Useless. Truly useless. Don’t you agree?”

“……”

“Haha… so… we just have to go blindly, right? Isn’t that so, Crafton?”

Dionysus quickly changed the subject.

Judging from their expressions, if left alone any longer, Melchires and Neptune might actually try to kill each other.

“Hm… There’s no helping it. But judging from the trials so far, the final course is most likely connected to the sea gods.”

Dionysus successfully shifted the topic, and he quickly nodded at Crafton’s remark.

Both the first and second trials had involved sea monsters and sea goddesses.

And above all—Charybdis was Poseidon’s eldest daughter.

“Alright then. Let’s keep that in mind and think. Any ideas?”

“…I don’t know about that damned otter, but there is one rumor. They say many monsters under Goddess Gaia also serve Charybdis.”

“That means…”

“Yes. We can’t assume the trials involve only sea-related beings.”

Hearing Melchires’s words, Crafton and Dionysus simultaneously remembered something critical.

“Ah!”

They nodded.

The trials had been so harsh that they forgot—

Charybdis was also Gaia’s daughter.

Her youngest daughter, in fact.

“Then… the number of variables is too high…”

As everyone fell into deep thought—

The otter who had quietly been doing something in the back suddenly yelled:

“Everyone, look at this! There are letters engraved on the Gorgon statue!”

Everyone flinched in shock.

Who would’ve thought the otter would be the one to discover something?

“You… are you sure? And how did you…?”

“Haha! Of course it’s surprising. I was shocked too. Who knew the Gorgon’s head would turn like this?”

“……”

Melchires felt a crushing sense of inferiority.

Despite acting like a lunatic the whole time, Neptune kept contributing more than she did.

Crafton and Dionysus, meanwhile, were stunned by something else:

Neptune casually twisted the statue’s head without warning.

What if something horrible had triggered?!

Fortunately, nothing happened.

“Hm… This marking is Goddess Gaia’s symbol.”

“Correct. Only Goddess Gaia uses that enormous tree emblem.”

“Then… what’s the next trial?”

As Dionysus pointed out, none of them could accurately predict the next trial.

Gaia symbolized many things:

Life, Earth, the World, Monsters…

Among the Protogenoi, she was the deity most deeply involved with both gods and the mortal realm.

While everyone wrestled with the problem, Neptune—who had been quietly munching on a clam—suddenly spoke.

“If it’s related to Charybdis, there’s only one possibility. That place—Charybdis’s Lair.”

“I’ve heard that Goddess Gaia built that treasure vault for her personally.”

!?

Everyone jumped in surprise at the adorable otter who casually said something outrageous while chewing on a shell.

“Indeed…”

“At one time, Charybdis’s Lair was famous even on the surface world.”

“Yes. Many knights died trying to enter that place.”

Even Dionysus had heard of Charybdis’s Lair.

If it was related to Gaia, and if any place would contain rewards worthy of the trials—it had to be there.

“Then… is this the key to that Lair?”

“It’s highly likely. The location should be—”

Before Crafton could finish—

A massive door fell from the sky.

THUD!

Creeeeeak—

The door to the Lair opened, and from it emerged…

A crocodile doll dressed like a butler.

“Greetings, everyone. I am the caretaker in charge of Lady Charybdis’s vault.”

“……”

“Haha. Everyone who sees me for the first time reacts like that—mouths completely shut. No need to be so tense. You have all passed the trials.”

Even after the caretaker said they had passed all the trials, the group didn’t relax.

Instead of lowering their guard, they stared at the caretaker with deep suspicion.

Based on everything they experienced so far, nothing could possibly end this easily.

“Is this really… Charybdis’s Lair?”

“Why did it end so smoothly? I’ve heard it was far more brutal than this.”

“Then… could we really go home right away?”

“We must stay cautious. This could be a trick.”

“Hahaha. Please put away all those questions and doubts. I cannot answer anything. My sole duty is to open the door leading to the Lair.”

At the caretaker’s firm tone, the group finally calmed a little.

He clearly had no intention of answering questions.

Seeing their silence, the caretaker produced a golden key and inserted it into the massive door’s lock.

THUNK.

With a heavy rumble, the door slowly opened.

“Please enter. You have only one chance. Whatever you choose to take from within is entirely up to you.”

Standing before the door, the group felt the unmistakable sense that this was the moment they would part ways.

“Thanks. I hate admitting this to that crazy otter, but… we wouldn’t have made it this far without you two.”

“I feel the same. If we meet again, I will be sure to repay this debt.”

With those words, Melchires and Crafton entered the door without hesitation.

The only ones left were Dionysus and Neptune.

“Lord Neptune, thank you for everything. I wouldn’t have come this far without you either.”

“Hmph. You’ve grown a lot since the beginning, young man. I enjoyed myself thanks to you.”

After their final moment of farewell, Dionysus walked toward the door.

“Caretaker, I only wish to leave this place… I just need to be sent to Lord Hermes.”

The caretaker smiled kindly.

“Worry not. Those without specific desires will reach the destination they seek simply by passing through the door.”

“I see. Then… thank you.”

With that, Dionysus stepped inside and vanished within the light.

Only Neptune remained.

But before the otter could enter, the caretaker suddenly closed the door.

Then, bowing respectfully, the caretaker said:

“Greetings to His Grace, Poseidon, Sovereign of the Ocean.”

The otter clicked his tongue irritably.

“Enough of that. Right now, I am merely Neptune, king of the otters.”

“Then I greet the King of the Otters.”

“So why are you suddenly talking to me?”

At Neptune’s—no, Poseidon’s—question, the caretaker spoke cautiously.

“I do not wish to interrupt the gods’ amusement… but Lady Gaia has summoned you. She requests that you stop playing and return immediately.”

“Tch…!”

With a click of his fingers, the adorable otter vanished so quickly that even the caretaker—who held near-absolute control within the amusement park—could not sense it.

The caretaker bowed deeply toward the spot where Neptune had disappeared.

And just as he said, Dionysus could feel himself leaving the bizarre, illusion-like world of the amusement park.

The next moment, he found himself standing at the center of a mysterious island.

“So this is the power of a young goddess…”

Amazed, Dionysus looked around for Hermes, who was supposedly waiting for him.

“He definitely said he’d be waiting…”

Just as he was about to give up after searching for a long while, he sensed something silently approaching from above.

He didn’t know what the creature was, but its stealth meant it wasn’t friendly.

Without hesitation, Dionysus fired the toy-like water gun Neptune had secretly slipped into his hand earlier.

PSSHF!

The harmless-looking squirt gun caught the attacker completely off guard.

THWACK!

“Gah!”

A toy in appearance, deadly in effect—

That was the true nature of the amusement park’s water gun.

||Previous||TOC||Next||