Chapter 113: Perseus (5)
After Azur’s visit, Dictys’s worries deepened.
“This matter might be far more dangerous than I expected…”
If what Azur had told him was true, this could easily be twisted into a royal command to “bring back the head of a god.”
“What do you mean by that, Priest?”
Perseus, who had just entered the room, overheard Dictys muttering to himself and asked.
Anyone could see the grave expression on Dictys’s face. It was obvious that it concerned the trial Perseus had been given.
“…”
Dictys inwardly scolded himself for not noticing Perseus come in.
He still wasn’t certain whether he should pass on the information he had heard.
‘Sigh… I have to tell him, though…’
In Dictys’s eyes lingered the image of a young Perseus, beaming brightly as he watched the droplets of water Dictys had shown him.
“…”
Perseus, perhaps sensing Dictys’s feelings, quietly pulled up a chair and sat beside him.
He then spent a long while reading a book he had brought, staying silently by the troubled priest’s side.
A few hours later.
“Perseus.”
“Yes, Priest.”
Dictys looked at Perseus, who was still quietly reading beside him, and raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.
“I give up. You’re exactly the same as when you were little.”
“…What do you mean? You’ve always said that sometimes waiting is necessary.”
Dictys had no choice but to acknowledge the young man who waited patiently without pressing him, giving him time to choose his words.
Perseus was no longer the child he needed to protect.
He was no longer the impatient, mischievous rascal who bounced around like a storm—he had become an adult who knew how to wait.
“Yes. I did say that.”
Unlike when he had first heard the story from Azur, Dictys now spoke to Perseus with a relieved expression.
“I have some information I’ve gathered. Listen to all of it, then decide for yourself.”
Summarizing what Dictys had heard from Azur and what he had collected himself:
The Gorgon sisters were sea deities—granddaughters of Gaia and Pontus. Their mother, Ceto, was a goddess even Dictys himself knew by name.
What was strange, however, was why they were called monsters by humans.
The Gorgon sisters had even participated in the war of attrition against Tiamat.
“That certainly raises questions based on the information we have so far.”
“Doesn’t it? The answer lies in the records Azur obtained.”
The situation as recorded by the merfolk was as follows:
***
“Lord Aloadae, at this rate, we will only sacrifice ourselves for nothing.”
“…”
Hearing his subordinate’s words, Aloadae frowned.
It had become even clearer that the damned monster had been toying with them.
“That monster never intended to cooperate with us from the beginning.”
When the Gigantes Aloadae had essentially run out of options, his eyes fell upon the Gorgon sisters.
Goddesses with natures similar to the Gigantes, who carried some of their mother Gaia’s blood.
“Adjutant!”
“Yes!!”
“Since we’ve come this far, shouldn’t we at least leave them with one big gift?”
“Yes. It would be right to land a solid blow before we go.”
When the Gorgon sisters were briefly abducted in Aloadae’s surprise attack and then returned, they had completely changed.
They had been afflicted with a terrible curse.
***
According to the merfolk’s documents, the entire problem had begun because of the Gigantes who had been observing the war of attrition.
“That’s everything we can find in the records. Anything beyond that is a secret of the gods, so we can’t know, they said.
Of course, they added that even this information isn’t certain—no one actually witnessed the Gorgon sisters being abducted. For anything more accurate, we’d need to see the records of the goddess Pronoia.”
Perseus pondered for a moment after hearing everything Dictys had to say about the Gorgon sisters.
The war against Typhon, from what he had learned, had taken place about 100 years ago. That meant the accuracy of the information was likely diminished.
No matter how much longer merfolk lived compared to humans, 100 years was not a short time even for them.
Above all, the fact that no one had actually witnessed the events at the time bothered him.
“In the end, if we follow the most likely hypothesis, it means a goddess was cursed and fell into corruption.”
“…Yes. That’s right. My brother, King Polydectes, is probably counting on exactly that—sending someone to capture the Gorgon goddesses, whose whereabouts are unknown and who, according to rumors, no one has ever returned from alive.”
***
Perseus decided, for the time being, to set out on his journey. In the end, everything would only be resolved once he met the Gorgon sisters.
King Polydectes would never listen to anything he had to say, no matter what it was.
—WAAAAAAA!!!
—Perseus, future priest, please succeed and come back safely!
—We’ll be cheering for you!
Unaware of the hidden circumstances, Perseus boarded the ship heading inland amid the roaring cheers of the citizens who had come to see him off.
“Phew… I didn’t want this, but I’m finally leaving the island.”
Before leaving the island, Perseus had heard many times from Danaë about the promise his mother had made to the one who had saved them both.
“Mother said that the condition set by the one who saved us was to avoid drawing Zeus’s attention and to honor Neptune as the sea god.”
That was why, until now, Perseus had never revealed to anyone that he was the son of Zeus.
In truth, no one on his home island of Seriphos knew that Perseus was Zeus’s son—not even Dictys, his teacher and the man who had been like a father to him.
But as Danaë had worried and warned him, the mainland might be different.
Someone could easily figure out that he was the son of Zeus.
Moreover, according to his mother, on the mainland one might frequently encounter gods, nymphs, or fantastic creatures.
“Before heading to Delphi, I should disguise myself thoroughly. On the island it wasn’t an issue, but on the mainland, someone might notice because of my blond hair.”
***
Meanwhile, around the time Perseus set sail to obtain the heads of the Gorgon sisters,
The mermaid Azur was lost in deep thought.
“Hmm… Should I inform Lady Ceto that Dictys has uncovered information about the Gorgon goddesses?”
Though she didn’t know the details—since it was a matter among gods—a decree in Ceto’s name had been sent down to the sea races.
“Well, it’s not a strict order, so maybe it doesn’t matter? This is troubling.”
While Azur was deep in contemplation, someone approached her.
“Hey! Why the serious face?”
“Ah! Mage Njord!!”
Azur happily greeted the mage Njord, who had arrived at just the right moment.
This wise mage was famous among the sea races.
He often solved their troubles, and for a human mage, his actual power was said to be stronger than that of lower-tier gods.
Whether it was because of that strength, or because Eurynome and Amphitrite turned a blind eye to him using the family name “Neptunus,” there were even rumors among the sea races that he might be Poseidon’s illegitimate child.
“It’s been a while. Where did you travel this time?”
“Ah, I just came back from visiting Troy. It’s definitely well-developed. Quite advanced, too—many different races were living together.”
Azur nodded at Njord’s words.
This mage, having traveled to many countries, was rich in experience. The stories he occasionally told the merfolk and fishfolk sometimes became a source of great inspiration.
Since he was such a mage, Azur thought this was perfect timing and asked for his advice.
“Mage Njord, do you have a moment? I need some counsel.”
“Counsel?”
“Yes. One of my human friends obtained information about the Gorgon goddesses. As you know, Lady Ceto instructed us to immediately report anyone seeking such information.”
“Hmm…”
Njord’s eyes flashed at the mention of the Gorgons.
‘Could it be Perseus?’
So Njord pretended not to know and spoke to Azur.
“Could you spare some time for me? If so, let’s talk at the new mermaid café that just opened. I hear the mermaids there are extraordinarily beautiful.”
Azur was a little touched that Njord so readily made time for her.
Considering how eccentric most mages were, Njord’s enthusiastic attitude was quite unusual.
As expected, he’s someone the sea races would love! To offer his time so willingly!!
Azur, renowned among the mermaids for her strength, found herself completely charmed by Njord.
“Hahaha. Excellent. I know that place well, too. Today, I’ll treat you!”
***
After hearing Azur’s full story at the mermaid café, Njord—no, Poseidon—nodded.
If it was Dictys of Seriphos, then he was indeed the man to whom Poseidon had entrusted Perseus and his mother.
“It seems the time has come for Perseus’s heroic tale to begin. However…”
The amusing part was that Perseus was his own priest candidate.
Normally, one would expect him to go after the Gorgon sisters to protect Danaë, who had caught the king’s eye after living with the fisherman who saved them.
“Let’s see… To learn the whereabouts of the Gorgon goddesses, he’ll probably head to Delphi. But even Apollo won’t be able to say much.”
Thus, Poseidon decided to meet Perseus in person at Delphi.
Above all, he was curious to see what the hero of myth looked like.
“Well then, shall I go?”
Just as Poseidon was about to move, he spotted his daughter Benthesikyme in the distance, looking around.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Where has Father vanished to this time? Lady Eurynome is furious beyond words.”
“Lady Benthesikyme, couldn’t Lord Poseidon be in one of his other forms? Others have said he often wanders about in the shape of a sea otter.”
Benthesikyme nodded at her attendant nymph’s words. It was a fact known only among the gods, but Poseidon’s habit of taking the form of a sea otter and using the name Neptune was quite famous.
“Well, we can’t say anything because we’ve been told not to, but Father wandering around like that is so well-known.”
“Yes. If Lady Eurynome hadn’t ordered silence, it probably would have spread across the entire world by now.”
Poseidon flinched as he watched his daughter and her attendant nymph approaching while chatting amiably.
‘Ugh, if I get caught now, I’ll be dragged back to work—and worse, my identity as Njord might be exposed…’
Poseidon quietly hid and observed his daughter. Though still young by divine standards, Benthesikyme—having inherited plenty of blood and influence from Amphitrite—was notorious as a goddess who never let her prey escape.
Considering his daughter’s fearsome reputation, the Benthesikyme he saw before him now was clearly a trap.
She often used the tactic of setting one trap in plain sight and then tightening the noose from behind.
Even though he himself had taught her those very methods…
In any case, Poseidon subtly moved his arm, creating a small ripple in the water.
Splash!
The tiny wave was something that could happen anytime in the sea, but Benthesikyme sensed it keenly.
And she knew exactly who had caused it.
“Tch! I’ve been spotted. Expand the defensive perimeter!!”
With Benthesikyme’s shout, a massive net-like formation—similar to the one once used to capture Dionysus—unfolded.
Like a fishing net but far denser, the barrier was imbued with Benthesikyme’s determination to capture Poseidon no matter what.
“Catch the sea otter! The sea otter!! That scoundrel stole Lady Eurynome’s treasure and fled!!!”
At Benthesikyme’s cry, those who hadn’t known whom or why they were pursuing began to grow eager.
How dare he steal the treasure of the queen we so revere!
—Father, come out already. You once called this situation “a rat in a trap,” didn’t you? That’s exactly your current predicament.
Benthesikyme’s mouth moved silently as she sent ultrasonic waves in all directions—waves only Poseidon could hear.
Hearing them, Poseidon maintained his silence to the end.
As long as Benthesikyme was currently searching for Neptune and not Njord, this was a battle he could never lose.
‘Tsk tsk, you’re still not quite there, my daughter. If you truly wanted to catch me, accurate information is essential.’
With those words, the gently rippling water suddenly transformed into a wildly galloping steed that churned the surroundings into chaos.
Amid the turmoil, a bumper car from Charybdis’s amusement park shot out like an arrow and slipped through the net.
Catch him!!!
There’s the criminal!!!
That shameless thief who stole Lady Eurynome’s treasure!!!
As the single bumper car sped away and soldiers chased after it, Benthesikyme remained perfectly calm.
As if she had anticipated everything.
“Send the signal. To Brother Triton and Sister Rhode.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
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