Chapter 145: The Birth of the Mycenaean Empire (3)
The tale of Perseus, having completed every one of his labors, spread to every corner of the world.
The hero who slew the tyrannical ruler of Athens and returned the city to the hands of its citizens.
The man who, despite the wicked king’s orders, persevered and succeeded in slaying the Gorgon sisters.
“Ho ho! Has a true hero worthy of the name finally appeared this time?”
“Hmph. It’s obviously exaggerated. Most of these so-called ‘heroes’ are usually the ones doing shady things behind the scenes. Besides, was there even anyone who actually saw Perseus take down the Gorgon sisters?”
“Heh heh. My friend, you’re still behind on the rumors. Haven’t you heard that the Mimyeong Mercenary Band helped the hero Perseus deal with the basilisk?”
Perseus’s story was so monumental that it sent ripples through a world that had long been quiet.
Above all, one rumor spread that even those who distrusted Perseus could not deny: that he was a priest of Poseidon.
Those in the know were well aware—priests of Poseidon were few in number, but renowned for their integrity and purity.
Because of this, Perseus’s heroic saga grew wings and flew even farther—beyond the edges of the world, past the underworld, even to the realm of the dead.
***
And right now, that very Perseus was…
“Sigh… Lord Njord! Just how far have you spread rumors about me?!”
…in quite a troublesome predicament.
Originally, Perseus’s journey had been meant as a trip to repay those who had helped him.
He had planned to gain worldly experience, express his gratitude in person, and personally look after those who had aided him…
But that plan had now gone spectacularly awry.
Take Athens, for example. Somehow—goodness knows how—news of his arrival had spread like wildfire. Gifts and thunderous cheers from the citizens greeted him wherever he went.
Because of this, he couldn’t even manage to meet Euryte, whom he had originally come to see.
“Tsk tsk. That’s just the fate of a hero. Still, isn’t it nice? Look—those beautiful women over there are waving at you.”
“…Where?”
“Kuahahaha! You’re still a man after all. Go on, try charming those lovely ladies. I’m going to have some fun.”
“W-wait—hey!”
Poseidon flashed Perseus a wide grin, gave him a hearty shove, and disappeared.
The one problem? Perseus was still a complete novice when it came to women.
“……”
Pushed suddenly into the midst of unfamiliar women, Perseus’s face turned bright red—just like the first time he had stepped into [Mermaid’s Tear].
He was utterly flustered.
The clothing of the women before him was so thin it was practically transparent.
‘What do I do? I should at least say something… but how do you even start a conversation…?’
“……”
“……”
“……”
As the silence dragged on and Perseus grew more and more anxious—to the point he was about to bolt—
“You’re still the same as ever, Lord Perseus.”
“???”
“Sigh… You’re perfectly fine with people you know, but the moment you’re facing strangers, you freeze up like this. Now do you get it?”
“Euryte-nim!”
Perseus jerked his head up at the familiar voice that broke through the silence.
Only then did he finally recognize the women surrounding him.
“And the staff of [Mermaid’s Tear]!”
“Hehehe, I knew you wouldn’t recognize us, Lord Perseus.”
“Ugh, I lost the bet. I thought by now something would’ve changed.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, I told you. A man like that doesn’t change easily.”
“Exactly. If anything, he’s probably become even more pure-hearted.”
Only now did the women in front of Perseus remove their veils and start chattering noisily.
And Perseus finally realized—he had been completely played by Njord.
‘Argh! Lord Njord could’ve just told me straight!!’
He glared at the spot where Njord had already vanished, grinding his teeth.
Even so, wasn’t this kind of prank going way too far?
As if she had anticipated exactly how Perseus would feel, Euryte smiled gently and calmed him down.
“Don’t be too angry. I was the one who asked for this.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Well… I’ve always thought this, but you have almost zero resistance to women, Lord Perseus. It’s honestly a little worrying.”
And Euryte really was worried.
Perseus was now a hero known throughout the world.
Not everyone believed it yet, but at the very least, the people of Attica and those under the influence of his home island of Seriphos all knew.
He was a hero—and destined to become a king.
In particular, the vast majority on Seriphos already considered Perseus the next rightful king.
Moreover, after this incident, the citizens of Athens had developed an unimaginable level of distrust toward nobles, priests, mercenaries, knights, mages, and the like.
And among all the superhuman figures they knew of, the one they felt was the most just and truly on their side… was Perseus.
Above all, through this entire ordeal, not only Athens but the people of all Attica had come to one clear realization.
They needed a king.
A king who could stand at the center of the nation, looking down from on high and holding everything together.
“In other words… that means you, Lord Perseus, may very well become the king who rules both Attica and the island of Seriphos.”
“What?! That’s—I’ve never even thought about something like that!!”
“But the flow of the world is pushing you in that direction. And besides… the internal strife in Attica still hasn’t been fully resolved. The person connected to you did sort things out in Athens itself, yes—but they only sorted it out. Nothing more…”
Perseus could already guess what Euryte was about to say next.
Naturally, the other regions that hadn’t been properly unified were probably in chaos right now.
The exception might be Brauron, since they had directly helped him.
But everywhere else? It was obvious.
“Sigh… In the end, it looks like I’ll have to resolve this mess too.”
“Yes… The simplest way would be for you, Lord Perseus, to subdue them all and simply become king.”
“……”
“In any case, since you might become king soon, just imagine how many women are setting their sights on you. I’m not sure if you realize this, Lord Perseus, but women’s behind-the-scenes battles can be every bit as brutal as men’s wars. Hehehe.”
Perseus couldn’t find words as he stared at Euryte, whose eyes were gleaming.
What he had thought was finished the moment he cut off Medusa’s head… was now rushing toward him in waves.
***
Even after hearing Euryte’s advice, Perseus couldn’t do anything particularly dramatic right now.
Yes, Attica had begun to treat him like a hero.
But that was all it was—for now.
The thoughts of the common citizens and the thoughts of those who held real power were, naturally, never the same.
In truth, aside from Brauron, the other cities in Attica were extremely displeased at the idea of a king rising above them.
“Sigh… I don’t think I can stay in Athens much longer.”
Perseus let out a tired breath. He had been hounded by obsessive fans and constant surveillance.
The citizens approached him constantly, desperate to catch even one more glimpse of him.
The powerful, meanwhile, kept sending probing stares, trying to gauge and judge this new force of power.
“There’s no helping it. That’s just how threatening—and how legitimately overwhelming—you appear in the eyes of others.”
“…I suppose so.”
Perseus himself could feel it keenly.
The countless intersecting gazes of power and intent directed toward him.
“And right now, all the temples that survived the recent chaos are temporarily closed.”
Not only the grand temple of Athena, the largest in Athens, but many other temples dedicated to various gods had shut their doors for the time being.
That fact was undoubtedly contributing to why Perseus was receiving so much uncontrolled attention.
“Of course… we still don’t really know why they closed so suddenly. I actually came to Athens this time partly because I needed to meet with Lady Athena…”
Euryte gave an awkward smile. This particular matter about the temples was something she found difficult to explain directly to Perseus.
“Hmm… It’s probably because a great change is looming over the city. In fact, Lady Athena and a few others moved for the sake of the city because of this incident.”
(‘Sigh… The truth is that right now, several gods are carefully testing the waters, projecting their power directly into Athens. But saying that much would be a bit too much… Perseus would only feel troubled if he knew the full truth.’)
Perseus nodded at Euryte’s somewhat evasive explanation.
Since he still wasn’t well-versed in politics and power, he simply accepted that her words must be correct.
“Then… before I meet Lady Athena and the priests, I should go see the people from the Mimyeong Mercenary Band first.”
After discussing the current situation in Athens, his own position, and the state of Attica with Euryte, Perseus made up his mind.
He would leave the city of Athens for a while.
If he distanced himself from this place, perhaps things would become clearer.
“Huh? Wait—where’s Lord Njord right now?”
“Hm… Lord Njord is currently at [Aphrodite’s Inn].”
“Uh… isn’t that place…?”
“Yes. Exactly what you’re imagining. The priests of Aphrodite.”
“……”
***
On the way to meet the Mimyeong Mercenary Band, silence fell between Poseidon and Perseus.
“H-ha… haha! The weather’s so nice today, isn’t it, Perseus? I heard the Mimyeong Mercenary Band took a request in Ethiopia—how exciting! Nothing could be better!”
Poseidon tried to break the silence with exaggerated cheerfulness, but Perseus remained quiet.
In fact, he shot Poseidon a look of reproach.
(‘While I was suffering surrounded by people, you were off having fun!’) —that was exactly what his eyes were saying.
Poseidon flinched under that gaze and began sneaking nervous glances at Perseus.
(—Tsk tsk tsk. That’s why you should only play in moderation. A man with wives, no less.)
“Suddenly why are you bringing that up?! More importantly—don’t you think you can disappear now? Why are you still sticking around like glue?”
(—What?!)
Just then, Atropos jumped in at the perfect moment.
A commotion was about to break out—
But Perseus suddenly cut in with bright, sparkling eyes, completely different from the flat stare he had given earlier.
“Wait a second! Wives? What do you mean by that? Did Lord Njord get married?!”
(—Huh? You didn’t know?)
“No!!!”
(—Hmm… Well, it’s not that big a deal, but I’ll tell you about it.)
“Wow!”
Poseidon didn’t bother stopping the sudden gossip session about himself.
Atropos might bicker with him, but at least she knew where the line was.
And since Perseus’s attention had shifted away from him, he was more than satisfied.
(‘Phew… My head was starting to hurt anyway. This is perfect timing. It’d be awkward to say I was just playing around.’)
In front of Perseus he had acted like he’d been loafing about, but in reality, Poseidon had been just as busy as Perseus—if not more.
The reason? A rapidly growing number of people had begun to believe that Athens would soon become entirely Poseidon’s domain.
Everything had started from the single fact that Perseus was Poseidon’s priest.
The contractor of the Hydra, Diogenes, had been dealt with.
The heads of the Gorgon sisters had been taken.
He had acted with devotion for the citizens of Athens and the powerless.
And he had received overwhelming support.
Naturally, the ripple effects reached not only the mortal world… but the gods as well.
(—He really did it.)
(—Indeed.)
(—And he even received the rightful recognition of the Graeae sisters.)
(—Above all, his determination to protect Athens to the very end was impressive.)
(—Yeah, that’s true.)
Perseus’s achievements were that monumental.
And there was one fact known only to a few gods: the matter involving Dike, one of the Horai sisters, was also deeply intertwined with Perseus.