Chapter 159: The Calydonian Boar Hunt (1)
While Artemis was suffering under Njord’s torment,
Chloris and her sisters were preparing to leave this place.
“Sis, what kind of place is that Chiron Camp anyway?”
“Yeah… do you think we could ever become as strong as that mage?”
“That might be pushing it. No matter what, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that scene.”
“But… the more I think about it, it didn’t really feel like magic, did it?”
“Well, more than anything, the mage said Mom and Dad aren’t actually dead yet. If we work hard, maybe we can lift the curse someday.”
“Before that, we might have to become followers of Lord Poseidon.”
Unlike when her brothers died and her parents were struck by divine punishment, Chloris let out a relieved sigh as she watched her younger sisters chatting energetically, seemingly having regained some spirit.
She had been genuinely worried that this incident would leave deep trauma behind, but her sisters were coping far better than she had expected.
[Hoho, that bloodline doesn’t go anywhere. Just look at your mother—you can tell, right?]
“…Lady Amphitrite, why bring that up now?”
[What? They’re not even dead yet, so what’s the problem?]
“Ah… yes.”
Chloris shook her head at the gods’ way of thinking, so utterly different from humans,
And finished packing as thoroughly as she could.
According to the mage, there wouldn’t be anything ready yet—so she had to prepare meticulously, covering not just her own needs but her sisters’ as well.
[Still, you really are lucky. Without that talent of yours, would such a lovable child have helped you?]
“Yes… in that sense, I suppose I am fortunate.”
[Exactly, exactly. To think he really is connected to my husband. Hehe, seeing that power after so long—it still makes my heart race.]
Chloris looked at Amphitrite, who wore a contented smile as she thought of the mage, and once again concluded that she could never understand the gods’ perspective.
To feel pleased at seeing her husband’s illegitimate child?
Perhaps being immortal made the gods a little unhinged.
***
Except for Artemis, who had quickly cleaned up what she could in Thebes before fleeing,
The time had finally come for Chloris and her sisters to head to Chiron’s camp. Only a few people had come to see them off.
“I’ve already contacted Chiron, so you’ll be welcomed as soon as you arrive.”
“Yes. Thank you, Mage.”
“Don’t mention it. I only did it because I needed to. It was all for Chiron’s commission anyway.”
“Still… you could have just given up on me and looked for someone else with talent.”
“Oh? In that case, could you get this god off me? You’re the one who summoned her, so why is she hovering around me?”
Just as Poseidon said, Amphitrite still hadn’t returned and continued drifting around him.
More precisely—around Njord, his other form.
[Really, he resembles him so much. Even the scent is similar. Seeing him use that power… it really does feel like blood. Brings back old memories.]
‘Of course it does, wife. Because I am your husband.’
Poseidon felt nothing but anxiety as Amphitrite floated around him.
If she ever discovered he was Poseidon… the aftermath didn’t bear thinking about.
The countless nymphs and gods searching for him would come rushing, and from then on, he’d be under constant watchful eyes no matter where he went.
“Sigh… If it were Lord Poseidon’s wife, wouldn’t you find it a little hard to dislike her? I know I would.”
[Hm? Ahaha! Well, I suppose illegitimate children like you might think that way. Just think about how many of Zeus’s bastards Hera has killed.]
Amphitrite casually dropped a chilling remark.
Just how many of Zeus’s illegitimate children had died at Hera’s hands?
But as if the thoughts of those around her didn’t matter at all, she continued nonchalantly.
[But that’s just Olympus’s problem—power struggles and constant affairs every day. The sea is full of rough types, and everyone’s free-spirited. Actually, the strange one is my husband, who still only has eyes for us. Tsk tsk. If Hera spent some time around our sea folk, maybe she’d develop a little understanding too.]
Poseidon shook his head at the still-hovering Amphitrite, though on some level he had to admit it made sense.
The sea gods were all stubbornly self-willed, after all.
But the people standing nearby instinctively covered their mouths.
They had unintentionally overheard far too much of the gods’ private lives!
***
Fortunately, he was soon able to part ways with Amphitrite.
Once Chloris left, Amphitrite could no longer remain here either.
“Sigh… Why does trouble follow me everywhere I go?”
―Poseidon, have you ever considered that maybe it’s because you keep sticking your nose into everything?
“Ah, is that what this is? Me wanting to get involved? No, these are unavoidable situations that just keep happening.”
Hecate looked at Poseidon—who still refused to acknowledge any fault—and decided not to say anything more.
She already knew it was impossible to make a god like him understand.
Besides, it was partly because of his meddlesome nature that she herself had ended up dragged out here. She had no room to lecture.
And above all, there was already someone else who could nag him in her place.
―More importantly, check that vibrating necklace already. It’s been going off like crazy.
“…No need. I don’t have to answer.”
―Really? You sure about that?
“Yeah. It’s always the same nagging anyway. Fate this, destiny that. Classic old-maid hysteria.”
―Hmph. I see exactly how you think of me.
“…Could you maybe pretend to be Hecate for a second?”
―I’d love to, but unfortunately I’m the goddess of fate, not the goddess of acting.
“Damn it.”
***
A certain mage who looked utterly exhausted and worn-out arrived at the city-state of Calydon in the Aetolia region.
His appearance was neat enough, but his expression was lifeless—like that of an undead creature drained of all vitality.
“Hey, senior. Doesn’t that guy look kinda suspicious? What if he’s dabbled in forbidden magic or something?”
“Tsk. Rookie, listen up. Mages aren’t people we lowly guards can touch anyway. And take a good look at that face. That’s the face of a man who spent the whole day getting chewed out by his wife after screwing up.”
“Ahhh! Just like you last time, senior.”
“…You’re coming with me after shift.”
And so Poseidon managed to enter the city while unintentionally earning the sympathy of the guards.
“Damn it… I actually ended up coming all the way out here.”
Poseidon lamented his own fate.
What sin had he committed to be sent to such a remote place? No matter how he thought about it, it felt like someone had deliberately picked a fight and dumped the annoying job on him.
“Well… let’s look on the bright side. Meleager, right? I did come here to check on him anyway.”
He tried to think positively…
Wait. How old was the kid again?
Unfortunately, he couldn’t meet and evaluate Meleager right away. The boy was still just a child who needed more time to grow.
***
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Whoa, Lord Njord! It’s been ages! You should come by more often.”
“Oh? So if I just visit frequently, that’s enough?”
“Whoa—safe travels, sir!”
“Hahahaha… How did I end up tangled with a merchant like this?”
Nearly three years had passed since Poseidon first set foot in Calydon.
Originally, he had planned to meet Meleager immediately, assess his condition and talent, and leave.
After all, even Atropos had requested that he take a look at Meleager, whose death would take a peculiar form.
“But didn’t she say he would leave his name behind and meet a tragic end?”
“Hm?”
“Ah, never mind. I was just thinking… isn’t it about time that famous prince of this place started making his move? I guess I muttered it out loud while thinking about him.”
“Ah! So Lord Njord came here after hearing rumors about Prince Meleager and wanting to take him as a disciple?”
“Hmm. Not exactly ‘wanting to take him as a disciple’—more like I have a bit of interest, that’s all.”
“Haha, I see. Still, if Lord Njord really wants to accept the prince as a disciple, you’ll have to work harder. I heard the famous knight Crafton is visiting this time.”
“Hm? Crafton? That name sounds familiar…”
“Oh my, you don’t know Sir Crafton? The one who famously survived the Charybdis Strait and returned alive!”
Poseidon’s eyes widened in realization at the merchant’s words. That guy—the one who used to hang out with Dionysus at amusement parks back in the day?
“So that guy became that famous, huh.”
“Haha, I thought Lord Njord would know him too. The heroic tale of him wearing that massive heavy armor and single-handedly smashing down castle walls has astonished every gossip-loving bard. If it weren’t for the hero Perseus, people might even call him the strongest of humanity.”
Poseidon took the groceries the merchant had selected, nodded vaguely at his words,
And thought to himself that—no matter how much he tried to recall—it didn’t seem like that guy had the qualifications to be called the strongest of humanity.
In his memory, the mage who had been with him at the time seemed far more likely to fit that description.
“Well… if that’s what people say, then so be it. Here—five drachmas.”
“Yes, received in full. And next time, you can just give me five silver coins. Our kingdom now has a Goblin Bank branch too. Safe travels back.”
Poseidon nodded as if he understood, and on his way back to the inn he had rented, he caught sight of the Goblin Bank being constructed in the plaza.
“Hmm. Goblins really are hardworking. Expanding all the way out here. At least now I can use any silver or gold coin without hassle.”
From afar, he could see goblins discussing something with what looked like royal administrators—probably negotiating land, taxes, exchange systems, and the like.
It certainly looked like a Goblin Bank had successfully opened in the Calydon region.
“Well… that hysteric will probably be pleased to hear this news.”
***
The first-class district where Njord was currently staying—
A place in Calydon where only royalty, those of equivalent status, or priests of Apollo and Artemis could normally reside.
“Tsk. Where the hell have you been to come back this late? I told you to hurry up.”
Alongside a certain hysteric woman.
“Sigh… You never do anything yourself and just bark orders. This is exactly why people born with privilege are so annoying.”
“What?! Have you forgotten whose grace is letting you stay here, you ungrateful mage?!”
“Yes, yes, yes. It’s all thanks to Lady Artemis.”
Normally, as someone with no connections to Calydon except being a mage, he wouldn’t have been able to stay in a place like this.
If not for meeting the woman currently sprawled out receiving massages from attendants right in front of him.
Of course, the downside was having to listen to the complaints of an old-maid goddess—but for someone who had to live in Calydon for several years, it might not have been such a bad deal.
“More importantly—how long do you plan to stay here? I don’t particularly care, but Apollo is definitely baring his teeth at you right now.”
Artemis—the hysteric old-maid goddess—had already taken one of the plums Njord bought from the market and was now asking while lounging.
The sight of her made her look less like the goddess of the hunt and more like the goddess of sloth, so Njord shook his head.
Of all times, why did he have to end up looking after the various antics of what was technically his nephew…?
“Sigh. Apollo’s probably off chasing skirts again—what does it matter? Just ignore him.”
“What? Hahaha. You’re not wrong. Even though he’s my blood, he really does take it to extremes.”
Hearing Artemis’s hearty laughter, Njord let out a deep sigh.
He didn’t know why this woman had taken such a liking to him, but she was proving far more troublesome than expected.
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