Chapter 162: The Calydonian Boar Hunt (4)
Crack!
“Aaaargh!! What the hell is that monster?!!”
“Save us!”
“Hold the line! We have to hold until the prince arrives!”
The trial prepared by Artemis turned Calydon into utter devastation.
The soldiers’ spears and swords couldn’t even pierce the monster’s hide.
Its body was larger than an ox, covered in razor-sharp bristles and faint flickering flames that enveloped its skin, making it impossible to approach.
With tusks longer and sharper than an elephant’s, capable of smashing through castle walls, the enormous boar struck terror into anyone who saw it.
“Aaah… our year’s harvest…”
“If this keeps up, we’ll starve next year. What are we supposed to do?”
“And the livestock! The number of animals that boar has devoured could already form a mountain!”
This divine beast of Artemis devoured everything in its path like a wild boar, causing catastrophic damage.
“Your Majesty, that monster is incredibly fast and possesses unnatural strength. By the time we arrived, we only ever found traces.”
“…Is there no way?”
Oeneus asked grimly. Everyone could see that this disaster was the wrath of Lady Artemis after her offering had been omitted.
“Your Majesty, it is undoubtedly Lady Artemis’s anger. However, according to the oracle we received, if we hunt that monster and offer it as a sacrifice, she will overlook this incident.”
“That’s positive news, but who could possibly hunt that thing? Even Calydon’s finest hunters are dying out there.”
At least Meleager’s decisive handling had limited the goddess’s wrath to this extent—thankfully.
But the problem was that they lacked the power to overcome this trial themselves.
At that moment, Meleager stepped forward.
“Your Majesty, we must take reference from Aethopia under King Perseus. Recall how, in the days when Perseus was hailed as a hero, he resolved a similar trial that struck Aethopia.”
“What do you mean, my son?”
“We should spread word of the trial that has befallen Calydon and draw in those who aspire to become heroes in the footsteps of King Perseus.”
Indeed—the prince speaks wisely!
So many strong men across Greece now dream of becoming like Perseus!
The assembled nobles and officials marveled at Meleager’s proposal.
Indeed, Greece was currently swept up in the wind of heroism. Most people idolized the hero Perseus.
The tale of how he became a king and won a beautiful woman as a hero had touched many hearts.
Moreover, with rumors that Perseus and the goddess of justice Dike had conceived a child together,
The admiration people on earth felt toward Perseus was immense.
“Indeed, that is an excellent plan. Then, Meleager, it would be best if I personally take charge of this matter. If we entrust it to others, who knows what further disasters might occur.”
“Yes, Father. I will gather as many heroes as possible and overcome the goddess’s trial without fail.”
And so began another myth that would later be called both “The Calydonian Boar Hunt” and “The Tragedy of Calydon.”
***
Just as Meleager had planned, many renowned figures of the current era set out for Calydon to participate in this trial.
Looking at the names alone: Peleus (father of Achilles), Laertes (father of Odysseus), Telamon (father of Ajax), Caeneus (who was born a woman and later became a man), Ancaeus (who would later join the Argonauts), young Jason (who would lead the Argonauts), Theseus (who would one day slay the monster of Crete), and many more.
A great number of those destined to make names for themselves joined the hunt.
Among them, Meleager’s maternal uncles Toxeus and Plexippus participated on behalf of Calydon.
And among this crowd, one figure stood out above all.
A woman born in a female body, who would later be called the incarnation of Artemis—the huntress Atalanta.
The appearance of this unfamiliar hero drew the attention not only of those present, but also of one particular goddess and one mage.
“Hmm… Atalanta… Isn’t that the abandoned princess of Arcadia?”
“You seem to know something about that girl, don’t you?”
“If I know, then yes, I do know something…”
“Argh! Stop dragging it out! What kind of girl is she? I really like her.”
Njord shook his head at Artemis, who was pressing him for answers.
He had expected this reaction the moment she appeared. And sure enough, here it was.
“Sigh… I don’t know much. She’s just the princess of Arcadia, abandoned by her father, raised in the forest on bear’s milk. Right now, she’s the most favored female hunter under Pan’s protection. Oh—and there’s a prophecy that says if she marries, she’ll meet misfortune.”
“…….”
Artemis stared at Njord in disbelief.
He claimed he didn’t know much, yet he rattled off details like that…
If this was what he called “not knowing much,” then what exactly counted as knowing a lot?
‘Honestly, that’s the problem with mages. Even among the gods who use magic, very few of them are completely sane.’
Regardless, while it might not seem like much to Njord, to Artemis it was more than enough information.
“Pan’s child, huh. Then I suppose I can take her.”
“Eh? Isn’t that going too far, even for one of the Twelve Olympians? Stealing away a child favored by another god?”
“Hmph. According to the prophecy you mentioned, she has to remain chaste, doesn’t she? Then coming to me is the perfect fit. Pan’s intentions are obvious—he’s nothing but a lump of desire.”
Njord let out a sigh at Artemis’s arrogant declaration but didn’t argue further.
She wasn’t entirely wrong.
Even the young brats strutting around calling themselves heroes couldn’t keep their eyes off Atalanta.
And knowing Pan as he did…
Of course, if Pan ever heard Artemis and Njord’s thoughts, he’d feel deeply wronged.
But what could he do? It was his own fault for lacking power and behaving like a notorious playboy.
“Achoo! Who’s talking about me?”
***
During the traditional nine-day banquet, Atalanta was the subject of the most gossip and complaints.
Yet in the end, she participated in the hunt.
Though she faced heavy discrimination for being a woman, an orphan, and of low status—most of the hunters ignored or scorned her—
Her skill was unmatched, except perhaps by a handful who would later become widely renowned.
Moreover, the fair and just Meleager tolerated no underhanded tactics or discrimination.
“Thank you, Prince. I thought I’d be driven away like in other places.”
“Hm. There’s no need to thank me. I simply act according to principle and my own convictions.”
“Hehe, that’s exactly why I’m grateful.”
Of course, not everyone appreciated Meleager’s impartiality.
Ironically, the most vocal critics were his own maternal uncles—Toxeus and Plexippus—and the Calydonian nobles.
The nobles and some of the heroes didn’t dare speak openly, however.
After all, Meleager was leading this hunt by the king’s command. He was the undisputed heir to Calydon and one of the strongest people here.
“Tch! That naïve fool. The moment a woman interferes in men’s affairs, order collapses.”
“What can we do? He’s still young. At least the nephew draws a clear line.”
“…True. Who would’ve thought that girl would actually outperform us.”
Atalanta had ranked among the top in the trial to select the elite five-man squad.
That meant she was among the strongest of all the hero candidates gathered from across Greece.
***
With all selections complete, the heroes set out to hunt the boar that was ravaging the entire kingdom of Calydon.
The problem was that this boar was Artemis’s divine beast—and quite possibly a monster of legendary danger level by human standards.
Overwhelming strength paired with impenetrable hide.
The moment the boar sensed the gathering of heroes, it stopped casually devouring crops and livestock.
It smashed through the city walls, devouring even important magical resources and growing larger with every bite.
“Aaaaah!!”
“Is there anyone here who can use healing magic?! My guts are spilling out!!”
“The spears can’t even scratch its hide!”
“Comes and Polites-level fighters—fall back! That monster is at least legendary grade!!”
The heroes gathered from all across Greece had set out boldly at first to hunt the boar…
But in the face of Artemis’s divine beast—a monster that might even be legendary grade—they were no more than scraps of paper.
A mere graze was enough to shatter bones, and the moment those tusks—longer and thicker than an elephant’s—struck,
Flesh was torn away and death came in an instant.
Above all, merely channeling mana wasn’t enough to leave even a scratch on the boar’s hide.
Only those who had reached a higher realm—imbuing their mana with will—could inflict the slightest wound.
As the heroes continued to fail one after another…
The boar grew larger and its hide thicker with each passing day.
It had absorbed the blood of Greece’s finest and devoured their flesh.
In a way, it was only natural.
“Meleager, it’s stronger than expected. It’s already surpassed legendary and is approaching disaster level.”
“Yes… weapons coated in mana don’t even leave a mark.”
“Then shouldn’t we retreat for now, regroup, and come up with a new plan?”
Jason and Theseus—who were leading the elite squad alongside Meleager—proposed withdrawal.
A monster that had already crossed into disaster grade was far beyond what they could handle with their current level of preparation.
According to the monster classification system shared among humans and other races:
Stage 1: Common grade—strong but not impossible to kill (creatures like Nepenthes fell here).
Stage 2: Hero grade—required at least a group of Kome-level mages or Polites-level warriors to defeat (cockatrices were typical examples).
Stage 3: Legendary grade—rarely ever killed by humans, but recent cases included the basilisk that the Dawn Mercenary Corps and others had taken down at the cost of near-total annihilation.
Stage 4: Disaster grade—practically no human survivors; most died the moment they saw it. This category included divine beasts carefully raised by gods or dragonkin.
Stage 5: Myth grade—the final, theoretical level created by humans. Before Perseus slew the Gorgon sisters, no one had truly reached this stage.
In that sense, the boar—growing stronger in real time and nearing disaster grade—was simply beyond what the unprepared heroes could handle.
Even if it fully transformed into a disaster-grade monster, they would have to retreat from this place. At least that was better than total annihilation.
However, there was one person who lacked even that basic common sense—someone who needed to learn through pain rather than knowledge.
The prime example was the Spartan prince Enaisimos, who ignored Jason and Theseus’s words and charged forward.
“Ha! Only cowards would say something like that. Anyway, the ones getting hurt or dying right now are all low-level weaklings, aren’t they? Watch—I’ll show you the power of someone who has set foot on the path of a hero!!”
“Damn it—Enaisimos!!”
Boom!
Enaisimos, charging confidently with axe in hand, was torn apart by a single collision with the boar’s tusk.
Half his torso was ripped open, and the arm holding the axe was embedded in a tree.
“Gwaaaaaah!!!”
“That idiot!”
Enaisimos groaned as he fell from his horse. But the boar had no intention of letting him live.
It charged straight at him again.
Thud thud thud thud.
“Huuuuh?! Don’t come closer! Someone—save me!!”
Just 3.25 phus (roughly 1 meter in modern terms) before impact, a silver-haired young man galloped in on horseback and swiftly snatched Enaisimos away.
“Tch. Charging in alone like that.”
“Theseus!”
“No time for admiration—hurry up and retreat. We can’t win like this.”
“You’re right. Everyone—fall back! Retrieve the wounded! The rear guard will be handled by me and the elites.”
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[1] The Regressor Who Turns Trash Martial Arts into Divine Techniques
[2] I Descended as the Iron-Blooded All-Master
[3] The Female Employees I Couldn't Eat
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