Chapter 173: The Calydonian Boar Hunt (15)
The tragedy that unfolded in the Calydon palace overnight spread like wildfire across the Calydon people and neighboring kingdoms.
Fear of the grotesque and brutal divine trial—and of Artemis, who had caused such horror.
Above all, because it involved Meleager—the hero of Calydon—and the royal family, the terror reached its peak.
Once again, dread of the gods shook the continent.
In contrast, the people of Calydon remained silent, mourning for three days those who had departed. No one dared speak against what their patron goddess had done.
All they could do was quietly grieve for the dead.
Later, this became a tradition in Calydon known as the “Silent Mourning.”
The heroes who had lived through this tragic trial in real time all set out for Chiron Academy of their own accord.
Those who had once brimmed with pride in their strength now felt—bone-deep—their own inadequacy after this incident.
“Atalanta, what are you going to do? We've decided to head to Chiron Academy. We realized just how lacking we still are.”
“Hm… Theseus. If it's the famous Chiron Academy right now, I could definitely grow stronger there. But I want to at least say goodbye to Master first and decide after that. …He hasn't appeared since Meleager's incident, but I think he's still somewhere around here.”
“Right. Then—if we meet again at the academy, we'll see each other.”
“Yeah. Go on ahead.”
And so Jason, Theseus, Caeneus, and Ancaeus—having recognized their shortcomings—set off for Chiron Academy.
If they had been just a little stronger, or possessed a little more knowledge, the tragedy of Calydon might have taken a different turn.
Even Atalanta's master—the mage—seemed to know a way to resolve the horrific transformations caused by this trial, even if the gods stood in the way.
But they—the ones called heroes—had been unable to do anything. All they could manage was killing.
If those called heroes were only capable of this much, how were they any different from butchers?
That was why they resolved to seek out Chiron—the sage recognized across the land for years.
Even Atalanta's master had recommended him. They acknowledged they were still far too lacking as humans.
Atalanta watched her departing companions disappear into the distance.
She thought of Meleager, who remained secluded within the locked palace—refusing to meet anyone.
“Meleager… I can't even guess what's in your heart right now. But we've each made our resolve.”
With those murmured words, Atalanta began to walk.
Like her companions, their time together had been short—but she was heading to see the face of the master who had helped her grow, and to carry out the decision she had made.
She had told her companions she didn't know where Master was.
But she already knew he was with Lady Artemis.
She simply couldn't bring herself to tell them that the goddess who had caused this hellscape was close to her master—and that she herself might become the goddess's priestess.
('Above all… personally, I don't want to enter under Lady Artemis. But… would that cause trouble for Master…?')
Though their time together had been brief, he was the first person in her life to give her priceless treasures—things more valuable than jewels—without asking for anything in return.
“Sigh… I don't know. Let's go and figure it out.”
***
Artemis—who had terrified the world—was not in a good mood right now.
Everything had gone according to her plan—except for one thing.
Althaea's love had left a bitter aftertaste, like tea steeped too long.
“…I never imagined it. Not Meleager—but a powerless woman would conquer my trial.”
“....”
('Tsk tsk. How on earth does Zeus raise his children?')
An entire family and palace had been slaughtered—and yet it somehow looked like the trial had been overcome.
“Callisto, the goddess you serve is definitely insane. I was only held back because all three Fates clung to me and insisted otherwise. But this one…”
Njord's words were naturally harsh.
Hearing his sharp tongue, Callisto gave an awkward smile and remained silent. What could she—a priestess and attendant of Artemis—possibly say?
She simply stayed quiet. That was her best option.
She served a goddess who usually understood nothing of humans, their emotions, or their lives. This time, even she—who knew Artemis's plan—had not anticipated such a horrifying tragedy that would shock even the gods.
But she was Artemis's attendant and priestess.
So she could do nothing.
It was Artemis herself who finally broke the silence for her helpless attendant.
“Njord. You've gotten far too insolent. My trial was perfectly just. You're crossing a line. Do you want to die?”
“Bullshit. If that's what you call a just trial, you might as well go ask Hephaestus to fix your eyes again. Or maybe the humans would already be wiped out. And since when has your blessing been this contagious?”
“Tch. What would a non-god like you understand? Gods are like that. We rule over humans through fear and awe. Though I had high hopes for Meleager and watched over him… that's all. Overcoming my trial is something else entirely. And the trial was just. There was no impossibility. If they had only been cautious and thoughtful, none of this would have happened.”
“Tch… this is exactly why people say gods are no different from the Titans. If you knew how those lofty Titans were driven out, you wouldn't talk like that.”
“....”
Artemis fell momentarily silent at Njord's piercing remark. Though she hadn't experienced it herself, every god was educated on why—and against whom—their parents' generation had waged war.
“You… how do you know such forbidden divine secrets? You've crossed far beyond the line. How long do you think Poseidon will keep protecting you?”
“Hm… I don't know about that. But even as a human, I don't think I'd lose.”
Artemis believed there had been no flaw in her trial—but she admitted that, for still-immature humans, it had been just a little (?) difficult.
Perhaps because of that, she reacted more emotionally than usual.
Along with that, sparks flew between Artemis and Njord, and the air began to grow tense.
Unlike before, both of them now carried genuine intent in their auras. Feeling their energy escalate in real time, Callisto panicked.
The goddess and the mage—who had always gotten along so well until now—were showing clearly opposing views on this matter. If things continued like this, it really felt like they might end up in a fight to the death.
Above all, after living together for several years, Callisto had come to sense something: perhaps Njord had already surpassed the level of a typical god and could truly claim divinity through pure magic.
“My lady…! Both of you…!”
Creak.
Just as Callisto's urgent shout rang out and the two seemed ready to clash in earnest—
“…Huh? Uh… did I pick the wrong timing? Sorry?”
***
Thanks to Atalanta's perfectly timed arrival, the battle between Artemis and Njord never took place.
For Callisto, this was a tremendous relief. She felt genuine gratitude—and fondness—toward the girl in front of her.
('Phew… Thank you so much, Atalanta. If you ever come under my care, I'll make sure you receive every comfort possible.')
She thought this sincerely.
Of course, unaware of Callisto's inner thoughts, Atalanta stood rigid—barely able to breathe from the tension.
From her perspective, she had walked in without thinking and witnessed something akin to a god and a human on the verge of mortal combat.
Moreover, seeing Artemis sitting there in casual attire while glaring intently at her own master Njord—who was glaring back just as fiercely—was overwhelming.
('…I should've just left right away.')
Although Atalanta's arrival had prevented the fight, neither Artemis nor Njord bothered to hide their mutual displeasure.
“....”
“....”
In the heavy silence—
Atalanta, desperate to break the suffocating atmosphere, timidly brought up news of her companions.
“…Um, Master… the others said they're heading to Chiron Academy. They realized just how lacking they still are after everything that happened.”
“Hm. That makes sense. No one knows when something like this might happen again.”
“Hoho… humans grow again, don't they? Isn't this exactly the role of the gods?”
Though they refused to meet each other's eyes and spoke only to Atalanta, she could feel it clearly:
The two of them were still at odds.
“Sigh… At a time when even raising a single hero is valuable, are you also aiming for Chiron Academy, Atalanta? Well… that would probably be for the best. Better than getting caught up with some strange person.”
“The important thing is having one person who can exert real power and influence. Chiron Academy has a good reputation, sure—but what truly matters is whether someone can truly guide you properly. Better than joining a bunch of fools or calling someone you've known for only a few days your master.”
Atalanta felt suffocated by the way her master and the goddess were openly displaying their animosity toward each other.
('I… I didn't come here for this.')
Just as the tension and stress threatened to overwhelm her—
Callisto arrived with tea at the perfect moment and saved her.
“Both of you—stop it!! Why are you tormenting this child?!!”
“Huh?! No, Callisto. We were just asking for her opinion. I respect whatever choice Atalanta makes—I might have been a little too intense.”
“Hm. Same here. Seeing such a talented child after so long… I must have let my greed get the better of me.”
Unlike earlier, Callisto now stood with firm resolve. Hands on her hips, she positioned herself between the childish posturing of Njord and Artemis.
“Yes. I understand. Both of you—enough. You each have your own positions. And while I'm at it, let me say this clearly. First of all—Lord Njord is right. Lady Artemis, you went too far this time.”
“Exactly!”
“What?! But—!”
“Wait—please hear me out. But I also think Lady Artemis's opinion has merit. What the people of Calydon did was undeniably humiliating to you. Even if unintentional, embezzling the offering meant for you is still a fact. As a goddess, you had every right to punish them severely. Moreover, you did leave several hints: the warriors who suddenly grew stronger, companions turning against each other, and a trial that was far too easy for someone of your reputation.”
At Callisto's words, the mage fell silent while the goddess broke into a bright smile.
As expected of her own attendant!
“However—Lady Artemis, you planned all of this from the beginning but failed to exercise restraint. That is something you should be criticized for. As a goddess, you did not uphold fairness and neutrality.”
This time the goddess fell silent, while the mage smirked.
Callisto calmly looked at both of them before continuing.
“So—in light of the immense damage done to Meleager and the citizens of Calydon—I believe this matter should be concluded by granting them sufficient compensation for overcoming the trial.”
At her beloved attendant's firm words, Artemis nodded in agreement. Though she believed she had done nothing wrong, even she—as someone who had watched Meleager—felt regret for the tragedy that unfolded in this trial.
Moreover, Althaea's story had moved even a goddess like her.
Njord felt the same. Whether as Poseidon or as the human Njord, he knew this was truly the best possible outcome.
In the first place—back in Thebes with Chloris and her sisters—only they had survived while nearly everyone else connected to the incident had died.
('Of course, this time even powerless ordinary people got dragged in. But divine trials are inherently tragic… Normally there's hardly any real compensation at all.')
When he thought of how Apollo had simply fled after overexerting himself in Thebes, the fact that Artemis was even willing to grant a reward for completing the trial already placed her in the top 1% among gods.
And so—thanks to Callisto's firm (yet gentle) persuasion—Artemis and Njord came to an understanding and nodded, bringing the matter to a close.
Watching the entire scene unfold, Atalanta couldn't help but inwardly exclaim in awe.
('Wow! Amazing. There's someone who can shut down both a goddess and a grand mage with words alone. If it weren't for her…')
Calydon might have suffered yet another catastrophic loss.
_____________________________________________
TL Note:
This novel is fully completed.
You can either:
- Unlock this novel individually through its Collection "Poseidon's Chonicles" and access all remaining 94 Chapters for only $3
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/Vritratls
____________________________________________