Jealousy Under the Moonlight (6)
Sisyphe's foul mood kept him from sleep, so he ended up wandering outside. Under the dark night sky, women appeared one after another, heading for the temple as always even at this hour, and the sight made the little troublemaker scowl. Unable to roam freely in the morning, they had clearly come in the evening to pray to Hera for peace in their households.
"Hmph! What's so great about that god? I had to get stuck with the name Sisyphe because of those damn gods! I suffered more than anyone because of them, so I don't believe in gods—yet these people who've never even met one, let alone received a name from them, go around believing? They're all being fooled by Perseus, so why can't they see it?!"
He kicked a roadside stone hard and stomped around to vent. Sisyphe, who neither believed in nor respected the gods, trusted his own power more than anyone. Though only ten years old, he already burned with ambition at the thought of eventually ousting his father and taking that seat. King Acrisius hadn't raised a human child—he'd raised a tiger cub.
Tch… What am I supposed to do about this…? Before he lost his memories he was just a complete idiot, but he suddenly changed into that—he's definitely a monster wearing human skin… And yet they just take his word for everything. Idiots…
He was certain, without a shred of evidence, that the current Perseus was someone wearing another person's skin. So he fretted over how to drive the boy out, but no clever plan came to mind, only souring his temper further—when in the night agora he came face to face with a man he'd seen somewhere before.
That man is…
A thick black beard and short black hair. Greedy eyes that left an unforgettable impression. The night made his tanned skin hard to see, but the way he sat blankly enjoying the night was quite different from the impression he'd given that other time.
"Agamemnon!"
"Huh? What's with this brat."
Sisyphe was skilled at hiding. He'd used that talent to eavesdrop on the conversation with Acrisius, so he held favorable feelings toward Agamemnon. The man, on the other hand, had no idea who Sisyphe was and treated him like a kid, but something about the boy's appearance tugged at his memory—until his face was about to light up with surprise.
"That's right! I'm Sisyphe!"
"I knew it!"
He was pleased his guess was correct, but quickly grew puzzled. It wasn't the hour for children to be wandering around in the middle of the night, yet here was the king's son not only roaming free but striking up a conversation as if they knew each other. What was this about?
"What business does the son of King Acrisius have with me? This hardly seems like a time for a child to be out and about."
"Don't treat me like some nobody! I'm going to be the king of Argos someday!"
"Hoo boy~! The brat's all talk!"
"More importantly, I'm so glad! I was just hoping to talk with you, and you're still here!"
"Ah—? You wanted to meet me?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmm."
He frowned at whatever nonsense this brat was spouting, but sensing it might work to his advantage, he promptly moved them elsewhere. He hid behind one of the agora's massive pillars so no one could see them, checked the surroundings in case anyone was listening, and only then got to the point.
"Recognizing me at a glance means you were there that day, doesn't it? What a brave little brat! Listening in on grown-ups' conversations—you shouldn't do that!"
"I don't care about that! The point is, you're the only proper adult around me, so I wanted to meet you even like this!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You and I are the only ones who know Perseus is a monster!"
"…Huh?"
Sisyphe clenched both fists, acting as if filled with drive and a sense of justice. He declared that to protect the throne of Argos he would one day inherit, he absolutely had to defeat the boy—but to Agamemnon's eyes he was nothing more than a brat blinded by jealousy.
Aigoo~! I cast a fishing hook of lies into the vast sea of Greece hoping to land a big catch, but instead of a prize fish I've reeled in this little minnow~!
Originally, the big fish called Acrisius should have taken the bait. That was why he'd stayed in Argos for days, waiting to meet the man again.
No—even a minnow this rare and expensive is worth catching. Hard to come by, so I'd better make use of this opportunity.
Agamemnon decided to seize the chance and moved fast. He hadn't even spent a full second pondering how to thoroughly fleece this brat before his mouth started running—he was a born con man, no doubt about it.
"Ohhh~! Sisyphe! Excellent that you found me! As I said back then, King Acrisius wouldn't listen to a word I said! So that means you'll believe me, right?!"
"Of course~! Father's old and stupid! Even after someone like you came all this way and went to the trouble of warning him, he dismissed it all as nonsense! If it were me, I never would have!"
"Exactly. Really, what a terrible man."
Hahaha!
He laughed deliberately loud, then sat Sisyphe down beside him behind the pillar so they could share secrets. That big-hearted laugh hit Sisyphe just right, and Agamemnon was thrilled at the prospect of toying with the brat.
"You came looking for me to talk about this because you want to do something about Perseus, don't you?"
"That's right. I seriously worry for this country, but Father treats me like a little idiot. He listens so well to Perseus, who's only a year older than me, but won't believe a word from his own son—it makes me so mad I could go crazy."
"Ohhh~? That's a shame."
"Why are you treating it like someone else's problem? You're the same! Weren't you going to use this as a great achievement before becoming king of Mycenae?!"
"True. So I laid my true intentions bare and got called a vulgar materialist by your father. Wanting to become king of Mycenae is a fact, but that doesn't mean I can just leave a monster alone, right? I brought it up for both our sakes."
"Right. So why haven't you left? Why are you still hanging around here?"
"I'm a hero, after all—I can't just leave the moment a king turns me down~! I've been looking around to see if there's any way to take down that monster Perseus. Shh, be careful. That guy's a snake. He leaves no tracks and slips away expertly… Thanks to that I've been having trouble finding any leads—and then you appeared…"
"I see! That makes sense!"
What a moronic brat. What are you even buying into?
In other words, he had no evidence of any kind.
But to Sisyphe, that statement alone was proof enough.
"What should I do?!"
"About what? Are you saying you'll help me?"
"Yeah! You're the only one I can trust! You suspected Perseus before anyone else and came all the way here to warn us!"
"I'm grateful you trust me so much, but…"
Agamemnon wet his lips and cleared his throat. He needed to carefully gauge how far this idiot brat would swallow his words—but Sisyphe was clearly a little devil of pure jealousy and desire mixed together, so he instantly knew how to reel him in.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, you're King Acrisius's son, but even accounting for that, you're far too young. I understand you want to help me, but you can't do anything on your own."
"Th-that's true. Then what should I do? I came to talk to you because I believed someone like you could give me advice."
"Hmm. Advice, is it? If you were the king of Argos, it would be a different story. With real power over this land, you could mobilize soldiers and drive the monster called Perseus out of this country. I hear there are Spartoi among the soldiers?"
"That's right. They're extremely strong soldiers who came to protect our land this time. They say they can take down Pasiphaulus all by themselves!"
"To have soldiers that strong! If the king of this country set his mind to driving out Perseus, it would be no trouble at all!"
"Oh…"
He marveled at that, and at the same time realized what Agamemnon wanted from him.
"B-but… could I really drive out Father and take the throne? I'm still just a kid…"
Once he caught on to what Sisyphe was angling for, Agamemnon didn't stop. Like a venomous snake sinking its fangs into prey, he whispered desire into the brat's ear.
"What does being young matter? Look at Perseus. At that young age he's called a hero and earns the respect of old men."
"But that guy's a monster, and…"
"To catch a monster, you have to become a monster yourself. Once this is over and the truth comes out, everyone will be falling over themselves to praise you. A hero who's also a king—doesn't that sound magnificent?"
"Oh…"
"How about it, Hero-King Sisyphe."
"Oooooooh~!"
Hero-King!
It was a splendid word that tickled the fundamentally childish heart of Sisyphe.
"Well? Doesn't it pull at you? Take King Acrisius's place and sit on that throne. Of course you can't handle it alone, so I'll help you."
"You will?"
"I'll kill King Acrisius and help you ascend as king. Once you're on that seat, focus on leading the soldiers and driving out Perseus. Of course we'll share the credit, but that shouldn't be a problem, right? As you know, becoming king of Mycenae is my goal, so I can't yield the glory."
"Mycenae's right next door, isn't it? If that happens…"
"We'll both become friendly neighboring kings. Since we know each other, if any problems arise we can help one another."
"Oh…"
Sisyphe couldn't stop marveling at how clever the man was—while Agamemnon, for his part, couldn't stop sneering.
Even if things go well, there's no reason to leave a city ruled by a fool of a brat like this alone. After I spread the feat of killing Perseus far and wide and become king of Mycenae, I'll gobble this place up in a flash too.
Heh heh heh.
After laughing his fill inwardly, Agamemnon explained in a calm voice the details of what they would do from now on. Naturally no one overheard this conversation, and a perfect crime seemed certain to unfold—yet exceptions always exist.
The glittering moon.
When you consider who dwells there, the answer is as good as decided.