Artemis's Arrow
Artemis stormed off, utterly humiliated. And with that, the night's big event came to an end. The other gods vanished one by one, each leaving behind their own impressions.
Among the gods, Ares, Hermes, and Hestia showed favorable reactions. Apollo's feelings, on the other hand, seemed quite complicated. He wasn't openly hostile toward me yet, but he was clearly upset about his twin sister's failure.
Finally, Zeus was furious with his own daughter. Not only had she acted on her own whim, but she'd failed against a mere human. This incident would probably make for great gossip among the gods, so Artemis wouldn't be able to show her face properly for a while. With the chatty god Hermes having witnessed everything, the rumors would spread at the speed of light.
"So, what now, Peleus?"
"What do you mean, what?"
"Congrats on your victory, but you've gone and made an enemy of Artemis. She's no local minor deity—she's one of the Olympian Twelve."
I couldn't get close to every god anyway. Especially not Artemis; I'd fully expected our relationship to sour. After all, she was Apollo's twin sister, the one whose temple I'd raided.
"No need to overthink it. If someone hits me, I hit back. A hundredfold, a thousandfold."
"Even a god?"
"Yeah."
The Secret Book seemed delighted by my firm declaration.
"You're no ordinary guy, that's for sure. I'm stunned by how much you've changed since regressing—wide-eyed, even. Or maybe this is who you always were, just buried under that quiet temple scribe life until now. Perhaps Lord Harpocrates knew that about you?"
"I don't care what he saw in me. But one thing's certain: the powerless scribe is gone."
Whoosh.
At that moment, the ashes of the Calydonian Boar began to scatter in the wind. Through some magical effect, its mangled corpse vanished as if it had never existed. Probably because Artemis had left.
"Hm?"
But it wasn't completely gone. For some reason, a boar tusk as long as an elephant's remained intact. It even gleamed faintly, clearly a precious treasure at first glance.
◈ Gleaming with faint divine light
◈ Exceptionally long and durable
"What do I do with this? Gotta take it—bound to be useful. But where to store something this huge...?"
"No worries. Open my mouth and shove it in."
"What? Open your mouth?"
I asked again, baffled, when suddenly the Secret Book unfurled, sprouting a grotesque maw. It oozed inky blackness like a monster's gullet.
Snap.
The jaws gaped wide like a vise. Inside was an abyss of unknowable depth—fall in, and you'd never come back.
"Hurry up and toss it in. Store it inside me. I'll spit it out when you need it."
"You can actually regurgitate it, right? Not planning to swallow and run?"
"......"
I felt the Secret Book bristle, so I quickly hurled the tusk inside. It slid down the throat with a gulp.
"Whoa..."
I had to admit, I was impressed. Grotesque as it was, the thing had some handy functions.
"Huh...?"
I wasn't the only one surprised. Nearby, Atalante's eyes went wide. She couldn't see the Secret Book, so she must have no clue what happened—just the tusk vanishing into thin air.
"Atalante. Don't you think we need to talk? Seems like that's why you're still hanging around."
The gods had all left, perfect timing for a chat. Sure enough, she nodded.
"Good."
"But first, why haven't the prince and warriors woken up? They can't still be out cold from a beating."
Even with Zeus's sword unleashing its power and the divine beast exploding, our noble prince showed no sign of stirring.
"They're not dead, are they?"
I prodded the prince with my foot; he looked peacefully asleep. Not just him—the other warriors had serene expressions despite being battered and dirt-smeared from rolling around.
"They're not dead. Just under a special spell. Won't wake for an hour or two. Plenty of time to talk."
"Fine by me."
As long as the sweet thread of power wasn't severed, all good. I grabbed two chunks of shattered stone nearby—nice size for seats. I set them side by side and gestured for Atalante to sit.
"Wish I could offer tea, but no fire."
"You're utterly shameless."
Hah, what nonsense.
"Usually, people say 'polite' in situations like this."
"That's what I mean by your attitude. You were groveling with formal speech earlier, now you're treating me like a subordinate. Is that arrogance innate?"
She scowled, displeased. I replied matter-of-factly.
"Arrogance is my trophy."
"What?"
"Even small victories change everything. And I've just slain a divine beast—a massive triumph. You're just a petty thief who came to steal. Our dynamic shifting dramatically from the start? Perfectly natural. You wouldn't even qualify to sit with me otherwise."
"Urk...!"
Atalante bit her lip, speechless. As she hesitated, I pressed harder.
"If you don't see yourself as a thief, ditch the mask. Hiding your face—why act so brazen? Or are you sticking to the thief role till the end?"
She bowed her head in despair. For someone dreaming of glory, tonight was utter failure. She stood silently, at a loss for words. I waited patiently, no rush.
"I'm sorry..."
After a moment, she apologized and removed her mask, revealing her true face. It pierced my heart like a dagger.
"Ah...!"
I couldn't help but gasp. Was it because she served the moon goddess? She was delicate and pure like moonlight. What impressed me most was her elegance and aura—noble, unlike any woman I'd seen. An unfamiliar beauty that drew me in. Even in humiliation, she exuded subtle allure, like untouched moonlight. Untouchable, almost sacred.
But I kept that to myself. Right now, I preferred savoring my victory over consoling the self-loathing girl.
"I'm generous even to enemies. Sit already."
I pointed to the crude stone seat like granting permission. Hers was subtly lower than mine. Deliberately, of course.
"Pure malice. How petty."
I ignored the Secret Book's sharp jab.
"Borrowing your words from earlier: it's a lesson in knowing your place."
"Hah... unbelievable."
"Why?"
"How come you don't have horns? You're the devil incarnate."
With that, the Secret Book shut up. Chatty as it was, it never interfered at crucial moments.
"Atalante."
"Speak."
"Why'd you help me?"
I'd nearly died to the Calydonian Boar. If she hadn't thrown that dagger... unthinkable.
"......"
She hesitated, but it didn't matter. I already knew why she'd betray her goddess to aid me.
"No answer? Fine, I'll deduce it. Starting with why you came to steal tonight."
"...Peleus, right? Do you really know everything?"
For the first time, fear flickered in her eyes at my all-knowing demeanor.
"Not everything, but plenty."
The fight was chaos—no time to process info. But in the calm aftermath, it pieced together easily. One key fact: the Calydonian Boar was rampaging in Calydon Kingdom around this time.
"That boar devastated Calydon Kingdom—hence the name. Summoned here tonight, but it should've still been there."
The cause was absurd: Calydon's king, thrilled by a bountiful harvest, offered sacrifices but forgot Artemis. Offended, she unleashed her divine beast in secret. No one knew except the gods—not even followers like Atalante. Sly indeed.
"The boar ruined Calydon's autumn harvest. Veteran warriors mobilized but failed. Atalante, you were one of them, hunting it."
"...Yes. But we couldn't catch it. It tormented so many."
Calydon's joyful harvest songs turned to screams. Many devoured, crops destroyed—with harsh winter looming.
"Atalante, didn't you beg your goddess Artemis? The huntress goddess could've slain it."
She fell silent. I smirked.
"No, pointless. She sent the boar herself."
"Lady Goddess wouldn't!"
Even after tonight? Artemis must be godlike to her still.
"Really? No doubts nagging you? One Artemis's Arrow—capable of felling any beast—could've saved everyone. But no matter how you pleaded, silence."
"......"
Pain twisted her face. Hard to accept her revered goddess's cruelty.
"Must've tormented you. A goddess destroying a kingdom over a forgotten sacrifice... Gods, huh."
Her next move was obvious: to save her people, she struck a deal with Mycenae's third prince.
"Don't know the exact terms. But you stole this sword in exchange for something to slay the boar. The royal house is full of divine artifacts."
Mycenae's house was depraved but potent—special blood, gifts from gods. Zeus's sword was one.
"Am I wrong?"
In the original history before regression, the sword was stolen tonight. Soon after, hunter Atalante slew the boar, gaining epic fame—the start of Hero Atalante's saga. Left alone, her deal succeeds; she uses the artifact to win. But I intervened, ruining it.
"Peleus, you're incredible. Ruining a great hero's epic from the start."
"Highest honor. But this is just the beginning."
"What?"
"Artemis will learn of her betrayal. The dagger throw aiding the enemy."
The Secret Book puzzled.
"Weird? She watched from afar, blinded by rage—probably missed it. If Atalante stays quiet, it could slide."
"Idiot. Tsk tsk."
I clicked my tongue and explained.
"She'll know. I'll tell Artemis at the right moment."
"What?! You fiend!"
"Call it tactical. Poaching future great hero Atalante from Artemis's camp? Ideal."
In short, my tattling was the perfect wedge to drive them apart. The Secret Book sounded appalled.
"Diabolical... So where to?"
"Obviously, the great Peleus's—er, slip. Lord Harpocrates's camp. Gotta use his name for the signboard since he did me a favor. Wish I could give more substance, but he's gone."
"Then what?"
"She wants to be a righteous hero. Let her play hero to her heart's content—slaying evil monsters. Of course, in ways that slightly benefit me. That's how the world works, right? Helping each other."