Thyestes' Coup
After sweeping away Ares' warriors in the mountains in one go, I headed straight for the great city of Delphi.
This bustling hub devoted to the god Apollo wasn't far from Python's cave. It was also the place the Burning Nameless One had turned into a sea of fire before my regression.
"Peleus."
"What?"
I glanced at the Secret Book as if to say spit it out, strolling leisurely along the mountain path where ash scattered like pollen. But from the vibe, this seemed more serious than I'd thought.
"I've learned that your achievements have reached a tremendous realm. But you should hold back."
"Why?"
"That power you just unleashed... it's not something that should casually appear in this world of mortals. It's enough to draw the gods' attention."
"Figured as much."
"Some are already watching. They might send underlings to investigate."
The silver lining was that this was Python's territory, so her antics could probably cover for it.
"You might get away with it this time, but one more like that and you'll definitely catch the gods' eyes. Better be careful."
The power of the Divine Manifestation stage was truly immense. I should only use it when I could handle the gods' scrutiny.
"Got it."
"There must be ways to wield it more precisely without such a grand display."
True enough. A few ideas were already forming in my head. I accepted the Secret Book's advice and pressed on toward Delphi.
At a tavern, I gathered rumors and quickly heard something shocking.
"Is that really true?"
"Heh, young fella. You gonna get duped your whole life? Word's spreading like wildfire these days."
The old drunk spilling the gossip shook his empty cup with a grin. I refilled it and leaned in.
"Tell me more details."
"Details, schmetails—it's just like I said. Thyestes, the younger brother of King Atreus, has become regent of Mycenae. And Prince Agamemnon's been thrown in prison for treason."
"What..."
In the time I'd been away, something massive had gone down in the Mycenaean royal family. After the brutal fight with the cannibal giant Thematos, King Atreus had fallen ill from his wounds, they said. The old hero might've been great once, but age had caught up, and he couldn't endure the battle.
Thyestes hadn't missed the chance, seizing the regency and power.
Ambitious guy, sure, but he moved faster than I expected. This diverges from the history I knew. Thyestes stepping up as the king's brother should've been way down the line.
Isn't it because of you, Peleus?
Me? How?
Your exploits put Agamemnon in the king's good graces. Guarding Zeus's sword, even rushing to help against the cannibal giant.
Come to think of it, yeah. In the original history, Agamemnon hadn't done much yet. Suddenly gaining the king's favor must've made Thyestes rush things.
Definitely. Just look at how he framed the prince and locked him up—clearly checking him.
Agamemnon got done in by his own uncle. But it made sense; the queen had probably turned enemy too. From what I recalled of history, Atreus's wife Aerope, neglected by her husband, ended up in an affair with his brother Thyestes. They were likely already lovers.
It'd explode into a huge scandal later, but for now, it was hushed up in the palace. As the kingdom's number two with the queen backing him, Thyestes grabbing power wouldn't have been hard.
"Thanks for the entertaining tale, old timer."
I decided to head straight back to Mycenae.
Rumors said Prince Agamemnon was slated for execution at the autumn festival dedicated to Dionysus, god of wine. Only about a month left.
Headache. Getting to Mycenae won't be easy.
I'd flown in on Pegasus quick enough, but going back? Not so simple. Had to cross the Corinth Gulf midway. Better hurry.
But as I wandered the city, the Secret Book warned me.
Tail on you.
For real?
To check and do some market browsing, I looped through the streets.
Impressive skills. Even with my heads-up, spotting the tail's tough. Pro-level for sure. Too bad they picked the wrong mark.
With the Secret Book, it was like having eyes in the back of my head.
What now?
Let 'em tag along. Could be useful. They'll show when the time's right.
Fair enough.
I easily pegged the tail's identity through the Secret Book—it could scout nearby, and they'd gotten close enough.
Knowing who it was, I just let them follow me to Mycenae. I could guess why.
"Let's go."
Time to stir up a storm in Mycenae. Thyestes holding power was bad for me. Agamemnon needed to be king for me to snag a spot at his side and pave the way forward.
It took nearly a fortnight to sail past the Corinth Gulf and reach Mycenae by ship. Way delayed because a massive sea monster was rampaging there, grounding departures. Agamemnon's execution was now just a fortnight away.
"Cutting it close..."
A bit anxious, I turned and shouted behind me.
"Come on out already? We've traveled together a fortnight—time for introductions, no?"
I stopped dead and crooked a finger downward.
No answer.
Ugh, annoying. Felt that way from the start.
"Still hung up on old business?"
Mentioning our last meeting rustled the bushes nearby. Our fledgling hero had great tailing skills but couldn't control her emotions yet.
"When you do wrong, you gotta take the thorns with it. Unless you think you did right, don't get so prickly with me."
She finally couldn't hold back and emerged.
"Who says I'm still sulking over that?!"
Snorting, out stepped Atalante, Artemis's warrior huntress. Even in that dark underground before, she'd shone like moonlight alone. Under the sun, she was downright blinding—like a temple statue of a goddess come alive to speak.
"Nice, no mask this time. Facing me fair and square."
"Tch!"
My jab hit home; her pale shoulders trembled. She knew she had no comeback, just biting her pink lips tight. Instead, she fired another question.
"When'd you notice?"
Pride wounded in her tone. She'd been confident in her skills. Pity.
Secret Book at my side and all.
Hey, thanks for the assist. Look at her shaking.
Grateful? Treat your big bro right from now on.
Praising the Secret Book inwardly, I got cocky.
"Your footsteps were so loud, hard to pretend not to hear."
"What? You're unbearably arrogant!"
Atalante exploded. A beauty scowling had its charm. But with no romantic interest, I was meh. I dug my pinky in my ear and shot back.
"You tolerate your own flaws fine but sharpen your fangs at others'. Be as generous to me as you are to yourself."
Thief calling the kettle black, much?
Now Atalante looked near tears. Like a good girl gone astray once, getting raked over the coals. Kinda pitiful. She did it to save Calydon's suffering people, after all.
"Atalante. I didn't call you out for bickering. Let's talk something constructive."
"Sniff... You're not asking why I tailed you?"
"Obvious, right? World's chaotic; you got questions for me."
Nailing it made her eyes widen. Probably wrestling with her patron god since the Calydonian boar mess. And sensing I knew of gods she didn't, here she was.
"You waited near the foothills, huh. After that massive blast, easy to track me."
"No way that explosion... was you?"
"Use your imagination."
"...You have too many secrets."
"Mysterious guys are popular. See? Even a beauty comes calling."
"Your secrets match your total lack of taste."
Damn, sharp tongue on her. "Tasteless" to my face? Had to scratch my head sheepishly.
"Ahem!"
Coughing, I tabled that and offered a conditional deal. No freebies in this world.
"I can answer your questions. But truth and knowledge have a price. Help me, Atalante, and I'll satisfy your curiosity."
"What do you want?"
"Nothing bad for you. Atonement too."
I asked her to help rescue Agamemnon. Planned to drag her along from the start.
"The prince dies in a fortnight at this rate. Dunno if he's great, but he's the rightful heir over his uncle. Framed too. Reasons to save him abound."
"Hmm..."
Atalante pondered. Looked reluctant to meddle in royal squabbles. Zeus's sword fiasco left bad memories.
"Atalante, you owe the prince, no? You knocked out an innocent guy guarding the royal treasure. Helping now makes it right."
After mulling, she nodded. Chance to repay her debt without crossing Artemis, whom she still followed. Artemis didn't meddle much in Mycenae anyway.
"Fine. This clears my wrongs."
"Won't be easy. Might risk your life."
"Won't spare it for my honor. Peleus, you'll really answer after?"
"Promise."
Deal sealed. Pondered pulling her in fully since spotting her tail; worked as planned. She'd lost embarrassingly to Zeus's sword cheat item before, but Atalante was hero material—her martial prowess far outstripped mine. Big help busting Agamemnon out.
"Now that it's set, one thing: starting today, we're husband and wife."
"Huh?!"
Her lovely face crumpled.
Atalante and I slipped quietly into Mycenae. Bought ragged farmer clothes from an outskirt homestead and posed as a rural couple selling crops. Looked the part to anyone.
That "husband and wife" bit? For this.
"Wife, that soot on your face suits you."
"Shut it! Spare me the nonsense. Why so serious about playing house?!"
Her diligent nature.
"Gotta live it a while; don't be so prickly."
She eyed me like dung.
"Husband and wife? Hah, now I see—gods don't make those bonds."
"Why?"
"Olympians wouldn't pair such a horror!"
Marriage hater here... Makes sense; vowed chastity to Artemis. But per Greco-Roman myths I'd read on Earth, she falls in love and meets ruin. Who knows in this world. People are unpredictable.
"Let's split and gather intel."
"Got it. Meet at dusk."
We roamed Mycenae all day, collecting on Agamemnon. City buzzing over his execution made it easy. But mostly grim news.
Reuniting at dusk, our faces were dour.
"Peleus, storming the prison's near impossible. Heavily guarded."
"Yeah. And politically dumb for the prince."
"Got a scheme?"
Politics is the people's will. I figured rescue him and flip public opinion. Thyestes's sly propaganda had convinced many Agamemnon deserved death.
"Think: a moment to extract him and sway the masses."
Atalante pondered, then guessed:
"Execution day? Out of unbreakable prison, crowds gathered?"
"Exactly."
"But riskiest too."
"Gotta hit where they least expect. We steeled for death from the start."
She nodded.
"Fine. Say we snag him then—how flip the masses? Thyestes's agitation's solid. Can you reverse it in one go?"
"I can."
"Really?"
Her eyes widened, disbelieving. My lips curled. Execution day suddenly felt promising.
"I'll drop a scandal shaking all Mycenae. People love forbidden love."
Thyestes's affair with his brother's wife Aerope. In original history, it'd leak later—but now, I'd expose it.
"Agamemnon becomes the poor victim snared in his uncle's plot to hide his sin."
The masses would love it. Chance to spit on royals.