The Return of the Lord (4)
Theseia, hero name Theseus. Troezen, located on the northeastern coast of the Peloponnese, was a small city-state facing the Aegean Sea. Theseia was born as the daughter of Aethra, a noblewoman of the Troezenian ruling family. She was of noble blood. From a young age, she had an intuition that she was destined to become a hero, having learned to manipulate mana early on. Upon reaching adulthood, she heard the secret of her birth from her mother. Her father was none other than Aegeus, the King of Athens—one of the three great powers of Greece—and the son of Poseidon. Her mother handed her the sword and greaves her father had left behind as tokens, telling her to seek out Athens.
However, the reaction of the heroine Theseia was cold and dismissive. "So, a great hero was born from a midsummer night's fling? I can already obtain everything I want on my own; why should I shackle myself with the title of princess?" Theseia chose the path of a hero. To ensure no one would look down on her, she registered her hero name as a man's. As she roamed the Peloponnese peninsula, subjugating bandits and magical beasts, her name began to spread throughout Greece in just a few years.
She even gained skilled companions. "Theseus, you can't be promoted to A-rank without stopping by Athens. All roads lead to Athens. You've hit your limit on the peninsula." That was what her party members said. They were right. Hadn't even the Amazon Penthesilea, called the greatest female hero, passed through Athens time and again? When people spoke of a kingdom in Greece, they meant Athens. She needed to play in the big leagues.
On the path from the peninsula to Athens lay a city called Corinth. Everyone passed through this city. It was a good city. It possessed the most modern architecture and culture in all of Greece. It was clear that the lord was an intellectual with significant foresight. That was partly why she had readily accepted the request when the platinum-blonde woman had brought it to her. From a hero's perspective, requests not made through the guild carried the risk of not getting paid. But she felt Corinth was a city worth protecting. Besides, a few gold coins were something she could always earn again. But a ruined city might be lost forever if she didn't act then.
"Interesting." Theseus wiped her blood-stained lips and swept back her bangs. Her charismatic gaze pierced the enemy. The giant Cyclops laughed, as if the killing intent of such a hero was cute enough to die for. It was insulting. Theseus swung both her arms. The moisture in the air condensed, shifting into the shape of a massive fist around her arm.
"Ah, do you think you'll win just by increasing your size?"
"You only have one eye, but your eyesight must be poor too. Close your mouth if you can. The stench is piercing my nose."
Whether it was sweat or something else, the Cyclops's body odor was so strong it made her head spin. Even though there was no sign of him commanding his subordinates, the fact that they moved in an organized fashion suggested he might be issuing orders through pheromones. Whatever the case, she had to take down this hulking leader.
Tap, tap, whoosh! Theseus leaped, closing the distance in an instant with her long legs. Dodging the Cyclops's fist, she flew gracefully and—WHAM!—drove a powerful blow into the enemy's face. The giant glared at Theseus, his neck bent.
"Oh, did you not see that? You used arrows, so I guess you thought I was an archer. I'm actually more used to this style."
Whoosh, whoosh! Her fists struck the giant's face in succession. A whirlwind, as if a small sea had been summoned, raged as the blows continued.
"Theseus!"
"I'll help!"
Her party members joined in. The warrior slashed at the legs, the mage supported with spells, and the priest cast blessings. It was a solid hit. Theseus's unique water-attribute technique. It was a skill that was originally more powerful in close quarters than at a distance. Most magical beasts wouldn't be able to withstand an attack of this magnitude. However.
"Ugh?!"
Theseus was startled by the heavy hand that wrapped around her waist. Her breath was being choked off.
"I will tell you one fact, demigod."
Piercing through the spray of water, the wide-open single eye rushed toward Theseus. "The Father is on our side; he does not grant his protection to you."
Whoosh— BOOM!! While caught in that massive hand, her entire body was struck by the other fist. Theseus was launched like an arrow and tumbled across the ground.
"Theseus! You... Ugh!"
The Cyclops swatted her party members away with the back of his hand in one stroke. Theseus gritted her teeth and managed to stand up again. It was an immense impact that would have pulverized her bones if she hadn't deployed a shield with her technique the moment she was hit.
'This isn't an ordinary Cyclops. This guy, he's not just high-rank...'
At the very least, he was Hero-rank. He might even be Disaster-rank. 'Poseidon doesn't protect me.' She knew that fact well. If there was one thing she had realized while working as a hero, it was that the gods thought of human society as nothing more than a sandcastle on the beach—something they could play with and crush at any time. They didn't raise heroes. What they raised were magical beasts. They gave oracles to heroes, watching and enjoying to see what level of magical beast they could defeat.
'How annoying.' There was no way a magical beast of this size could have traveled up the river of a small city like Corinth without any warning; it was clearly the gods' mischief. Just as she had finally decided to head to Athens, she had run into a trial.
Spit. Theseus spat out the blood that was hindering her breathing. A broken rib was piercing her internal organs, but thanks to the adrenaline, it didn't hurt that much.
"As if I'd run away."
The hero of the black storm raised both arms, preparing to bring down the rain once more. The one-eyed giant laughed in satisfaction.
"Haa, haa, haa. Did everyone evacuate?"
After sending the hero to the city center, Clea headed toward the Corinthian mansion. Fortunately, the mansion was empty. It seemed everyone had already fled for safety.
"Whew."
Her clothes were so soaked with sweat that her skin was visible. Still, she didn't stop her feet. "Let's look around a little more."
There might still be residents in Corinth who hadn't managed to evacuate. There were three shelters in the city for times like this. The town hall was the safest, but because of its size, there was a high possibility that magical beasts would flock to it. The temple had a secret basement, but it was dangerous if discovered. Still, it was better than not hiding at all. The defense soldiers would have gathered people toward the town hall. Clea ran mainly through the outskirts where there might still be people, checking the houses.
On the way, she heard signs of life in one house. Clea went inside and looked around.
"Haa, oh my."
There were young children inside the closet. It seemed they had been separated from their parents and left behind, unable to reach the shelter. They looked like siblings. A young girl was clutching a boy tightly and looking up at Clea.
"I don't really like closets. If you get caught, there's nowhere to run. You have to make an escape route before you hide."
Considering they were young, she thought it would be even harder to move to the shelter now. Clea took the siblings out to the living room and decided to hide under the table with them. A boy with dark brown hair and a girl with light blonde hair. For some reason, it reminded her of herself and Sisyphus when they were young.
"...Are you a hero, big sister?"
At the girl's question, Clea slowly shook her head.
THUD! In the midst of holding their breath, a massive vibration rang out. The sound of the door being smashed in was followed by an instant of silence. Grrr, the sound of a beast. The children's trembling grew stronger. It felt like a scream would leak out at any moment. Clea realized the magical beast was getting closer.
'It knows our location.'
It was definitely hunting them with a reason. If there was one thing magical beasts were stronger at than humans. 'The smell...!' At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they were found. Could she take the children and run? Even if she did, the town hall would be blocked by now, so the temple was the only choice, but it would be useless if she didn't shake off the beast.
'I have no choice but to go.'
Clea carefully whispered to the children. They would run out when she gave the signal. Three. Two. One. "Run!"
She had secured an escape route. The three of them dashed out through the back path of the kitchen. *—Grawwwl!* Thud, thud. She could feel the beast chasing them from behind, smashing through the ceiling. She moved her feet without even a chance to look back.
"Hold on tight!"
The outcome was obvious with the children's running speed. Clea hoisted one child in each arm and began to pour all her strength into her calves. 'Please, just a little.' The one-eyed giant was chasing them fiercely from behind. She could have shaken him off easily if she were alone, but it wasn't easy running while carrying two people.
'Just a little more, legs...! You can run fast just this once!'
She left the roadside and climbed the hill. She dove into the trees that filled the surroundings. *—Gooo!!* Thud, thud. The roar from behind. The distance didn't widen at all. Her breathing grew shallow. Her lungs, expanded to their limit, felt like they were about to pierce through her ribs. She was terrified that her heart, beating like crazy, would burst at any moment.
'A little faster!'
In this moment, Clea felt a bit resentful. That she wasn't a hero. That she remained a human despite having talent. Of course, she had been trapped in a ridiculous fate by the gods. Her story had ended before it had even begun. Still. Couldn't she have resisted at least a little? What would Sisyphus have done in a situation like this?
'Sisyphus.'
She hated the idea of ending like this, even in death. At the very least, she wanted to see that idiot's face one more time.
"Sisyphus!!"
Crack. Golden sparks flew from Clea's feet. At the same time, a flashing cluster of light swirled in her pupils. The next moment. *—Whoosh!* Clea had exited the forest and crossed the hill.
"Huff, huff."
She took a deep breath. She was momentarily flustered by the suddenly changed scenery. Thud, thud. The sound of the giant chasing her had moved a bit further away. About 100 meters. She didn't know how she had done it, but she had bought about 10 seconds of time. Clea judged quickly. She put the children down and said, "Go. If you go back through the back path here, you'll find the temple. Go down to the basement and tell them, and they'll let you in."
"Yes? Then what about you, big sister?"
"Hurry!"
The children ran off. Clea watched them go, then picked up a stone from the ground.
*—Goooo!*
Before long, the giant burst out, knocking over the trees in the forest. The large single eye was glaring at Clea, chasing her persistently.
"You...! Get lost!"
Clea threw the stone with all her might. It hit the Cyclops square in the head. And she began to run again. It was in the opposite direction of the temple where the children had run.
"Ugh."
For a moment, her legs felt stiff, as if they wouldn't move at all. She looked back. Thud, thud, thud. The Cyclops was approaching her. A massive shadow covered her entire body. She realized the difference in their physical class all over again.
"...Ha."
She drew the dagger she had hidden in her thigh. She had no intention of dying quietly. 20 meters, 10 meters, 5 meters. The distance was getting closer and closer. It was just when she had steeled her resolve.
*—KWAAAAANG!!*
A strange thing happened. The giant of massive stature flew through the air and was slammed down like an arrow. By a single, ordinary-looking punch.
"...What the."
A man was standing in front of Clea. He was very strange. One year. It was a year that hadn't felt like a year at all to Clea, but it seemed it had been a time like eternity to him. He had grown taller. His physique had changed. His hair and beard were shaggy like a barbarian's. His appearance was so different. Yet, she recognized him the moment she saw him.
Clea, her strength completely drained, called his name, leaving her voice half-entrusted to the blowing spring breeze.
"You're too late, you idiot Sisyphus."
He turned his head slowly and replied.
"It's been a while, Clea."