The Duel of Brothers
“Father, if you turn me away like this, you will surely regret it.” A chilling atmosphere hung over the mansion’s dining hall as Salmoneus burst in. “As the king of a nation, I have come in person with reinforcements to form an alliance with Corinth. I fought valiantly, enduring massive losses. To show me no courtesy in return—this is an act tantamount to a declaration of war.”
“Which one of us threw courtesy into the dirt, Salmoneus? By whose authority do you crawl in here so brazenly? Who allowed this ruffian into the mansion? Throw him out at once!” As Aeolus spoke with biting sharpness, Salmoneus retorted just as fiercely.
“Ha! I offered peaceful diplomacy, even supporting your subjugation of the magical beasts, but it was you who refused. You shall pay the price!”
“Support? I have heard the full report from the Captain of the Defense Force. Salmoneus, your soldiers did nothing but hinder the guards; they were utterly useless. It was Sisyphus and the heroes who subjugated the beasts.”
“Hahaha! Sisyphus subjugated the beasts?” Salmoneus whipped his head around. Sisyphus. The brother he had never been able to surpass in his entire life was sitting at the table, looking utterly at ease. The sight of him focusing on his meat without even sparing a glance for him made Salmoneus’s blood pressure skyrocket.
“A coward who abandoned his post as lord and ran away, only to swoop in and steal my achievements! That position was rightfully mine. There is a simple way to decide this. A leader must possess both the wisdom and the strength to protect the people. Sisyphus!” Salmoneus shouted, pointing at him. “As the king of a nation, I officially challenge you to a duel! It is a battle of honor, with sovereignty on the line!”
Being his brother, Salmoneus understood Sisyphus well. He might be the greatest intellectual in Corinth, but when it came to martial prowess, he was hopelessly weak. Salmoneus had never lost to him in any discipline—swordsmanship, spearmanship, or archery. If he just crushed Sisyphus, the lord, he could bring Corinth under his heel. It was a simple calculation.
‘If the guy has any sense, he’ll tuck his tail and run.’
He expected Sisyphus to be terrified, to cower before him. Even if the duel didn’t officially go through, Salmoneus provoked him just to see Sisyphus grovel. However.
“Who is this guy interrupting my meal?” Sisyphus stood up from his seat. Until now, Salmoneus hadn’t even been on his radar. He had been too focused on replenishing his protein. Sisyphus furrowed his brows as deeply as he could. “Who are you?”
Salmoneus felt as if he’d been struck on the back of the head by that question. “…Hahaha! A bluff, is it? It doesn’t suit you, Sisyphus. No matter what you say, you can’t hide that terrified expression… or so I thought.”
A large man was approaching him. Only when he was right in front of him did Salmoneus sense a change in the atmosphere. ‘Why did he get taller?’ He had clearly been on par with him before, but now he had to tilt his head back to look up at him. He checked the floor to see if he had some device in his shoes, but there was nothing unusual. The broad, massive shoulders revealed through his clothing gave off a strange, oppressive weight.
“What about this duel?”
“He says he’s some kind of king.” A blonde beauty stood up beside him and explained the situation. Why is a beauty like that next to Sisyphus? Hearing this, Sisyphus tilted his thick neck and muttered shortly.
“Outside.”
“…Ha.” Is he ignoring me now? It seems that while he was away, he must have eaten something wrong. He’d been poking his nose into everything lately; he must have gone mad after being cursed by the gods. This was actually for the best. Since he’d accepted the duel, everything would proceed smoothly. ‘I might just get Corinth back today!’
Salmoneus, filled with hope, followed Sisyphus outside with his soldiers. The stage was prepared in no time. The Corinthian plaza had a space meant for performances—a circular arena where traveling troupes often set up their stalls.
“They say a duel is happening! Let’s go watch!”
“A duel? Between whom?”
“The Lord and the former young master!”
“Can’t miss that!”
The residents of the territory swarmed in, naturally forming a ring. With the Corinthian defense guards following their master, Salmoneus’s soldiers lining up on the other side, and the townspeople crowding in, the plaza was soon packed with nearly a thousand people. Having so many eyes on them was exactly what Salmoneus wanted. They would all be witnesses to his victory.
The two men stood in the center.
“Sisyphus! I, Salmoneus, King of Elis, son of Aeolus, and the rightful successor to Corinth, declare this! I shall honorably win this duel and return Corinth to the order of a righteous king!” Salmoneus shouted at the top of his lungs.
The spectators whispered among themselves.
“Is that the eldest young master?”
“Didn’t he leave home two years ago?”
“Looks like he became a king somewhere.”
“But why is he back?”
“Maybe things didn’t work out there.”
“He says he’s going to rule Corinth.”
“We already have a Lord, why would we need him?”
The residents showed a lukewarm reaction to Salmoneus. They had no need for a lord other than Sisyphus. The soldiers’ atmosphere was similar. Oedipus, the Captain of the Defense Force, stood face-to-face with Salmoneus’s soldiers. Among the group were comrades who had left the family with Salmoneus when he first departed. When their eyes met, they offered a light greeting first.
“Captain.”
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Somehow… I’m glad to see you looking healthy, Captain.”
“Are you still loyal to the young master?”
“…Yes, we are.” The soldier answered with a somewhat uneasy expression.
They must have suffered quite a bit after leaving Corinth. They must have realized the incompetence of their commander while facing the Cyclopes. Oedipus whispered to him.
“The Defense Force is open. You may return at any time.”
“Hmm… but there’s no way King Salmoneus would lose to Lord Sisyphus…”
Come to think of it, they retreated early, so they haven’t seen the Lord’s true power. The Captain of the Defense Force stood his ground with discipline and turned his gaze away.
“Keep your eyes wide open and watch. It will be over in an instant.”
After his bold declaration, Salmoneus tossed a sword toward Sisyphus. “Pick it up, Sisyphus. The conditions must be equal. As a gesture of affection for my younger brother, I have prepared a high-quality bronze sword. I shall wield the same.”
Sisyphus picked up the sword and examined it. It was a sword adorned with flashy decorations. ‘Look at that foolish display. He doesn’t even know how to hold a sword. That blade is mixed with lead; it’s heavy and dull. Foolish Sisyphus. You wouldn’t know, having neglected your martial training.’
Salmoneus drew his own sword and took his stance. He sensed victory. “Wield that sword and come at me, Sisyphus!”
Salmoneus waited. He knew Sisyphus’s skill well. If he came in clumsily without measuring the distance, he intended to take an arm in the opening. He was the enemy who had humiliated him and stolen the lordship. A wave of emotion filled him at his own magnanimity in forgiving him that much.
However.
Salmoneus’s wish did not come true.
“What kind of scrap metal is this soft? It wouldn’t even work as a bench press bar.”
Crinkle—
Sisyphus played with the sword for a moment, then folded the blade with his thumb and forefinger. Clatter. The piece of metal that had been a sword just a moment ago rolled on the ground like a worm.
“…Uh?”
Salmoneus was stunned for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He must have seen something wrong. If not that…
“What kind of trickery are you pulling again, Sisyphus! Just like you, always relying on cheap tricks.”
Sisyphus scoffed. “I learned a good lesson on that mountain.”
“What?”
“The fact that if your body is in good shape, your head doesn’t need to suffer.”
A natural aura of dominance leaked from Sisyphus’s confident posture. Instinctively sensing it, Salmoneus took a step back before gripping his sword again. “My cheap tricks are expensive. They’re too good for you.”
“What kind of sophistry… If you won’t come, I’ll go first!”
I will seize victory with valor! And I will take back Corinth!
A perfect stance. Reaching the level of a Sword Expert, Salmoneus unleashed a lethal strike.
“Hmm.”
—Tap.
BOOM!!
When he came to his senses, Salmoneus’s vision had spun wildly in the air, and he was already slammed into the ground. He had been grabbed by the face and driven straight into the earth. Salmoneus couldn’t even understand what had happened. He only recognized that his armor, which had cost a fortune, was shattered to pieces, and he felt an immense shock to the back of his head.
“Hmm, hmm, hmm.”
Thud, thud, thud.
He was grabbed by the feet and thrashed left and right like a piece of laundry.
“Is he catching a rat?”
“Looks like he’s catching a rat.”
The residents of the territory offered their commentary. The honorable duel that held the fate of Corinth ended in just a few seconds. Sisyphus picked up Salmoneus, who was beaten into a pulp and half-dead, holding him like a blanket.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking about it. There’s no reason for Hermes to send a swarm of magical beasts to our territory out of the blue.” Sisyphus asked in a low voice. “Was it your doing? Did you ask Hermes to send the beasts so you could subjugate them and use that as an excuse to sign a domination treaty disguised as an alliance?”
Twitch. Salmoneus’s shoulders trembled.
“Surely not. Who would be such an idiot to bring over a thousand fully armed soldiers for no reason when there’s no war, and then fail to even subjugate the beasts, failing to secure any justification? Right?”
Tremble, tremble. Salmoneus clenched his fists tightly.
“Hey.”
Thud. Sisyphus bumped his forehead against Salmoneus’s and said.
“Tell that sycophant Hermes. If he has business with me, he should come himself.”
Whoosh. Sisyphus threw Salmoneus aside. Salmoneus managed to get up and look at his soldiers, but only cold stares returned. In the end, he left Corinth alone, stumbling away.
“The winner of the duel is Lord Sisyphus!”
“OOOOOH!”
“He suppressed a sword with his bare hands!”
“I saw it clearly!”
“Sisyphus! Sisyphus!”
The cheers of the residents rang out.
Returning from the duel, Sisyphus immediately reorganized the Defense Force. The soldiers who had defected from Salmoneus joining the defense force was a significant gain. Since they were already trained, he was able to finish the reorganization quickly.
‘Hermes will appear soon.’
He didn’t know what the guy’s business was. It could be that Salmoneus had simply caused a mess with a strange contract. It was a good opportunity. If he caught Hermes, the information broker of Olympus, he could grasp their overall movements. Above all, he had a personal grudge.
He had to select a battlefield as far out as possible so that Corinth wouldn’t become a war zone. The reorganization of the defense force was part of that plan.
Sisyphus returned to his room after finishing his daily routine. He was about to go to sleep quickly for muscle growth, but he sensed a presence.
“Wilson!”
Sisyphus was surprised to see Wilson neatly placed on the table. Cassandra’s prophecy was accurate indeed. It had even been modified with a string, like a necklace. It was even better since he wouldn’t lose it anymore.
“Who is… huh?”
For a moment, a golden light flashed across Sisyphus’s eyes. It was a familiar color of mana. Having seen it for thousands of years, there was no way he could forget it.
“Chronos?”
Sisyphus turned his head. What entered his eyes was hair of platinum, a little lighter than gold. It was Clea. It had been a mistake.
“…….”
Clea stood in the darkness with a somewhat apologetic expression, as if she hadn’t known it was such a precious object, her demeanor cautious.