The Thief God Hermes (1)

"What is it, Clea? Why did you come into my room?"

Clea didn't answer Sisyphus's question. Instead, she brought her index finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet. It was a situation that could easily lead to strange misunderstandings if someone—especially Alcyone—saw them. Even though Sisyphus and Clea were bound by the term "fiancés," they were, in reality, more distant than strangers. He didn't hate her. To Sisyphus, Clea was a friend who had shared his childhood. As if she were always lingering in his subconscious, he had often seen hallucinations of her even in Tartarus. He had frequently mistaken the phantom of Chronos for Clea.

Their relationship had simply become awkward due to the fate determined by their families and the gods; there was not a shred of ill will. However, Sisyphus believed that Clea must hate him. After all, his own actions had been the catalyst that forced her to abandon her dreams of becoming a hero. Since then, their emotions had been on hold for six years. From Sisyphus's perspective, it had been over 10,000 years. The people around them seemed to sense the atmosphere between the two and were being considerate. So, if Alcyone or any of the mansion's servants were to see this scene now, they would surely find it incredibly suspicious. They weren't exactly the type of couple to share a room.

A piece of paper was thrust in front of Sisyphus. Clea seemed to know this well, as she had decided to communicate through writing instead of speech.

Sisyphus decided to play along for now. Clea giggled.

Before he could ask exactly what she meant, Clea suddenly threw herself into Sisyphus's arms. Sisyphus was a bit startled, not expecting her to act like this so suddenly. Had she been reading some strange novel? Her emotional state was quite intense. It was hard for Sisyphus to keep up. A moment later, as if startled by her own actions, Clea pulled away in a hurry.

"……."

She muttered something unintelligible, then—thud. She vanished from the room in an instant.

"What's with her?"

Well, Clea must be feeling confused amidst a whirlwind of emotions, too. Much like how he had experienced the confusion of having his personality change over and over while rolling his boulder. Click. Sisyphus picked up the fragment of Wilson that had been strung onto a cord to become a necklace. It had been polished quite meticulously. He liked it. Clea wasn't the type to express herself well, either. This seemed like a gesture of reconciliation she had sent after 10,000 years. Sisyphus thought he would talk to her again tomorrow.

Trudge, trudge.

Salmoneus, having suffered a miserable defeat, walked alone along the riverbank. He had been chased out of Corinth and was heading north. After walking for a while, he came upon a ruined polis filled with abandoned houses. It was a vanished territory where no one lived anymore. It was a neighboring city to Corinth, where Autolycus had once been the lord. Salmoneus, dragging his injured body, headed toward the city's temple.

"Ugh, ugh... It is I! Show yourself!"

Responding to his shout, someone draped in a robe appeared from the darkness.

"What a pathetic sight."

"Autolycus, what happened! That magical beast wasn't just a subjugation target; it was at a level where we couldn't even touch it!"

The man threw off his robe. A middle-aged man full of wrinkles—his identity was the thief Autolycus, who had a deep, long-standing grudge against Corinth.

"We made a deal! You promised me a noble title if I cooperated in reclaiming Corinth! Instead, you've brought me nothing but humiliation. What are you planning?"

He replied in a greedy voice.

"The fact that you failed even after I set the stage is due to your own incompetence. Salmoneus, you fool. If you were wise, you would have seized Corinth even if it meant turning it into a pile of ash."

"Nonsense. What is the point of seizing a pile of ash? This is all because of your father, who sent such a mindlessly strong magical beast. Yes, it was because the god Hermes is dull-witted that it failed; there was nothing wrong with my strategy!"

Salmoneus pointed his finger at Autolycus and raged.

"If there had only been a weak magical beast, my army would have wiped them out, and the citizens would have praised me and accepted me as their new king! What could a mere thief like you or your father possibly understand about tactics and strategy?"

Autolycus shook his head.

"So it is said, my great father."

—Crackle! Sparks flew.

Suddenly, Salmoneus felt a chilling coldness behind his back.

"Hmm, it really is true that every few years, these types appear. People with loose lips who don't know their place and dare to insult me. Hahaha, it's so funny I could die."

Salmoneus turned his head slowly. But there was nothing left there but a few sparks, as if static electricity had just flared.

"I hear you even insulted the supreme god Zeus. Shall I decide whether or not to show mercy as a benevolent god? Haha, isn't that very fair? If it lands on tails, you live."

Ting! The sound of a coin being flipped echoed. And then.

"Gah!"

Before a flash of light could even register in Salmoneus's eyes, he was sent flying through the air, bouncing off a wall and rolling on the ground. Clatter. A golden coin rolled in front of him where he had collapsed. A coin that was heads on both sides.

"Oops, it seems you've been abandoned by the gods. You poor human."

The face of a handsome young man laughing heartily at him. That was the last sight Salmoneus ever saw.

Hermes, who had punished the foolish human, was quite furious. His son, Autolycus, knew the thief god's personality well. Even though he wore a smile and appeared relaxed, he must have been boiling with rage. Punishing a mere human wouldn't be enough to satisfy him.

"It's a strange thing. Autolycus, my son. I clearly lured Poseidon's one-eyed sons and sent them to Corinth, yet all but one were wiped out. How did that happen?"

"Polyphemus was a very strong one, even among the Cyclopes. Father's strategy was perfect."

"That's what I'm saying. I came to see you while I was here to deliver Zeus's oracle to the continent, and I found this foolish human. I was going to wipe out his bloodline as punishment and give you Corinth while using the Cyclopes. Haha, Poseidon will be angry later."

Whoosh! The golden coin returned to Hermes's hand as if sucked in.

"The one who survived reported back. He said heroes who happened to be staying in Corinth subjugated Polyphemus."

"As expected, coincidences are more fun than fate. Just like this coin. What's his name?"

"Perseus. He's a god who recently rose to prominence after subjugating Medusa."

"Hmm, I really like him. As it happens, the reason I came down was because the supreme gods were in trouble due to the war. I was in need of a strong hero."

"Is that so? Then the rumors that a war has broken out in Olympus are true."

"Let's see how much fate that Perseus fellow carries. If you press down on it, it's bound to pop out. It's simple, but it's the most effective strategy."

Ting, the golden coin flipped into the air.

"Everything is as Father wills."

Hermes stepped lightly into the air and leaped up.

—Rumble!

Centered around his temple, a massive army of magical beasts began to rise.

"Let's depart, my son. While we're at it, I'll see how good you are at stealing territories."

Under the declaration of the thief god Hermes, the army of magical beasts began to advance. However, he had not yet noticed one fact: that the very strategy he was using to toy with humans was already resting in the palm of a certain human's hand.

"Scouts have discovered the advance of a magical beast army from the north. Most are undead skeleton soldiers, and there are two Minotaurs. They will cross the river in one day."

"As expected. Oedipus, set up the wooden barricades and hurry with the organization of the defense guards."

"Yes."

After receiving the report from the defense guard, Sisyphus went around the territory's borders to organize the guards himself. Given that Salmoneus had retreated north rather than south, it was easy to predict that he was connected to Hermes, so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he had immediately installed wooden barricades in the north to prepare for the next battle. Thanks to that, they were able to meet the timeline.

"Brother, where should I be?"

Perseus asked confidently, holding his shield.

"This is a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠defensive battle for our city. You don't need to push yourself to participate in the combat."

"I've already received so much help from this city; I can't just run away now. If I did that, my mother would scold me even if I returned home. I will participate."

"The opponent isn't just a magical beast; it's the god Hermes."

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"Corinth is neither a city of pagans nor one tainted by evil. If they are attacking a place like this, surely the god must be in the wrong. I believe a hero should stand on the side of the people."

Perseus's resolve was firm. Sisyphus felt reassured by him as well.

"If you're going to be a hero, act like one."

"Hmm, did you find me lacking, Brother?"

To Perseus, who was scratching his head, Sisyphus handed a piece of parchment.

"I'm saying you should fight by accepting a commission. As the lord of Corinth, I'll give you a commission paper, so sign it and fight. Don't just barge in like a fool, kid."

Perseus's face brightened.

"Yes, I understand!"

"Sisyphus, I'm not much help, so can I stay in the mansion?"

"Where do you think you're going? You have an escort contract with me. You need to be by my side and prophesy."

Sisyphus grabbed the back of Cassandra's neck as she tried to slip away.

"What kind of escort takes their charge to a dangerous place!"

"It's safest by my side."

"What if Hermes tells Apollo that he saw me? He'll definitely come after me."

At Cassandra's words, Sisyphus chuckled.

"That won't happen."

"Sisyphus, you look like a total villain when you laugh like that."

While he was finishing the organization at the barricades, someone approached Sisyphus. It was Theseus's party.

"Lord of Corinth. I heard you're issuing a commission to subjugate the god Hermes. Is that true?"

"Who spread that rumor? There's no need to subjugate a god; magical beasts are enough."

"If there's still a spot, I'll take it."

"Why are there so many people who want to catch a god?"

"Opportunities to subjugate a god aren't common. It doesn't matter if you don't give me a commission. I intend to fight whether there's one or not. Just for practice."

This woman wasn't in her right mind, either. Thus, Theseus's party also joined the battle.

"I will issue the formation."

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The heroes focused on Sisyphus's voice. A short distance away from them, Clea was watching Sisyphus. Surrounded by numerous heroes—and Alpha or Beta-class ones at that—he didn't shrink back in the slightest and issued the exact commands they needed. For some reason, he felt incredibly distant.

'…Sisyphus.'

For the past year, where had Sisyphus gone and what had he done? He wouldn't have left the territory without a word on his own, so he must have been caught up in some incident. Seeing him return with heroes, he must have gone on an incredible adventure.

—Theseus, you smell it too, right? This lord here has a very strange scent. No? Is it just me?

There was even a beauty of an unattainable level, perhaps a princess from some foreign land. Moreover, she seemed quite close to Sisyphus. Clea had sought him out because she had business with him, but now was definitely not the atmosphere to convey personal matters.

'This isn't the time for that, either. It looks like the magical beast attack will happen tomorrow, too.'

Crises continued to befall Corinth. With real heroes and an army like this, there was no place for her to play a role. A tremendous sense of helplessness washed over Clea. She was overwhelmed by that massive energy.

In the midst of this, Clea's gaze landed on Sisyphus's neck.

'……Huh?'

He was wearing a necklace. It was a necklace crafted from a stone fragment. Clea took hers out from her pocket. The necklace she had spent all night polishing and making. Since she clearly hadn't handed it over yet, the item Sisyphus was wearing was something else.

—Sisyphus, now that I think about it, you're wearing the Wilson necklace? It suits you well. Hehehe, didn't I tell you?

……Ah.

What Sisyphus was wearing right now… wasn't the memento of their memories. Was it a gift from that woman?

"……."

Was Sisyphus's memory of them not precious, and he just carried any old stone fragment like a charm? For some reason, her heart felt heavy. Clea, who had been staring blankly at Sisyphus for a long time, turned her body and avoided the spot. She began to run.

"Haa, haa, haa…!"

Crackle. Sparks flashed from the tips of her feet.