The Thief God Hermes (3)
"Captain, enemy troops are swarming! It’s the undead!"
"First spear unit, raise your weapons!"
The defense captain’s booming voice echoed across the line. The soldiers, positioned behind sharp wooden palisades, raised their spears in unison.
"Thrust!"
With a roar, the first volley of the defense began. The skeleton soldiers, rushing forward with swords in hand, were shattered into pieces upon meeting the bronze spearheads. The defense of Corinth had begun.
The garrison numbered roughly 700. Organized into squads of 50, they meticulously blocked the northern path of the city, ensuring not a single monster could slip through. However, just as the infantry’s tense stalemate began, a presence appeared to shatter the balance.
"It’s a Minotaur!"
Thump, thump. A massive bulk appeared, vibrating the earth. It was a humanoid monster with the head of a bull and an abnormally large upper body.
"Ugh, to think the day would come when I’d see that monster in the flesh."
"They say almost no one who meets a Minotaur returns alive…!"
"They say it eats people alive. How horrific."
"Don't try to attack! A Minotaur’s skin cannot be pierced by bronze!"
The Minotaur was a monster that started at the basic Magic Rank, higher than the High Rank. If gored by those massive horns, an ordinary person would be torn into several pieces in an instant.
Boom, boom. It struck the ground with its massive fists, snorted, and then took a charging stance.
"It’s charging! Ready shields!"
"Shield wall!"
Bronze shields were expensive. Since they couldn't be supplied to every shield-bearer, most were made of wood.
―Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The Minotaur charged. Kwang! Before they could even prepare their hearts, a powerful collision erupted.
―Moooooo!
The half-bull beast bellowed, as if fear were boiling up from the abyss. But the charge, which was expected to blow away all the soldiers in one strike, stopped abruptly.
Clatter! Bronze chains revealed themselves from between the shattered wooden shields.
Kwoooong! The Minotaur’s horns were entangled in the chains, and it collapsed, unable to move.
"Success!"
"You ignorant beast, you jumped in without even knowing what we were hiding!"
The shield-bearers had planned from the start not to block it with their bodies, but to neutralize the monster.
"The opportunity has arrived!"
"Hero, now is the time!"
The soldiers lined up, using their shields to create a foothold. One man stepped on them in sequence and leaped high into the sky. Perseus. In his right hand, he held his signature Light Spear.
"Ooooooh, Light!"
The Minotaur’s weak point was a palm’s width below the back of its neck. That was the only place the tough hide couldn't protect. Perseus widened his eyes, aimed precisely at that spot from the air, and—
Swoosh!
He swung his right hand without hesitation.
―Crunch!
―Moooooo!!
As the Light Spear cleanly pierced the back of the bull monster’s neck, a sound soaked in agony erupted.
"It went in!"
"As expected, a hero’s technique is different!"
Thud. Perseus landed and raised his head.
"It went exactly as the Lord planned. It was a brilliant strategy to force a Minotaur with a charging habit to trip over its own momentum so we could strike its weak point."
"As expected of Sisyphus!"
Thump, thump. The bull monster expressed its rage, slamming the ground with both hands.
"That bull-head is tough. It’s trying to stand up even with its neck pierced!"
"It hasn't come to its senses yet. Subdue it while you have the chance!"
The soldiers rushed in and pulled on the bronze chains binding the Minotaur. Thud! Once again, the massive body collapsed to the ground.
A short distance away in the rear, the Thief God Hermes was sitting in the air, watching the scene.
"Oh, shiny Perseus! To subdue our Minotaur without spilling a drop of blood. You must be quite clever."
Perseus’s skill piqued his interest immediately.
"The second one won't be so easy."
Hermes pulled a throwing needle from his robes and tossed it lightly toward the rear. Thwack! The target was the second Minotaur.
Flash! A pitch-black curse began to cover the monster’s body.
"Ah, the portable Feral Curse. I really made this well. I should give myself a compliment."
―Mooooooo!!
The Minotaur, its muscles bulging even further, began to charge with fierce momentum. It crushed the allied skeleton soldiers with its massive hands, destroying everything in its path like a siege tank.
"A second one?!"
The Minotaur rammed its horns ignorantly toward Perseus. He raised the Aegis to take a defensive stance, but—Thwack! He was blown away with a thunderous roar.
"Now, what kind of performance will you show me this time? You slow-witted humans. Hurry up and entertain me. I’m starting to get impatient."
In the building where Perseus had been buried and collapsed, the Minotaur leaped out and tossed him around like a toy.
"Light Spear, joining the fray!"
A warrior joined in, blocking its path and swinging a sword at the Minotaur. Magic exploded to slow the monster down, and a healing spell was cast on Perseus. The heroes began the full-scale subjugation of the Minotaur. Their weapons, imbued with mana, pierced even the skin of a monster that had reached the Hero Rank through berserking. As it became four-on-one, the tide of battle gradually shifted in the heroes' favor.
"Oh, there were this many heroes left?"
Hermes clapped his hands. He hopped down, enjoying himself, and headed to the center of the battlefield.
"Hey, hero friends. I’ll propose a fun rule."
"God Hermes!"
The warrior raised his shield in caution. But just a moment later, he was pushed back by the Minotaur’s horns.
"Heh heh. Since you’ve shown me a fun sight for the first time in a while, I’ll show you mercy. One of you! The one who cuts the Minotaur’s throat and is the last one standing will get to take the Olympus test. It’s an honor, right?"
"A test? What are you talking about?"
"I’m giving you the chance to become the honorable heroes you’re so obsessed with. A golden opportunity to be loved by us! Come now, hurry up if you understand. Only one person."
Perseus raised his spear and shouted.
"Don't make me laugh! God Hermes, there will be no stragglers here!"
"Oh my, I thought you were a bright friend, but you just lost points. I said only one person, didn't I? So you have to fight well. While subjugating the Minotaur, all the other heroes…"
The Thief God smiled and made a throat-slitting gesture.
"You have to manage your strength well, right? If you check your allies first and then get killed by the Minotaur, it’s putting the cart before the horse. Ah, even I think this is really fun. As expected, I’m a genius."
Hermes enjoyed it as if he were watching a play. Releasing monsters to raid the city, regardless of how many humans or heroes died. It was clearly an action born from the perception that humans were expendable resources anyway. Why he needed heroes, what the Olympus test was—the context was unknowable. He was a being with whom conversation itself was impossible. The moment the heroes all felt that grotesqueness—
―Swish!
Something grazed Hermes’s cheek.
"…What?"
"Too bad. I was thinking of cutting your throat."
Behind Hermes, Theseus was covering his mouth with a fan, a myriad of arrows floating in the air, aimed at him. Hermes touched his cheek. A little blood stained his hand.
"Interesting. It seems even gods bleed."
Hermes wiped the smile from his face.
"I’ll correct that. You will all die here."
"That’s my line, you unlucky bastard."
―Mooooooo!!
The Minotaur bellowed.
***
Sisyphus was surveying the battlefield from high ground.
"The battle has started at palisades 2 and 7, brother," Alcyone said to him. She was armed in bronze armor.
"I’ll say it again, don't go to the front lines."
"There are times when you have no choice if you need to issue commands."
"Tsk, anyway, don't overdo it."
"I’ve studied strategy and tactics, too. If not now, when would I use them? The acting lord can't just hide in the back."
Alcyone’s voice trembled slightly, but she was trying to maintain her composure. Sisyphus had to leave the overall command to her because he had to head to the front lines the moment Hermes appeared.
He had also deployed the heroes evenly. Skeleton soldiers were among the weakest of the undead. Since some individuals were physically weaker than humans, they could be blocked by the regular soldiers. Sisyphus watched the flow of battle, waiting only for Hermes to appear.
"Alcyone."
"Yes?"
"Couldn't you find Clea?"
"Not yet…"
"Where is she and what is she doing since yesterday? That girl."
If there was one more inconvenient thing, it was that Clea was nowhere to be seen. It would be a big problem if she had gotten caught up with a monster somewhere. Sisyphus had intended to talk to her before the battle started, but he had missed the timing again. First, he had to focus on the enemy in front of him.
"Palisade 2, it’s a Minotaur. Perseus is facing it."
Sisyphus looked in that direction. Something shimmering with golden light was charging toward the heroes. A gut feeling struck him.
"I’ll be back."
"Brother."
Alcyone’s expression was serious. It was a look he didn't usually see.
"Don't hold back, just beat him up."
Sisyphus raised the corners of his mouth in response.
Kwang! He approached in an instant. Sisyphus arrived at the scene, running without even caring that the wind was blowing his hair back. 'If I had a running race with Clea now, I wonder if I could win.' As he was having such trivial thoughts, the guy’s face entered his field of vision.
"How dare a mere human scar a god’s face! Minotaur, tear them all apart without leaving a single one!"
It was him. The handsome young man wearing winged shoes. The Thief God Hermes. He was floating in the air, confronting the Perseus and Theseus party.
"You ignorant fools!"
It was time to put an end to their ill-fated relationship. He put strength into his fist. Just as he was running with the intent to blow him away in one hit—
―Thwump!
Something collided with Sisyphus’s shoulder. 'A shoulder check? What kind of ill-mannered bastard is this?'
―Moooooo!!
Whirrr. A massive entity emitting black Touki spun and rose into the air. Thanks to that, Sisyphus also slowed his speed. 'It’s a Minotaur.' Since he had lost his running start, it was difficult to jump at Hermes in one go. Irritation welled up, and Sisyphus instinctively leaped toward the Minotaur.
"Can't you read the room?"
―Moooo!
Crunch. Sisyphus grabbed the bull’s massive horns with both hands in mid-air. 'The grip feels decent.' And then, toward the ground—Kwoooong!!
Skill 'Throw' activated.
He threw it away in an instant.
―Moooo!
The Minotaur had been thrown so hard that, by the recoil, it bounced back into the air and returned to Sisyphus. Sisyphus grabbed the horns again. Thwack. He slammed it into the ground once more. It bounced up again. After slamming it a few more times, the meat seemed to have softened.
―M-Moo….
"I told you not to interrupt."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Sisyphus finished by spinning it three times in the air and throwing it. The Minotaur’s massive body flew precisely toward Hermes.
―Flash!
Sparks flew, and Hermes landed on the ground. Sisyphus looked down at him and said.
"Shall we have a little consultation?"
Hermes, unable to believe what had just happened before his eyes for the past 5 seconds, asked slowly with his eyes wide open.
"Who are you?"
Sisyphus replied.
"You’ll find out soon enough."