The Intimate Treatment
“Cassandra, do you happen to know someone named Chronos?”
In the morning, Clea woke up early and went for a jog to clear her head. The events of last night were still weighing on her. Sisyphus’s condition was, by any measure, abnormal. They weren’t exactly engaged, but as childhood friends, she felt a sense of duty to look after him. She had told Alcyone that Sisyphus had gotten tangled up with Olympus in a bad way while he was away from Corinth, but since she hadn’t heard the details firsthand, she couldn’t ask him directly. Having returned to Corinth alongside Cassandra and Perseus, she speculated that perhaps this ‘Chronos’ had been a companion during their adventures. That was why she had decided to seek a lead from Cassandra first.
“Ah, Chronos? I think he was a friend of Sisyphus. Along with someone named Wilson.”
“Have you ever met them?”
“No. It was just a name Sisyphus would mutter to himself at night during our voyages. If I tried to talk to him then, he’d get incredibly angry.”
“You knew Sisyphus acted strangely at night?”
“Well, men get strange at night, don’t they? I’d just hold him gently and stroke his back, and he’d calm down.”
“HEY!!”
Why hadn’t she mentioned something so important until now? Honestly, Cassandra’s sense of reality was completely warped. Did royals not learn common sense? But from Cassandra’s perspective, she was the aggrieved party. It was a misunderstanding born from taking the metaphorical explanations of her maids—who had tried to teach her about sex education—at face value. Men get strange at night, or so they said—meaning they get aroused and seek courtship. Seeing Sisyphus lose his mind occasionally, she had thought, Ah, so that’s the phenomenon! and treated him accordingly. She had stroked him gently, just as one would soothe a baby. Magic is good, good, good. The princess, whose mind was filled with nothing but magic, had interpreted every word and formula as literally as a grimoire and executed them exactly as instructed.
“You saw Sisyphus in that state all this time and never thought to take him somewhere to get treated?”
No, if you follow the formula and get a different result, the person who wrote the formula is at fault. What did I do wrong? Cassandra shrugged, unable to understand Clea’s indignation.
“I thought Chronos was someone from his hometown. He spoke about him like they were best friends who’d known each other for a hundred years.”
“…Really?”
“That’s why at first, I thought you were Chronos. He was always trying to stick so close to you.”
“What on earth happened to Sisyphus during that one year? He was never the type to be obsessed with getting stronger like that before…”
“Really? I just assumed he’d grown up as a prodigy destined to be a great hero since he was a child.”
“No. Before he left Corinth, Sisyphus was an intellectual. He was like that even when he was little.”
“Oh my, he must have been cute.” Cassandra smiled brightly. “Then, there’s no other way but to ask him yourself, is there?”
“Wouldn’t he hate that? Thinking I’m meddling for no reason.”
“Do you have a better idea? Odysseus, you’re just too afraid of being disliked.”
“…Yeah, you’re right.” Clea conceded. Deciding to ask Sisyphus directly about what happened while he was away from Corinth, she headed toward his room.
“Did you just say Chronos?” At Clea’s words, Sisyphus’s expression turned grim. It might have been a mistake to bring it up. Sisyphus had never once spoken about the year he spent away from Corinth. Thinking about it, there must have been a reason for that.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“Uh… you said it in your sleep.”
“I see.” Fortunately, he accepted it. She had been nervous about what kind of answer he might give, but Sisyphus continued.
“Chronos is my friend.”
Friend. For some reason, she felt a slight sense of relief at that word.
“Did you meet him while you were away from Corinth?”
“That’s right.”
“And… the person named Wilson?”
“I mentioned that guy’s name too? My sleep-talking must be getting bad. I didn’t know.” Sisyphus lifted his necklace. “It’s Wilson’s keepsake.”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I wouldn’t have been able to return if it weren’t for those two.”
“What happened?”
“A lot of things.”
Even if he told her he had rolled a boulder for 10,000 years in a prison of time, it would be hard for her to understand, and at this point, it was a meaningless story. Thinking so, Sisyphus simply summarized it with that one phrase. Even so, Clea felt her heart burning with anxiety.
“I have to defeat Olympus.”
“That’s right… so that’s why you’re looking for a way to overcome the oracle.”
“Yeah. Since Olympus is at war right now, they probably haven’t noticed my movements yet, but it might become dangerous before long. So, Clea, once you’ve gained enough skill, it would be better for you to form your own party.”
“Huh…? What do you mean by that?”
“It means you always need insurance.”
“That’s…” Clea hesitated. Of course, she had set out on this journey because she wanted to become a great hero, but there was one more purpose behind it. Still, she couldn’t reveal that fact to Sisyphus right now. “…I’ll think about it later.”
She answered that way, but she couldn’t just leave him be. He had returned from an experience so painful he could lose his mind at any moment. She would stay by his side. No matter how long it took.
“Welcome, Sisyphus.” As I headed to the temple, Merope greeted me as if she had been waiting.
“Did you know I was coming?”
“Vaguely. If you look at the paths the stars in the sky take, you can make a rough guess.”
“That’s fascinating.” Merope smiled brightly. I’m not particularly interested in the opposite sex. I think I was normal when I was younger, but now I can’t even remember what those feelings were like. That’s not to say I dislike women. My instincts are still alive, after all. So, the concept of having a ‘type’ or preferring one woman over another has been completely deleted from my state of being. Yet, strangely, looking at Merope’s smile seemed to bring peace to my mind. It was a strange feeling—my body and mind felt so at ease that I wanted to keep looking at her. Is it because she’s a goddess? I suppose this is why people have religion.
Come to think of it, Chronos used to have an expression like this, too. They didn’t share a single feature, but there was something about their aura. Anyway, there was something there.
“You’re staring quite intently.”
“Is that blasphemy?”
“There is no divinity here. You don’t need to worry. Looking closely, Sisyphus, your eyes are incredibly deep.”
“Is that so? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Hehe. I heard the news. Thank you for your hard work in the labyrinth. Congratulations.” Merope naturally led me to the garden near the temple. It turned into a stroll together.
“Thanks to your help before, it was repaired well.”
“Did you bring me here to show me that?”
“There are things you can only see when you walk together. Thankfully, you don’t have any physical injuries. So, have you come to remove the traits?”
Her skills were certainly top-tier. She had checked my condition just from my gait. I told her about my state—specifically, about the blackouts I had been experiencing. Merope listened seriously and then took me to the treatment room.
“There are traces of purple mana. Have you ever been exposed to mental-interference magic?”
“Dionysus’s poison entered my system.”
“What? That’s a very serious matter. It would be difficult to even keep your sanity.” Merope began carving a circle of divine power. Is this treatment magic? A holographic projection of my body appeared. Merope spun the tiny version of me around, examining me from every angle. It felt as if my very skin were being laid bare.
“…Strangely, the poison hasn’t had any effect. That’s a relief. That means the cause of the fainting lies elsewhere… Could it be a mental reason?”
“Mental?”
“Yes. This phenomenon often appears in Spartans who have undergone harsh training. They don’t remember it themselves, but they go on rampages. It’s a sad thing. Have you had such experiences, Sisyphus?”
“…I’m not sure.”
“Try to think carefully.”
Sigh. It was that feeling you get when a doctor presses on a spot and asks if it hurts, making you say it does even if it doesn’t really.
“So, what kind of treatment is needed?”
“If you allow it, I will examine the inside of your soul, Sisyphus. If there are any festering parts, I can treat them with divine power.”
Since she was talking about souls rather than muscles, I didn’t really get it. But it was true that my body felt stiff. I decided to leave it to the expert.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes. Please take off your top and lie face down on the bed. Keep your hands comfortably on your forehead.”
I complied and took the position, and soon I felt a warm touch on my back.
“I’ll begin the examination now.”
***
Merope had a long career as a priestess of the temple. The number of injured people she had treated over the years was countless. As a goddess, she took pride in it. It was harder to heal those with wounded hearts than those with wounded bodies. From the moment she first saw Sisyphus’s eyes, she had a premonition. A darkness as deep as an endless well, one that felt as if it would pull her down. She knew he was a man with deep wounds in his soul.
When he first visited the temple, he hadn’t made a huge impression. Merope was someone without prejudices regarding race or origin. Her first impression of Sisyphus was that he was just another ordinary hero. But as she treated him, examining every corner of his body, and finally seeing for herself the immense power his muscles could exert, a strange attraction had taken hold.
‘…Father?’
The Titans. The great beings who once ruled the continent, granted legitimate authority by the primordial creator gods. Merope’s father, Atlas, was the most robust and powerful giant among them. He had moved mountains and dug new rivers, creating the foundation for humans to build a more comfortable civilization. Though he was now a god suffering punishment in a remote land due to Olympus, she somehow saw Atlas’s back in Sisyphus’s. That was why she had acted on a whim, handing him that ring.
“I’ll begin the examination now.”
That was why Merope found herself increasingly curious about this man. She wondered what kind of story Sisyphus, a small human who possessed the bearing of a giant, might have. Carefully caressing his soul, she synchronized her own soul with his through her divine power.
—Whoosh! She dove into Sisyphus’s soul as if jumping into a pool.
—Thud!
“Oh…?” Merope’s breath hitched. The scars within his soul weren’t just a well; they were an abyss. Despair. Loss. Pain. And above all, an endless solitude.
“…Ugh.” She had to fight back the urge to retch due to the tidal wave of emotions rushing toward her. What kind of experiences had this man gone through to be this broken? Fortunately, the core was solid. Like a rock.
“…Haa.” Merope, having examined the depths of his soul, slowly opened her eyes. She was breathless. Sisyphus was lying quietly beneath her hands.
‘This… this won’t work with ordinary methods.’
She had never seen a case like this. She wasn’t sure if even throwing all of her divine power as a goddess and wrapping him in it would be enough to heal him.
Rustle. The sound of clothes brushing against each other. A brilliant white light enveloped the room. At the same time.
‘……Huh?’
Sisyphus felt a warm, soft sensation on his back. And a light weight. It spread across his trapezius, latissimus dorsi, and the entire length of his spinal erectors.
“Wait. Is that how treatment works?”
“Don’t speak. Just relax your shoulders.”
Thin fingers massaged Sisyphus’s trapezius gently. At the same time, something large and soft felt squishy against both of his shoulder blades.
‘What on earth is the situation here?’
Sisyphus was bewildered. But the treatment effect was undeniable. He could feel the divine power entering his entire body. It was toasty warm. It wasn’t until thirty minutes later that the warm sensation pulled away.
“Are you finished?”
“Ah, you shouldn’t get up yet.” There was the sound of hurried rustling.
“It’s done now.”
Sisyphus stood up and stretched his shoulders. His body definitely felt much better.
“Thank you. What’s the cost?”
“This treatment is free.”
“What? That can’t be…”
“Because I’m doing it because I want to. It wasn’t a treatment Sisyphus asked for, anyway.”
“Even so, my conscience pricks me if I take advantage of a goddess.”
“My conscience pricks me if I take money from a patient in critical condition.”
“Is it that serious?”
Merope nodded. “I’m becoming stubborn about whether I can heal you. You’ll need treatment for a long time to come. Please stop by the temple once a week.”
“Well, alright.” As Sisyphus was about to leave the treatment room, he remembered something, pulled an item from his pocket, and handed it to Merope.
“What is this?”
“A bribe.”
It was a pearl bracelet. It shimmered beautifully with a soft hue. He had brought it from Crete.
“A return for the ring. Is bribing a goddess blasphemy?”
Merope giggled. “A little bit.”
She also pulled something from her robes and pressed it into Sisyphus’s hand.
“This is?”
“It’s an item belonging to my distant cousin. May a blessing rest upon you, Sisyphus.”
“…Is this an amulet of the goddess Metis?”
Merope nodded. It was a precious item. Metis was famous as the wisest goddess among the children of the Titans.
“I’ll have to worry about what to bring next time.”
“Hehe, there’s no need for that. It’s just my goodwill.”
“I’ll make good use of it.”
Sisyphus, his body feeling refreshed to the core, accepted the amulet and left the temple.