Chapter 176
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: Monster and Beauty
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Around the time a certain goddess and demigod were somehow papering over a scandal on the scale of all Greece through a mutual agreement on land.
A fishing boom was sweeping the Messenian coast.
Normally, around this time of year, the blue-skinned sea god would ride in on white-capped waves to spread rumors with human women, sparking the sea queen's explosive rage that kept fishermen from even daring to launch their boats.
But for some reason, even far out at sea, the skies were cloudless, and beneath the cool, gentle waves, plump fish were coming up endlessly.
It was the first good haul in decades, and celebrations for the sea god and his wife were rocking every Greek coastline.
But humans had no idea.
Poseidon had come to Messenia for a spring outing in the warm breeze, as usual, locked eyes with a beautiful demigoddess, and was in the midst of a passionate affair.
And Amphitrite was sharpening the twin blades that had once made a great hero scream in terror.
But aside from the deep-sea kingdom's drama, the reason for Greece's unexpected warm winds over the sea?
The thousand waves tasked with carrying the queen's wrath to the surface had been thoroughly infused with that spring warmth themselves.
"Sis! Look at this! Actis gave it to me—a scarf made from fox fur he hunted and processed himself so his hounds wouldn't scratch it!"
"Hee hee hee, speak for yourself after looking at this necklace. Zetes flew all the way to Libya to fetch it for me when he proposed."
"Ahh, I wish night would come already..."
"Oh my, weren't you saying just the other day you'd become one of Artemis's hunters? That you'd never even glance at a man?"
"And you were agonizing over whether to devote yourself to Hestia's temple or become a weaver in Athena's. So whose is that thing you've been knitting so diligently lately~?"
"Whoa, Second Sis, did you see? When we called for more people since we were short-handed, which river goddess showed up riding a freak raincloud?"
"...Wanna die?"
Normally, these sisters would be chattering away in their eldest sister's palace, the sea queen Amphitrite's domain.
But no such luck—with Big Bro-in-law off on land stirring up trouble and Her Majesty sharpening her knives, sticking around to gossip might get them stabbed first.
So in a pinch, they were holed up in the youngest's seaside villa, closest to Messenian waters, waiting for nightfall.
"So what the heck is Neris up to that she hasn't shown her face in two days?"
"Probably passed out, still out of it."
"I heard from Sis she's completely shed her kid looks. No way, right?"
"She and her lover haven't poked their heads out of this villa for a whole month. Think?"
"Pretty sure it's exactly what you're imagining."
-Cackle cackle cackle!
The sisters of the thousand waves, basking in spring breezes after millennia.
So open-minded their doors had flung wide in the warm gusts, they toasted the youngest's milestone while reveling in their own triumphs under Aphrodite's blessings.
"Cheers! To our Himeros, lovely Nesneria and her beau, beautiful Cupid Dianes!"
-To them!!
As the thousand-wave sisters raised their glasses in cheers for their sister and brother-in-law, Dianes the demigod—blessed by those thousand waves—would never have his breath stolen by any gale, nor his robes soaked by any storm.
And overlooking those sisters from upstairs, toasting in satisfaction, were the goddesses leading them: Galatea and her lieutenant, Thetis.
"How's it looking, Thetis? Pretty good vibes, right?"
"Yeah, you look happy too, Sis."
"...Hee hee, of course."
Thetis, who took after her mother and rarely surfaced from the ocean depths.
But when else would she get Aphrodite's guidance if not now? At her second sister's begging, she'd come ashore for the first time in centuries.
The boisterous festival—men and women mingling wildly—had overwhelmed her, so while her sisters paired off for fun, Thetis hid quietly by the beach.
Then, by Cupid's grace or sheer coincidence, a dashing prince found her seaside cave, and they shared a fateful time.
"Hee hee hee..."
"...Oh my."
A flush on her third sister's face—prim as a sea witch incarnate.
Galatea stuck out her tongue at Cupid's fearsome arrows.
'But still... she's been bragging to me non-stop since holding hands yesterday.'
Whoever this hero had snagged the shy sea witch—Galatea prayed Aphrodite's grace upon him.
"So, Sis? How about you?"
"Me? Well... heh heh heh."
Galatea had listened to Thetis's sweet romance tales; in turn, Thetis had been hearing her hero stories for two days straight.
Knowing she was far from typical Greek romance, Thetis studied her big sis's tales like lessons—and they seemed to help.
"So I pushed Aki into the bushes and got on top... ahem, details secret. He said it was embarrassing. Isn't he just the cutest?"
Galatea's current catch—no, mate: Acis, son of the pastoral god Pan.
Pan, Hermes's son and forefather of satyrs, was infamous among nymphs for his ugly looks and womanizing.
But his son Acis was worlds apart from his father—impossibly so.
His cute face stirred protective instincts in any goddess; his shepherd's build from Trinacria was sturdy; shy to hold hands, yet wild and feral in bed!
Galatea, starved for affection for ages, floated on clouds from the young demigod's love.
"Eek. Heh heh heh..."
Just imagining her young lover stocking up stamina for their soon-to-come time made Galatea blissful.
But here, Thetis grew worried.
Galatea had a persistent suitor clinging to her.
"Uh... so, that Cyclops okay now?"
But at her sister's oblivious words, spring blossom warmth frosted over instantly.
"...Tch! Why bring up that damn monster shell?!"
Cyclops Polyphemus.
Son of Poseidon and nymph Thoosa—as his name implied, a one-eyed giant.
Legend said he'd led other Cyclopes guarding Dionysus on his eastern pilgrimage, boasting immense strength; unexpectedly skilled shepherd with prime sheep; and a fervent suitor to Nereid Galatea—or as Dianes put it, a stalker.
"What's the point! No manners, all brawn! Zero consideration—I suffered so much! Poseidon's too much! Even if it's his son, pushing that freak is sick. Sick!"
It started, as always, with Galatea protesting on behalf of her sisters during Poseidon's procession.
In a rage, Poseidon bundled her into his chariot, raced to Polyphemus's island, and tossed her to "get along with his son"—the spark.
True love transcends looks, sure—but dumped before a hill-sized one-eyed brute? Galatea was horrified.
Polyphemus fell for her beauty at first sight, charging like she'd been gifted as a bride; she swiftly turned to waves and fled.
But the one-eyed giant took it as feminine coyness, bellowing love songs seaward.
She'd refused politely, raged and cursed him to get lost, even threatened in Poseidon and Zeus's names—but his thick skull ignored it all.
Poseidon nearly became "Po/se/i/done" from furious Amphitrite.
Her rage shook Greece's seas like apocalypse as she screamed about tossing her precious sister to his bastard island spawn, treating Oceanus's daughters like toys.
"So embarrassing... Dionysus invites him, and he comes here hunting me! Ugh!"
Dreaming sweet times with Acis, floating ashore all la-la-la—then spotting that menacing eye glaring from the cliff. How she'd startled!
"Our Acis... he'll be okay, right? Not caught already and suffering?"
"Nah, it's Dionysus's feast. Even a Cyclops wouldn't pull crap during that."
"Right?"
She'd promised Dianes to stay sea-bound by day for their lovers' training.
But with that savage Cyclops and her love in one place? Galatea fretted endlessly.
"If they meet even by chance... No good. Gotta sneak up and check on him!"
Finally snapping at thoughts of Polyphemus, Galatea swam for land—
—when a hand grabbed her.
"Sis, calm down. Yawwwn~"
"Ne-Neri?!"
Their Himeros, slipping out the door to cling to her sister's back.
Nesneria—unrecognizably grown in moments—halted her.
"Y-You're okay?"
"Mmm? Whaa... heh heh."
Still sleepy-eyed, puffy lids refusing to rise.
Red marks on neck and shoulders revealed the youngest's month of passion.
'Oh my...'
'Quiet goldfish climbs the anemone first, huh...'
The tiny tot beaming on their laps just recently? Gone.
Snowy, lithe legs stretched tall—a head over Thetis; atop the rare pearl dress Queen Amphitrite prepared, full fruits bore a man's claiming bites, sensual even.
Her girlish-yet-womanly beauty stood out among wave sisters.
Without rival beau Dianes, gods and heroes would've warred over her.
"...At least you look healthy, Neri. But Sis is busy."
"I'm fineee~! Go up now and Dia'll kill meee..."
Yawwwn~
Galatea bristled at the youngest's leisurely lover-brags, ignoring her urgency.
But versed in her lover's ways, Nesneria's firm hold left her squirming helplessly.
"Eek! Baby sis! Let go!"
"Nope~ Dia said it'd complicate things if you went."
"Sis, hold on."
Thetis, watching second and youngest tussle, caught something in Neri's words and reined Galatea in.
"Oh! Long time, Sis!"
"Yeah, ages. Can't even recognize you, Neri."
"Hee hee, power of love."
Fully awake now, beaming as she released her sister—Nesneria utterly transformed.
"Anyway, it's fine. Dianes has it handled by now!"
So! Don't! Go!
"Ughhh..."
Galatea relented to the youngest's smug, ironclad certainty—like eternal truth—but chest anxiety lingered.
"R-Really okay?"
"Told ya~"
* * *
Meanwhile, at Poseidon's coastal feast.
"Grrrrr!! Y-You bastard...!!"
"Hah... haaah...!"
Galatea's lover, pastoral god's son Acis, couldn't trust his eyes.
The mountain-tossing, cloud-scattering Cyclops giant.
The one-eyed brute raising a fist to crush him—frozen mid-pose, eyes bulging.
"Stay still. I've sealed your hundred convergences. Twitch, and your organs twist in agony unto death."
The calm warning terrified even the Cyclops into paralysis—utter transcendence.
Yet fixated on the savage giant, a voice called from atop its head.
"Acis, what's going on?"
A man standing on the Cyclops's pate, gazing down.
The guide who'd gifted dreamlike bliss days ago—soon his master, the great hero—calling him.
"Di... Dianes..."
Acis slowly uttered the four awe-and-fear-inducing syllables.
Still terrifying, but in this moment, more reassuring than any god—this great hero had saved his life.