Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Greek-Style Locker Room Talk
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Having overcome two major hurdles in this new life,
all I had to do now was keep an eye out for any orbital strikes from the heavens and wait for the unknown D-Day. For the first time in a while, I was enjoying a peaceful routine.
The packed schedule at the beginning was apparently to help us explore different professions and get a feel for our inclinations over the course of a month.
Considering that the Hero Cultivation Academy even guided us toward post-graduation paths, Chiron truly deserved the title of master educator.
The professors teaching there were either nymphs and centaurs with over a century of experience or those born with divine bloodlines and insane talents.
Just as Karyklo had assured, anyone who graduated safely from the Forest of Heroes would be welcomed anywhere and never want for a living.
"Hmm... Honestly, doesn't this seem like overkill for hunting a pack of wolves?"
"Theseus, don't be an idiot. When it comes to troops and firepower, more is always better."
"H-Honestly, if Hekl and Dianes hadn't shaken up the forest, we could've found the wolves even faster..."
And in this Forest of Heroes, the ones who stood out head and shoulders above the rest were these guys—the so-called Golden Generation.
The term referred to young heroes rarely seen even in the long history of Greece, or demigods already showing seeds of divinity in their respective fields. It was also the name of the solo class I now belonged to.
Prodigy Jason.
Sage Theseus.
Mischief Morpheus.
Huntress Atalanta.
Hunter Actaeon.
Divine Asclepius.
And the great hero, the prophesied child Heracles.
In this messed-up mythological world, this was the special class of top-tier individuals, and naturally, the one I'd ended up in.
Since there was nothing left for them to teach in their specialized fields within the forest, they had the privilege of a light liberal arts schedule, with freedom for solo hunts or missions.
Today, to celebrate me completing my adjustment period and joining the Golden Generation, I'd taken a commission outside with these four macho guys and was on the way back.
"Anyway! Dianes, how much longer?"
"Just wait a bit. Lucky we borrowed fire from Hestios, or this wouldn't cook so fast. Normally, it doesn't come together this quickly."
Greece wasn't just dominating its era—it boasted an unbroken cultural legacy across all ages.
Jesus was nowhere in sight yet, and even in this ultra-ancient time when China might or might not have had its Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the cultural level here was insane.
Especially when it came to food: porridge, bread, pastries, and even spices whose presence here was questionable under Demeter's blessing—nothing was missing.
And amid all that, this was the nation that classified and ate meat with the most precision in the world.
It was only natural that the people who ate everything except airplanes in the sky, desks on land, and submarines in the sea had dragged the top chef of the land into their kitchen.
-Bubble bubble bubble!
"Whoa, damn, smell that aroma."
I truly felt the pinnacle of Greek civilization in their bone broth technology.
In a world where gods lived and breathed, the bones of animals sacrificed to them were cleaned spotless of blood and neatly stacked.
And the cattle and pigs raised in this bountiful forest and land had marbling no modern farming could match.
A cat couldn't pass by a fish market, and neither could I pass this up.
Plus, it was a cool summer dawn.
After leaping over a mountain and dashing through vast woods to hunt a cunning wolf pack, a steaming broth was exactly what hit the spot.
"I wondered if this would really be any good..."
"This smell... it's enough to drive anyone mad."
"Even though Prometheus tricked them into offering meat to humans and bones to the gods,
I always wondered why the gods still accept burnt offerings of bones to this day. Guess that's history now."
As they said, what I was preparing was none other than hearty bone broth simmered from fresh bones.
Normally, it'd take at least half a day of careful fire tending to extract the full flavor.
But thanks to Hephaestus's blessing, the broth was brewing perfectly in no time.
"I have no idea what principle makes this work."
As those in the know would understand, bone broth doesn't just happen by boiling over high heat.
Fire control is key, and timing for extraction matters a lot.
Yet this fire skipped all that, recreating perfect broth in 30 minutes.
It wasn't mere physical heat—it wielded a will that affected matter's state or time itself.
"Mythical era, huh. Magic items just popping up everywhere."
Pan's pipes were one thing, this fire another.
If even half as potent an item appeared in the martial world, it'd be hailed as a supreme treasure and spark rivers of blood.
Especially this divine fire—Southern Barbarian Sun Palace or Podalab's Flame Sect would trade their signature arts for it.
"...Bone broth boiled with divine fire."
What an astral situation.
Anyway, into the swiftly extracted broth, I added brisket trimmed from chunks I'd gotten from the centaur butcher, boiled it briefly, tossed in spice powder, Greek chives, and scallions, and brought it to a rolling boil.
Just like that, appetizing bone broth was ready in a flash.
"Here, ladle yourselves some."
-Ooooh!
With our sweat-soaked bodies cooling in the chilly dawn breeze, nothing beat this hot meaty soup to warm our mouths and bellies.
With bread and olive pickles Theseus had smartly packed as sides, the fresh golden youths stuffed themselves silly with steaming broth and meat.
"Kuaaah. Good stuff."
Heracles downed a massive bowl in one go and let out a satisfied roar like he'd come alive.
The others soaked bread in the broth and nodded silently.
"What the hell is Pasos island anyway? Producing guys who excel in martial arts, arts, and even whipping up stuff like this."
Theseus tore into his bread with a sigh that was half lament, half admiration.
To casual ears, it sounded like friendly ribbing among buddies, but I caught the undercurrent of envy and resentment, so I quietly slurped my soup.
I was used to this simmering jealousy and rivalry anyway.
And with my goal of reclaiming the throne by making a name later, it made sense they'd resent me outshining them alongside Heracles.
"What can I say? I'm just that good."
"Puhahaha! Man, seriously. Narcissus would bow to that ego. But since you've got the skills to back it up, I admit it."
In contrast, Jason couldn't hold back his laughter and cackled away.
Jason was a different breed from Heracles and Theseus.
How to put it—they were lone-wolf warrior heroes charging ahead solo, while he showed the makings of a king leading armies and ruling people.
The way his eyes sparkled at Heracles or me now and then was the ambitious gaze of someone eyeing future powerful connections.
And outside class, drilling and training his ex-bandit soldiers he'd subdued—it showed charisma and strategy enough to lead a future expedition of heroes.
"Um... could we give the leftover bones to my pups?"
"Pups? Oh, your hunting dogs?"
"Y-Yeah, they all ran hard today. I fed them plenty, but I want them to have something warm too..."
And Actaeon.
Unlike his futile, tragic end in the original myths, his beast-handling and hunting skills today were top-notch.
His fifty hunting dogs numbered like Artemis's nymph posse light-years away, and they inwardly revered her.
'Seems like he picked the wrong goddess to serve...'
He was a bit timid, but in this era, a natural-born hunter with such potential, plus his cute looks hidden under those bushy green hair like forest foliage, would set many big sisters' hearts ablaze.
But the goddess he followed was a psycho unicorn.
What could you do?
It wasn't his fault—the crazy bitch was the problem.
Atalanta was still showing her Artemis-daughter temper and vicious streak, so I was plotting a horse-taming lesson and mental reprogramming soon.
Whether this pure-hearted, shy hunter would switch faiths on my word was another question.
What did he see in her anyway?
Looks? Gotta be the looks?
"What're you thinking so hard about?"
"Leave him be. He's probably scheming some grand plan beyond our imagination."
"Oh yeah? Then spill it in strategy class later. Divine strategies from that distant land are worth hearing."
Strategy, huh...
Sorry, but I'm a total dunce at that. My bad, Jason.
Not surprising—once I stepped up in the Great War Against Demons, no strategy or tactics mattered. I'd just charge in, rampage, and it was over.
All command and strategy was handled by Guixian Scholar anyway.
'...Guixian Scholar.'
The mad genius who'd buried even her own name, burning everything for revenge.
A name that still lingered as a deep wound inside me.
"...Tch. Soup's too bland."
But a name I had to forget now—a name I had forgotten.
As I shoved it back down and gulped the soup, the young heroes eyed me curiously.
"What're you staring at?"
"N-Nothing..."
"It was, uh... kinda scary-looking...?"
"Complicated expression. First time seeing some human side from you."
"Problem? Girl trouble?"
These punks...
Don't whip out that hero's insight at a bad time.
"Wasted good cooking. Didn't turn out as planned, so I'm a bit bummed."
"Hey, speaking of. What magic did you pull? How'd you turn that Atalanta into a lovestruck maiden?"
"E-Even Artemis's huntresses are buzzing about it... Th-They think you cast a spell or something. N-No, I believe you didn't!"
"Guess for guys, it's all about looks and bedroom skills... Wait, Asclepius was at the clinic too.
So you like the thrill of sneaking around under tension?"
"....."
Ah, damn.
Sweaty dudes in a steam room, maybe.
Or just Greek culture assuming bedroom action as baseline.
Like wolves scenting blood, these greenhorn hero hopefuls pounced on my slip-up.
'Damn it.'
As I braced with a bad feeling, they started whispering full-throttle about Atalanta.
"She used to bristle like a porcupine, and guys still tried their luck— all got wrecked."
"Yeah, remember Orion rallying his crew, getting beat down?
He hid and ditched, leaving his boys to take the fall and get chased off."
"Heh, Chiron-sensei personally branding with a hot iron... Eek!"
"But that Atalanta melting with those goo-goo eyes."
"Bet that sight had heroes of both sexes weeping top to bottom."
"So, spill—how was Atalanta in bed?"
"Seeing her like that, you must've jumped her first, right?"
"N-No way... Even for Dianes, with Atalanta..."
Heracles, Jason, and even the unlikely shy guy Actaeon slunk around me like encircling prey, grinning slyly from both sides and the front.
"Ha... haha. You lunatics. Think I'd tell you?"
"C'mon, don't hold out on us. New bride after first night?"
"We'll share ours one by one, so start us off. Got wine too?"
"I-I'm... dedicated to Lady Artemis, so..."
As I clammed up in full defense mode, the three pubescent attackers went direct.
But one alone glared at me with sealed lips, set down his bowl, and stood.
"....I'm out first."
"Theseus? It was just getting good..."
Before Heracles could grab him, Theseus bolted from his seat in a flash.