The Myth of the Greek Heavenly Demon

Chapter 41 – The Rapids

“Hmm…”

“Wait!”

Before I could say anything, a sweet, chocolate-colored hand, probably from the honey bread earlier, covered my mouth.

“…?”

“There’s still one place we haven’t visited.”

Atalanta, smiling brightly as if to say she would listen to my thoughts later, pulled my hand once again.

“To the coastline?”

“Yeah! The Poseidon beach at twilight is really beautiful to see.”

We left Hestia’s hearth and started walking again.
It seemed to be rush hour, with young heroes finishing their classes and nymphs and centaurs done with their tasks, all moving towards their lodgings or leisure spots.
Seeing the crowd from a distance, Atalanta made a somewhat uncomfortable face.

“Ugh…! Do you, perhaps, dislike forest paths?”

“No? Why?”

“Well… um…”

Atalanta turned her gaze to where I was looking before, and at the end, there were five beautiful girls leading the crowd.
Calling them beautiful girls sounded superficial, but even in the Forest of Heroes, filled with beautiful boys and girls, the five were exceptionally stunning.
If Atalanta was part of a vibrant sports world, those five would be like an idol group.
Even with hair colors like hot pink, fluorescent, deep blue, ultra violet, and blood red.
If you asked for such colors at a salon, the staff would probably make you sign a waiver, saying they wouldn’t take any responsibility on how it would turn out.

“What are you looking at?”

“Aren’t those dyed?”

“…What? Dyed?”

“You’re saying that’s their natural hair color?”

“So what are you saying? There’s no way to just change hair color.”

Good heavens.
It seemed like they didn’t even have the typical aura of nymphs, which meant they must at least be students of the Forest of Heroes, but to be born with hot pink and blood red hair?

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

“…They’re demigods of Aphrodite and Ares. The most popular idiots in the forest.”

Though Atalanta didn’t like that I was paying attention to them, she had a peculiar look on her face when she realized my reason was different from what she thought.

“They’re annoying jerks who rely only on their looks and strength, causing trouble everywhere. I’ve suffered a lot because of them…”

“You don’t get along with them, huh?”

“Hmph, they talk behind my back and pick fights with me all the time. Why would I see them in a good light?”

Atalanta, who claimed to be the daughter of Artemis and possessed far superior strength and beauty compared to them.
Such idols were apparently an eyesore to her.
So, Ares’s daughters would ambush her at the hunting grounds at night or dig traps, and Aphrodite’s daughters would spread rumors and gossip, attacking her at every turn.

“They got a bit quieter after getting beaten up during combat practice.”

Tsk, even the Forest of Heroes was ultimately a place where people lived.
Suddenly, it felt like the genre had shifted from ancient mythology to a teen drama, and a chuckle slipped out.

“So, what should we do? Should we go back then?”

“…Why? Why don’t you go talk to them?”

Was Atalanta’s mood disturbed because I was momentarily distracted by the striking hair colors of the five girls?
Atalanta, who had been sparkling with excitement like a puppy out for a walk, blatantly turned her gaze away, sulking.

‘Hmm… what should I do?’

Atalanta was standing there, pouting.
If we were to run into those five girls and their followers now, things would surely get awkward.
I didn’t want to ruin a day that was ending on a pleasant note with petty squabbles among children after finally rekindling human emotions over three lifetimes.

“Atalanta.”

“Hmph! What? Just go already!”

“Really?”

She huffed and told me to go, but when I responded with a hint of “Shall I really go?” her twilight-colored dress flinched and swayed.

“Then, I’ll go, okay?”

“G-Go, then! Why are you asking ah–? Kyaah?!”

Oops.
I gently lifted Atalanta into my arms.
In the so-called princess carry position.

“What are you doing?!”

“Why? You told me to go, didn’t you?”

With a light-hearted jest, I lightly kicked off the ground.
In an instant, Atalanta, who was holding onto me, moved from the middle of the road to the tree in the forest beside it, wide-eyed in surprise.

“Wow!”

“Don’t open your mouth; you’ll bite your tongue.”

“No, wait a minute! What are you doing?!”

“If we keep up this pointless power struggle, we’ll waste the whole day. I was in a good mood, and I don’t want to ruin it with a fight.”

Just as Atalanta was excitedly bouncing around, my head felt strangely light, as if intoxicated by something.
Perhaps it was because of the vigorous body of a teenager, contrasting with the worn-out contents within.
Or maybe it was because of this emotion tickling my heart for the first time in a long while.
Or perhaps it was because this red-haired huntress fit so well with this beautiful twilight moment that it made questioning it all seem meaningless.
With a dizzy feeling, as if impulse had overtaken reason, I found myself unknowingly embracing Atalanta and sprinting through the forest.

“The sea scent… it’s this way!”

“Whoa! H-how did you do that?!”

From thick branches to young leaves, I lightly pressed with my toes and used the rebound to propel myself forward.
Atalanta, forgetting her irritation, was amazed and kept pestering me.

“Uh, uh? Stay still!”

“Huh? Whoa!”

She even flailed around when suspended in mid-air, almost falling, but finally settled down a bit, though her eyes were still full of questions about my movements.

“We’re here!”

“Wow… so quiet yet so fast..!”

The spectral step technique I used was one of the fastest and stealthiest in the school. However, it had the drawback of being easily disrupted by even the smallest disturbances.
Focusing solely on stealth and speed had somewhat compromised its durability.
Now that I had the new power of the Godly Demonic Qi, it was time to learn an advanced form of lightness skill to test it out.

“Hey, Dianes…”

Atalanta, who had been clinging to me like a cat nestled in my arms, gently called out to me.
I chuckled softly at her sparkling eyes, as if my lips were coated with honey, and carefully set her down.

“Do you want me to teach you?”

“Can you teach me?”

Atalanta, who clung to me as if she had been waiting for this moment, looked up at me like a puppy waiting for a treat after a walk.
She was innocent, cute, and somehow made me want to tease her.

“Well?”

“Huh?”

Let’s admit it.
I was drunk right now.
I haven’t had a drop of alcohol, but it felt like I drank a whole barrel of strong liquor.
My head was buzzing and dazed, and my heart was pumping as if it were about to burst, just like the first time I drank soju.
Like a runaway locomotive, like a sports car with its gearbox ripped out.
Normally, I would have calmly considered Atalanta’s aptitudes and talents to decide what to teach her.
Even without her vibrant beauty or the variable of Hera, Atalanta’s physique was indeed something with immense potential, something that wouldn’t make sense unless she were a child of the gods.
But I just grinned mischievously, letting out a sly smile, teasing this puppy-like girl.

“First of all, guide, I must remind you that your duty is not yet finished.”

“Is that so?”

“What? To neatly conclude the grand journey called the Forest of Heroes, which we ran through diligently all day?”

What would the Twelve Divine Demons say if they saw me now?
Or the Four Heavenly Kings?
I was mischievous, immature, and also pure, to the point that no one would ever think I was once the absolute ruler who reigned as the supreme being over myriad demons.
As if I had thrown away all superficialities and burdens, I gladly surrendered myself to the liberating sense of freedom and extended my hand to Atalanta.

“Just as you said, it truly is a beautiful seaside.”

“…Right?”

For some reason, Atalanta, who no longer urged me and quietly held my hand, and I walked slowly along the sandy beach, feeling the refreshing sea breeze.
Was it called Poseidon Beach?
Come to think of it, Hermes mentioned earlier that Ares, Hera, and Poseidon have taken a liking to me?
So it wasn’t a coincidence that a king tuna was carried by the waves every time I diligently practiced spear techniques at the beach of Passos Island?

Come to think of it, there was someone who liked the tuna even more than I did when I first received it.

“What are you thinking about, smiling like that?”

When I suddenly gave a small smile, Atalanta asked me curiously.

“Well, there’s someone who comes to mind when I think of the sea.”

A young nymph with soft, silver hair that sparkled like the white waves breaking in the twilight.
Honestly speaking, there weren’t many memorable events on Passos Island tied to the temple of Zeus, which controlled the children in a semi-military manner.
But if there was one memory from Passos that vividly gripped my mind, it was the memory of that innocent fairy who always waited for me by the seaside.

“When I was in Passos, it was a night when such a beautiful twilight had passed, and the moon had not yet risen.”

That very new moon night was the perfect time to practice magic, so I inevitably left the lodging and trained in the forest training ground.

“Suddenly, I felt an unfamiliar presence beyond the forest, thinking perhaps there was still a beast I hadn’t caught, so I quietly followed the sound.”

At first, I thought it was the moon fairy or Artemis’s nymph that I had only heard about in rumors.
However, the sea-like scent she exuded and her silver hair tinged with a blue light made me forget the moon.
Soon, she revealed her identity, and I learned she was a Nereid nymph.

“…A woman?”

“Hmm, she said she was a Nereid nymph. Youngest sister of the thousand waves. Since we met, we were almost inseparable from my childhood until I left Passos. We parted on bad terms in the end.”

I wonder if she’s doing well now?
As I was lost in the small fragrance of childhood memories, smiling again.
Atalanta tugged at my sleeve.

“A Nereid nymph?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Silver hair with a blue aura?”

…How did you know that?

Was that a characteristic of Nereid nymphs?

“Is she a bit shorter than me?”

“Why are your questions so specific?”

“Over there.”

As the questions continued, Atalanta’s trembling voice made me curious.
Atalanta raised her hand and pointed to the waves in the sea.

“…What?”

And at the tip of her pointing finger, on the waves.
The beautiful nymph, with flowing silver hair neatly tied, was smiling brightly at me.

“Neri…?”

“Dianes!”

Nereid nymph.
The youngest of a thousand waves.
And my first connection was running towards me with a bright smile.