The Myth of the Greek Heavenly Demon - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The world must be coming to an end.
Sure, Greece might be a place where actions speak louder than words, but still.
Nymphs of the forest attacking a guest with spears? What is this, the Demonic Palace of the Demon Cult?

“I’m telling you. Just because a pretty girl comes at me doesn’t mean I’ll always accept it or let it slide.”

If I were simply infatuated with any pretty face, I would have been okay with that crazy moon goddess, Artemis, too.
But even I have my standards.
And those standards become even stricter when someone threatens me with a weapon.

“Though I can roughly guess what Neri said, didn’t you think of solving it through conversation like intelligent beings?”

“I’m… s-sorry…”

The ten-thousand-year history of the Demonic Cult, and the five-thousand-year history of Korea.
The ultimate human behavior principle accepted on both lands located on opposite sides of the continent.
These nymphs were currently undergoing a session of groveling on the ground, a technique that even the tenacious followers of Artemis had only managed to endure for an hour before collapsing.
Their spears, or rather, their wooden poles, weren’t stained with blood, but a bit of rough treatment was unavoidable.

“What were you thinking? Did you really think I would be scared and give in to those poles?”

This isn’t some kind of romantic comedy.
Even I would have to take you seriously if you suddenly charged at me with spears.
Especially when I’m wearing my best clothes and carrying expensive gifts for our princess.
I can’t afford to ruin them because of some random nymphs’ antics.

“I was trying to be a bit more gentlemanly. But if you come at me like this, I have no choice.”

“Eek!”

“Gasp!”

Even with my head bowed, my calm voice made the gatekeepers tremble.
Fortunately, it seemed they weren’t going to follow in the footsteps of Artemis’s hunting party and attempt to set a new record for groveling.

“Now, carefully and in detail, explain what happened. While I’m still speaking politely.”

The two nymphs, who had started to tremble and were shedding tears, quickly stood up and explained the situation to me.

In summary, Neri was currently learning things like weaving and cooking from Chariclo.
With her innate charm, friendly personality, cute face, and the status of being a direct princess of the ancient gods, she seemed almost like an idol to all the nymphs of the forest.

But upon hearing that I had come, she started to sob and bowed her head deeply without saying a word.

“So… we thought our princess might have been subjected to something severe…”

“As a nymph, we couldn’t just stand by…”

In this absurd situation, I couldn’t say anything and just covered my face.

“Oh dear…”

I had expected it would be tough to soothe Neri after Atalanta.
But my lovely sea princess presented me with trials beyond imagination.

Continuing to pester the guards would only fuel Neri’s already solidified anger.
So, I decided to retreat for now and returned to my room.

Just like when we left Passos Island last time, once Neri sulked, no effort could change her mind.
Even though Neri was usually bright and cheerful all year round, whenever she got upset, she would disappear into the waves and not show up for a long time…
This time, even I felt like a major criminal, so I couldn’t even imagine how great Neri’s anger would be.

“But she’ll probably forget soon and come back with a giggle…”

Still, I had a conscience.
I couldn’t just sit idly by when the young lady, who had come all the way to this distant land just for me, was protesting out of anger at my insensitivity.

“Hmmm…”

I don’t think I’ve ever been this troubled, even when training in martial arts.
As I paced the room, chewing over my complex and subtle feelings, something caught the corner of my eye.

“…Ah!”

The scheme whispered to me by the Queen of the Gods and the Messenger of the Gods.
And the new little darlings I acquired this time.

This could work.

With a sudden flash of inspiration and the strategy left by the gods, I immediately stood up and left the room.

The rumors of the nymphs spread across Greece in an instant.
Especially in this Forest of Heroes, where the whispers of trees and flowers traveled almost in real-time throughout the forest through the nymphs’ mouths.
The picturesque duel between the beautiful huntress and the black little hero that took place in Athena’s training ground quickly reached Nesneria’s ears.

“Hmph! Hmph! Leaving me out!”

Nesneria still firmly believed that Dianes would be hers.
Sure, he might be mingling with mortals and rolling around with them in his human form for now.
But, as her mother and sisters had said, one day, when he achieved the deeds of an immortal, the only one who could stand by his side would be the princess of the sea, Nesneria herself.
Therefore, binding and restraining her lover right now would only choke him more, making him want to escape even more.
She tried to maintain their relationship by keeping a distance and preserving their friendship, just like now…

But this? This was too much!

It hadn’t even been a few days since they last saw each other, but he already had a human lover(?), and after reuniting with her, he had neglected her for almost a week?
And when he finally left seclusion, he didn’t come to her first but instead sought out that wild, red-haired woman?!

“Hmph! Should I tell Mother and have her cast a curse on her?”

Should I turn her into red seaweed?
No, since she’s a redhead, maybe a goldfish?

According to the continuing stories of the trees, the beautiful huntress Atalanta and the black-haired freshman clung together throughout their training without parting.
Their movements were so sticky and close that they reminded the nymphs of mating snakes, and Atalanta’s gaze seemed ready to devour him.
And what’s more, the entire forest was abuzz with rumors that the young hero, Dianes, who had never allowed anyone to land a blow on him, except for Hercules and Chiron, had allowed Atalanta to attack him.
The whole forest whispered that it was not just a simple spar but rather an intense love affair of rough Greek heroes.

“Grrrr…”

No matter how wise her mother’s advice or how sound her sisters’ counsel had always been.
No matter how far she tried to see ahead, her burning heart continued to gnaw at her patience.
Right now, one part of her wanted to run to her lover, embrace him, and drag him into the deep sea where no one could find them.
Another part never wanted to see his face again, after he had abandoned her for a week and oddly only cared for his human lover.
Yet, another part feared that if she saw him again, she might forget everything else and do whatever those black eyes told her to do.

In the end, her heart was split into three conflicting emotions, each pushing and pulling in different directions, leaving Nesneria to suffer alone in confusion.

“Dia is so mean…”

He could just be a small hero, or a great hero, and live with her in Passos forever.
From the time he was a young boy, through his youth, into his mature middle age, and until he became a frail old man, taking his last breath.
Just holding her hand, walking with her along the shore, swimming on the waves with her—that would be enough.
Why did he have to leave her behind, come to this distant place, roll around with some strange wild woman, and now ignore her like this…?

“Should I have gone out when he came earlier?”

When the gatekeepers told her that Dianes had come looking for her, Nesneria almost forgot her anger and rushed out.
But the rumors from the trees about the sparring match that morning had reignited her fury, and with a bit of sobbing that she had often used to manipulate her sisters, she managed to have the gatekeeper nymphs chase Dianes away.

“No, he’s always so casual about things with me because I always just let it slide. He came looking for me so casually again.”

She couldn’t let that happen.
She was the princess of the sea, beloved wherever she went.
At this moment, Nesneria resolved to make him pay dearly for underestimating such an existence.

-???~

“Huh?”

This was a forest near the sea, the most remote part of the nymphs’ woods.
The trees here were still young and couldn’t whisper, and the nymphs avoided this place to protect the budding shoots.
They said idle chatter could corrupt the young trees.
Moreover, it was now the deep night when even the nymphs were asleep.
In the quiet forest where Nesneria had settled, ready to return to the sea if necessary.

A strange melody suddenly began to be heard.

“Wh-what is it?”

Thanks to the early education of the nymphs, who were always targeted by heroes and gods, Nesneria quickly rose and assumed a combat stance.
The quietly resonating melody vanished as if it had never been there.

“Did I hear it wrong? What is it?”

‘In the end, at the very end, the only thing you can trust is your own judgment. No matter what others say, even if your thoughts and circumstances confuse you, if you feel certain about something, you have to push forward with it!’

“…Hmph! Even at times like this, you come out to nag.”

Nesneria felt annoyed for no reason at the words of the playboy who popped up from time to time.
Nevertheless, she began to listen again, as those words suggested.

The sound of the wind tickling her ears.
The rustling chatter of small trees.
The breathing of animals moving through the forest.

-???~

And then, her blue eyes sparkled as the strange melody began to resonate again.

“That way!”

For some reason, following the words of that black playboy, Nesneria followed her own judgment.
To put it simply, she decided to act as she pleased.

With steps as light as a mountain hare, she ran through the forest for a while.
The trees in the forest gradually disappeared, and on the cliff where the refreshing sea breeze blew.

He was there.

“…..”

With a strange instrument on his lap.
Against the backdrop of the bright moonlight flickering over his jet-black hair and the Milky Way draped like a veil above his head.
Along with a beautiful melody that even quieted the sound of the waves, her beautiful man was waiting for someone.