Chapter 157. Seizing Merit (6)
It might sound a bit conceited to say this.
But Tramachus was quite satisfied with his life.
After all, though he wasn’t part of the direct royal line, he had been born into the royal family of Calydon.
A royal, chosen even among the Hellas who were themselves chosen by the gods.
In that sense, Tramachus could be said to have been “special” from the moment he was born.
And his life continued to be special.
Thanks to being born into royalty, he lived a wealthy and comfortable life beyond what ordinary people could imagine, and received a high-quality education.
On top of that, he even had the great hero Meleager as his cousin.
Anyone who knew would understand how fortunate it was to have such an extraordinary person as family.
Just their existence alone was something to be proud of, a pillar to rely on in difficult times, and a compass to guide one’s life.
Given that, it was only natural that Tramachus, with Meleager as his relative, dreamed of becoming a hero and entered the Chiron Tower.
Even after becoming a disciple of the Great Master Chiron, who had raised countless heroes, Tramachus remained special.
As if proving he was of Meleager’s bloodline, he possessed outstanding talent and was chosen by a god, receiving the blessing of flame.
Recognizing this, the Great Master Chiron even made Tramachus a special offer.
He asked whether Tramachus would join the next generation of heroes, the New Argonaut Expedition Team, who would succeed the current heroes of Hellas, the Argonaut Expedition Team.
Of course, Tramachus accepted.
There was no reason to refuse. If it was to succeed the Argonaut Expedition Team, then naturally, he believed he should be part of it.
It was a special organization fitting for someone special like himself.
After joining the New Argonaut Expedition Team, Tramachus met familiar friends.
Among them were Irida of the Wind, Thyreos of Reinforcement, and Lynceus of Farsight.
Well, in a way, it was only natural.
Special people tend to gather around other special people. There’s a reason the phrase “birds of a feather flock together” exists.
There were several other exceptional companions, but even among them, Tramachus remained special.
There were many with fine bloodlines and great talent, but in terms of talent, Tramachus was no less—and as for bloodline.......
To be blunt, his was among the best. The others might have noble or heroic lineage, but none were royal.
That said, he had no intention of boasting about it.
Rather, he took responsibility for it and worked even harder.
As someone trained in politics, negotiation, strategy, and tactics, he carried out his role diligently, skillfully, and with a sense of fulfillment.
Then, one day, he met him.
Anagin—a man with contradictory titles: Hero of the Outskirts and Practitioner Killer.
His first impression was nothing special.
Just another ignorant practitioner.
Someone drunk on a small amount of power, lacking humility and caution.
The kind of person destined to run wild and die.
Nothing more, nothing less.
But that impression gradually changed.
When he defeated Periphetes, one of the officers of the Forest Brotherhood who had subdued them.
When he boldly challenged Erysichthon, whose mere presence was overwhelming.
When he fought Meleager in the Chiron Tower, surrounded by enemies, to protect powerless children.
And above all—
When Tramachus saw what Anagin did when his childhood friend Irida was grieving over her sister’s marriage.
He would admit it honestly.
It was something Tramachus himself could never imitate. The same went for his elder cousin Meleager.
Condemning the unjust treatment of Irida and Atalanta, and attacking Hippomenes to resolve it—it was madness, yet also remarkable.
And the fact that this madness led to nullifying the Groom Tournament was astonishing.
Whether it was luck or calculation didn’t matter. For practitioners, only the result mattered.
Regardless of the process, what mattered was that Anagin defeated Hippomenes, nullified the Groom Tournament, and freed Irida and Atalanta from their father’s constraints.
Seeing that, Tramachus had no choice but to admit that Anagin was the superior practitioner.
Especially after he defeated a bishop-level of the Barbaroi Cult with the support of Meleager and Atalanta.
At that moment, Tramachus felt both admiration and the fading of his own sense of being special.
Because he had seen someone truly special.
He saw it.
Meleager and Atalanta treating Anagin as an equal.
The royal guards and other practitioners averting their eyes when they met his gaze.
And Irida’s gaze growing noticeably softer.
Though he didn’t want to admit it, Tramachus felt a faint sense of jealousy whenever he saw it.
As if something that had once been his—“specialness”—had been taken away.
But what could he do? What must be acknowledged must be acknowledged. Only then could one grow.
So Tramachus steadied his heart and tried not to feel jealousy toward Anagin. Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult.
Because Thyreos and Lynceus were of similar temperament, and being with them helped him share that mindset.
After calming himself, Tramachus approached Anagin like a friendly rival, persuading him to deliver the Coins of Greed, believing it would help him. And he decided to travel with him, to observe and learn.
All of it was in accordance with the teachings of the Chiron Tower.
After going through various events, Tramachus arrived at the Festival Village below the Temple of Delphi, where he was able to restore some of his shaken pride.
Here, the New Argonaut Expedition Team was regarded more highly than Anagin.
Except for one person.
Orpheus.
When they met Orpheus again, he showed more interest in Anagin than in them.
It was understandable.
As someone even greater than Meleager, he likely had the discernment to recognize the stronger practitioner.
Still, it didn’t matter.
What mattered wasn’t the present, but the future.
With more blessings and training, Tramachus believed he could surpass Anagin.
But that belief gradually began to crumble.
When he saw Anagin standing proudly while everyone else knelt before the Oracle.
When he saw the Oracle not grow angry, but instead call Anagin aside and try to persuade him to receive a blessing.
The difference in treatment was overwhelming.
Even after receiving a new blessing, Tramachus couldn’t feel entirely happy.
Then, Orpheus called them aside in the waiting room and asked about Anagin again.
Did they know why he rejected blessings? Did they know his true reason for aiming to become a god?
Unable to answer, Tramachus instead asked why Orpheus was so interested.
Orpheus’s answer shocked him.
He said Anagin might be someone who could help him raise his merit.
Meleager the Immortal, Atalanta the Great Warrior, and now Orpheus the Musician.
All of them treated Anagin as an equal.
At that moment, Tramachus felt a sudden intuition.
No matter how hard he tried, he might never catch up to Anagin, let alone surpass him.
After that, things became a blur.
Before he knew it, they had left the waiting room and were heading down the mountain with Anagin.
Watching him, Tramachus realized he cared about Anagin far more than he had thought.
Meanwhile, Anagin seemed completely uninterested in them, leaving without hesitation.
For someone like Tramachus, who had always been the center of attention, it felt strangely unfamiliar.
But there was nothing to be done. It wasn’t like Anagin had done anything wrong.
After parting ways, Tramachus and his group thought for a moment before going to find Orpheus.
To thank him for helping them avoid being detained by other practitioners.
But Orpheus was gone.
They were told he had left on some business.
Instinctively, Tramachus and his companions began walking in the direction Anagin had gone.
Following an unexplainable intuition.
And that intuition was correct.
In the worst possible way.
The further they advanced, the more the ground trembled with deafening sounds.
And soon, an unimaginable sight unfolded before them.
Orpheus—the musician who had calmed storms, subdued the siren with music, and even pacified dragons—an 8-star practitioner and member of the Argonaut Expedition Team—
Was being overwhelmed by Anagin.
Of course, Anagin himself was far from unscathed, but that wasn’t what mattered.
What mattered was the fact itself—
That Orpheus was losing to Anagin, who had received no blessing.
It felt as though one pillar of the world Tramachus knew had collapsed.
He was so shocked that he didn’t even wonder why they were fighting.
At the same time, Tramachus felt an almost certain intuition.
Even if he died and came back to life, he would never be able to catch up to Anagin.
Thump.
The jealousy he had acknowledged in his heart began to beat stronger, growing larger.
Thump.
Anagin, who had been standing still, suddenly grabbed Orpheus by the throat.
Thump.
Thyreos and Lynceus couldn’t move, unable to keep up with what was happening.
Thump.
Only Tramachus moved.
Thump!
He didn’t know the full situation, but what mattered was that Orpheus, a hero of Hellas, was in danger.
Thump!!
To save that hero, Tramachus threw his spear.
Thump!!!
And the blessing he had unconsciously imbued into the spear exploded.
* * *
As Anagin collapsed from the explosion of the spear lodged in his chest, the weapon was blown free by the blast.
The thunderous noise of battle that had filled the air just moments ago faded, replaced by a bleak silence.
Like a battlefield after the fighting had ended.
“Why did you suddenly do that!”
After a brief moment of silence,
Thyreos shouted at Tramachus, startled and a beat too late.
Why did you throw the spear?
No—even if throwing it was to save Orpheus, why did you use a blessing on top of that?
Tramachus, wearing an equally shocked expression, answered that he had acted unconsciously.
He said he did it without thinking because Orpheus was in danger of dying.
“......!”
Thyreos clenched his teeth but couldn’t say anything.
It was true that Orpheus had been saved. Moreover, he himself had just stood there, unable to do anything—he wasn’t in a position to blame anyone.
But still…
“H-he’s not dead.”
Lynceus said as he examined Anagin’s condition.
His entire body was covered in wounds, half-rotted, and the right side of his chest had been pierced and blown apart by the spear—yet Anagin was still breathing.
Barely, but still alive.
A truly astonishing vitality.
At that moment, Orpheus, whose neck had nearly been snapped, coughed violently as he stood and moved to retrieve his lyre.
To finish Anagin.
Seeing this, the others ran toward Orpheus.
To understand why the two had fought in the first place. Right now, everything was simply too confusing.
“Lord Orpheus!! What happened?!”
The three practitioners asked, but Orpheus did not answer.
Instead, he picked up his lyre and tried to pluck its strings, to end the defenseless Anagin lying on the ground.
At that moment—
KWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIK──!!!
A desperate, almost convulsive screech rang out from behind as Pairon, Anagin’s interspatial boar, charged forward.
At the frenzied rush, the three members of the New Argonaut trio flinched for a moment, but only Orpheus reacted, plucking his lyre and deflecting Pairon’s charge.
Kweeeeeiiik-!
But then, unexpectedly,
Pairon, who had just been charging like a mad beast, suddenly turned and fled as if nothing had happened.
For a brief moment, they felt confusion at the stark contrast—but then, as a faint breeze brushed past, Orpheus instinctively realized something had been overlooked.
He whipped his head around toward where Anagin had been—
And Anagin was gone.
Sphinx, her limbs transformed into those of a beast, stood in the distance on all fours, carrying Anagin on her back while glaring toward them.
Sphinx glared not only at Orpheus, who had attacked Anagin, but also at the New Argonaut trio—her gaze that of a monster, not a human.
Gulp!
A truly ominous presence.
Yet Orpheus paid it no mind and attempted to play his lyre again.
“What are you trying to do?!”
Thyreos hurriedly tried to stop him.
No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like he was targeting Anagin.
And no matter how one thought about it, there was no reason for that.
Taking advantage of that moment, Sphinx spread her massive eagle-like wings from her back and flapped them along with a spell.
A powerful gale surged forth, threatening to engulf not only Orpheus but the New Argonaut trio as well.
Though it was merely wind magic, its power and scale were immense—
Ting!
With a single pluck of Orpheus’s lyre, the gale subsided as if it had been a lie.
As the wind calmed and visibility returned, they saw Sphinx fleeing into the distance.
But it didn’t matter.
As long as he could see her, Orpheus was confident he could catch her no matter how far she went.
Even if she tried to escape by flying with those massive wings—
“Hm?”
Just as Orpheus was about to play his lyre to capture Sphinx, her figure flickered and vanished.
She had thrown herself off a cliff.
Could it be that, after watching Orpheus fight, she realized that staying within his line of sight was dangerous?
Even so, leaping off a cliff was still a shocking decision.
Monsters were powerful beings, but they were not invincible.
Jumping off a cliff was dangerous, no matter the difference in durability.
And yet she did so—using her own body as a shield as they plunged down.
Even for a familiar, that was not an easy thing to do.
Only for a moment did he admire it.
Then Orpheus tried to pursue Anagin.
However, his body was in no condition. He needed help.
“Haa… You all, help me. We must catch him.”
“He” clearly referred to Anagin.
Normally, they would have followed without question, but this time, they asked.
“Just why… are you trying to capture Anagin?”
At this point, anyone with even a little sense could tell—
It wasn’t Anagin who attacked first, but Orpheus.
And that only deepened the confusion.
It made no sense for Anagin to attack Orpheus, but it also made no sense for Orpheus to attack Anagin.
What possible reason could there be?
“I will explain later. There is a reason for it.”
Orpheus urged them to move for now. He could not let Anagin escape like this.
Though dissatisfied, the New Argonaut trio couldn’t press him further.
If it were Orpheus, the Musician of the Argonaut Expedition Team, perhaps there truly was a reason.
After some hesitation, just as they were about to move—
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
A cold, deliberate applause echoed.
The strange sound approached, and everyone turned their heads.
Soon, a man appeared.
A middle-aged figure with golden hair and beard, wearing peculiar gloves.
While the New Argonaut trio simply stared, unsure who he was—
Only Orpheus spoke, his voice trembling.
“......Midas?”
“Nice to meet you, minstrel.”