『Island of Sarpedon』
"KUHAHAHAHAHAHA FINALLY! After DECADES of waiting! At last, the key to my revenge will be WITHIN REACH!" Deep within the caverns of Sarpedon, Medusa, the Gorgon and the original bearer of the title "Mother of Monsters," trembled with euphoria, drooling a crimson, putrid miasma in her delight. "I KNEW it was only a matter of time before the dark seed I planted would grow! Hahaha, CHOKE ON THAT SEED, WRETCHED PERSEUS!"
Medusa, the Original, one of the three Gorgons who once lived on this island, now stood as the last. Centuries ago, at the height of her power, she was defeated by the famed hero Perseus. Yet, thanks to external influences, she had returned to the land of the living.
"You should be more composed, my dear granddaughter. We wouldn't want the gods to find you just yet, would we?"
With an irritated sigh, Medusa composed herself, coiling her massive tail into spirals. Her eyes fixed on the mature feminine voice addressing her.
Large, curved horns adorned with green and blue scales extended from a strikingly beautiful, almost naked mature woman floating before her. Long, azure hair and pink eyes marked with an "X" gazed at Medusa.
"If you expose your location, I won't be able to hide you for much longer, little child."
Despite her centuries-old existence, Medusa huffed like a petulant child.
"Don't act so paranoid, Gaia. Our plans are bearing fruit after centuries of waiting. The prophecy will be fulfilled, and the *era of monsters shall replace that of the gods*, as we planned." Medusa spoke with a broad, fanged smile across her face, retreating to the depths of the cavern to rest until the awaited moment. She had already sent her daughter to aid in her mission.
As Medusa departed, Gaia could only watch her anxious granddaughter leave. Much planning still lay ahead; after all, Typhon had proven far too mentally unstable to inaugurate the era they desired. But now, perhaps a king who could reason—a ruler instead of a tyrant—might be the best choice.
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『Returning to Our Young Protagonist』
『Present Day』
POV: ASTERIUS
The celebration continued—
Androgeus laughed with his friends.
Ariadne swooned over the young knights showing off.
My other sister, Phaedra, calmly drank, ignoring the men vying for her attention.
Deucalion quietly ate while debating with our father and the surrounding nobles.
As for me, I continued eating with the delightful Europa—my grandmother—nestled in my arms and lap.
I felt her relax and take another sip of her wine. Discovering that I wasn't as asexual as I thought and even had a *type* was a revelation, even to me.
"Hmm~"
Perhaps I inherited some divine blood from Poseidon as well. While eating with one hand, I subtly and discreetly caressed her soft figure with the other.
I was simply enjoying the night when a soft, echoing voice at the forefront caught my attention!
"Good evening, Your Majesty!"
Hearing that voice shifted my focus, drawing my gaze to the newcomers ahead.
They were exotic figures amidst the crowd, yet there was something familiar about them.
The group consisted of three individuals.
The apparent leader, standing at the forefront, possessed an unusual appearance—like me, she had animalistic traits! Her velvety fox ears and tail immediately caught my eye.
Standing at around 1.70 to 1.75 meters tall, she wore loosely draped garments of Asian origin—stereotypically Arabian. A purple veil partially covered her large, fluffy fox ears. Her attire included a purple bra over her ample chest and a matching loincloth for her lower half. A red and gold mantle draped like a jacket over a flowing blue tunic, open at the front, left little to the imagination.
Her features were breathtaking: long, wavy violet hair cascaded to her ankles, framing cyan eyes and an hourglass figure adorned with jewelry. Her appearance resembled that of a gypsy or fortune-teller.
To her right stood a voluptuous woman with a similar appearance, seemingly around 28 to 30 years old. Her curvaceous figure featured full breasts and hips, with smooth, dark coffee-colored skin that glowed in the candlelight. At approximately 1.75 to 1.80 meters tall, she had long, straight dark hair cascading down her back, a beauty mark beneath her left eye, and emerald-green eyes that sparkled.
Her attire was akin to the leader's: a blue royal body suit with gold trim, clinging to her large, overflowing chest. Gold shoulder pads, a ruby diadem on her forehead, and a nearly transparent white skirt with side slits showcased her thick, smooth thighs. Completing her Arabic-inspired look, a veil covered her mouth.
Finally, to the leader's left was the youngest-looking of the three, possessing animalistic traits as well. Between 16 and 18 years old, she stood at approximately 1.62 meters tall.
This young woman, with dark skin and long purple hair, wore an outfit that could only be described as a bikini. A long, blue-and-gold ornamental sash covered her front, paired with a small, revealing loincloth. Her ears resembled those of a jackal, complemented by gold earrings and an elaborate necklace.
The leader, clearly the one with fox traits, stepped forward. Years ago, such an appearance might have drawn attention or even disgust, but now? With me present—a giant, hybrid human-bull—no one would dare to react that way, at least not openly.
"I have come from distant lands, by the command of the gods, to meet our dear prince!"
As she spoke, I felt her and her companions' eyes on me, filled with the same hungry gaze that Aphrodite often directed my way. Most notably, the youngest among them trembled and sweated nervously.
Before I could respond, my stepfather and adoptive father spoke:
"Hmm, interesting. But could you state your name? After all, making such a claim is serious, especially as foreigners who appeared here without my ever hearing of your arrival in my city."
Despite his words, I could see the desire in his eyes as he ogled their sinful figures. They were probably dancers or courtesans—not that I held anything against their profession. Living with Aphrodite tends to shatter one's notions of "purity."
"My name is Sheba! I have come from afar to present gifts to the prince on his name day. As for how I arrived? I have my ways, but rest assured, none involve ill intent toward Your Majesty or your family."
She spoke while bowing alongside her two companions. The crowd began murmuring. Some denounced their attire, while other men drooled and discussed what they'd do if they had one of them as a concubine. Women grumbled with envy and irritation at their exotic looks, calling them names for their revealing clothes.
As for me? I simply continued eating, ignoring my siblings' stares, and pressed Europa closer to my chest. I decided to wait and see what would unfold.
My mother, or rather, *this* mother, seemed to growl in irritation while glaring at the three women.
"And WHY should we allow you to remain here, when you are clearly intruders?" My current mother spoke, not-so-subtly signaling for the guards to surround the trio.
'This wasn't good.'
Pasiphae had entered kill-or-fight mode, and judging by the guards' lustful gazes, I was certain that if the women were sent away or imprisoned, they would "accidentally" show up injured or missing tomorrow—likely raped and sold as slaves to some noble.
Before I could try calming the psychotic woman who was my mother, the voluptuous dark-skinned one stepped forward beside her apparent leader.
"Forgive my interruption, Your Majesty. My name is Scheherazade, and as for what should be done with us, I believe the prince should have the final word. After all, today is his name day, and we have come for him."
Her tone was seemingly indifferent, yet I could see her trembling. My instincts told me everything I needed to know—a cold read, if you will. She was terrified, nearly shaking with fear.
I could clearly see the hidden emotions of everyone around me, thanks to their body language. I guess this is due to my more bestial side.
Soon, the apparent leader among them, Sheba, radiated confidence, as if everything was part of her plan. As she spoke, I could feel the hidden smile beneath her veil and the attentive gazes of everyone on me.
Seeing no other choice, I dropped the piece of meat in my hands and looked at the three foreigners who had come to visit me.
"You said you came to offer me gifts… What are they?" Upon hearing my response, I could feel my mother glaring daggers at me—she would probably scold me for hours tomorrow.
The youngest of them stepped forward and, from somewhere, pulled out a chest from her back, placing it before the table where my family and I were seated. Soon, the two others beside her did the same, placing three large chests side by side.
"M-My lord, we brought three treasures from our land, each one handpicked by the three of us. Magical items, m-my young lord! M-my name is Nitocris," the youngest of them stammered nervously while forcing a smile.
Rising from my seat, I gently placed Europa on it and walked around the table, striding firmly and confidently toward the chests. As I looked at them, I could feel everyone around me just as anxious as I was. Finally, I decided to pick the middle chest, which Sheba had brought, and opened it. Upon doing so, a *BRIGHT LIGHT* filled my vision.
A golden glow that seemed like it wanted to purge me! But soon, it faded, and as I looked at what lay before me, I could only gasp in surprise.
"W-What is this?"
Scheherazade, who remained kneeling, apparently too afraid to lift her head, spoke with a mix of confidence and fear.
"This? This is my gift, Prince Asterius," she said.
After her words and description, I lifted the blade from the chest, displaying it to everyone.
It didn't look like a weapon for combat—no, it seemed more like something meant to decorate a king's hall, not to be stained with blood!
It had a golden blade with bronze contours and a blue scabbard.
It was a masterpiece.
I could feel the envious eyes of everyone around me. Still shocked as I stared at the blade in my hand, I returned it to the chest. Like a mannequin, I moved on to the next foreigner and her chest—this time, it was Nitocris.
I opened her chest mechanically. It was the largest of the three. As I opened it, I felt a red energy, a violent miasma swirling around!
Only for it to disappear moments after I grabbed the item. Pulling it out, once again, everyone and I stared in shock at the gift.
The foreigner, Nitocris, stood up and bowed, speaking quickly about the item.
"My prince, this is a special spear! A spear crafted from the bones of a mythological being, one that never misses its mark when thrown at a target! It's a weapon without equal, my lord!"
My thoughts raced wildly as this flood of information hit me.
'Come on! Where did all this come from? Did this exist in Greek mythology? A tale I missed? And I'm certain these women AREN'T PART OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY!'
With my thoughts still spinning, I moved to open the final chest.
A divine energy emanated from it. I KNEW something was off about it… The other chests held items that, individually, would have been enough to prepare me for ANYTHING. But this one? …I feared where they had found these items.
After reflecting, I opened the chest with a certain dread. A soft bronze glow faded, revealing its contents…
Was that? ----
I quickly closed the chest.
Before anyone could see.
Turning mechanically to face the foreigners,
who wore smiles on their faces, I thought:
'Who the hell are you?'
I could only question this as I stared at them. I was sure they weren't human (besides their animalistic traits, of course).
"Mother, Father, brothers, I will excuse myself now," I said, turning to the guards and motioning toward the chests.
Still stunned, they knew me well enough to set their reactions aside and quickly obey.
I walked up to the apparent leader of the three foreigners, leaning down to whisper in her ear:
"You owe me MANY explanations about who you REALLY are and where you got these treasures."
"Fufufu~ As you wish, my prince," she replied.
With that said, I motioned for her to follow.
Quickly, before they could refuse and before the audience could process what had just happened, I grabbed her two companions, placing them on my broad shoulders (Scheherazade on the left and Nitocris on the right), both clutching onto my shoulders for support. Then, pulling Europa by her hand, I headed toward my room. Sheba, possibly feeling left out, leapt onto my back, wrapping her arms around my neck and clinging to me like a koala.
And so, ignoring the furious glare of my mother and the jealous looks from my stepfather and the guests, I made my escape from my own party as quickly as possible.
Not that it mattered much to me—nobody there was a friend or anything like that.
Walking with the guards following behind, I didn't waste time thinking and simply kicked the door open, ignoring Cattleya's protests about how unworthy such behavior was.
Upon reaching the massive bed (a commission from Aphrodite that, who knew, would one day prove useful), I gently placed Europa on it.
As for the three strangers, I lifted them off my shoulders and tossed them onto the bed as I would Aphrodite.
"KYAA!"
"Aaah!"
"HM!"
The three fell in a tangle of limbs.
Stretching my shoulders, I turned to see the soldiers standing with dumbstruck expressions after leaving the items behind, all admiring the beauties on the bed.
Though I usually didn't care about lustful gazes toward Aphrodite, the woman I spent most of my time with, their eyes on the girls made a guttural growl escape my throat.
I was sure they heard it, judging by their startled expressions and quick apologies as they left.
I swiftly locked the door behind them.
Then, turning to face the foreigners on my bed, I asked the million-dollar question:
"Who are you?"
I could see Europa looking confused, but somehow, her eyes slowly drooped, and she passed out on the bed.
Turning to the side, I saw Scheherazade blowing a kind of blue dust onto her face.
Nitocris sat in the corner in a seiza position, nervously watching their leader.
"Hmm… Did you know you're quite interesting? Someone who can escape the thread of fate… But is that enough?... Minotaur?"
Hearing that name made my eyes widen! NO ONE but me or my parents knew that name.
Everyone else knew me as Asterius… And fate? Thread?
...
My eyes widened further, and my hair stood on end as I realized who they might be!
"WAIT A MINUTE! YOU'RE THE MOI—"
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『In the vicinity of the island』
Flying through the skies, a chariot with winged horses with flaming eyes rode towards the island of Crete. With a certain destination. Its master was leaning on it while holding the reins, inside the chariot, the divine weapons of the god in question could be seen, a spear and shield.
With a Spartan helmet with flaming crimson down, eyes with determination and irritation looked at the island he was visiting.
"Aphrodite… I think the time has come for me to test this demigod you hold so dear… after all, there is no way a mere grandson of a half-blood can match me… The god of war ARES!" And so, with a roar, Ares sped towards his destination.
It seems that Asterius' life was about to be taken over by various plots and chaos…