Welcome, everyone, to the 2nd installment of my Heroic Vessel series! I can't speak well enough of how proud I am to myself for getting this far, as well as all of you old readers who've pushed through with me through the first story. Here's a virtual toast to all of you!

Now, a few notes I have to share. Firstly, this story will heavily incorporate the popular 'adventurers' genre, inspired by a line in Atalanta's canon biography. As a result, you may have seen parts of this story's background and system, though I am doing my utmost to maintain TYPE-MOON's 'flavor' and logic. Still, as always, do tell me things you're confused of, want to debate on, and so forth, either through your reviews or PMs.

Secondly, I'm trying to push myself in terms of writing quality and quantity. I've changed some of the notations I use, most notably using more 'local' phrases, according to the settings, and to portray a different culture better. I'm not satisfied in how I describe the ancient British culture in RKR, simply due to inexperience in my part and lack of materials. To create a different world for you to enjoy - that is the goal of this story. Also, each chapter will be longer, and the story as a whole will have more chapters than before.

Thirdly, as you may have guessed from the title, this story takes place in Mycenaean Greece. Geographical, territorial, and political maps are all mentioned and described as best as I can in-story, but for better clarity, do go check the related Wikipedia pages and maps. You can contact me if you still have further questions.

Now, for new readers, knowledge of the first installment, HV-S01: RKR, isn't absolutely necessary, but it does help with understanding the system and intricacies of this universe. Go ahead and check it out!

I've spoken enough. Now, since I can't hold back my excitement anymore... ENJOY!

- Rumble. Rumble. Rumble.

Distant echoes of thunder rolled around and among the surrounding clouds, bellowing in hunger to strike a weak soul. Black shadows among white-grey fluffs flickers at times with flashes of lightning, casting monstrous shadows as large as the cumulonimbus present.

No being would dare tackle Ouranos's body – the sky – in conditions like this, not even the mightiest races or the bravest heroes.

Yet, one person lived here.

The master of lightning itself, Zeus, the King of Olympus.

One of the reasons he was unafraid of his environment was because he created it in the first place. 'Duh,' many would think, but his situation was rarer than they assumed. The power of the elements wasn't something to be trifled with, and many masters had been harmed by their own actions, mostly due to improper respect for said elements in their use.

The other… was because he's facing something even more terrifying.

Alaya, the representative of Man.

To humans, it would appear as the form most appealing to them in order to earn their trust. It might not be a face or figure familiar to them at first glance, but it would be something which endeared to their ideals the most.

To others with… heightened intelligence, say, it would appear merely as a spherical form, or an irregular one full of [Chaos]. That sentence alone summed up the contradiction existing within Alaya: it wanted to preserve humanity, yet the very same humanity it treasured was always fated to cause their own destruction, and thus Alaya's demise.

A being of [Order] who nurtured beings of [Chaos]. Truly, an existence unfathomable to him or the other gods…

…and they fear Alaya for it.

They were lords, masters of this world, rightfully or not. Those humans… no, insects on the ground were simply their possession to create, to harm, to nurture, to curse, and so on. If the humans wanted their attention, then they had to do something spectacularly impossible or enormous, which often times meant death was the outcome.

And here it was, a being which, despite its indirectness, aimed to annihilate the gods and champion mankind.

'If it's here, then… the Heroic Vessel is also here?!' Zeus's thought raced, electricity crackling between his fingers, ready for a moment's release.

Yet the spherical object, lightly glowing in a peculiar color, hummed casually.

- Halara. No offensive movements intended.

Its voice was as alien to the natural order as he had the chance to hear it before. Throughout history, mankind had been the 'virus' which infected the pure nature, represented by his mother, Gaia. Such was their presence that she sook help from Ultimate Ones across the universe to help with 'pest control'. Beings who could think independently for themselves – and most importantly, be selfish – were the bane of many living systems across the universe.

The more they spread, across worlds, across timelines, the stronger Alaya became. It drew its strength from any form of humanoid civilization not supported by its own natural world, seeking to protect them by tapping into their subconscious desire to survive. Across time, across space, so long as some form of 'humans' remained, it would gather its strength and struck against their oppressors – the gods.

- Permission for a conversation. Confirmed?

Zeus could only dumbly nod. The thunder around him sounded more and more muted as he fell under Alaya's gaze, frozen under the very real threat it represented.

No, it shouldn't happen so quick. At this moment in the Age of Gods, the deities' very being was the representation of the natural order of Gaia, especially him, her most powerful grandson, both as the youngest and oldest. The Alpha and Omega. If Alaya harmed him now – which it certainly could, with its myriad of ploys – it would elicit natural disasters which the current humans would be ill-suited to deal with.

In short, Zeus's life indirectly held the humans' hostage. And Alaya knew this very well.

"What do you want?" His voice had none of his divine authority when preaching over humans, or the rebellious dignity he had against his father.

- Heroic Vessel deployment complete. Informing all related parties.

'Well, shit.'

Okeanos was eerily calm, noted the ship's captain. Beautiful mid-noon sunshine, but even Helios's usual stinging heat wasn't present, replaced by the cool sea breeze. Very rarely did this happen; in his experience, the sea wasn't a place for leisure, but a wilderness where survival took priority in front of everything else.

Therefore, this nap-worthy weather was something to cherish and enjoy.

If only the VIP he's ferrying wasn't so damn important…

He checked on his helmsman nearby, who had an even worse nervous expression on his face, with a slight tremble on those sea-hardened shoulders of his. Following his line of sight, the captain spotted one red-haired figure leaning on the deck's starboard railing, seemingly enjoying the weather just as much as he was.

This was Σείριος, normally pronounced as 'Seirios' or 'Shirō', one of Greece's only three S-Ranked adventurers.

Well, the man didn't introduce his precise name per se, but the ship captain knew full well who the redheaded man was. A few 'birds' whispered his way about the man's identity, and it only served to bring excitement to the whole crew.

As a matter of fact, this very vessel wasn't a stranger to ferrying around adventurers and other occupations of similar ilk; in a way, roughriders and outcasts. There's nothing a few bags of coins couldn't buy, and the captain certainly didn't value himself high enough to refuse income from this particular direction.

He had lost count how many young men and women he sent off to their deaths. Oh, he'd recognize their expression when they first boarded: full of optimism and idealism. Yet, not a few days after, he would lose touch with them, when the deadline forced him to return and abandon them to their fates.

There's several prospective new faces on board this time, as well. Hopefully, with Sir Shirō here, these rookies could survive to fight at least one more battle in the future.

- ████████████!

'Well, I just have to go ahead and jinx it, don't I?'

"H-Hey, that's him, isn't it?! That's him!" A few excited whispers buzzed around Perseus's lying form, eliciting a frown from his napping expression. "I-I'll go greet him! Ask for an autograph, m-maybe…?" It's yet another voice, this time sounding younger than the previous one.

With a grunt, he raised his upper body to see the fellow adventurers around him, all around his age group, huddling close together to the bunk he's using. Their faces, no matter boys or girls, were all tense with glee because… of something-something celebrity, apparently.

'Tsk, why can't they appreciate a person's need to rest?' He grumpily thought, 'All heroes are just borrowers of divine power, that's all… If I'm as lucky as him, I'll overtake him in no time…!'

His bitter mug went unnoticed by the other rookies, as they now had a semi-fight between them who should greet the S-Ranked Shirō first.

How many hopes and dreams were contained within this ship's hull? From Perseus's perspective, being given this shabby shared accommodation, it also served as a trial of attitude. Naturally, higher-ranked adventurers commanded a better service, and he had little doubt that red-haired man's room was even better than the captain's.

'Lucky bastard,' he spitefully cursed, turning his back once again to gain at least some more resting time.

His curly hair sank shallowly into the cheap and thin padding, while the others' were far too animated to even contemplate sitting down.

Unlike him, they were all far more pure-hearted in their admiration of Shirō. After all, he was only the second of this generation of heroes to attain the coveted 'S-Rank', after the Adventurers' Guild's Master and another demigod. Fully human, with not a drop of divine blood flowing inside him, he was the ideal they're all chasing after.

They'd heard the rumors of his incredible work ethic and unselfish kindness, not differentiating between the status of the people he met. Some of the girls were looking at his side profile dreamily, hoping he'd take notice of them and, at the very least, grant them his 'hospitality'. Owing to current Greece's more liberal culture, these virgin girls were staring without a shred of embarrassment, and some were even beginning to think to modify their gears to show more skin to entice him.

Why did they become adventurers? Was it because they were enthralled by their parents' bedtime stories? Was it because they were saved by a hero who happened to be one? Was it because their livelihood's condition offered them little choice for anything other than that?

Among these young people, the reasons were perhaps a good chaotic mix of all the above reasons, plus their individual, very personal ones.

The job [Adventurer] was far from the dream-like, adrenaline-filled, glorious legends of old. Even at their relatively young age, they all understood it at the back of their mind. At any given time, they must be prepared to lose their lives, or worse, their dignities as human beings to the challenges and quests fate laid in front of them. They, the E-Rankers, made up of nearly 90% of Greece's adventurers, yet less than half of them would even last a couple of years, much less graduate one rank.

[Adventurer] had never been about 'clean' work. Trash cleaning. Treasure hunting in desolate areas filled with filth. Assassination of publicly innocent people, all with families. Battling monsters and having their limbs disappear as a result, only to be rewarded with what amounted to a pittance. Drafted into wars they had little desire to participate in.

Yet, there was people like Shirō who inspired others to follow his path; to become a 'clean' person, no matter the hurdles.

Oh, there was plenty of heroes with stains in their name. A dime a dozen; their heroic deeds were interspersed with stories of savage brutality and object greed or lust. The common people were not able to resist, both physically and politically, leaving them at the bottom of the social order in a world where humans were already the gods' playthings.

Without a respectable job and position, their standings were practically equal to slaves.

That's why it's a relatively easy way out. Becoming an adventurer promised money, if nothing else. That's the only thing it's good for; guaranteed for the rest of their working years, even. It couldn't buy everything, but everything needed it. A harsh reality, yes, but it's a road they bravely faced to survive.

Among the half who survived from the E-Rankers, only half of those had the potential to rise to D-Rank. The chances exponentially dropped the higher the rank, which resulted in the S-Rank's numbers being essentially unchanged for the past century, before Herakles and Shirō showed up. It wasn't simply a case of strength; if so, then mercenaries and professional soldiers would populate the job far more.

Unlike other jobs, being an adventurer put one's self far closer to the public in a far greater area. Someone tied to a job or an employer simply didn't have the breadth of capacity to handle requests from even the lowest and poorest of areas. Their personality, judgement, and awareness were all tested, excluding their own survival and management capability in the field.

Being an S-Rankers meant one had achieved the highest ranks in all attributes, both tangible and intangibles, which was why they looked up to Shirō so much.

Speaking of him, the rookies noticed something strange just now.

His face was tense.

- ████████████!

…before a giant quake rocked the ship they're in, tossing them about.

What am I doing here, really?

I can merely shrug at the answer of that question, specifically because I've saved this world already. Alaya wasn't contactable, thus I was left to my own devices. It's not necessarily a bad thing; some of our decisions did differ significantly on occasions, with eerily similar results. For instance, a person Alaya didn't recommend saving ended up living and producing a better end product because I saved them on a whim.

But… I've been here before. Well, not precisely here, but the same era, the same timeline.

Perhaps this is another world? Another version of the dimension I've visited earlier, with another outcome? Or is this… its past?

If so, then shouldn't whatever I do here undo the things I've accomplished then? What if the people who should've been born, or raised, or even lived ceased to exist because of what I do here?

When I signed up for this, Alaya conveniently didn't mention this possibility.

I'm supposed to be sent to various points in history to change it for the better. To achieve the 'happy endings' so cruelly denied to various individuals due to fate, or worse, the machinations of others of higher stature.

But to be thrown into a loop back in the past, with possible consequences of undoing what I've done in the future which I've saved?

Truth be told… I'm scared of it. Even after experiencing these 'jumps' so many times, this is the first time I went back, instead of forwards.

Will the end of the Age of Gods play just like how I designed it? Will the golden era of the Age of Heroes bloom just like how I dreamt it?

Most important of all, will I be able to save them all, all the same?

- ████████████!

"WHAT THE PHU?!"

The entire lower deck of the wooden ship, well-made as it was, creaked dangerously. The crashing force wasn't as much as a 'bang' or 'boom', but an all-encompassing cacophony of noise which raked in people's innards.

Which was why Perseus was thrown face-first into the wooden ceiling above his bunk.

Still seeing stars around him, he held his curly bangs, thrown into disarray by the impact, to the side of his head, trying to get his bearings. His fellow rookies were similarly confused, some of them landing in weird angles, though hopefully none of them were seriously hurt.

Hey, he might be an asshole, but he's going to be a successful one, damn it. And that required other people's support s around him. It wouldn't do him any good if any potential future 'flunkies' died off right at this moment, no?

"Everybody out! Everybody out, now!" An old, raspy voice commanded from the upper deck, clearly panicked. "Arm yourselves! To arms, everyone!"

'You don't say, old man!' Perseus cursed in his heart, while helping those around him to their feet and their scattered weapons.

Despite being rookies, at the very least, these young people knew better than to rush like madmen towards the upper deck. Instead, with their minimal amount of training, they managed to militarily march upwards, where the scene of combat greeted them.

…though completely opposite to what they all expected.

Internally, all of them – Perseus included, though he'd never admit it – were excited at their first taste of combat. Who hadn't heard of heroic tales of seafarers battling monsters or pirates, before coming home in a shower of glory and spoils?

Pushing through to the front of the crowd, Perseus hollered, "Hey! Where's the enemy, Captain?! We're all here!"

Yet, the elderly captain and his helmsman replied to them by staring blankly to the ship's starboard's side.

Following their line of sight, the rookies were left gob-smacked, too.

The sea… was gone.

To be more precise, the field of navy blue-green right in front of them had split in half, revealing a ravine roughly three ships wide. Slowly, Perseus turned around to check behind them, and the situation was similar. In fact, the entire ship seemingly was floating above this newly-found chasm, with two water walls framing their vision.

'W-Why… why aren't we falling to our deaths yet?' Thus sounded the collective thoughts of everyone on board, whose attention was finally torn from the supernatural phenomenon by a gigantic shadow blurring through the skies.

"T-Theutus…?" A young girl's voice muttered in disbelief.

All present did hear the name she uttered, yet no one seemed to be able to register the actual meaning behind it in their shocked minds.

Yes, a gigantic squid… was flying above them.

- Splurch.

Slowly, as if teasing them, several lines appeared across its body, allowing copious amount of grotesquely-colored bodily fluids to rain on the ship and its occupants. A moment later, the gigantic squid disintegrated into boulder-sized chunks, falling into the dried-up sea bed, and some onto the upper deck.

- Splat.

…and directly on top of Perseus's head.

Somehow, at that exact moment, the other rookies had managed to sense the impending doom and moved out of the way, leaving him to bear the burden alone.

Just on cue, as sunlight peered through the gaps in the squid's body, Shirō gently floated down towards the deck, with not a stain on his clothes or person.

He waved his arms, and a burst of pink petals escaped from the bottom of the ship, just in time before the split sea sucked it down to its depths.

- WWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

As soon as his feet touched the wooden floor, the young adventurers swamped him while screaming and clapping in ecstasy, leaving the struggling Perseus to weakly lift himself out of the slimy mollusk meat pinning him to the ground.

There was an island called Sarpedon, situated near the coastal town of Cisthene. Quite far from the epicenter of Greek influence, its general area bordered the western parts of the Persian Empire directly, which was under the jurisdiction of a different divine pantheon. Technically, the town itself was inside Athens's naval territory, giving it somewhat of a stable sea trade route, against either monsters or pirates.

However, this particular island was forbidden to travelers, shielded from outside probing through a variety of means. Many had wondered aloud 'Why?', with most coming to the conclusion the island contained something of divine attribute, with enough power to grant whoever possessed them instant authority over… another 'something'.

The relative isolation didn't last long. Various scholars and mercenaries slowly, but surely, found their way past the invisible blockade. Either by simple trial-and-error, through sailing blindly across the sea and hoping to detect any abnormalities, or using someone with divine blessing from various deities who might have some inkling of the way there.

When they got there, the reality was different than what they expected.

The island was a tropical paradise, if rather deserted of man and beast. With plenty of soft, near-white sands encircling hard-nosed green shrubbery, the first ones to get to the island was suitably impressed by its beauty. It's a far cry from the nature's haven of Arcadia, or the rumored golden eminence of Colchis, but still a soothing sight for the eyes.

At least, until all of their heads were eaten by a powerful monster.

There was no eyewitness or survivor for the first few months, but after news of constant disappearance spread, words of a man-eating monster began to circulate among the adventurers of Greece. Soon, the Guild Master secretly received a royal edict from Athens, requesting more powerful warriors to investigate Sarpedon.

Unknowingly, even its own patron goddess had plans against this order.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare. Represented by the owl as her bestial avatar. Though proudly described by her own followers as the epitome of logic and honor, it was her who truly was the root of this sudden crisis.

Sarpedon, the Shapeless Isle. It eventually earned its name from the lack of geographical description from whoever returned from it alive. All they know was the inhabitants of said place, numbering only three: the Gorgon Sisters.

Born from mankind's wish for the 'ideal goddesses', each of them possessed inhuman beauty, enough to enchant even the gods. Fated to be a [Constant] – in a way, remaining young and beautiful forever – they were thus born among humans, who loved them.

Then, as time went on, some female goddesses began exhibiting signs of negative emotions against them. Most of them, such as Poseidon's wife, were simply jealous, unable to accept another females' physical advantage over themselves.

One, however, did not have such thing.

Athena, the supreme goddess, said to be the strongest female being in Olympus, knew the truth of her own misgivings. Oh, she herself was beautiful, yes, and make no mistake – she was prone to the same pettiness as other women, too. Yet, her wisdom and intelligence knew one thing the others, including those foolish humans who worshiped the Gorgons, did not.

One of the Gorgons, Medusa, wasn't born perfect. Ah, Athena wasn't talking about Medusa's enthralling beauty – she had plenty of that – but she lacked the element of [Constant] her sisters possessed. Fated to grow old and die, instead of having immortality, fate bestowed her with an even greater power to compensate.

The well-read and well-informed Athena knew of other pantheons' collection of prophecies. Much as Zeus chronically feared his own, born from the hands of the Sisters of Fate, Athena was aware how every other pantheon was supposed to end in either the near or distant future: by a mythical beast so powerful it destroyed not only the gods, but the foundations of their place in the world.

Medusa was one of them. The Gorgon.

If left unchecked, she was certainly a being which could threaten them in the future.

Athena's rational side knew it was useless to battle against one's end. After all, the whirlpool of circumstance decreed things were always never meant to last. A civilization's rise would echo its own fall, either by a grand battle or a cowardly whimper. Olympus, too, had its fair share of brushes with cyclical events – Zeus's patricide eerily mirrored his father's, and his father's father before that.

However, her other side – the one which made her an Olympian, instead of a Titan, truer to her base desires – fell into panic at this knowledge. Humans called it 'self-preservation', which most deities didn't even realize they had, owing to their inherent arrogance of self-importance.

There were, however, several methods to prevent Medusa from becoming her fated form.

First was the usual, easiest one: kill her. The other Gorgon Sisters were weak, so much so they relied heavily on Medusa to provide them with sufficient protection against the laws of nature, despite their immortality. To Athena – or most gods, really – killing little girls were as simple and unhesitating as flipping over their own palms.

Second, was to prevent her 'monster-ification' via preventing objects which could accelerate it. Namely, from the information Athena had gathered, Medusa's heart would start to cloud over the more humans she defeated, killed, and devoured. Thus, Athena erected a preventative barrier around Sarpedon to reduce potential aggressors.

She could not afford to publicly deny access to the island. Humans, despite their inherent 'lowliness', as per the gods' logic, were quite perceptive to the meanings behind divine messages, especially the scholars and nobles. The more Athena denied them access to one particular area, the more desire they would have to deny her, no matter how harsh her punishment was.

The third option… was perhaps the least likely of the three.

She heard rumors of a certain being who visited the top of Mount Olympus recently. Zeus had grown restless, as a result, with his two closest brothers following suit. Both Poseidon and Hades were particularly tricky gods to deal with, as their temperament, while not as violent and prone to swings as Ares, was even more unpredictable. Silence from both parties didn't instantly mean 'everything is well'.

The being's name was kept under wraps, even to the aforementioned pair of gods, much less her, Zeus's daughter. Yes, his most beloved one, but a daughter nonetheless, and thus 'lower' in caste. She suspected its identity would only be revealed to a ruler of pantheon…

Cronus was dead. Ouranos was disabled. Zeus was secretive.

However, humans weren't any of those. There's little shame in her to gaze upon the records of other lands' people, and therefore she was able to gleam one particular phrase, which strangely cropped up throughout history.

To be frank, it's not precisely 'cropping up', but instead… 'erased'. There were patches were there should be someone doing something, should be someone causing something, should be someone disappearing or dying…

Yes, this person… could be the third solution for Medusa.

"Endure it, my daughters… Your heroes will arrive soon…"

Somehow, the sea breeze was saltier during the night.

Under the beautiful arrangement of stars, still unbroken and unhidden by future developments, the half-moon shone brighter than it was when viewed on land. At least, that's how Perseus saw it, given this was his first time adventuring so far away from his home.

Perhaps the salt was produced by his own heart, as he scowled against the bridge's outer wall, relinquishing his back towards it. His fellow rookies were all noisy as Hades down there, the earlier afternoon's battle still exciting them.

'Hmph… they really are rookies. When will they grow…?'

Suddenly, a voice called out from above him.

"Can't sleep?"

"H-Holy shi-!"

A person's shadow lithely hopped down beside him, revealing itself to be their 'hero' of today… Sir Seirios.

No, perhaps he shouldn't address the older man like that. After all, Perseus had heard of the 'rumors'… Well, they're more like public knowledge; still, the person in question hadn't officially confirmed it himself, despite his peers' pressure, so the truth would remain unknown until then.

The man standing in front of him – his true identity – was the crown prince of Iolchos, Jason.

Perseus had little idea why he'd take on another name and became an adventurer, instead of using his position to live a life of luxury. There were gossips of internal conflict, or perhaps a divine revelation, or maybe another reason entirely… Not that he could ask outright, right now. His rank, as an adventurer, a noble, and a man, was too far apart from the other guy.

Calming himself down by running his fingers through his curly bangs, he finally replied, "Nah, not really. Your fans were keeping me awake, so here I am. They're finished already?"

The S-Ranker's expression contained a small amount of mirth, though his overall face remained kind and understanding of Perseus's rude demeanor. "I think so. Though I'm used to them… I don't see people like you often, which is a good thing I meet you here. Calms me down somewhat."

"R-Really?" The young man's voice hitched for a moment. "I thought you're… thinking otherwise."

"I've never been big on popularity, and things like that," Sir Seirios shrugged. "Herakles would've been better suited in such crowds."

"Could've fooled me."

Perseus immediately ducked his face, realizing he's stepped too far with his attitude. However, the other person seemed to take it in stride, watching him on with the relaxed body language of a veteran, instead of the arrogance of a newly-promoted B- and A-Rankers.

"Sorry for that," he managed to squeeze out. No matter how friendly the other guy might seem, there's little sense in taking his chances on how much he could offend the other party. "I… don't mean it in a bad way."

He couldn't see Sir Seirios's expression, but his voice sounded as light as always. "I know a person similar to you, so, again, I'm used to it. Don't fret; though other people might take it the wrong way. Careful with that mouth, young man." The older man moved to sit beside him, adding, "He was my friend as well, though my other… colleagues disliked his attitude."

Taking a peek to one side, Perseus couldn't help himself but ask, "Why… Why are you here? With me, I mean? I'm… I-I'm still nobody…"

"'Still', huh? Quite confident of you, Perseus."

"Y-You know my name?!"

The older redhead nodded. "I heard it from my patron god. You have a great path laid out before you, therefore I noticed."

Almost instantly, Perseus's expression brightened up. "Really?! Really, really, really?! I-I can become a great person, Sir Seirios?!"

Sir Seirios nodded lightly. "Yes. However, do feel free to call me just 'Shirō'. It's easier on the tongue, no?"

"Ah… Is that really alright? For me to…" Sounding unsure, Perseus asked, since even though it was easier, it sounded quite foreign… and personal. "To call you by your nickname like that,,, Er, is that right?"

"Aren't you the one who's all rude and casual with me earlier? Where did that person go?"

Perseus's face flushed in embarrassment.

Explaining further, Sir Seirios continued, "You were sent in this journey due to your desire to protect your mother, correct? How admirable."

"Y-Yes! My uncle… that bastard desired her! Despicable! I can't let that happen!" Now quite animated, ironically similar to those rookies he condemned in his mind earlier, Perseus said, "I'll prove to him I can do it, and show everyone he's not as infallible as he thought!"

Sir Seirios then proceeded to pat Perseus's shoulder. "I have no doubt you will. Besides, haven't the gods blessed you with plenty of treasures? You have enough that even I'm jealous."

"Correct! Here, look at them!" Perseus excitedly stood up and waved his hand once, revealing a pocket dimension where he stored five… 'Noble Phantasms', were they? "Are there any weakness in them? I'm quite nervous, since I lack experience… Please give me your thoughts!"

The older man obliged, peering down for a full minute before looking back towards him. "Alright, I've got it. Close the opening first; don't want anyone else to get a look at them."

After Perseus complied, Sir Seirios didn't motion for him to sit back down, instead straightening up to full height with a serious face. Seeing that, Perseus also firmed up his stance, expecting a meaningful lecture.

"I'm sure you've been told of their uses by your respective grantors, so I won't go into much detail. If what you want to know are their weaknesses, then so far as I can observe, there isn't much to worry about." Counting off the 'Noble Phantasms' with his fingers, Sir Seirios continued, "They are all simple, but powerful instruments. It all depends on how you exploit their strengths while covering their limited variability. That, I think, is key. Their simplicity is also their greatest strength; complex weapons often has fatal drawbacks."

"Thank you for your advice!"

"Then, want some more?"

"Of course!"

"What do you know of your opponent?"

Steel entered Perseus's eyes. "A monster. Man-eater, natural disaster, calamity-class. I should avoid its eyes and-"

"'Its'?" Sir Seirios interrupted, the question mark in his voice very strong. "Is that all you knew of your opponent?"

"W-Well, it is a beast, no? We should address it as such," Perseus nervously replied, this time not out of fear of rudeness, but fearing he had answered wrong. "If I slay it and take its head, I can go home faster to my mother and fulfill my uncle's request. Then, he'll leave her alone."

His question went unanswered for several seconds as the S-Ranker closed his eyes to ponder Perseus's words. When they opened, though, Perseus immediately took a step back, but was forcibly stopped by the same bridge wall he sat against earlier.

"What do you know of your opponent's background? The habitat?" Seemingly impatient, Sir Seirios hounded him, "Or have you ever stopped yourself and think… 'What if the thing I'm hunting down is, in fact, a person?'"

"What? Nah, that's not possible!" Perseus lightheartedly answered, thinking he said the right thing. "A beast's a beast. There's no need to think further than that. Just go in and do my best! Um!"

After what seemingly was an entire year, Sir Seirios motioned for him to continue.

"E-Er… I should use Kibisis's power to prevent myself from getting turned into stone… And just… sneak in for the kill?"

His voice slowly grew smaller and smaller as he lost his earlier confidence with every word.

The older man's reply was very swift this time.

"May I be blunt?"

"Y-Yeah?"

With a face full of disappointment, Sir Seirios bluntly states, "You're a lost cause."

"W-What?!"

A small spark of anger began stoking in the pits of Perseus's stomach. Yes, the other man was an incredibly experienced and powerful S-Ranker, as shown earlier in the afternoon against that gigantic beast. However…

'What does he know?! He… H-He doesn't know me! Hypocrite! Hypocrite, I say, after all that encouraging words!'

"Then why did you say so many good things about me earlier?!" Perseus instinctively lashed out, raising his voice enough to stir the resting rookies downstairs. "So what's your point?! As I thought, was it to belittle me, the same as my uncle?! Huh?!"

He accidentally let his true feelings out. With a burden of his own mother's life on his shoulders, he was massively distressed for this expedition, which partly contributed to his spiky thoughts during the journey. Now, being confronted so openly like this, by someone who he had recently just started to respect, was a huge blow to his ego.

However, Sir Seirios simply shook his head calmly.

"It's about another matter entirely, separate from your fighting ability."

"Yeah, yeah, I know of my inexperience! You don't need to tell me after other people have done so thousands of times! I understand!" In his self-defense, he managed to muster enough determination to regain the step he lost earlier against Sir Seirios's gaze, now standing almost chest-to-chest. "So what is it you're saying, O esteemed Lord Jason?!"

The other man's eyes twitched. Good. 'It's getting to him,' Perseus thought.

Too bad he was severely outclassed.

"Shall I explain further? Fine," Sir Seirios spat out, his tone almost sharp enough to cut Perseus's neck right then and there. "Medusa, the 'beast' you mentioned, is a she. Female. That's the first bit of information you missed."

Immediately firing off another sentence, he added, "She wasn't a beast, a monster, or anything of the sort. It was a curse, caused by her imperfect birth, which wasn't even a problem so long as people like you, brat, left her and her sisters alone. Yet, here you are, happily talking about her like a simple hunt of a boar or deer."

Sir Seirios barely took a breath in respite. "Through our conversation, I enticed you to think of Medusa as an individual, a person, yet you showed no inclination to do so. Do not think of your opponents as mere objects, Perseus, or you are no different than your pathetic uncle, and how he viewed your mother as a mere object of lust. Understand?"

'S-So it was a test?'

Repeating his question out loud, Perseus only received a cold glare in return.

"A hero's duties are far more than slaying others. It was to understand them, and if possible, save them. Medusa was simply a victim of the gods' wanton wishes, yet you exhibited little desire to understand her further than just a target. Now that is the difference between an A-Ranker and S-Ranker, boy."

The eyes facing him, then golden and warm, now was completely shining silver and full of spite.

"I lied to you, earlier, Perseus. I came here not to speak to you, to encourage you, or to safeguard you and the others on this ship. Throw those ideas out of your small-minded brain."

Sir Seirios didn't even let his Od leak out, yet Perseus could feel his internal organs bleed from the sheer sharpness of his anger.

"I came here to kill you."

Was it self-preservation? Was it panic?

Either way, Perseus let out an animalistic scream the instant Sir Seirios declared such, and jumped off the bridge's balcony towards the wider deck. Running desperately to jump off the ship, his path was cut off by a wide broadsword suddenly materializing in his path, stabbing deep into the treated timber.

"So, what will it be, Perseus, son of Zeus? Will you die here…"

His fellow rookies had already risen and spilled onto the upper deck, watching in an equal mix of fear and awe.

"…or will you come here and fight?"

Glossary Update!

T

Theutus
A monstrous marine beast in the form of a grotesquely-oversized squid. It's well-known for its strangely wandering nature – able to cross oceanic zones with impunity, despite its natural habitat in the Twilight Zone – from the ocean's depths to the clearest surface. As a result, it often comes into conflict with other dwellers, including humans on the surface. Its meat is a prized commodity, although its brains hold the best flavor in the hands of a skilled chef.