A Mythical Journey To Remember - Chapter 38

Chapter 38 - It’s Shipping Time!!

Once on the boat, a young woman approached me. She glanced around to ensure no one was eavesdropping and then said, "You didn't need to intervene. I would have dealt with them myself."

"Well, that's a strange way to say thank you and introduce yourself," I replied, raising a questioning brow.

She frowned but eventually nodded, extending her hand. "My name is Theria, and I don't have to say thank you since I already helped you by using the excuse that you're my boyfriend. Just be glad I am not reporting a wanted criminal like yourself."

"I am not wanted," I clarified.

"Then why didn't you want the guards here?" she smirked, a knowing glint in her eyes.

So she was one of those know-it-all types, thinking they knew everything about everything. Well, she didn't seem older than seventeen, and some kids her age were always like that. Heck, even some adults were, but I wasn't going to nitpick here.

"By the way, what did you mean by being able to handle the situation on your own?" I asked. "Because if your idea of solving a problem was to pull out a sword, then you would have had every guard in the city hunting you down."

"Sword?" she tilted her head, looking bewildered. "Why would I use a sword?"

"Then how else were you going to convince them?"

The girl smiled, puffing her chest with pride. It seemed she was about to reveal something significant, but before doing so, she glanced around and leaned in to whisper. "This is a secret, but I am actually the daughter of Athena."

For a split second, I was almost impressed. Then reality struck, and I remembered that Athena was a virgin goddess. Even in these times, everyone knew that fact. "If you wanted to come up with something, you could have said you were the daughter of Apollo or something like that. Athena is a virgin goddess, after all."

"Humph," she pouted. "Are you calling my mother a liar? She is one of the greatest inventors in Sparta and the king's concubine! My mother designed the current ships that the Spartan fleet uses."

"Mother?" I looked at her strangely. "Isn't Athena supposed to be your mother? You're changing the story too much. The best lies should have a hint of truth in them, at least that way you won't forget them."

She sighed, regarding me as if I were foolish. "Obviously, Athena is a virgin goddess, so she doesn't conceive children like normal. She gathers a scholar's thoughts and intelligence, then uses her divine power to form a baby. Goddess Athena doesn't discriminate against male or female scholars when she does that."

"Okay, so what powers did you inherit from your divine parent?" I inquired. If what she was saying was true, it would undoubtedly be an interesting story to keep me occupied during this long journey on the ship.

"I have a good memory," she said, sounding quite unsure herself.

Okay, that was shoddy at best. It was more likely that her mother had a child with another man and was now using the excuse of being a demigod. Such deception was known to have occurred in ancient times, when people were more naive. It was the equivalent of a modern-day woman claiming her son was Jesus because she was still a virgin. Which wouldn’t work.

Nevertheless, I had no intention of calling her out on it or getting into petty arguments. This journey on the ship was already going to be troublesome, and I didn't want to add more complications.

Even if what she said could be true, I still remained suspicious. If Athena did have children, there would surely be some stories about them in mythology. The only story I knew involving Athena's child was about a half-snake, half-man ruler of Athens, but in some versions, that ruler was only the adopted child of the Goddess and not a combination of her sweat and Hephaestus'... body fluids.

...

With Theria as my only source of entertainment, boredom settled in quickly. All she spoke about was how her mother was a great inventor and that she aspired to be one too once she arrived in Athens and was acknowledged by her divine parent.

I simply nodded along, patiently waiting until everyone boarded and the ramp was pulled up. Only then did we set sail.

As the ship rocked, Theria stumbled, almost falling face-first onto the deck. I swiftly caught her to prevent any mishap.

"Okay! Young man, it's time to share some stories about your father," said the big sailor from earlier. "Everyone, gather 'round. This young man is the son of one of our own!"

"Vice Captain, we're busy, we have work to do," retorted one of the sailors, who seemed less enthusiastic.

"Well, I'll relieve you of your duty and throw you overboard. How about that?" threatened the big man.

Immediately, everyone settled down and prepared to listen, following the big man's lead, until the captain intervened, giving the big man a slap on the back of his head. "Do I pay you as the vice-captain to laze around all day? Get to work, you worthless bastard! We've just set sail, and there's plenty to be done!"

Grumbling, the big man followed the captain's orders.

As the port of Tiryns grew smaller in the distance, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Finally, after all the trouble in that place, I was free!

Even the smell of damp wood and the salty sea was more inviting than any perfume. This was the smell of freedom!

However, the company I had on this boat was suspicious, at best. The sailors, wearing once-white shirts now turned soft brown from years of accumulated grime and dirt, had tan skins and callused hands, evidence of their hard work all day.

Other passengers, like Theria, myself, and various others, belonged to different classes of people. Despite not knowing any of them, being on the boat felt better than being in Tiryns, where anyone walking down the road could recognize me and it could be dangerous.

As a couple of days passed, I started feeling on edge, as if expecting something to happen, but nothing did.

"There's no way you have a good hand again," said the captain, eyeing me suspiciously. This time, he made sure I wasn't cheating by having someone shuffle the cards behind their back, keeping the game fair.

The joke's on him; I wasn't skilled enough at gambling to cheat. Heck, I didn't even have a good poker face when it came down to it. The game involved both cards and dice, and honestly, I didn't even know all the rules. However, my luck made up for whatever I was lacking, as I was now back at the peak.

As the ship shook against another wave, the rough leather cards covered in wax shifted a bit, but the captain quickly put them back in place.

Theria, by my side, clutched her stomach and leaned over the railing to throw up overboard—this had become a common occurrence, as she didn't have sea legs. Apparently, I did, and the sailors took that as a sign of my sailor father's blood flowing through me.

Thank you, sailor father that doesn't exist.

Getting seasick probably had something to do with Agility, Endurance, or a sense of balance, and luckily, I possessed both above average.

"Okay, everyone, put your cards down," instructed the captain. As he glanced at my card, a mix of surprise and profanity escaped his lips. "Aphrodite's huge tits! Screw me! This is a Four Flash Dox for the second time in a row!"

Though I had no clue what a Four Flash Dox entailed, it appeared to be a formidable move, judging by the sighs from the other sailors who begrudgingly handed me their money.

Nevertheless, given the circumstances, I found myself on this ship with these sailors, money was hardly a pressing concern. So, I pushed the coins toward the captain and offered a smile. "I want another room upgrade, this time I demand my own private quarters."

Relieving these sailors of their hard-earned money could prove perilous, and I had no intention of tempting fate twice, especially after my encounter with Camilla.

“Damn lucky bastards,” one of the men grumbled under his breath.

“Has your father secured the blessings of the goddess of luck, or what?” asked the vice-captain. “How can someone be so fortunate?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, I've always had good luck on my side.”

“Perhaps you'll bestow good fortune upon us for this journey,” the captain remarked jestingly, as he accepted my money and returned the coins to the unfortunate losers. His wisdom dictated that sharing the spoils was prudent; he couldn't afford to provoke any feelings of envy among the crew, for human envy could be a dangerous spark.

However, his jovial mood was short-lived. A loud sound emanated from a distance, causing the water to churn oddly, contrary to the wind's direction. The ship was caught in a force that dragged it sideways.

Standing up, the captain yelled, "What's happening? Have we stumbled upon a whirlpool?"

The men atop the sails shook their heads, and one of them replied, his voice quivering with fear and despair. "No, captain... it's something worse!"

Following their gazes, I narrowed my eyes and saw the source of their terror.

What the fuck was that?!