Chapter 118: The arrival at Age of Gods

(3rd Person's POV)

Rin sat casually, sipping tea with a talking head. Medb, with her usual bluntness, dropped an unexpected question.

"So, has Titus banged you yet?" Medb blurted, catching Rin off guard.

"Phuh!!!" Rin spat out her tea and glared at Medb with contempt. "It is none of your business."

Rin generally maintained good relationships with all of Titus's servants, but she preferred not to engage much in conversation with them. The reason? They were all Titus's wives, and Titus loved each of them. As his current wife, Rin felt uncomfortable hearing their sex lives with Titus.

However, Medb was an exception. Despite being notoriously promiscuous, Medb was a skilled conversationalist. There was no romantic relationship between Titus and Medb, making it easier for Rin to talk with her. That's why Rin occasionally invited Medb for tea or lunch.

But for some reason, Medb seemed somewhat different at the moment.

"Seriously, are you the heroine of some kind of romantic comedy manga? It's taking you this long to sleep with him? You love him, right?" Medb sighed and grinned.

"This is different, alright?! I just have my own circumstances!" Rin protested. She was self-aware of how childish she sounded. After all, she wasn't sure if it was her or her inner other personality, who had fallen in love with Titus from Moon Cell, that truly had feelings for him.

However, recalling all the memories she shared with Titus, Rin realized it didn't really matter. This Titus wasn't the Moon Cell Titus who had befriended her. He was genuinely a good person who cared for Rin and supported her in her moments of loneliness. That was enough for Rin to fall in love with him. Now she was ready to embrace his feelings.

"You are aware that he travels back in time and is intimate with other women, right?" Medb asked another question, to which Rin sighed.

"Look, I am perfectly aware of why and how he travels back in time, what he does, and what he has done," Rin responded.

Titus had always been open with Rin, sharing everything from A to Z. Although Rin disliked it whenever Titus took another wife and was intimate with her, she appreciated his honesty and respect towards her as his wife. To Rin, it mattered little what he did in other timelines; in this one, she had him all to herself.

"I don't understand what you're implying, Medb," Rin expressed, tired of Medb's roundabout approach.

Medb sighed and posed another question, "Rin, last question. You're aware of his harem plan, aren't you? You do realize you'll have to share him, right?"

"I…" Rin faltered. She knew about his ambitions at the end of his quest, but she hadn't really considered what it meant for her. The thought had never crossed her mind.

But now, contemplating it, Rin felt a pang in her heart. Like any other person in love, she didn't want to share him with others.

"I'll be going now," Medb announced, finishing her tea and rising from the sofa. Before she left, she turned to Rin, "Be honest with Titus, or you might end up crying. Don't live with regrets."

Left alone, Rin's hand trembled as it clutched her cup. The mere thought of sharing her first and only love with another woman caused her heart to sink.

---

(Titus's POV)

[The main mission is now active.]

[Main Mission: A Huntress's Wish for the Salvation of the Purest]

Destination: 1235 BC Greece (Primary Dreamshift)

Quest: Ensure the preservation of the huntress's chastity at all costs and rescue or adopt at least 100 children.

Sub-Quest 1: Prevent Heracles from succumbing to madness and harming his family.

Sub-Quest 2: Assist Asclepius in developing a pill that can resurrect the dead.

Sub-Quest 3: Details Pending…

Sub-Quest 4: Details Pending…

Attempts Allowed: 1

Duration in the Dreamshift: 1 Year

Restriction: Moon Cell usage is prohibited

Rewards: Experience Points, Advanced Abilities and Major Skills, Memory Fragment, [Other Rewards Unknown]

Failure Consequence: Complete System Extermination.

[System Notification: The mission includes a main quest and several sub-quests. The main quest is mandatory, while sub-quests are optional.]

As evident from the mission briefing, my sixth task demanded that I immerse myself in the era of Ancient Greece, specifically during the pinnacle of the Age of Gods. The main quest evidently revolves around Atalanta.

Let's explore her story further.

Atalanta, an Arcadian princess, was abandoned in the wilderness at birth by her father, King Iasus, who longed for a son. Miraculously, Artemis, the virgin goddess, sent a bear to nurse her, and thus Atalanta became a devout follower of Artemis. Raised first by the bear and later by hunters, Atalanta developed into an exceptional huntress.

Atalanta's legend encompasses three main adventures. Her first notable exploit was joining the Argonauts, led by Jason, where she distinguished herself as the swiftest human. It was during this expedition that she encountered the hero Meleager. The second story is her involvement in the Calydonian Boar hunt, an event that ended in tragedy. Atalanta impressed Meleager, who awarded her the hunt's victory, leading to discord among the male hunters and ultimately sealing Meleager's tragic fate.

Her third and final notable story is about her marriage. Upon returning home, her father insisted she marry. Atalanta, however, set a condition: she would marry only the man who could outrun her, with the penalty for failure being death. Despite her swiftness, Atalanta was deceived during a race by a suitor who used golden apples given by a goddess, culminating in her reluctant marriage. There are legends that she was transformed into a lion as punishment, but this detail is debated.

This is as much as I recall about Atalanta from both worlds. As for her personality, she shows no mercy, resembling an animal in the wild. A skilled and swift huntress, Atalanta is one of the few female heroes of the Greek era. However, a significant aspect of her character is her desire to save children. Her own experience of abandonment fuels her empathy for unfortunate children, and while her dream is noble, it is also seemingly unattainable.

Thus, the system's requirement to save 100 children appears straightforward, especially considering my experience raising many children, though not quite 100. Nevertheless, I anticipate it will be a challenge, particularly in a world where the cruelty of Greek Gods impacts the people.

Additionally, I must safeguard Atalanta's chastity, meaning no seggs.

Currently, I am seeking counsel from Scathach, the only individual who lived during the Age of Gods and possesses familiarity with them. I could have consulted Gilgamesh, but he has declined to provide any information.

"Greek, huh," Scathach mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "This will be quite the headache for you."

As a god slayer, Scathach was acutely aware of the difficulties in evading the gods, especially for someone strong, talented, or exceedingly beautiful.

"I am aware, but I think this time will be less troublesome. It's only for a year, and thankfully, no romance is required," I responded casually, not realizing my error.

"It seems romance has become more of a stressor than a source of warmth for you," Scathach observed, raising an eyebrow.

"I did not mean it like that…" I sighed, feeling a bit remorseful. "I am sorry, shishou. After deceiving Morgan, I am not sure what I am doing anymore. What even is love? Is it truly about finding someone special?"

Scathach stood up and took a seat beside me, offering reassurance. "Titus, for the time being, you do not have to worry about these things. Morgan will understand the next time you summon her. Until then, focus on becoming stronger and completing your missions."

"Yes, you are right," I agreed. She was correct; my priority should be to complete this mission. I stood up to leave, but Scathach called out to me.

"Remember, no matter what challenges you face, never stray from your path. You may change as a person, but always pursue your goals. Do not become like the person I once was."

"I will." With those words, I left Scathach's house and teleported to my office in Valhalla. Once there, I retrieved Avalon from my inventory.

"It is a pity that I cannot summon Artoria from Avalon," I sighed, feeling a bit frustrated. Unlike in the Land of Shadows, I had no clue how to extract Artoria from Avalon. The mechanism eluded me, so for the time being, Artoria remained trapped.

After a moment, I focused my consciousness on Avalon and closed my eyes. In the very next second, I sensed my surroundings change. I was at the highest point of the Tower of Avalon, overlooking an endless expanse of flowers.

However, upon opening my eyes, I was greeted by a disarrayed scene. Plastic bags, cans, and garbage bags littered the area, suggesting that some untidy visitors had recently been there. I searched for the culprit but found no one.

I decided to search for her and headed towards her room in the lower levels of the tower. Pushing open the creaky door, I was greeted by a scene of utter chaos. Mountains of crumpled clothes and empty chip bags teetered precariously, while the air was heavy with the stale scent of old takeout. The flickering light of the television illuminated a forgotten movie playing in silence, its muted scenes contrasting sharply with the noise of my entry.

There she was, amidst the disarray, a slender young girl with blond hair. Clad only in a white t-shirt, pantyhose, and underwear, she seemed completely oblivious to the mess surrounding her. Her fingers danced across the buttons of a game console with the precision of a seasoned warrior.

This was indeed the legendary King Arthur, now fallen into a state of neglect and disarray. My lips twitched in disapproval, and without warning, I slapped Artoria's buttock.

"AITTAAA!!" Artoria yelped in a comical tone, then turned around in anger to confront her assailant. "Who the fuck—oh, it's you, unkie. What are you doing here? And why did you slap me so hard?!" she exclaimed, rubbing her sore buttock.

I did not respond immediately. Instead, I stood with my arms crossed, tapping my foot impatiently, indicating with a glance that she should survey her surroundings. When Artoria finally took in the state of her room, she turned back to me with a nervous chuckle.

"Eh, hehehe…"

"Five minutes. Clean this up," I commanded.

"Hai!" she responded, hurriedly starting to tidy up the mess.

---

"Sigh~, where the hell did all the food even go?" I sighed, observing Artoria busy devouring food like a shonen anime protagonist. Somehow, she was sitting on my lap, a situation I didn't mind.

"I can't help it. Unkie's food is amazing. And it will go to my future boobs," Artoria remarked, then glanced at me. "Speaking of boobs, unkie, did you know my growth will stop when you gave me Excalibur?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about..." I whistled, deflecting the blame. I wasn't aware that Excalibur would halt her aging; I thought it was just Caliburn.

I then noticed Artoria's unusual hairstyle—her hair was tied in her signature bun from the anime.

"It looks good on you."

"Hmm, so unkie finally noticed?" Artoria chuckled. "Hehe, I thought I could seduce you more if I were to dress as my saber version."

"Nah, my Artie is cuter and more beautiful than any Artoria in this universe," I said, kissing Artoria's cheek.

"Unkie..." Artoria blushed and paused her eating. She turned around, acting shy. "But you still don't get any boner."

I laughed and grinned, "Don't worry, you'll be noticed once I take you out of Avalon. Just wait till then."

Artoria smiled and nodded. I then explained why I was there, and Artoria got excited.

"Really? It means that you will witness the Age of Gods in person," Artoria exclaimed and smirked. "Wait, that old hag—I mean Lady Scathach—didn't tell you anything?"

"Tell what?" I raised my brow.

"Nothing. It's a surprise," Artoria smirked and jumped from my lap. "I have some work, so I'll meet you later, unkie. Love you." Artoria gave me a solid kiss on my cheek before disappearing from the hall.

I returned to my office and opened the system.

"Let's do this."

Prepared, I opened my system and tapped the INITIATE button. A clock materialized and started rotating counterclockwise before darkness fell.

---

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an entirely different reality, garbed in the attire of a Greek warrior. I wore decorated leather armor and pants, and a blue cloth was wrapped around my chest, akin to Achilles, also forming a skirt-like garment. I had to admit, I looked pretty good in this ensemble.

However, my appraisal of my new attire was abruptly interrupted when an arrow whizzed past my face, missing it by mere inches. Turning to identify the assailant, my gaze met that of a woman.

She stood tall and slender, her long, flowing auburn hair cascading elegantly down her back. Her eyes, sharp and piercing, shone with a striking green hue, reflecting the resolve of a seasoned warrior. Clad in form-fitting battle attire that highlighted her athletic build, she exuded both grace and formidable power. Her beauty was the stuff of legends, enchanting all who laid eyes on her, a fitting homage to her mythic lineage. She was none other than Atalanta, the famed huntress, and she was my target in this reality.

"Are you one of the suitors? State your name," Atalanta demanded in a domineering tone.

As she inquired about my identity, I tried to access my system to check my persona in this timeline. However, my attention was drawn to three golden apples in my side pouch. At that moment, I realized who I was without needing to consult the system.

"I am... Hippomenes," I declared.

Yup, of all people, I became the infamous Atalanta's future husband who was bound to become a lion soon.

===

Stones please!!

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