Extra: Atalanta - The Eternal Hunter

I Will Eventually Embark on the Path of No Return Called a Hero [Arc2] - Extra: Atalanta - The Eternal Hunter

---

Atalanta, a princess abandoned and raised by a she-bear, grew up to be a huntress. This experience was not unusual in Greece, where it was common to be left to die in the wilderness. Atalanta was just fortunate to have received Artemis's favor, which allowed her to survive and live a life of unparalleled freedom.

Leaping through the branches, she was both a fierce hunter and a graceful beast. She had vowed to Artemis to remain a virgin forever, a promise that set her on a path different from other Greek women.

Or perhaps not so different, after all. Her strength would make her a heroine, but one day she would inevitably become a trophy for male heroes to boast about.

This thought likely stemmed from seeing those arrogant heroes in the city. She detested these creatures, governed entirely by their baser instincts. While animals mated to propagate, men did so merely for pleasure.

Men, in Atalanta's eyes, were ugly and indulgent beings. She wished she could separate men from the human race altogether.

Men were all the same. They would always gaze at women with greedy eyes, even at her, a mere girl.

It was laughable how men remained true to their desires yet cowered in the face of death.

However, on an otherwise ordinary day, she encountered a peculiar boy.

He could hardly be called a man. Standing beside a magnificent steed, he appeared delicate. She hesitated to emerge from her hiding spot, for her prey had been taken. As a hunter, she needed to reclaim it, but the boy hadn't done anything; it was the steed's… hoof.

Perhaps if she had left then, her life would have been entirely different. But she had met someone entirely out of place in Greece. He… was afraid of her, not because of her strength, but because of her appearance?

His clear, evasive gaze was as pure as his white hair, silently pleading, "Stay away from me."

Who wants to approach you, you mere white-haired boy! I just want my prey!

Of course, she wouldn't change her view of men just because this white-haired boy was slightly different. And making deals with him was purely for the gold, not for any other reason. Finding the best ropes and crossbows was just because she disdained petty tricks.

… Indeed, men should all perish. Why couldn't women have children with other women? Couldn't there be a river from which drinking would enable one to bear children?

When she saw that white-haired boy close to her revered Artemis, she wanted to throw him over her shoulder and strangle him with a rope. Oh… she had already thrown him; now, she just needed to strangle him.

But Artemis wouldn't allow it and claimed the white-haired boy was a child of the moon!? Just because he was born with white hair? Even if Artemis, a virgin goddess, had a child, it would be scandalous! For the sake of Artemis's reputation, it would be better to shoot this white-haired boy dead!

There was no other motive at all!

In the end, she didn't kill the white-haired boy, not because she softened, but because Artemis forbade it.

The peculiar boy disappeared without a trace, leaving no clues. Even the greatest hunter couldn't hunt without any leads, though preparation could still be made, like practicing headshots. Thanks to this, she dealt with many ill-intentioned men and gained quite a reputation.

This reputation, however, attracted heroes, stirring their desires. Every time she blew off a hero's head, she couldn't help but think of the pure white boy. If he had turned into one of these men, she wouldn't hesitate to blow his head off. Of course, she wanted to do it now as well.

For the sake of Artemis's reputation and her own growing fame, she boarded the Argo. Her luck was good, as that pure white figure was quite conspicuous in the crowd. One target down, now to ask a few questions and toss him into the sea.

However, he seemed to have become someone quite formidable, his slender, strong body possessing a beauty different from Heracles. The boy had turned into a man, changing in many ways yet remaining the same.

His eyes were still clear and evasive. Boarding the Argo should be a proud moment, a chance to create legends, but he stubbornly refused to board.

What a sight, lying on the rock like a piglet being dragged from its den but refusing to come out, only to be lifted with its den altogether.

This man named Cyd was special, truly special. In a world where heroes were indistinguishable from bandits, he seemed to embody the true essence of a hero.

This journey for the Golden Fleece revealed much about the person Artemis had her eyes on.

Compared to glory, he seemed more willing to help fallen children. This was admirable.

Gentle, confident, humble, amiable—traits Greek heroes lacked, he possessed them all.

Of course, he had annoying traits too, like being fast, very fast...

Maybe heroes weren't special. They were just ordinary people with power, some using it to fulfill hidden desires, while others remained unchanged, achieving things beyond the reach of ordinary people due to their strength.

If heroes were classified this way, then to her, the entire Greek hero community would be divided into Cyd, Heracles, and other heroes. Due to Hera's curse, Heracles was in a category of his own.

Cyd was truly special. In a world where even gods succumbed to desire, he chose reason. Or maybe he, too, was driven by desire, but his desire was too ordinary and small.

But this world isn't kind enough to allow one to choose ordinariness.

So this white-haired boy was just too strong, with an invulnerable body and divine blessings. Wanting to be ordinary despite all this?! Though it's a dangerous world, becoming this strong is overkill.

The world isn't cruel enough to deny ordinary life, but it's not gentle enough to grant every wish. The more one strives toward a goal, the more one deviates. So... perhaps stopping is a good choice.

She tried to reach out to this special man, probably the first time she had done so. A strange feeling made her instinctively turn away. But that man dodged as if joking, revealing a secret with a playful tone.

In pursuit of an ordinary life, he embarked on an extraordinary journey. With a light-hearted smile, he set off. This was a harsh and long journey. If possible, she wanted to follow, though not for any special purpose, just to see.

She heard poets singing praises of Cyd, the warrior who slew the dragon, the Hero of Pure White.

Whenever her father nagged about Cyd's greatness, she would show impatience. She knew better than anyone that Cyd's so-called heroics were just casual acts for him, deeds others deemed heroic were mere trifles to him.

He was worthy of being called a Hero of Pure White for his actions, but he wasn't the Hero of Pure White they envisioned. Their praised Hero of Pure White… was somewhat pitiful.

He never wished to be the Hero of Pure White.

The Hero of Pure White Cyd and the Cyd she knew, she only knew Cyd.

He became a red-hot hero, receiving more blessings and moving further from his desired life.

At this time, her father urged her to marry. What an ugly face, so eager to use the daughter he abandoned to lure heroes?

However, she didn't refuse, because she… hoped he would appear. No, this wasn't the thought she should have. She was Artemis's follower; she had vowed.

But she harbored forbidden thoughts…

Cyd appeared before her, in the third and final race. He said he wouldn't make joking demands anymore in the last race, so complying wasn't…

He ran away… Cyd ran from the wedding, leaving the compliant princess to resume his journey. This familiar feeling, how many times had he done this?

But he didn't save a defenseless princess, but a beast that had retracted its claws.

You are the Hero of Pure White, surrounded by divine blessings. Your journey will be shrouded in glory, so much that you might forget who you truly are.

You saved them out of your own goodwill. You are not a saint! Everything you achieved was with your own hands; no one has the right to demand anything from you. You owe no one!

They owe you!

You never asked for anything, simply because you didn't need to! This isn't your duty! You have no obligation to save everyone!

Don't forget...

Are you the Hero of Pure White Cyd, or the boy who sought ordinary happiness?

But… this world craves the Hero of Pure White.

It's okay. This world will have someone who desires just Cyd. She will remind you not to stray from your true wish, but is there really someone so foolish in this world?

There is...

Saved by Cyd, a hunter who should have stopped.

I will keep hunting until your journey ends. Yes, when the Hero of Pure White completes his praised story and disappears, hunter Atalanta will stop hunting and two non-heroes will fulfill "Cyd's" wish.

If you remain a Hero of Pure White until death, hunter Atalanta will keep hunting until the underworld.

If you remain a Hero of Pure White even in the underworld, hunter Atalanta will continue hunting there. Not even death can stop this eternal hunt.

This is her love.

She thought not even death could separate them, but he went deeper into the underworld, a place she couldn't reach…

How sad, the Hero of Pure White embarked on a world-saving journey seeking an ordinary life. He wasn't a noble soul willing to sacrifice himself.

How sad, he ultimately became the Hero of Pure White.

No… it's sadder for her, lacking the ability to catch her prey (husband).

The hero didn't return…

She didn't believe he would lose; nothing could stop him from reaching the journey's end, not death, not the king of gods, not the underworld.

He would return, but she might not live to see it. She didn't have eternal life, so she chose to become a star.

Medusa searches on earth, so she will search in the sky. As long as stars shine, she can keep hunting… at this time, it's best to be honest. She hoped the star she became could guide the Hero of Pure White, helping him stay true to his path. Watching from afar is a form of "hunting," right?

You can never escape my hunt; I will always catch up to you.

Because this is my posthumous revenge.

She prayed to Artemis and became the constellation Leo, a lioness unable to bear cubs with a lion. This was her choice. She probably couldn't have children with Cyd, but at least she could swear her purity to him.

Even if unable to leave descendants, she would love him.

This was her vow, finally combining her oaths to Artemis and Cyd, her two greatest loves.

She knew, actually. She wanted Cyd to break her vow, but Cyd...

… was just a gentle fool.