Poseidon’s emissary, a massive turtle, slowly entered the audience chamber of the Underworld.
Setting aside the stack of docunts for a mont, I welcod the emissary as it approached. However, I couldn’t ignore the piercing gaze from the side.
Zap.
The stack of docunts Styx had left earlier was being subtly rearranged by Lethe, who glanced at with a look of quiet resentnt.
Ahem. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to handle this a bit longer. I can’t very well sit here doing paperwork when a ssenger from another major god has arrived.
The turtle emissary began to speak in a slow, deliberate voice.
"Greetings, Lord Hades."
"Ah, you’re the one I t last ti I spoke with Poseidon."
"It is an indescribable honor that you rember . My lord Poseidon has sent to deliver a ssage directly to you…"
Rustle.
As the emissary finished speaking, a bright, refreshing aura—so unlike the Underworld—spread from its body.
It seed Poseidon intended to possess the emissary to converse with directly.
Soon, the aura faded, and Poseidon’s presence filled the turtle’s form. His glowing blue eyes turned to et mine.
"Hades."
"What brings you here this ti, Poseidon?"
"Nothing too grand. It’s about that war between Troy and the Greek coalition."
Was he here to reprimand for descending to the mortal realm yesterday?
But if that were the case, surely Zeus himself would have sent a ssenger instead of Poseidon.
"I thought I should bring it up. It doesn’t look great for the ruler of the Underworld to ddle in mortal wars. After all, mortals already fear death enough as it is…"
He’s suggesting I withdraw from the war? Poseidon, you’re ddling yourself, yet you say this?
I’m busy enough with the Underworld to barely interfere in the war as it is, but I decided to push back a little.
"You, taking the Greek side, have no room to talk. If Zeus said so, I might listen, but not from you."
"Well, I have my reasons. The mortals have been quite generous with offerings. Can’t you consider my position?"
"Offerings, you say."
So that’s it.
Polydeuces and Nestor must have reported my descent to their army before heading back to their holand.
I was already too busy to bother further with the war.
If Poseidon wanted to withdraw for his dignity, I could agree—on one condition.
"Very well. But I have one condition."
"What is it?"
"You withdraw from the war as well. Neither Apollo nor Aphrodite will dare defy your authority."
"Hmm… But Troy… those accursed fools insulted ."
"That was the previous king, wasn’t it? The current ruler of Troy bears no guilt."
Poseidon’s glowing blue eyes shifted in contemplation.
After a mont of silence, the turtle slowly nodded.
"Fine. Then we both withdraw from this war."
"Wise decision, Poseidon."
Even without my intervention, Troy should hold out just fine.
anwhile, emboldened by their offerings to Poseidon, the Greek coalition once again advanced on Troy.
Agamnon, Achilles, Diodes, Ajax, and other prominent generals led their forces with determination.
As long as Pluto didn’t interfere, they believed they could finally take Troy.
But their confidence quickly unraveled.
"...Agamnon, let’s call it off and go ho."
"It seems the gods have decided it is not yet Troy’s ti to fall."
"Have we offended the gods sohow?"
Once again, they failed.
Hector, Troy’s supre commander, had secured the gates and led a fierce defense.
The divine walls of Troy remained unyielding, and the Trojans, fully focused on their defense, fought with high morale.
In contrast, the Greeks, lacking a clear justification, saw their morale wane.
Troy’s commanders—Aeneas, Pandarus, Hector—held their positions firmly.
Greek soldiers attempting to climb the walls were quickly repelled.
Even Achilles, despite his prowess, couldn’t break through.
"Achilles! Achilles has climbed the wall!"
"Archers! Fire on that position! Hector, we need you here!"
"Achilles! Face !"
"Damn it, you bastards!"
Achilles was no Nestor or Polydeuces.
Even among legendary heroes, there were clear differences in ability.
Battered by a hail of arrows, boiling water, thrown stones, and combined assaults from Trojan commanders, Achilles was eventually forced to retreat with an arrow lodged in his shoulder.
If not for his close friend Patroclus helping him down, he might have perished.
"Damned luck! What is this? My mother promised I would surpass my father in glory."
"Your mother… you an the goddess Thetis? Achilles?"
"Exactly, Patroclus. Don’t you agree? For soone like , with such skills…"
While they conversed, the Greek coalition continued their siege of Troy for days, only to retreat in defeat.
Agamnon and the leadership burned with frustration. The gods who wanted Troy destroyed were equally displeased.
"...Far fewer heroes have perished than I expected. This is diverging entirely from my plan."
Zeus, watching from above, felt the sa.
Though many heroes had joined Hades’ domain, it was far short of Zeus’ goal.
From the clouds, Zeus observed the Greek coalition preparing to negotiate peace and return ho.
Athena and Hera wore strained expressions, while soldiers hurriedly packed for the journey back.
"Truly, the gods… sigh…"
"This is ridiculous. The Trojan expedition has failed."
"Let’s just return ho and rest. This was all for nothing…"
Watching this unfold, Zeus stroked his beard and called out.
"Hers!"
"Yes, Father!"
"Summon Zephyrus, Notos, and all the wind gods. And deliver my ssage to Poseidon…"
Zeus whispered sothing to Hers, who nodded quietly before hurrying off.
On the journey ho after negotiating a truce with Troy, Achilles and his close companion Patroclus sat aboard a ship, crossing the sea, engaged in conversation.
"Listen, Patroclus, I’m telling you—my mother told this herself!"
"Thetis isn’t one to speak falsehoods, but… the fa you earned in this war is…"
"I know, I know. I didn’t accomplish much compared to my father. Maybe the prophecy ans I’ll gain renown in the future, not now…"
Achilles was regarded as the greatest talent of his generation in Greece.
Though not yet comparable to the heroes of the past who slew monsters, it was widely believed he would eventually reach their level.
The prophecy surrounding him foretold he would surpass his father, Peleus.
Thetis, a goddess herself, had relayed this prophecy to him. His father, Peleus, was a hero who had defeated countless monsters and even married a goddess.
So why hadn’t Achilles achieved overwhelming feats in this war?
Even he was puzzled.
"If soone like participated in this war, shouldn’t this be how I surpass my father—"
"Ha! Calm down, Achilles. I’ve seen your accomplishnts firsthand. When we return ho, I’ll write about your exploits."
"A book? Ha… What book, Patroclus? Stop with the nonsense."
"What’s wrong with that? We could gather so talented writers to recount the story of the Trojan War…"
Oblivious to the fate that awaited him, the mortal conversed freely on the ship.
High above, an immortal being observed them from a cloud.
It was Boreas, god of the north wind, acting under Zeus’ orders.
Whoosh!
"What the… What’s with this wind?"
"We’re rowing, but the ship keeps drifting in the wrong direction! Even the currents seem off…"
"We’re far off course. This isn’t our designated route."
The ship carrying Achilles began to veer far from its intended destination, carried to an unknown place.
anwhile, Boreas moved on to redirect the ships of other Greek heroes.
How much ti had passed on the open sea?
A storm struck, breaking the ship apart. Achilles, Patroclus, and their soldiers barely managed to land on an unfamiliar island.
They were greeted by a strange sight.
Dense forests, towering cliffs… It was one thing for the island to be uninhabited, but—
Shriek!
In the distance, a massive bird soared through the sky.
But the bird unmistakably bore the face of a human woman.
"A harpy?"
"Achilles, did you know about those monsters?"
"My father ntioned them once. He said they had fled to untouched lands."
"How far have we drifted?"
They stood bewildered, taking in their surroundings.
Hadn’t most of the monsters been exterminated? Nearby, a wolf larger than any man lay asleep, while a nymph laughed mischievously before disappearing.
The island was ho to all manner of non-human creatures, thriving where no human hands had ever reached.
"Did we drift here as part of so divine curse, to end up on an island of monsters?"
"If we’re to repair the ship, it will take ti. We’ll also need a considerable amount of timber."
"Do you think those monsters will leave us alone while we fix the ship?"
Could they possibly return ho alive?
Thus began the tale that Patroclus would later recount, becoming an ancient Greek epic.
A novel vividly capturing the Trojan War era and its mythical creatures, blending excitent with wonder.
This tale of Achilles, stranded on an island of monsters, would one day elevate his fa to rival that of Heracles.
Known as the Achilssey,
this story would co to be regarded as one of the top 100 works of world literature in the 21st century.
Achilssey begins.
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