After some time had passed, we returned to the ship, but Jason—utterly smitten with the women of Lemnos Island—was the last to board.
The others grew increasingly irritated by the delay, and eventually—
Boom!!
“W-What happened...?!”
“...Jason.”
“A-Astellon...?”
“Get out here. We are setting sail this instant. It has already been three days. Tell me, do you actually have any intention of becoming a king?”
“Y-Yes! I'm coming...!”
I went and dragged Jason back myself, and only then were we finally able to depart.
Thankfully, it didn’t come to the point where I had to use actual force.
Having left Lemnos Island behind, we began a smooth and steady voyage.
Eventually, we arrived at the lands ruled by King Amycus.
“Hahaha! More visitors have arrived! Welcome, strangers! If you wish to pass through these lands, one of you must face me in a boxing match and win!! Let the best boxer among you step forward and duel me!!”
The moment he spotted us, he bellowed that we would be barred from proceeding unless someone could defeat him in a boxing match.
Hearing this, Jason voiced his frustration.
“This is...! We're in a hurry, so what is the meaning of this...?!”
“...And you're the one talking about being in a hurry after how you enjoyed yourself on Lemnos Island?”
“Ahem...!!”
“Sigh... well, it can't be helped. If we want to move forward, it seems we have no choice but to accept his challenge.”
“Then we need a representative. ...Astellon. Are you any good at boxing?”
“I have trained in hand-to-hand combat as well as weaponry, but... there are likely others more skilled in boxing than I am.”
While we were debating who should fight, Jason attempted to push Heracles into the match.
“Um... would it be alright if I went?”
In the midst of the discussion, someone aboard the ship spoke up, drawing all our attention.
It was Pollux. Upon her offer, her brother Castor responded with fervent approval.
“Yes! If it is Pollux, victory is guaranteed!!”
“Well... in that case, Pollux it is.”
As Pollux stepped forward with confidence, a strange mixture of tension and anticipation settled over the deck of the Argo.
Her gaze, carrying the blood of Zeus, was unwavering, and Castor's voice, cheering her on from the side, was filled with absolute certainty.
I leaned against the hull with my arms crossed, looking back and forth between the massive frame of King Amycus and the slender, yet firmly built, Pollux.
Seeing Pollux step forward, King Amycus snorted in derision and slammed his fists together.
“Hahaha! Is the Argo so devoid of men that you send out such a frail woman? Do not resent me when you are crushed by a single blow from my fist!”
“Don’t worry. The only thing being crushed here will be your arrogance.”
Pollux replied languidly, lightly stretching her limbs.
Her movements were fluid, as if she were gliding upon the waves.
And so, the duel began.
The moment the match started, King Amycus charged like a wild boar, thrusting out a heavy, massive fist.
The sheer wind pressure from the swing was enough to scatter the surrounding sand.
However, Pollux evaded the attack by a mere inch.
“Hey, Astellon. Do you see that?”
Atalanta, watching from beside me, asked in a low, admiring tone.
“Yes. Pollux isn't meeting his strength head-on. She's cutting the flow at the exact moment his power reaches its peak.”
I lightly toyed with the hilt of the holy sword, already foreseeing the end of the fight.
The moment Amycus lost his composure and attempted a wide, sweeping blow, Pollux’s fist drove into his jaw like a bolt of lightning.
Thwack—!
With a dull thud, King Amycus’s massive body lifted slightly off the ground before slamming hard into the sand.
A single blow.
With one flawless, efficient strike, King Amycus reeled and collapsed, blood streaming from his head.
As the king fell, the warriors of the Bebryces tribe surrounding us drew their weapons in unison, threatening us.
“Those bastards killed the king!!”
“Attack!! We must avenge His Majesty!!”
With weapons raised, they charged toward us.
“You cowards!”
Jason shouted in panic, drawing his sword.
The other heroes on the ship also gripped their weapons.
However, Pollux was still catching her breath from the exertion of the duel, and the enemy's arrows and spears were already aimed directly at her.
At that moment—
Sring—
The sound of my blade leaving its scabbard rang out, cutting through the noise of the battlefield.
“The duel is over.”
My voice wasn't loud, but it carried with an uncanny, piercing clarity.
“To charge in without accepting defeat... is no longer the way of a warrior.”
But the Bebryces warriors did not stop.
“Shut up! They killed our king!!”
“Kill them all!!”
“Revenge! We must have revenge for His Majesty!!”
Their rage had completely eclipsed their reason.
“...Sigh.”
I let out a short sigh and took a single step forward.
And then—
Kwooooo—!!
A silver aura erupted from the holy sword, spreading outward like a crashing tide.
The sand on the ground was swept away, and the air grew heavy, as if being crushed downward.
Under that overwhelming pressure, the warriors in the front rank froze in their tracks.
“This is... a warning.”
I tilted my sword slightly, looking down at them.
“If you take one more step...”
For a moment, it felt as though my eyes had turned ice-cold.
“...I will truly cut you down.”
The warriors, who had been frenzied moments ago, stopped as if hitting an invisible wall.
Some trembled, their spears shaking in their hands, while others instinctively took a step back.
However, those who had hardened their resolve regained their footing and charged once more.
“...It can't be helped, then.”
I stepped off the ship and swung my sword toward them.
Following my lead, the other heroes also disembarked and joined the fray.
As the mindless Bebryces warriors surged forward, the air filled with screams and the clashing of metal.
Yet, amid the chaos, my movements remained eerily calm and precise.
Every time the blade of the holy sword Athena cleaved the air, silver flashes spread in a wide arc.
Slash—!
“Aaaagh! My spear!”
“I didn't even see it! What just happened...?!”
The warriors blocking my path fell like autumn leaves.
They were gripped by horror, watching their weapons shatter before their attacks could even reach me.
“Astellon, are you planning to hog all the glory for yourself?”
From behind, accompanied by the sharp whistle of wind, an arrow streaked past me and pierced through an enemy shield.
Atalanta leaped lightly across the terrain, loosing arrow after arrow, while Heracles swung his massive club, literally pulverizing the enemy formation.
“Hahaha! Now this is what I call a battlefield!”
Pollux, having recovered, joined Castor to showcase a series of dazzling coordinated attacks.
The disorganized Bebryces warriors were dismantled in an instant by the overwhelming power of the Argo's heroes.
“Astellon! Truly incredible! Thanks to you opening the path, we've finished this without a single casualty!”
After the battle, Jason approached me in high spirits and patted my shoulder.
I answered with my eyes half-closed.
“Just get us sailing, Jason. Staying here any longer will only deepen their resentment.”
We hurried back onto the Argo. The ship pulled away from the coast, and we pressed forward once more.
However, Hylas, who had accompanied Heracles, had been struck in the shoulder by a poisoned arrow. Heracles declared that he would leave the ship with Hylas to ensure he received proper treatment.
With the loss of Heracles—the ship's most powerful asset—Jason was more devastated than anyone.
“Astellon. If the opportunity arises, let us meet again. ...We shall have our duel then.”
“Right. Farewell, Heracles.”
I saw Heracles off as he departed with Hylas.
After Heracles' departure, we sailed steadily eastward, eventually arriving at the destination of this expedition: Colchis.
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