I Became a Slave to a Mythical Shepherd

Chapter 86

Episode 86. The story of Odysseus (1)

“You’ve been talking about it ever since you got married. We will share everything with each other.”

“Yes. Because now I have decided to be with you forever.”

“Then maybe you can tell us why we’re going ‘there’ now.”

“Well, there are three main reasons for that. One for personal reasons, one for the two of us, and the third for our country.”

“Can you tell me in order?”

“I want to go see a friend first. I just met a new friend with whom I don’t seem to like each other very well, and I want to introduce you to him.”

“A reason for both of us?”

“My friend once told me that there is a custom called a honeymoon in the Far East. After the couple has made a promise, they leave for a place with good scenery and good hospitality and enjoy it for a while.”

“That’s really nice. It’s a great custom. Perhaps it is a custom from the civilizations of that part of Babylonia? It must have come from a land where civilization is rooted enough to guarantee the safety of the travel route.”

“I do not know. When asked for the exact place name, Naked always evasively said, ‘It’s far, far further east than you think.’”

“Then it’s time to ask the question you’ve been most curious about.”

With those words out, Penelope leaves the cabin and walks with the hem of her cloak blowing in the wind. Odysseus thinks it looks like a butterfly dancing.

From nob le mt l. co m

Leaning close to the bow, Penelope feels the texture of the waves lapping beneath the hull. Foam flies behind her back.

“I don’t understand why you’re coming ‘here’ with your new bride for the sake of your country!”

Penelope smiled brightly and said with bright eyes. As if shouting so that the sound of the words would not be buried in the waves.

Odysseus considers it fortunate that he gave up countless banquets and beautiful women and went to Sparta.

To be able to look into those eyes for the rest of my life.

“I will explain that too step by step, my wife!”

“Madam! That title is really unfamiliar.”

“I will make it not unfamiliar soon.”

As her clear eyes change the direction of her gaze, a pure white and orderly city appears in the distance in the distance.

A city with tens of thousands of people, protected by Apollo and loved by Zeus.

I see Troia.

***

It’s been quite a while since Antandros returned to Troia. In the meantime, there were many things to do.

The first is to calm the excited city dwellers.

I still remember the citizens of that time walking out of the temple of Demeter.

Hundreds of thousands of people stretched out their praying hands toward me, wanting to grab at least the hem of my clothes.

Skleos looked up at the sky and said, “I did it… I did it…” He patted my shoulder while muttering the same thing, and Anoitos was dumbfounded as well, unable to say anything.

And from the morning of the next day, crowds gathered in front of the palace and I couldn’t even go out properly for three days.

The whole city was paralyzed with those who prayed, those who chanted Me, and those who wanted to meet me at least once.

Well… no matter how much the population of Antandros has increased, it is only now approaching 10,000. It wasn’t even that the city was paralyzed.

After four days, the artisans returned to their workshops, the farmers to their fields, and the merchants to the market to bargain.

The second was after returning.

“Paris!”

“Ino… I’m back… Wook.”

“I thought you wouldn’t come this late! He said he would stop by Troia in between!”

“Sorry, it was later than expected. Just, hit me more until you feel better.”

“It will! I’m going to add seven more headbutts!!”

I had to appease Ino.

I wrote dozens of letters, but it’s a big difference from meeting in person.

However, after overworking Anoitus, the blacksmiths, and the landlord nobles of each region, I showed no shame and was conscious of going in and out of Troia often by myself.

Anyway, after handing over the bouquet I picked out for Ino, presenting all kinds of presents, and dancing, singing, and spinning around, I was able to let go of my anger.

…I ignored the astonished maids’ facial expressions and internal embarrassment.

That’s how I got my daily life back.

Even in the royal capital, there was a lot of excitement as if the priests had told them about the new constellation, but it soon subsided.

However, the third… the third approach was tricky.

“It’s a honeymoon…”

“yes. Do you remember what I said last time? You may have forgotten. We had so many conversations back then.”

“No, I remember. Even what Odysseus said he wanted to experience at least once.”

“That’s good!”

Odysseus clings to Penelope, who is standing next to him. Penelope smiled happily and put her arms around Odysseus’ neck.

“This has become our honeymoon destination.”

“···okay.”

Occasional guest reception.

this is currently in progress

Odysseus, who suddenly came with all kinds of gifts, offered them to Priam ‘without any price, only to deepen the chain-like friendship between Troy and Ithaca’.

Thanks to that, it seemed that there would be no shortage of golden ornaments and jewelry in Troy for a while.

Then, he explained that the reason for coming here was ‘completely personal’, and that he had honored the bride according to the customs of the East according to the advice of Prince Paris, who had a deep friendship with him in the last meeting.

Of course, no one believed him.

If the heir to the throne of a country and a person who is also a princess of a country and a cousin of Helene are together, there is political meaning even if they breathe. No, it happens even if you don’t have it.

Now they have sailed from Ithaca, at the western end of Achaia, to Troy in Asia Minor. Needless to say about the risks and costs it implies.

Of course, there was no way Odysseus could not understand the contents, and he answered with a wry smile.

“I don’t want to spread deceit and various rhetoric here. I came here to share many pleasant stories with Paris, but the fewer ears I have, the better…”

Saying so, he looked around at Penelope, Ino, and the countless attendants around him. I sighed and whispered to Ino to leave the room for a moment.

As the others stampede out, there were only three people left in the room.

…three people?

I stood by Odysseus and watched Penelope, who was still caressing the rim of the drinking horn.

“…It may seem presumptuous, but my wife has already told me the purpose and circumstances of my coming here. It was a condition of marriage. Sharing everything.”

“If you feel uncomfortable, I can leave. The owner of this place is Paris, so as a guest, I am ready to follow his will.”

“Oh, no. It’s not like that… but I’ll ask for your understanding.”

I got up and opened the door. Ino, who was putting her ear to the door, looked at me and smiled awkwardly.

“Let’s listen together.”

“good!!”

At my words, Ino also smiled brightly.

So there were four people left in the room.

Only then does the story begin.

***

As with all stories, there’s nothing special about the beginning.

I went to Sparta at the command of my father, Laertes, who is the king of Ithaca, and my mother, Anticleia, who is the queen.

I had no particular interest in beauty, so there was no particular expectation of getting the most beautiful woman in the world as a bride. To be honest, depression dominated the entire voyage as much as I considered it like a shackle.

Oh, my marriage to you is an exception, Penelope. You are wise and beautiful.

At any rate, I soon reached the shores of Sparta. It took only a few days to get from Ithaca to Sparta.

There were already many other lavishly painted and stately ships in the harbor. Each sail was painted with the historic emblems of great cities, so I intuitively guessed that these were competitor ships.

One thing that surprised me was that Troia’s ship was not there. Why?

(“Hector and I already have a spouse, and the rest of us are too young to talk about marriage. Aeneas refused.”)

Oh, I see. Learned a lot. Going back to the original story, we passed through the winding road and reached the rich Spartan palace.

It was splendid and magnificent, as if the gods had built it on earth because they regretted that mortals could not see the grandeur of the heavenly palace.

Suitors were sent from dozens of cities and clans, and the huge palace fed and sheltered dozens of suitors and the hundreds of workers they brought with them without difficulty. It’s just amazing.

Coincidentally, the day I set foot in Sparta was the day Guneus from Cyprus and Polypoetes from Griton also came.

Even the guests from the towns of Achaia, the furthest from Sparta, have arrived, so all the people who could possibly come are here.

So, Tyndareus, the king of Sparta, held a great banquet as if the right time had come. Gather all the suitors together.

Ostensibly, Lady Tyndareus has gathered suitors to rescue Lady Helene’s husband, but as you well know, things don’t go that way.

He wanted to find a suitable match for his other daughters or even the women of his relatives.

The suitors were also very skeptical about whether they would be able to marry Helen and inherit the next throne of Sparta.

Heard of rumors that there was a nominee, and there must have been doubts about whether he was fit for the grandiose position of the Spartan throne.

They went there for a variety of reasons.

Either to make friends with Sparta, or the city next door and the city next door send them all, and being left alone loses your prestige, or a fool who really wants to seduce Helen well and get both the most beautiful wife in the world and the throne of a mighty kingdom. To satisfy the same ambition, etc…

(“Which one was that!”)

Oh, Oenone-sama, I, of course, wasn’t interested in Helene-sama. There are no rumors without reasons.

I was honest, let it be.

It was okay to meet someone who matched your eyes and fall in love, or to come back alone. At least you can get acquainted with princes, nobles and ambitious people from all over the world.

By the way… I met two people there.

One was Menelaus, son of Atreus.

you’re right.

he was the nominee

Paris, are you okay? Suddenly, your complexion looks uncomfortable.

···You said to continue, so I will continue the conversation first. Instead, after a while, come with me to check on your physical condition.

Menelaus was like an ordinary young man. Oh, of course he was very handsome and had a good physique. His majesty at that time is well known as he recaptured Mycenae with his older brother Agamemnon.

However, as is well known, there was a strong feeling of darkness somewhere.

No, Mr. Oinone. I don’t know because I haven’t seen Aeneas for a long time, but there was something different from simple gloomy or timidity.

Darkness like a broken soul.

It’s a feeling that’s hard to explain, but it was a feeling that everyone who saw him could feel.

And I could vaguely guess that Agamemnon, smiling kindly as he placed his hand on his shoulder, was the cause of the ruin.

The last time I lashed out at Paris about a man named Agamemnon, but this was the first time I had encountered him outside of rumors.

He . . . was a very charming man.

At the banquet, even though he spoke the most after Tyndareos, no one seemed to be uncomfortable. Everyone fell in love with his voice, and everyone laughed at his jokes.

After the banquet, everyone was busy praising Agamemnon behind the scenes.

It is said that he grew up to be a great king even in that harsh environment of growth, and it is said that his hands were cruel after coming to power, but Mycenae must not have been stained with rebellion that much…

I was afraid to say it.

If Menelaus were to marry Helen,

And if Agamemnon is the driving force behind him, the suitors shouldn’t miss the tension.

Of course, Agamemnon’s few words did not make the suitors fall for Agamemnon’s words, but he skillfully dominated the atmosphere and public opinion at the banquet.

If people don’t let go of hostility and containment, at least they’re made to like him.

Ah, let’s put aside the story of Menelaus and Agamemnon for a while.

You said you met two important people at the banquet earlier.

The other person is this person next to me.

(“I’m ashamed, but I saw this person too. I only saw this person. Just like the moment when the sun chariot drawn by Helios appeared in the middle of the night sky.”)

is it so. We met like Eros shooting golden arrows. After briefly slipping away from the banquet into the garden in the corner, the two had a conversation… and held hands.

That’s where the two of us half made up our minds.

After such a long and short banquet, each person in a corner pretended not to do so and removed a beef loin or lamb rib from their teeth with their fingernails.

I still had conversations with this man, perched on a tree trunk in the garden.

Then, two people approached me.

***

I guessed that this point would be a great inflection point in the story of Odysseus.

Until Ino secretly held my hand, I didn’t even know my hand was shaking.

Cold sweat running down his back soaked his tunic.

I blinked so that my pupils facing Odysseus would not shake.

Fortunately, Odysseus was so focused on the story and Penelope’s gaze that he didn’t notice my strange appearance.

he opens his mouth again.

I already knew what names would come up.

***

I think Paris-sama also guessed.