My mother's love song

Afterwards, the warriors who were still alive fought bloody battles and finally killed the wild boar.

The one who skinned and beheaded it was Meleager, son of Oeneus, who dealt the boar the fatal blow with a short spear.

He gave the skin and the boar's head to Atalanta.

"It was Atalanta who first injured the beast. Only she has the right to own this skin."

Is it love or justice that is at work?

In any case, the surviving warriors were very dissatisfied with this.

If you, Meleager, don't want it, you should give it to us.

Atalanta didn't shoot the boar at all, the skin should go to those who did the real work

For Atalanta, who grew up in the forest, things like status and reputation were of no importance at all.

But if she said she didn't shoot the wild boar, she couldn't pretend she didn't hear it.

Thus, a meaningless fight broke out.

Those who admired Atalanta, those who hated Atalanta, and those who had evil intentions all died a miserable death.

The boar skin soaked with hatred and obsession also became Atalanta's property.

In a sense, this was also like a revelation from Artemis to her.

It's not out of admiration, it's not out of love, it's just pure mutual hatred.

This skin of the beast is also the essence of Atalanta.

However, she was very aware of her own ruthlessness, but contrary to her nature, she was worried about Rhode's life.

Even though she had lived alone for more than ten years, she had always forgotten this kind of feeling.

Why is this happening?

The girl asked herself the question and figured out the answer.

Did I fall in love with him without realizing it?

No, that's not right.

It wasn't something that happened unconsciously...but was it love at first sight?

He was the first one to try and talk to himself, and that alone was special and totally different from all those “heroes” who treat women like objects.

Besides, her face looks very much like my taste...

Her body is small and sweet... different from those annoying men.

I really did treat him...

"Then let's meet at the trial field tomorrow, Ata."

Rhodes interrupted the girl's wild thoughts.

"……Why?"

Atalanta's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

Rhodes said: "I will challenge you tomorrow."

"You'll die if you lose, do you understand that? And I didn't even ask you to help me!"

The first thing Atalanta felt was not joy, but fear.

The thought that if Rhode lost to him tomorrow, he would die, and the uneasiness suppressed his joy.

"I told you, you can't kill me."

Rhodes smiled and said, "I will win."

Atalanta had an expression that was unclear whether it was sadness or anger, but it was not a happy expression.

"You kid... you are totally unreasonable."

"Ata, are you crying?"

Rhodes was surprised to find that big tears were flowing down the girl's pretty face like pearls.

Atalanta wiped away her tears roughly: "I'm not crying. Are you blind?"

Rhodes lifted his upper body from her thighs and then hugged Atalanta's body.

The girl's body trembled slightly.

It was probably the first time that a man touched her body, and she looked very resistant.

Although I resist, I am still enduring

Atalanta placed her head on Rhodes' shoulder, slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, and asked in a crying voice: "Tell me, why? Why are you so obsessed with me?"

It is both to repay the favor and to apologize for involving you in my family conflict.

Rhodes was somewhat worried that Hippomenes, who had hit a wall with Aphrodite, might seek help from other goddesses. If that happened, Atalanta might suffer a curse similar to the one in the myth.

So, he wanted to win the girl's race.

I heard the girl say again.

"Why don't you just leave me alone? If you want to get me, why don't you just treat me like an object and win me over?"

"Who knows."

Rhodes reached out and stroked her hair, and only then did he realize that Atalanta did not have cat ears yet.

"Maybe it was just a whim, or maybe I just couldn't leave you alone... Well, I don't even believe it myself, so I guess I'm just lustful.

Just like the stinky man standing outside your castle, I want you."

"poor……"

"Men are like this. Don't you know this best?"

"Humph."

Atalanta burst into laughter and said, "I understand. I will no longer treat you as a child. Rod, if you want to possess me, then try to defeat me.

I will make it clear in advance that I will not let you off… Because I swore to the Sun God when I set the trial, so even if I want to let you off… No, it’s nothing.”

Huh? Then I still have to ask Aphrodite for the golden apple?

Recently, because of me, there is a lot of tension between Aphrodite and Demeter.

Of course, Rhode didn't dare to say this out loud, and said thoughtfully: "Before that, can you give me some encouragement?"

"What kind of encouragement do you want?"

Atalanta tilted her head in confusion, and Rhodes gave her a sly smile that always made Atalanta uneasy.

"Isn't it true that the princess can only give the hero the same thing throughout history?"

Rhode closed his eyes while saying this.

"...Woo."

Atalanta understood what he meant.

The girl pursed her lips and swallowed.

After hesitating for a long time with her hand on her chest, she left a light kiss on Rhodes' lips.

"!!!"

Rhode's eyes widened: "...It's the lips?"

He originally wanted a kiss on the cheek, but he didn't expect to get something unexpected.

“…Wuwuwuwu, stop talking.”

Atalanta dropped her eyes, her cheeks already red as apples.

"You must win, Rod."

What happened next is well known.

Rhodes won the contest with Atalanta by picking three golden apples from his apple tree.

The proud female hunter demonstrated what double standards are. After being defeated by despicable means, she was not angry but cried with joy.

Then, Rhodes naturally became Atalanta's husband.

The man is in love and the woman is willing, no matter who sees it, this is a perfect happy ending.

If he hadn't fled from Arcadia on the eve of his wedding...

"Can you give me a reasonable explanation, Rod?"

Atalanta stomped heavily on the chair between Rhodes' legs.

……

……

……

"Can't you give me a reason? Don't you even have words to defend yourself? Or do you feel disgusted even talking to me?"

Rhodes was tied up and thrown to the ground, and Atalanta sat on him, her emerald eyes glowing in the darkness like luminous stones.

No, no, no, it's not the kind of embarrassing scene you were expecting.

Red Archer was now sitting sideways on Rhodes' body.

Yes, just like a hunter sitting on the wild boar she just shot after the hunt.

On the other side, Rhodes also remained silent like a prey waiting to be slaughtered.

Can't give it!

He couldn't give a reasonable reason.

He did have good intentions at first, and he genuinely wanted to help Atalanta.

When Rhodes left without saying goodbye, he was thinking

"Ata won't be cursed by the goddess anymore, so it's okay if I moisten it."

He originally participated in the trial in order to repay Ata for taking care of him in the underworld.

I want to live happily with my wife and daughter...but I can't marry you.

To be honest, Rhodes himself did not expect Atalanta to be so persistent about that matter.

After all, Nyx deleted Atalanta's memory of the underworld, and in the girl's memory they had only met a few times.

It can't be considered a solemn oath of love, and Rhodes can only be considered a passer-by at best.

Normally, wouldn't the trial be abandoned and someone new be found to continue living?

Rod asked the question that concerned him the most: "...Ata, how did you find out it was mine?"

He now uses the spiritual power of Aleister Crowley distributed by the Holy Grail. Both his appearance and fighting style have changed greatly from the ancient Greek era.

Even his personality was affected by the body and became slightly different.

If that's the case, how did Atalanta find out about me?

Rhodes' brain was thinking at an unprecedented speed.

Atalanta said coldly: "After you left, I prayed to Lady Artemis, hoping that the goddess would give me the power to find my husband.

I vow to spend the rest of my life hunting my only prey, which is you.

No matter where my husband runs to, I will hunt him down. And the result of the wish is "

The cat ears on the girl's head trembled.

Then, the furry tail stretched out from under the skirt and rubbed against Rhodes' face.

"This is what I got in return for praying to God," the girl said coldly.

"With them, even if you run away to the ends of the earth, even if you change your appearance, even if you change your spiritual basis, I can still find you."

"!"

Rhodes suddenly realized.