A Seal Comes Ashore! 2/3
The following morning, in Calydon City.
Led by the eldest sister, Atalanta, the three of them walked together into the reception hall of the royal palace.
Of course, aside from the owl scout he couldn't shake off, Samael would never reveal anything that might attract hatred, so he kept a very low profile behind the Huntress.
As they passed through the central gate, two guards set up guns and shields to block their way. A priestess dressed in white robes stepped out, nodded slightly in greeting, and then led them to a side hall. She lifted a black veil to reveal a crystal ball on the altar below.
The white-robed priestess gestured to the three people to place their hands on the cloth in turn for the test.
The three exchanged a glance and couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Gentlemen, this is a necessary procedure for participating in this hunt. All heroes must pass this test."
Seeing the three people's suspicious expressions, the white-robed priestess immediately began to explain the reason earnestly.
The Calydonian Boar is a super-powerful magical beast blessed by the Artemis, Goddess of Hunting. It can enhance its defense and magic power by consuming meat and armor.
This monster has been ravaging the land of Calydon for several years.
Prior to this hunt, King Oeneus had organized his own warriors and Magecraft, as well as recruited heroes from other regions, to launch a campaign against the enemy.
As a result, the expeditionary force suffered repeated defeats, and their corpses and armor all became food for the demonic boars.
Each time it is seen, its size and magic power increase.
If so, the situation is even worse.
This demonic boar has a tough outer skin, which not only provides it with strong resistance to magic, but it can also greedily devour and transform the runes on those lost martial arts and Sorcery Array.
Not to mention ordinary heroes, even the Dragon Kind in the nearby forests have been preyed upon and digested by it!
"You have come here in response to the call of justice to rid Calydon of this menace. We need to provide you with accurate information for comparison and to ensure your safety as much as possible."
The white-robed priestess's explanation is quite euphemistic, but the underlying meaning is self-evident.
The Calydonian Hunt wasn't made up of people of any skill level; they just crammed everyone in.
If you lack the strength to guarantee your own safety, it's best to withdraw as soon as possible.
Samael believes that the actions of Calydon City are not merely about demonstrating humanitarian concern, given his habitual consideration of the darker side of humanity.
More importantly, the more monsters you send, the faster the monster grows, and the more difficult it becomes to hunt.
To this end, King Oeneus spared no expense, generously opening up the national treasury, and with his beloved son Meleager as the leader, he rallied all the heroes of Greece to come together and team up to conquer the dungeon.
Calydon can no longer afford to be ruined. If they continue to fail like this, they might be destroyed by this beast.
Therefore, it is understandable that the other party is cautious and serious.
After the reason was explained, the three had no objections and stepped forward to place their fingers on the surface of the crystal ball in turn, injecting ether.
Instantly, the Sorcery Array was activated, and three golden beams of light rose up one after another, with the three divine seals—a verdant Olive Branch, a crimson moon, and a golden bow and arrow—converging and taking shape.
This ten-pull was incredibly lucky! I got three gold cards! In this era, I can actually become a lucky player?
Samael shrugged, shook his wrist, and recalled his previous experience of drawing cards in a game, a wry smile creeping onto his face.
According to the white-robed priestess, this gacha pool—cough, no, this crystal ball—can display gold, silver, and bronze halos depending on the strength of one's bloodline and the purity of one's magic power.
This is precisely in line with the national capacity classification of Mesopotamia.
Since Greece was still in the prosperous period of the Age of Gods, there was no such thing as the Black Iron rank.
But humans can only make rough estimates of what they create, so it would be easy for Samael to hide it if he wanted to.
Besides, the owl on its shoulder is a little spy sent by Athena. Even if the ancient serpent itself doesn't care, a certain Goddess of Wisdom will help cover it up.
Tsk tsk, I didn't expect we also have a gold card pool. When it comes to gold cards, they are at least five-star limited characters, right?
After the test was completed, the ancient snake leaned against the corner of the wall and a pillar, looking at the two four-star gold cards next to it, revealing a smile that only it understood.
Three Divine Favored!
They worship Goddess of Wisdom Athena; Hecate, the goddess of mystery; and... Artemis, Goddess of Hunting!
The white-robed priestess was quite shocked to see such a high-quality pool of ten pulls, and her cautious gaze finally fell on Atalanta.
"Please wait a moment, the three of you. I will go and inform His Highness the Prince to come and receive you."
The priestess managed to compose herself, bowed respectfully, pushed open the door, and hurriedly left.
Atalanta, who was left to sit in a side hall, frowned slightly. Her keen hunter's senses made her suspicious and wary of the white-robed priestess from before.
"Big sister, don't worry, the Calydon people will probably treat you like a god."
After all, you are Artemis's messenger. They have suffered enough at the hands of that wild boar and are eagerly awaiting your decree to Goddess of Hunting.
This hunt might just be for you.
Samael raised his hand and gently patted Atalanta's shoulder, blinked, and smiled thoughtfully.
Upon hearing Atalanta seemed to be deep in thought, and her tense muscles gradually relaxed.
In fact, Samael's speculation was not unfounded.
He had crossed paths with Artemis before. Although this Goddess of Hunting inevitably possessed vengeful and petty natures, she was still somewhat virtuous.
So, after wreaking havoc on the Kingdom of Calydon and venting their anger, they assigned the messenger to clean up the mess.
Historically, Calydonian Hunt, Atalanta was the first to break through the defenses of the demon boar Kalydon, wounding it.
Samael guessed that it was perhaps that arrow that broke Artemis's blessing on the boar, allowing the hunt to proceed smoothly.
After the three waited for a moment, heavy, powerful footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Immediately afterward, a dashing young man in bronze armor with curly brown hair entered the side hall with a hearty smile, appearing very enthusiastic.
"I am Meleager, the organizer of this hunt. Thank you for coming from afar."
I hope we can work together to eradicate this beast! Afterwards, Calydon will offer an equivalent reward to the three of you for your hard work.
In addition, a large number of experienced hunters are already tracking the Demon Boar and searching for its lair. We will set off immediately Tianyi after the area is demarcated!
Before that, if you need anything, please feel free to let me know, and I will do my best to provide assistance.
Samael could tell that Prince of Calydon was a man of action; without any unnecessary pleasantries, he swiftly and efficiently explained the follow-up.
Furthermore, while speaking, the prince did not use his leader's airs to intimidate others; he adopted a very humble attitude and showed utmost sincerity.
The three were quite satisfied with this, and their expressions even relaxed a bit.
After spending some time with him, Prince of Calydon tentatively mentioned Artemis, Goddess of Hunting.
Upon hearing that Atalanta had Subordinate God to Calydonian Hunt, Meleager's eyebrows twitched noticeably, and his eyes revealed a hint of barely suppressed joy and relief.
Observing the Huntress subtly, Samael couldn't help but find that this confirmed her guess, and she couldn't help but admire the Orphic Cult follower.
With such keen insight, he truly is a follower of Athena.
"By the way, there are already quite a few Greek Heroes in the main hall. Why don't I take the three of you to meet them? After all, they are our teammates tomorrow."
After saying this, Prince of Calydon stood up and eagerly led the way.
The three exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and then followed.