"Listen up, you amateurs! I'm here to teach humans!!! This isn't raising pigs or cows! Remember that!!!"
"Y-yes!!!"
I had set up camp in a wide clearing in the forest where I lived, and I was training the children who had survived the village the centaurs had wiped out.
The training manual was straightforward: push-ups, sit-ups, squats, running. I ran them through these basics in the morning. Then came lessons. That was the most important part.
To them, I taught common sense, how to predict the weather from their surroundings, hunting skills, all the things I learned from Master Chiron… and, most importantly, morality. Why was morality so vital to me? Because this was end-of-days Greece.
I'd thought the Greeks had lost their screws, but the real madness lay with those self-styled heroes seeking fame. Even ordinary folk weren't normal—at one point, BL among men was considered the highest form of love, and anything else was out of the question.
So I laid down an educational policy to shatter that warped sense of normal. For someone to remain human, even if they bore the form of one, I would never acknowledge them as such if I thought they'd lost their humanity.
In this brutal age, women were treated abominably, but I gave the same education and opportunities to boys and girls alike. I couldn't stand the thought of my charges falling even lower than those beastly centaurs.
"If you think I'll protect you forever, you're sadly mistaken! One day, you'll all graduate and leave the nest! Until then, I'll train you so you won't be blown away by the outside world!"
Even as I yelled at the kids struggling to keep up, this was reality. My bad habit had flared up, and I'd saved them. But if you save someone, you're responsible for them until the end.
Rescue is just the beginning. What happens afterward is crucial. If you just save children and leave it at that, you can imagine their fate…
Whether in my past life or now, the essence hasn't changed. Only the environment and my tasks differ… What matters now is educating these children.
"All right, that's it for the morning! Take a break!!!"
The moment I said "break," they all collapsed onto the dirt.
Teaching like Master Chiron—someone who could train those unruly delinquents—was hard. Sure, I might have some edge over others, but training troublemakers was impossible for most.
I wasn't born with the prodigious talent of Heracles. At best, I could beat anyone in hiding or running away. Everything else? I was just a solid achiever.
"How are you doing, Pele? Is it too much? Want to quit?"
Pele… the survivor from the village the centaurs tore apart. He'd taken on a leader's role from the start. Out of the children I rescued, there were fourteen boys and eight girls, and they all looked up to him.
Sure, a few tried to slack off, but I called them out on it each time, so it never got out of hand. I could've let it go at that, but I was especially strict with Pele. Simple reason: he was the leader of this scrappy band.
Being their leader didn't mean he could lord authority over them. Leadership meant taking responsibility. So I tested him whenever I got the chance.
"...I don't want to...!"
"Hmm? You're not quitting?"
"I was supposed to succeed as village chief... but our village is gone, and my parents are dead... Still, as the chief's son, I'll take responsibility for these children!"
Pele's voice wavered, but he stood tall and spoke loud, determined to stand against me. When these children grew up, they'd surely rally around him.
He was also remarkably sharp of mind—destined for something great.
"...Keep working hard. You asked me to bring you here, remember."
"Yes, sir!"
Still, this was a harsh age. Sure, modern times have corporate abuses and terrorism, but here, cruelty ruled without limits.
Zeus would cheat on Hera at every turn, driving her fury, while the weak perished or were cursed. The centaurs, who could speak and think, still looted and slaughtered without a second thought. (Master Chiron was the sole exception.)
I'd heard stories of Heracles slaying his own family and being condemned to the Twelve Labors, but I was already busy enough teaching these kids. Between meals, sleep, and everything in between...
"All right, lunch time. You lot, take a break."
"Yes, Teacher Iskios!"
Being called "Teacher" was embarrassingly flattering, but not entirely unwelcome. Yes, my daily life had clearly changed.
These days, having to make things for the kids had increased my workload, but the bustle wasn't unwelcome.
It had been two years since I took them in and raised them. Over those two years, I could see them growing for real.
Beyond Pele, I'd learned to pick out each child's strengths and weaknesses at a glance, so this time I taught them how to use weapons.
I started with the spear and sword techniques Master Chiron taught me, then moved on to shields and bows, and even battlefield tactics. One day, they'd have to strike out on their own, and I meant for them to protect themselves.
Of course, anyone scoring below the minimum had to stay for extra drills until evening.
"Have you heard about the [Argo] ship?"
"Yeah, yeah! I heard about that too!"
In the mornings, we did warm-ups, physical training, and lessons. In the afternoons, we learned to sow and harvest crops, beekeeping... and, of course, how to cook. Then one day, a rumor reached my ears.
The rumor was that Jason was finally recruiting crew for the [Argo] expedition. It was spreading all over Greece, and even out here in the forest, the children got wind of it.
Me? I had zero interest. I didn't want to venture into the outside world, and besides, I had these children to teach. What would happen to them if I left? As these thoughts ran through my head, he appeared in the forest.
"Iskios!!! Iskios, are you here!?"
I recognized that old nagging voice instantly, without even seeing his face.
Right in the middle of my afternoon lessons, he strolled in, arms crossed, not even bothering to watch what I was doing. He grinned, thumb pointing at himself.
"I am here, Iskios!!!"
"Hey, Jason. You..."
…Don't go talking like some big muscle-bound hero. That isn't you, Jason. Still, there was no doubt standing before me was the man himself.
"How did you know I was Iskios?"
"Hmph! I figured a man who hates standing out would cover his face! You're the kind who hides his advantages!"
He knew all about my preference for staying in third place on purpose. Still, even if he knew me that well, I had zero reason to fall for his pitch for the [Argo] expedition.
"Let me say this up front: I have absolutely no intention of joining the [Argo] expedition. You know how uninterested I am, right?"
"—But you've been teaching those children lately. It must be hard, right? You're responsible for their future."
"You..."
Jason was indeed physically weaker than his peers, but in cleverness, negotiation, and the power of persuasion, he was undeniably formidable. Had he drawn all that from simply watching me teach?
"I, destined to be king, have come to recruit you! If I reach the throne safely, I'll make the children under your care my subjects! How about that!?"
"....."
…It wasn't a bad offer. Someday, these kids would have to graduate and face the world without me. But in this end-of-days Greece, a world ruled by force and violence, that would be all but impossible. I intended to force them out when they became adults so they wouldn't rely on me forever, but the thought still made me uneasy.
Honestly... thinking of Jason's fate, I didn't want to commit... but as long as I stayed by their side, I could minimize the damage. Yet─
"Then what do you expect me to do when you're away? I can't protect those children alone."
"Don't worry about that. I assure you, no one else will dare touch this forest."
Jason puffed out his chest with a smug grin, and I realized what he meant. It wasn't exactly a fond memory for me, but...
"You're... oddly favored by the gods. At least here in Greece, no one would dare attack this forest and risk the gods' wrath, especially Apollo's."
"....."
I hadn't expected him to bring that up... Memories of fleeing from Apollo three years ago to protect my backside began to surface. My mask hid my nauseating face, but...
Jason might have been grinning smugly, but he was desperate to recruit me. Others may have tried to gather a crew for the [Argo] through announcements, but he'd come to find me in person.
He was determined to convince me somehow, offering a mutually beneficial deal. Starting from Master Chiron's stables and leveraging his silver tongue to rise among men... just like I'd expected. Well... it was early, but this mattered as much as any lesson.
"...Keep your promise, Jason. And once the [Argo] expedition is over, I'll retreat back into the forest."
"Hmph, the moment our deal is sealed will be the moment I become a true king, Iskios!"
With the deal struck, Jason and I shook hands, facing each other. Looking back, I wondered why I'd agreed... I should have known better, but it was water under the bridge now.