Crimes of transmigration

It's been a few day.

Lost in this sea full of threats, I've been doing nothing but breathing in mana, reading the "book" of basic nature magic, which wasn't a book at all, but a simple long scroll, and doing some exercises I remembered from my past with a body that could finally withstand it.

I was so excited about being able to get back to my form and all the new discoveries of this world I didn't even notice that Odysseus had not made any kind of advance nor tried to speak to me at all.

I mean, sure, we are lost. Our provisions are almost depleted, the guys are stressed out and all, but honestly… what did he expect of a quest from the Big Boss of the sea, in the middle of the sea?

"I swear this man really has selective intelligence, that or he's fully brain dead."

"And who might you be talking about now?"

"Who else but that crafty basta… Ah. Hello there Captain!"

"Yes hello friend, so who were you taking about? Surely not me."

He's fully brain dead.

"Of course not, I was taking about myself. I'm still not sure about these casting circles I've been reading about!"

"You can read?"

Did he just… oh, hell no.

Forcing myself to speak in English I fully cursed his whole existence.

"What was that?"

"Oh, you don't understand?"

Sweet, sweet revenge.

Trying to get away from this man I was once again stopped but hands clutching my shoulders.

What's up with my back? Can't people just talk?

"What now Cap, you gonna offend me some more thinking I'm an illiterate?"

"Of course not, I just didn't know you could read… it's not very common, unless you're from Athens of course. Anyway it doesn't metter. I can help you with those circles!"

Exposing his marble build and pointing at 9 concentric circles on his left pectoral he proceeded to boast:

"I am a 9th circle magician after all!"

Cringing visibly I could not even process the fact that this guy was a 9th circle magician. Weren't magicians supposed to be some kinds of sage, pure souls only dedicated to the research of magic?

"Do you have a nature circle? I don't see any green in there."

I still decided to be open minded and at least try to listen, I wasn't heartless after all.

"Well… no, but I do have wind and water circles, they are in the realm of nature aren't they?"

This crafty…

"You are cursing me again. What have I done wrong to you? You've been acting weird since I brought you in the barrack back in Troy"

I was a little stunned, for the fact that he was the one who got me inside the barrack, which means he was also the one who got to see me crying and use as a pillow.

I honestly didn't know what to do, clearly I couldn't tell him that his lover was well over the Styx and I got possession of this body…

I might as well dig my own grave. Or should I abuse the cliches of my world with memory loss? But then again… Mnemosine exists here… I honestly couldn't be bothered, ask miss universal memory if you please.

I didn't know why but I felt like it was impossible for the gods to reveal shit about me.

Yes, I felt like a complete maniac who believes he will never be cought.

"I honestly don't remember Odysseus. Anything but general stuff."

And I saw an idol crumble.

Odysseus, was an idol to many.

A resourceful man, genius of his craft, beautiful and most of all deeply human.

And I saw such a man crumble.

"I'm sorry, I didn't wanna bring it up because it was clear you had a thing for me. I thought just pushing you away might have done the trick."

He's crying.

I decided, against all logic, to approach him, bring him into the cabin so that the already stressed crew couldn't sea their Captain despair and brought him to my chest. I let him win for once and let him bowl his heart out, I had already done something similar with him anyway, nothing wrong in reciprocating a favour.

After what seemed hours of depression and me completely ignoring the man on top of me while doing my breathing exercises -I couldn't just not do anything, and I wanted to get my mana to 5 asap- Odysseus finally got up from my now drenched clothes.

"You smell like grass, are you still doing breathing exercises?"

"Well I couldn't exactly do nothing and I figured I was the worst possible person to talk to at the moment… so I gave you space while taking my own, was I mistaken?"

"No, just… how are you so calm about this? All we had is gone!"

"I do understand your point of view, that's why I was trying to slowly get out of this situation, but a stubborn Captain didn't want lies."

Also, it was never really meant for me, I thought you were a merried man and cheating is absolutely despicable.

"And I'm glad I didn't, my patron wouldn't tell me anything about you no matter the sacrifice I proposed, at least now I know something!"

Now that is interesting, never thought my instincts could be right about anything at all

"Anyway, how can you be so calm about your situation? All you do is training even if you now use mana instead of aura! Are you trying to fool everyone? I already told them to not disturb you while doing your mana training."

"Oh that's why everyone evades me like the plague!"

"The what now?!"

"Don't mind it, just a figure of speech. As for my training, I train because I have a body that can handle it, nothing else really. That also helps me with calming my nerves, we are stranded after all"

"I guess the body remembers after all, you do the exact same training even if your memory is gone. Although you seem a lot weaker, being stripped of your aura seems to have done some harm to you after all"

To say I was paralysed would be an understatement.

The training I was doing, was my family, the Damocles family training. How could this body know of this training?

"Do you wanna show me those circles so I can try and help, I'd like to distract myself as well."

Bringing me back to reality, Odysseus was waiting for an answer, so I just gave him the scroll the Queen of magic blessed me with and let him do his thing.

"Oh these are useful and easy spells! Thorny path and minor blessing of growth! What's wrong with the circles? Do you need me to explain the runes in the casting circle?"

"No I understand runic perfectly, I just don't understand why they are here… it's not our language after all"

"I will glide over the fact that you understand runic perfectly, listening to you speaking that weird language while sleeping is a big headache on its own, but why shouldn't they be here? Runes are a gift from the Queen of magic herself"

"Why should the Queen gift something that… wait a second… she gifted the runes to humanity?"

"Yes of course, how would we be able to wield magic otherwise?"

"They really are omniscient, those constellations hahaha"

Atemporal bastards, they just give other gods' domain like it's bread. What's their motive?

"Is that really something to doubt? Come on Dim, since you know runic you shouldn't have issues with these basic spells, unless you know nothing about plants."

"I'm good, and don't call me Dim, it seem like you're cursing me, either use the full name or don't bother."

Odysseus just smirked, gave my scroll back and left me to go do whatever he needed to do after abusing my poor clothes.

One look at the circles, fully understanding why runes were present, was enough for me to fully understand the spell.

That crafty bastard really did help after all, I won't forget.

[Basic 1st circle spell - Thorny path added to your grimoire]

[Thorny path: basic spell of the nature path of magic, creates a path of thorns in a targeted area within 20m from the caster; the caster botanical knowledge can influence the type of thorns created.

Restriction: at least 1 circle of nature

Condition: the more mana is used the greater the area covered by the spell.]

[Basic 1st circle spell - minor blessing of growth added to your grimoire]

[Minor blessing of growth: basic spell of the nature path of magic, nurtures soil and seed in a 1m area rapidly growing and maintaining basic crops and fruits for a maximum of 3 days.

Restriction: at least 1 circle of nature

Condition: seeds must be provided by the caster.]

Easy peasy, I should learn to not overthink sometimes.

Heading out of the cabin to do some training before going to sleep I caught glimpse of mr. Handsome looking at the horizon and decided to at least thank the man.

"Odysseus, thank you. It really was easy after I stopped overthinking"

"That's refreshing, not being cursed at AND hearing my name from you so gently, I'd almost believe you got your memories back."

"Don't push it man, I know how to be grateful when it's due, but nothing stops me form just ignoring anyone."

"Sure… do you think we'll find land soon? We're almost out of food and that new spell of yours could be helpful, we do have 600 mouths to feed other then ourselves"

"Actually I was wondering? Where are the other ships? How can 600 grown men fit in here?"

"You really did forget everything didn't you?"

Exhaling deeply he proceeded with a revelation so revolutionary, I almost fell for the men.

"I'm a magic craftsman, not only a 9th circle magician."

I was speechless, my mouth agape and eyes full of stars.

Magic engineering.

Endless possibilities.

"You are falling for me now? For this? Of all things?! You like craftsmen now?"

"I was too obvious wasn't I? Don't get your hopes high, I was just pleasantly surprised. Either way, we'll soon find land don't worry for the food. Mister fisherman big boss wouldn't just let us starve to death on his quest, that would be boring."

"I guess you are right, should we go to sleep? You still have no other cabin here"

The man didn't even try to rebook my clear display of disrespect for the god of Tides.

I guess he got the message that me and Dimitris are fundamentally different.

"You also didn't lose that weird habit of giving the constellations offensive nicknames"

Never mind, at this point this body might as well be my ancestor's

"Sure let's go to sleep, but keep your hands to yourself."

As soon as we lied down, Odysseus fell asleep and soon after his body clinged to mine.

I guess my word mean nothing.

"I'm sorry bestie ONLY housewife, at least this man isn't merried and I honestly can't be bothered"

I thought I heard some desperate little boy chuckling, but I feigned ignorance and soon fell asleep myself.

________________________________________

Heavy knocks woke me up and soon Odysseus followed suit, leaving our closeness aside we were startled by our comrade's voice before all else.

"LAND! CAPTAIN, DIMITRIS! THERE'S LAND ON SIGHT!!!"

"Why would he scream my name as well? Shouldn't you be the only one anyone needs to report to?"

"Let me have this, it feels good anyway no? Having power, being known."

"I couldn't care less. Forget it, let's see what hell awaits us."

Leaving the cabin and moving to the location of the sightings, what we saw was completely unexpected.

The colosseum?! What the… it's too early for that, surely I'm wrong.

But Odysseus remarks left me even more terrorised then I could think.

Pointing at the clouds above the island in front of us, which were strangely swirling on their own, Odysseus simply spat out:

"It seems a fragment of the king of Titans is here. Get everyone together, we need to be ready for everything."

Is this bastard talking about Chronos?

Giving me a sword Odysseus once again grasped me into his embrace.

"I know you don't remember anything, but please don't die. I need you."

"What are you even talking about?! Aren't we all together?"

"Shit you don't remember. Ask your system, as soon as we enter the area of effect, the king of titans' curse will take effect, we'll have individual missions to clear, stay alive, I'll solve everything!"

As soon as those words were said I felt a pulling force and soon found myself in an empty room.

[Welcome to the Arena]

[Curse of Chronos will now take effect]

[your body will transform in the figure of you peak of happiness]

Fuck.