After the Argo docked in Calydon, the Heroes on board quickly disembarked and all ran off to participate in the Calydonian Boar hunt.
Ares, having nothing to do and no longer bothered to be the Argo's guardian deity, used his divine power to conceal himself and then followed the Heroes ashore.
Led by Jason, the Argo Heroes, having introduced themselves, were quickly accepted by Prince Meleager of Calydon. However, the local participants in the hunt had reservations about Atalanta's involvement. Due to the prevailing chauvinism in the Greek World and their unfamiliarity with Atalanta's combat prowess, the local hunters and Warriors of Calydon opposed her participation.
Nevertheless, Prince Meleager of Calydon single-handedly suppressed these complaints and objections. He persuaded the Warriors and hunters present, allowing Atalanta to smoothly join the hunt.
"Sister Atalanta."
After observing Meleager's actions throughout, Medea earnestly said to Atalanta:
"I think this Meleager seems to like you. I noticed he was always secretly watching you on the ship earlier."
"None of my business."
Even with her comrades-in-arms from the Argo who had shared hardships, Atalanta remained cold towards these men; her eyes were solely on that boar.
Thinking of tomorrow's hunt, this female hunter from Arcadia trembled with excitement. She replied:
"I must hunt down that boar and win glory for Artemis."
"Ah, but wasn't this boar released by Artemis in the first place?" Medea retorted.
"Prey is released to be hunted; that is the Goddess's rule," Atalanta said without hesitation.
Although all were interested, not all Argo Heroes participated in this hunt. For example, messengers like Ekhion and doctors like Asclepius did not join the hunting party.
They stayed behind to replenish the ship's fresh water, food, and various supplies. The Dioscuri also stayed with a group of Warriors; they had little interest in the hunt itself, so they remained to guard the ship.
As the representative of the Argo, Jason still had to participate. He was self-aware and therefore discussed with Atalanta in advance that everyone on the Argo should act together during the hunt.
It is worth mentioning that, besides these individuals, Orpheus was also tricked into joining by Ares. Ares personally made him a "hunting flute" resembling a two-handed hammer and taught him how to use it, instructing him to play melodies nearby while Atalanta and others hunted, to cheer them on and boost morale. Moreover, this hunting flute was enchanted by Medea; it was incredibly heavy when touched by others but light as a feather in Orpheus's hands. If any danger arose, Orpheus could also use this hunting flute as a hammer for self-defense.
The next morning, the Argo Heroes wishing to participate in the hunt, led by Prince Meleager, met with the local Calydon hunter Warriors outside an ancient forest.
For the hunt, Atalanta had also specially dressed up today. She had tied her long green hair into a bun, carried her ivory quiver on her shoulder, held the Bow of the Heavens bestowed by Artemis in her hand, and had a rosy and healthy complexion.
Dressed in this manner, Atalanta exuded a kind of athletic vitality, appearing as a beauty in the eyes of men and as a handsome man in the eyes of women. Even Polydeuces blushed slightly upon seeing her, and Medea unreservedly praised Atalanta as very handsome. Prince Meleager of Calydon was even more flustered; upon seeing the valiant Atalanta, the Prince froze on his horse, and it took a long time for those around him to call out to Meleager before he regained his composure.
"Cough, cough."
Noticing that Atalanta was also looking at him with an unfriendly gaze, Meleager involuntarily shifted his gaze, then awkwardly coughed twice before saying:
"There's not much more to say. Everyone here is an experienced elder. That boar is in this forest. We'll all go in together later. Whoever inflicts more damage on that boar will get more when distributing the spoils. Does everyone agree?"
No one among the Heroes present objected to this simplest and fairest distribution method. So, a group of people, armed with spears and bows, leading their hounds, entered the ancient forest that wound up the hillside.
During the action, the Heroes from the Argo naturally gathered together. Since most of them had little hunting experience, the leader of the team naturally became Atalanta. This female hunter was not to be outdone, skillfully leading the Heroes through the reeds and willows covering the mountains, tracking the boar's whereabouts.
Ares also followed. Seeing that the nearby hunters gradually dispersed and could no longer see each other, he simply revealed his true form and followed beside Atalanta, watching the female hunter's movements with interest.
The female hunter noticed the God's actions. She stopped and then tilted her head to ask:
"Is Ares also interested in hunting?"
"It's alright. I've hunted a few times with Artemis and Apollo before."
Ares casually uttered a sentence that made Atalanta very envious:
"But my tracking skills are almost zero, so usually Artemis is responsible for finding, and I'm only responsible for shooting."
Greek Gods and men generally value their pride, but Ares had no such flaw. Seeing him admit it so candidly, Atalanta didn't know what to say and could only interject:
"It seems Ares must shoot very accurately."
"Not bad, but not as good as Artemis and her brother," Ares turned and smiled. "Actually, my favorite hobby is making useful weapons and tools. For example, the bow in your hand was actually made by me."
Atalanta glanced at the Bow of the Heavens in her hand, but she didn't seem to believe Ares's words. After all, the War God's big mouth and love for bragging were well-known throughout the Greek World.
"Don't disbelieve me. I lost this bow to Artemis in a bet when Athens was first built. She didn't use it herself, so she simply gave it to you."
Ares pointed to the longbow on Atalanta's back and said to her:
"On the grip of your longbow, there should be a symbol representing War. That symbol has no function; I put it there for decoration."
Atalanta took off her longbow to look and found a small golden symbol on the grip. She exclaimed, "It's actually true?"
"Of course, it's true. I never lie." Ares said this without any hint of guilt. He looked at Atalanta and said to her, "This can be considered a wonderful fate, and you also seem to be a chaste maiden. In a sense, if you seek refuge with me, I can also give you refuge... How about this, Atalanta, after this hunt ends, if you return to your hometown and encounter any difficulties, you can come to me. At that time, if Artemis cannot help you, I will cover for her."