The Goddess of Love's Secret Embrace
We had killed a great many people. Unlike me, who had no personal grudge against murder, Achilles had shone particularly brightly, and the Spartoi had shown no mercy in their cruelty. Of course I had dirtied my hands too, but I felt no guilt, so I had lived through it all with a dull expression. Instead, Demeter, who had ordered the deed, was in a perpetual state of agitation.
“What happened to them…?”
“Of the ones we marked only as warnings, the ones whose bodies were damaged by wild animals or outsiders had their remains recovered and given proper burial. We placed a leaf in each of their mouths so they could board Charon’s boat, and we told Hades the names of Zagreus’s followers so he would certainly punish them for their crimes.”
“Even the funerals were arranged.”
“I didn’t do it out of affection. I learned that leaving corpses to rot invites disease, so I simply had them dealt with.”
“I am grateful for your devotion, but I worry that you went too far in your cruelty… Was it truly necessary to go that far?”
She called me to her temple when Achilles and the Spartoi were out on their forest patrols. Recently I had been showing her a gentler side because of us, but since slaughter continued in the wilds of the city she could not hide her sorrow and had already suggested I stop. I had voiced my own opinion.
“The foolish ones who trample Demeter’s mercy and ignore Dionysus’s favor are exactly that—fools. It is good that the gods are merciful, but the hearts they show now are not directed at those who worship Demeter but at those who ignore her. That part deeply concerns me.”
“Even so, one life is one life. Is it not only natural to be concerned…?”
“Demeter. As a human, I dare to scold you, and even to offer advice on the gods’ feelings is presumptuous. But I know how to calm your heart, just as I do mine. Try following me.”
“Ah, yes… I understand…”
To calm Demeter’s mood I repeated the motion of inhaling and exhaling deeply. After breathing as a woman in labor does, once she had calmed somewhat I prepared honey for her to drink and massaged her shoulders in the sunlight, hoping she would relax as much as possible.
“If the gods were just a little more fierce in temperament, there would be no heartache in such matters. Other gods would see this as perfectly normal and look upon the deaths of thieves with contempt. What do you think? Do you not feel the same way?”
“So I’ve heard from Dionysus… Are humans really regarded as fools by the gods…?”
“I did not say that. However, because Demeter possesses such a heart, we humans have been living very abundant lives. Therefore, being cruel to the thieves is gratitude to Demeter and also anger. That the gods should be lowered by the vulgar mouths of thieves is deeply infuriating. This too is a duty we humans must fulfill, so please do not hold it against me and do not worry about their deaths.”
“However…”
“If you truly cannot stand it, I will temper it as much as possible, so please do not look at me that way.”
“Really?”
“Since the first warning, repeated slaughter has spread rumors among the thieves, and their feet have stopped moving. They have not even been seen yesterday, so for now there will be no more of Demeter’s worries.”
“Oh, that is truly fortunate!”
Demeter’s face finally brightened. She was pouring her heart out to the thieves who had ignored her, and while that was frustrating, compared to the other gods she was an angel. For that reason I could not dislike her, and I began to plan how to cheer her up.
“I do not know what Mestra is thinking, but since she has not shown herself, she is probably either preparing something or has given up. I will fly to the place where Mestra is active and report back on the situation, so for now you need not worry.”
“If you say so, I feel relieved… No matter how you look at it, you are doing it well, so there is nothing to fear…”
“What a shame.”
After finishing the conversation I stood up and took Demeter’s hand, inviting her for a walk. The forest was very pleasant, with a beautiful view, but when I asked if there was anything to do, there was not really anything. After reporting on the night’s events, this was what we did—strolling around the forest.
“Thank you for today too.”
Like Greek men in general, Demeter seemed delighted to be escorted by a man for the first time. Especially since I was still a child in appearance, there was no reason for her to be sexually cautious. Moreover, she had never seen me in my adult form, so leading her by the hand felt like a child’s play, and the nymphs secretly followed us, gazing at our appearance as if it were something rare.
“Demeter, Demeter, come this way.”
“Why?”
“There is a very pleasant shoreline here.”
“It is not cold even in the sunlight.”
“Oh my, really? Then let us go that way?”
Following the nymphs who laughed and guided the way, we headed to the shoreline where women were already playing. The women floating like ripe leaves on the water took charge of Demeter’s clothes, and for some reason I was surrounded by naked nymphs who, as if it were only natural, began to strip off my clothes.
“Wouldn’t it be better for me to stand watch?”
“Why?”
“Why not…”
Demeter entered the water first and enjoyed wetting her body without any hesitation, then pulled me into it without reserve. I fell into the water from the top of my head, but I knew I would fall safely and drifted easily on the surface. She spread her long golden hair across the water, splashing joyfully and showing a figure far more beautiful than her years.
“Oh my, it’s so warm~!”
Her large, swollen breasts with wet, snow-white skin were as beautiful as polished jade. Even though she had borne several children, she laughed as if she were still a virgin, so even beautiful nymphs were outshone, and I could vaguely understand why the Greek gods—Poseidon and such—had rolled their eyes and raped her.
‘Those men would have felt their loins stir to see a woman like this crying while looking for her daughter.’
I turned my head, muttering inside that the morals of Greek men were all the same. I myself was one of those men, so if I did not scold her, my back would probably be glowing with light.
“Oh my, Perseus?”
“Why are you turning your head?”
“Embarrassed?”
The nymphs giggled and teased me, touching me as well. They stroked my young body, and while there was a sexual intent mixed in, it was only slight.
“After giving warnings to rude humans like that, you are still so bold, yet here you are, nothing but a child?”
“I heard you had Demeter as your wife. How could a small body like this…?”
“Are you not being forced to drag along that talkative fellow?”
The nymphs, being women themselves, were interested in romance stories. Especially since a child like me was with Achilles, they kept asking, curious about that part, but I waved my hands and said we were living together as a proper family.
“Really? You two seemed close, but not like a married couple.”
“Oh dear, Demeter, why are you asking that? Eh, eh, eh~?!”
“Ticklish? Fufu.”
“Oh, stop it~!”
“Even though you’re still a child, you’re talking like an adult? Come on, let’s see how long you can keep that up.”
It seemed the curiosity had finally been sparked, because Demeter joined in too, tickling me and enjoying herself. The sight of mature women grabbing a young man and stroking him all over was ridiculous to watch. I thought these women must have something up their sleeves, but since I could not get angry at Demeter, I let it happen, then ran out of the water.
“Whew~! That was too much fun~!”
“Oh, you can’t go too far?”
“Children should not do that!”
I quickly left the spot, ran naked to the nearest shoreline, and jumped into the water. The nymphs had purposely divided the shorelines; I was glad I had ended up on this one. After settling in, I let out a sigh of relief and changed my body into that of an adult.
“Ugh, that was close.”
The nymphs’ naked bodies and gestures had been a huge stimulus, especially Demeter’s, which had been particularly poisonous to the eyes. If I had been careless, I might have made a mistake. Even though she was still, her body had spots that tempted men, and no matter how strong my willpower, I was a danger waiting to happen.
After cooling myself in adult form, I returned to my child appearance, sank into the water, and sighed in relief. While I was doing that, a grape that had fallen to the bottom found its way into my mouth. I was bathed in sunlight pouring through the cracked ceiling, and I was about to catch my breath when I heard someone crossing the nearby shore.
“Perseus?”
“Demeter.”
“Oh my—?!”
She had never seen my adult form, so at first she looked startled, but upon realizing it was me she hid in the bushes. Just moments before she had shown me every bit of her golden hair, and now she was acting like a virgin—it was almost funny.
“T-that… what was that?”
“You know I carry the gods’ blessings, right? It is thanks to Hera’s blessing that I have become like this. I will revert soon, so do not worry. Please wait for me here.”
“Is it not a curse?”
“It is really just for a moment. I am still a child inside, so please do not misunderstand.”
“…………”
“Demeter?”
“…Y-yes.”
Demeter ran off clutching her mouth with both hands and jumped into the water on the nearby shore, fleeing. I wondered if she had felt unhappy about my adult form, but if she had been angry she would have shown another reaction, so I decided to feel relieved.
‘Women… what interest do they have in other people’s love…’
Demeter, fleeing to the nearby shore, asked the nymphs in a hurried voice about me. The distance was great, so I could not hear the details, but the nymphs’ kindness had grown tall grass to block the shoreline, and soon I could not hear even their voices. That my name had been mentioned meant the love story had been discussed, so it did not worry me, but for some reason a chill ran down my spine.