Prologue - The Flatterer Perseus
An eagle soared through the heavens.
Bathed fully in the sun’s light, that king of birds crossed Thessaly, climbed Mount Parnassus, paused briefly near Delphi, then set its course for the land of Argos that lay between Corinth and Sparta.
This nation of Argos, ruled by a king named Acrisius, had originally been the domain Perseus was meant to govern. Yet after the king died in an accident involving Perseus, what became of the place was never clearly known. The original Perseus, who should have been king, had accidentally slain his own grandfather Acrisius and become king of Tiryns instead, where he became the ancestor of many heroes—leaving Argos essentially abandoned.
At present a descendant named Acrisius 3 sat upon the throne of Argos. He was the elder brother of the current Danae and the maternal uncle of the next-generation hero Perseus 2, whom she had borne. His public reputation was poor, yet he was endlessly sweet to his family, making it plain whose patronage the Danae household enjoyed.
Zeus shifted from the form of an eagle into that of an old man and settled into the city.
“Perseus, is it? Come to think of it, Artemis once bestowed a childhood name upon Danae’s daughter. Lately the children of heroic bloodlines have all been quite the handful—I wonder how Perseus’s child has turned out……”
He looked every bit the frail, elderly man, tapping the ground with a worn staff as he gathered rumors before making his way to the temple of Argos.
It hasn’t been long since they reopened the temple… or so I thought…
Even if the offerings were excellent, that did not guarantee the temple itself would be in good condition. With that thought Zeus headed for the temple—only to find, to his surprise, that the temple standing in the bustling heart of Argos was open to all and meticulously kept.
Oh-ho.
Even in this era many people came to worship, and attendants bustled about busily. Two sturdy-looking soldiers of the Argos king’s personal guard stood watch at the entrance. Looking closer, he spotted priests mixed among them who seemed to belong to other temples, of various kinds as if gathered from every corner of the land.
What in the world is going on here?
Unable to contain his curiosity, Zeus approached a female attendant who was receiving guests, still in the guise of a frail old man.
“Excuse me, miss. If it is no trouble, might I ask you something?”
“Ah—! Are you here to worship?”
“No. I am a wanderer who roams these parts, and I stopped you because I was curious about all this commotion.”
The attendants hesitated over how to respond yet did not treat the old man rudely. When asked what he wished to know, Zeus asked straight away.
“This temple seems livelier than others. Just whom do you serve here that it is so bustling?”
“Ah!”
At that the attendant smiled brightly and ushered the old man inside. Zeus did not understand why she was letting him in, but he soon found out. The statues carved along the inner corridor all depicted the full Twelve Olympians.
“As you can see, our temple was newly founded under the banner of reviving the waning faith of late, and we serve the Twelve Olympians of Olympus themselves. The eldest son of this house, Perseus 2, has gathered priests from various cities who had lost their places as temples closed, creating new jobs for them. He also informed nearby cities of his intent to build a grand temple here so that those who still held even a little faith could gather in one place and share their hearts—and that is how we achieved this prosperity.”
“Oh-ho. It does not look as though it has been around long, yet it has thrived this well.”
“King Acrisius helped as well, and there were many who missed the temples of their own cities, so it was not difficult, they say.”
“‘They say’—so it was that young man Perseus who did it, then?”
“…Young man?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No. Hearing you put it that way, it occurs to me that Perseus 2 is rather mature beyond his years.”
“?”
Unable to grasp the attendant’s words, Zeus tilted his head slightly. The atmosphere felt somehow off, yet before he could ask further the central hall of the temple, crowded with many worshippers, came into view.
I see, so this is what the inside is like. I was wondering why it felt quiet despite all the people.
In the center of the hall stood a statue of Zeus, with the Twelve Gods arranged on either side. Before the statues sat a large altar, and multicolored cloths were laid out so that worshippers could bow their heads to the gods of their own faith. Embroidered upon the cloths were the animals symbolizing each god, clearly showing how thoroughly the Perseus who planned this place knew the gods.
“What is that place further inside?”
“The remaining worshippers are all so devout that they would settle in for long stays at the temple, which became troublesome, so we recently built simple lodgings and a dining hall. We borrowed old ones the army used to use, but even that has made them much more comfortable, they say.”
Zeus peeked inside. First he saw places for simple sleeping and tables for eating. Though called a dining hall, it was little more than a slight consideration so they could cook what they brought, yet even that seemed to put the worshippers greatly at ease.
He seems more sincere about this than I thought. Now I am curious how far he will go to meet my demands.
Zeus made an obvious show of clutching his stomach.
“I feel bad enough for taking up a busy person’s time to tour the temple, let alone asking this, but might I receive a meal? I do not ask for much—just one meal would do……”
“That is fine. It has been a common occurrence lately. Since you said you are a wanderer of these parts, if you promise to tell Lord Perseus some story or rumor, we will gladly treat you to a meal.”
“I gladly promise.”
“Then please come this way. I will guide you to Lord Perseus.”
They walked in the opposite direction from the worshippers. This was an area only for staff. A single soldier stood blocking the passage leading from the temple—apparently the living quarters of Danae’s family.
The inner building was just as Zeus expected: full of everyday life. No luxury, only the necessities. Following the attendant further in, he saw the back of a young boy cooking at the hearth.
………A child?
“Lord Perseus. A guest has arrived.”
It was rare to see a man standing in the kitchen, yet the attendant called him Perseus. Omitting the “2” was probably deliberate.
“I will receive him.”
“Yes.”
The attendant left, and Perseus turned to face the old man.
Oh-ho.
The boy wore a white chiton as a base, with a red cloth draped over his shoulder like a flowing cape, emblazoned with a large XII (the number twelve). His long black hair was swept back, and his gentle-looking eyes were like a deer’s, coexisting with wisdom and peace—yet his body was flushed and developed far beyond his age, revealing that he carried the blood of a hero thickly.
“A pleasure to meet you, elder. I am Perseus 2, representative of this temple. What brings you to such a humble place?”
He greeted the elder politely, then ladled out some seafood soup he had prepared in advance from among the many foodstuffs he had ready. Accustomed to such guests, it seemed, and Zeus returned the greeting.
“My name is Ceraunos. As a wanderer I have no place to settle, and today I happened upon this commotion by chance, so please forgive my sudden visit.”
At hearing Zeus’s alias, Perseus 2’s hands paused briefly, but he did not show surprise enough to be noticeable. He seated the old man, prepared some other simple fare, then returned to preparing the offerings while speaking leisurely.
“It is fine, elder. You need not treat a child like me so politely. Anyone who serves the Twelve Gods is welcome here, so please visit without hesitation next time as well.”
“That is… most kind of you…”
Zeus did not drop his act as he watched Perseus. The boy made no demands while Zeus ate his fill, instead focusing on cooking offerings or carving something as before. This was the moment when the identity of the one who prepared the offerings that Zeus and the other major gods had been so curious about became clear—and at the same time, a new curiosity was born.
He is too clever and well-mannered to be called a child. Lately the children of heroes I have seen have all been arrogant and insolent to a fault—how can this be?
Then, as Perseus prepared the offerings, he saw him preparing something peculiar and grew curious about it.
A large, ornate box. But is it not empty, with nothing inside?
Zeus could not abandon his curiosity. Not thinking his identity had been discovered, he slurped his soup like an old man acting the part, then suddenly asked.
“Now that the meal is finished, I would like to share a story as promised, but first I have a question.”
“Yes, elder. What is it?”
“What on earth is that box used for? Looking around, the foods nearby seem like offerings prepared for the gods, yet I simply cannot contain my curiosity as to why an empty box sits in the center of the altar piled with offerings.”
“Ah, this?”
At that, Perseus seemed to ponder whether to tell or not, and Zeus pressed him accordingly, saying he would keep it secret no matter what. Then Perseus showed a smile befitting his age and whispered into the old man’s ear.
“I have offered gifts to the Twelve Gods this time, but among them I decided to offer to Lord Zeus last of all. I had my own reasons and meant no slight or belittlement, but since it is an offering to the Supreme God, I wanted to put extra effort into it.”
That much was clear from looking.
The amount right before his eyes was several times that of the offerings sent so far.
“What connection does that box have with the offering to Lord Zeus?”
“Filling it with material things as an offering is fine, but I felt that alone might be a bit lacking for Lord Zeus. Since it is an offering to the one who watches over everything under this sky, I wanted to put my heart into it—but it is not as if my heart can be easily put in just because I want to, is it? Offerings are one thing, but the heart is something invisible.”
“Indeed…”
Even as Zeus broke out in a cold sweat inwardly at words that should not come from a child, Perseus’s speech did not end. Wondering what on earth was inside the box, the answer finally came.
“So I prepared a box. Since it is the final offering in sequence to Lord Zeus, I thought that with this, my heart would surely be contained.”
“You mean you put your heart inside this box?”
“No.”
Perseus looked around and led the old man before the box. It was the attitude of a mischievous boy showing his secret to his father. Zeus looked into the empty box he opened and clearly saw a single word carved in handwriting.
——It was Pandora.
“!”
The name of the empty box to be sent last was Pandora’s Box!
That was why it was empty!
Zeus immediately understood what that meant, and seeing the old man’s expression, Perseus hurriedly closed the empty box with a shushing sound.
“I sincerely hoped that Lord Zeus would have hope for the future.”
And with that, smiling like a little rascal, Zeus felt his backside grow itchy. Then he could not hold back the indescribable, shameful pleasure that surged from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.
I’ve been had! I’ve been had! Hahaha! Hwahahaha!
He had been praised as king by many until now, but he knew most of it was empty words. He had even been betrayed by Apollo, Poseidon, even Hera, so ordinary praise no longer melted Zeus’s heart. Having been betrayed by those he thought closest, his wariness was high.
But now it was different!
Flattery so skilled it felt like his asshole was being scrubbed clean with a toothbrush!
A sense of pride so great his eyes nearly rolled back!
At the ticklish feeling rising from his toes, Zeus’s face turned bright red like a maiden who had seen her beloved—yet Perseus left the old man behind and returned to preparing the offerings.
“I grew so light-lipped at the thought of seeing Lord Zeus pleased that I ended up spilling the secret. I was supposed to hear tales of the world in exchange for the meal, but if you will keep my story secret, you may leave as you are.”
Then he bowed his head slightly and called the attendants to see Zeus out. The way he acted so shrewdly unlike a child yet never forgot his manners was enough to firm Zeus’s resolve.
I want to let this precious child live without want!
At first, as Hera and Athena had requested, he wanted to summon him to Olympus to serve him, but sending him to such a life would be far too pitiful. Since he also carried the blood of a hero, it would be better to bestow blessings without lack and set him free—and he was certain the other gods would not object to that.
“Those bastards—I can already see them envying me!”
Hwahahahaha—!
Zeus, saying he finally had something to brag about after so long, puffed out his cheeks and laughed hideously. He immediately took flight to spread this tale far and wide and vanished into the sky. Left behind were only Zeus’s thunderous laughter echoing in the place and the gaze of Perseus watching it from afar.