Hestia's Hymn (ὕμνος) (4)
In a dark corner of the underworld, one being watched with distaste as Perseus met Hestia. It was the root of everything in this world, and the one who could look down upon all things.
The sky was green and vast, and the sea glittered clean and beautiful at dawn, yet it frowned at the world while staring up at the sun. The way it breathed out rough words in a tone that found no pleasure in anything—it was deeply unpleasant and repulsive.
Every time it vomited, the world changed.
Monsters called “external” appeared, people died, blood soaked the ground, the deeds of evil spirits… Yet it stirred earthquakes without hiding its disgust, and even as it heard the screams of mortals, it ground its teeth. When it ground its teeth, parts of the mountains crumbled and landslides occurred, but it showed no concern for any of it.
The root of all things watches the world with growing disgust.
『I don’t like it… I don’t like it… I don’t like it… Nothing in this world pleases me…』
A pair of enormous, grotesque, grotesque eyes suddenly appeared above the mountain. Since there was no one passing by to witness it, the sight was shocking enough that anyone who saw it would have thought it a hallucination, or else vomited on the spot.
『…………………』
The colossal, repulsive eyes of the mountain gazed toward Argos. Focusing by lowering its eyebrows, its entire field of vision filled with the place, and the eyeballs reddened even more fiercely. The eyes seemed on the verge of bursting and spilling blood tears at any moment, yet a shadow watching this sight let out a small laugh.
『Does he dislike you?』
The voice was as clear and refreshing as a virgin goddess’s, but it was not a voice one could simply accept with delight. The nape of one’s neck would grow cold just hearing it. Nymphs living on the mountain all held their breath, and despite that, some people were overcome with fear, wet themselves, and fainted. Yet the mountain’s eyes stirred an earthquake with no great concern.
『Of course, of course! That irritating Perseus! He thinks he’s doing good, but it’s not all good deeds! Especially worship of all twelve gods! How ridiculous and unpleasant!』
So disgusted was the being that the earthquakes continued without stopping, shaking the ground for a long time. Eventually, as it neared cessation, thick clouds gathered in the sky and a curtain of night spread out. At that moment, the black shadow talking to the mountain grew larger in size and volume so it could survey the entire world from a greater distance, and it opened one enormous eye while tilting its orb mockingly.
『Isn’t that nice?』
『What’s nice?』
『Even if you’re angry, Perseus doesn’t know. He’s just struggling to do what he wants and live. Seeing him like that, you’re angry? A mere hero who can’t be touched with a single hair of your wrath. ──Isn’t that nice? How hilarious.』
『You’re mocking me!』
『Mocking and what-have-you, reality is reality.』
Even the shadow’s eyes saw Perseus. To serve the Hestia who had descended to the lower world, he had simply taught basic etiquette to children and summoned servants to prepare a meal. The scene was bustling. The dark one found satisfaction in the rare sight of a hero in this era, but it was still disgusted and continued to complain.
『The hero who works hardest to win favor with the gods—only to be hated by you. This is the true tragedy of myth. …Huhu. Even back then? Despite how earnestly heroes lived, one divine anger from the gods and they were finished. Especially heroes loved by many, they died without even knowing who hated them.』
Laughing mockingly as if this moment was similar to the past.
『There is no anger without cause!』
『For humans, that’s “no cause.” If Zeus hadn’t been watching, you would have killed Perseus, and he would have wandered the underworld without knowing why he died.』
『That guy praises the twelve gods too much! It’s so unfair!』
『Stupid talk. You, the great name of terror in this age, demand faith from them—how absurd and stupid. The twelve gods now have withdrawn from involvement on the surface and do no harm to humans, so they are worthy of worship. But you? Quite the opposite, right? Thinking about how many people are dying at your hands even now…』
『It’s not necessary for humans to be the world’s greatest predator! Isn’t that just how the laws of nature are?』
『Humans are creatures who climb the laws of nature backward. That’s why even after he died, you would never be worshipped.』
『How like indifference! Back then too! If you had only helped me, I could have dragged that foolish Zeus from his seat and ended everything!』
『How stupid. Imagining you ruling the world after dragging Zeus out—that’s ridiculous. Surely many would die at your descendant’s hands, screaming in agony and weeping.』
『Are humans that good?!』
『Quite.』
『Traitor…』
『Traitor? I’ve never joined hands with anyone from the start.』
The shadow, laughing mockingly, finally covered the entire mountain. Stroking the earth like it was caressing the whole surface of the land, the mountain frowned in displeasure and sharpened every stone into sharp edges, flinging them away.
『You nasty woman! You’re too nasty! When I rule this world, I’ll get rid of you more than anyone!』
『Is that possible?』
『Don’t think your place is forever fixed!』
『Indeed, seeing your face gives me chills.』
『Curse it! You’ll keep mocking me to the end!』
Ha ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha…
The mountain’s cold laughter grew hotter, but eventually it closed its eyes and sighed out again with relief. The anger at its peak, yet as it calmed, the heat subsided. Then the sharply standing stones of the world returned to their original form, and the shadow dropped from the earth, opening the horizon.
『Now, what do you plan to do? Are you going to keep doing things the same old way?』
『Of course. In myth, tragedy suits the law. I’ve been bound and unable to move, but my children are safe, so I’ll have them cut off Perseus’s head and I’ll personally take it in my arms.』
『Scary… Scary… So scary…』
Ha ha, ha ha, again mocking, yet the mountain didn’t stir and turned its gaze away. On a distant island where snakes lived far from Argos, a woman suddenly appeared from the ground, and all the snakes on the island rushed toward her head like forming roots. What’s more, arms and legs grew scales like snake skin—clearly Medusa.
Slay Perseus 2
📍 Location: Snake Island
🎁 Reward: Head of Perseus 2
『Now, my children. To create you, I offered every snake on the island as a sacrifice, so you are the monster called Medusa in myth. I will also give you a name like humans, so from today you shall be called Andromeda.』
“Yes~! Mother! From today I am Andromeda~! Ha ha ha…”
『Of course Andromeda. How cruel.』
The reason Medusa, who had been created to kill Perseus, was named Andromeda was clear. In myth, the woman who was Perseus’s wife was named Andromeda, so it was obviously pursuing its own tragedy.
『Andromeda. Listen carefully to my words. In a place not far from the island you were born on, there is the Greek mainland. Go there, head toward Argos, and find and kill Perseus. Also, the guy has many blessings from the gods and possesses various powers, so if you can’t do it with your strength, turn his family into stones and pursue a new tragedy. Make him suffer so much that his screams reach here, kill his loved ones right in front of him, and make him realize how pitiful a god he has been serving.』
“That sounds fun~! Ah, I will obey Mother’s orders~!”
『How kind!』
The newly born Medusa, naked, wandered happily around the island, confirmed her powers, and then borrowed a small boat and left the island. In this process, several fishermen turned to stone and died, but the mountain smiled as if it didn’t matter at all, while the shadow could not hide its displeasure.
『Even after doing such things, you want to be worshipped. What a funny god you are.』
『No matter how you evaluate me, it doesn’t matter at all. But if you interfere, even you will not stay quiet!』
『You speak as if chasing me to Tartarus.』
『I won’t have it difficult at all! There is like my womb! You wouldn’t know what kind of being I am, right? Could a mere hiding creature like you ignore me?!』
『That’s… scary and funny…』
The shadow closed its enormous eyes and secretly withdrew its form. It was as if the mountain’s warning had come true, yet it also showed a dismissive attitude toward the opponent. On the other hand, the mountain sharpened its gaze at the shadow’s form until the end, but eventually, as dawn broke and vanished without leaving a single speck, it turned its gaze again.
Where the mountain’s eyes were directed was another mountain. A very large, hot volcano was called Mount Etna, and it still did not hide its anger, erupting flames, and every time it did so, lightning fell from the sky as if angry, and commotion arose.
『One day I will save you from there.』
The nameless one waited for the giant sleeping beneath Mount Etna.
The monster that once pulled out Zeus’s tendons and drove him to the brink of death.
Exactly, Typhon.