Linked Quest

Hephaestus had long since stopped swinging his hammer. His gaze was fixed straight on me.

From this morning until now — Hecate, Athena, and Aphrodite. I had just come from screwing three goddesses.

And yet, knowing full well what I'd been up to, he acted as if it were nothing, even urging me to tell him more.

So he doesn't care that goddesses got defiled by a human?

I'd always figured every god on Olympus looked down on humanity with that same chosen-people arrogance. Hephaestus, though, seemed different.

Was it because Zeus had discriminated against him? Or because Aphrodite, once his own wife, had treated him like dirt?

Whatever the reason, he was showing genuine interest — especially at the part where his wife Aphrodite had mixed bodies with a human.

"Well? Why aren't you talking?"

"Forgive me for asking, but…"

So I pressed him on it.

"Is it really all right for me to say this? It could… become something of a stain on Lady Aphrodite's reputation…"

"Uh—bwahahahahaha!!!"

Hephaestus burst into booming laughter. The entire temple rang with the sound of it.

"Yes, yes! That would be the proper courtesy any other Olympian would demand! How wise of you!"

What? Why was he suddenly praising me?

Seeing me scratch the back of my neck with an awkward look, Hephaestus spoke again.

"You flatter me."

"Not at all."

Thud.

Hephaestus set his hammer down beside him. He slowly rose and looked me over.

"I effectively lost my legs — and with them, a considerable portion of my divinity. I was reduced to the lowest seat, forced to serve every other god."

Hephaestus gave a bitter smile.

"But it doesn't particularly bother me. The forge suits my nature. If anything, I'm glad of it."

I wasn't so sure. The man before my eyes didn't look glad at all. That hardened gaze of his even flickered with some nameless thirst for revenge — as if he were staring down an invisible enemy.

"Do you resent it?"

At my question, Hephaestus's expression stiffened. I looked up at that massive frame towering over me and asked quietly again.

"Don't you resent Olympus — the one that made everything in this world, and made you what you are now?"

There were plenty of clues to go on.

First, this temple. The only ones who ever came looking for him were humans.

And even in myth and legend, Hephaestus's entire role had always been the same: forging arms and tools for gods and men alike.

Right. People sought him out solely for the skill in his hands — never for his character or his heart. His power. His craft. No one ever saw Hephaestus as a person.

"I will hear your words, Lord Hephaestus."

Above all, I had taken a liking to him. Not for any complicated reason. Simply because, unlike the other gods, he hadn't openly leered at me and announced he wanted to fuck me.

People sometimes form surprisingly deep attachments over the smallest things. And in this ancient Greek world where everyone spewed crude propositions and waved their cocks around, just meeting someone with a normal mindset was an enormous relief.

Of course, if this bastard turns out no different…

Well then. I'd kill him that same day.

"…Thank you, Homeron."

Hephaestus spoke with genuine sincerity. He sat down in his chair. And then he said it.

"My true body is impotent."

Uh…

Come again?

"That's… a bit abrupt."

The man had a real talent for cracking me over the skull right out of the gate.

"It wasn't only my legs I lost. I effectively lost my sexual function as well."

Damn. Poor guy.

"That's probably why Aphrodite grew disappointed in me and started sleeping around."

Ah. Now it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made sense. That woman — even if Zeus held everyone else in contempt, the sheer scorn he reserved for Hephaestus… And the way she clung to a mere human like me and tried to seduce me, all because of one oversized cock — she really was a woman driven mad by lust.

Imagine a husband like that marrying into her household. An impotent one.

"An inevitable catastrophe, then."

"A catastrophe, you say…"

Hephaestus chuckled. He lowered his head and smiled faintly. Something about it was unsettling.

"Watching her roam outside, I realized something."

Hephaestus spoke in a low voice.

"That my lust, which I thought had vanished completely… had never actually disappeared."

Uh…

Why did this suddenly feel so ominous?

"Homeron."

Hephaestus lifted his head. I flinched. The gleam in both his eyes was unmistakable. It was lust. The face of a god consumed by sexual desire was staring straight at me.

"Tell me about the times you mixed bodies with her."

He spoke to me once more.

"That is the only way I can still satisfy my lust."

I swallowed dryly. I'd thought this one, at least, was normal.

Ah, no. If every last bastard on Olympus is abnormal…

Then wouldn't a normal person among them be the strangest one of all? Granted, he was a god, not a person. Thinking of it that way, I could finally appreciate just how wise Hestia had been to hand her seat on Olympus over to Dionysus and step down.

"Anything is fine. Screw her right in front of me, do whatever you want — I don't care. I'll forge you any sex toy you desire."

Hephaestus extended his hand and made his offer.

If his hips still worked properly, that physique of his could pin any woman to the floor, crush her, and leave her writhing and screaming. And yet that wasn't even his true body. On top of that, he was impotent. The kind of words that could make any man looking at him feel hollow.

"Show me. Tell me. Give me the greatest sex there is."

Hephaestus's deranged eyes locked onto mine. And he pleaded as if his life depended on it.

And sure enough, a message appeared.

What?

Hold on. Sex videos?

"Ah, I nearly forgot."

Hephaestus reached into his robes and pulled something out. It looked like a small crystal orb — ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠except it had several little buttons attached to it.

"Use this to record the footage and bring it to me."

"Pardon?"

I felt power surge through my entire body in an instant. A level-up from the experience points.

And given how thoroughly Hephaestus had just poured out his entire story to me, his favorability had clearly risen as well. I'd picked up his blessing too — I could check that later.

But that last one. The recording device right in front of me. That was the key that would lead into a linked quest.

"……"

I stared blankly down at the thing in Hephaestus's hand.

If I just get my hands on that…

The number of plays that sprang to mind right then was endless. Had I fallen into lust-crazed corruption just like Zeus?

Ah, no — that was Hestia's fault for being too damn hot. Not mine.

And didn't he say he'd support anything I wanted?

Being stuck in ancient Greece, I'd been quietly frustrated that I couldn't get my hands on all the modern sex toys. I'd had to settle for pure physicality and my cock alone. And I'd figured that was more than enough.

But ever since the ribbon play with Aphrodite, something had always felt about two percent short ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— and now I finally understood what it was.

Variety of play. Variety of cosplay. Variety of reactions. Every kind of tool that could draw those things out. If only I'd had those…

"I accept."

There was no reason to refuse. I took Hephaestus's hand and grinned.

"I will present you with the finest gift imaginable."

A fierce smile spread across Hephaestus's lips.

"A fine ambition."

He clapped me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the shoulder as if he were proud of me. A dry laugh slipped out of me on its own.

Since falling into this world, he was the only one who had truly acknowledged me — starting from first impressions. Among the gods, at least.

Hera had saved me at our first meeting, even if it was only to screw over Zeus. Hestia had taken me in unconditionally, like a mother — and I had defiled her. Yet she had accepted even that lust of mine. Hecate had felt a powerful curiosity toward me and taken me on like a disciple.

Those three goddesses. Without them, I never would have survived. Not in this deranged world where Zeus and the other gods were falling over themselves trying to fuck me.

And among all of them — the Hephaestus standing before me was the only male god free of that particular element.

"Lord Hephaestus."

Still, you never knew. The Status Window had gotten me out of plenty of tight spots so far, but no one could truly know what was in his heart.

"You're not planning to fuck me, are you?"

It was an impure question, but I had to ask.

"Hahaha! I have no such intention!"

Only then could I trust him completely.

My first real ally.