Echidna -5- The Long Task Concludes
After becoming husband and wife(?) with Echidna, I could call the task of capturing(?) her alive complete, so it was time to head back to the island of Sicily. On the return trip, there was no help from Goddess Hera, so when I nocked an arrow coated in Hydra venom on my bow and aimed it at the sun, a golden ship appeared to carry us. This should get us to Sicily in no time.
Even though things had turned out this way, my passion for Goddess Adamantia burned as strong as ever. And it wasn't just some idle thought. I'd been convinced of her beauty even before Eros's golden arrow struck me. That conviction had never wavered once. The Heracles in my head had guaranteed it on Zeus's bloodline, and sure, her striking jawline and plump lips were alluring in their own right, but what really drew me in was her dedication as a craftswoman and her intellect, tirelessly researching iron in this distant ancient era.
That she turned out to be as beautiful as—or even more than—her features promised was a delight, but even if she hadn't been, I wouldn't have let a woman like Adamantia slip away.
"I had my suspicions ever since you nodded along to that snake-head's task, but hmm. As expected, honey, your taste in women is unique."
"Is it?"
"Yeah, actually, it's not just unique—I've never heard of a guy who likes smart women who throw themselves into their work. Usually it's the opposite: a woman who's good at housework and homely, or one who's submissive to her man. Or maybe one with a tough, sturdy build."
"Well, that's a bit much. I think there's charm in everything, but I still prefer a woman like Lady Adamantia."
"You know that's not something to say in front of a kidnapped wife, right?"
"Sorry, but you already know everything."
"Hee hee hee hee, yeah, I do!"
Echidna burst into giggles at my words, clapping along enthusiastically for reasons known only to her. I'd heard she already knew—or rather, believed—that Lady Adamantia was beautiful. When I asked how she knew what lay beneath the mask was lovely, her answer was a masterpiece.
"She's our mom's daughter, isn't she? Gaia's kids are all handsome and beautiful. Sure, there's cases like the Cyclopes."
"Doesn't the Cyclopes example kinda disprove that?"
"Nonsense. Monsters like Cyclopes or Hecatoncheires? That's because Uranus's seed was bad—they were his kids, so they're ugly. Uranus's limit was just the Titanides."
"Really?"
"Of course! Absolutely!"
She seemed utterly convinced of her theory that Gaia's self-born children are all hunks and beauties. It was an odd way to draw the line between handsome and beautiful, but having met the golden-haired, beautiful primordial goddess who was the Mother Earth herself, I had no real reason to argue. Goddess Gaia truly was stunning.
As I pondered that, Echidna twinkled her beautiful emerald eyes and struck up a conversation.
"By the way, Heracles."
"Yeah?"
"Have you met Mom?"
"Yeah, I told you—she's the one who gave me the task to go to Sicily. I met her once then."
"She gave you the task herself?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it, she did it personally. Is that unusual?"
I'd already thought it was rare, and Echidna's reaction confirmed it wasn't an everyday occurrence. The whole way to Sicily, she chattered nonstop about Goddess Gaia. Tales of the distant Mother Earth—who was now my mother-in-law—turned the long journey into something lively and engaging. It was probably thanks to Echidna's vivid expressions and tones, too. At this rate, I couldn't even feel bad about the "kidnapping."
"Of course it's a big deal. Mom hardly ever leaves her sanctuary. She holes up in her palace at the world's edge, only seeing Thalassa now and then."
"Thalassa?"
"The sea goddess Mom birthed. The entire ocean is Thalassa's body. She's a total chatterbox, wandering the seas and bringing stories back to Mom."
"I see. Goddess Gaia said she came out because I killed Ladon and burned the Atlas Mountains. She must've been pretty angry."
She'd said as much herself, but Echidna saw it differently. The Mother Earth goddess wouldn't fly into a rage over something like that, she claimed. A goddess who'd endured monsters plunging into Tartarus no matter how chaotic the world got? It was weirder that she'd emerge over mere pain like that.
"Nah, that's probably not it. Like I said, Mom doesn't come out for stuff like that. If she handed out punishments and trials to heroes every time she got mad, there wouldn't be a single demigod or hero left in Achaia by now."
"That serious?"
"Yeah, that serious. Zeus fears Mom specifically for her prophetic powers, but it's not just that—her innate authority is overwhelmingly potent. As the Mother who is the Earth itself, her body is this world. Demigod heroes are all Zeus's kids, trampling the land. To her—the world itself—whether demigods are running around or mountains are burning doesn't make much difference. Must be something else on her mind."
"Something else? Not sure I follow."
"Eh, it's obvious. She's worried about big sis Adamantia."
According to Echidna, Goddess Adamantia was Gaia's eldest daughter, one of the oldest goddesses around, but she'd never married, borne children, or even dated. She'd tormented both Goddess Gaia and Goddess Hera to no end. Why? Well...
"Hera's the goddess of marriage and hearth, and Mom's the earth goddess, symbol of fertility. Can you imagine how they felt with a daughter from that Mom going millennia without a single romance, just hammering iron? If a guy like you came along, I'd have shoved her toward him myself."
"But I'm not that weird."
"You are weird. You won't eat what's handed to you, you fall for a sister whose face you haven't even seen, and you come to me trusting that snake-head's word, then reject the kidnapping."
"......"
"Don't take it too hard—part of it's a compliment. No one would turn down a guy like you."
Would they, really? Hearing I was "weird" made me realize, by this world's standards, I was pretty damn crazy. Echidna grinned and patted my back encouragingly.
"It's just that real men who respect women—goddesses especially—are rare in Achaia. Big sis just needed that respect to open up. Talking with you taught me a lot, too."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Before, I couldn't understand her at all. Why hole up pounding that damn iron? Even if Zeus stole from her, come on."
"But now you get it?"
"Nah, it's still weird. She's moving at a snail's pace. Seriously, with that much energy, if a guy she wants is right there, she should pounce."
"......"
I'd thought I was getting used to this world's norms through chats with Echidna, but it wasn't just the men who were aggressive. Women were too.
"Anyway, puff out your chest and tell her confidently. I bet Mom planned to pair you with sis from the start. Say the words, and she'll melt like I did. I guarantee it. Kidnapping me? That's no small feat."
"You think words alone will do it?"
"Words alone hooked me and got me here. Sis will be easier. Just supporting her work without calling it weird? She's already disarmed. That's my take."
"Maybe."
Echidna said Lady Adamantia had endured loneliness for ages and was the type who suffered from it deeply. I couldn't confirm it myself, but her sister knew her far longer than my year and a half as her attendant—and even then, our real conversations had been few and far between. I had no choice but to trust Echidna's sweet pitch: act boldly as I saw fit, and the goddess would open her heart.
With her cheering me on like this, it looked like I'd have to walk the path of every man's dream after all. And with this, my long, grueling tasks would finally draw to a close.
......But if I marry Lady Adamantia, that does end the tasks, right? It has to.