Gaia's Feverish Outburst
"Yeah, I'm smitten! What're you gonna do about it? You'll be sharing a husband with your own mom—bet that feels real good now, huh!"
Gaia let it all out in a cathartic shout. She was so far gone that she didn't care who heard her anymore. It was as if she genuinely yearned for Heracles to join her in this madness.
Unaware of her turmoil—or perhaps simply ignoring it—Gaia's ordeal was far from over.
"What's got you yelling like that?"
"Ah... Adamantia..."
"Sharing your husband with who? Mom, did I hear that right?"
"......"
Of all people, Adamantia had overheard Gaia's bellow and barged into the room. Gaia had braced herself for anyone else, but her eldest daughter—who'd only just found a man—was the exception. This big girl had always been Gaia's sore spot, the one she wouldn't trade for the world.
Falling for her daughter's lover filled Gaia with guilt that clouded her mind, yet the relentless curse of that damned Golden Arrow boiled within her all the same. She was at her wits' end.
"Mom, why're you quiet? Is what I heard true? You love Heracles too?"
"......"
"Guess so. Think about it—that vow earlier was off somehow."
"It was. Way too long for a pledge to a lesser god. Mom, answer me. I'm okay with it."
How could she be okay? Gaia's head felt like it was splitting open. But her bear of a daughter pressed on relentlessly, oblivious to her mother's anguish.
Gaia was suffering.
"Mom, I'm really fine. So just say it. What I heard—is it true?"
"I'm sorry, Adamantia."
"Sorry for what? I brought it up first... Figures it's Eros. He pulled one over on me, so now he's bold as brass. Obvious."
"...Sis, should we give Eros a beating?"
"Why bother? If he shoots Heracles with a love arrow, we lose out."
Adamantia hadn't even consummated her marriage yet, and Echidna was already head over heels for Heracles after being "kidnapped," yet the sisters remained thick as thieves. Gaia couldn't quite wrap her head around it. Wasn't Adamantia uncomfortable?
"Adamantia, are you really okay?"
"Sure, it bugs me a bit, but what can you do about the tasks Typhon and I got stuck with? I still can't believe I'm beautiful. That's why I used Echidna to tie down our Heracles. At least she's definitely his type."
"You're really okay?"
"Yeah. At least Heracles isn't like his old man. Don't worry too much, Mom. I started this talk."
Oh, how sweetly tempting her eldest daughter's words were. Gaia's fevered mind, still ravaged by the golden arrow, had no room left for wisdom. Those whispers felt like nectar; she wanted to cling to them like a spoiled child.
"You're really okay?"
"No need to keep asking. You're more than welcome, Mom."
"......"
"This should keep Heracles from straying, even as Zeus's son."
So the big girl wasn't blindly lovestruck without a thought. She harbored a sliver of fear that Heracles, inheriting his father's thick blood, might chase nymphs and mortals indiscriminately. Gaia was touched that Adamantia hadn't lost the wisdom she'd inherited from her.
Of course, the didn't last.
"Heracles, well... he called me beautiful again."
"Aw, Sis, blushing over that? You've hidden your face for thousands of years for no reason. If you'd shown it off sooner, we'd both be better off."
"But the forge requires a mask."
"Take it off when you're resting, duh."
"Ah."
Adamantia let out a dumbstruck sound, as if the idea had never crossed her mind. This stubborn bear of a daughter hadn't even considered something so simple. Gaia started worrying if they could make this work long-term. For three women to share one man, the no-home(?) wife needed to hold the center—but best not to count on the man being truly polyamorous.
Yet her daughters seemed blissfully unconcerned.
"Handsome guys are the best, right Sis?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah. Love 'em."
"They say Heracles is Achaea's top hunk, and it's spot on. That face could last me a hundred years just staring. Kids galore too, probably."
"K-Kids... Sounds nice..."
They were having this idiotic chat. At a time when they hadn't even settled wife order and hierarchy!
Of course, Gaia agreed Heracles was strikingly handsome, tall, and manly—and given Echidna's infatuation, his prowess down there promised much. But still! More important matters loomed.
"Hold on, girls. We're overlooking something crucial right now."
"Huh? What, Mom?"
"Yeah, no clue what you're on about, Mom."
"I've never served one husband with multiple women myself. But mark this: fail to set the order right, and it all crumbles!"
『『?!』』
Gaia's roar-like words hit Echidna and Adamantia like a hammer to the skull, their faces paling in shock. Ah, these poor girls hadn't even considered such a vital point. How fortunate that Gaia still had her wits. She tsked at her clueless daughters.
Drowning her children in misfortune was no mother's duty. Though late, Gaia steeled herself for a fresh start.
"O-Order... you mean that kind, right?"
"Eh? R-Really? Guess I'm last then..."
"Don't sweat it, Sis. Last can be fun too."
"Girls, that order matters, sure—but that's not what I mean."
『『???』』
Echidna, as expected. She'd dragged the serious talk straight to bedroom secrets. The clueless eldest couldn't withstand her worldly sister's knowledge and got swept along. But who was Gaia? The great Earth Goddess could snap her poor sisters back to reality.
"That order's vital too, but not what I'm getting at. We need to set our order among ourselves."
"Our order."
Adamantia parroted like a mynah bird, dazed. Gaia sighed and continued.
"Yes, our order—not just bedroom turns, but our hierarchy."
"Just go by divine rank. Mom, Sis, me."
"No, absolutely not. I started this to pair Adamantia in the first place. And Heracles doesn't even know I love him yet."
"Just tell him! No dragging feet—go full throttle!"
"Echidna!"
Gaia felt a twinge of betrayal at the serpent goddess's impatience. Known for enduring agony, how could she lack such restraint? Gods needed schemes and patience to thrive, yet Echidna was fed up.
"Why not! Love's no place for turns or order—just make the first move!"
"But women who move too fast look cheap, don't they?"
"What kinda nonsense is that, Mom? Moving first shows strength!"
"Um, Mom? Echidna?"
『『????』』
Adamantia, who'd been blankly watching their heated debate, cut in and derailed it. What could their romance-blind big sis possibly wonder? What gap did their bearish sister have? Hearts pounding a bit, the two paused and focused on Adamantia's blue eyes.
But her question was an unexpected bombshell.
"Heracles doesn't know you like him yet, Mom, and I haven't properly proposed marriage either. So instead of ordering ourselves, shouldn't we ask Heracles first? He's the groom-to-be—doesn't he have priority?"
『『Ah, right.』』
How foolishly oblivious—even two wise Earth Mother Goddesses had overlooked the main party's side. Brushing aside the embarrassment, the three headed out—on quick feet (and serpentine coils)—to fetch Typhon, the oblivious star of this long farce, from his room.