The Tale of Perseus - (3)
I sent Athena on her way with the Kynee and returned to my throne in the citadel. Soon enough, Perseus would slay Medusa and become a hero, just as fate had decreed.
“Thanatos, send an avatar to Medusa’s location in advance.”
“Hmm. Is it already time? Understood…”
The old god with black wings nodded and moved off. In just a little while, Medusa’s soul—having met the death ordained by fate—would arrive in the Underworld.
While I sat on my throne thinking about Medusa, the goddess Styx approached and spoke.
“Hades. Let’s watch together and see if Perseus does well.”
“I’m busy with work…”
“Don’t say that. Come watch with me. Many other gods are paying attention to him too.”
Perseus was Zeus’s son and a man marked by the fate of a hero. That was why so many gods had willingly lent him their divine weapons. Not only the Olympian gods, but even many deities residing in the Underworld were apparently watching his journey with interest.
“Then I’ll turn my gaze to the mortal world for a moment.”
Perseus stood before the cave where Medusa was said to dwell, taking deep breaths to steady himself. His fate would soon be decided. He closed his eyes and recalled the journey that had brought him here.
“Perseus. I am Athena, goddess of wisdom. This is Hermes, the messenger god.”
“The Olympian gods have come to me…!”
“The gods have gladly lent you their weapons. First, my shield, Hermes’s sandals, Ares’s sword, and Lord Hades’s helmet…”
“By the gods… thank you!”
The goddess Athena and the god Hermes had lent him the divine armaments of the gods. Among them was the Helm of Invisibility belonging to Pluto—the god he had only glimpsed once.
“The three Graeae sisters possess an eye that sees all things, so they will know Medusa’s location. Though they appear as old crones, the three of them share only one eye and one tooth between them. Use that to your advantage.”
“You mean the three of them take turns using a single eyeball and a single tooth?”
“Hehe. I wish you luck on your journey, which so many gods will be watching.”
“Looks like you have the blessing of Uncle Hades as well. Then do your best!”
And so Perseus donned the winged sandals and flew to the Graeae sisters. Just as Athena had said, the three old crones were passing around a single eyeball and a single tooth. Wearing the Kynee, Perseus approached them undetected and snatched away their eye.
“I have your eye. If you don’t tell me Medusa’s location right now, I’ll throw it far away!”
“Ah… what?! I didn’t sense any presence at all!”
“What?! Hand it over right now!”
“You bastard! Ugh… the location of the Gorgon sisters is to the west from here…”
“I see. But if all three sisters have snakes for hair, how will I recognize Medusa?”
“Medusa’s snakes are vipers, so unlike her sisters, her head will be triangular!”
The location of the three Gorgon sisters that he learned from them was an island at the western edge of the world. It looked like an ordinary small island, but the moment he stepped inside and stood before the suspicious cave, he felt a chilling aura wash over him.
Even from outside the cave, the oppressive pressure was palpable. There was no doubt the Gorgon sisters lived here. It would probably grow even stronger the closer he got to Medusa.
Wearing the Kynee, Perseus held Athena’s shield and turned his back to the cave entrance. He stared at the scene behind him through the shield’s reflective surface and slowly began to walk backward.
If I look directly at Medusa’s hair, I’ll turn to stone… I must never turn around!
The Kynee lent by the King of the Underworld, Pluto, erased all traces of its wearer—presence, sound, everything. Because of that, neither the immortal Stheno and Euryale nor the half-goddess Medusa noticed that a human had entered their cave.
Hades’s divine artifact, the Kynee, Athena’s shield, and the winged sandals were all performing their roles perfectly. The sword of Ares in his hand would surely be able to sever Medusa’s neck in a single stroke.
But the problem lay with…
She’s only sleeping, yet this pressure is overwhelming…!
It was Perseus himself.
Athena, Hermes, and Hades had shown consideration for the human who was to become a hero, but the three Gorgon sisters currently asleep were radiating their terrifying aura without restraint. Enduring that pressure head-on was a trial for a mere human challenging a great feat.
Every step he took closer to the sleeping sisters made the oppressive feeling grow heavier. He had managed to endure it all the way to the cave entrance, but the moment he began navigating past the scattered rocks and stalactites to approach the sleeping trio…
An overwhelming sense of dread that Perseus could never have imagined crashed down on him.
One step. A bead of sweat rolled down Perseus’s forehead.
Step. Step.
On the fifth step, sweat dripped from the hand gripping Athena’s shield and fell to the floor. Perseus clenched his teeth and tightened his hold on Ares’s sword. Yet his body was beginning to tremble violently from the sheer terror.
Twentieth backward step. The snakes that served as the Gorgons’ hair flicked their tongues. For a moment, it felt as though their eyes met his… but it must have been an illusion. Pluto’s divine artifact could not possibly be detected. Probably…
Drip. Drop.
The sweat covering his body fell to the ground. The Kynee could not hide even the droplets that left his skin. Only one step remained until he reached Medusa.
Perseus, now almost within arm’s reach of Medusa, struggled to steady the numbness in his legs. His body, tempered by constant sword training, was instinctively screaming at him to flee with all his might from the monstrous being before him.
The sweat droplets on the floor were revealing his position. If even one of the three sisters woke up, his location might be exposed.
Shhh. Shhh.
Perseus slowly raised his sword and aimed it at Medusa’s neck, but his arm froze solid. The hissing of the snakes that formed the monster’s hair sounded louder than ever.
Even now… it wasn’t too late. Shouldn’t he run? Even if this was Lord Ares’s sword, could he really cut off her head with his own strength?
“Advance with conviction in yourself. My blessing from Hades will be with you.”
That’s right… I, Perseus, am the one destined to become a hero! It is still too early for me to enter the embrace of Lord Pluto!
Perseus bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and swung his arm with all his might. Something hot surged from deep within his chest, pushing back against the crushing pressure that bound his body.
Slice— Schwaaaaak—
“Huh…? Kyaaaaaah! Medusa!”
“What is this?! Who dares—?!”
That, perhaps, was what they called courage.
At that very moment, the gods watching Perseus from the Underworld let out gasps of admiration.
“…It’s over.”
“The pressure must have been immense, yet he overcame it.”
“Huh. Not bad at all.”
With a sword swing fueled by gritted teeth, Perseus had severed Medusa’s neck. Ares’s blade was a famous sword forged by Hephaestus; it could easily slice through the skin of a demigod.
“Thanatos. Bring Medusa’s soul to me now.”
Now it was time to clean up the aftermath. Perseus’s fate did not end here, but watching his heroic tale was over for now. It was time to meet the victim who had suffered at the hands of Poseidon and Athena.
I waited briefly in the judgment hall with the three Minos brothers, the Underworld’s judges. Soon Thanatos arrived, escorting a woman.
The hideous monstrous form she had been cursed with by Athena had returned to her original appearance upon death. Her breathtaking beauty—the very looks that had captivated Poseidon—illuminated the dark Underworld. Yet she herself kept her head bowed, as if her radiant appearance was a curse.
Thud.
“Are you Medusa, who in life served as Athena’s priestess?”
The moment my words ended, Medusa, who had collapsed to the floor as if prostrating, suddenly lifted her head. Endless flames of hatred burned in her eyes.
“I am no longer. Please do not call me that.”
“…I have been rude. Daughter of Phorcys and Ceto.”
I had thought quite deeply about Medusa. The death of the monster was a fixed part of the hero’s birth, but the circumstances that had created that monster in the first place were…
“In life, you suffered an unforgivable act at Poseidon’s hands and became entangled in Athena’s wrath.”
“Kkrrrk…”
At the mention of the two gods’ names, her teeth ground together and a faint, boiling voice leaked out, heavy with hatred.
“Is the Lord of the Underworld mocking me?”
“No. I wish to apologize to you.”
Confusion flickered across Medusa’s eyes, which had been visibly struggling to suppress her rage.
“If a mortal’s life is toyed with by us gods, turned into a monster, and ultimately sacrificed for the birth of a hero, then she deserves such treatment.”
“……”
“I lent my divine weapon to the hero who killed you. I have no right to apologize on behalf of Poseidon or Athena… but as the one who governs the Underworld—the final destination of all mortals—I wish to express my regret to you.”
I looked straight into Medusa’s eyes and spoke the apology in a calm tone. I truly was sorry, but I could not bow my head. After all, I was the King of the Underworld.
“…So the rumor that the Lord of the Underworld is also the god of mercy is true.”
After a moment of silence, the fire in Medusa’s eyes softened slightly. If my apology could bring her even a little comfort, then it was fortunate that I held the position of one of the Three Chief Gods.
“Then I shall speak of the reparations you will receive. Choose one of these.”
“Reparations…?”
“First… I will speak to Zeus and have you placed among the stars as a constellation.”
To be turned into a constellation in the heavens was a tremendous honor, a gesture of commemoration. Heroes of renown, animals, and even gods were inscribed in the sky by Zeus’s personal judgment. If she chose the first option… a significant part of the honor she had lost by dying as a monster at Perseus’s hands would be restored.
Medusa, whose expression had softened slightly at my apology, stared at me in utter bewilderment.
“…A monster like me? Becoming a star in the heavens?”
“Zeus may try to refuse in order to elevate his son’s feat of slaying you, but in the end he will have no choice but to accept.”
If he felt any guilt toward Poseidon, he would have to at least passively side with the Medusa whom his brother had violated… and Zeus would not be able to easily ignore my protest. As for Athena, who had turned Medusa into a monster? If she had any sense, she would accept it too. If she opposed it… I would simply have to give her a stern lecture.
Leaving the bewildered Medusa before me, I continued.
“Yes, and the second option is…”