The Story of Life (2)
"Lord Hades, the souls under my charge are complaining of exhaustion."
"Even Lord Zeus refuses to heed the Underworld's voice..."
"Do the gods above the clouds care nothing for the realm below?"
In an instant, the Underworld's banquet hall transformed into a forum denouncing Olympus's decision. The beautiful goddess who governed the rainbow paled, her face hardening with tension.
I swept my gaze across the assembled deities. There were the lesser gods who guided souls across the River Styx and managed the Underworld, the God of Death Thanatos, who toiled day and night reaping countless souls, and his twin brother Hypnos, the God of Sleep, who aided in the harvest by inducing deep slumber at Thanatos's request.
"Is not death by the Great Flood an inevitable, fated demise, Moros?"
"Nonsense. Most humans will face punishment until their destruction, so this falls to you, Keres."
Moros and Keres, children of Nyx like Thanatos, were gods of death in their own right.
"What if the sudden influx of souls dries up the rivers entirely?"
That was Lethe, Goddess of Forgetfulness and granddaughter of Nyx. The River Lethe took its name from her.
"To think the reward for being the first to rush to aid during the war against the Titans would be such shabby treatment... Zeus has gone too far."
And then there was the Goddess Styx, who had volunteered to help after witnessing the Underworld's overwhelming workload. She now stared at me with teary eyes, having been assigned unfamiliar paperwork.
Though I was the King of the Underworld, I could not ignore their efforts and hardships. Closing my eyes, I slowly raised one hand, and everyone fell silent. In the suffocating quiet, I organized the words I would convey to the frozen Iris.
"Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow."
"I await your command, Lord Hades."
I looked down at Iris, who had dropped to one knee, thoroughly cowed by my low, resonant voice.
"Why did Olympus not inform us of the Great Flood in advance?"
"That is... the humans' wickedness escalated so rapidly that there was no time to give warning..."
No. Zeus had sent Pandora's box from the beginning to create a pretext for wiping out humanity. Ever since that box was opened, evil had spread across the earth, and the number of souls arriving in the Underworld had surged. That petty Zeus had surely planned this as punishment for Prometheus stealing and sharing fire with humans... and he had deliberately created Pandora to give humans an excuse to commit their misdeeds.
* * *
Managing the souls that came to the Underworld was our natural duty, so I held no complaints about the increased workload from the flood. What displeased me was that Olympus had ignored me and decided to sweep away humanity without consultation. Even if Zeus was the King of the Gods, did the Underworld have to receive such a critical matter as a mere notification rather than a discussion?
Return to Zeus and tell him this: the Underworld expresses deep regret over Olympus's decision.
When I finished, Iris's face stiffened completely.
".....!"
"Is there anything else to convey, Goddess of the Rainbow?"
"There is nothing. I shall relay your words exactly as spoken, Lord of the Underworld..."
As I spoke, I felt a flicker of irritation, and my power leaked out, cracking the floor and releasing a gloomy divine aura from my body. Realizing I had taken my anger out on the messenger, I composed my expression and dismissed her with a measured command.
Zeus, ever sensitive to his authority, would understand my meaning well enough. The goddess Iris bowed at the waist and left the banquet hall. Only then did the other gods, who had paused the feast, begin to move, preparing for the saturation of the Underworld caused by the flood.
"We must prepare additional places for souls to remain until life returns after the Great Flood..."
"Thanatos, take it easy until the flood arrives. I'll help with the soul retrieval work."
"As expected, only my brother understands. Then I'll leave it to you, Hypnos."
"Keres, let's get moving too."
"Moros, put down that nectar before you speak."
The most unpleasant fact was that Iris had delivered news of the flood without consulting me, the King of the Underworld, beforehand. If a disaster like the flood struck without warning, the Underworld's officials would feel as though lightning had struck from a clear sky. If they had consulted us in advance, we could have rotated the souls under our charge or at least given them time to prepare mentally.
The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became. Even during the battle against the Gigantes, I had gone directly to Olympus to lend my aid.
* * *
This was the divine palace of Olympus. From his golden throne above the clouds, Zeus gazed down upon the earth as he listened to Iris's report. When the high-ranking goddess Iris returned pale and shaken, he had felt puzzled, but upon hearing her account, understanding dawned.
"Thus, Lord Hades was greatly enraged and expressed deep regret over Olympus's decision..."
"Oh no, I had forgotten about my elder brother...!"
Why had he not considered Hades, who managed the souls of the dead? Seeing Iris break into a cold sweat, Zeus pondered how to resolve the matter. Since he had decided to unleash the flood without consulting the Underworld, it was only natural that Hades would feel slighted.
If some powerless, insignificant god dared to defy or complain about his decision, he could simply crush them with his authority. But Hades was one of the three great gods ruling the Underworld, and moreover, he resided near Tartarus, where the Titans were imprisoned. That required far greater caution.
Though Zeus ruled the heavens and called himself King of the Gods, there were those who could check his power.
"Zeus! Have you run off chasing after another goddess again?!"
Hera, his sister and wife, flew in at that moment, arms crossed and fuming. She, too, was a problem.
"No, you've misunderstood. I may cast a fleeting glance at other women, but the only one truly worthy of standing beside this Zeus is you..."
"You admit you might glance at others?! How dare you... Were you just trying to seduce Iris again?"
Hera, Zeus's lawful wife, governed the domains of marriage and family. No matter how much Zeus was King of the Gods, when it came to his affairs and infidelities, he had to yield to her.
"No! This time it's truly a misunderstanding. Regarding the flood and my elder brother Hades in the Underworld..."
The King of the Gods made excuses while sweating. Yet Hera's brow furrowed deeper as she listened.
"The so-called King of the Gods spends every day scheming how to approach goddesses, so it's no wonder you've forgotten the simple principle of listening to other gods' opinions."
"That is... Hmm. You're right, it was my mistake. How to appease the Underworld..."
"Hmph. If making a decision is so difficult, why not ask Metis's daughter?"
"Metis's daughter... Ah, yes. Iris, bring Athena here."
Metis was Zeus's cousin and first wife, the one who had given Cronus an emetic to make him regurgitate the swallowed gods. Her marriage to Zeus had brought forth Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom. The prophecy that a son born of Metis would threaten Zeus's throne had been averted when Athena was born instead. True to her nature as the wise Goddess of Wisdom, Athena had reassured the fearful Zeus by swearing an oath upon the River Styx to remain a virgin forever. Only then had Zeus set aside all suspicion and come to love and cherish her deeply.
"Father, you called for me."
Before long, a rainbow appeared before Zeus, and Iris and Athena stepped out together. Athena was armed as always, clad in a sturdy golden helmet and armor, spear and shield in hand. Even so, the beauty of the silver-haired goddess shone through. Zeus posed his question to the noble and wise Goddess of Wisdom.
"...And so I require your wisdom. If you have any good counsel, speak."
After hearing Zeus's full account, Athena pondered briefly before speaking.
"How far have you considered going to appease your elder brother's wrath, Father?"
"I summoned you because judging that is difficult. Speak freely."
At Zeus's words, the armored Goddess of Wisdom cautiously offered her opinion. Hera and Iris watched her mouth in silence.
"This time, it would be best for you to descend to the Underworld yourself and apologize."
"What? This Zeus, personally?!"
Not sending a messenger god like Hermes or Iris? The King of the Gods was taken aback, but he decided to hear out his beloved eldest daughter. However, the Goddess of Wisdom said nothing more after that.
"Why do you say no more, my beloved daughter?"
"I apologize. I was briefly lost in thought regarding this situation, where humanity's minor misdeeds have escalated to the point that a Great Flood must be unleashed to destroy them..."
The humans' misdeeds had been deliberately induced by Zeus through Pandora's box. Their excessive rampages had given him the justification to cause the flood. But there was no need to say such things here. The Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, was not so foolish as to entertain other thoughts in the presence of the chief gods...
Then...
"Rather than letting a major problem arise, it is better to take measures that seem excessive beforehand and resolve it in advance? Is that what you wish to say?"
Athena lowered her head without a word. The impending Great Flood would clearly give Zeus the justification he sought, as humanity had crossed the line. But what if Hades, because of this incident, harbored resentment and one day raised a banner of rebellion? From all Zeus had seen, his elder brother was not the sort to fly into a rage over trivial matters and fight him. Therefore, judging by Iris's report of his fury, Hades had surely lodged a protest as King of the Underworld. If Zeus lost the favor of not only Hades but the other gods of the Underworld as well, his throne would be in danger. Especially considering the importance of Tartarus near the Underworld.
"Are you still hesitating, Zeus? You have time to chase after women, but none to soothe the Underworld—is that what you're saying?"
Hera's words drove a wedge into Zeus's deep contemplation.
"Very well. I shall go to my elder brother Hades myself and have a frank conversation with him."
Now that he thought about it, it had been a long time since he had seen his brother who lived in the Underworld. This would be a good opportunity to catch up.