Persephone's Story - (6)

Still, thanks to Iris arriving in the Underworld at precisely the right moment, the situation was resolved. Everyone wore expressions that suggested they were willing to let it slide for now.

"Iris, did they come looking for me on Olympus?"

"Yes. Lord Zeus has commanded that I bring you before him on Olympus."

Chiron’s death was undoubtedly the strike from Gaia that Prometheus had foretold. Raising heroes to prepare for the Gigantes was something only the wise centaur of the Centaur race could do. It wasn’t feasible for an Olympian god to personally train heroes in the mortal realm, yet searching for a suitable candidate among mortals would cast doubt on their qualifications.

"The prophecy said to connect the Underworld and the living world, so I’ll need to discuss the specific method with Zeus. Understood."

This wasn’t solely a problem for the Underworld, so I couldn’t handle it through unilateral action. I would need to ascend to Olympus, hear Demeter’s information about the Gigantes’ base, and also inform her about her daughter Persephone.

"Have a safe trip, Uncle Hades!"

"Have a s-safe trip?! This isn’t your house..."

"What does it matter? I’m going to live here from now on anyway. Hehe!"

"Hah… This is the first time I’ve seen a god adapt to the Underworld so quickly..."

Ignoring the strange noises coming from behind me, I followed Iris to Olympus. It seemed every god had gathered at the center of the Olympian palace, for their divine presences could only be felt from that direction. Zeus must have summoned them all.

Passing through the massive golden doors and walking across the clouds, I saw countless gods buzzing with conversation. Zeus sat upon the golden throne with his thunderbolt in hand, eyes closed. Poseidon was speaking with Hera. The immortals of Olympus were chattering about the Gigantes and the prophecy.

"The wise Chiron was killed by the Gigantes’ torture?"

"Then what happens to the training of heroes? It won’t be easy to find another educator of his caliber..."

"The prophecy spoke of connecting the living world and the Underworld… so perhaps Lord Hades could make an exception for Chiron and revive him..."

"No matter if it’s a prophecy, how can the dead possibly…! Hmm. This isn’t something I should speak lightly about."

"I heard Typhon’s body nearly broke free..."

"If that horrific creature had fallen back into Lady Gaia’s hands..."

"Sigh… So that was the strike the prophecy mentioned. What a painful blow."

Hmm. The meeting hadn’t even begun yet, but the atmosphere was already grim.

Step. Step.

"Ah… Lord Hades."

"You’ve arrived, Uncle."

As I cut through the crowd of gods and headed for an appropriate spot, the deities recognized me and parted to make way. Zeus, sensing my presence, opened his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Ahem. Since my elder brother Hades has arrived, we shall now begin the meeting. Hermes!"

"Yes, sir!"

Hermes brought forth a massive sheet of parchment and unfurled it wide in the air. A map of the entire world appeared before us, marked with red dots at every location the Gigantes had attacked.

"Not long ago, the Gigantes launched a major offensive. As you can see from the map, their targets were Corinth, Athens, Chiron’s dwelling, and Mount Etna."

The points glowed red in accordance with Zeus’s words. Since the attacks had occurred simultaneously, it made sense that only Hermes had descended during the assault on Mount Etna. If I hadn’t been there at the time… Hmm.

"Mount Etna was handled by my elder brother Hades here, Athens by Athena, and Corinth by Apollo. However… there was one place we overlooked."

Lightning crackled across the King of Gods’ body as if to express his suppressed emotions. A subtle, heavy aura spread outward with it.

"As every god present already knows, the centaur sage Chiron was attacked, subjected to torture, and ultimately relinquished his immortality."

Crackle—

Zeus’s eyes blazed with blue lightning as electricity began to permeate the clouds. The Sky God’s fury poured forth in a majestic wave that engulfed all of Olympus. Sweat beaded on the foreheads of the lesser deities, while even those granted seats near the golden throne looked visibly unsettled.

"Khup..."

"Mm..."

The King of Gods, who had always cherished and favored Chiron, was now consumed by towering rage. It was Poseidon who calmed him.

"Zeus. Chiron’s fate is truly tragic, but you must compose yourself."

"…My apologies to you all."

"Ahem! Setting that matter aside for now, we have located their base using the Omphalos stone. Demeter!"

"The Gigantes were in the Phlegra Fields of Thrace. I sensed an earthly power there that did not belong to me. There is no doubt."

"Apollo and Athena are currently monitoring that plain. The enemy will not be able to strike us again."

The discussion on the Gigantes continued for some time. Proposals to completely destroy their base, Poseidon’s suggestion to sink it beneath the waves, and even a radical idea to split the land itself and turn it into an island were all raised—yet every one was rejected. An all-out war was too great a risk.

The conversation circled back around…

"In any case, we will need heroes to defeat the Gigantes… Hades, what do you think about reviving Chiron at the very least?"

Once again, the topic had returned to Chiron.

When Poseidon voiced his opinion, I could feel every gaze in the assembly fixate on me, waiting for my response. Reviving Chiron would mean shattering the laws of the Underworld that had stood for eons. This was entirely different from Sisyphus’s case. He had been dragged away before his allotted lifespan ended, so I had returned him. But Chiron had willingly surrendered his immortality and chosen death.

"Hmm… If I revive the dead simply because they still have work left in the living world, what meaning would the boundary between the living realm and the Underworld hold? And even if we revive Chiron, what if Gaia intervenes and kills him again?"

"Even though their base in the plains is under strict surveillance and completely blockaded?"

"If a hero driven mad by Gaia’s whispers runs wild and inflicts a curse or deadly poison, he would once again have to relinquish his immortality."

Chiron was not a powerful being like us gods. While I acknowledged ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his exceptional talent as an educator, his personal combat strength was only at a level where even a mortal hero could challenge him. Even if we restored his immortality, a single arrow coated in lethal poison or a divine curse would be enough…

"You’re right. That would be too cruel to Chiron."

"If the revived Chiron faces another attack, he could suffer a second death."

"It’s not as if the gods can constantly guard him… Hmm."

"Yet the reality is that no suitable replacement exists. Can you not reconsider, brother?"

At Zeus’s grave tone, I fell into thought once more. Prometheus’s prophecy had clearly stated that victory would be possible if we connected the living world and the Underworld. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reason the gods avoided mentioning that directly and instead focused on Chiron was simple. If Gaia concentrated her forces on the Underworld now linked to the mortal realm… Tartarus, where countless Titans were imprisoned, would be opened.

According to Hermes, the number of Gigantes visible in the plains already exceeded several thousand. No matter that I was one of the three chief gods, I could not possibly face thousands of lesser deities, dozens of the Twelve Olympians, and one of the primordial Protogenoi alone.

If the Underworld fell while we tried to train heroes and Tartarus was breached, we would be defeated in an instant. There had to be another way—a method that would allow the deceased Chiron to teach while evading Gaia’s gaze.

Then… what if we did this?

"I will connect the Underworld and the living world and entrust the education of living heroes to the deceased Chiron."

"As you have likely already guessed, Elder Brother Hades, simply following Prometheus’s words as they are carries too much risk…"

"What if we open a small passage in Thebes, my domain where Gaia’s eyes cannot reach?"

When the majority of a city’s population worships a single god, that city becomes entirely part of the deity’s domain. Athens, the city of Athena, was the prime example. Within such a transformed city, not even the Earth Mother Gaia could transmit her will to humans. When King Oedipus had gone mad, Gaia had clearly exerted her influence from the mountains outside Thebes.

"Gaia cannot extend her hand inside Thebes. We will issue an oracle telling humans who wish to become heroes to come to Thebes…"

"After appointing a suitable representative as our agent, promising heroes would travel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the Underworld to receive training from Chiron?"

"Correct. If we link my temple within Thebes to the outskirts of the Underworld and only permit those with true potential to pass through…"

The assembly fell silent, then one by one the gods began to nod.

"How about appointing the King of Thebes as our representative to oversee the training of hero aspirants, then quietly bringing those who distinguish themselves to Lord Hades’s temple?"

"To maintain the passage between the living world and the Underworld, the Omphalos stone will be required."

"And the heroes who cross into the Underworld must swear the Styx Oath."

Normally, once a human from the living world entered the Underworld they could never leave… but if we placed numerous strict restrictions upon them through the Styx Oath, it might be permissible. They would be forbidden from revealing information through speech, writing, or gesture. Should they attempt to return to the Underworld, they would be sent straight to Tartarus. They would be barred from every area except the outer canyons, and all contact with souls would be prohibited…

"Right, right! Then let us summarize! Would these countermeasures against the Gigantes suffice?"

Zeus closed his eyes, listened to the assembly’s opinions, then silenced everyone. A small bolt of lightning extended from his hand and carved letters onto the parchment. The content was roughly as follows.

"Shall we leave the finer details to my elder brother Hades?"

"Of course. This way, the Underworld and the living world will be connected… and we shall achieve victory as Prometheus prophesied."

"If you require any assistance, speak to Olympus at any time. Hermes! Iris! You two will have to work hard."

We would not be defeated by the likes of the Gigantes. We would win without fail.

Once the meeting concluded, I walked over to Demeter. I needed to tell her about her daughter with Zeus—Persephone. The wheat-haired goddess with the expressionless face stopped when she saw me approaching.

"What do you want, Hades?"

"Demeter. Right now, your daughter Persephone is in the Underworld."

"What? So the Gigantes weren’t the important matter at all! Release my daughter this instant, or…!"

No… The moment her daughter was mentioned, her eyes had completely rolled back. This was exactly why I had come in person instead of sending a messenger. I needed to get to the main point as quickly as possible and clear up the misunderstanding.

"This is something even I could not prevent. She was struck by Eros’s golden arrow and saw my face, and on top of that she ate food in the Underworld…"

"Wh-what-what?! Ha—Hades!!!"

It’s not the kidnapping you’re imagining, so please calm down…