The Weight of Divinity
Bellerophon’s Story - (6)
Following the proposal of Hades, the King of the Underworld, Bellerophon had been given the chance to experience the daily duties of a lesser god. The man who had slain the children of Typhon in the mortal realm and boldly declared his ambition for godhood before the Lord of the Dead was now…
“Huff… huff… Hey! Bring the arrows faster! Why does Lord Hades assign me such a slow human…”
“I-I’m sorry!”
I felt like I was losing my mind.
The winged god, Eros, was firing arrows at a speed invisible to the worst sinners. The God of Love kept a deep scowl on his face as he loosed shot after shot without pause. The massive quiver that had been filled to the brim was emptying at an alarming rate. Naturally, that meant Bellerophon—the one tasked with carrying those quivers—was the one getting chewed out by Eros.
“If the sinners get any rest because of you, the supervisors will report it straight to Lord Hades!”
Thwack!
“I’m sorry… ugh!”
Eros, thoroughly irritated, smacked Bellerophon over the head with his bow. Yet Bellerophon didn’t dare talk back. For one thing, the god who had just struck him wasn’t even looking in his direction as he continued swinging his arm. And for another…
“Still, that human is adapting surprisingly well for someone who only just arrived.”
“He said he wanted to experience the work of us lesser gods. I’ll have to give a good report to Lord Hades.”
“Mm. If that guy stays here, how much could our workload decrease?”
A short distance away, several lesser gods who were operating devices or supervising tasks were giving him favorable evaluations. The realization that this wasn’t some trial or malicious prank sent Bellerophon’s mind reeling.
He was being berated by a higher deity and worked to the bone from dawn till dusk… and this wasn’t some abnormal punishment? This was simply how lesser gods worked every day?
Weren’t the gods supposed to live leisurely lives, only occasionally helping mortals?
Whoosh—thud.
“Kuaaaagh!”
“P-Please…”
The Underworld was far harsher than other realms in many ways, and the gods who tortured the worst sinners had it especially rough. But Bellerophon, who had only just arrived in the land of the dead, had yet to notice that fact.
How much time had passed like that?
“Hey, human. It’s my turn now.”
“I-Is it time to switch?”
A lesser god with two small horns on his forehead and a red body approached and spoke to him. Bellerophon offered a grateful bow before collapsing straight onto the floor. Even if he was already a dead soul, mental exhaustion was unavoidable. Especially when the sharp, irritated voice of Lord Eros kept ringing in his ears at regular intervals.
“You worked hard. I’ll put in a good word for you with Lord Hades.”
“Huh…? What do you…”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to experience our work because you wished to become a lesser god? If you do become a god, you’ll be quite reliable.”
At the lesser god’s satisfied nod, Bellerophon stared blankly. No… even if the gods didn’t simply laze about, surely they had some pleasures in life.
“I’ve heard the gods drink nectar and eat ambrosia… Could I possibly see that for myself…?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, Lord Hades did order you to experience the life of a lesser god, so you should try the food as well. Follow me.”
“I can actually taste the food of the gods…!”
Energy returned to Bellerophon’s face. To think I would be allowed to eat the food of the gods. As expected of the merciful Lord of the Underworld!
* * *
The lesser god led Bellerophon to a distant location. It was a colossal building that resembled the palaces built by humans in the mortal world. Where exactly were they?
“Um… my lord, where is this place?”
“This is Warehouse 1253 of the Underworld. And among the warehouses that store nectar and ambrosia, this is the third largest…”
Bellerophon was too busy looking around in a daze. A castle covered in black bricks and some unknown black stone. The sight of countless souls hurrying about, carrying loads. After passing the strict inspection of the soul-soldiers, he saw mountains upon mountains of nectar and ambrosia… yet everything was meticulously organized and sorted.
The Lord of the Underworld is also known as the God of Wealth. To think there are thousands of warehouses on this scale…
While he was lost in thought, the lesser god handed him something.
“Here. This is ambrosia and nectar. Consider it an honor and eat, human.”
“Whoa! Thank you!”
Munch, munch…
The ambrosia and nectar he tasted for the first time in his existence were truly heavenly. They were so exquisite that it was no exaggeration to call them the food of the gods. No mortal dish could compare in the slightest. Not even the pleasure of embracing a woman could…
“Mm. Once you’ve finished eating and drinking, get up.”
“…?”
“What are you staring at? Managing nectar and ambrosia is also part of a lesser god’s duties.”
Bellerophon went back to work.
“Nectar and ambrosia only grant immortality to mortals while they are being consumed. Humans cannot even see them, let alone touch them.”
“Ah… I can only thank Lord Pluto from the bottom of my heart.”
“Although you have eaten and drunk them… if you ever harbor any strange thoughts…”
The lesser god’s face twisted into something grotesque. Even if he was a lower deity in charge of menial tasks in the Underworld, a god was still a god. A sinister aura swirled around Bellerophon, and horrifying auditory hallucinations assaulted him. The only reason he didn’t collapse on the spot and faint was because he was the hero who had not backed down even before the Chimera.
When Bellerophon’s face turned deathly pale, the lesser god shrugged as if nothing had happened.
“Well, you seem like a fairly diligent human, so I suppose there’s no need to worry about that.”
“O-Of course not!”
From then on, Bellerophon pulled ambrosia out of countless boxes, carried them according to instructions, and stacked them. Next, he carefully handled the bottled nectar so none would break, sorting them exactly as directed… He counted the number of food items in the warehouse and recorded everything on parchment. Of course, this was only possible because the lesser god beside him skillfully assisted him.
But wasn’t this kind of trivial sorting work something done by warehouse keepers, scribes, or laborers? Why did a god have to do such things?
After focusing on the task for a long while, he was finally allowed to rest. He poured out all the questions that had been building up inside him. Why did gods have to do work that even servants could handle?
“You worked hard. As expected of a hero, you have quite the stamina.”
“But why do the gods do this kind of labor?”
“How could we entrust such important work to mortals? If it were ordinary treasures or gold and silver, maybe. But this is the management of the gods’ own food.”
To Bellerophon’s question, the lesser god responded with an even greater question of his own.
“But how could the great gods continue doing such menial chores…”
“Do you think the dead could handle this work for long? Only we immortal gods can endure it.”
The gods were eternal not only in body but in mind as well. If an ordinary human lived for thousands of years, they would surely go mad. But because they possessed immortal power and divine energy, the gods could maintain their sanity.
The ancient gods who had lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years did not always maintain a solemn appearance. Sometimes they were as innocent as children, sometimes as stubborn as old men… and occasionally they acted more on emotion than reason, or followed desire rather than duty.
But that was precisely the working of divine power to maintain mental homeostasis. Perhaps the true proof of godhood was not overwhelming power or an eternally undying body… but an unbreaking mind.
“Still, there’s no need to be too scared. Becoming a god won’t destroy your body or mind just because you do a little work.”
This is… a little?
Bellerophon began to seriously reconsider becoming a god.
* * *
About thirty days had passed since Bellerophon left the audience chamber. I had completely forgotten about him, but then a messenger arrived with news.
“Lord Hades, the hero who previously slew the Chimera wishes to see you again.”
“Bring him in.”
The man who staggered toward me had hollow eyes and a dazed expression. Even though the dead no longer experienced physical fatigue as they had in life, that appearance of his…
The hero who prostrated himself before my throne spoke in a weak voice.
“I have come to realize that the seat of a god is far too much for someone like me, O Lord of the Underworld…”
“So, you wish to give up?”
“Yeees… Please, just give me some other task…”
I waved my hand and selected one of the parchments stacked to the side. The report detailing his activities under supervision flew over naturally.
“Everyone seems to speak very highly of you. They say, ‘He is a talent who deserves to become a lesser god.’”
“What?! How could I possibly…?!”
“With this level of evaluation… even Zeus would consider you a capable human.”
The parchment contained nothing but positive comments. Diligent beyond what one would expect from a mortal. Shows remarkable perseverance, as expected of a hero. Please dispatch him again…
“B-But! The work that the gods do…!”
“You thought it was nothing special?”
“That’s not what I meant! It’s just that…”
Bellerophon, his face pale as a sheet, tried to make excuses, but in the end, it was simply that he didn’t like how much work there was. Still, it was true that I had intentionally made him experience the duties of a god.
There were quite a few mortals who thought the same way as Bellerophon. I nodded moderately and looked at him.
“…I see. Very well. Then…”
“Even if I cannot become a god, I wish to be of help to the Underworld! Please assign me any other task!”
“…? You don’t want the reward for slaying the Chimera?”
“No! Please just forgive my rudeness!”
The hero pressed his face firmly against the ground, trembling. Ah… he must have thought that his earlier statement had insulted divinity in front of me. Even if I showed that I didn’t mind, he probably wouldn’t feel at ease. After all, the Greek gods were notoriously capricious.
“I forgive your rudeness. Then… how about sharing your experiences with those who come after you?”
“I will do whatever you command!”
“You may quit anytime, and there’s no need to feel too burdened. The heroes coming from Thebes…”
Come to think of it, Chiron had said he needed a training instructor. A hero who had slain a Chimera would be more than sufficient. Still, it feels a bit pitiful to only assign work to a hero who should be resting… If he wants, I should arrange some other conveniences. Maybe I should arrange a reconciliation with the brother he accidentally killed.