Tantalus's Story - (1)
Zeus declared he would only permit the marriage once the god of blacksmiths finished serving his punishment in the Underworld. As a result, Hephaestus and Aglaia's wedding was regrettably postponed.
A dejected Hephaestus returned to the Underworld, and I found myself in the middle of warning Aphrodite.
"Let me say it one more time. Every time you seduce another male god, I want you to picture another crack forming in Olympus..."
"Yes... yes... I understand. Since you even spared me from an unwanted marriage, I suppose I can make an effort on my own terms, can't I?"
The goddess of beauty grumbled with a slightly pouty expression. Beside her stood Eros, idly fiddling with his bow.
The reason Eros—who belonged in the Underworld—was here instead was simple. I had decided he'd reflected enough and swapped him out with Hephaestus for the time being.
"I swear I will never shoot arrows recklessly again..."
"I can't exactly order the god of love to stop spreading love, but at least refrain from firing them wildly into empty space."
From now on, his archery practice would be limited to designated targets. If he ever shot arrows into the air again...
"Eek!"
Eros darted behind Aphrodite to hide. I was seriously considering giving his backside a good smack if he pulled that stunt one more time.
The goddess of beauty and love stroked the head of the boy hiding behind her back, then looked at me with a smile. It wasn't her usual seductive, coquettish grin. This smile was...
"Thank you sincerely for persuading Zeus, Hades."
"...I simply felt it was a shame that the goddess of love couldn't love as freely as she wished."
Her eyes and demeanor carried a sincerity that seemed to come straight from the heart. Had she truly despised Hephaestus that much? Well, given the forced marriage, I could understand.
I brushed it off with a vague reply, mentioned that Hera had been a tremendous help in the matter, then turned away.
Time to leave Olympus.
"Brother Hades."
"Zeus. Do you need something from me?"
I had been about to return to the Underworld when Zeus called out. From his expression, I assumed it was about another meal, a banquet, or perhaps an invitation to Hephaestus's wedding.
"There's a human who wishes to invite our gods to a grand feast. Care to join us, brother?"
"If I attend a banquet like that, won't I simply kill the mood?"
"The one eager to host us is my son. He's also the king of Lydia. His devotion to the gods is exemplary, so I thought it would be good to establish some connections."
Ah, so he was Zeus's son. That explained why Zeus wanted me there. Since it was his own child—and a mortal who showed proper reverence to the gods—he likely hoped the boy would receive some small conveniences in the afterlife.
Zeus's son made him my nephew as well. As king of Lydia, the banquet wouldn't be dull... I supposed I could drop by for a short while.
"It's difficult to grant a favorable position in the afterlife merely for being polite to the gods... but I'll attend."
"Good. I think you'll find my son rather charming once you meet him, brother."
Suddenly Zeus's face grew serious, his eyes locking onto mine with solemn intensity.
"That was the surface reason for inviting you..."
There was more to it?
The gods heading to meet the king of Lydia and son of Zeus numbered seven in total: myself, Zeus, Hermes, Dionysus, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hera.
I had heard he invited all twelve major gods of Olympus, yet Athena was occupied rebuilding her temple after the Chimera incident, Hephaestus remained in the Underworld, and Aphrodite and Ares were too busy passionately entwined with each other to attend.
As for the twins Apollo and Artemis... they were probably off hunting somewhere.
We rode the clouds a short distance and arrived at a palace in the mortal realm. A man dressed in magnificent garments embroidered with golden thread and wearing a crown stepped forward. So this was Zeus's son, the king of Lydia?
"It is the greatest honor to receive such exalted beings in person!"
"Tantalus, I trust today's banquet will live up to expectations?"
"Of course, Lord Zeus. I shall present the gods of Olympus with the finest cuisine!"
My nephew, Tantalus, offered polite greetings to each god in turn. Just as Zeus had claimed, his manners and speech were remarkably refined.
"Oh. All hail the queen of the great gods. Thanks to Lady Hera, I remain ever harmonious with Dione."
"Hmm..."
The fact that Hera only responded with a mildly displeased look toward Zeus's illegitimate son showed just how deep Zeus's favor toward him truly ran.
"Lord of the seas, the flourishing maritime trade of our Lydia is entirely thanks to your grace, Lord Poseidon."
"Indeed."
Tantalus then turned his gaze toward me and spoke with utmost respect. His clasped hands and deep bow—carefully avoiding eye contact—revealed how accustomed he was to dealing with deities.
"May I... ask which god I have the honor of addressing?"
"Pluto."
"...! It is the highest honor to stand before the father of the dead. Lord Pluto."
He continued with a string of elegant praises. Thanks to the blessing of wealth I had bestowed upon Lydia, its people enjoyed prosperous lives. The mint plant that symbolized me had spread widely throughout the kingdom... He concluded his flattery at precisely the right level—neither excessive nor insufficient—then bowed once more and guided us forward.
"Please follow me. Dishes worthy of the gods are being prepared, so I ask for your patience!"
"Very well. Let us proceed."
We followed Zeus into the royal palace of Lydia. Servants and maids escorted us to a suitably spacious chamber.
"We shall await your summons just outside the door..."
Once the servants withdrew, leaving only the gods behind, I recalled Zeus's earlier words.
"That fellow serves the gods with impeccable manners, so I brought him to Olympus and allowed him to taste ambrosia and nectar... and the bastard dared to steal some."
"...Tantalus?"
"Yes. He may have invited us to this banquet to apologize for that incident. The reason he specifically requested your presence, brother, is..."
Wasn't the reason obvious?
"Because he's your son, you want me to lighten his punishment in the Underworld? For someone who stole ambrosia and nectar? I thought you were supposed to be merciless in these matters, Zeus."
"Still, he has served the gods faithfully until now... and his wife is the daughter of the Titan Atlas. I'll observe how he conducts this reception before deciding his fate. If he confesses everything, kneels, and begs for forgiveness, I'll show leniency with appropriate punishment. But if not..."
So he had married the daughter of that powerful Atlas. Atlas was the mighty Titan who resisted us until the bitter end during the Titanomachy. The reason that giant now quietly holds up the heavens is because we chose not to punish his beloved daughter and grandchildren for his crimes.
Zeus was clearly concerned that punishing Tantalus might provoke Atlas into rebellion through his daughter. With Gaia's threat still looming, we could not afford the risk of Atlas abandoning the heavens and turning against us. A single theft of ambrosia and nectar was not sufficient justification to impose severe punishment on Atlas's son-in-law. Besides, the man was Zeus's own son—blood ties carried weight.
Unless, of course, he committed a far more blatant offense—such as insulting all three chief gods...
After a short wait, Tantalus returned. He ordered servants to bring forth a large bowl of stew and bowed deeply before us.
"Thank you for your patience, great gods. The stew made with the rarest meat is now complete. Please enjoy it to your hearts' content."
It did smell appetizing. The aroma of various herbs and spices blended beautifully, giving the broth a rich, appealing color.
But...
"You expect us to eat this?"
"......"
The meat in that stew was human flesh.
Not a single god present failed to recognize that the stew contained human flesh. Even a lesser deity would have sensed the wrongness and refused to eat it. These were the highest gods in existence. Anyone who would serve human meat while claiming to honor the gods was clearly not sane.
When I glanced at Dionysus, his face was blank, yet his eyes looked one step away from rolling back in his head. It was the expression the god of madness wore right before a seizure. So this wasn't caused by his madness either...
The other gods likewise refused to touch the stew, barely containing their fury. The moment Zeus, king of the gods, had seen the dish, he had closed his eyes.
When none of us reached for the food and every gaze turned icy cold toward Tantalus, he spoke with feigned innocence. In all my thousands upon thousands of years of divine existence, I had never encountered a mortal this utterly deranged.
"Great gods, why do you not—"
"You wretch! Tantalus! Have you completely lost your mind?!"
A flash of lightning split the sky. Thunder roared. Zeus's rage-filled bellow cut Tantalus off as bolts rained down, obliterating the entire palace in an instant.
The massive structure collapsed into ruins. Countless humans lay trapped beneath the debris, groaning in pain. From the number of newly departed souls I could see, many had perished in the aftermath.
"Ugh..."
"What is happening... g-gods?!"
"Your Majesty...?!"
Zeus ignored the cries of the wounded. He lifted the stew into the air with a gesture. The pieces of human flesh floated and reassembled. He handed the reconstructed remains to Demeter for the time being. It seemed he intended to resurrect the victim later.
The poor soul who had been killed by his father and turned into a meal—nearly eaten by his own grandfather... I would need to erase only his memories of the Underworld and restore him to life. No matter how strict the laws of the dead were, this case demanded an exception.
Once Zeus had forcibly calmed his fury, he made another gesture. The bloodied Tantalus was dragged forward as if seized by an invisible hand, clutching at his throat and struggling desperately.
"Cough... hack!"
"You dared to butcher a human and serve him to us as food? Who was the dead man, and what possessed you to commit such an atrocity?"
"Cough..."
"Answer me."
Lightning crackled in Zeus's eyes, radiating overwhelming pressure. Before the wrath of a chief god, a feeble mortal had no choice but to speak the truth.
And the words that spilled from Tantalus's mouth surpassed all imagination.
"To test... whether the gods are truly wise... that was my son..."
He had killed his own son, cooked him into a dish, and served him to the gods... all to test their wisdom?