Heracles, Hero of the Prophecy
"Is that really true, Hermes?"
"Yes. Fortunately, Uncle Poseidon rejected Gaia's proposal, but..."
"So now she's trying to win the gods over."
Two days after returning to the Underworld, Hermes came to see me. The news delivered by the messenger of the gods was that Gaia had attempted to recruit Poseidon. After conveying this information, Hermes looked at me with slightly anxious eyes.
"But... is there any chance Uncle Poseidon might waver?"
"Hermes. You still don't know Poseidon very well."
He possesses a rather high pride and a violent temperament, but he would never betray us. After all, all of Cronus's children—including me...
"But this time he had a huge fight with Brother Ares... and they even held a trial over it. If his feelings were hurt..."
"Of course he wouldn't feel good about it. The punishment given to Ares took Poseidon's position into account."
For immortal gods, the concept of time differs somewhat from that of humans. To gods who consider even years a mere moment, two months of punishment is extremely light. Poseidon knows this. The reason he let it pass was partly because he himself believed his son's actions were wrong, and because I was aware that he had sent his son to keep Athena in check. Since Ares had been punished, even if only nominally, I hoped Poseidon felt his own honor had been somewhat preserved.
"Still, no matter how much he glares at Ares, Poseidon is not the sort to join hands with an outside enemy."
"I... see."
"You must have told Zeus about this as well. What did your father say?"
"...He simply ordered me to send a messenger to Uncle Poseidon with a letter thanking him for not falling for Gaia's persuasion. My father, who has always been so sensitive about the throne of the King of the Gods, didn't even show a hint of suspicion..."
Exactly. Zeus isn't a fool; he knows Poseidon won't betray him. Even if Poseidon were to start a rebellion, he would never drag external enemies into it.
"Was that all you came to tell me?"
"Ah, there's one more thing. He told me to inform you that the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, will arrive here shortly..."
"Why is Iris coming here?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps to invite Uncle Hades to Olympus again?"
I didn't think that was the case, but I nodded and sent him on his way.
Both Iris and Hermes coming to the Underworld? Normally, if they had something to say, they wouldn't send two separate messengers.
As Hermes had said, after waiting a short while, a messenger opened the door to the audience chamber.
"Lord Hades, the goddess of the rainbow has arrived at the entrance to the Underworld."
"Send her in."
"However... she is carrying what appears to be a human infant."
"...?"
The goddess of the rainbow, whom I hadn't seen in quite some time, wore an extremely troubled expression. It was clearly because of the newborn baby in her arms.
"Greetings, Lord Hades. Lord Zeus instructed me to deliver this letter to you."
"I see. But what is that newborn you're holding?"
"That is... perhaps you should read the letter first..."
Iris fumbled in her robes and produced a single sheet of parchment. The power contained within it was no ordinary thing. It felt as though someone had sealed it to prevent others from seeing its contents.
With a crackle, I unfurled the parchment. The lightning embedded within it tingled across my hand, but I paid it no mind and began to read.
It's me, Zeus. I didn't want to ask for your help, but things have somehow come to this.
You must be wondering about the newborn Iris is carrying. Could you hide the child from Hera for about a month? I know what it means to let a living being stay in the Underworld, but Hera is trying to kill him by sending venomous snakes...
The child is my son, and I have named him Heracles—Hera's Glory. He is undoubtedly the hero of prophecy who will secure our victory against the Gigantes. Even though the laws of the Underworld are strict...
It seemed Zeus had a favor to ask of me.
Another one of Zeus's illegitimate children, born from a secret affair. To request my help in hiding him, Hera's rage must be truly immense. Indeed, the letter mentioned that he had hidden the child in mountains, caves, and other gods' domains, yet Hera had found him every time. Since the living world offered no refuge from her eyes, he had chosen to conceal the boy in an entirely different realm—the Underworld.
A month. If I protected the child here for a month, he claimed he could either find another hiding place or calm Hera's fury somewhat. Or perhaps he simply planned to keep moving the boy around until her anger subsided.
But to ask me to hide his bastard son... Just what kind of child was this?
The name struck me like a thunderbolt.
Heracles. Heracles. Heracles.
I rolled the name around in my mouth several times. It felt strangely familiar. I had heard it somewhere—many times, in fact. I definitely knew this name. It was etched far deeper into my memory than the time I had been struck by Eros's arrow...
It was...
"Tell the goddess Styx to immerse this newborn in the River Styx."
"...Lord Hades?"
The most famous hero in Greek mythology. The greatest of heroes. The mighty Heracles who would play a decisive role in the battle against the Gigantes in the future.
We had won.
"...What?! You want him dipped in the River Styx?"
"Yes. Even a fragile human body would benefit from the waters of the Styx."
Iris stared at me in great alarm, but my decision remained firm. The law forbidding the living from staying in the Underworld would have to be overlooked in this case.
The memory that had flashed through my mind was the fact that Heracles was the hero of prophecy. If a living being could endure the power of the River Styx, they would gain a body so tough that ordinary weapons could not even scratch it. If he was fully immersed, it would prevent the prophesied hero from meeting an untimely end.
"But this child is a human who has incurred Lady Hera's wrath..."
"Then why did you, her attendant, bring him all the way here at Zeus's request...? Never mind. If Hera notices, tell her you had no choice because I asked it of you."
The reason Iris, one of Hera's closest servants, had brought the child was because Zeus had asked her to. He might have deliberately persuaded Iris instead of sending Hermes with the baby, fearing Hera's suspicion. To smuggle his illegitimate child into the Underworld through her own confidante... Just what had Zeus promised the goddess of the rainbow to win her over? Had he sworn on the River Styx that he would never again leer at her?
"...Understood."
"Good. Make sure you tell Lady Styx to immerse the child's entire body. Remember that."
I emphasized the point firmly in case she accidentally left his heel out of the water. Watching Iris walk away toward Styx with that reluctant expression on her face, I couldn't help but smile.
One of the threats looming over the gods had been half-resolved. If I could raise this Heracles well and turn him into the great hero he was meant to be, the Gigantes were as good as dead.
Soon afterward, Lady Styx entered the audience chamber. The infant in her arms radiated the energy of the River Styx, and I could see his body transforming. As expected of Zeus's son, he had endured the river's power admirably.
Styx handed Heracles to a nearby maidservant and spoke with a worried expression.
"Hades. I immersed him in the river since he is Zeus's son and possesses the makings of a hero. But if humans empowered by the Styx keep appearing in the living world..."
"I understand your concern. If heroes bearing the power of the Styx roam freely, the balance of the living world would collapse."
This child would eventually return to the living world and, once grown, likely enter Chiron's tutelage. If Heracles ever came to the Underworld's training grounds, I would have to ask Chiron to give him a proper education in character and morals. Since he would grow into a powerful hero whose body had been dipped in the Styx, he must be taught not to harm others recklessly.
"Of course, I plan to have Chiron educate him properly later. Naturally, I won't be creating multiple heroes empowered by the Styx."
"That's a relief. By the way, you've seen countless heroes—why are you giving this child such special treatment?"
I couldn't exactly say it was because my memories from my previous life told me Heracles would be the one to defeat the Gigantes...
"If you read the letter Zeus sent... it says the child nursed from Hera's breast and killed two venomous snakes right after birth."
"Venomous snakes...? How did that happen...?"
"I suspect Hera sent them. He is an illegitimate child, after all."
"Ah..."
The black-haired goddess nodded in understanding. As she clicked her tongue while looking at Heracles, I added a bit more explanation.
"The one who brought him was the goddess of the rainbow, Iris. Zeus sent a letter infused with lightning to make this request of me."
"He must have made the child nurse from her while she slept. Her fury must be reaching the heavens."
"Indeed. His life may not be an easy one. Filled with the corpses of monsters and the jealousy of humans..."
I turned my gaze toward the infant in the maidservant's arms. Heracles slept peacefully, unaware of the fate that awaited him.
In truth... this Heracles was a child Zeus had intentionally fathered for the sake of the gods' victory. It was clear he was extraordinarily strong—strong enough to nurse from Hera and slay venomous snakes right after birth—but I couldn't help feeling that we had thrust him into a cruel destiny.
Still, since he had been immersed in the River Styx, I hoped it would help him overcome that fate.
"Waah! Waaaaah!"
"Oh no...!"
"Ah! Hades! Look away for a moment. He can't withstand the power in your gaze and has started crying!"
At Styx's flustered voice, I hastily averted my eyes. Had I been staring too intently? I seem to make this mistake from time to time...
Since I couldn't feed him the food of the Underworld for a month, I would need to find a wet nurse or arrange for provisions from the living world.