You Don't Have One of These at Home, Do You?

Epimetheus.

He was the younger brother of the famous Prometheus, and together with his sibling, he had created humanity. In a way, he could be considered the father of mankind.

To be honest, in modern times, his wife and her dowry box—Pandora's box—were far more famous than Epimetheus himself.

Even so, as the origin of the word "epilogue," he still carried a decent amount of name value.

Furthermore, according to the original myths, the prevailing theory was that the direct ancestor of humanity was actually Epimetheus, not Prometheus.

This was because humans lacked the foresight of Prometheus, whose name meant "he who thinks before."

Instead, they possessed the ability to regret after the fact, just like Epimetheus, whose name meant "he who thinks after."

In that sense, as someone who had been human in his past life, I couldn't help but feel a certain inner closeness to the Epimetheus standing before me—as a sort of ancestor... or so I thought.

That sentiment, however, was rapidly evaporating at this very moment.

"How noisy. You are annoying me, so begone."

"Come now, don't be like that. Let's have some fun together. It's a rare banquet, and it would be rude to leave a beauty like you all by yourself."

"Remove your hand at once! My body is not something a creature like you can touch so freely."

"Haha... Come on now. Don't play so hard to get. I told you, my father is Lord Iapetus. If we have a good time, I can give you a nice gift. But if you keep rejecting me like this, something rather unpleasant might happen..."

Ancestor of humanity or not, this guy was a piece of work.

Epimetheus ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was hitting on Aphrodite, completely oblivious to her disgust, even going so far as to drape his hand over her shoulder and threaten her.

Watching this, I slipped on the titanium knuckles I had brought along just in case, quickly arriving at a conclusion.

Even in the original myths, this was the guy who got blinded by a woman and nearly brought about the end of the world.

True to form, he was completely losing his mind in front of a beautiful woman, showing no hesitation to act like a total scoundrel.

He was living up to his name perfectly—a bastard who only thought after the damage was done.

In that case, I had to act accordingly.

The correct answer was for me to strike first, before this jerk could do anything worse.

"Hey."

"Huh? What's with this beast-like fellow? Is this thing supposed to be a god, to—?!"

—Crash!

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Oceanus stepped away from the banquet for a moment.

Although he still had many of his thousands of children left to greet,

he had nevertheless carved out a portion of his precious time for the man sitting before him.

"Thank you truly for granting me this audience."

"I cannot stay long. Speak ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your business quickly."

Unlike when he looked at his children and grandchildren,

Oceanus exuded only the cold, sharp aura of the ruler of the great ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ocean.

Sitting across from him was a Titan.

He possessed quite handsome features, but his narrow, smiling eyes carried the cunning look of a serpent.

The young Titan, named Prometheus, spoke with a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"A message from Lord Cronus. Exactly one month from now, all Titans are ordered to gather at Mount Othrys."

"...Which means, in the end..."

Oceanus's voice trailed off, heavy with a hint of despair.

Prometheus did not lose his smile as he replied in a calm, measured tone.

"The Great War. A full-scale conflict with Olympus will begin."

"I see... So it has come to this in the end... Must family bound by blood truly point their weapons at one another..."

He had tried everything to prevent it.

Oceanus lamented from the bottom of his heart that the worst possible catastrophe had finally arrived.

"Regrettably, yes. The war is now a certainty. All that remains is for you, Lord Oceanus, to make your stance clear. Will you stand with your brothers, or will you perish alongside the gods of Olympus?"

It was a statement laced with a cold warning.

Instead of answering, Oceanus immediately threw back a question.

"How does it look to you? What choice will I make, and what will the outcome be? If you can truly foresee the future as the rumors say, you must already know better than I."

"...Heh."

In that moment,

Prometheus's narrow, snake-like eyes parted slightly, revealing small, sinister pupils.

Seeing this, Oceanus felt a wave of displeasure.

He knew that expression all too well.

It was that insufferably arrogant gaze, looking as though he had always known everything.

Like a venomous serpent hiding its fangs, waiting for its prey to wander into its coils,

that gaze was the very reason he had disliked his nephew Prometheus for a long time.

However,

after offering nothing but that chilling smile,

Prometheus rose from his seat without giving Oceanus an answer.

"Thank you for your generous hospitality. Now that I have delivered the message as commanded, I shall take my leave."

"Wait, just a moment..."

As Prometheus walked out of the room,

Oceanus hurriedly followed him back toward the banquet hall.

He thoroughly disliked how the boy had turned his back on him so casually without even answering his question.

Yet, in these incredibly unstable times,

Oceanus could not help but want to peer through the veil of the future, even if just a little, through Prometheus—regardless of whether the rumors of his foresight were entirely true.

Pride lasted but a moment,

but the suffering of his descendants would be eternal.

Just as he was about to reach out and stop Prometheus...

—Crash!

"Guh... aaargh..."

"?"

"...Huh?"

Something caught Oceanus's eye the moment he stepped out of the room.

Twitching on the floor in a corner of the banquet hall was...

Prometheus's younger brother, Epimetheus, his face beaten to a pulp and covered in burns.

Epimetheus.

The moment he saw this,

a look of sheer bewilderment tore through Prometheus's signature smile.

And then,

"You... what do you think you're doing? Do you... do you have any idea who I am—Gwah!"

Epimetheus, trembling on the floor, was struck in the face by another fist.

Standing over the now-unconscious Epimetheus was

the proud grandson who had made Oceanus so happy just moments ago.

Hephaestus.

"Quiet."

Spitting out the word as if addressing an insect, Hephaestus turned and walked toward Aphrodite, who stood behind him.

Seeing Aphrodite cling tightly to Hephaestus's thick arm while looking down at Epimetheus with utter contempt,

Oceanus instantly pieced together what had happened.

"It seems your brother made a mistake. I shall let this matter slide, so I suggest you do the same."

"..."

"...Prometheus?"

"Ah... Yes. Forgive me. I shall... do as you say."

Prometheus agreed to settle the matter quietly.

But in that moment, Oceanus saw it.

He saw the look of utter shock painted across Prometheus's face.

It was an expression that someone who truly knew the future would never make.

Feeling a strange sense of satisfaction, Oceanus couldn't help but needle him.

"Why the long face? If you can see the future, surely you already knew this would happen?"

‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"That... that is..."

"Haha, dear me... I suppose this is why rumors are not to be trusted."

"..."

"Well, safe travels. I shall make my decision soon."

With those parting words, Oceanus patted him on the shoulder and walked away in high spirits.

Although Oceanus's words directly mocked his foresight,

Prometheus could not utter a single word in response.

No, even if he could have spoken,

only one phrase would have escaped his lips.

I couldn't see it...

Prometheus, who had always read the future with near-perfect accuracy,

had failed.

This event unfolding before his eyes—

this situation where his brother, though one of the weakest of their kind, was still a Titan, lay twitching on the floor with his face beaten half to death—

was nowhere to be found in the future he had foreseen.

As deep confusion,

doubt, and a strange curiosity welled up within him,

Prometheus's gaze locked onto one person.

"Let's go. Back to Mother."

"Hehe. Very well."

With that brief exchange, the youth vanished alongside the unfamiliar goddess.

His hideously ugly appearance was enough to make even Prometheus flinch, but the real reason he was shaken lay elsewhere.

I can't see... anything... at all.

The two quickly melted into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

Yet, Prometheus could not tear his eyes away from the direction they had gone for a long time.

I couldn't read them. Not that young god's... and not that goddess's future either... It's as if they are shrouded in fog...

It was a phenomenon he had never experienced, despite having met countless transcendent beings.

But as the eyes of the crowd began to gather on them,

Prometheus had no choice but to support his fallen brother and practically flee the scene.

At some point,

a distorted smile found its way back onto his lips.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

When does a woman feel the greatest joy?

As to what the answer to that question was,

Eurynome, the goddess of the orderly sea, could feel it with absolute clarity at this very moment.

The necklace she had received as a gift from her son, Hephaestus, a few days ago.

It was an item that even she, who had lived for a far from short time, would call her absolute greatest treasure.

And at this moment,

a joy far more vivid and intense than what she had felt back then was swelling in Eurynome's heart.

"Whoa..."

"My... Sister, what is that...?"

"Heavens... How can such a beautiful treasure exist..."

"Where on earth did you get it? A craftsmanship like this couldn't be mimicked by anyone short of the three Cyclopes brothers..."

Just like her older sisters, including Styx whom she had met earlier, the guests could not help but marvel at the necklace she wore.

Brothers, sisters, and other gods and Titans from far away—

though they had all seen countless treasures as rulers of this world, the piece hanging around Eurynome's neck held their attention completely.

For a woman, the gazes and admiration of others were equivalent to the power and authority of men.

In that sense, the necklace greatly elevated Eurynome's authority and standing as a goddess.

However,

even more than that,

the part that truly brought Eurynome joy lay elsewhere.

"Beautiful, isn't it? My son made it himself as a birthday present for me."

"Oh my... By your son, do you mean..."

"Heavens... I am truly astonished. To think that child, Hephaestus, possessed such talent."

The fact that her own son, and no one else, had crafted this masterpiece of the century,

and the genuine admiration, surprise, and deep envy shown by the people around her—

this was

what truly filled Eurynome's heart with immense joy today.

Having never given birth to a son,

people had often looked at her with subtle pity, mixed with a faint sense of superiority.

That look had persisted for a while even after she adopted a son with a somewhat lacking appearance.

But what about now?

Everyone who saw the gift her son had poured his heart into was green with envy,

and they could not hide their amazement at the boy's talent.

This fact alone

felt far more precious to Eurynome than the beautiful treasure around her neck.

At the same time, it made her realize something clearly.

A woman's ultimate happiness indeed came through her children.

Seeing the son she raised with her own hands receive the world's recognition was a true treasure that could not be traded for anything else.

As she walked through the banquet hall, feeling as if she possessed the entire world,

Eurynome's eyes suddenly caught sight of a certain individual.

"It has been a long time... Hera."

"...Yes, it has, Eurynome."

Eurynome greeted her with a clear, sharp discomfort that was entirely different from her previous pleasantries.

Hera nodded stiffly in return, offering only the bare minimum of courtesy.

"What wind blew you here after three years of absence?"

"I came precisely because I haven't seen everyone in three years, especially during such critical times. Unlike some who have nothing to do, I am quite busy as the Queen of the Gods."

Hera had once stayed here as the adoptive daughter of Oceanus.

To Eurynome, Hera was like a sister of sorts.

Yet, despite this connection, the relationship between the two was far from good.

While their personality differences played a part,

the biggest issue lay with Eurynome's three daughters.

Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia.

Regarding the three sisters, known as the Charites (the Graces) and renowned for their exceptional beauty,

rumors still circulated that their father—the one who had lain with Eurynome—

was none other than Hera's husband, Zeus.

Indeed, back when Hera resided here, Zeus had visited several times,

and he had crossed paths with Eurynome on those occasions.

Although that was before Zeus and Hera were married,

Zeus's notorious reputation as a womanizer even back then gave the rumor some plausibility.

Nevertheless,

Hera herself knew with absolute certainty that this rumor was entirely false.

She hadn't particularly wanted to know, but she had no choice.

As the goddess of marriage and family, her eyes could perfectly distinguish those who committed infidelity.

In truth, Eurynome had conceived the three sisters entirely on her own.

From Gaia in the beginning to Nyx, the goddess of the night, parthenogenesis was surprisingly common among deities, so it was nothing out of the ordinary.

In other words, despite the rampant rumors, Eurynome was still a maiden.

Yet, regardless of the truth, the story that Eurynome and Zeus had slept together had already spread far and wide.

Among the loose-lipped wind gods,

among the gossiping nymphs,

and even among the humans created in the image of the gods.

At some point, Eurynome had become known to the world as Zeus's former lover and the mother of his daughters.

Despite her denials, the rumors persisted.

From Hera's perspective, she thoroughly detested the situation, feeling as though her husband had been stolen by mere rumors.

Especially when she considered Eurynome's striking beauty and her slightly more voluptuous figure.

Yet, she couldn't very well punish Eurynome as she did other women for something that wasn't even true.

In a way, that only made Hera find the situation all the more irritating.

Meanwhile, Eurynome, as a victim of the rumors herself, couldn't help but resent Hera for taking out her frustrations on her instead of keeping her husband on a tighter leash.

Consequently, this issue had completely shattered the already fragile relationship between the two goddesses.

And so,

Eurynome showed a quiet hostility during this unpleasant reunion with her old rival.

Hera was equally uncomfortable, but she sought to leave without wasting any time.

Regardless of her feelings,

now was not the time to start a fight.

She had far more important matters to attend to than a petty squabble.

But then...

"Oh... How could... Mmh..."

Despite the tense atmosphere,

the moment Hera saw the object around Eurynome's neck, a soft gasp escaped her lips.

Though it was only a momentary reaction, it was a clear look of envy—and from Hera, of all people.

Sensing this, something else began to stir in Eurynome's heart.

The corners of her mouth twitched upward,

and a thrill of excitement bubbled up from deep within her chest.

Yes.

This was