Repaying a Favor Demands Action
“…Divorce?”
Metis’s declaration struck like a thunderbolt from the blue, leaving Zeus momentarily frozen as if his mind had short-circuited.
What on earth was this woman saying?
She had been the woman he first loved, the wife he first took to bed, the one who stood by him through every storm. Even after she swallowed him whole in a bid to crush the prophecy, she had often lent him her wisdom from inside his skull, offering counsel and aid.
From her lips, the word divorce?
A thick fog of confusion swirled in Zeus’s chest. He forced a strained smile and answered with a voice thick with disbelief.
“W-what… what are you talking about? Divorce? Metis, that’s… that’s going too far…”
“I’m not joking.”
“M-Metis?”
Her reply came in a voice as sharp and cold as a blade.
The King of the Gods stared at her with a face that had turned to stone. Metis met his gaze without flinching.
“Zeus, you know exactly how much I’ve sacrificed for you, don’t you? From the moment I drove Cronus from power, through the complete conquest of Olympus, all the way to the day I carried your first child—every single thing I did, I did for you alone. Yet… what have you done to me?”
“That… that was because of the prophecy…”
“Yes… the prophecy. It’s truly terrifying. But if such a thing had happened, shouldn’t you at least have consulted the person involved? You swallowed me whole without a second thought, and it nearly cost us not only me but our innocent daughter as well—our daughter who should have been born in the light of day!”
“Ugh…”
Zeus muttered in a voice dripping with self-pity.
Honestly, he understood it all too well.
Metis had not only made him King of the Gods—she had given him every ounce of her devotion without hesitation.
No matter how terrifying the prophecy had been, this was nothing short of pure betrayal.
“I can’t love you anymore. In fact, I don’t think I ever could. The price I paid for everything I gave you is your death… and mine. How could you do this to me?”
“Me… Metis…”
“While I was inside you, I had already given up on living. But no more. From now on, I’m leaving you completely. I’m going to live exactly as I wish!”
“…”
Metis’s declaration was firm, unwavering.
Zeus was left speechless for a moment.
He had taken countless women to his bed and cast them aside without a second glance. Yet not once had any woman ever left him. Even Hera, who constantly complained and raged against him, had never once entertained the idea of parting ways.
But right now—
The woman standing before him, the first and only woman he had ever truly loved, was declaring that she was leaving him.
That was impossible.
He could never accept it.
No matter how much he had wronged her, she had the audacity to abandon the King of the Gods himself?
If she truly intended to leave, he would use every ounce of his power to stop her…
“Even from my perspective, it seems the kindest thing would be to let her go.”
“! H-Hades…?”
The sudden intrusion of his elder brother yanked Zeus’s barely restrained divine power back down.
Hades’s heavy voice filled the air as he looked at his brother.
“I’ve heard everything. I never imagined you’d do exactly what Father did.”
“G-Great Brother, that’s… that’s…”
“Ah, I know. You were terrified of the prophecy too, weren’t you? After all, that blood of yours doesn’t disappear. As your elder brother, I must admit I’m rather disappointed.”
“Ugh…”
Zeus’s mouth went dry once more at Hades’s words.
Looking at him not as the King of the Underworld but as his big brother, Hades spoke with solemn gravity.
“You’ve already crossed a river from which there is no return. Since we abandoned Father, she too has no choice but to abandon you. In these troubled times, it would be meaningless to throw a tantrum and stir up trouble. Just quietly accept the divorce and end it here.”
“…”
Accompanying the words of advice came the quiet but unmistakable warning that any further resistance could only make the situation worse.
And from Zeus’s point of view, the logic was sound.
The world was in complete chaos.
The matter of Hephaestus was proceeding smoothly, yet the world itself still groaned under the weight of pain, and the weakening of the Sacred Fire had already begun to ripple outward.
In such a time of poisonous public sentiment, revealing Metis’s crime could trigger repercussions far greater and more dangerous than anyone could predict.
In the worst case, the already unstable power of the throne could collapse completely.
Given that, it was far better to follow Hades’s advice and quietly close the matter with nothing but the single word “divorce” left behind.
“Hmph…”
Even so, if Hades had not been present, Zeus would have used every ounce of his strength to prevent her from leaving.
But even Zeus, who had always been hot-tempered, could not act rashly when his elder brother was watching everything unfold.
‘She calculated this too… As expected of the Goddess of Wisdom…’
The Goddess of Wisdom would never have declared divorce without preparation. She must have foreseen how things would turn out and quietly sought Hades’s cooperation in advance.
Realizing there was no other way, Zeus could only answer in a heavy voice.
“…I understand.”
*
“Is it finished?”
“Yes… it’s been properly settled.”
Athena asked in a subdued voice.
Metis answered with a carefree smile.
“Now what will you do? You’ve divorced, so you won’t be staying in Olympus anymore…”
“I’ll return to my homeland first. And staying at my sisters’ place for a while isn’t such a bad idea either.”
“Yes, you’ve suffered a great deal. If you ever need help later, just let me know.”
“Thank you, Lord Hades.”
“Thank you? You received a favor, so you must repay it. Rather, I should be thanking you.”
Even from Hades’s perspective, Metis was the savior who had pulled him from Cronus’s belly.
She had also endured betrayal by her own family and been swallowed whole—hardships they shared.
After offering the appropriate help, Hades saw her off back to the Underworld, then turned his gaze once more to his daughter.
“So, your feelings haven’t changed?”
“Yes… although Father did something cruel to Mother, he is still the legitimate King of the Gods. I want to do the things a daughter of the Gods and the eldest princess of Olympus should be doing.”
“Yes, I no longer have any attachment to this place. If that’s what you truly wish, then so be it.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Athena bowed her head with a look of lingering regret.
After hugging his daughter tightly once more, Metis left Olympus without another word.
As a wife, she had been freed from the lingering grief that bound her. As a mother, she had shed the responsibilities that once weighed her down.
In that light, carefree feeling, new goals began to take shape inside her mind.
‘Repaying a favor demands action… Indeed, that is the truth. This favor… must be…’
Metis’s cheeks flushed slightly as she smiled.
The moment she had shed everything, her mind was filled only with the image of the “benefactor” somewhere far below.
*
Deepest point in the world.
Tartarus.
The colossal prison that held the damned, the realm where the shadows of the world gathered.
There, the being who had once sat at the highest seat and ruled the world walked forward with a heavy expression.
“Any foolish schemes will not be forgiven.”
Echidna spoke in a cold voice, weapons at the ready and wariness clear in every line.
Cronus answered with an icy tone.
“Don’t worry. There’s no reason to.”
“I can’t help it. I was severely punished by a crazy woman for no reason before.”
“Haha, even someone like that existed? This place sure does attract all kinds of lunatics.”
“…Tch.”
Cronus sneered inwardly, but Echidna said no more.
They had already reached their destination, so there was no point in further argument.
“Come in. We’ve been waiting. Cronus.”
“Tartarus…”
The Lord of the Abyss lounged in a rather slovenly manner on the throne.
Tartarus.
The two of them stared at each other, and a cold smile slowly spread across both their lips.
“Sit. You’re a guest after all. Let me pour you some nectar.”
“Very well. It’ll be a long story, so…”
Following the invitation, Cronus took his seat.
The atmosphere between the two gods, seated across from each other, grew heavy.
There was no outright hostility.
It was simply that their very existence—gods whose power was strong enough to grasp entire worlds—made others feel their breath was caught in their throats.
“…Then I’ll be going.”
Unable to bear the pressure any longer, Echidna left the room.
A trace of bitterness flickered in Tartarus’s eyes as he drained the cup filled with black nectar.
“That was your daughter?”
“Yes… my eldest daughter, though I hold her in mixed feelings.”
“The mother?”
“There is none. If one must be named, it is Gaia, the Earth, who was born from the pieces of the world.”
Tartarus refilled the empty cup and continued.
Watching him, Cronus’s lips curled into a quiet smile as he emptied his own glass.
“I’ve heard the story. You tried to use that daughter to manipulate the Cyclopes, didn’t you? It failed in the end, of course.”
“Bad luck. A bunch of wasps showed up. The one good chance I had turned to ash.”
“I lost the meat I’d caught because of the unexpected interrupters as well. But… I learned something good from it.”
“What was it?”
Cronus set the empty cup down in response to the question.
Immediately afterward, he flashed a cool smile, pulled something from his pocket, and held it out to Tartarus.
Something glowing with a green light.
Something that resembled an egg.
“Family.”
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