The Queen's Displeasure and the Smith's Gift
The heavenly kingdom of Olympus was gripped by a suffocating tension, as if a volcano had been sealed shut by the King of Gods' coercive lockdown order. Poseidon, who had been visiting Olympus with Athena for the first time in a while, found himself trapped, unable to return to his own realm due to the sudden, unexplained decree. With the exception of Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and Iris, the rainbow messenger—both of whom were exempt due to the nature of their divine duties—all other gods were strictly forbidden from any activity outside of their essential divine functions.
—"Get out of my sight this instant!"
—"You insolent fool! Who do you think you're raising your voice at!?"
The residents of Olympus were paralyzed with terror by the thunder and earthquakes that shook the council hall—a near-daily occurrence now. Yet, knowing exactly which gods were responsible for these cataclysms, no one dared to step forward and protest.
—"Rumble!"
—"Crash!"
"Sigh..."
Looking up at the highest peak of Olympus, where lightning danced and dust clouds churned, even Hera, the Queen of the Gods, shook her head as if there was no stopping them.
"M-Mother..."
"Hebe, don't worry yourself. It’s not like it’s the first or second time those two have made such a ruckus."
Originally, Hera and her daughter Hebe, the head handmaiden, lived with Zeus in the largest and most beautiful grand temple on Olympus. However, Hera, rebelling against Zeus's tyrannical lockdown, had stormed out of the grand temple, declaring she didn't want to see his face, and was currently residing in her villa.
"B-but Mother, you’ve been down from the grand temple for quite a while now, and Father hasn't even called for you..."
"Let him be. It seems he’s tired of treating me like a queen, let alone a wife."
Even in the kingdoms of mere mortals, when a lockdown was declared due to plague or war, a king would consult his queen and ministers first. Zeus’s unilateral lockdown, enacted without even asking for Hera’s opinion, was an act of tyranny that ignored her sovereignty and proof that his arrogance had reached its peak. Hera had been even more furious than when Zeus’s infidelity had first been exposed, and after a massive fight, she had left the grand temple.
Yet, in a situation where Zeus would usually come crawling back, begging for her return with flowers and jewels, a month had passed without so much as a single letter.
"Fine, do as you please. Do whatever you want."
"Hieee..."
As a result, Hera’s anger grew with each passing day, and the atmosphere was pure misery for Hebe and the handmaidens under her.
—"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The lightning bolts summoned by Zeus’s rage rattled the eardrums, and Hera bit her lip in displeasure, a frown creasing her smooth brow.
"Always so uselessly noisy. Has he reached the point where he can’t even control his own power when he’s excited?"
"Hm?!"
She had thought the deafening roar was just another of Zeus’s lightning strikes, but it turned out to be someone knocking on the villa door.
"Oh? This voice...?"
As Hera tilted her head at the familiar, booming voice that echoed throughout the mansion, a handmaiden came running, her face bright with news.
"Lady Hera! H-Hephaestus has come to visit!"
"Hephaestus?!"
If Ares was the finger Hera despised, Hephaestus was truly the finger that pained her heart. He was the son who had been cast down to earth for defending his mother against his own father, forced to live with a permanent disability despite his noble divine body. Yet, he was also the proud son who had honed his skills to a level that even the King of Gods, who had exiled him, could not deny. He was the poor child for whom she had personally officiated a wedding and bestowed blessings, only for him to choose seclusion on a remote island, rejecting Olympus due to an unhappy marriage much like her own.
Perhaps it was the guilt of a young Hera who couldn't stop his father's rampage, or perhaps it was the shame of a goddess of marriage facing her mother because of a cheating wife—whatever the reason, Hephaestus had always visited Olympus only to offer distant greetings before returning. Yet here he was, entering the palace despite the lockdown to find her.
"P-prepare refreshments in the garden immediately... No, light up the banquet hall and prepare a feast!"
—"Yes!"
How long had it been since they had met in person? Perhaps it was a mother’s heart, but at Hera’s command to keep her poor son there for as long as possible, the handmaidens moved in perfect, disciplined unison.
When Hera rushed to the entrance of the villa, she was met by Hephaestus, dressed impeccably, with none of his usual disheveled appearance. His beard and hair, which were always messy like a briar patch, were neatly trimmed, making him resemble his father, yet the deep red hue reminiscent of lava was something he had inherited from her. Even the cane that had pained her heart every time she saw it, and the golden handmaidens who usually supported him, were nowhere to be seen.
However...
"Hephaestus! Welcome... What is that?"
"Ah! Mother! Have you been well?"
—"Click! Click!"
Behind his back, long, metallic structures reminiscent of a Hydra clicked toward her as if greeting her. Four metal pincers, resembling a hearth stand, supported Hephaestus, while the others extended to bring the gifts he had brought inside. The sight was so bizarre it looked like a snake carrying prey.
"Hmm, the luggage is all moved now..."
Without caring for Hera’s gaze, as she stood with her mouth agape at the strange sight, Hephaestus tapped the golden bracelet on his wrist.
—"Clack, clack, clack!"
The mechanical arms that had been extended behind Hephaestus retracted with a metallic sound; one transformed into the golden crutch held in his hand, and the others into a gleaming belt around his waist.
"...Oh my."
Hera couldn't help but admire the incredible invention she had never seen before. Seeing his mother unable to hide her pure admiration and surprise, Hephaestus smiled proudly and shook his crutch.
"This is a new prosthetic I’ve made. It’s an invention hinted at by a hero I met, just as you suggested, Mother."
"Ah! So you met that child?"
"Yes, it was a very enjoyable time for the first time in centuries."
Hera felt a lump in her throat at the sight of Hephaestus smiling so brightly. How long had it been since Hephaestus had smiled at her like that? While keeping in touch with him, she had merely dropped a hint about Dianes, who would have arrived at the nearby island of Erytheia, and it seemed to have returned as a stimulus and inspiration far greater than she had imagined.
"Hmm? It seems Hebe is working her magic?"
"I’m sorry. You’ve come to visit your mother after so long, and I can’t even show off my own skills... Are you disappointed?"
"Hahaha! If I told people I made the Queen of the Gods do kitchen work, I’d be the one getting cursed at, wouldn't I?"
The mother and son, reunited after a long time, shared a banquet prepared by the head handmaiden and drank nectar while catching up.
"Hmm... So Uncle Poseidon declared a lockdown as soon as he ascended to Olympus."
"That’s right. Because of that, Poseidon is currently in a state of chaos. Even your father, for some reason, hasn't taken a single step back this time, and he won't even explain the reason properly..."
"It’s a good thing I told them at the workshop that it would take a long time before I left."
"...Are you alright?"
"Well, it was about time to inspect the weapons and tools of other gods anyway, so it’s fine. Mother, if your spinning wheel or magical tools are acting up, let me know."
"Then I shall have Hebe make a list later. The great blacksmith has come in person; I shouldn't miss this opportunity, should I?"
"Hahaha! Oh, Mother!"
Hephaestus laughed pleasantly at Hera’s joke. He had always been easygoing and gentle as long as his father wasn't involved, but it had been a long time since Hera had seen him smile so brightly, just like when he was a child.
"It seems Dianes, that child, has given you great inspiration."
"Haha! That’s right! The guy is a genius!"
Tapping the crutch that had transformed into a giant golden prosthetic earlier, Hephaestus excitedly told Hera about his conversations with Dianes, like a young child bragging about his favorite friend.
"As the blacksmith of the gods, I dare say his imagination and creativity are on par with Athena’s. But even I was surprised by the sheer scale of his imagination and perspective. He comes up with bizarre ideas that even Daedalus couldn't have imagined!"
The golden bracelet Hephaestus showed off proudly had five gems embedded around a large topaz in the center. As he tapped the central topaz, the belt at his waist unraveled. Like a snake, it wrapped around his waist and back, transforming in the blink of an eye into the mechanical arms that had resembled the heads of a Hydra earlier.
"In particular, his knowledge of Neri and cognitive imagery was centuries ahead of its time. It was based on the knowledge I received from him that I realized this golden prosthetic!"
The golden machine, which had scanned its surroundings like a snake, stretched out like rubber and lightly caught the whole roasted pig that Hebe was bringing in.
"Oh my!"
"...It’s impressive."
To be honest, it was more bizarre than impressive, but Hera couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh to Hephaestus, who looked the happiest he had been in centuries.
"Hahaha! Right?!"
—"Zzzing..!"
—"Click!"
Regardless of her impression, the golden hand, unlike its clunky appearance, moved with extreme agility, just like Hephaestus’s real hand, reaching out to pour wine into Hera’s glass and offering a drink to Hebe as well.
"Wow...! With this, work will be so much easier!"
"Hehe, don't even mention it, Hebe. I tried making and using it for a while, and the convenience is beyond words!"
Hephaestus beamed at Hebe’s sincere praise, and Hera smiled warmly at the heartwarming sight of the siblings.
'I should thank Dianes.'
According to the reports from Iris and Hermes, he had successfully calmed the rampaging Orthrus, brought it under her divinity, and was restoring its ancient spirit. Not only that, but Atalanta, who had been connected to Dianes under her blessing, was enthusiastically subjugating the poleis of the Peloponnese, offering burnt offerings and prayers to her without fail. Moreover, the place Atalanta was conducting her conquest was none other than Elis, where Olympia was located. In other words, it was the land of the fanatics who served that detestable Zeus, so Hera’s satisfaction only soared higher.
He was the hero who was leading the charge in praising her, the Hera whose influence had been gradually fading under Zeus’s shadow, by conquering Zeus’s land. How could Hera not cherish the hero who was close to her two sons—her aching fingers—encouraging their spirits, and successfully acting as her proxy for her long-standing, unfortunate tasks?
Even look at that.
"Now, be careful... Just think of it as having another arm..."
"Ugh. I-it feels strange, Brother."
"It’s fine. It’s just your brain recognizing the new arm and adapting to it. First, try reaching for that apple in front of you..."
"Ugh... Ack! It broke!"
"Hahaha! But you reached the apple properly! That’s amazing, isn't it?"
Was it not also Nyx’s youngest son who had brought a little warmth back to her home, which, despite being the goddess of the hearth, had always been cold and stormy? Even though he was the youngest of the same Protogenoi, he was worlds apart from her tiresome husband who only threw his weight around.
'I should go meet him sometime soon.'
Since it was related to her long-standing divinity and divine duties, Zeus wouldn't be able to say anything about it.
It was just as Hera was quietly smiling, thinking she would go on an excursion under the guise of work for the first time in a while.
—"Rumble!"
Suddenly, the outside flashed, and with a deafening roar that shook her eardrums, her villa trembled violently.
"Eek!?"
There was only one person in Olympus who could handle such thunder and lightning and dare to cause such a reckless disturbance near the Queen’s chambers.
"Father?"
"Father?"
Hephaestus and Hebe jumped up in surprise at the voice that boomed throughout the mansion, but Hera silently gestured for them to sit back down.
"It seems a dog is barking somewhere. Let it be."
At their mother’s sharp, chilling face, which was smiling but not really smiling, the children quietly sat back down. They broke into a cold sweat at the ominous premonition, but to borrow Dianes’s expression, they were already riding the back of a tiger.