Typhon's Story - (3)
I witnessed the sight of an utterly ordinary human acquiring the courage of Ares.
I had seen countless humans until now, but never had I been so deeply impressed as I was today.
However, mere willpower alone cannot fulfill the command given by Zeus.
Does Cardmos truly possess such ability?
So, I asked him directly.
What method would he use to reclaim Zeus's tendons from Typhon?
"Though I may not be comparable to the god of music, Apollo, I am confident that I possess the skill to charm at least one monster."
Cardmos took out a flute from his bosom and slowly blew into it.
His posture while playing was skilled and natural, suggesting he had not just played once or twice.
Pipiririri~
The sweet sound from Cardmos's flute caused the surrounding animals to pause.
Even the nymphs dwelling in nature emerged to listen to the music, and the air trembled softly in resonance.
Every space where the flute's sound reached flowed in harmony with his melody.
When the gentle rhythm that had echoed around us finally ceased, I felt an unexpected sense of loss.
Cardmos, removing the flute from his lips, spoke to me with a confident expression.
"The monster will not be able to regain its senses from my flute's sound!"
For a moment, I compared it to the music I had heard from Apollo, the son of Zeus and the god of music.
Similar to Apollo... no, could it be even better than Apollo?
Such playing skill that dared to aim for the position of the god of music.
Still... it is dangerous.
It is not just about playing; he must also possess the eloquence, courage, and luck to extract the tendons from Typhon.
If it were a slightly more seasoned monster, this gamble would never work.
However, if I imagined Typhon, who was strong yet appeared somewhat clumsy, I could see a glimmer of possibility...
"Hades, I have already made up my mind."
In truth, I still thought Zeus was mad...
Yet, Cardmos's eloquence and courage in answering my earlier question clearly surpassed that of an ordinary person.
I finished my thoughts and slowly nodded my head.
However, if Typhon were to disregard the flute's sound and attempt to kill Cardmos, I, who was lying in ambush with Quine, would step in.
Pipiririri~ Pipiriri~
A little distance from Mount Olympus.
The man disguised as a shepherd, Cardmos, was walking while playing the flute.
And a few steps away, I, wearing Quine, drew my Stygian sword and followed behind him.
It was a path leading to a monster that could kill him in an instant, yet he played music calmly.
As he entered Typhon's influence, a fierce storm began to rage, causing him to stagger and trip.
Kuuuuuu...
But that was only for a moment; the raging storm gradually subsided.
It was a sign that Typhon was intrigued by the song and was withdrawing the wind that surrounded him.
Seeing clear evidence that Cardmos's music was reaching Typhon, he gained confidence and walked forward again.
Gradually, the animals living in the mountains disappeared, and broken trees began to pile up around us.
As we approached Typhon's location, the pressure grew stronger, yet Cardmos pressed on, sweating coldly.
And eventually, he encountered the monster.
"Khahahaha! Truly an impressive performance! What is your name, human?"
Typhon's laughter, as he lay sideways, shook the earth and sky.
Nevertheless, Cardmos stood firm on his two legs.
"I am merely a shepherd passing by, a human named Cardmos. Oh, great one!"
"A shepherd? Just a shepherd! You played heavenly music for me, and yet you do such trivial work?"
Typhon looked down at Cardmos with eyes full of goodwill, as if watching an ant perform tricks.
The hair of Typhon, made up of over a hundred snakes spewing lightning and poison, remained silent before Cardmos.
"Follow me; if you play that music whenever I desire, I shall grant you a great reward."
"What kind of reward do you speak of?"
Typhon pretended to ponder, bestowing kindness upon the ant before him.
At least, that was how it appeared to me, Hades.
"If you wish, I shall give you any goddess you desire, except for Athena, Aphrodite, Leto, or Artemis. What do you say?!"
The mad monster, is Hera his trophy?
I briefly worried that Cardmos might fall for that temptation.
To claim a goddess is a temptation hard for any human man to refuse, especially if it means the danger of deceiving the monster is eliminated...
"Of course, I shall follow your command, oh great one! But do you not wish to hear even more splendid music?"
"Oh? More than the flute's sound just now?"
Cardmos's throat swelled, and he began to accuse Typhon with a booming voice.
"In the past, I once defeated the god Apollo in a contest of lyres. Yet, upon learning of this, Zeus struck my lyre with lightning!"
"You seem capable of defeating Apollo, but to have your lyre's strings severed by lightning..."
"If I can recreate my lyre, I will play melodies far sweeter than before."
Indeed, his eloquence, courage, and wisdom were all fitting for the first hero of humanity.
"Very well! This is the tendon of Zeus, who was defeated by me. Use it to recreate your lyre and return to me!"
"I am truly grateful, oh great one."
Typhon moved his massive body and retrieved the tendon from beneath the bear skin he had been lying on.
Even separated from its owner, the divine tendon pulsated strongly, showing no signs of decay or rot.
"I shall create the lyre and return."
"Uhaha! Yes, return quickly!"
The hero, embodying the courage of Ares, the musical skill of Apollo, and the wisdom of Athena, completed his task.
"Indeed, you have truly reclaimed my tendon, human."
"It is an honor to assist the divine Zeus."
Cardmos and I returned to the mountain with the tendon and found the cave where Zeus was imprisoned.
I was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the once powerful Zeus, now lying helplessly on the ground.
Yet, as soon as we returned the tendon to his legs, he transformed back into the Zeus I knew.
"Zeus. It seems the three goddesses of fate have intervened with Typhon."
"The Moirai are helping me?"
As I informed him about the weakened Typhon, he smiled confidently and clenched his fist.
It seemed he had regained his confidence.
"I know where Typhon has hidden my Astrafe. While I retrieve it, could you perhaps find the other gods, Hades?"
"Of course."
Even with Zeus's power restored, Typhon, who had single-handedly toppled Olympus, should not be underestimated.
If Zeus were to fight alone, he could very well be defeated again, so perhaps he was thinking of teaming up.
I immediately set out to find the other gods.
To ensure the gods could recognize me, I removed Quine and quietly held it in my hand while searching the surroundings.
Fortunately, one god found me first.
"H... Hades!"
The goddess of the hearth, Hestia, appeared.
Terrified, she ran towards me and embraced me.
The warm and gentle divine power I usually felt from her was now trembling unsteadily.
Like a hearth flickering out in a fierce wind.
"You've come to help! But Zeus couldn't escape in time..."
"I have already met with Zeus, so calm down."
Even a seasoned goddess who had experienced wars against the Titan gods and Gigantes trembled in fear.
Once again, I felt how strong a monster Typhon truly was.
I finished explaining about Zeus's tendon to her and set out to find the other gods.
Hestia was greatly surprised by the exploits of a human hero, whom she had only regarded as a caretaker.
"My goodness... a human hero helped us...?"
"First, let's defeat Typhon, and then I'll introduce you."
She too decided to gather with the other gods at Mount Olympus, which Typhon had occupied.
From now on, the speed at which the gods would gather would gradually increase.
As I thought this, a god with the lower body of a goat and horns, and the upper body of a human, came running towards me.
He had the very expression that humans wore when looking at Zeus.
"H... Hades!"
He stopped in front of me.
"Kuhk... You've come all the way to the mortal realm to save Olympus... I am truly sorry!"
Wait, were you the one who transformed into that creature that was a mix of a goat and a fish before I met Cardmos? Pan?
I had thought you were just some lowly god and passed by in search of Zeus's traces, but it turned out to be Pan.
If I had known, I would have removed Quine and tried to speak to you.
Pan.
A god of nature and shepherds, he has the upper body of a human but the lower body of a goat, a type of satyr (half-man, half-beast).
By the way, he is also the son of Hermes and the grandson of Zeus.
You really need to work on your transformation skills.
It was fortunate that Typhon had no interest in the fleeing gods, except for Hermes.
"Is my father safe? Kugh... I was so anxious..."
When I informed him that Zeus was currently being treated in the Underworld, he gritted his teeth.
The feeling of powerlessness and sorrow for not being able to confront the monster as a god seemed to cross his face.
Just like Hestia, I calmed him down and told him to find the other gods.
"Ah! Even though I may seem like this, I am still a god of nature. I can quickly find the others if I ask!"
I didn't bother to ask who he would inquire of.
I confirmed that animals like birds, squirrels, and chipmunks were gathering around him.
It seemed many gods had transformed into fish, just like Pan.
Should we head to the riverside?
Fortunately, there was a suitable riverside nearby.
As I revealed my presence and spread my divine power widely, two fish suddenly leaped out of the river.
In a brief moment, they transformed.
Powerful divine energy.
The Twelve Olympians.
"Hades, uncle!"
"What is the war god doing in such a state?"
"... I apologize. The feeling of defeat was too overwhelming..."
One was Ares, the muscular god who had helped greatly during the great flood.
And...
The goddess with dazzling blonde hair and an eerily beautiful appearance.
An aura that captivated everyone, regardless of age or gender.
A perfect figure without a flaw, emanating the scent of flowers.
It was the goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.
Born from the foam of the sea when Cronus cut off his father Uranus's genitals.
"It's been a while, Hades."
Of all times, she was wearing the waist ribbon Kestos Himas, which had the power to enchant men.
The allure of the goddess of beauty, which no one could escape.
Turning my eyes away from my throbbing head, I admonished Aphrodite.
"Save that for when you fight Typhon."
"Hmm... It seems it doesn't work well on the three great gods."
The embodiment of perfect beauty pouted slightly as she loosened the waist ribbon.
If Eros, the god of love, and Peitho, the goddess of persuasion, had been beside her, I might have been swayed a little.
"Ah... Aphrodite."
My nephew had already succumbed and was smitten.
Aphrodite was already married to Hephaestus...
I couldn't tell the goddess of love not to seduce men, so there was nothing I could do.
Would she one day attain the status of the goddess of infidelity?
I informed them of the situation and sought their help.
"I see. Father's tendon has returned... Then we shall also search for the other gods!"
"I'll see you again shortly, Hades."
She seemed like Zeus, wanting to take anyone who caught her eye to bed.
As I turned to search for the other gods, a breeze from the forest whispered into my ear.
The rustling grass seemed to convey Pan's message to me.
Zeus's eagle, the eagle, was also flying this way.
[Hades! We found everyone!]
[Brother, while we engage the monster, please take care of Squite.
It seems to be Olympus's...]
The time for counterattack had come.