Story of the Temple of Pluto - (2)
"Ahhh!.. Ha.. Hah.."
The priestess of the Temple of Hades, Parona, screamed as she rose from her seat.
A headache from the influx of knowledge, a strange energy coursing through her body.
She hurriedly drank the water beside her and began to organize the memories she had received.
First, her lord, Hades, wished for the revival of the temple and the expansion of its influence.
Ultimately, he hoped she would assist in finding the monsters known as the Gigantes.
As she briefly recalled the appearance of the Gigantes, she shuddered at their horrifying form.
A creature with the lower body of a snake and the upper body of a giant human, a man-eating monster.
"Ugh..."
And the blessings she received from Hades were surprisingly numerous.
It was as if the oracle of Apollo in the Delphi temple prophesied in ecstasy,
And like the huntresses who received Artemis's favor through their vow of virginity.
She too had gained the ability to wield some of the power of the deity she served.
Even while standing still, she was blessed with wealth, and she could communicate with some souls.
When she raised her hand slightly, she felt a cold, dark energy.
'I was already a bit envious of the priestesses of Goddess Hecate...'
The goddess of magic, Hecate.
To wield magic, one must become a priestess or follower of Hecate.
Only then can they receive knowledge of magic and handle mysterious powers.
Despite serving a high deity like the Three Great Gods, she had not been granted any abilities until now.
If her god, who seemed uninterested in the mortal realm, had gone this far, could it be that the Gigantes were very dangerous?
'Hades...
To be honest, I'm a little scared...'
Finally, she was appointed as the high priestess of Hades, the lord of the underworld.
'This seems like an overwhelming responsibility for me...'
With a sullen expression, Parona let her shoulders droop.
However, as a priestess of Hades, she had a certain faith, and while she was gathering her resolve...
A guest arrived.
A young attendant dressed in splendid and neat attire, as if from a royal family.
"Are you... no, are you the priestess of Pluto? His Majesty King Polydoros, the rightful ruler of Thebes, summons you."
The great hero who founded Thebes, a descendant of Cadmus, and the current ruler of Thebes.
King Polydoros held his head as he looked at the priestess of Hades approaching.
As soon as the priestess of Hades paid her respects to the king, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Last night, in a dream, someone claiming to be the god Morpheus told me that if I revive the temple of Pluto, the country will prosper..."
This was undoubtedly a divine oracle.
An oracle is when a divine being conveys their will or warning to humans,
Or predicts the fate of a special human, or sometimes when humans ask the gods for information.
"And he also told me to speak with the priestess of Pluto."
It seemed that the Olympian gods were involved in the death of Pentheus, the previous king of Thebes...
Was the god intervening in Thebes again?
Pentheus had met his end for persecuting the newly born followers of Dionysus, one of the twelve Olympian gods.
Dionysus was the god of wine and madness, but Hades...
"So, what kind of punishment would Pluto impose if I do not follow the oracle? Would he take all the people of Thebes to the underworld?"
King Polydoros looked at the priestess before him with a hint of fear and displeasure.
He had never felt such fear from the words of a beautiful priestess dressed in black.
The priestess appeared flustered but answered calmly.
"Lord Hades... only spoke of benefits; he said he would not impose any punishment."
"No punishment at all?"
The gods were all fickle, self-centered, and arrogant.
At least, that was what Polydoros thought.
Anyone who experienced what he did would think the same.
The mistakes made by Pentheus, the king before him.
He had imposed minor restrictions on the followers of Dionysus, who were causing chaos in Thebes...
"Ahhh! Mother, it's me! Pentheus!"
"A wild boar! It's a wild boar! Kill it!!!"
"It's a wild boar disrupting the festival of Dionysus! Kill it!!!"
"Ahhh!!!"
To have a king of a nation killed by the hands of his own mother, who was driven mad.
It was truly a horrific situation, and since then, everyone had been careful not to go against the will of the gods.
No thief would dare enter the temple of Hades,
And no one would throw flirtatious glances at the beautiful priestess before him.
Thus, King Polydoros asked again.
"Don't lie, just tell me honestly; I intend to follow the will of Pluto anyway."
"That is... truly so. The more followers we have, the more blessings of wealth will be bestowed upon Thebes..."
Is the god who rules the underworld more merciful than the god of wine?
Is it because once they die, they all become his subjects that he shows mercy in the mortal realm?
Or could it be that when he intervenes in the mortal world, he only acts as a god of wealth?
After all, Hades is also the owner of all treasures beneath the earth...
Regardless, he must follow the will of the god, and the chances of Thebes facing disadvantages are low.
Though he must rely on the mercy of Pluto... perhaps he might receive some divine protection.
Having quickly calculated, King Polydoros showed his agreement.
"Well, I understand for now. Is there anything I can help with?"
"First, in the name of the royal family..."
A cold, dark, and terrifying underworld.
I was watching the happenings in Thebes from this place.
"If you pray to the statue of the god Pluto, blessings of wealth will follow, right?"
"That was officially announced by the royal family; the news that His Majesty received an oracle is spreading."
"Is Pluto now protecting our Thebes?"
"It seems not quite like that. He merely brings wealth to his followers..."
Inside the only temple in Thebes, I infused power into my marble statue.
If the followers sincerely prayed there, they could receive a faint blessing of wealth.
"I prayed in the temple and found a drachma on the ground."
"Though the other name of Pluto is quite fearsome..."
"Going there, Ares won't get angry, right?"
"Will I be dragged to the underworld for offering a rude prayer?"
The temple I built on the outskirts of Thebes gradually began to attract more people.
At first, only merchants seeking blessings of wealth visited,
But as the royal announcement and word of mouth spread, ordinary citizens filled with curiosity began to come as well.
The frequency of offerings from the mortal realm increased,
And those who felt the effects of the blessings of wealth drew in more citizens.
"Pluto, please let my trade route to Athens go smoothly."
"I'm entering the mine this time; do you know where gold veins might be buried?"
Most were there for wealth.
Naturally, that was what I aimed for.
Although the name Hades is a source of fear, the alias Pluto is a god of wealth everyone prefers.
If humans are hesitant, I can simply act under a different name in the mortal realm.
"O lord Hades, who rules the underworld... I wonder if my parents, who passed away last year, are doing well..."
"My friend wasn't a good person, but I hope for mercy..."
Sometimes there were followers who sought not the god of wealth, but the lord of the underworld.
Usually, these were people on the brink of death or those whose loved ones had received a visit from Thanatos.
Their prayers were more earnest than those calling upon Pluto.
Occasionally, I would send Morpheus to allow the truly desperate to meet their deceased in dreams.
Of course, this only happened under the strict watch of Morpheus or Hypnos, and most humans forgot the contents of their dreams upon waking...
"Please..! Let me see my mother just one more time!"
"Sniff... I never thought I would hear my father's last words in a dream... I'm just glad they're doing well there."
More and more people began to visit my temple, wishing to meet their dearly departed.
Even if they prayed sadly, it was only once per person...
I must not let my heart weaken.
From this time, strange rumors began to spread among humans.
If you wish to see your deceased family just once, go to the temple of Pluto...
In the underworld, Hades's office.
I was pleased to see the influence of the temple growing day by day.
If the influence of the temple continued to grow, I could quickly obtain information about the Gigantes...
If necessary, I could even descend into the body of the priestess.
If someone began to pray because a friend was killed by a half-human, half-serpent monster near Thebes,
That would be a trace of the Gigantes.
The priestess Parona was doing well, so now it was just a matter of the information network I had spread in the mortal realm catching the Gigantes...
"Hades."
Turning my head to check, it was the goddess Lethe with long silver hair.
She approached with a pout, clearly displeased about something...!
"Hades, I hear you are growing your temple in Thebes these days?"
"That is correct..."
Disappointment flashed in her eyes, which seemed to stare blankly into space.
Could it be that she was sad about not having her own temple?
"But why isn't my statue beside yours...?"
Though sometimes husband and wife gods are worshipped in the same temple...
But we haven't married, have we?
The goddess Lethe slightly parted her lips and looked at my face.
The soft words that slipped from her beautiful lips were...
"I also... want to be beside you..."
When you look at me like a drenched little animal... it makes my heart uneasy.