The Story of Hephaestus - (1)
Not long ago, after dealing with the madness of King Oedipus in Thebes...
I was bestowing powers upon my newly appointed priests.
"May the blessings of Hades rest upon you..."
"O great protector of Thebes..."
Even though my temple had once faced destruction at the hands of Oedipus,
has the faith in me, who descended directly, grown stronger compared to Dionysus, who only sent a divine beast?
"Dionysus sent a divine beast, but the lord of the underworld came in person, you know?"
"Among us Thebans, there are hardly any who are not his followers."
"Isn't that obvious? How many people living in Thebes have not received the grace of Pluto?"
Thanks to that, the priests of the temple became quite busy.
Managing the visitors who came daily and verifying those who wished to become priests...
Phenedai, who had stepped down from her previous position to become the new high priestess, was also complaining of fatigue.
However, among the newly appointed priests...
I spotted someone very familiar.
"Hehe... It's the handsome and all-powerful Hades..."
With bright, light turquoise hair... the water nymph, Naiades.
Wasn't she the one I met near Mount Etna last time?
She was offering her prayers to me.
Surprisingly, her faith was so strong that she could manifest in her physical form.
"Mente, how did you become my priestess?"
"Ah! Lord Hades!"
When I casually spoke to her in my mind, Mente was taken aback.
The gazes of other followers turned towards her, seeing her reaction.
"Did you hear the words of Lord Hades?"
"Truly, the one who created mint..."
"You are favored by Lord Hades..."
Moving to a quieter spot, the Naiades smiled brightly and clasped her hands again.
"I heard there is a temple of Lord Hades in Thebes, so I came all the way here!"
"Aren't you a nymph from near Mount Etna? How did you come to Thebes...?"
Nymphs are beings that embody nature or objects.
If the place they inhabit is destroyed, the nymph also perishes.
Thus, most nymphs usually do not stray far from their homes...
"Well, I wanted to serve Lord Hades! Though there are goddesses, even in this world..."
Is it because I spread mint widely and made it my symbol?
That is a rightful reward, and you deserve such treatment.
"If you cannot protect your origin, you could suddenly find yourself in danger. Yet..."
"I'm fine! I asked other nymphs nearby to help protect my origin!"
Even if she asked her close nymph friends to protect her origin,
isn't it like leaving her heart behind and going far away?
I was at a loss for words, but Mente smiled brightly and said.
"Well... I heard that Lord Hades sometimes descends into the body of a priest..."
"That may be true...?"
"Then if you were to descend into my body, I would become one with Lord Hades... Kyaah!"
For a moment, I saw a glimmer of Zeus in Mente's face.
As expected of a Greek nymph, she has a slightly strange mind...
"Next time you descend, please do so into my body...!"
Is she not afraid of me...?
Other nymphs, as well as the gods, tremble at the sight of me...
After all, when I revealed my identity on Mount Etna, she had asked to spend time with me as a reward...
Perhaps it is because of the rumors of the merciful god, Pluto, that spread in Thebes.
Well, it's somewhat cute, so it's fine.
After severing the connection to the mortal realm, I took a moment to handle some affairs.
The tale of how Gaia corrupted the hero of Thebes, King Oedipus, had already been conveyed to Olympus.
I explained to Dionysus that it was all due to Gaia...
The patrols of Tartarus and Mount Etna were also completed last time.
There are no more serious criminals who are difficult to judge on the Minos line...
Finally, I could take a little rest, right?
Just as I thought to lean comfortably on my throne,
the goddess of oaths entered through the door.
"Hades. Are you perhaps free right now?"
Goddess of Styx?
"What brings you here? Is it that Thanatos has run away again...?"
"Hephaestus has come to the entrance of the underworld and wishes to consult with you."
"Hephaestus, you say? Please let him in."
What would Hephaestus want to consult with me about?
Is there a human among the souls he cherishes?
After a moment, the simple-faced, limping god, Hephaestus, entered.
As the world's greatest blacksmith god, he seemed to have a rather unpleasant expression.
"Uncle Hades, thank you for meeting me despite your busy schedule."
"Since you made the trident for me, you can come to the underworld anytime."
I called a maid to bring nectar and offered it to Hephaestus.
He emptied the golden cup in one go and spoke to me.
"Aphrodite has been too cold to me... Uncle..."
"Ah..."
Despite being married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite is famous for having relationships with other gods.
Hephaestus must be aware of this...
"I worked so hard to win the heart of the goddess of beauty, yet she doesn't even pay me any attention. Can you believe I haven't shared a bed with her since our marriage?"
He hasn't shared a bed even once?
Goodness...
Was it to that extent...?
He even gifted her the magical and enchanting belt, Kestos Himas,
and made everything she asked for.
"Then why are you consulting me about this? There are popular gods like Apollo and others..."
Hephaestus glanced at the goddess of Styx beside me and said.
"Well, Uncle, you are busy day and night, yet you are still quite popular among the goddesses, aren't you?"
"Um..."
"There are many goddesses in Olympus who wish to embrace Uncle Hades just once."
Are they all talking about my nieces and granddaughters?
I think many goddesses get tangled up because of the position of the three main gods.
"And most importantly...!"
"...?"
"There are rumors that my wife wanted to spend a night with you even after coming down to the underworld... Of course, I trust you, Uncle..."
Hephaestus's muscular body and round eyes drooped sadly.
Don't worry...
Unlike the king of the gods, I do not engage in affairs...!
"Thank you for trusting me. I swear by the river Styx that I did not have relations with your wife."
"I knew you would say that! Truly the renowned iron wall of the divine realm..."
Iron wall of... what...?
When I glared at Hephaestus with a bewildered expression, he cleared his throat and lowered his head.
"Ahem. I apologize. The noble lord of the underworld..."
"Stop saying strange things. Anyway, don't you want to seek advice?"
"Yes. That's right."
Let's think about why Aphrodite dislikes Hephaestus.
First of all... it must be an issue of appearance.
Hephaestus was born as the son of Hera and Zeus,
but when he was born ugly and limping, Hera was so disappointed that she threw him beneath the clouds.
After falling for nine days onto the island of Lemnos, Hephaestus later took revenge on Hera and reconciled with her...
But anyway, compared to the other impressive gods, his appearance does not hold up.
As I organized my thoughts, disappointment began to fill Hephaestus's eyes.
His head drooped lower and lower, and he looked like he was about to embody the deity of sadness.
Seeing him so dejected, I felt I had to say something...
Ah...! One thought came to mind.
"How about... trying a different approach?"
"Yes...?"
"Instead, make Aphrodite regret neglecting you and become obsessed with you..."
Hephaestus loves his wife even though their relationship is poor.
That's why he made everything she asked for and even gave her the Kestos Himas.
"So, if you refuse Aphrodite's requests and act indifferent towards her...!"
Just as I was about to finish my thought,
the goddess of Styx, who had been quietly listening, interrupted me.
"Hades! You mustn't do that!"
"Then do you have another way to make Hephaestus's family harmonious?"
"Um... that method won't work! If you do that, the goddess Aphrodite will only be happier and go meet other gods even more, won't she?"
She would actually be happy? What is this...
But they are a couple, could it be that they lack such feelings...?
The goddess of Styx stepped forward with a confident expression.
Unlike me, being a goddess like Aphrodite, she might have a solution.
"Since Hera is the goddess of family, how about seeking her help?"
"Styx, I have of course tried that method, but it was of no use."
"Then how about creating an item that moves the goddess's heart, like the Kestos Himas..."
"I already have dozens of similar items in my forge..."
"Then!"
"No. You don't need to say any more. There is no method..."
The earnest blacksmith god shed tears of sorrow.
Despite holding the position of one of the twelve Olympian gods and the reputation of the world's greatest blacksmith,
"I guess my ugly face... my limp... is not to Aphrodite's taste..."
"Ah..."
Now he is just a pitiful man who cannot win the heart of the one goddess he loves.
Neither I nor the goddess of Styx could find the words to say.