Prophet Prometheus - (2)
No matter how much I try to stop Prometheus's punishment,
the resentment he holds against Zeus has already built up significantly, and he will never offer any help.
He will only send mocking laughter without uttering a single word about Gaia's intentions or his own prophecy.
It is uncertain whether his heart, which cares for humans, is greater than his anger towards Zeus.
Having descended back to the underworld, I moved quickly and exited the fortress.
As I left the pitch-black fortress and headed towards the outskirts of the underworld, a desolate path soon came into view.
If I go a little further... to the northern edge of my fortress, a place where most souls do not visit...
After walking for a long time along a narrow path that could only accommodate one or two people, a soul emerged from a small house.
A beautiful female soul with beauty that could rival that of most goddesses.
"Pandora. Can you spare a moment to listen to my story?"
"... Why have you come all the way here?"
She is the first woman created by the gods.
A justification for Zeus to punish humans with a great flood.
Out of a moment's curiosity, she spread the roots of all evils, such as disease and disaster, into the human world.
She was Pandora, married to Epimetheus, the brother of Prometheus.
I was guided inside Pandora's house and took a seat.
"What business does the lord of the underworld have with a humble human?"
"To call the first human woman blessed by numerous gods humble is not something you should say."
Her husband, Epimetheus, is an immortal Titan, so he is hiding in the mortal realm...
but Pandora met her death during the great flood caused by Zeus.
And upon arriving in the underworld, Pandora realized that she had been used and fell into despair.
Though a long time has passed and her resentment may have lessened, at that time, even having crossed the river of forgetfulness, she still held onto her memories.
I felt pity for her situation and offered to erase her memories,
but she herself wished to live in the outskirts of the underworld with her memories intact, without being reincarnated.
The way to persuade Pandora like this is...
"I intend to end Prometheus's long punishment."
"... I see."
"But there must be some reason that Zeus can accept. So I would like your help in persuading Prometheus."
I spoke to Pandora about Gaia, our enemy among the Olympian gods.
And I shared my thoughts of freeing and persuading Prometheus to borrow the power of his prophecy.
After listening to my story, Pandora sighed for a moment and replied calmly.
"Lord Hades has treated me well, but I still do not wish to do anything that would help Olympus."
I had often shown kindness to Pandora by delivering news about her husband Epimetheus, who was alive in the mortal realm, and vice versa.
Though they could not meet... they were happy whenever they received news about each other.
Epimetheus wandered the world, making it difficult to find him,
but the messenger said he was pleased to hear about Pandora...
"The reason the gods created me was to punish the humans who received fire... was it not?"
"I will not deny it. The reason you were created was that Prometheus's act of giving fire to humans was deemed contemptible."
The many gods showered Pandora with all kinds of blessings and created her as a trap to ultimately destroy humanity.
In simple terms, it was a trap.
"Why should I help Olympus, which once used me to destroy humanity?"
Pandora spoke flatly without any change in expression.
As the first woman, she cherishes and loves her descendants, the humans.
Her daughter, Pyra, born from her union with Epimetheus, married Deucalion and became the progenitor of a new humanity.
If one were to argue, her resentment would be a mix of anger towards the gods who destroyed humanity and guilt for having been used.
"Is it not possible that Gaia and those Gigantes ruling the world would be more beneficial to humanity?"
"The Gigantes devour humans. They have kidnapped people from the city where my temple was built to use as sacrifices."
"... Is that so."
While she seems to be willing to listen to my words, having provided her with many conveniences until now,
being persuaded by me is a separate matter.
"There will not be another great flood like that time. Even if Zeus tries to destroy humanity again, I will stop him."
"... You, Lord Hades, will stop Zeus?"
"If it is not for a just destruction, but rather for the petty reason of having received fire and going against Zeus's temper."
At that time, it was the early days of Olympus, when the authority of the king of gods had to be established to some extent,
and it was only when Pandora's box was opened and evils spread into the human world that I realized she had been artificially created by Olympus...
I merely expressed concern while respecting Zeus, without voicing any significant dissatisfaction.
And Zeus also respected me, not preventing Pandora and Epimetheus from contacting each other.
He did not mind that I showed Pandora kindness in the underworld either.
"I will show you how your daughter, Pyra, and her husband, Deucalion's descendants are living."
The scenery of the mortal realm that I often observe.
I shared a moment of viewing the mortals living in Thebes with Pandora.
Despite the past chaos caused by King Oedipus, Thebes appears to be thriving.
Thanks to the blessing of wealth I bestowed, there are not many starving people, and humans speak of the grace of the gods.
"Today, I plan to pray at the temple of Pluto to the statue of Morpheus."
"Did you have a good dream yesterday?"
"I hope it's a prophetic dream of great fortune..."
"Thanks to the mint given by the merciful god, Pluto, the air in the cemetery is fragrant."
"Ah... you are exaggerating."
"You would understand if you worked as a gravedigger. Before, it was such a foul smell..."
"I came from Athena, but how is it that Thebes worships... cough! Lord Pluto?"
"Have you not heard of mint? Not only that, but if a believer is threatened by a monster, he personally descends..."
"The lord of the underworld... the merciful god?"
Ahem...
I feel like humans are talking too much about me...
In Thebes, my name is almost as renowned as Zeus's, so there is no helping it.
"Truly, many people are calling upon the name of Lord Hades. The merciful god..."
"... It seems I have been called that way by chance."
Pandora, with her eyes wide open, gazes at the humans on the ground.
What thoughts might she have while looking at those who can be called her descendants?
"The reason I descended to Thebes was because of the Gigantes following the earth goddess Gaia."
"......"
"I was able to barely save one of my believers who was kidnapped by the Gigantes and was in danger of death."
"Gaia's minions..."
"Yes, it is precisely to prepare for Gaia's prophetic abilities that I am trying to persuade Prometheus to gain his counsel."
I see Pandora closing her eyes, lost in thought.
I can only hope that her love for humanity is as great as her hatred for the gods.
After a time that felt like it passed while emptying a cup of wine filled with Dionysus's grape wine,
Pandora opened her eyes as if she had made a decision.
She brought a parchment scroll and a feather pen from the room and began to write something diligently.
Then she took off the golden necklace she was wearing and handed it to me along with the parchment.
"If you bring this to Lord Prometheus, it will be of some help."
"... Thank you very much."
Pandora's golden necklace is a treasure that exists only in this world.
When she was born... it was a symbol of Pandora, gifted by the three goddesses of beauty, the Charites, who serve Aphrodite, and the goddess of persuasion, Peitho.
It serves as proof that the letter I will deliver to Prometheus is indeed from Pandora and represents her resolve.
With this, Prometheus will not doubt it.
As Pandora's hand, which was about to hand over the necklace and letter, paused for a moment,
she suddenly continued speaking quickly.
"But I will never say that the grudges I hold against the Olympian gods have been resolved or that I stand on their side."
"If that is the case..."
"I think it is better for the current gods to rule than for those monsters called Gigantes to dominate the world. And..."
Pandora paused for a moment, her lips trembling.
"...if the gods try to destroy humanity once again, you will stop them."
I feel grateful that I have built a friendship with her by showing her kindness in the past.
Did I unintentionally win her heart over the long years?
"I will trust the kindness you have shown me, Lord Hades."
In truth, I wanted to ask for help from her husband, Epimetheus, who is Prometheus's brother,
but he is always wandering and hiding, making it difficult to find him in a short time.
"To trust not the Olympian gods but me personally and to change your heart, is that alright?"
"Surely the lord of the underworld would not deceive a humble human, would he?"
"... Thank you very much. If Prometheus is persuaded, it will all be thanks to you."
The first woman, smiling faintly before me... is it not out of love for humanity,
but rather a decision made due to the guilt of having destroyed humanity with her own hands?
"Please do not have too high expectations. I have only written what I saw, heard, and felt in the city of Thebes that you have shown me."
"That will be enough."
Having turned the heart of one who was used to destroy humanity and resented the gods,
I can bring about a significant change in Prometheus's feelings as well.
Now, all that remains is for me to personally visit Prometheus with Pandora's letter and necklace.
No matter what happens, I will persuade him.