Perseus's Tale - (4)
"Yes, and the second is..."
Medusa's gaze shifts toward my mouth.
"I will grant you the right to choose your own destiny."
"What do you mean...?"
"If you wish to remain in the afterlife without reincarnation, I will provide you with the utmost comfort. If you desire to be reborn, you will have the freedom to choose everything, including your identity."
If she wishes, I am even willing to adjust the blessing of oblivion.
But this is not the end.
What truly matters is...
"Lastly... if you desire, you could become a lower deity belonging to the afterlife."
...!!!
Medusa's eyes widen in surprise.
But it is not something to be shocked about... she is originally a demigod, and her sisters are already deities.
I judged that this level of compensation was the most appropriate for her.
The Minos brothers beside me maintain calm expressions, perhaps having discussed this beforehand, but Thanatos, who brought the deceased, seems greatly flustered.
"Why are you doing this for me?"
Medusa looks at me with a bewildered expression.
Her eyes are filled only with questions.
"Even if you are a god of mercy, the idea of turning a monster defeated by a hero into a deity..."
"You are not a monster. You are merely a victim of fate."
I interrupted her and replied.
"There are many reasons. No matter how much it is due to fate, I was involved in your death, and I am also a god who governs the afterlife, the final destination for mortals..."
To those who have suffered misfortune in the mortal realm, I offer rest.
To those who have committed excessive sins, I offer punishment.
This is the responsibility that the king of the afterlife must uphold to maintain the cycle and balance of the world.
And...
"But the biggest reason is that I have never seen anyone suffer as greatly as you due to a god."
"...?!"
Because of her beautiful appearance, she was raped by Poseidon, a calamity she could not resist.
It was sorrowful enough to lose her purity, but she was abandoned by Athena, whom she served, and became a monster.
She tried to live quietly on a small island with her sisters without harming others, yet she was used as a stepping stone for a hero's exploits.
In my personal judgment... considering Phaethon, Oedipus, Cadmus, and countless others,
There is no one who has suffered more at the hands of a god than her.
"The afterlife is a world separate from Olympus... I may not be Zeus, but I have the authority to promote at least one lower deity."
"Ah... you truly are a god of mercy."
I felt somewhat uneasy being called a god of mercy.
How many wicked gods are there that simply returning what they have taken is considered mercy...
But if such words come from her, it would not be bad to be a god of mercy for a while.
If that brings her comfort and relief, then it matters not.
In the dark cave, it was as if she had encountered a ray of light...
Hope and expectation shimmer in Medusa's eyes.
"If I become a god, will I be able to meet my sisters again someday?"
"It is impossible to reside in the mortal realm. However, I will allow you to visit occasionally."
Her head moved slightly upon hearing my words.
"If I can meet my sisters again... yes, please make me a god."
Medusa nodded her head, and I waved my hand.
Black divine power surged toward Medusa before me.
Swaaa—
The power that transcends mortal perception forcibly expands her rank.
The soul of the demigod is enveloped in black flames, and light bursts forth as if blessing her rebirth into a new existence.
Whoosh—
I could sense the entire afterlife welcoming the birth of a new lower deity.
Since Medusa was originally of the bloodline of the Titan gods and possessed the rank of a demigod, her promotion was not difficult.
The black flames that had enveloped her as a mortal dissipated,
Revealing her form, now to be known as one of the many gods of the afterlife.
Before becoming a deceased, the clothes her body wore vanished, returning her to the moment of birth.
Her beautiful green hair and flawless, smooth figure drew gasps from the Minos brothers.
"You are now Medusa, a lower deity belonging to the afterlife."
Medusa clenched and unclenched her hands, examining her changed body, and then let out a scream.
"Kyaaaah!"
Medusa, trying to cover her vital areas with her hands, blushed deeply and uttered a word...
"Um... I’m sorry, but could I have some clothes...?"
Oh dear.
After sending off Medusa, now a lower deity, I leaned back on my throne, and the goddess Styx approached me.
The goddess... is quite bold in her attire today as well.
"Hades. Now that Medusa has become a lower deity, how shall we divide the work?"
"Do you feel sympathy for what she has endured?"
"Of course. There are hardly any gods who would not feel sorrow upon hearing her story."
Since she has become a goddess, she must fulfill her duties to maintain the balance of the world.
However, I had made her a goddess as a form of compensation for what she experienced...
"Let’s assign her only simple tasks. I did not make her a goddess to burden her with work."
"Understood. I will do that."
"And please call for Mente for a moment."
As the goddess Styx left, soon a weary-looking Mente came to me.
She seemed to have been working until just now, holding documents in her hands.
"Hades, why have you called for me?"
"Mente, I don’t know if it’s thanks to your efforts, but mint has spread quite a lot in the mortal realm. You’ve done well."
"Really?! Does that mean..."
She glanced at the documents in her hand and then spoke with a bright expression.
No, you don’t need to get so close; I can hear you just fine...
"Does that mean I no longer have to spread mint in the mortal realm?! Please say that’s true!"
"Um... that’s right. Since it has become widely known as my symbol, you can stop..."
"Wow! Finally...!"
Oh dear, she has more work to do...
Still, Mente seems to be in a good mood after a long time, so I remained silent.
A brief sense of liberation should be fine to enjoy.
"Hehe... but why did you call for me? Are we going to explore the mortal realm together as a reward..."
"... No, I called you to discuss how to make mint into food."
"Do I need to spread that method in the mortal realm?"
As I nodded, Mente, who had just regained her energy from being a nymph, suddenly shrank back.
Her face clearly showed immense disappointment.
Truly, the goddess of despair.
"The mint scent emanating from the souls is so strong that Charon is struggling."
"Yes..."
"So if we make mint into food for humans to eat, the amount of mint used during funerals will decrease..."
As I explained while looking at the parchment, Mente appeared pitifully droopy.
Still, this is relatively minor... she must have been resting comfortably when she was a nymph, so it can’t be helped.
"If you handle this well, I will take you with me when I patrol near Mount Etna."
"...!!! Really? You’re saying you’ll go with just me, not with the goddess Styx or the goddess Lethe?"
Did I say something wrong?
Seeing those sparkling eyes... it feels like this is not the right reaction.
"The two goddesses went last time, so perhaps..."
"You just said you would go with me alone?! Eeeheehee..."
Mente is... cute, but something feels off.
Somehow, she gives off a vibe reminiscent of Aphrodite.
"Alright, so let’s start with mint tea and mint leaf dishes for the humans..."
"Eeehee... yes... hehehe..."
I forcibly turned my gaze away from Mente, whose eyes were becoming increasingly sticky.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Don’t look at me like that.
Now that Perseus has slain Medusa, it is time for the Quine I lent him to return to me.
As expected, Hermes, the messenger god of Olympus, came to the underworld.
"Hades, uncle, I am back!"
"What about the Quine?"
"Oh, here it is. But Perseus was quite polite."
Polite? Did he show some courtesy for borrowing my weapon?
I accepted the Quine he offered and placed it beside my throne.
"In returning the borrowed weapon, I also presented Medusa's head to Lady Athena."
"Hmm. Bring that to the underworld."
"Yes?"
Hermes looked at me with a strange expression before speaking.
"Um... if you ask for it, Lady Athena will surely give it to you. But may I ask what you intend to use it for...?"
"Medusa is now a deity of the underworld. It is a body left behind by a god, so it must be retrieved."
"A deity?!"
The messenger god froze, his mouth agape as he stammered toward me.
"Ah... uncle...? Perseus has turned the monster he defeated into a god..."
"She is not a monster but a poor woman who was raped by Poseidon and vented her anger on by Athena."
"But I think my father and Lady Athena might protest..."
"What do you want me to do about it? Just bring me Medusa's head. And if you don’t return it, I will come to get it myself."
"Yes..."
Bowing, Hermes returned to Olympus with a troubled expression.
Afterward, Medusa's head from her time in the mortal realm returned to its original owner.
The head of the monster, with countless snake-like hair, lay with its eyes closed.
As I handed it to Medusa, she looked a bit hesitant and lowered her head.
"... Anyway, I have received my head back."
"Um... thank you. Truly..."
"Your head... well, since it is the body you had as a mortal, you can dispose of it as you wish."
As I turned to leave after saying this, I felt a hand grasping my collar.
"Hm?"
Turning around, she seemed to hesitate for a moment before looking me straight in the eye.
"If you grant me the grace of turning a monster that met its death into a god, I will widely announce it to the humans of the mortal realm."
"... You may do as you wish with that. But I too..."
I bear some responsibility for her death.
If I had not lent her the Quine, Perseus would have died instead of Medusa.
"But unlike other gods, you have offered an apology."
"......"
"Moreover, you have made me a goddess so that I can live a new life... I want to spread that grace widely."
Has she chosen me as a new faith after being abandoned by the goddess she served?
It feels less like a faith transformed by grace and more like a support to cover her emotional wounds.
"... I understand."
Even so, I could not bring myself to refuse.