Persephone's Story - (4)
"Ah?"
Only then did Persephone seem to notice the golden arrow lodged in her chest, pulling it out.
As the goddess's hand touched it, the golden arrow, having fulfilled its purpose, melted into the air and vanished.
"This is... Eros's golden arrow?"
The god of love, Eros, took the form of a child holding a bow and arrow.
He possessed golden arrows of love and lead arrows of hatred.
The golden arrow would cause the one struck to fall madly in love with the first person they saw, while the lead arrow would incite a fierce hatred for the first person they encountered.
Due to the secretive and swift nature of love, Persephone, exhausted from the prolonged battle, could not evade it...
"The golden arrow... has struck me?"
"Ha..."
However, since Persephone, who had just been hit by the golden arrow, was now looking at me, I had now gained the love of my niece.
...
What should I do about this?
With a vacant expression, I gazed in the direction from which Eros's arrow had flown, and Persephone spoke.
"But I'm perfectly fine, right? Maybe it was a mistake? Hehe."
"... Anyone struck by that arrow, even Zeus, would fall in love."
The goddess, smiling and pretending otherwise, must have feelings welling up inside her.
It was impossible to ignore that she had clearly been struck by Eros's arrow.
How on earth could I handle this?
My father is Zeus, the king of the gods, and my mother is Demeter, the goddess of the earth...
If something goes wrong, a war could truly break out.
"But... I'm really fine. By the way, are you planning to return to the Underworld now?"
"I plan to tidy up around here for a bit before heading back."
The aftermath of the battle with the Gigantes had turned the area into complete ruins.
It was as if Zeus's lightning or Poseidon's trident had struck, with the ground overturned and cracks appearing everywhere.
The peak of Mount Etna, where Typhon was sealed, had been swept away by the force of my attack, and the once beautiful forests, fields, and streams lay in ugly ruin.
Most of the nymphs had either died or fled and were nowhere to be seen...
As I surveyed the devastation that would make even the god of nature, Pan, gasp, my niece reached out her hand.
With it came a warm and gentle divine power.
"Uncle Hades! I want to help too. I'm the goddess of spring and seeds, so I can do this."
Swoosh—
A green wave spread from Persephone's hand, gently caressing the earth.
Grass began to grow beside fallen trees, and the desolate plains regained their colors.
Indeed, it would be better for the goddess of spring to restore things than for me, who rules the Underworld.
It would have been much easier if Pan or Demeter were here...
"What do you think? Did I do well? I usually used this when playing with the nymphs, but it seems like it works for this too..."
"... Yes. You did well."
My niece, looking at me and chattering as if expecting praise, was truly adorable.
Even among the beautiful goddesses of Olympus, her beauty stood out remarkably.
Her golden pupils and hair, reminiscent of her father, Zeus.
A figure that was perfectly proportioned, with curves in all the right places.
Any lustful god would welcome the fact that such a goddess had fallen for him with open arms.
"What are you thinking about standing there? I want to know too!"
But she's my niece...
"Ha... It's all done. I've cleaned everything up."
While I searched thoroughly for traces of the Gigantes, Persephone had managed to restore the land to some extent.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Hehe... So now you're really going back to the Underworld, right? I want to go too!"
I froze at the words that came from Persephone, who was smiling brightly like a blooming flower.
Yes, this is the problem...
Anyone struck by Eros's golden arrow would fall into absolute love.
The power of emotions that even Zeus, myself, or Poseidon could not reject.
Among the souls that came to the Underworld, many had been struck by Eros's arrow during their lifetimes, so I was well aware of its power.
If both parties confirmed their love and one accepted, it would end happily.
However, if one party rejected the other or if differences in status prevented them from being together...
They might take up arms and slay those who interfered with their love, or weep sorrowfully until they took their own lives, or even go mad, cursing the gods while clutching their bursting hearts.
It truly fits the expression "blinded by love."
If I were to outright reject my niece, I could only imagine what would happen...
"You might see me favorably because of Eros's arrow, but that is a false feeling. I cannot take you to the Underworld..."
"Y-yes...? Waaaah!!!"
"Even if you cry like that, I cannot take you to the Underworld..."
"If I die... I can go to the Underworld! Even if I have to die..."
Yes, a suicide incident involving a goddess would surely occur.
If the goddess of spring and seeds, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, were to declare she would commit suicide at the entrance of the Underworld...
"Your Majesty! This is terrible! It was snowing until yesterday, but today the sun is blazing..."
"Are you saying the season of spring has vanished? The gods must be furious!"
"An abnormal phenomenon where seeds do not sprout... Has something happened to the Olympian gods?"
First, the world would be thrown into chaos because of the goddess of spring and seeds abandoning her duties.
Naturally, her mother, Demeter...
"What?! My daughter wants to go to the Underworld and has attempted suicide... What? She was struck by a golden arrow and fell for Hades, but was rejected?!"
"The land has completely dried up!"
"When I consulted the oracle at Delphi, it was said that Demeter was greatly enraged..."
"To think that no crops will grow on the earth anymore, Zeus..."
Demeter would surely cause some kind of trouble.
She is more akin to Artemis than a benevolent goddess like Hestia.
When her emotions are stirred, the earth would dry up completely, and the number of humans coming to the Underworld would only increase.
This is not the end.
Her father is Zeus, the king of the gods.
"Hades rejected Persephone, and because of that, she is trying to commit suicide to go to the Underworld..."
"Yes, Father. According to what I asked Demeter..."
"Is it all because Demeter has abandoned her duties?"
"Yes..."
"... Even if it's Hades, that's a bit too much. I think I need to have a word with him."
With countless complaints flooding into the Underworld, and souls starving to death piling up, both mortals and immortals would surely denounce the Underworld.
All the disasters that had just been brewing in my mind...
Could occur if I do not take this beautiful niece, who is now smiling foolishly in front of me, to the Underworld.
"Uncle Hades? So can I go too? Hehe... I've always been curious about what the Underworld looks like."
Though she is smiling happily at me now, looking into my eyes...
If I accidentally provoke her too much, chaos would descend upon the world.
"Um... It's a bit embarrassing when you look at me like that. Hehe..."
Oh, Zeus, what a mess.
It would be better to fight my father Cronos one more time.
There’s no helping it.
First, I’ll take her to the Underworld and then gently soothe her.
"... Alright. I can at least show you around. Follow me."
"Wow! Thank you, Uncle!"
Persephone spread her arms and hugged me.
Should I accept this? If I don’t, she might cry, thinking I don’t like her...
Swoosh.
The sensation of her softness and the fresh scent of spring tickled my nose...
"Hehe..."
I truly felt like I was losing my mind.
Is this really happening? I’m taking my niece, who was struck by Eros's arrow, to the Underworld.
"Now stop clinging and get on the chariot..."
"Hehe... Your chest is really wide... Can’t we just stay like this?"
"... Then it would be uncomfortable, so sit beside me."
"Yes!"
I set off toward the entrance of the Underworld with the brightly smiling Persephone.
"Wow! These horses are so cute!"
Puff... puff?!
Don’t pet the ghost horses that are running hard...
They get flustered when a goddess with an energy opposite to theirs suddenly pets them from behind...
I somehow arrived at the Underworld with her.
Persephone, not at all frightened by the dark scenery of the Underworld, looked around in wonder.
"Wow, there’s even a cute puppy here?"
"That’s Cerberus, the child of Typhon. I brought him here and made him the guardian of the Underworld."
Grr...
Grrr?! Grrr?
As the three-headed dog, surprised by the attention of a goddess it had never seen before, was petted all over by Persephone, it lost its composure due to the sudden affection.
The fearsome guardian of the Underworld seemed to be trying to gauge the relationship between me and Persephone, its eyes darting around before finally rolling over and exposing its belly.
Pant pant! Hah!
"Uncle Hades! Look at this! It’s so soft! Hehe!"
No, even if it looks that way, it’s still a powerful monster.
It could probably tear apart a couple of Gigantes.
"For now, I have work to do, so stay in this room for a bit, and if you need anything, just tell the attendant."
"Okay! ... Oh, you can do this too?"
Grr?! Pant pant!
I need to discuss the Gigantes with the other gods, so I’ll leave her with the attendant for a moment and return.
When I was in the mortal realm, I also needed to check on the pending trials and the current state of the Underworld...
"Hades! Just the person I needed! There’s a matter that requires your direct approval..."
"Morpheus. Is it another issue with the souls?"
"Ah, if you look this way..."
"This matter needs to be discussed with the other gods..."
I briefly talked about work with Morpheus, who had found me, and signed the documents.
He hurried back, saying it was time for him to deliver dreams to the mortals.
Now, I moved to go fetch Persephone, who was still in the room.
Crunch.
Yum yum.
And I found my cute niece eating pomegranate from a small bowl.
Who brought pomegranates into this room? Was this originally a resting place for other gods?
Wait a minute...
According to the laws of the Underworld, anyone who eats the food of the Underworld...
"Hehe... Uncle Hades! You should try this too! Even in the Underworld, the fruit is fresh!"
As I looked at my niece, her lips stained with the red juice of the pomegranate, I held my head.
...
What a mess.