Persephone's Story - (6)
Thanks to Iris arriving in the Underworld at just the right time, the situation was brought under control.
Everyone seemed to have a face that said they would let it go for now...
"Iris, did you come looking for me from Olympus?"
"Yes. Lord Zeus has instructed me to bring Lord Hades to Olympus."
The death of Chiron... was undoubtedly the blow from Gaia mentioned in Prometheus's prophecy.
Only the wise of the Centaur tribe could raise heroes in preparation for the Gigantes.
The gods of Olympus cannot directly train heroes in the mortal realm, and if they search among mortals for a suitable candidate, their abilities would be in doubt.
"The prophecy said to connect the Underworld and the mortal realm, so I must discuss specific methods with Zeus. Understood."
This is not just a problem for the Underworld, so I cannot make a judgment based on my own will.
I should go up to Olympus, hear the information Demeter has about the Gigantes' stronghold, and also convey matters regarding her daughter, Persephone.
"Have a good trip, Uncle Hades!"
"Y-you too?! This is not your home..."
"What does it matter? I will be living here now. Hehe!"
"Ah... I've never seen a god adapt to the Underworld so quickly..."
Ignoring the strange sounds coming from behind, I followed Iris to Olympus.
It seemed all the gods had gathered in the center of the Olympus palace, as their presence was only felt there.
Zeus had summoned all the gods.
As we passed through the massive golden doors and walked on the clouds, I saw countless gods bustling about.
Zeus, sitting on his golden throne with lightning in hand, had his eyes closed while Poseidon was conversing with Hera.
The immortals of Olympus were chattering about the Gigantes and the prophecy.
"Chiron, the sage, has died due to the torture of the Gigantes?"
"If that's the case, how will we train heroes? It will be hard to find another educator of his caliber..."
"The prophecy mentioned connecting the mortal realm and the Underworld, so... perhaps Lord Hades could spare Chiron as an exception..."
"No matter how much it is a prophecy, how could the dead...! Hmm. This is not something I should speak carelessly about."
"I heard that Typhon's body almost broke free..."
"If that dreadful creature had fallen back into Gaia's hands..."
"Ah... so the blow mentioned in the prophecy was indeed this, a painful strike."
Hmm.
It seems the meeting hasn't even started yet, but the atmosphere is already tense.
Thud.
Thud.
"Ah... Lord Hades."
"You have arrived, Uncle."
As I walked through the crowd... no, the divine crowd, the gods recognized me and parted the way.
Zeus, noticing my presence, opened his eyes and cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Now that Brother Hades has arrived, we shall begin the meeting. Hermes!"
"Yes!"
Hermes brought forth a massive parchment and spread it wide in the air.
A map of the entire world appeared before us, with red dots marking the places attacked by the Gigantes.
"Recently, there was a great invasion by the Gigantes. As you can see on the map, Corinth, Athens, Chiron's dwelling, and Mount Etna were their targets."
Following Zeus's words, the red dots glowed ominously.
Since they attacked simultaneously, Hermes must have been the only one to descend during the assault on Mount Etna.
If I had not been there...
Hmm.
"Mount Etna was handled by you, Brother Hades, Athena took care of Athens, and Apollo went to Corinth, but... we missed one location."
As the king of the gods lowered his voice, lightning crackled from his body, reflecting his emotions.
A subtle aura spread along with it.
"As all the gods here know, the sage Chiron of the Centaurs was attacked and tortured, ultimately giving up his immortality."
Crackle—
Zeus's eyes were covered in blue lightning, and thunder began to gather in the clouds.
The wrath of the god of the heavens flowed out with a heavy presence, enveloping Olympus.
Sweat dripped from the brows of the lesser gods, and even those who were granted golden thrones were at a loss.
"Ugh..."
"Um..."
The king of the gods, who usually valued Chiron greatly, was filled with rage over his death.
It was Poseidon who calmed him.
"Zeus. The matter of Chiron is truly unfortunate, but please calm down."
"... Ah, I have been rude to everyone."
"Ahem! Putting that aside for now, I have discovered their stronghold using the stone of Omphalos. Demeter!"
"The Gigantes were in the plains of Thrace, in the region of Phlestra. I am certain of it, as the power of the earth that is not mine was emanating from there."
"Currently, Apollo and Athena are monitoring that plain. They will not be able to attack us again."
For a while, discussions about the Gigantes continued.
Ideas about completely destroying their stronghold or Poseidon sinking it with water were proposed...
There were even suggestions to split the land and turn it into an island, but... since that could lead to an all-out war, they were all dismissed.
The conversation went in circles...
"Regardless, to defeat the Gigantes, we need a hero... Hades, what do you think about reviving Chiron?"
The topic returned to Chiron.
As Poseidon's opinion was voiced, everyone seemed to pay close attention to what I would say.
Reviving Chiron... this would break the laws of the Underworld that have persisted for eons.
This is different from the case of Sisyphus.
He was sent back because he was unjustly dragged into the Underworld without enjoying his predetermined lifespan...
But Chiron chose death, willingly giving up his immortality.
"Um... If we were to revive a dead person just because they have unfinished business in the mortal realm, what would be the meaning of the boundary between the mortal realm and the Underworld? And even if we revive Chiron, what if Gaia intervenes and kills him again?"
"Even though their stronghold is thoroughly monitored and sealed?"
"What if a hero, driven mad by Gaia's whispers, were to unleash curses or poisons? He would again relinquish his immortality."
Chiron is not as powerful as us gods.
While his exceptional teaching ability is acknowledged, his own strength is merely on par with that of a human hero.
Even if he were granted immortality again, a single poisoned arrow or a curse from a god...
"Indeed, that would be something Chiron could not handle."
"If the revived Chiron were to be attacked again, he might meet his second death."
"The gods cannot continuously protect him... Hmm."
"But the reality is that there is no suitable candidate besides him. Could you reconsider, brother?"
I pondered again at Zeus's serious words.
Prometheus's prophecy clearly stated that connecting the mortal realm and the Underworld would lead to victory.
However, the reason the gods were focusing on Chiron instead of bringing that story up is simple.
If Gaia concentrates her power on the Underworld connected to the mortal realm...
Tartarus, which holds countless Titans, would open.
According to Hermes, the number of Gigantes visible in the plains exceeds at least thousands.
No matter how much I am one of the Three Great Gods, I cannot face thousands of lesser gods, dozens of the Twelve Olympians, and the primordial Protogenoi.
If we attempt to train heroes and the Underworld falls, opening Tartarus, we would be defeated in an instant.
There must be another way.
While entrusting the education to the deceased Chiron, there must be a way to avoid Gaia's gaze...
Then... what if this is the solution?
"I will connect the Underworld and the mortal realm and entrust the education of the living heroes to the deceased Chiron."
"Brother Hades, as you might guess, accepting Prometheus's words as they are carries a risk..."
"What if we create a small passage in Thebes, which is my domain, where Gaia's gaze does not reach?"
If most of the population believes in a single god, that city would completely belong to that god.
For example, there is Athens, the city of Athena.
Within such a transformed city, even the Earth Mother Goddess Gaia cannot convey her will to humans.
Certainly, when King Oedipus went mad, Gaia exerted influence from the mountains outside Thebes.
"Gaia cannot reach inside Thebes. We will issue an oracle for those who wish to become heroes to come to Thebes..."
"And after placing a suitable representative as our agent, those promising heroes will go to the Underworld to receive education from Chiron?"
"Exactly. If we connect the outskirts of the Underworld with my temple in Thebes and only allow those with potential to pass through..."
The assembly grew quiet, and one by one, they nodded.
"What if we make the king of Thebes the representative and entrust the training of aspiring heroes to him, while those who stand out are taken to Lord Hades's temple?"
"To maintain the passage between the mortal realm and the Underworld, we will need the stone of Omphalos."
"Those heroes who cross over to the Underworld will have to take an oath at the River Styx."
Originally, when a mortal enters the Underworld, they cannot leave...
But if we impose numerous restrictions through the oath at the River Styx, we might allow it.
Prohibiting any actions, words, or drawings that reveal secrets, and if they try to return to the Underworld, they would be sent to Tartarus.
They would be barred from stepping into any area except for the gorge on the outskirts of the Underworld, and contact with souls would also be blocked...
"Alright! Then let me summarize! How about this for a plan against the Gigantes?"
Zeus closed his eyes and listened to the opinions of the assembly, then silenced everyone.
From his hand, a small bolt of lightning shot out, inscribing words onto the parchment.
The contents roughly stated:
1. To the humans of the mortal realm... an oracle will be issued for those who wish to become heroes to come to Thebes.
2. Inform the king of Thebes through the oracle and build a training facility for raising heroes.
3. Those who stand out in that training facility will quietly move to Hades's temple and cross over to the Underworld.
4. In the outskirts of the Underworld, the heroes will receive education from the deceased Chiron and, when the time comes, will cross over to the mortal realm.
4 - 1) The heroes and related humans will take the oath at the River Styx, along with numerous restrictions against revealing secrets.
4 - 2) To maintain the passage between the Underworld and the mortal realm, the stone of Omphalos will be temporarily entrusted to Hades.
"Would it be alright to leave the more detailed parts to you, Brother Hades?"
"Of course. If this is done, the Underworld and the mortal realm will be connected... and we will be able to achieve victory as foretold by Prometheus."
"If you need assistance, do not hesitate to call upon Olympus at any time. Hermes! Iris! You will have to work hard."
We will not be defeated by the Gigantes.
We will surely achieve victory.
After the meeting concluded, I walked over to Demeter.
I needed to convey the news about her daughter, Persephone.
The expressionless goddess with golden hair stopped when she saw me approaching.
"What brings you here? Hades?"
"Demeter. Your daughter, Persephone, is currently in the Underworld."
"What?! So it wasn't just the Gigantes that were important! If you don't release my daughter immediately...!"
No... her eyes are turning wild as soon as her daughter is mentioned.
This is why I intentionally came instead of sending a messenger...
I need to get to the point quickly and clear up any misunderstandings.
"I can't help it. I was struck by Eros's golden arrow, faced her, and also ate food in the Underworld..."
"W-what?! H-Hades!!!"
It's not what you think it is, so please calm down...