The Tale of Bellerophon - (2)
Having returned to the fortress from Elysium with Pegasus, I was greeted by the goddess Styx.
In the brief moment I had stepped away, she had taken care of urgent matters and was now resting.
"Have you finally returned, Hades... and you brought Pegasus with you."
Flap!
Some might think it was overstepping, but it was I who granted the authority to the goddess Styx as a token of gratitude for her assistance during the war with the Titan gods.
Thus, whenever I was absent from the underworld, she sometimes became the final decision-maker.
However, if there were matters too difficult to judge unilaterally, she would hold off and wait for my return.
"Now, all that’s left is to deliver this to the hero. I was thinking of sending Hermes or Athena..."
"Shall I send a letter to Olympus?"
"Yes, please do."
As I finished speaking and was about to return to my original place, my gaze caught the figure of the goddess Styx.
Her long black hair and the weariness reflected in her blue eyes, along with the parchment she held.
Thinking back, I truly owed her a great deal.
Long ago, during the war with the Titan gods... she had helped with matters of the underworld and supported me during my inexperienced days.
The sensation of the sword of Styx, tied at my waist, felt oddly warm.
The goddess Styx, along with the goddess Lethe and Persephone...
They were all kind souls who cared for me, but had I ever offered them a proper repayment?
In the beautiful eyes of the goddess, trust, faith, and affection for me were overflowing.
As I quietly gazed at her, lost in complicated thoughts, the goddess chuckled and spoke.
"Heh. Hades. Why are you staring so intently? Have you lost your wits over my beauty?"
"... Yes. You are especially beautiful today."
"Y-Yes?! W-What... what did you say..."
The parchment slipped from the goddess Styx's hand, and her face turned as red as a ripe fruit.
She raised one hand to cover her mouth, flustered.
I too spoke with a slightly nervous voice.
This is just a walk...
Yes, a repayment.
That’s all it is...
Probably.
"Since Pegasus is heading to the mortal realm, would you like to fly around the sky with me?"
"Ugh!... I-I’ll get ready right away! Wait here!"
Thud thud thud...
Crash!
In a hurry, the goddess brushed past me, leaving the meeting room door ajar.
Of course, part of the sturdy divine door was broken in the process.
As I looked at the debris scattered across the meeting room floor, I thought...
'Should I change my clothes too?'
I thought she would return soon, but...
Surprisingly, a lot of time passed, and the goddess Styx did not come back.
...?
Just as I was about to go out and check if something had happened, the door burst open, and the goddess Styx rushed in, looking frantic.
She bent over, hands on her knees, panting as if she had just been chased by someone.
Who would dare to make the goddess Styx so flustered in the underworld?
Could it be that a full-scale battle with the Gigantes had broken out?
"Pant... Pant... We need to hurry, Hades...!"
"What happened? Did a war break out in Olympus? Or is Poseidon rebelling again..."
"That’s... Hah... not it... The goddess Lethe has been following me with suspicious eyes, so I had to run around the underworld... Hah."
"... Let’s have a glass of water first."
As I listened slowly to the goddess Styx’s words...
The goddess Lethe had discovered Styx changing clothes in the room...
"Styx... Where are you going dressed like that?"
"Le... Lethe?! It’s nothing!"
"You seem suspicious..."
From that moment on, she had followed Styx around, piling on work until she finally managed to escape.
The goddess Styx let out a small sigh as she finished explaining.
"Ugh... Lethe is so persistent..."
"Well, considering how you’re dressed..."
Unlike the casual clothes she had just been wearing, she was now in a chiton that exposed quite a bit of her chest and legs.
Her face, glistening with olive oil and honey, radiated a glow, and golden ornaments hung from her slightly flushed ears.
"... Hades."
"... Yes?"
"If you keep staring like that..."
The slight blush added to her beauty.
"Would you accompany me outside, goddess?"
"...! Of course."
Thus, I stepped out to the mortal realm with the goddess Styx for a moment.
Of course, I brought Pegasus along.
Hee-hee!
Pegasus, thrilled to be out in the mortal realm after a long time, dashed around joyfully.
I halted the celestial steed and extended my hand to the goddess Styx.
"Please, get on."
"... Yes!"
I took hold of Pegasus's reins and climbed on, with the goddess Styx wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head against me.
The soft sensation heightened the awkwardness between us.
As I stroked Pegasus's shining white mane, I commanded him.
The intelligent celestial steed born of divine lineage would understand my intent.
"Let’s ascend. Up into the sky, but just enough to avoid reaching Olympus."
Hee-hee!
Pegasus kicked off the ground and soared into the sky.
The horse's pure white wings flapped widely, stirring the air.
Whoosh—
Upwards, higher and higher we went.
From a distance, I could see nymphs watching us from the edges of the mountains.
Waving my hand to obscure us from mortal eyes, I spoke to the goddess Styx behind me.
"Riding clouds or a chariot through the sky isn’t bad, but sometimes it’s nice to feel the wind while riding a horse. I wanted to show you this view."
"Come to think of it, Hades, did you say this was the reason you fought the Titan gods?"
"Yes. To be precise, it was for the view from the peak of Olympus. But this scenery is similar..."
Hee-hee!
We rose higher, to the point where clouds floated beside us.
Just a little higher, and we would reach the same height as the Olympus palace.
However, I had no intention of going to Olympus, so I pulled the reins, and Pegasus flew slowly at my command.
Looking down, I saw vast plains and cities that appeared as mere dots.
"I spend almost all my time in the underworld... I feel like I haven’t seen such scenery in a long time."
"Now that things in the underworld have stabilized, you should have some free time."
"... Thank you. Perhaps it’s because I’m with you, but I’m enjoying this outing in the sky."
As I glanced back, the face of the goddess Styx was close to mine.
Our eyes met, and she slowly closed her eyes.
Anyone could tell what she desired.
The red, beautiful lips of the goddess.
What would happen if I took that one step forward?
I halted Pegasus, who was gliding through the sky, turned my head, and slowly approached her.
The sound of my heart pounding grew louder than Zeus’s thunder.
The surrounding sounds of wind and birds faded away.
At this moment, my eyes and ears were solely focused on the goddess before me.
"Haah..."
Somehow anxious, I took a deep breath, my thoughts racing.
As a man, I didn’t dislike the affection of the goddesses.
But... could I truly make them happy? Not just one goddess, but several?
I knew.
This was my prejudice, my fear, and merely hesitation...
As I was caught in this conflict, a clear artificial gust of wind suddenly blew.
Whoosh—
"Oh no!"
"Huh?!"
Pegasus stumbled in the wind.
Naturally, both the goddess Styx, who had her eyes closed, and my hesitant body were shaken.
Gripping the reins tightly to steady the stumbling Pegasus, I wrapped my other arm around the goddess's waist.
And... with the fierce wind pushing us closer together...
Peck.
The soft touch of our lips.
The sweet scent of honey mixed with the goddess's fragrance.
The minor accident in the sky nudged me forward.
The goddess, startled by the sudden jolt, could not hide her widening eyes.
I too had no choice but to turn my head away, my face flushed.
Whoosh—
I quickly realized who had summoned the sudden gust.
I saw a distant figure of a male deity giving me a thumbs-up and nodding as he flew by.
The god of the warm winds and rain, Euros.
He was the son of the dawn goddess Eos and was responsible for the east wind.
It seemed he had stirred up the wind just as he passed by, perhaps to bring a breeze to the world.
What kind of matchmaking god are you...
As I was about to head back, I encountered a messenger god flying by.
Hermes spotted us on Pegasus and approached with a curious expression.
"Oh? Is that you, Uncle Hades? And behind you is the goddess Styx?"
"... Hermes."
"What brings you to the sky... Ah! Could it be you were having a delightful time? Oh dear, I must have interrupted! Haha!"
"......"
Neither the goddess Styx nor I could say a word.
After all, the soft and lingering sensation still remained on my lips...
"... Is that true?"
"Stop with the nonsense. I’ll give you the reins of Pegasus, so take them to that hero."
"Huh? Ah... Thank you for lending me Pegasus."
"I’ll release Pegasus once he’s on the ground, so you can take him wherever you see fit."
I needed to test whether the hero who would slay the Chimera could handle Pegasus.
If he could hold on while gripping the reins, then he would be worthy of borrowing him.
"Yes, I was thinking the same. But... are you two really up to something..."
"... Be quiet."
So perceptive for no reason.