The Tale of Bellerophon - (5)
During the time when the hero's task was underway, Gaia intervened with the Chimera, destroying the Temple of Athena and killing Bellerophon...
Although I could not change Bellerophon's fate of dying at the hands of the Chimera, I used the method of choosing a path to destiny, just as I had advised Perseus.
"Did you just see that, Lady Lethe?"
"Yes... Gaia possesses a prophetic power comparable to that of Prometheus."
"Even if we give birth to a hero and win the war against the Gigantes, it may still be a victory filled with wounds."
Having won the war against the Gigantes, yet the Titan gods may be released, or they may fall to Gaia.
Or perhaps Gaia could give birth to other monsters to succeed the Gigantes.
Indeed, more preparation is needed...
Gaia is one of the primordial gods, the Protogenoi.
Only the same Protogenoi can be compared to the ancient gods, the Protogenoi.
Under the omnipotent Chaos that first existed, there are not many Protogenoi, including Gaia.
The god of darkness, Erebos, or the goddess of night, Nyx, or the god of the abyss, Tartaros.
The very embodiment of hell, Tartaros does not involve himself in anything...
Erebos and Nyx...
Hmm.
They have all withdrawn from the affairs of the world.
As I fell into deep contemplation, Lady Lethe spoke to me.
"Hades."
"What is it?"
"Bellerophon will soon arrive in the underworld... Will you grant him a reward for his task?"
It has been some time since Thanatos's avatar headed towards him...
It is about time that Bellerophon, who died alongside the Chimera, arrives in the underworld.
Although he is not worthy of being sent to Elysium due to the blemish of having killed his brother...
A reward should be given to one who has accomplished a task.
I called for a messenger for a moment.
"If the hero who killed the Chimera arrives in the underworld, bring him before me."
"Yes, Lord Hades."
After waiting for a while in the audience chamber with Lady Lethe, the hero soon arrived.
Having regained his memories of the mortal realm through the power of the goddess Mnemosyne, Bellerophon still seemed to be feeling phantom pains, his face scrunched up.
Kneeling and looking at me, he seemed to regret something, and he also showed a bitter expression as if realizing that he had died.
"Um... Why have you summoned me, Lord of the Underworld?"
"You have achieved the feat of killing the child of Typhon in a human body, yet you have not received a proper reward in the mortal realm."
"...?!"
"Do you have any particular wishes? I promise you a treatment and reward befitting your achievement."
If no reward is given to a hero who sacrificed his life to slay a monster, who would want to be a hero?
If a proper reward is unnecessary, at least let his fame be widely known...
However, what came from his mouth exceeded my expectations.
"Then... I wish to become a god like Lord Pluto!"
"Mm?"
"I want to ascend to Olympus above the clouds, become a god there, and enjoy eternal life..."
Bellerophon raised his head, his eyes sparkling as he passionately spoke.
No, becoming a god seems a bit excessive...
Especially wishing to ascend to Olympus, not even as a lower god of the underworld?
That is something I cannot grant, and it requires the consent of other gods, including Zeus.
Hmm.
Still, since he is a hero who sacrificed his life to kill the Chimera, I can overlook this level of rudeness.
For now, I will try to persuade him slowly.
I waved my hand to interrupt his words and calmly explained.
"... You have an excessive fantasy about gods."
"Yes?"
"What kind of being do you think a god is? Why do you want to become a god?"
After a moment of contemplation, he answered...
"Are they not the eternal and perfect beings? I have always yearned to become a god!"
"Perfect...?"
"Since I have slain that powerful monster, please grant me the opportunity to become a god!"
There are indeed cases where mortals have become gods.
In the case of Medusa, she became a goddess due to the immense suffering inflicted upon her by the gods...
Dionysus spread wine in the mortal realm and gathered faith, ultimately claiming a place among the gods.
However, even Cadmus and Perseus, who achieved great feats, did not become gods, so making Bellerophon a god seems a bit...
Moreover, he did not gather faith in the mortal realm and wished for a place among the gods of Olympus, not the underworld.
Though it was a mistake, there was a blemish due to him having killed his brother.
Still, considering the feat of slaying the Chimera with his life on the line...
"You need to understand what a god is and what kind of work they do."
"What do you mean...?"
"Experience the duties of a lower god for 100 days in the underworld. If you still feel the same afterward, I will speak to Olympus."
"...! Thank you! Lord Pluto!"
Bowing deeply, Bellerophon repeatedly expressed his gratitude.
But isn't it a bit early for him to thank me?
"Thank you so much!"
"Well..."
Our daily lives as gods are likely very different from what you think...
A short while later, Bellerophon left cheerfully, and I looked at Lady Lethe beside me.
Lady Lethe seemed to share the same thought, looking at me with bright eyes.
"Hades...! Can we not place that human in the River Lethe? Recently, the souls that have died do not want to lose their memories..."
"For now, I plan to send him to Eros, who is in charge of torturing sinners. After that..."
"Ah..."
Upon hearing that she would not be assigned to her designated area, Lady Lethe's gaze fell slightly.
I looked at the dejected goddess for a moment...
And gently brushed her soft hair.
The beautiful strands of silver seemed to slip through my fingers.
"... Hyat! Ha. Ha.. Hades?!"
"I am well aware of how much you have helped me until now."
She truly looked incredibly surprised.
When did she come so close...
Is this the first time I have reached out first?
As Lady Lethe, who was overly flustered, tried to pull away in shock, I subtly grabbed her wrist.
"Please bear with me a little longer. Someday, I will surely..."
"Nehe... Yes... I understand, so... let go of my hand..."
"Ah."
As I released her hand, the silver-haired goddess dashed out of the audience chamber.
Her red neck, covered by her hands, was particularly noticeable as she ran away.
Thud.
"Ow! Ugh..."
In her haste, she even bumped her head against the door.
Of course, the door of the audience chamber, which hit the forehead of a goddess, was damaged...
Ah, I also need to repair the part where Goddess Styx bumped her foot last time.
Quickly exiting the audience chamber, Lady Lethe hurriedly moved towards somewhere.
The place she was heading was an office in the underworld.
"Styx! Styx! Styx!"
"What... what is it?! Lethe!"
"Lady Lethe...?"
Inside were Goddess Styx and Mente, who were busy with a pile of parchment.
They were startled to see Lady Lethe rushing in, her face flushed.
But without caring, the goddess of forgetfulness pressed Styx.
"For the past few days, every time I see Hades, he seems strange. What did you two do back then?"
"Well, but... why suddenly today...?"
"Today was the first time Hades gently stroked my head! Tell me honestly! If this is the case for me, what on earth happened last time...?"
Indeed, not long ago, while riding Pegasus...
The other gods could not have missed the changed appearance of Goddess Styx after kissing Hades.
However, the Hades that Lady Lethe had known until now was a man who did not greatly dislike the approaching goddesses, yet would take a step back if they got too close.
As if... there was an insurmountable wall in his heart, so she thought that Styx had simply gotten embarrassed after getting too close again...
"Did you perhaps go too far last time...?"
"What... what do you mean by too far?!"
If Hades, who showed a different side today, was involved, the story would be different.
Surely, he did not form a deep relationship with Goddess Styx, right?
Shaking her head from side to side, Goddess Styx could not help but feel her ears gradually turning red, as if recalling the events of a few days ago.
"Now that I think about it, Hades has seemed strange for a few days. His gaze... how should I put it... seems to have become gentler?"
"Indeed... I did feel like the wall in his heart had crumbled a bit."
Mente, who sensed the oddity, added her words.
If Persephone had been here, it would have been a change worth rushing to Hades...
But she had long since ascended to the mortal realm.
"Could it be that Eros shot him with an arrow or something...?"
"Eros is still working in the underworld, you know?"
Meanwhile, Bellerophon, who wished to become a god, arrived somewhere under the guidance of a servant.
This place, where the heat seemed even hotter than the flames of the Chimera he fought in the mortal realm...?
"Uwaaaah!!! Stop..."
"Kraah! Kugh!"
"Help me! No, please forgive me!"
Though it was slightly less than going to Tartaros, countless serious sinners were suffering there, unable to escape from their appropriate punishments.
The dead were rolling painfully on the fiery ground, unable to escape.
"Here, you just need to deliver arrows to Eros over there."
"Ah..."
Whoosh—Thud!
"Graah!"
Even a winged child-like god was continuously shooting arrows from above.
So that god over there is Eros, huh? But...
"Hey, you there, human! If you've come, hurry up and bring more arrows!"
"Ah... Yes, yes!"
Why is the god of love working in the underworld?
Even while moving so busily, he shows no signs of resting...?!