Love and Fire - (2)
In haste, I called upon Hephaestus, who was about to leave with Eros for the torture chamber of the sinners.
"... Hephaestus."
"Yes?"
The blacksmith god paused for a moment and turned around.
Indeed... my nephew had given me the Vident and often repaired my weapons, even crafting Charon's boat.
It would only be fair for me to help him with his marriage troubles.
"Do you still have feelings for Aphrodite? Think carefully and answer wisely."
"... Hmm."
"If you wish, I can find you a goddess who is not far behind Aphrodite in beauty."
Hephaestus pondered deeply.
Confusion, sadness, affection, and regret flickered in his eyes.
"Aphrodite has been with not only Ares but many other gods as well. She has many children..."
"But I..."
"Yes, you must have many lingering feelings. However, a marriage cannot be sustained by the affection of only one side. Even though Zeus forced you together, you know this, right?"
"......"
"The matter you caused must have reached Aphrodite's ears by now."
The blacksmith god hung his head low.
He stood still for a long time.
Eros's voice reached Hephaestus, who seemed frozen in place.
"Um... Hephaestus."
"What is it, Eros?"
"Well, as the god of love, I know... Mother has already moved on..."
"Sigh..."
Hephaestus sighed deeply, as if the underworld itself had exhaled, and finally spoke.
With a bitter smile, the words that came out were of resignation.
"Hahaha... Uncle. It seems that Aphrodite and I are no longer fated to be together."
"... I see."
Now that Hephaestus had given up on his marriage with Aphrodite and left, I was thinking of how to persuade Zeus.
The marriage between Aphrodite and Hephaestus was a decision made by Zeus, the king of the gods.
He was worried that a fight would break out among the gods over such a beautiful goddess.
"I will not accept any more objections! From now on, the husband of the goddess of beauty is Hephaestus!"
Having declared this with the authority of the supreme god, it would be quite difficult to overturn that decision.
A valid reason, evidence, and the agreement of other gods would be necessary.
To persuade Zeus, I would need a way to prevent the gods' quarrels... and I would need Poseidon's cooperation.
However, if Aphrodite's official husband were to disappear, other male gods would surely go wild and rush in...
Wait, 'male' gods... thinking about it, the justification is on my side.
The most important Poseidon was said to be in Olympus...
I must head to the divine palace in the clouds right away to persuade the gods.
In the Olympus divine palace.
The peaceful beings on the clouds stirred as they saw me.
"Wait... that's the king of the underworld...!"
"Hades?! Is it about the matter of taking Demeter's daughter to the underworld last time?"
"It has been a long time, but perhaps it's about that lowly god Medusa..."
I couldn't see Poseidon, who must be somewhere inside, drinking nectar.
I called over a young maid who was carrying nectar nearby...
"Uh. Uh. Hades, it is an honor to meet you!"
"Where is Poseidon?"
"The lord of the sea is over... over there..."
As I nodded and was about to move, I noticed the maid's face.
I had never seen this face in the Olympus divine palace... wait, could it be a boy?
"What is your name? Are you a newly born lowly god?"
"I am... Ganymedes, the prince of Troy... Lord Zeus brought me to Olympus. My lord of the underworld!"
I looked at this boy who bowed and greeted me.
His face was not inferior to that of any goddess, yet he was a boy?
And wait, Zeus brought him here? Could it be...
"Did Zeus perhaps bring you here against your will? If so, nod slightly, and I will send you back to the mortal realm."
"N-no, that's not it. Lord Zeus has treated me well."
He seemed unable to speak properly due to fear.
It was clear he had not been in Olympus for long.
He didn't seem to possess any special power or lineage... did they just kidnap him based on his looks?
No, Troy is quite a large nation... is it right to bring its prince here?
It seems he was brought simply for his beauty, not because he was an important hero or needed for a great task.
"Alright, I understand. You may continue with your duties."
"Yes...!"
I could use this boy's story when persuading Zeus.
Wait... if I speak well to Hera, it might make persuading Zeus easier.
As I continued to walk on the clouds, I began to see Poseidon.
The blue-haired god was drinking nectar and listening to music flowing from the lyre beside him.
I approached him directly and sat down beside him.
"Poseidon, I have something to discuss."
"Hades? What is it..."
"I need to get Hephaestus divorced and find him a new wife. I need your help in persuading Zeus."
"Hmm."
He gulped down the nectar in one go and made a nonchalant expression.
"Is it because of the incident Hephaestus almost caused with Athena?"
"Exactly. I'm worried that if we just hand him a beautiful goddess, he might turn to Gaia."
"Well..."
"You stirred Hephaestus up, didn't you? Thanks to that, Athena also suffered a bit, so show some mercy to your nephew."
"If my nephew turns to Gaia, it will only raise doubts about Zeus's authority. Why should I do that?"
Seeing him smirk, it seemed he still hadn't given up on dreams of rebellion.
After all, to incite Hephaestus just because he didn't like Athena...
The more discord there is among the gods, the more Zeus's authority is questioned.
He had seemed uninterested in the throne of the king of gods for a while, but was he dreaming of strange ambitions again?
"I don't understand why you care so much about the throne of Olympus."
"On the contrary, I find you, Hades, even more incomprehensible. Anyway, I don't particularly like Zeus, so do as you wish."
"Do you still have thoughts of overturning him?"
"Hmph! If I had such intentions, would I want to join you?"
The lord of the sea turned away, grumbling softly.
Hmm.
It seems he doesn't intend to start a rebellion.
Just a minor annoyance.
Even so, it was irritating to think about.
Does he plan to pretend he didn't incite his poor nephew?
This is a guy who always wreaks havoc on mortals...
"... Then I will persuade you differently. It seems not everyone believes you incited Hephaestus, but what if I certify that it is true? And since you raped Medusa, she is now gnashing her teeth in the underworld. It wouldn't be bad to call the victim to Olympus and expose your misdeeds. I can't even count how many human victims have died at your hands in the underworld, and if just a portion of them were sent to the training grounds connected to the mortal realm... your reputation among the heroes returning to the mortal realm would plummet..."
In truth, this was something I was reluctant to carry out.
I had to respect the will of Medusa and the other victims, so it was impossible.
And I had no reason to confront Poseidon so fiercely...
In fact, if I had no intention of opposing him...
I shouldn't have even brought this up, but perhaps I had unknowingly built up irritation from working in the underworld?
There were so many victims in the underworld seeking vengeance because of him...
At that moment, Poseidon's face turned red, and he slammed his hand on the table, standing up abruptly.
Fortunately, it seemed he didn't notice the oddity due to his hot temper.
If he thought about it slowly later, he would realize it was a bluff...
"W-what! Hades, are you trying to threaten me right now?!"
His blue eyes shimmered with divine power, and the gazes of those around us focused on this side.
Having shown the whip, it was now time to show the carrot.
Don't get too angry, Poseidon.
"... I wouldn't go this far if it weren't necessary. If you help me this time, I will let you meet the dead."
"I can meet the dead?"
"All your illegitimate children, and even the human women you loved."
"Ugh!"
Poseidon sat back down and looked at me.
The authority over the souls of the dead was something Zeus could not interfere with.
I had refused Zeus's request to meet Semele, the mother of Dionysus, a human woman he accidentally killed.
Except for a few rare exceptions like Phaethon and Helios, meeting the dead and the living is a matter directly related to the balance of the world, and thus not permitted for the gods.
Poseidon, who had an overflowing affection for his children, would find this proposal appealing.
He grumbled as he sat down and took another gulp of nectar.
"How is it that you are revered as a god of mercy by humans, yet you are so ruthless to your brother?"
"Consider it a reflection of your own sins. Victims you have harmed regularly come to the underworld."
"Hmph... those mere humans..."
"It seems Hephaestus has given up on Aphrodite. If we can get them divorced and find my nephew a new wife, wouldn't you receive some reward in return?"
Poseidon rolled his eyes, contemplating.
He was weighing the benefits of agreeing with me against the losses of refusing.
"... Make sure to tell Hephaestus that you helped him a lot. You wouldn't want to earn your nephew's resentment, would you?"
"Fine. But know that I cannot actively assist you."
"That will suffice. Now, I will go persuade Hera."
As long as he shows some signs of agreeing with my opinion, it doesn't matter.
The mere fact that Poseidon and I are on the same page could sway Zeus's thoughts.
However, I had heard that Poseidon had also pursued Aphrodite when she first appeared.
It seems he gave up after having children with Ares, or perhaps he was wary of his consort Amphitrite...
Poseidon and I moved to approach the queen of the gods, Hera.
The beautiful goddess, who was applying olive oil to her face in a suitably large building, was startled to see us.
"Hades and Poseidon...? Could it be... a rebellion?!"
"... That's a misunderstanding."
She immediately jumped to that conclusion.