Tantalus's Story - (1)
Once the blacksmith god had finished receiving his punishment in the underworld, Zeus had said he would allow the marriage.
Thus, the wedding of Hephaestus and Aglaia was regrettably postponed.
Hephaestus, now sulking, returned to the underworld, and I was in the midst of warning Aphrodite.
"I'll say it again, every time you seduce a god, a crack appears in Olympus..."
"Yes... Yes... I understand. Since you’ve passed down an unwanted marriage, I can at least try my best, right?"
The goddess of beauty pouted slightly, her expression sulky.
And standing beside her, Eros fiddled with his bow.
The reason Eros, who should be in the underworld, was here...
Was because I thought he had reflected enough and switched places with Hephaestus.
"I won't shoot arrows recklessly anymore..."
"I can't force the god of love not to spread love, but still, refrain from shooting aimlessly into the air."
Now he would practice shooting at a designated target.
If he shot arrows into the air just one more time...
"Yikes!"
Eros flew behind Aphrodite, hiding.
If he did it just once more, should I spank him?
Aphrodite, the goddess of love, smiled at me while patting Eros's head, who was hiding behind her.
It wasn't the enchanting and flirtatious smile she always wore; this was...
"Thank you sincerely for persuading Zeus, Hades."
"... I just felt it was a pity that the goddess of love couldn't love freely."
Her gaze and demeanor seemed to come from a genuine heart.
So, did she dislike Hephaestus that much? Well, it was understandable since it was a forced marriage...
I made a vague excuse, saying Hera had been a great help in this matter, then turned my back.
Now I should go down to Olympus...
"Hades, brother."
"Zeus. Do you have business with me?"
Just as I was about to return to the underworld, Zeus spoke to me.
From his expression, it seemed he wanted to invite me to a meal or a banquet, or perhaps to ask me to attend Hephaestus's wedding.
"There's a human who wishes to invite us gods to a grand banquet. Would you like to join me?"
"If I attend such a banquet, won't I just ruin the atmosphere?"
"The one who wishes to host us is my son. He is also the king of Lydia. He is a very respectable human who serves the gods well, and I want to make his acquaintance."
Ah, he is Zeus's son.
In that case, I could understand Zeus's desire to invite me to the banquet.
Since he is his son, he likely wants some convenience in the afterlife for a human who serves the gods with respect.
If he is Zeus's son, he is also my nephew.
As the king of Lydia, the banquet should not be dull... then I might as well drop by for a bit.
"It may be hard to create a good position for him in the afterlife just because he is polite to the gods... but I will attend."
"Good idea. I think you'll find my son quite endearing."
Suddenly, Zeus looked at me with a serious expression, his face hardening.
"This is the surface reason for inviting you..."
Is there another intention behind this?
Seven gods were going to meet the king of Lydia and Zeus's son.
Me, Zeus, Hermes, Dionysus, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hera.
I heard that all twelve Olympian gods were invited, but...
Athena was busy rebuilding her temple that had been destroyed by the Chimera last time.
Hephaestus was in the underworld, and Aphrodite and Ares were off enjoying their love, so they did not come.
Apollo and Artemis were... probably off hunting somewhere.
We flew on clouds and soon arrived at a royal palace in the mortal realm.
Dressed in splendid clothes adorned with gold and wearing a crown, is this person really Zeus's son and the king of Lydia?
"It is a great honor for you great beings to come in person!"
"Tantalus, you can look forward to today's banquet, right?"
"Of course, Lord Zeus. I will present the finest dishes to the gods of Olympus!"
Tantalus, my nephew, greeted each of the gods.
Indeed, as Zeus said, his demeanor was quite remarkable.
"Oh, praise the queen of the great gods. Thanks to Lady Hera, I am always in harmony with Dione."
"Hmm..."
Hera merely shot a displeased glance at Zeus's illegitimate son, which surely indicated that Zeus's favor was indeed strong.
"Lord of the sea, the prosperity of our maritime trade in Lydia is all thanks to your grace, Poseidon."
"Oh, really."
Next, Tantalus turned his gaze to me and spoke politely.
With his hands clasped and bowing, avoiding eye contact, he seemed quite accustomed to addressing the gods.
"Um... may I ask which god you are and your name?"
"Pluto."
"...! It is an honor to meet the father of the dead, Lord Pluto."
He continued with various flattering words.
Thanks to the blessings of wealth he has bestowed upon Lydia, the people are living prosperous lives, and my symbol, mint, has spread widely here in Lydia...
He finished his praises at just the right level, not too excessive, and bowed to guide us.
"Please follow me this way. The food suitable for the gods is being prepared, so please wait a moment!"
"Hmm. Shall we go in?"
Following Zeus, we entered the royal palace of Lydia.
The attendants and maidservants guided us to a suitably spacious room.
"I will wait at the door. If you need us at any time..."
Soon, the attendants left, leaving the gods behind, and I recalled Zeus's words for a moment.
"He serves the gods with great respect, and since he has been polite, I brought him to Olympus to taste ambrosia and nectar... how dare he take even a little of the gods' food?"
"... Tantalus?"
"Hmm. The reason he invited us to this banquet might be to apologize for that. The reason he called you here..."
Well, that reason is quite obvious, isn't it?
"Because he is your son, he wants to lessen his punishment in the underworld? To the one who dared to steal ambrosia and nectar? You are the one who is merciless in such matters, Zeus."
"Still, he has served the gods well until now... and since his wife is the daughter of the Titan Atlas, I will decide on his punishment based on this reception. If he reveals everything and kneels to apologize, I will forgive him with a suitable punishment, but if not..."
He married the powerful daughter of Atlas...
Atlas was a Titan with immense strength who resisted us until the very end during the Titanomachy.
The reason that giant, who is now eternally punished to hold up the heavens, remains quiet is that he has not blamed his beloved daughter and children.
Zeus is now worried that if he punishes Tantalus, it might lead to a rebellion through Atlas's daughter.
With Gaia's threat still looming, there is no need to risk Atlas abandoning the heavens he supports to fight against us.
Just for stealing a little ambrosia and nectar, it would be burdensome to impose a heavy punishment on Atlas's son-in-law.
After all, he is also Zeus's own son, so there must be some familial affection.
Unless he committed a more definite offense, like insulting all three gods...
After a moment, Tantalus returned.
He had his attendants serve a large dish of stew while bowing his head to us.
"You have waited long, gods. The stew with rare meat is now ready, so please enjoy it to your heart's content."
It seemed he was not wrong; a good aroma wafted from the stew.
Various herbs and spices were well mixed in the stew, giving it a beautiful color.
But...
"Are you telling us to eat this?"
"......"
Is that meat in the stew human flesh?
No god present was unaware of the stew containing human flesh.
Even a lesser god would sense something strange and refuse to eat, let alone the gods of the highest rank present.
Anyone who would serve human flesh while claiming to host the gods is not a normal human.
I glanced at Dionysus with suspicion, and he was on the verge of losing his composure, his face expressionless.
The expression seen just before the god of madness goes into a fit.
So it wasn't Dionysus's madness that caused this...
The other gods also refrained from touching the stew, holding back their anger.
The king of the gods, Zeus, closed his eyes the moment he saw the stew.
No one dared to eat, and as they sent cold glares at Tantalus, he spoke innocently.
I have never seen a human so far gone in my thousands of years of divine life.
"Gods, why do you not eat..."
"You fool! Tantalus! Have you truly lost your mind!!!"
With a flash - rumble! Boom!!!
Zeus interrupted Tantalus's mocking words, his voice filled with rage.
With his fury, lightning struck from the sky, obliterating the palace entirely.
Kugugugu... thud.
The massive palace was instantly reduced to ruins, and countless humans were trapped under the debris, groaning.
Seeing the dead souls also appearing, it seemed many had been caught in the aftermath.
"What is happening... a... god?!"
"Your Majesty...?!"
Humans groaned from all directions, but Zeus paid no mind and lifted the stew into the air.
Chunks of human flesh flew through the air, gathering, and he briefly entrusted it to Demeter.
Perhaps he plans to resurrect the humans who became human flesh later.
The poor humans who died at the hands of their own father, almost becoming a meal for their grandfather...
I must erase their memories of the underworld and let them live.
No matter how strict the laws of the underworld are, this time must be an exception.
Soon, as Zeus forcibly calmed his rage and gestured...
Tantalus, now covered in blood, was dragged in, clutching his neck as if caught by something, struggling.
"Ugh... cough!"
"How dare you prepare a dish of human flesh for us? Who is the dead human, and why did you do this?"
"Cough..."
"Answer me."
Lightning sparked in Zeus's eyes, exuding a strong sense of pressure.
Before the wrath of the gods, a weak mortal could only speak the truth.
And what came out of his mouth was beyond imagination.
"The gods... are wise... that is my son..."
To test if the gods are wise...
He killed his own son and served him as a dish?