King of Underworld

Chapter 112

The Heracles of Thebes (3)

Heracles questioned me.

"What do you mean by ‘about me’?"

"First of all, you are aware that your father is Zeus, aren’t you?"

"Yes. My foster father told me, as did my mother and Chiron..."

Given his extraordinary abilities from a young age, it would have been impossible to keep it a secret.

"You have incurred Hera’s wrath since birth."

"Well, that’s because I’m illegitimate..."

"Not only that, but you were held in Zeus’s arms as you drank from Hera’s breast. Because of this, I was compelled to submerge you in the River Styx, to guard against the day her wrath might descend upon you."

"Wait, you mean to say it was you, Lord Hades? And that I drank from the Queen of the Gods...?"

A look of shock crossed Heracles' face. I continued to reveal the truth to him.

"Yes. Of course, protecting you in the Styx wasn’t solely for that reason; I also did so because you were destined to be a hero."

"......"

"It was a calculated decision. I assumed that with the power of the Styx, you wouldn’t die so easily."

Heracles staggered back, processing this revelation, which he clearly hadn’t known until now.

"Then, do you know what you must do when you leave this place?"

"Because of Lady Hera’s anger?"

"Exactly. Go to Hera’s temple and prostrate yourself, begging for her forgiveness. Although you have done no wrong, it must be done."

"...Understood."

"A storm may rage, curses may descend, but no matter what, do not cease your pleas for forgiveness."

Heracles nodded reluctantly. Undoubtedly, Hera would set tasks for him—tasks that would serve both to vent her fury and to grant Heracles valuable experience.

"You’ve heard the rumors about the Styx in the mortal realm, haven’t you?"

"Yes... that it grants invincibility to those who enter it..."

"It’s not invincibility. It merely fortifies the body. Do not flaunt the durability of your body."

Swoosh!

With a slight flick of my finger, I left a small wound on his shoulder. Heracles’ face betrayed his shock, which was understandable since he had likely never been injured before.

But that was all. Among mortals, his body was indeed invulnerable... but for those with divine power, penetrating the Styx’s protection was an easy feat. For the Gigantes, this would be even truer, particularly when poison, fire, or water were involved.

"You may possess a body impervious to harm by mortal standards, but the realm of the gods is different. And your goal is to become a god, is it not?"

"Blood... I’m bleeding."

"I’ll even find you suitable sparring partners. You should grow accustomed to the sensation of injury..."

Turning my head, I saw Megaira, one of the Furies, approaching. She had responded quickly to my summons; it seemed that life in the cave had left her seeking something to occupy her time.

"Snakes for hair, bronze wings...! A... A Fury?!"

"...Hades."

"Why... Aphrodite... that is..."

"Silence! Ares!"

Aphrodite and Ares were known to be lovers, yet Ares’ affair with Eos had come to light. Thus, they were quarreling. But was it really an affair? Hadn’t they broken up before this?

"Enough. Let’s calm down and speak one at a time. Goddess Eos, you first."

Eos, with her deep, night-colored hair that evoked the dawn sky, looked at me.

Unlike Helios and Selene, who had practically handed over their roles as sun and moon gods to Apollo and Artemis, Eos still held her domain as the goddess of dawn.

"Hmm. Hades, I have heard you now hold the mantle of fairness. I must express my gratitude for coming to Olympus to mediate this dispute."

"Small disagreements often lead to big conflicts. Just like the squabble between Apollo and Eros..."

In truth, this was no minor quarrel. A goddess of dawn and a goddess of beauty arguing over the god of war was hardly trivial.

The Furies’ curses might spread, and if one of them abandoned their duties in rage, further complications would ensue.

But most importantly, those who would suffer the most were the mortals caught between them.

It was better to resolve these quarrels before mortals unwittingly got swept up in them.

"Ares and Aphrodite are no longer lovers. Ares informed Aphrodite in advance," Eos said.

"So you’re saying Aphrodite’s reaction is because she cannot accept it?"

"Of course. Though they have had many children, it’s over between them."

I glanced over at Aphrodite, who was holding back her anger, and beside her, an anxious Ares.

"Aphrodite, isn’t your relationship with Ares over, as Eos says?"

"Grr! How dare you call it ‘over’ when Ares merely informed me unilaterally! That Eos was making advances even while we were together..."

"Calm down. Take a breath and explain."

After listening to Aphrodite’s frustrated explanation, I looked at Ares. He clenched his eyes shut before finally speaking to me with a conflicted expression.

"Ares, have you nothing to say?"

"...Uncle. The truth is, when things between Aphrodite and I grew distant, Lady Eos..."

Having heard all three sides, it was clear that this was merely a lover's spat.

Eos had feelings for Ares and persistently pursued him, even when his relationship with Aphrodite was strong.Although Aphrodite disliked this, she didn’t act since she was confident of Ares’ love.When Aphrodite and Ares grew distant, Eos approached Ares, and they became romantically involved...

And so, they summoned me to mediate a simple lover’s quarrel—did they lack any other reliable gods?

They could have called upon Eros or Zeus, or another of the Twelve Olympians...

Then again, perhaps there was no one capable of providing sound advice.

After some thought, I looked at them.

"I would prefer if you refrained from summoning me for such matters. Lady Eos, I am quite busy, so perhaps Dike could..."

Before I could finish, objections erupted.

"But Dike isn’t equipped to handle such matters!"

"Uncle... Dike has sworn to remain chaste, and I don’t think this aligns with her role of justice..."

"Exactly. Since it involves love, we turned to Hades, who receives the purest of love."

Though I have indeed received great affection from several goddesses, I am no god of romantic counsel.