The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 112: Heracles of Thebes – (3)

Heracles questioned me.

“What do you mean, ‘about me’?”

“You know by now that your father is Zeus, right?”

“Yes. My foster father told me, and so did my mother and Chiron…”

Well, considering how extraordinary you were from a young age, it couldn’t have been hidden.

“You incurred Hera’s wrath from the moment you were born.”

“That’s because I’m illegitimate…”

“No, not just that. You were suckled by Hera herself while in Zeus’ arms. Since we didn’t know when her wrath might fall upon you, I instructed that you be dipped in the River Styx.”

“W-What?! You were the one who… And I suckled from the queen of the gods…”

Heracles was clearly shocked. I revealed the truth to him.

“Yes. Of course, the reason I had you dipped in the Styx wasn’t just because of that. You were destined to become a hero.”

“……”

“I thought that if you were strengthened by the Styx, you would be hard to kill.”

“I had a vague idea, but… This is more shocking than I expected. I can’t believe it…”

Heracles faltered, clearly disoriented by this revelation.

This was likely the first time he had learned the truth about his birth.

“Do you know what to do when you leave here?”

"Is it because of Lady Hera's anger?"

“Yes. Go to Hera’s temple, bow down, and beg for her forgiveness. Even though you’ve done nothing wrong, you must do this.”

“…I understand.”

“A storm may come, or a curse may fall upon you. But no matter what, do not stop begging for her forgiveness.”

Heracles nodded reluctantly, clearly uncomfortable.

No doubt Hera would set tasks for him, tasks that would serve as both her outlet for anger and as challenges to build Heracles’ experience.

“You must have heard stories about the River Styx back in the world of the living.”

“Yes… They say that mortals who enter the river become invincible…”

“They’re not invincible. It merely makes the body a bit tougher. Don’t boast about the strength of your body.”

Whoosh!

With a flick of my finger, I made a small cut on his shoulder.

Heracles was visibly startled. He had likely never been injured once in his life, so his reaction was understandable.

But that’s all it is. Among mortals, it might seem like an invincible power…

But to those with a certain level of divine power, breaking through the Styx’s blessing is easy.

The Gigantes, for example, would have no trouble. Especially if they use poisons, fire, or water-based attacks.

“At the level of mere humans, your body may indeed be untouchable, but in the realm of gods, things are a bit different. Your goal is to become a god, isn’t it?”

“My body… is bleeding…”

“I’ll also find you a suitable sparring partner. You need to get used to the idea of being wounded…”

I turned my head to see one of the Furies, Megaera, walking toward us.

I hadn’t even sent the message long ago, but here she was already. You must’ve been bored staying in that cave.

“A snake-haired, bronze-winged woman…! A… A Fury?!”

“…Hades.”

“Thank you for coming, Lady Megaera.”

“I had to settle who would come… We drew lots among ourselves… Alecto’s upset again.”

“Ahem. As I mentioned, I’d like you to spar with Heracles here.”

Megaera’s bloodshot eyes fell upon Heracles.

The gaze of a Fury, the one who pursues sinners until death.

If Heracles had been a normal man, he would have fainted instantly. Instead, he smiled, his competitive spirit flaring up.

“If I defeat you, Lady Fury, can I become a god?”

“…Pfft.”

Despite the mortal’s impudence, the Fury let out a small, amused laugh.

The longing for divinity is something all mortals share. Bellerophon and Mentes were no different.

But at Heracles’ level, there was no way he could defeat Lady Megaera. And even if he did, that wouldn’t make him a god.

“Do you even know what a god is? Do you think they’re just powerful beings with immortal bodies?”

“…Aren’t they?”

“Divinity exists to maintain the balance of the world. With such a shallow understanding, no matter how great your feats are, you will never become a god.”

He would come to understand what it means to be an Olympian god, what burdens they bear, as he undertakes his tasks.

Of course, I’ll have to remind Chiron to improve his character lessons.

But with Lady Megaera helping out, his arrogance and pride should be cut down a bit.

I decided it was time to bid farewell to Heracles, who still wore a confused expression.

“Well then, I’ll be going. The next time we meet… I expect to face you as a god.”

“…!”

With a gust of black wind, I slowly began to fade from sight.

As I disappeared, I heard Heracles’ final words of gratitude, spoken as he bowed toward me.

“…Thank you, Uncle.”

* * *

I returned to the fortress's throne and briefly closed my eyes to gather my thoughts.

I needed to once again refine my plans regarding Heracles and what lay ahead.

Zeus’ bloodline, Hera’s milk, the strengthening of the River Styx, Chiron’s education, the experience of sparring with a goddess, and the goal of becoming a god.

With all this, Heracles would be well-prepared to accomplish great tasks when he came of age.

If he completes all the tasks, which are nearly impossible for mortals, and helps us against the Gigantes, there’s no reason he can’t become a god.

Though, of course, he might become one even before that.

Since I spoke with Hera through Iris the other day, difficult trials will likely befall him.

But as long as it’s not a direct punishment severe enough to break his spirit, he should be able to handle it.

I’d like to grant him the blessing of Tyche, the goddess of fortune, but that might be excessive.

The tasks need to be manageable to retain their significance.

“Lord Hades. A letter has arrived requesting mediation for a conflict on Olympus.”

“What’s it about this time?”

I looked over the letter brought by the messenger and saw a myriad of disputes laid out before me.

Ever since I gained the authority of fairness, I’ve occasionally been asked to mediate conflicts between the higher gods, so letters like these are not uncommon.

This time, it seems to involve Eos, goddess of the dawn, along with Aphrodite and Ares.

If Aphrodite’s involved, it’s likely a lover’s quarrel. Do I really need to go? Maybe I should ignore it… Zeus?

There was also a letter from my brother, the king of the gods, Zeus, asking me to come to Olympus for a while.

But why does Zeus want me?

Perhaps it’s to discuss Dike, who’s been lecturing the gods recently like a fish in water…

* * *

The biggest change since I gained the authority of fairness is that gods sometimes come to me for help.

Even though Dike, the goddess of justice, has taken over some of the underworld’s duties, there are still situations where my mediation as the god of fairness is required.

Of course, I don’t mediate every dispute, but cases that are too ambiguous or significant for Zeus to handle often fall to me.

Like now, when the twelve Olympian gods or other gods of comparable rank are in serious conflict…

“Eos! Just because humans revere you as the goddess of dawn, does that give you the right to steal my lover?!”

"Ares finally saw you for who you really are after being with such a spiteful goddess! You have nothing to offer except your beauty!"

“W-Wait… Aphrodite… it’s not…”

“Quiet, Ares!”

Though Aphrodite and Ares are lovers… it seems Ares has been involved in an affair with Eos, which has led to this mess.

So that’s why they’re fighting. But was it really an affair? Or did this happen after they broke up?

“Let’s all calm down and speak one at a time. Goddess Eos, let’s start with you.”

Eos, the sister of Helios, and a goddess with deep chestnut-brown hair reminiscent of the night sky, looked at me.

Unlike Helios and Selene, who more or less ceded their powers of the sun and moon to Apollo and Artemis, Eos retained her authority as the goddess of dawn.

“Ahem, Hades, I’ve heard that you received the power of fairness, and seeing you come all the way to Olympus to mediate this dispute is something I must thank you for.”

“Small disputes often escalate into bigger conflicts, like the one between Apollo and Eros…”

Actually, this isn’t a small dispute. When the goddess of dawn and the goddess of beauty are fighting over the god of war, that’s hardly trivial.

If curses that can even affect gods start flying, or gods get so angry that they neglect their duties, that would be a serious problem.

Above all, the ones who would suffer the most are the mortals caught in the middle.

Some might even be dragged into this without knowing what’s going on, so it’s better to nip these conflicts in the bud.

“Ares and Aphrodite are no longer in love. Ares told Aphrodite this in advance.”

“So, you’re saying Aphrodite is simply unable to accept that?”

“Exactly. Though they’ve had many children together, isn’t their relationship over?”

I glanced at Aphrodite, who was trying to suppress her anger.

And then at Ares, who stood anxiously by her side.

“Aphrodite. According to what the goddess Eos has said, your relationship with Ares is over, isn’t it?”

“Ugh! How can you call it over when it was Ares who one-sidedly declared it so?! And that Eos… she’s been flirting with him even when we were still together!”

“Hold on. Don’t get too worked up. Speak slowly.”

After listening to Aphrodite’s furious response, I turned to Ares.

He closed his eyes tightly, his face showing his inner turmoil, before he finally spoke.

“Ares. Don’t you have anything to say?”

“…Uncle. It’s just that when my relationship with Aphrodite started to grow cold, Lady Eos…”

After hearing all three of them out, I realized this was just a simple lover’s quarrel.

1. Eos had feelings for Ares and consistently pursued him, even when Ares and Aphrodite were happily together.

2. Aphrodite was well aware of this but didn’t take any significant action, as she was confident in Ares’ love for her.

3. As Ares and Aphrodite’s relationship cooled, Eos approached Ares and they became lovers…

What kind of trivial love quarrel did they need me to mediate? Was there really no other trustworthy god available?

They could’ve just spoken to Eros or Zeus, or any of the other Olympians…

No, maybe there wasn’t anyone capable of giving them proper advice?

Having finished my thoughts, I looked at them.

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me for such trivial lover’s quarrels. Lady Eos, I’m quite busy, so perhaps Dike could…”

As soon as I finished, they immediately protested.

“But how could Dike mediate something like this?!”

“Uncle… Dike is a virgin goddess, and she said this isn’t really an issue of justice…”

“Well, this is a matter of love, so it’s only natural to ask Hades, who is beloved by so many goddesses.”

It’s true that I’ve received an overwhelming amount of affection from various goddesses, but…

I’m not the god of relationship counseling, you know.

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