Prophet Prometheus - (4)
Upon returning to the underworld, I immediately returned the borrowed necklace to Pandora and summoned all the deities residing here. Upon hearing that I had received a prophecy from Prometheus, many stopped whatever they were doing and rushed to gather. Even Thanatos, who is usually very busy, arrived in a hurry.
Once everyone had gathered in the office, I began to speak about Prometheus’s prophecy.
“No matter how well we prepare, he said we would still be struck by Gaia’s blow.”
“A future that is set in stone, and there’s no way to change it...”
“I’m worried about how severe that blow will be for us.”
“Would it not be wise to reinforce key positions in advance?”
“Styx, that’s not possible. If we act to avoid the prophecy, it might...”
As soon as I finished speaking, the office became noisy with discussions. This wouldn’t happen in Olympus, where Zeus’s strong authority keeps things in line.
But the underworld is different. While I hold the main decision-making power and respect the elder gods who have lived for eons, all the gods here are relatively equal and can freely express their opinions.
In truth, it wasn’t always like this when the underworld was first established, but thanks to my efforts to create a more horizontal atmosphere, things have become much more comfortable...
“Hades?! Why are you just sitting there?”
“What else did Prometheus say?”
“Oh, come on, Hades! I’m more exhausted than you!”
“Thanatos, how about another cup of nectar...”
“Ahem. Apologies, everyone. I got lost in thought for a moment.”
...Well, that startled me. At some point, everyone had stopped talking and was just looking at me. After regaining my composure, I shared the other part of Prometheus’s prophecy.
“And Prometheus said that afterwards, if the mortal world and the underworld are connected, the gods will win.”
“How do we connect the mortal world and the underworld?”
“It’s too vague. How, to what extent, and where do we connect them?”
“I can’t make sense of it either...”
“Does it mean we must turn the world upside down to win?”
Even if we can’t avoid suffering a significant loss, how exactly are we supposed to connect the mortal world with the underworld? It’s giving me a headache.
As all the gods pondered over the prophecy, the voice of the goddess of oblivion, who had been quietly staring into space, broke the silence.
“Hades, can’t we at least take our time figuring this part out?”
“Goddess Lethe?”
“If Gaia’s blow comes first, don’t we have some time before we need to connect the worlds?”
She was right. Prometheus did say that we would face a significant loss from Gaia’s attack, and only after that should we connect the mortal world and the underworld...
“He’s not suggesting that I mobilize the entire army of the underworld to march forth, is he?”
“Of course, that can’t be the case... or could it?”
“Shall we check how many troops we have ready in the underworld?”
“...Was there anything else in the prophecy, Hades?”
Just as I was about to dismiss Morpheus, who suggested checking our military strength, Hypnos, who had been quietly observing, asked me a question.
“Oh... Now that you mention it, Prometheus did say something else...”
Hades, you should take care to keep your lower half secure! Heh heh heh!
...What was the meaning behind that strange comment?
It’s the kind of thing you’d expect him to say to Zeus, not to me. Unless...
“What a quack of a prophet...”
“What was that, Hades?”
“What else did Prometheus say?”
Styx and Lethe looked at me with curious expressions. I glanced at their innocent faces for a moment before giving an evasive answer.
“...Nothing important. He was just playing a trick on me.”
“Well, that sounds like Prometheus.”
“Always smirking mischievously, that one.”
...Why do I feel like I’ve done something wrong?
Amidst the odd atmosphere, a minor god entered the office.
“Hades, the messenger who went to Olympus has returned.”
“What did they say?”
Naturally, I had instructed a messenger to inform Olympus of Prometheus’s prophecy and to bring back a response.
“They said that no matter what measures we take, we cannot avoid Gaia’s attack as foretold in the prophecy, so they will maintain the status quo.”
“That’s reasonable. There’s no way to avoid a prophecy.”
If we concentrate our forces in one place to defend it, Gaia will simply attack somewhere else. Even if that place is the very palace of the gods on Olympus.
“Athena surmises that the losses from Gaia’s attack will necessitate connecting the two worlds.”
“Connecting the underworld and the mortal world?”
“Could it mean the death of all humans?”
“Perhaps we should ask Hermes to keep us regularly informed...”
“Right now, I can’t figure it out.”
“Could it be that Gaia will somehow take the Omphalos stone that Demeter uses?”
In any case, this isn’t something we need to solve immediately. Taking hasty measures to avoid the prophecy might only bring it about.
“Let’s conclude the meeting for now. But it’s important to maintain close communication with Olympus as we move forward.”
I decided to end the discussion here.
For us to achieve victory, the underworld and the mortal world must be connected...
As the gods began to disperse and I prepared to leave, the goddess Mnemosyne called out to me.
“Hades, a new god has been assigned to the underworld.”
“The underworld? Was this forced on them?”
“I’m not sure... This is just the news passed down from Olympus...”
There are many ways a new god can be born.
First, a mortal who has achieved great deeds and recognition may be ascended to godhood by the gods themselves. Second, if both parents are gods, the child is born as a god and quickly matures. Third, a mortal who achieves greatness may be worshiped as a god after death. Fourth, a demi-god like Dionysus can be elevated to godhood if they gain enough worship.
There are countless other ways, but among all the gods born so far, not one has been assigned to the underworld.
The reasons are varied. First, the gods of the underworld are too busy to have children, so there are no new gods being born here.
Secondly, the underworld is a place most gods avoid. It’s a dark, lifeless place, deep beneath the earth...
“Oh, it’s been thousands... no, tens of thousands of years since we’ve had a new face here?”
“Finally, we’ll have a bit less work to do.”
“A new god... What should we have them do first? Maybe we should keep them inside the palace...”
“I’d like them to help me harvest souls.”
There’s always been too much work in the underworld. It’s notorious enough that Olympus knows about it—no one would want to come here.
But now, a new god has been assigned to the underworld?
Clearly, someone must have forced this on them, or perhaps it’s a god who doesn’t fully understand what they’re getting into.
“Let’s wrap this up. I’m going to meet this new god in the underworld, so everyone, get back to your duties.”
“You don’t need to tell me; I’m already working...”
“Ahem. My apologies, Thanatos.”
Thanatos spoke with a gaze that seemed to wander in all directions, as if he were seeing visions. Well, I suppose that makes sense, given how many avatars Thanatos has to manage in the mortal world.
I sat on the throne in the audience chamber within the palace, waiting for the new god assigned to the underworld. What kind of eccentric deity would want to work here?
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Creak.
The grand doors to the chamber slowly opened, revealing...
A man holding a staff entwined with two serpents, wearing winged sandals—the messenger god, Hermes...?
With a mischievous grin, he bowed to me in an exaggerated manner. That smile meant only one thing: he had something amusing to share.
“Greetings, Uncle! I, Hermes, the messenger of all, have brought you a new god!”
For a moment, I thought you were the one working here. And now you’re saying you’ve brought a new god?
Given how hard it is for a newly born god to find their way to the underworld, it would be helpful if a god like Hermes, who can freely traverse the world’s boundaries, helped out.
Knock, knock.
With a playful expression, Hermes tapped the closed doors of the chamber a few times. As if on cue, the divine presence outside the door stirred.
Who could it be that warranted such theatrics from Hermes? Despite his playful nature, he’s never been one for disrespect.
Creak.
The doors opened once more, and a beautiful goddess slowly entered. Her bright, light turquoise hair, fresh aura, and familiar scent... That face?
“Menthe? What are you doing in the underworld?”
“Oh... Hehe... H-hello, Lord Hades.”
Menthe, a Naiad (water nymph) who served as a priestess at my temple in Thebes, and the creator of the mint plant that became my symbol in a past life.
Wait a moment, Menthe became a god?