The Story of Persephone - Part 4
"Uh-oh?"
Persephone finally seemed to notice the golden arrow lodged in her chest. She pulled it out, and as soon as her hand touched it, the arrow dissolved into the air, having fulfilled its purpose.
"This... this is Eros's golden arrow?"
Eros, the god of love, is often depicted as a child with a bow and arrows. He carries both golden arrows, which induce uncontrollable love, and lead arrows, which incite intense hatred.
The golden arrows cause the one struck to fall madly in love with the first person they see, while the lead arrows provoke an irrational hatred for the first person seen.
Due to the stealthy and swift nature of love itself, Persephone, exhausted and worn out from the prolonged battle, had been unable to dodge the arrow...
"So, it really was a golden arrow?"
Sigh...
Now that Persephone had been struck by Eros's golden arrow and had laid eyes on me, it meant that I was now the object of her love.
...What a mess.
I glanced in the direction from which Eros's arrow had come, feeling a sense of resignation as Persephone spoke.
"But I feel perfectly fine! Maybe he missed? Hehe."
"...Even Zeus wouldn't be unaffected by being hit with one of those arrows."
As she smiled at me, seemingly unaware, I knew that her heart must be overwhelmed by this newfound emotion, even if she didn't fully realize it yet. Pretending not to notice wasn't an option—I had seen the arrow hit her. How in the world was I supposed to handle this?
Her father is Zeus, king of the gods, and her mother is Demeter, the goddess of the earth... If I mishandle this, it could lead to a real disaster.
"But... I really do feel fine. So, are you planning to return to the Underworld now?"
"I'll need to clean up this area first before I head back."
The aftermath of the battle with the Gigantes had left the area in ruins.
It looked as though Zeus's lightning bolts or Poseidon's trident had torn through the land—everywhere I looked, the ground was upturned, and countless cracks ran deep through the earth.
Mount Etna's peak, which housed Typhon's seal, had been obliterated by the force of my attacks, and the once-beautiful plains, forests, and streams were now a desolate wreck.
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Most of the nymphs had either fled or been killed; none were in sight.
As I surveyed the devastation, my niece extended her hand. A warm, gentle divine power radiated from her.
"Uncle Hades! Let me help too. I’m the goddess of spring and seeds, so I can do things like this."
Whooosh
A green wave of energy emanated from Persephone's hand, softly caressing the earth. Grass sprouted by the fallen trees, and the barren plains began to regain their colors.
Of course. As the god of the Underworld, I am not the best at restoring the land. A goddess of spring like her would be far better suited for this task. It would have been even easier if Pan or Demeter were here...
"How did I do? I’ve only really used this power when playing with the nymphs, but it works well for this too..."
"...You did well."
My niece beamed at me, looking for praise—how adorable she was. Among all the beautiful goddesses of Olympus, she would undoubtedly stand out with her stunning beauty.
Her golden eyes and hair, inherited from her father Zeus, her perfectly balanced figure... Any god with a roving eye would be overjoyed to have a goddess like her fall in love with them.
"What are you thinking about, Uncle? Tell me too!"
But she’s my niece...
"Phew... All done. I’ve finished cleaning up everything."
While I scoured the area for any remaining traces of the Gigantes and tracked their movements, Persephone had managed to restore much of the damaged land.
"Good job."
"Hehe... So now you're heading back to the Underworld, right? Can I come too?"
I froze at her words, uttered with a smile as bright as a blooming flower. This is the real problem...
Those struck by Eros's golden arrow are consumed by an absolute love. Not even Zeus, Poseidon, or I can resist the power of such an emotion.
Among the souls that have come to the Underworld, there have been many who were struck by Eros's arrows, so I am well aware of their potency.
If the love is mutual, it can lead to a happy ending, but if one party rejects the other or if the difference in status is too great...
They might take up arms and slay those who stand in the way of their love, or they might fall into despair and take their own life, or they could go mad, cursing the gods for their unrequited feelings.
The phrase "blinded by love" is quite literal in this context.
If I were to outright reject my niece, what would happen...?
"You may feel that you love me because of Eros's arrow, but it's a false emotion. I can't take you to the Underworld..."
"What... what do you mean...? Sob... sob... Waaaaah!!!"
"No matter how much you cry, I can't take you to the Underworld..."
"Then... then I'll die! If I die, I can go to the Underworld!"
Yes, she would likely attempt suicide immediately. And if the goddess of spring and seeds, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, were to try to take her own life at the entrance to the Underworld...
"Your Majesty! It's a disaster! It was snowing yesterday, but today the sun is blazing..."
"Spring has vanished! Surely the gods are angry with us!"
"Seeds are no longer sprouting... Something must have happened to the gods of Olympus!"
The whole world would be thrown into chaos because the goddess of spring and seeds had abandoned her duties. Naturally, her mother, Demeter, would...
"What?! My daughter attempted suicide because she wants to go to the Underworld... What? She was struck by a golden arrow and fell in love with Hades, but he rejected her?"
"The land has completely dried up!"
"The oracle at Delphi says that the goddess Demeter is furious..."
"Nothing grows from the earth anymore. Zeus, help us..."
Demeter would undoubtedly take drastic action. She’s not a benign goddess like Hestia—she’s more like Artemis. When her emotions run wild, the earth will wither, and the number of souls entering the Underworld will increase.
But it wouldn’t end there. Her father is none other than Zeus, king of the gods.
"So, Uncle Hades rejected Persephone, and that’s why she tried to go to the Underworld and kill herself?"
"Yes, Father. That's what I heard from Demeter..."
"And Demeter abandoned her duties because of this?"
"Yes..."
"...Even if he's my elder brother, Hades has gone too far. I’ll need to have a talk with him."
The Underworld would be inundated with complaints, and the spirits of those who starved to death would flood in. Both mortals and immortals alike would condemn the Underworld.
All of these catastrophes, which have only played out in my mind thus far, could very well come to pass if I don’t take my beautiful niece, who is smiling foolishly in front of me, to the Underworld.
"Uncle Hades? So, can I come with you? Hehe... I’ve always been curious about what the Underworld looks like."
Even though she’s smiling now, gazing at me like she’s the happiest she’s ever been... If I handle this poorly, chaos will descend upon the world.
"If you keep staring at me like that, I’ll get embarrassed. Hehe..."
Oh, Zeus, help me.
I’d rather fight my father, Cronus, one more time than deal with this.
There’s no other choice.
I’ll take her to the Underworld for now and figure out how to handle this situation later.
"...Alright. I suppose I can show you around. Come with me."
"Yay! Thank you, Uncle!"
Persephone threw her arms around me in an embrace. Should I accept this? If I don't, she might start crying, thinking I dislike her...
Hug
The sensation of her soft figure and the fresh scent of spring tickled my nose...
"Hehehe..."
I feel like I’m about to lose my mind.
Is this really happening? Am I really about to take my niece, struck by Eros’s arrow, to the Underworld?
"Now, stop clinging to me and get in the chariot..."
"Aww... Your chest is so broad... Can’t we just stay like this?"
"...It would be uncomfortable, so sit next to me."
"Okay!"
I took the beaming Persephone into the chariot and headed toward the entrance of the Underworld.
"Wow! These horses are so cute!"
Snort
Please don’t pet the ghost horses while they’re running... They get startled when a goddess with an aura completely opposite to theirs suddenly starts stroking them from behind...
Somehow, we made it to the Underworld. Despite the dark, eerie surroundings, Persephone showed no fear, instead marveling at everything with curiosity.
"Oh, look! There's a cute dog here too!"
"That’s Cerberus, the child of Typhon. I brought him here to serve as the guardian beast of the Underworld."
Grrr?! Grrr?
As Persephone enthusiastically petted him, the three-headed dog Cerberus, who had never experienced such affection, was taken aback. Cerberus, the fearsome guardian of the Underworld, quickly submitted, showing his belly in a sign of complete surrender.
Pant, pant!
"Uncle Hades! Look, he’s so soft and fluffy! Hehe!"
Hey, don’t let his appearance fool you—he’s a pretty formidable monster. He could probably tear apart a Gigante or two.
"I have some work to do, so wait here in this room for a while. If you need anything, ask the attendants."
"Okay! ...Oh wow, can you do this too?"
Grrr?! Pant, pant!
I needed to consult with the other gods about the Gigantes, so I decided to leave her in the care of the attendants and come back later. While I was on the surface, I also had to catch up on the trials and the current affairs of the Underworld...
"Hades! Just in time. There’s an issue that requires your direct approval..."
"Morpheus. Is it another problem with the souls?"
"Ah, if you could look over here..."
"This matter will require consultation with the other gods..."
I discussed some matters with Morpheus, signing off on some documents. He hurried off, saying he had to deliver dreams to mortals.
Finally, I headed back to the room where Persephone was waiting.
Crunch. Munch.
I found my niece happily munching on some pomegranate seeds in a small bowl.
Who put pomegranates in this room? Was this space originally a rest area for other gods? Wait... according to the laws of the Underworld, anyone who eats food here...
"Hehe... Uncle Hades! You should try these too! They’re so fresh, even in the Underworld!"
As I stared at my niece, who had pomegranate juice staining her lips, I brought a hand to my forehead.
...Oh, for the love of Zeus.