King of Underworld

The Story of Persephone - Chapter 6

Thanks to Iris's timely arrival in the Underworld, the situation was somewhat managed. The gods seemed to be willing to overlook things, for now.

"Iris, has Olympus summoned me?" "Yes. Lord Zeus has requested your presence at Olympus."

Chiron's death... It must be Gaia's strike, as foretold by Prometheus. The task of training heroes to prepare for the Gigantes can only be carried out by the wise centaur.

Olympian gods cannot descend to the mortal realm to train heroes themselves, and if we were to choose someone from among mortals, their abilities would be in question.

"The prophecy said to connect the Underworld and the world of the living, so I'll have to discuss the specifics with Zeus. I understand."

This isn't just an issue for the Underworld, so I can't make this decision on my own.

I need to go to Olympus, gather information from Demeter about the Gigantes' stronghold, and discuss what to do about her daughter, Persephone.

"Come back soon, Uncle Hades!" "C-come back soon?! This isn’t your home..." "What does it matter? I’ll be living here now. Hehe!" "Sigh... I've never seen a god adapt to the Underworld so quickly..."

Ignoring the strange noises coming from behind, I followed Iris to Olympus. It seemed that all the gods had gathered in the heart of the Olympian palace; their presence was concentrated there.

Zeus must have called everyone together. Passing through the grand golden gates and walking on the clouds, I saw the assembly of countless gods.

Zeus sat on his golden throne, holding a lightning bolt, his eyes closed, while Poseidon conversed with Hera. The immortals of Olympus were buzzing about the Gigantes and the prophecy.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

"Did Chiron really die from the Gigantes' torture?" "If so, what will happen to the training of heroes? It's nearly impossible to find another teacher like him..." "The prophecy said to connect the world of the living and the Underworld... Perhaps Lord Hades could make an exception and revive Chiron?" "But no matter what the prophecy says, how can the dead be brought back to life...? Hmm. This isn't something I should speak of lightly." "We were this close to having Typhon's body released..." "If that dreadful being had fallen into Gaia's hands again..." "Sigh... If this strike was what the prophecy foretold, it's a painful blow indeed."

Hmm. The meeting hasn't even begun, and the mood is already grim.

Step by step.

"Oh... Lord Hades." "You've arrived, Uncle."

As I walked through the crowd—no, through the throng of gods—toward a suitable spot, they recognized me and made way. Sensing my presence, Zeus opened his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Now that Lord Hades is here, let us begin the meeting. Hermes!"

"Yes, sir!"

Hermes brought forth a large parchment and spread it wide in the air. A map of the entire world appeared before us, with red dots marking the places attacked by the Gigantes.

"Recently, the Gigantes launched a major invasion. As you can see on the map, their targets included Corinth, Athens, Chiron's abode, and Mount Etna."

At Zeus's words, the red dots glowed on the map. With so many simultaneous attacks, Hermes must have been the only one who descended to deal with the Mount Etna assault. If I hadn't been there...

"Mount Etna was handled by Lord Hades here, Athena descended to Athens, and Apollo took care of Corinth... but there was one place we overlooked."

The king of the gods spoke with a lowered voice, lightning crackling around his body. His quiet but intense aura spread across Olympus.

"As you all know, the wise centaur Chiron was tortured by the Gigantes until he relinquished his immortality and passed away."

Crack—

Zeus's eyes glowed with blue lightning, and electricity began to ripple through the clouds. The sky god's anger radiated through Olympus with a solemn and overwhelming presence.

Sweat beaded on the foreheads of the lower deities, and even those granted golden thrones seemed uneasy.

"Ugh..." "Hmm..."

The death of Chiron, whom Zeus had favored and valued, enraged the king of the gods. It was Poseidon who calmed him down.

"Zeus, as much as Chiron's death pains us, you must keep your composure." "...My apologies for the outburst."

"Ahem! For now, let's set that matter aside. We've used the Omphalos stone to locate the Gigantes' stronghold. Demeter!"

"The Gigantes are in the Phlegraean Plains in the region of Thrace. The earth there is emanating power that isn't my own, so it's certain."

"Apollo and Athena are currently monitoring the plains. The Gigantes will not be able to launch another attack."

The discussion about the Gigantes continued for a while. Ideas were proposed, such as completely obliterating the stronghold, having Poseidon submerge it with water, or splitting the land to turn it into an island... but all were dismissed due to the potential for full-scale war.

The conversation eventually circled back to...

"In any case, we need a hero to defeat the Gigantes... Hades, what do you think about reviving Chiron?"

Once again, the discussion returned to Chiron.

As Poseidon proposed the idea, all eyes turned to me, waiting for my response. Reviving Chiron... It would mean breaking the ancient laws of the Underworld, laws that have stood for eons.

This is different from the case of Sisyphus. He was returned to life because he had not yet reached the end of his predetermined lifespan and was unjustly taken to the Underworld. But Chiron... He chose to relinquish his immortality and embraced death.

"Hmm... If we start bringing the dead back to life just because they have unfinished business in the world of the living, what would become of the boundary between life and death? And even if we revived Chiron, what if Gaia intervenes and kills him again?"

"The plains where their stronghold is located are now under strict surveillance." "What if a hero, driven mad by Gaia's whispers, were to wield a cursed or poisoned weapon? Chiron would again give up his immortality."

Chiron is not a being as powerful as us gods. While his skill in teaching is unparalleled, his strength is something even a mortal hero could challenge.

Even if we were to restore his immortality, a single arrow tainted with venom or a god's curse could...

"It would indeed be cruel to Chiron." "Reviving someone only for them to face death again..." "The gods cannot constantly guard Chiron either... Hmm."

"But the fact remains that there is no one else suited for the task. Could you reconsider, brother?"

Zeus's earnest tone made me ponder once more. Prometheus's prophecy did indeed say that we could achieve victory by connecting the Underworld and the world of the living.

However, the gods were avoiding this direct approach and focusing on Chiron for a simple reason. If Gaia were to concentrate her forces on the Underworld, which is connected to the world of the living... Tartarus, where many Titans are imprisoned, could be opened.

According to Hermes, the number of Gigantes in the plains is estimated to be at least several thousand. Even as one of the three Great Gods, I cannot face thousands of lower deities, dozens of the Twelve Olympians, and a primordial Protogenoi all at once.

If the Underworld were to fall and Tartarus were opened in our attempt to train heroes, we would be swiftly defeated. There must be another way. A method to entrust Chiron with the education of heroes, while avoiding Gaia's attention...

Perhaps... this could work?

"I propose connecting the Underworld and the world of the living, allowing Chiron to train living heroes." "Given the risk, accepting Prometheus's words literally is..." "What if we create a small passageway in Thebes, within my domain, beyond Gaia's reach?"

When a city is entirely devoted to a single god, it becomes fully a part of that god's domain. Athens is a prime example, as it is devoted to Athena.

Within such a city, even Gaia cannot communicate with the mortals. I recall that when King Oedipus went mad, Gaia exerted her influence from a mountain outside Thebes.

"Gaia cannot extend her reach into Thebes. We could issue an oracle inviting those who wish to become heroes to Thebes..." "Then we would appoint a suitable agent to oversee them, and those who show promise would be sent to the Underworld to be trained by Chiron?" "Exactly. If we connect the outskirts of the Underworld with my temple in Thebes, and only allow those with potential to pass through..."

The assembly fell silent, with many gods nodding in agreement.

"We could appoint the King of Thebes as the agent responsible for the training of aspiring heroes. Those who stand out would be quietly taken to Lord Hades's temple." "To maintain the connection between the Underworld and the world of the living, the Omphalos stone will be needed." "Those heroes who cross into the Underworld must swear an oath by the River Styx."

Normally, once a mortal enters the Underworld, they cannot leave. But... under extremely rare circumstances, if we place numerous restrictions through an oath by the River Styx, it could be permitted.

The oath would include prohibitions on revealing anything in words, actions, or drawings, and if they attempted to return to the Underworld, they would be sent directly to Tartarus. They would be forbidden from stepping anywhere within the Underworld except the outer gorge and prevented from interacting with souls...

"Now, now! Let's summarize our plan. How about this as a countermeasure against the Gigantes?"

Zeus listened to the assembly's opinions with his eyes closed, then quieted everyone. A small lightning bolt extended from his hand, inscribing words onto the parchment.

The summary went as follows: