The Story of Tantalus - (1)
After Hephaestus received his punishment in the Underworld, Zeus finally agreed to allow the marriage. However, the wedding of Hephaestus and Aglaea was unfortunately postponed.
A now somber Hephaestus returned to the Underworld, while I was in the middle of warning Aphrodite.
"As I’ve told you before, every time you seduce a god, it causes a rift in Olympus..." "Yes, yes... I know. You’ve burdened me with an unwanted marriage, so I’ve had to manage in my own way, right?"
The Goddess of Beauty grumbled with a slightly pouty expression. Standing beside her, Eros was fiddling with his bow. The reason he was here, even though he should have been in the Underworld, was that I thought he had reflected enough, so I swapped him out with Hephaestus.
"I’ll never shoot arrows recklessly again..." "I won’t stop you from spreading love as the God of Love, but refrain from randomly shooting arrows into the air."
At least now he should only practice archery at designated targets. But if he ever shot arrows recklessly into the air again...
"Eek!"
Eros quickly hid behind Aphrodite. Should I spank him if it happens again?
As Aphrodite stroked the head of Eros, who was hiding behind her, she looked at me and smiled. It wasn’t her usual seductive, flirtatious smile. This was different...
"Thank you for persuading Zeus, Hades." "...I just thought it was unfortunate that the Goddess of Love couldn’t love freely."
Her eyes and demeanor were sincere. Did she dislike Hephaestus that much? Well, I suppose it makes sense, considering the forced marriage...
I gave a vague response, mentioning that Hera had been a big help, and turned my back to leave. It was time to return to the Underworld.
"Hades, brother." "Zeus. Is there something you need from me?"
Just as I was about to head back to the Underworld, Zeus called out to me. Judging by his tone, it was probably an invitation to a banquet or a request for me to attend Hephaestus’s wedding later.
"There’s a human who wants to invite us gods to a grand banquet. Would you like to join?" "If I attend, won’t it just sour the mood?" "The person inviting us is my son, and also the king of Lydia. He’s a human who holds deep reverence for the gods, and I’d like for you to meet him."
Ah, so he’s one of Zeus’s sons.
In that case, I understand why Zeus wants me to attend. He probably wants his son, who reveres the gods, to receive some favor in the Underworld after his death.
Since he’s the son of Zeus, that makes him my nephew. The banquet of a king shouldn’t be too boring... Maybe I’ll drop by.
"Even though I can’t promise him special treatment in the afterlife... I’ll attend." "Good. You’ll probably find my son rather charming when you meet him."
Zeus suddenly grew serious and looked at me with a firm expression.
"But that’s only the surface reason for inviting you..."
So there’s more to it?
The gods who went to meet the King of Lydia and son of Zeus numbered seven: myself, Zeus, Hermes, Dionysus, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hera.
I’d heard that the king invited all twelve Olympians, but...
Athena was busy rebuilding her temple after it was destroyed by the Chimera, Hephaestus was still in the Underworld, and Aphrodite and Ares were too busy enjoying their love affair to come.
Apollo and Artemis... were probably out hunting somewhere.
We rode the clouds for a short while until we arrived at a palace in the mortal world. A man adorned in garments embroidered with gold and wearing a crown stood before us—this must be Zeus’s son and the King of Lydia.
"It is an immense honor to have such divine beings grace us with your presence!" "Tantalus, I hope today’s banquet will live up to expectations?" "Of course, Zeus. I shall present the finest dishes for the gods of Olympus!"
Tantalus, the nephew in question, greeted each of the gods in turn. As Zeus had said, his demeanor was indeed remarkable.
"Oh, praise be to the Queen of the Gods. Thanks to Hera, my wife and I live in harmony." "Hmph..."
Hera merely cast a slightly displeased glance at Zeus’s illegitimate child and left it at that. It seems he indeed enjoys Zeus’s favor.
"The prosperity of Lydia’s maritime trade is all thanks to the grace of Poseidon, lord of the seas." "Indeed."
Finally, Tantalus turned his gaze toward me and spoke respectfully. He clasped his hands and bowed without meeting my eyes, his actions reflecting his experience in dealing with gods.
"May I be so bold as to ask for your divine name?" "I am Pluto." "...! It is an honor to be in the presence of the Lord of the Dead, Pluto."
He then went on to offer various compliments. He thanked me for the wealth I had bestowed upon Lydia, which had enabled the people to live in prosperity, and mentioned how my symbol, mint, had spread throughout the land.
His praise was measured and appropriate. After finishing, Tantalus bowed and guided us forward.
"Please follow me. The food fit for the gods is being prepared, so I ask for your patience." "Very well. Let’s head in."
We followed Zeus into the palace of Lydia, led by attendants and maids to a spacious room.
"We’ll wait outside the door. Call on us if you need anything."
Once the servants left and we were alone, I recalled Zeus’s words.
"The boy is polite and devout to the gods, so I invited him to Olympus and let him taste ambrosia and nectar... and he had the audacity to steal some of it!" "...Tantalus did?" "Yes. His invitation to this banquet might be his way of apologizing. And the reason I called you..."
It’s obvious, isn’t it?
"You want me to lighten his sentence in the Underworld? For a mortal who dared to steal ambrosia and nectar? Normally, you’d be the first to show no mercy, Zeus." "That’s true. But he’s served the gods well so far... And his wife is the daughter of the Titan Atlas. I’ll decide his fate after seeing how he hosts this banquet. If he confesses everything and kneels in apology, I might go easy on him. But if not..."
So, he married Atlas’s daughter...
Atlas, the Titan who resisted us until the very end in the Titanomachy, was a formidable force. He now bears the eternal punishment of holding up the heavens. The only reason he hasn’t rebelled is that we spared his beloved daughters and descendants from punishment.
Zeus is likely concerned that punishing Tantalus might provoke a rebellion from Atlas through his daughter.
Given that the threat from Gaia hasn’t yet passed, it would be unwise to risk Atlas throwing down the heavens and challenging us.
The crime of stealing a bit of ambrosia and nectar hardly justifies a severe punishment for Atlas’s son-in-law. Especially since Tantalus is also Zeus’s own son, there’s the matter of family to consider.
Now, if Tantalus had committed a greater offense, like insulting all three of the major gods...
After a short wait, Tantalus returned. He instructed the servants to serve a large bowl of stew, bowing to us as he presented it.
"Thank you for your patience, O gods. The stew, made with rare meats, is finally ready for you. Please enjoy to your heart’s content."
It seemed true enough, for the stew gave off a pleasant aroma. Various herbs and spices were mixed into the dish, and its appearance was quite appealing.
But...
"You expect us to eat this?" "......"
The meat in the stew... was human flesh.
There wasn’t a single god at the table who didn’t recognize the human flesh in the stew. Even a lesser deity would sense something was off and refuse to eat. Let alone the highest-ranking gods present here.
For a man to serve human flesh to the gods... he was clearly no ordinary human.
I glanced at Dionysus, whose expression was neutral, though his eyes were starting to glaze over.
That look—it was the sign he was about to give in to madness. So, this wasn’t the result of Dionysus’s influence...
The other gods also refrained from touching the stew, their anger barely restrained. Zeus had closed his eyes the moment he saw the stew.
No one made a move to eat, and Tantalus stood there, oblivious, until he opened his mouth as if nothing was wrong.
A mortal this mad... I’d never encountered one in my thousands of years as a god.
"O great gods, why do you hesitate to partake of this..."
"You wretched fool! Tantalus! Have you truly gone mad!!!"
FLASH! BOOM! CRASH!!!
Tantalus’s smug words were cut off by Zeus’s furious roar. Lightning shot down from the sky, obliterating the palace in an instant.
RUMBLE... CLATTER.
The grand palace was reduced to ruins, and countless humans were buried beneath the debris. Even in the aftermath, there were many dead souls—so many had been caught up in it.
"Grrgh..." "What... What’s happening... Is that... a god?!" "Your Majesty...?!"
The cries of humans echoed all around, but Zeus paid no mind, levitating the stew into the air. The pieces of human flesh floated and gathered, and he passed it over to Demeter.
It seems he plans to resurrect the dead human later.
With his fury somewhat tempered, Zeus gestured, and Tantalus, now bloodied and sprawled on the ground, was lifted by an invisible force, clutching at his throat as he was dragged forward.
"Ugh... Gah!" "You dared serve human flesh to the gods? Who was this human, and why did you do this?" "Ugh..."
Lightning crackled in Zeus’s eyes as he exerted his immense pressure. Faced with the wrath of the king of the gods, no mortal could lie.
And the truth that came out of Tantalus’s mouth was beyond anything we could have imagined.
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"I wanted to... test whether the gods are truly wise... That was my son in the stew..."