Chapter 106
A letter from Demeter arrived in the Underworld from Olympus.
The contents of the letter were...
The proposal to marry Eros and Psyche had passed as their affair ended well,
Under Zeus's leadership, they decided to make Psyche the goddess of heart and soul to let her enjoy happiness with Eros.
Along with that, they would hold their wedding on Olympus and invited me...
Hades. While coming up to Olympus, bring my daughter Persephone too. And how much progress have you made in your relationship...
Hmm. I get the gist of it.
She wants me to bring Persephone along while coming up to Olympus?
"Persephone."
"Lord Hades? Did you call for me?"
"Your mother wants to see you. Let's attend Eros's wedding together."
"Is it finally my turn? Lord Hades and I, disguised as wedding guests..."
I turned my head away from Persephone, who was speaking with sparkling eyes, and read the letter once more.
Making Eros's wife Psyche a goddess and marrying them off must be a way to keep Eros in check and bind him.
Although I scolded him thoroughly, we don't know when he might start shooting his golden and lead arrows again.
They must also think he'll do it less if he has a family and matures.
Since there are many victims of affairs caused by the arrows, Hera must have agreed as the goddess protecting families...
Other gods probably didn't object in order to put the constraint of family on Eros.
...Still, there shouldn't be a problem since the couple themselves are happy.
***
Olympus, which I visited with Persephone, was lively as if proving that a wedding would soon be held.
Over there, I can see Eros smiling with his arm linked with the beautifully adorned Psyche.
Indeed, her beauty is comparable to goddesses. No wonder Eros fell for her at first sight.
If Aphrodite has a seductive feel, Psyche has a mix of purity that charms the opposite sex without realizing it.
"Ah! Lord Hades!"
"Oh... That person..."
Eros noticed me and approached with Psyche. As the wedding's main characters came this way, some gazes gathered.
However... the feeling I get from Psyche beside him is similar to when I look at the believers in Thebes.
"Eros. Congratulations on your marriage. You too, Psyche."
"Thank you. This is all thanks to you, Lord Hades. Because you gave me great enlightenment..."
"Don't be like this to me, treat your bride who loves you well. Don't look elsewhere like other guys."
"Of course. In my heart, I only see Psyche."
Seeing how they're sticking close together even now, they should do well, right?
As the conversation with Eros ended, Psyche beside him faced me and bowed politely.
Wait, you're a goddess now, so you don't need to do that. Were you really my believer?
"I sincerely thank the lord of the Underworld. For accepting the plea of a worthless human, and for letting me meet my husband Eros..."
"You don't need to thank me. It's thanks to your patience that endured 100 days of curiosity that you won Eros's love."
Is it because of the oracle I gave to Psyche's parents?
Still, receiving faith from a goddess, not a mortal, feels a bit uncomfortable.
"Even Pandora couldn't resist curiosity, suppressing emotions is never easy. You overcame what even the first human woman couldn't, so the reward is natural. Of course, there must have been the premise that you two love each other..."
"Still, I thank you once again. My parents are building a new temple for Pluto and making everyone in the kingdom pray to the Underworld..."
"No, that's enough, just live happily together."
"Hehe. I understand. Oh merciful god."
I cut off Psyche's words as she smiled gently and left some appropriate words of blessing.
A necklace made from minerals deep underground would be suitable as a wedding gift, it should be quite useful with my blessing in it.
Psyche looks at the necklace I handed over with joy.
"Actually, when I first realized my suitor was God Eros, I was flustered."
"...?"
"A god who makes people of the same sex like each other, at first I was very..."
Did Psyche also hear the rumor that spread from Thebes... 'Homosexuality is Eros's prank'?
But this seems to be not a rumor but the truth.
"Ah, no, Psyche... That's a misunderstanding, I don't do that anymore..."
"Hmm. Really?"
Eros explains in embarrassment while Psyche teases her husband.
As I watch their honey-dripping conversation with satisfaction, I heard a man's voice calling me from behind.
"Great Uncle Hades. You came as expected."
"Hephaestus. Aglaia is here too."
Hephaestus, who divorced Aphrodite and married the goddess of splendor, was there.
Beside him is Aglaia, adorned with jewels made by the god of blacksmiths.
They bow their heads to greet me.
"Hephaestus. Are you enjoying married life?"
"Ahem. Of course, Great Uncle. Aglaia is pregnant with my child recently."
"Oh... Congratulations."
Aglaia, with an embarrassed face, strokes her slightly protruding belly. This couple seems to be getting along well too.
I think it was really good to have Aphrodite and Hephaestus divorce.
As I was talking with them for a while, Hymenaios, the god of marriage, slightly raised his voice and said:
"We will now begin the wedding ceremony!"
Eros and Psyche's wedding ceremony began.
Their wedding ceremony continued for quite a while.
Hera the goddess of family, Aphrodite the goddess of love, and Hymenaios the god of marriage came forward to give their blessings...
"Hmph. I haven't fully acknowledged you yet. You'll need to be especially careful with your conduct."
"...Yes, Lady Aphrodite."
"Mother, why are you like this on such a good day..."
"Tsk. Anyway, I'll be watching your behavior closely."
"Yes..."
Of course, Aphrodite showed an attitude of reluctant acceptance with a displeased look.
Psyche might have a bit of a hard time with her mother-in-law, won't she?
Still, it's a wedding blessed by most gods... Huh? Wait a minute.
This wedding is a bit unusual in that the musician playing music is not Apollo, but...
One of the Muse goddesses, Terpsichore.
Where did Apollo go? Could it be that when I asked Zeus for punishment last time...
I don't see Poseidon either. Hmm.
I immediately went to find Zeus, who was laughing and chatting with a maid on one side.
"Ah, Brother Hades, you're here."
"Zeus. I don't see Apollo, what's going on? Did you send him to serve in the human world again?"
"My foolish son? Originally I was going to do that for the crime of killing Orion... but it became unnecessary."
The king of gods speaks with a slight frown.
As expected, my brother was also watching over the Mount Othrys expedition.
"Apollo was beaten by Poseidon and dragged into the sea."
"...So that's what happened."
Of course, Poseidon wouldn't have just let it go.
***
Unlike when Ares' daughter was in danger of being raped by Poseidon's son, this time Poseidon had justification on his side.
Moreover, he recklessly killed a great hero who had slain Typhon's child, so even Zeus tacitly allowed Poseidon's anger.
Thus, right after I sent Apollo back to Olympus...
"Apollo! Have you lost your mind because humans worship you as the sun god?!"
"Great Uncle, that's..."
"I don't want to hear it! Zeus, is it alright if I take this guy with me?"
"...Hmm. Just don't go too far, Poseidon."
That's how Apollo was beaten by Poseidon and dragged into the sea by his collar...
Zeus explained that he's probably being punished by emitting light in the deep sea.
So Apollo was dragged into the sea and hasn't returned yet?
"...Even for the god of reason, it seems his intelligence disappears when it comes to his little sister, sigh... Family issues are indeed the most difficult."
"He brought it upon himself."
"To kill a hero of Orion's caliber in a moment of emotion... geez."
Well, Zeus must also know that Poseidon didn't fall for Gaia's persuasion last time.
He must have had to give a punishment that Poseidon would find acceptable.
"There must be more to it than that? Killing his son wouldn't be enough to quell his anger..."
"That's right. So to appease Artemis as well, I made a proposal to Poseidon."
Zeus looked up at the sky, or more precisely, at the sun. I also looked up following him, and witnessed a strange sight.
Helios's sun chariot was racing across the sky diligently, but... huh?
Suddenly, Selene's moon chariot appeared below the sun chariot, blocking the sunlight.
Whoosh-
The sun turned black. More precisely, it was covered by the moon.
I quickly stood up and looked at the mortal realm below the clouds. I was worried about the confusion among humans.
As expected, the ground was in chaos, and there were even mortals praying to me.
"The... the sun has turned dark!"
"Has something happened to God Apollo? Oh Zeus!"
"What... What on earth is this calamity!!! The sun disappearing!"
"It's not that the sun has disappeared, but that it's been swallowed by darkness, isn't it?!"
"It's not night now, which god must be angry? Quickly, let's offer sacrifices..."
The humans on the ground lamented looking at the sky. Many ran to temples saying it was punishment from Zeus...
There were also those kneeling in repentance, and those fleeing into their homes trembling with fear.
"This is my punishment for Apollo, who killed a great hero for personal reasons. Also to console Artemis... I decided to have the moon periodically cover the sun."
"You're making the moon chariot run right below the sun chariot?"
"I asked for understanding from Helios and Selene in advance. Every time they see the darkened sun, other gods will learn a lesson too."
You might say it's not right to give such humiliation for killing a human...
Unlike Ares, the legitimate son born between Zeus and Hera, Apollo is an illegitimate child, so Zeus cares less for him.
It's also an example not to recklessly mess with human heroes for personal reasons.
This level of punishment should calm Poseidon's anger.
"Wait, the sun being covered by the moon."
"...?"
Isn't this clearly... the phenomenon called a solar eclipse in my previous life?