Chapter 13
The traces of Typhon, with its enormous body large enough to cover a mountain, subduing Zeus and dragging him away were clear.
The ground was completely overturned to an extent that would drive Demeter mad if she saw it.
A terrible sight of all surrounding flora, fauna, and humans dead due to the gales naturally flowing from Typhon's body.
Added to that were the traces of divine power left by Zeus as he resisted while being dragged away.
After moving for some time, I noticed the trail ended at a certain mountain.
Thinking that the cave where Zeus was imprisoned must be in this mountain, I looked around...
"And so now my sinews are in Typhon's grasp. If you can help me, in the name of Zeus, king of gods..."
A voice flowed from a translucent bull form, speaking to a prostrate human.
Noticing that the bull was created by Zeus's divine power, I approached while taking off Kynee.
"Zeus."
"Hmm? It's Brother Hades... Did Hermes succeed fortunately? But now I lack the strength to maintain this any longer..."
Zeus's condition seemed quite poor, and as his divine power wavered, the bull disappeared.
I looked down at the human prostrating beside me.
"The... the lowly human Cadmus greets the lord of the underworld, Lord Hades!"
Oh... Most ordinary humans fear and avoid my name, but this man was somehow different.
Usually, they call me Hades when someone dear has died or when their life is in danger, and Pluto otherwise...
As I looked at Cadmus, who was bowing his head low and avoiding eye contact, he began to explain.
He said he was Cadmus, a prince of Phoenicia... Zeus was defeated in the fight against Typhon and imprisoned in a cave in this mountain...
Zeus had his sinews stolen and sent a bull to him requesting help...
Roughly, he was saying that he was trying to retrieve the sinews from Typhon on Zeus's orders.
It was difficult to understand his rambling words, but Zeus must have gone mad.
To ask a human who would die from a single breath of Typhon to retrieve the sinews.
Is the situation that urgent, or did he see something in this human?
"Do you really intend to follow Zeus's orders? Your short life might be further shortened."
If he said he couldn't do it, that he was too afraid, that he was actually scared...
If he begged me... I was willing to protect him from Zeus's wrath.
However, the blonde man, Cadmus... did not do so.
***
Cadmus, the prince of Phoenicia, is an ordinary human.
An ordinary human who fears monsters and mysteries, and reveres the Olympian gods.
To such an ordinary human...
One day, his father, King Agenor, ordered Cadmus to find his sister Europa.
An order to send out all his princes, telling them not to return to the country if they couldn't find Princess Europa.
Naturally, Cadmus couldn't find any trace of Europa, and while walking aimlessly, he reached near Mount Cilicia.
But as he was about to search the mountain to find his sister, something suddenly appeared before him.
"Human, I am Zeus, king of the gods."
He hurriedly bowed his head to something in the form of a translucent bull.
With its majestic tone and mysterious aura, it was clearly a god, even if he wasn't sure if it was really the chief god Zeus.
The god commanded Cadmus to help him.
He was told to bring back the sinews from a powerful monster that even defeated a god.
A god's command is absolute; he must obey.
Cold sweat ran down his neck.
Can I do this?
The rewards mentioned by the bull, presumably sent by Zeus, king of gods, didn't register in his ears.
Cadmus's mind was filled with fear and terror at the thought of facing the monster.
It was like that until a gloomy-looking man suddenly appeared.
"Zeus"
"Hmm? It's Brother Hades..."
At that moment, his mind was washed with a fear greater than that of the monster.
Although the sun was clearly shining in the sky, the surroundings darkened and the air grew heavy.
Cadmus, finding it difficult to breathe, saw the grass around the man withering.
A chilling aura emanating from the man dominated the surroundings, giving an overwhelming sense of presence and weight.
If this isn't a god, what is?
'Surely... they said those two were Hades and Zeus... Then...!'
Is that person, no, that being, Pluto, the lord of the underworld?
Is that bull really sent by the god Zeus?!
He slightly raised his head to observe Hades looking at Zeus's bull, but...
Upon seeing the gloomy male god's eyes, he was startled and could only bury his face in the ground again.
Because in both eyes was a black abyss that could never be thought of as human eyes.
Not just a common river god, but a high divine status of Olympus.
'...It must be the god Hades!'
Cadmus, bowing his head, felt the lord of the underworld looking at him as Zeus's bull disappeared.
His mouth moved on its own at the gaze that seemed to demand an explanation of the situation.
"The... the lowly human Cadmus greets the lord of the underworld, Lord Hades!"
'Should I have called him Pluto...?!'
Cadmus swallowed hard and explained to the lord of the underworld who continued to look down at him.
Everything about himself and all the contents of what Zeus's bull had just said.
'Damn, I stuttered too much, what if he takes me to the underworld for being rude...?'
A moment of silence as Hades pondered.
Cadmus felt a tension as if his blood was drying up in the continuing silence.
Finally, the god of the underworld's lips moved.
"Do you really intend to follow Zeus's orders? Your short life might be further shortened."
Cadmus, with his head bowed, took a breath.
This was surely a considerate statement.
Worrying that a lowly human like me might lose my life to the monster.
From the underworld's perspective, human death would mean an increase in his authority...
The god of the underworld, whom everyone in his kingdom avoided and feared, not even building temples for him.
Was Pluto, no, Hades, such a merciful god?
Apart from such merciful words, he racked his brain to answer the question.
How should he receive the god Zeus's command?
As Hades just said, worthless humans easily die to monsters, so why did Zeus choose me to help?
Moreover, this monster called Typhon is terrifying enough to have defeated even the great king of gods, Zeus.
No matter how great Zeus is, isn't my life more important?
It might be a god's prank to test this weak human.
If I die to this monster called Typhon... I won't be able to find my sister Europa, and my brothers also...
Cadmus, with his head bowed, pondered and pondered until his thoughts were organized.
And finally, he answered in a clear voice.
"Yes, of course."
***
The signs of fear trembling at my presence faded.
Is he enduring the pressure by making firm belief the pillar that supports himself?
Although I've been suppressing my presence since the moment I revealed myself out of consideration for him, even that would be hard for an ordinary human to bear.
A state where fear, self-confidence, and dignity coexist.
Why does he volunteer to walk the path of death following Zeus's orders?
"...Why?"
I asked him, harboring many doubts.
Humans are not slaves or servants of the gods. If his choice was made because he felt Zeus's order was coercive, I would protect him.
Cadmus cleared his throat once and explained his reason.
"Well... Since I was young, I learned about the grace of the gods. That it was the gods who created humans and other living beings."
It's true that the gods created humans, but that was just a birth out of necessity. Is this behavior he's showing now really just gratitude towards his creator?
"The rising sun this morning was the mercy of the god Helios, and the moonlight that comforted me every night was the blessing of the goddess Selene."
Cadmus's eyes held firm conviction.
His voice no longer trembled.
"The food I eat every day is grain full of Demeter's blessings, and the water I drink has Poseidon's protection. Besides that..."
He spoke endlessly of the gods' grace.
Not hastily made up or lies, but truly thoughts from the heart.
"...Lastly, even if I die to Typhon, I will receive the care of the god Hades before me, so how could I fear and avoid a mere monster?"
Impressive.
Did such a person exist in the world of the living?
Cadmus slightly raised his head to look at me.
Although blood flowed from his bitten lips as if it was difficult to meet my eyes, he did not avoid my gaze.
The eyes of a human full of will, overcoming the fear of monsters.
A courage burning there that surpassed even Ares.
"Surely, I am a worthless human compared to the great gods, but,"
He bowed his head to me again.
Not pressed down by the presence of divinity, but filled with gratitude and reverence.
"I am not one who doesn't know the grace given to me."
At this moment, Cadmus was undoubtedly a hero.