Chapter 84
Another peaceful day in the Underworld.
It's not long until the Goddess of Spring, who has left for the mortal world, returns.
Persephone... she also had deep feelings for me.
As thoughts flowed to the Goddess of Spring, Demeter came to mind next.
"I don't know if you and that child will end up marrying. But if that day comes, please take good care of Kore."
Demeter's request to take good care of her daughter.
She's my niece, but... I don't seem to have the luxury to think about Persephone yet.
Like Goddess Lethe, who's entering now with a determined expression...
"Hades! Let's... let's go to the mortal world together!"
"Pardon?"
I stopped my thoughts and looked at her, her silver hair fluttering.
The Goddess of Forgetfulness, with a seemingly solemn expression, had one fist tightly clenched as if going to war.
"Ah... that's not it... I heard there's a festival for Zeus in Olympia! I thought we could go together to check on the humans' situation..."
The festival held in the Olympia region is part of the sacrifice to Zeus, the supreme god.
It's held once every four years for five days, and many gods often attend the Olympian Games.
During the Olympian Games, all acts of war or conflict are prohibited, and even the wars waged by Ares are suspended.
If any human doesn't abide by this, appropriate divine punishment will be meted out.
I suppose it's natural since it's a sacrifice that mortals offer to Zeus.
"I apologize. I should have suggested it first. Let's prepare quickly and go."
"What? Hades is suggesting first...?!"
"I wanted to spend time with you, Goddess."
I approached the Goddess of Forgetfulness, who froze as if she couldn't believe I had changed like this.
Looking straight into her blue eyes, mixed with doubt, bewilderment, and expectation, I put my hand on her shoulder.
"It seems I've been too indifferent until now... but I'm trying to change now."
"Y-yes..."
I wonder if I could understand what love is if I experience it a little more?
***
We ascended to the mortal world and headed to the Olympia region where the festival for Zeus was being held.
This is completely Zeus's domain, I should probably at least greet him since I'm briefly visiting.
Zeus wouldn't welcome a god wandering around the city with their identity hidden.
"Let's go to Zeus's temple first."
"Are you going to have a chat since we've come all this way?"
We entered Zeus's temple, our appearances hidden from human eyes.
As expected of the supreme god Zeus's temple, an enormous building and numerous people are visible.
How would it compare in size to my temple in Thebes?
For now, considering that the Olympian Games are about to start, attracting many tourists, merchants, and athletes...
"O great Lord of the Skies, by your grace..."
"These cattle here are healthy ones I've raised well. I'd like to donate them to Zeus's temple..."
"A sculpture of an eagle, Zeus's symbol..."
We passed through the long queue, past human guards and priests, and moved further inside.
Passing by devotees who were washing their hands and moving incense burners... as we came out to a wide area...
Finally, the enormous statue of Zeus revealed itself.
The size of the Zeus statue, seated on a throne holding lightning in one hand, was as large as dozens of people combined.
We approached the Zeus statue, passing through marble columns on both sides.
The wooden frame was covered with ivory and gold, and the massive throne was made of cedar and gold.
Zeus's devotees have expressed the throne of Olympus quite well.
Thud.
I placed my hand on the throne part of the statue and concentrated.
This is one of the places where Zeus's power reaches best; communication is sufficiently possible this way.
"...Zeus."
"This voice... Brother Hades?! Why are you in my temple in Olympia, brother?"
"I came out briefly to see the festival humans are offering to you."
"Ah... I see. I'll tell my priests to treat you well..."
"No, that's fine. I intend to watch quietly and then leave."
I had various conversations with Zeus and removed my hand from the throne.
He doesn't have to worry about the threat of the Gigantes, so he's going to attend this festival in person?
I also heard about Persephone.
He said to take good care of his daughter... asked when the wedding would be...
I heard all sorts of news, including that Demeter has been going around Olympus with a relaxed expression these days.
It might be because I had a conversation with Zeus after a long time, or maybe he was just bored.
At that moment, Goddess Lethe, who was arm in arm with me, called out.
Is it because of that human who's been watching us strangely since earlier?
White hair, a wooden staff and an incense burner in hand, an old mortal who seems not far from coming to the Underworld.
But more important than that is the fact that he's Zeus's favored high priest.
Thud.
"Could you be... g-gods...!"
"Shh."
The old man, who clearly realized something was amiss thanks to Zeus's blessing, speaks.
Detesting noise, I put a finger to my lips while looking at him, and the priest hurriedly nodded.
I nodded too and hid our appearance again.
To that human's eyes, it would seem as if I and Goddess Lethe had simply disappeared.
I wonder if rumors will spread about other gods visiting Zeus's temple?
***
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
"Greetings, everyone! The one conducting this festival..."
Lethe and I were inside a large circular stadium.
To be precise, we were seated in one of the spectator seats in the stadium where the Olympian Games were being held.
"First, we will conduct a sacrifice to honor the great god Zeus! The offerings for Olympus this time include over 100 young lambs and..."
The circular stadium was packed with people, and the announcer was talking incessantly.
Lethe and I watched while chewing on pies with tree nuts and dried fruits.
"Mmm..."
Goddess Lethe, munching and picking up dried fruits, looked somewhat dissatisfied.
I suppose it's because the surroundings are too noisy?
"Goddess."
"Don't give it to me like this..."
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"....Ah."
When I held out a small piece of cheese, the Goddess of Forgetfulness closed her eyes and opened her mouth.
As she took on the appearance of a baby bird opening its mouth to receive food, I put the cheese in her mouth.
But wouldn't it be better to release my finger from your mouth once you've eaten the cheese?
"Mmm... Hades too, ah..."
The goddess who had eaten either the cheese or my finger opened her mouth slightly...
This time, she holds out a pie to me.
Although her face is flushed red and her hands are trembling, her eyes remain dazed even in this moment.
The Goddess of Forgetfulness, who is the mistress of one of the five rivers surrounding the Underworld and also Nyx's granddaughter, showed almost no change in expression.
The power of forgetfulness is originally like that.
Burning sorrow, fiercely blazing anger, even love that seemed eternal...
When you lose the memories that contain all those emotions, they fade away like extinguished fire.
The faintness of emotion in the Goddess of Forgetfulness's expression must be due to that as well.
"What are you doing... hurry... ah~"
But that's just the surface.
If you spend a long time together, you can see that she has the sensitivity of a girl like spring.
When did I realize that she, who treats everyone equally with a dazed tone and expressionless manner...
is a little different towards me?
Was it when we gods seized control of the world, and I still bowed my head to greet her?
Or was it because, unlike my fickle brothers, I didn't covet goddesses?
Or perhaps when I first passed judgment and granted favors to a human involved with a god?
Or even...
"Ugh... my arm hurts..."
"I remember when I first met you."
"...?"
"It was when I had just become the ruler of the Underworld. At that time..."
I closed my eyes and briefly recalled the past.
A very old memory, I was examining the five rivers surrounding the Underworld.
Having won the war against the Titan gods, I needed to learn about the Underworld I would rule.
During that time, I met a goddess at the River of Forgetfulness.
A silver-haired goddess burying her head in her knees by the riverbank.
As I approached her, I could sense the power of forgetfulness spreading all around.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Hades. Are you perhaps the Goddess of Forgetfulness..."
"...Please go away."
Although the first encounter wasn't good, after consistently visiting, I was able to have many conversations with her.
Creatures who forget about themselves even when they're still. Oblivion that swallows the history of mortals.
Limos, the Goddess of Hunger, drives all surrounding creatures into hunger just by being present.
Gods can resist, but it's premised on continuous consumption of power.
Similarly, the Goddess of Forgetfulness was feared by mortals and not very welcome even among immortals.
More precisely, she herself seemed to be in despair.
Still, she responded when I kept visiting...
"We gods can resist the power of forgetfulness, can't we? Wouldn't it be better if you stayed in the Underworld with us..."
"...Why do you keep doing this?"
"Because I feel uneasy seeing you always staying here alone."
"For a busy major god to visit me like this..."
So what did I say then...
Ah. Did I just speak frankly out of frustration?
"This is also my duty."
"What...?"
"It's the proper duty of the ruler of the Underworld to help a depressed goddess with a shunned power."
For the first time, she raised her head and showed a bit of emotion.
"No living being likes forgetfulness. Just leave me alone..."
"...I like it."
"What did you say?..."
Since that day, the Goddess of Forgetfulness came to stay in the fortress of the Underworld.
Returning to the present, I gazed at Goddess Lethe.
I could feel a smile filled with my emotions naturally appearing on my face.
"Why... why are you smiling, Hades?"
I could see her face brightening slightly as she looked at me.
Her expressions have changed so much since the beginning. Maybe it's thanks to working in the Underworld for a long time...
No, that's not it. Let's not avoid it.
I know why she's acting like this.
It must be because of love... an emotion even Aphrodite finds difficult to define.
"...Just seeing you makes me smile, Goddess."
"Ugh... just eat more of this."