Chapter 98: The Athos Mountain Expedition - (1)

This is the Underworld connected to Thebes, the training ground for heroes.

Today, as always, it's a place where ghost instructors, including Chiron, teach aspiring heroes.

Suddenly, a bell sound echoes through the place.

Dong- Dong- Dong-

"This sound... Doesn't it mean we should gather at the building?"

"Let's do the training a bit later."

At the centaur sage's call, the heroes put down their weapons and started gathering at the building constructed in the ravine.

They all seemed to have just finished intense training, panting or sweating.

"Come on! Everyone gather around. Today, a special guest has visited us!"

"Teacher Chiron, by special guest..."

"Who could it be? We already have all sorts of great heroes here..."

At Chiron's words, the aspiring heroes turn their eyes to the ghost instructors around them.

That's because great heroes like Perseus, Cadmus, and Bellerophon were already teaching them.

If it's someone more special than great heroes... Could it be a god?!

No way, surely a god wouldn't come here directly...

As the word 'god' gradually appeared in their minds,

someone entered the place where they had gathered.

A man with an enormous muscular build wearing gleaming armor.

Receiving everyone's gaze, he entered confidently and faced Chiron on the platform, opening his mouth.

"Are these the ones who want to become heroes, Chiron?"

"Yes, Lord Ares. I've already heard from Lord Hades. You'll be helping a lot for two months."

...?! Who? Surely Teacher Chiron just said Ares...

No, was it really a god? And even the god Ares?!

Do you mean that one of the 12 Olympian gods who oversees war, the son of Zeus?

Come to think of it, this pressure. The power felt as well...

"Umm! We greet Lord Ares! I am from Sparta..."

"We pay our respects to the God of War. Always giving us protection on the battlefield..."

"Golden-helmeted Ares! It's an honor to see you in person!"

Having realized this, they hurriedly prostrated themselves or paid their respects, showing the same reaction as any other mortals.

Anyone would show such a reaction if they saw the God of War in front of them.

However, Ares, without turning back, was still talking with Chiron.

As if Chiron was the only one qualified to talk with him here.

"Well, somehow I ended up working in the Underworld again. Although it's only for two months."

"Have you worked in the Underworld before?"

"Hmm. During the Great Flood, I fell for Athena's cruel scheme and ended up..."

"Hahaha! That's a story I'd definitely like to hear someday."

The heroes listened intently to the conversation between the centaur sage and the war god.

Aren't there all sorts of divine secrets and stories in the natural conversation between them?

"By the way, it must be hard work educating mortals to be able to beat at least one monster."

"Still, they're all excellent students. It feels rewarding."

"Since I'm here, shall I check their levels one by one? Then..."

Ares, who was talking with Chiron, briefly looks around.

The mortals didn't dare meet the god's gaze and lowered their heads, but...

One boy bravely faced the God of War for a moment.

"Huh...!"

"Oh... What's your name?"

Although he couldn't bear it and lowered his head as soon as their eyes met...

Ares, thinking he showed quite some courage among the humans here, spoke to him.

"Me. Are you talking to me? It's an honor! I am a human called Peleus, O God of War!"

"You have quite some spirit for a mortal. Then let's start with you."

***

While Ares was conversing at the heroes' training ground,

at the fortress of Hades, the lord of the Underworld, the messenger god of Olympus had arrived and was delivering new news.

"Hermes, you've been coming to the Underworld often lately."

"Ahaha. Father said that since the prophesied hero has been born, I should report well on the movements of the Gigantes..."

Hermes scratches his head with an embarrassed laugh at my question.

But speaking of the prophesied hero. Of course, I'm sure about Heracles, but what about the other gods?

"Do the other Olympian gods believe Zeus's words?"

"Of course not. Especially Lady Hera, who is furious and shouting, making Olympus quite noisy. As far as I know... she said, 'The philandering god has an illegitimate child, and now he's making excuses about a prophesied hero!'"

"Given what he's done so far, not many gods would believe Zeus's words..."

"There's a rumor that Lady Hera is scouring the mortal world with fire in her eyes. They say she intends to kill that Heracles."

I wonder if she knows that I hid Heracles for a month?

Probably so. That's why I can't hide him in the Underworld for longer. Hera's anger is justified...

She must be even more furious because Zeus secretly made the baby drink her milk.

But Heracles is indeed the prophesied hero, how should I convince them of this?

I had him dipped in the River Styx to prepare for exactly this situation, but there's still an uneasy part.

No matter how much Heracles grows after being dipped in the River Styx, if Hera's direct divine punishment descends, he'll die.

So what I need to do is...

"Hermes. Deliver my message to Hera."

"To Lady Hera?"

"Tell her that trying to kill a newborn will only dirty the hands of the Queen of Gods, so how about giving him tasks after he grows up a bit?"

If the Queen of Gods, angry at the illegitimate child, calms her momentary emotions and listens to my words...

Except for suddenly meeting the Gigantes or receiving Gaia's direct anger, there should be no threat to Heracles.

And dealing with monsters according to Hera's tasks will be good practical experience for the great hero.

"Yes. When I return to Olympus later, I'll try to convey that message."

This might be something I shouldn't do to my nephew...

It's no different from tempering a person to create a great hero who can overcome the Gigantes.

No matter how much humans call me a god of mercy,

I am indeed a deity ruling the Underworld.

***

Now that I've heard Olympus's opinion on Heracles, it's time to move on to the main point,

The fact that Hermes came here means that something has happened in the mortal world again.

"You came to the Underworld to report on the movements of the Gigantes, right? Go ahead and tell me."

"Yes. Strange things have been happening recently. The monsters that heroes who finished training in Thebes were supposed to hunt keep disappearing."

"The monsters are disappearing?"

"Yes. I wonder if Lady Gaia... has decided to prevent heroes from completing their tasks altogether? Since the Gigantes are bound to the Phlegra Plain..."

Is she now actively interfering with the heroes? It seems Gaia's prophetic ability is starting to get a grasp.

Her guess that human heroes and the Gigantes are somehow related might have turned into certainty.

If this continues, it might be difficult to raise Heracles into a great hero.

The locations of the monsters he was supposed to kill might change or they might be killed by other heroes...

"So after Brother Apollo and I thoroughly searched the mortal world, we found that the monsters were unexpectedly in a nearby place."

"Nearby where?"

"They were at Mount Athos near Macedonia in northern Greece. If the monsters are gathered in one place, isn't this rather an opportunity for many heroes to achieve great deeds?"

Gaia must have diverted the monsters to prevent heroes from achieving great deeds.

It wouldn't have been difficult for the Earth Mother Goddess to influence things born and raised on the earth.

"So Sister Athena plans to give an oracle directly to recruit an expedition. She intends to gather heroes in the Macedonia region and provide various support."

"But that might be what Gaia wanted. The heroes might be annihilated instead."

Organizing a large-scale expedition of heroes...

But the monsters gathered from all over might instead annihilate the heroes.

That's probably Earth Mother Gaia's strategy. But Olympus wouldn't fail to grasp this...

At my question, Hermes grinned and opened his mouth.

"But isn't it by overcoming such hardships that a mortal becomes a hero?"

In other words, only those who can break through Gaia's trap can prove themselves to be truly outstanding heroes.

If Athena gives an oracle, heroes wanting to participate in the expedition will flock from all over Greece.

Many more humans will die.

"...That's true. So, who will lead the expedition?"

"The hero who will lead the expedition to conquer Mount Athos was quite interesting. It was a mortal that Sister Artemis seemed very interested in... Ah! I remember now."

Olympus must have already decided on the hero to lead this task.

Supporting a person who shows the potential to become a great hero is indeed a matter of selection and focus.

"It's Orion, the son of Uncle Poseidon."