King of Underworld

Chapter 71

The Story of Persephone - Chapter 6

Thanks to Iris's timely arrival in the Underworld, the situation was somewhat managed. The gods seemed to be willing to overlook things, for now.

"Iris, has Olympus summoned me?" "Yes. Lord Zeus has requested your presence at Olympus."

Chiron's death... It must be Gaia's strike, as foretold by Prometheus. The task of training heroes to prepare for the Gigantes can only be carried out by the wise centaur.

Olympian gods cannot descend to the mortal realm to train heroes themselves, and if we were to choose someone from among mortals, their abilities would be in question.

"The prophecy said to connect the Underworld and the world of the living, so I'll have to discuss the specifics with Zeus. I understand."

This isn't just an issue for the Underworld, so I can't make this decision on my own.

I need to go to Olympus, gather information from Demeter about the Gigantes' stronghold, and discuss what to do about her daughter, Persephone.

"Come back soon, Uncle Hades!" "C-come back soon?! This isn’t your home..." "What does it matter? I’ll be living here now. Hehe!" "Sigh... I've never seen a god adapt to the Underworld so quickly..."

Ignoring the strange noises coming from behind, I followed Iris to Olympus. It seemed that all the gods had gathered in the heart of the Olympian palace; their presence was concentrated there.

Zeus must have called everyone together. Passing through the grand golden gates and walking on the clouds, I saw the assembly of countless gods.

Zeus sat on his golden throne, holding a lightning bolt, his eyes closed, while Poseidon conversed with Hera. The immortals of Olympus were buzzing about the Gigantes and the prophecy.

"Did Chiron really die from the Gigantes' torture?" "If so, what will happen to the training of heroes? It's nearly impossible to find another teacher like him..." "The prophecy said to connect the world of the living and the Underworld... Perhaps Lord Hades could make an exception and revive Chiron?" "But no matter what the prophecy says, how can the dead be brought back to life...? Hmm. This isn't something I should speak of lightly." "We were this close to having Typhon's body released..." "If that dreadful being had fallen into Gaia's hands again..." "Sigh... If this strike was what the prophecy foretold, it's a painful blow indeed."

Hmm. The meeting hasn't even begun, and the mood is already grim.

Step by step.

"Oh... Lord Hades." "You've arrived, Uncle."

As I walked through the crowd—no, through the throng of gods—toward a suitable spot, they recognized me and made way. Sensing my presence, Zeus opened his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Now that Lord Hades is here, let us begin the meeting. Hermes!"

"Yes, sir!"

Hermes brought forth a large parchment and spread it wide in the air. A map of the entire world appeared before us, with red dots marking the places attacked by the Gigantes.

"Recently, the Gigantes launched a major invasion. As you can see on the map, their targets included Corinth, Athens, Chiron's abode, and Mount Etna."

At Zeus's words, the red dots glowed on the map. With so many simultaneous attacks, Hermes must have been the only one who descended to deal with the Mount Etna assault. If I hadn't been there...

"Mount Etna was handled by Lord Hades here, Athena descended to Athens, and Apollo took care of Corinth... but there was one place we overlooked."

The king of the gods spoke with a lowered voice, lightning crackling around his body. His quiet but intense aura spread across Olympus.

"As you all know, the wise centaur Chiron was tortured by the Gigantes until he relinquished his immortality and passed away."

"I propose connecting the Underworld and the world of the living, allowing Chiron to train living heroes." "Given the risk, accepting Prometheus's words literally is..." "What if we create a small passageway in Thebes, within my domain, beyond Gaia's reach?"

When a city is entirely devoted to a single god, it becomes fully a part of that god's domain. Athens is a prime example, as it is devoted to Athena.

Within such a city, even Gaia cannot communicate with the mortals. I recall that when King Oedipus went mad, Gaia exerted her influence from a mountain outside Thebes.

"Gaia cannot extend her reach into Thebes. We could issue an oracle inviting those who wish to become heroes to Thebes..." "Then we would appoint a suitable agent to oversee them, and those who show promise would be sent to the Underworld to be trained by Chiron?" "Exactly. If we connect the outskirts of the Underworld with my temple in Thebes, and only allow those with potential to pass through..."

The assembly fell silent, with many gods nodding in agreement.

"We could appoint the King of Thebes as the agent responsible for the training of aspiring heroes. Those who stand out would be quietly taken to Lord Hades's temple." "To maintain the connection between the Underworld and the world of the living, the Omphalos stone will be needed." "Those heroes who cross into the Underworld must swear an oath by the River Styx."

Normally, once a mortal enters the Underworld, they cannot leave. But... under extremely rare circumstances, if we place numerous restrictions through an oath by the River Styx, it could be permitted.

The oath would include prohibitions on revealing anything in words, actions, or drawings, and if they attempted to return to the Underworld, they would be sent directly to Tartarus. They would be forbidden from stepping anywhere within the Underworld except the outer gorge and prevented from interacting with souls...

"Now, now! Let's summarize our plan. How about this as a countermeasure against the Gigantes?"

Zeus listened to the assembly's opinions with his eyes closed, then quieted everyone. A small lightning bolt extended from his hand, inscribing words onto the parchment.

The summary went as follows:

An oracle will be issued to the mortals, inviting those who wish to become heroes to come to Thebes.

The King of Thebes will be informed through the oracle, and a training ground will be established for the purpose of nurturing heroes.

Those who excel in this training ground will be quietly transferred to Lord Hades's temple and cross into the Underworld.

In the outskirts of the Underworld, these heroes will be trained by the deceased Chiron and, when ready, will return to the world of the living.

4-1) The heroes and associated mortals will swear an oath by the River Styx, which will include numerous restrictions, such as the prohibition of disclosure. 4-2) The Omphalos stone will be temporarily entrusted to Hades to maintain the connection between the Underworld and the world of the living.

"Shall we leave the finer details to you, Lord Hades?" "Of course. With this plan, the Underworld and the world of the living will be connected... We can achieve victory as Prometheus's prophecy foretold." "If you need any assistance, do not hesitate to call upon Olympus. Hermes! Iris! You'll be needed for this."

We will not be defeated by the likes of the Gigantes.

We will secure victory.

After the meeting, I approached Demeter. It was time to discuss her daughter, Persephone.

The goddess, with her pale golden hair and expressionless face, halted when she saw me approaching.

"What business do you have with me, Hades?" "Demeter, your daughter Persephone is currently in the Underworld." "What?! So the Gigantes aren’t the most important thing right now! If you don't release my daughter immediately, I'll...!"

Sigh... She loses her composure the moment her daughter is mentioned. This is exactly why I decided to deliver the news in person instead of sending a messenger. I need to get straight to the point and clear up any misunderstandings.

"This is beyond my control. She was struck by Eros's golden arrow and saw my face, and... she also ate food from the Underworld..."

"Wha... What... What?! Ha... Hades!!!"

It's not the kidnapping you think it is, so please calm down...