Episode 50: The King of the Underworld is Tired

Episode 50: The Story of Hephaestus – (1)

Not long ago, after the aftermath of King Oedipus' rampage in Thebes had been dealt with...

I was bestowing powers upon my newly ordained priests.

"May the blessing of Hades be upon you..."

"O guardian deity of Thebes..."

Even though my temple was on the verge of destruction because of Oedipus,

Unlike Dionysus, who only sent a divine beast, I descended in person, which seemed to have solidified their faith in me.

"Dionysus may have sent a divine beast, but the Lord of the Underworld came himself, didn’t he?"

"There’s hardly anyone in Thebes who isn’t a follower of him."

"Of course, how many people living in Thebes haven't received Pluto's grace?"

As a result, the priests of the temple became busier.

They had to manage the daily influx of people, verify those who wanted to become priests...

Even Penedia, who was newly appointed as the high priestess after the former one stepped down, was complaining of fatigue.

However, among the newly appointed priests...

There was someone I found very familiar.

"Hehe... Handsome and almighty Lord Hades..."

Bright, light turquoise hair... a water nymph, a Naiad.

Wasn’t she Mente? The one I met near Mount Etna?

She was praying to me.

Surprisingly, her faith was so strong that I could descend into her body.

"Mente, how did you become my priestess?"

"Hah! Lord Hades!"

I casually spoke to her in her mind, and Mente was startled.

Other worshipers noticed her reaction.

"Did you hear the voice of Lord Hades?"

"Of course, the one who created mint..."

"She’s truly favored by Lord Hades..."

The Naiad moved to a quiet place, smiling brightly and clasping her hands again.

"I heard there was a temple of Lord Hades in Thebes, so I came all the way here!"

"Aren’t you a nymph from near Mount Etna? How did you come to Thebes...?"

Nymphs are spirits that dwell in nature or objects.

If the place they are bound to is destroyed, the nymph also dies.

That’s why most nymphs don't stray far from the place they are bound to...

"Well, I wanted to serve Lord Hades! Although there are goddesses, I want to serve you even in this world..."

Is it because I spread mint far and wide and made it my symbol?

That was a rightful reward, and the treatment you deserved.

"If you can't protect your origin, you might suddenly be in danger. Even so..."

"It's fine! I’ve asked other nymphs for help!"

Even if she had asked nearby friendly nymphs to guard her origin,

It’s like a human leaving their heart behind and going far away, isn’t it?

I was at a loss for words when Mente smiled brightly and said,

"So... I’ve heard that Lord Hades occasionally descends into the body of a priest..."

"That’s true, but...?"

"Then, if you descend into my body, I could become one with Lord Hades... Kyaa!"

For a moment, I saw a trace of Zeus in Mente’s face.

As expected, she’s a Greek spirit—her mind is a bit off...

"Next time you descend, please come into my body...!"

Aren’t you afraid of me...?

Even other nymphs and gods tremble at the sight of me...

Well, when I revealed my identity at Mount Etna, she did ask me to spend time with her as a reward...

Maybe she’s influenced by the stories in Thebes about me being a merciful god, Pluto.

Well, she's cute in her own way, so it’s fine.

* * *

After cutting off my connection to the mortal world, I took some time to attend to my duties.

The story of how Gaia corrupted Oedipus, the hero of Thebes, had already been reported to Olympus.

I explained to Dionysus that it happened because of Gaia...

I had finished patrolling Tartarus and Mount Etna recently.

There were no more severe criminals that Minos couldn’t judge...

Could I finally get some rest?

As I thought that and was about to comfortably recline on my throne,

The goddess of oaths entered the room.

"Hades. Are you free at the moment?"

Goddess Styx?

"What brings you here? Has Thanatos fled again..."

"Hephaestus is at the entrance to the underworld and says he wants to consult with you."

"Hephaestus, you say? Let him in."

What could Hephaestus want to consult with me about?

Could there be a soul among the dead that Hephaestus cherishes?

After a moment, the humble-faced, limping god, Hephaestus, entered.

The god of the world's finest blacksmiths didn’t look too happy for some reason.

"Uncle Hades, thank you for seeing me despite your busy schedule."

"You, who crafted my bident, are always welcome in the underworld."

I called for a servant to bring nectar and offered it to Hephaestus.

He drained the golden goblet in one gulp and then spoke to me.

"Aphrodite is so cold to me... Uncle..."

"Ah..."

Despite being married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite was well known for having relationships with other gods.

Hephaestus must know that too...

"Even though I’ve worked so hard to win the heart of the goddess of beauty, she doesn't even pay attention to me. Would you believe that since our marriage, I haven’t spent a single night with her?"

* * *

"Not even once?" 

Good heavens... was it really that bad?

I knew you gave her the magical girdle of enchantment, the Cestus Himás, and made everything she ever asked for.

"But why come to me with this issue? There are other gods with plenty of admirers, like Apollo."

Hephaestus glanced at the goddess Styx beside me before answering.

"Well… Uncle, even though you're always busy day and night, aren't you very popular with the goddesses?"

"Uh..."

"There's a lot of talk on Olympus about goddesses wanting to spend a night with you."

Is he talking about those young goddesses who are like nieces or granddaughters to me? 

I’ve always thought there were many who were drawn to me because of my position as one of the Three Major Gods.

"And more importantly...!"

"...?"

"There's a rumor that even my wife wanted to descend to the Underworld just to spend a night with you... Of course, I trust you, Uncle..."

Hephaestus' muscular body and round eyes were now filled with sadness.

Don’t worry... unlike a certain King of the Gods, I don’t engage in such affairs...!

"Yes, thank you for trusting me. I swear by the River Styx, I have never had any relations with your wife."

"As expected, I knew you’d say that! You're the famously impenetrable..."

The famously... what…?

I glared at Hephaestus in disbelief, and he quickly cleared his throat, bowing his head.

"Ahem. My apologies. I meant the honorable Lord of the Underworld..."

"Stop with the strange comments. You came to ask for advice, didn’t you?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Now, why does Aphrodite dislike Hephaestus?

First of all... it’s probably about appearances.

When Hephaestus was born as the son of Hera and Zeus, he was so disfigured and lame that Hera, disappointed, threw him down below the clouds.

After falling for nine days, Hephaestus crashed on the island of Lemnos. He later took revenge on Hera and reconciled with her, but...

Anyway, compared to other gods, his looks don’t stand out.

As I gathered my thoughts, I could see the disappointment spreading on Hephaestus’ face.

His head drooped lower and lower until he looked like he might soon become the god of sorrow.

It was too much to see him so dejected, so I had to say something...

Ah! An idea came to me.

"How about... trying a different approach?"

"Huh…?"

"Make Aphrodite regret neglecting you and start obsessing over you instead..."

Despite his strained relationship with his wife, Hephaestus loves her.

That’s why he made her everything she ever asked for, even giving her the Cestus Himás.

"So if you start refusing Aphrodite’s requests and act indifferent towards her..."

Just as I reached that point, the goddess Styx, who had been quietly listening beside me, interrupted.

"Hades! You can’t do that!"

"Then, do you have a better idea to help Hephaestus restore peace in his household, Goddess?"

"Uh... First of all, that approach won’t work! If you ignore her, Aphrodite will probably just enjoy it and go out to meet even more gods!"

She’d enjoy it...? What is she talking about...

But they’re married... Surely there must be some level of attachment between them...?

Goddess Styx, looking confident, stepped forward.

Unlike me, she might know of a way since she’s also a goddess like Aphrodite.

"How about asking Hera, the goddess of family, for help?"

"Goddess Styx... I already tried that, but it didn’t work."

"Then how about crafting another item that can win her heart, like the Cestus Himás..."

"My workshop is already filled with dozens of similar items..."

"Then...!"

"No, there's no need to continue. It seems there’s no solution..."

The diligent blacksmith god began to shed tears.

Despite being one of the Twelve Olympians and known as the greatest blacksmith in the world...

"My ugly face... my lameness... they’re just not to Aphrodite's liking..."

"Ah..."

Right now, he’s just a pitiful man who couldn’t win the heart of the goddess he loves.

Neither Styx nor I could find the words to comfort him.

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