Epilogue – 21st Century Olympus (2)
Gulp, gulp.
The cocktail, a mix of various ingredients, was quite delicious.
The soft scent of mead blended perfectly with the heavenly nectar and the flavor of golden apples, creating a harmonious taste in my mouth.
I considered asking for another glass, but then remembered why I came here in the first place. I needed to find the mischievous princess of the underworld before she disappeared again.
“Have you seen Melinoe today by any chance?”
“The goddess of nightmares? Um… I’m sorry, but I haven’t.”
I turned my gaze away from the nymph, who tilted her head in confusion, and approached the goddesses dancing on one side of the banquet hall.
The goddesses, dressed in bold outfits, were swaying joyfully to the music. Surely, she wouldn’t be among them?
“Hahaha! Hestia, are you sure you’re still a virgin goddess? You’ve clearly done this a few times before!”
“What?! I’ve just practiced a little for fun, that’s all! Aphrodite, you’re one to talk…”
♫ ♪ ♫
“My, my. Who knew Olympus had so many beautiful flowers?”
“It’s a shame the goddess Athena isn’t here. She’s quite… hehe.”
“Wow… I, I also want to…”
“Who’s shoving—Lord Hades?”
Pushing aside the shoulders of the male gods drooling over the goddesses, I looked around.
Aphrodite, wearing an ornate costume that barely covered her essentials, was dancing provocatively, while Hestia seemed to be competing with her in an equally passionate display.
Even Dike, who I’d granted a short vacation, was there, as were Selene, the goddess of the moon, and Eos, the goddess of dawn…
But Melinoe was nowhere to be seen. Where on earth had she gone?
“Oh? Hades?”
Our eyes met, and Aphrodite approached me with a smile.
“Have you seen my daughter?”
“The goddess of nightmares? Hmm… who knows? Hehe. Maybe if you spend some time with me, I might feel like telling you.”
“…?”
She gave me a provocative smile and extended her hand.
The jealous and envious mutterings of the male gods echoed behind me. What kind of nonsense is this, hitting on a married man with a child?
Why doesn’t she go dance with Ares instead?
“Sigh. Never mind. Hestia, have you seen Melinoe? She seems to have run off again, so I came to Olympus to look for her.”
“Oh? Oh! She came to the banquet hall with Morpheus and then left for the mortal world. That’s all I know…”
“What?! Why are you telling him that? Seriously!”
“What? Why not? As if someone who’s been with more than twenty partners already… mmph!”
“Shut up! Don’t you dare blab about that here…”
“What does it matter? Everyone already knows about your behavior…”
The two goddesses stopped dancing and began bickering instantly.
It was hard to tell if they were close or at odds with each other.
I ignored them and continued scanning the area.
If Hestia was right, then Melinoe was definitely in the mortal world.
But I had no idea where she could be, and searching the vast mortal world would be nearly impossible.
At times like this…
“Pan.”
“Y-yes?! Lord Hades! It’s been a while, sir!”
The god of nature, Pan, was the only one I could count on to help me find her.
* * *
I explained in detail that I needed to find my runaway daughter, who seemed to have fled to the mortal world.
After listening to everything, Pan’s reaction was a bit ambiguous.
“Hmm, it would’ve been fine in the old days, but it’s a little tricky now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, back then, I could mobilize everything to find her, but nowadays, the humans’ attention is a problem. At most, I can only rely on whispers from plants or small, discreet animals...”
Indeed. This issue was bound to arise.
In the mythological era, when Typhon or the Gigantes rampaged, animals moving in perfect coordination would’ve been dismissed as divine power.
But in today’s mortal world, where belief in gods is half-hearted or outright denied, it would cause a massive uproar.
If I were to issue an oracle to the mortal world now...
Breaking news! Reports are pouring in of a mysterious voice claiming to be the god Hades being heard in people’s minds…
The government expresses concerns over potential religious conflicts…
We bring you news confirming that Greek mythology was real. The worship of the god of wealth is rapidly spreading…
A rise in nihilistic beliefs as people claim they’d rather die and go to Elysium than endure the suffering of this world…
Since the appearance of a man claiming to be the god of the underworld, suicide rates have skyrocketed across the nation…
Hmm. Definitely not an ideal scenario.
Of course, my faith is still widely spread in the mortal world.
But actually issuing an oracle or showing myself would only cause chaos. Naturally, I also need to restrain any supernatural powers that humans might perceive as unnatural.
The world today is different from the past.
Gone are the days when honor, reputation, reverence for the gods, or love for one’s neighbor were virtues.
Hospitality customs are nearly extinct, and the idea of being punished by the gods or atoning for sins in the underworld has all but vanished.
This is an era dominated entirely by material wealth. If the god of wealth were to reveal himself, the reaction would be predictable.
“…Then, search for her discreetly, minimizing human attention.”
“Understood, but please don’t expect too much.”
“Fine.”
Watching Pan close his eyes and draw on his divine power, I couldn’t help but notice his attire.
Overalls, a round hat, and black shoes. Even the god of nature couldn’t resist the flow of time and had modernized himself…
After quite a while, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and spoke.
“Aha! I found her! She’s in a country called South Korea in the mortal world, with Morpheus!”
“Tell me exactly where that is.”
“I’ll assign a divine beast to deliver my instructions to you. It’ll guide you…”
I’ll have to bring her back immediately. Even nightmares, dreaded by mortals, are a part of the world.
She’s old enough to know better, yet she runs off with Morpheus? Unacceptable.
* * *
Whisper, whisper.
“…What’s that on his shoulder?”
“A bird? Maybe it’s a pet eagle?”
“But aren’t eagles usually smaller? Is that some kind of mutant eagle…?”
“Could it be a foreign breed? That guy looks like a foreigner.”
I didn’t bother concealing my presence with divine power when I stepped into the mortal world, and it drew some attention.
I had thought of blending in as a human and sightseeing while searching for Melinoe, but it seemed this divine eagle perched on my shoulder was the problem.
Screeeech!
- Lord Hades, the place Pan mentioned is in that direction!
“Whoa…!”
“What’s going on? Is it mad because we were staring?”
“Better look away. Don’t provoke it.”
This divine beast draws more attention than I expected.
Even when it speaks to me, humans only hear the cry of an enraged eagle, making it even more conspicuous.
Ignoring the countless stares from all around, I began walking when a group handing out flyers stopped me.
To be precise, it was an old man who appeared quite old in age.
What does that banner over there say? Elysion Church? A religion with the goal of reaching Elysium? What on earth is this?
"Hey, young man! Hold on a moment and listen to some good words!"
"...?"
"Seeing that eagle on your shoulder, you must worship Zeus, but you shouldn't! You'll end up in hell- Tartarus!"
My joy at someone still recognizing that my brother Zeus's sacred animal is the eagle was short-lived.
My expression soured at the nonsense spilling from the old man's mouth.
"If you don't believe in Lord Hades, you'll fall into Tartarus after you die! Get rid of that eagle on your shoulder immediately, and start growing mint at home from today. You know mint, right? It's..."
Screeech!
-How dare you! You pathetic human!
Do you even realize who stands before you?!
The old man grabbed my hand and tried to force a potted mint plant into it.
But it didn't stop there.
"This is just 200,000 won! If you pay only 200,000 won and take this, you'll be able to go to Elysium after you die!
Come on, hurry up..."
"Are you aware that your sins are piling up?"
"What?! How dare you, you disrespectful brat!"
"If you don't want to fall into Tartarus when you die, it would be wise to stop this nonsense."
These scoundrels claim to be my followers? No, there's not even a hint of true faith in them. They reek of deceit. They're likely conning gullible humans, exploiting their beliefs to steal money and amass wealth.
And they dare use my name?
If they come to the underworld after their deaths... No, I'll have to give Melinoë some extra work.
"You don't look like you have much time left to live. I suppose we'll meet again soon."
"That... That rude punk!"
Screeech!
-Lord Hades! If you command it, I shall tear out that insolent man's liver and devour it!
I shook off the old man who had tried to grab me, memorized the souls of those vile people who had dared exploit my name, and calmed my enraged divine beast before heading toward the place where Melinoë was.
Humans truly have advanced greatly.
As their understanding of the world expands, their reverence for gods naturally diminishes. They've even created weapons with destructive power akin to Zeus's thunderbolts and can venture alive into the skies and space.
-We've arrived! Lord Pan said the two of them are inside this building!
So, this is the place. Where Morpheus and Melinoë are.
But why is it so noisy here?
"This way! Someone suddenly collapsed...!"
"Did someone call emergency services? Why are paramedics suddenly at a department store?"
People in orange uniforms were carrying an unconscious man.
I could sense Melinoë's power emanating from the collapsed man.
Did she cause trouble as soon as she arrived in the mortal realm...?
"Oh! Lord Hades!"
"Gasp... Father?!"
Found them. These brats.