Side Story – Rebellion of the Underworld (4)
After parting ways with Epimetheus, I headed straight to the Underworld.
If I meet Prometheus, who has likely succeeded in persuading Atlas, and finish my discussion with the three Hecatoncheires brothers, I should be able to march on Olympus.
As I returned to the Underworld, a familiar face greeted me.
A colossal giant, grinning as he looked my way. The mighty Titan, Atlas, who until recently had been bearing the weight of the celestial sphere.
He gazed at me with a peculiar mix of emotions.
"Yo, is that you, Hades?"
"Atlas."
"I was truly shocked when Prometheus told me about this. You, Zeus’s loyal servant, plotting rebellion?"
Zeus's loyal servant, huh...
"Heh. Well, I’ve decided to stop playing the loyal servant and become the king of the gods myself."
"Oh-ho... I like it. As long as I no longer have to carry the celestial sphere, I’m content."
"The celestial sphere will now be Zeus’s burden to bear."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Prometheus, who had been watching us from the side, applauded with a satisfied smile.
"Kehehe! Excellent, truly excellent. So, Hades, did you manage to persuade my little brother?"
"Epimetheus will destroy the mountains and return to the Underworld."
"Hmm. Then the only thing left is..."
"I plan to persuade the three Hecatoncheires brothers to stay out of the war. Do you have any useful advice or prophecies?"
Prometheus chuckled and answered without hesitation. Atlas shrugged his shoulders, looking uninterested.
"Who knows? Judging by your expression, it seems you don’t need my advice."
"...I don’t think they would want to guard the entrance to Tartarus forever."
"Stirring up their ambitions wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Like the saying goes, once the hunt is over, you discard the hunting dogs. Kehehe. Do as you see fit."
As I nodded and began descending toward Tartarus, Prometheus stopped me once more.
"Wait. If Epimetheus comes to the Underworld, restrain me and send a messenger to Zeus."
"...?"
"Claim that you’ve captured me after I escaped. Summon Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, to the Underworld under the pretext of delivering the news to Olympus. Once she opens the path, use the excuse of personally escorting me to infiltrate Olympus."
Claiming to have captured the fugitive Prometheus, then restraining him and summoning Iris?
If Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, opens the passage between Olympus and the Underworld, we could launch a surprise attack right then and there... Would Olympus really fall for such a ploy?
The plan had too many holes, but at least it seemed more feasible than an all-out war.
Besides, a swift and decisive attack was crucial. For now, following his suggestion wouldn’t hurt.
If they were deceived, great. If not, we could still charge in directly.
With two powerful Titans and a flawless foreseer on my side, the odds seemed slightly in our favor.
Epimetheus would need to play his part well. Hopefully, Olympus's internal divisions have worsened due to recent conflicts.
If they remained unaware of my rebellion...!
"Not a bad idea. Atlas, you should remain hidden for now. Hypnos! Are you outside?"
* * *
The Entrance to Tartarus
The entrance to Tartarus, guarded by the three Hecatoncheires, divine beings with fifty heads and a hundred arms each.
Known as Cottus, Briareus, and Gyes, they were giants so powerful that even Uranus regarded them with caution.
I regularly visited them to express my gratitude for their unwavering watch over Tartarus.
I even brought them nectar and ambrosia from time to time, so I thought we’d grown quite close... but I wonder how they view me.
They were beings who never forgot a favor once received. Asking them to join my rebellion would be impossible.
But perhaps, considering our bond, I could ask them to turn a blind eye to it.
"Hmm? Is that Hades?"
"You’ve been visiting more frequently these days."
As I descended further, the three brothers came into view.
As always, they were resting, leaning against the bronze gates of Tartarus.
"Hecatoncheires, I have something important to discuss today."
"Something important?"
"No Titans have left Tartarus."
"Hmm?"
After clearing my throat, I declared to them,
"I plan to rebel against Zeus and become the king of the gods. Will you turn a blind eye to this?"
At my words, their expressions changed.
The three brothers rose abruptly, clearly showing their disapproval.
"...I’m sorry, but that’s not possible."
"Though we’ve gotten along well with you, if Zeus hadn’t freed us, we would still be imprisoned in Tartarus."
"That’s right. Zeus was the one who released us. Abandon your thoughts of rebellion."
"Could you at least hear me out a little longer?"
The logic to persuade them was already prepared in advance. These were truly ancient Titans.
Since they didn’t think much of mortals, there was no point in telling them about the Olympian gods tormenting humans.
“I’ve always been grateful to you. You helped us during the Titanomachy and voluntarily took on the task of guarding this Tartarus so steadfastly.”
“...?”
“But let me ask you, what has Zeus ever done for your dedication?”
“What?”
“Don’t even think about saying he freed you from Tartarus. That was already repaid when you sided with us during the Titanomachy, wasn’t it? What I’m saying is... has Zeus ever shown any concern for the hardships you’ve endured guarding this place for so long?”
The movements of the three brothers came to an abrupt halt. A total of 150 eyes began darting around restlessly.
But no matter how much they thought about it, they would only arrive at the conclusion that I was right.
“Zeus doesn’t care about you anymore. To be precise, you’ve outlived your usefulness to him.”
“What?!”
“Has Zeus ever visited this place to see you even once?”
“...Never.”
“Then, after the Titan War, did he send any Olympian gods to reward or commend you for your efforts?”
“Not even once... never.”
“Then why do you still side with Zeus, oh mighty Hecatoncheires?”
They were at a loss for words and could only look at one another.
This was a clear blunder on Zeus’ part.
No matter how powerful one might be, gaining and maintaining the support of others requires attention and care.
Though the Hecatoncheires owed Zeus a favor, thousands or tens of thousands of years of neglect had been more than enough to erode that favor.
“From the beginning, I never asked you to join my side. All I ask is that you remain neutral.”
“Hmm... is that so?”
“Hades does have a point. When was the last time we saw Zeus?”
“Even if Tartarus is far from Olympus, shouldn’t he have visited at least once?”
“Think about it carefully. Between me and Zeus, who really cares more about you?”
* * *
I succeeded in getting a firm assurance from the three Hecatoncheires brothers that they wouldn’t interfere in my rebellion.
Their immense power could have been a significant variable, and with this, the likelihood of my rebellion’s success had increased.
I then returned to the throne room to discuss the plan with the various gods.
Thanatos, Lethe, Styx, Hypnos, Atlas, Prometheus—each contributed their opinions to refine the strategy.
“We’ve sent a message to Olympus, so Iris will certainly come.”
“While delivering dreams to mortals earlier, I took a look at the sea.”
“What is Poseidon’s stance? Even though Atlas, Epimetheus, and Prometheus have joined us, Poseidon’s presence is still a wildcard...”
"Do we... have a chance of winning?"
“If Hades uses the Kynee and ambushes Zeus first, we can win.”
“Atlas is right. Hades, you should target the unsuspecting Zeus first. The rest of us will back you up...”
Finally, I turned to Epimetheus, who had successfully destroyed the rocky mountain and returned to the Underworld.
“On your way back to the underworld, were you noticed by the Olympian gods or anyone else?”
“I did see Hermes at a distance, but luckily, he didn’t recognize me.”
"Demeter might still examine the earth's memory, so we must attack Olympus swiftly. When the time comes, I’ll need your help as well.”
As we were discussing the rebellion to overthrow Zeus, a voice called for me from outside the throne room.
“Lord Hades! The goddess of the rainbow, Iris...”
The time for rebellion had come.
“...and the goddess of wisdom, Athena, have arrived at the gates of the underworld!”
“Athena?”
“Has the goddess of wisdom caught on to something?”
“Could it be that we’ve already been discovered?”
The servant’s words caused an uproar among everyone.
Was Athena’s presence in the underworld due to a warning from Zeus, or was it her own suspicion?
Either way, I would have to face her personally.
"If we had truly been exposed, she would not have come to the Underworld. Recently, I chased Hermes away in anger, so Zeus may have sent her to observe the Underworld’s activities. Atlas and Epimetheus, hide outside for now. Once the passage to Olympus opens and the gods begin crossing over..."
I instructed the servant to let them into the throne room, then sat on the throne, waiting for Athena and Iris to arrive.
If they showed any signs of suspicion... I would have to deal with them here and now.
Creaaak.
“Uncle Hades, greetings.”
“We greet the lord of the underworld.”
I let out a bitter smile as I watched them cautiously enter the throne room.
After all, Athena was fully armed with a shield, spear, and armor.
Well, it didn’t matter either way.
Now that you’ve entered the Underworld... you’re no longer a cunning predator but a rat trapped in a jar.