The King of the Underworld is Tired

The Underworld, the Realm of the Dead.

A massive door leading to Hades' fortress.

“Pant... Pant...” “Creak...”

I stood there, watching the dog in front of me perform all kinds of tricks.

It was a beast with three heads, its saliva dripping with deadly poison, wagging its tongues as if showing affection.

Looking at the now slightly grown guardian of the underworld, Cerberus, I pulled out the Cornucopia.

Thinking of thick meat, I reached into the broken horn, and soon a large chunk of meat filled my hand.

Crunch. Sizzle.

I tossed the meat in front of Cerberus, and all three heads lunged at it, devouring it in a frenzy.

In no time, the fresh meat disappeared into the belly of the beast.

“Pant, pant, pant.”

Seeing Cerberus wagging its tail, as if asking for more food, I...

The god of dreams, Morpheus, approached.

“Hades, my lord. You’re personally feeding Cerberus today. Is there something on your mind?”

“No, it’s nothing...”

“That expression... Isn’t that the face you make when you’re deep in thought? Are you perhaps worried about Gaia again?”

Lately, Gaia had been quiet.

At first, she used the Gigantes to lay all kinds of traps, trying to weaken our forces...

But when the gods managed to repel the attacks, she turned to human heroes like Oedipus to reduce our influence in the mortal world.

The next move she might make...

“I think it’s about time she tries something.”

“Could she be planning to use human heroes again, or perhaps rally the Gigantes for one last stand?”

“That’s the problem... We can’t be sure.”

As Morpheus mentioned, it’s clear she’s preparing something, but it’s impossible to predict what method she will use.

Gaia, a first-generation god of the Protogenoi, is the master of the Earth, capable of influencing all things.

Even Demeter’s dominion over the land is secondary to hers, and, moreover...

“Gaia also possesses the power of prophecy.”

“Indeed, her prophetic ability surpasses even that of Apollo, which is a concern.”

Gaia, the Earth Mother Goddess, is the personification of the Earth, the seasons, and the ecosystem.

She’s also a god with powerful foresight.

When her relationship with Cronos, the god of time and agriculture, soured,

She famously prophesied that he, too, would be dethroned by his own children.

The only being with prophetic powers comparable to hers is Prometheus.

That level of prophetic ability, beyond Apollo’s reach, presents a significant threat to us...

“Wait, if we could somehow persuade Prometheus, couldn’t we gain his assistance?”

“But wouldn’t he hold a deep grudge against Zeus? Would he really be willing to help Olympus?”

Prometheus, for giving fire to humanity, earned Zeus’s wrath and was bound to a mountain.

Moreover, every day, an eagle feasts on his liver, so his resentment must be immense.

“But I’ve never seen a Titan as compassionate toward humans as him. The Gigantes devour humans, so if we exploit that fact and persuade him...”

“Shouldn’t we first free him from the mountain?”

“I’ll head to Olympus and try to convince Zeus.”

Somehow, I’ll persuade Zeus to lift the punishment from the mountain, and then,

With Prometheus’s prophetic power, we can seek his help.

What worries me, though... Will Zeus forgive the one who stole fire?

* * *

“No matter how much you plead, brother, it’s an impossible request.”

Damn, he’s as stubborn as ever.

As soon as I arrived in Olympus, I met with Zeus, but he rejected the idea with a stern face.

“Originally, I intended to simply bind him to the mountain, but it was Prometheus himself who chose that punishment.”

“You mean the remark that provoked you?”

When Prometheus was bound to the mountain,

Hephaestus was told to deliver the message: ‘Zeus will one day share the same fate as Cronos and Uranus.’

That high-stakes provocation directed at the king of the gods enraged Zeus, leading him to order an eagle to feast on Prometheus’s liver every day.

The thing is, with Prometheus being capable of perfect prophecy, no one knows if that statement was mere provocation or a true prediction.

It was a taunt from Prometheus, using Zeus’s awareness of his prophetic powers.

That statement is probably still lodged in Zeus’s mind like a thorn.

“If that’s truly a prophecy, perhaps showing mercy would lead him to reveal a way out of it.”

“That nonsense he spewed might be...”

Zeus hesitated for a moment.

Even though releasing Prometheus, who had provoked the king of the gods, would be a bold move,

It seems that statement Prometheus passed on has indeed weighed heavily on his mind.

Zeus tapped the armrest of his golden throne before speaking again.

“If Prometheus is not persuaded by you, what then? When I sent Hermes to offer a reprieve in exchange for revealing the full prophecy, all I got in return was scornful laughter.”

“That’s because you sent Hermes. It’ll be different if I go myself. And if he’s not persuaded by me...”

Prometheus is a god of perfect prophecy, surpassing Apollo and rivaling Gaia.

He knew the consequences of stealing fire from the gods, yet he still gave it to humanity...

He also knew what punishment would follow when he provoked Zeus, yet he still mocked him.

Isn’t he, in truth, a god of madness even greater than Dionysus?

If Prometheus refuses to be persuaded by me and Zeus intends to retaliate by re-binding him to the mountain,

Then, as the god of prophecy, he will surely mock me with a laugh.

“He has already suffered enough punishment... I intend to do nothing.”

“...So, you’re just going to release him?”

“Yes, and that’s the only way.”

To persuade someone like him, we must approach him sincerely, not with a whip.

"Even though he only stole fire and gave it to humans, it's time to stop his daily torment..."

"Thanks to him giving fire to humans, they can offer sacrifices to us."

"But I cannot forgive him for defying my orders as the king of the gods and acting on his own."

"That's why I didn't interfere with the punishment you imposed. However, I believe this should be enough."

Prometheus has already endured suffering for a very long time.

The king of the gods must maintain some authority, but this should be sufficient punishment in the eyes of the other gods.

"Someone, go and summon Athena!"

"Yes, Lord Zeus."

Zeus ordered a servant to call Athena.

It seems he wants to hear the opinion of the goddess of wisdom, whom he trusts.

* * *

Soon, as always, the fully armed goddess of war and wisdom, Athena, arrived.

When we told her what Zeus and I had discussed, her expression became thoughtful.

"Pardon me, but hasn't father already calmed down?"

"What did you say?"

"The very fact that you've called me to ask my opinion suggests that you believe Prometheus has already been punished enough."

"Hmm... Go and fetch your mother, Metis."

Shortly after, Metis arrived, riding on clouds.

After giving birth to the goddess of wisdom from Zeus's head, Metis accompanied Athena when she emerged.

Although Zeus swallowed Metis out of fear of a prophecy,

once a goddess, not a god, was born from their union, he no longer held her captive.

Before Athena was born, Metis was considered the wisest among the Olympians.

It seemed she had already heard what Athena had said, for she smiled softly as soon as she arrived.

"Zeus, in order to counter Gaia's prophetic abilities, we need Prometheus's strength."

"But I still don't know if I can forgive him so easily."

"As the king of the gods, wouldn't it be wise to show a little leniency? Even if someone defies you, if they can be of help, why not bring them into your fold...?"

When the opinions of the wisest gods in Olympus aligned,

Zeus frowned and waved his hand.

"Ah, ah. Fine... I understand. Metis, you may leave."

"Hehe. I trust you'll make a wise decision, as you always have."

Zeus, touching his forehead, seemed a bit troubled.

It was clear he was conflicted about whether he should release Prometheus and seek his help, despite his defiance.

I didn't push him and waited quietly.

I believed that my brother, who had led Olympus so well until now, would make the right decision.

"Hmm..."

After quite some time, Zeus, having made up his mind, spoke.

"I had no intention of seeking Prometheus's help... My merciful brother, you're quite kind to consider releasing him. Perhaps it's because you've been praised as the god of mercy lately?"

Is he indirectly saying I'm being too soft?

But seeing as he wasn't criticizing me harshly, but rather complaining lightly, I could tell he was already persuaded.

With a smile, I replied to Zeus.

"The god of mercy cannot condone excessive punishment. Especially if the sinner holds the key to fighting against Gaia..."

"Well, I suppose having at least one merciful god around isn't a bad thing..."

The king of the gods rose from his throne and met my gaze.

"As for Prometheus... You may handle it as you see fit, brother. But I must receive an apology from him."

"If that's all, I'll try my best to persuade him."

Having gained Zeus's approval, it's now time to head to the mountain where Prometheus is bound.

But I can't just rush there... I should make some more preparations.

If I can persuade 'her' in the underworld...

I might be able to secure Prometheus's help.