The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 97: The Hero of Prophecy, Heracles

"Is that really true, Hermes?"

"Yes. Fortunately, Uncle Poseidon rejected Gaia's offer, but..."

"So now she's trying to win over the gods."

Two days after returning to the Underworld, Hermes came to visit.

The messenger of the gods brought news that Gaia had attempted to win over Poseidon.

Hermes, who delivered this news, looked at me with slight unease.

"But isn't there a chance Uncle Poseidon could be swayed?"

"Hermes, you still don't understand Poseidon very well, do you?"

Though he has a somewhat prideful and violent nature, he would never betray us.

After all, all of us, the children of Cronos…

"But this time, he had a big fight with Ares, and they even held a trial... If his feelings were hurt..."

"Of course, he wouldn't be pleased. The punishment given to Ares also considered Poseidon's position."

For the immortal gods, the concept of time is a bit different from that of humans.

Even years pass by in the blink of an eye for the gods, so a two-month punishment is incredibly light.

Poseidon is surely aware of this.

The reason he let it slide is partly because he recognized his son had done wrong, and also because I knew he had sent his son to keep Athena in check.

Although Ares has been punished, even nominally, Poseidon should feel somewhat vindicated.

"Even though he may glare at Ares with distaste, Poseidon would never join hands with an external enemy."

"I see..."

"You must have also reported this to Zeus. What did your father say?"

"...He just told me to send a messenger to Uncle Poseidon to thank him for not giving in to Gaia’s persuasion. As sensitive as Father is about his position as King of the Gods, he didn't even doubt Poseidon..."

See? Even Zeus isn’t a fool; he knows Poseidon would never betray us.

Even if Poseidon were to rebel, he wouldn't bring in external enemies.

"Is that all you had to tell me?"

"Oh, there’s one more thing. Father said that the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris, will be coming here soon..."

"Why is Iris coming here?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe she's coming to invite Uncle Hades to Olympus again?"

Though I doubted that, I nodded and let him leave.

Iris and Hermes both coming to the Underworld? If there was a message, wouldn't one of them be enough?

* * *

As Hermes said, after a short wait, a messenger opened the audience room door and entered.

"Lord Hades, the Goddess of the Rainbow has arrived at the entrance to the Underworld."

"Let her in."

"But... she is holding a human baby."

"...?"

When I finally saw the Goddess of the Rainbow after so long, she had a very troubled expression on her face.

It must be because of the baby she was holding.

"Greetings, Lord Hades. Lord Zeus has sent me to deliver this letter to you."

"Alright, but what’s with the baby you’re holding?"

"That... First, the letter..."

Iris fumbled in her robes and pulled out a parchment.

But there was something unusual about this parchment.

As if it had been sealed to prevent anyone else from seeing it.

Crackle!

When I opened the parchment, the embedded lightning tickled my hand, but I paid no mind and read the contents.

"Brother Hades, it’s me, Zeus. I didn’t want to ask for your help, but somehow it’s come to this."

Is he asking for a favor?

"You’re probably wondering about the baby Iris is holding. Could you hide this child from Hera for about a month? I know what it means to keep a living person in the Underworld, but Hera is trying to kill the child with a snake..."

So, it’s another son Zeus had in secret.

But for him to ask me for this favor, Hera’s fury must be intense.

Indeed... The letter mentions that the child had been hidden in mountains, caves, and even the homes of other gods, but Hera always found him. It seems he’s now trying to hide the child in the Underworld, a realm where Hera cannot see.

One month... If I keep the child here for a month, will he manage to find a safe place or somehow calm Hera down?

He’s probably thinking of hiding the child here and there until Hera’s wrath cools. But to ask me to hide his illegitimate child, just what kind of child is this...

"That child is my son, and I’ve named him Heracles (meaning 'Glory of Hera'). There’s no doubt that he is the hero prophesied to win the battle against the Gigantes. So even though the laws of the Underworld are strict..."

Wait, this child’s name is... Heracles?

Heracles. Heracles. I repeated the name a few times, and it didn’t feel unfamiliar.

Somehow... I’d heard this name many times before. I definitely know this name.

This memory is lodged deeper than the idea of me being struck by Eros' arrow... it’s...

"Tell the goddess Styx to dip this baby into the River Styx."

"...Lord Hades?"

The most famous hero in Greek mythology, the hero of all heroes.

The great hero Heracles, who will one day play a key role in the battle against the Gigantes.

We have won.

* * *

“…What?! The River Styx... you say?”

“Yes. Even the fragile body of a human might improve if immersed in the waters of the Styx.”

Iris looked at me in shock, but my resolve was firm. The law about the living not entering the Underworld or whatever—this must be allowed.

The flash of memories from my past life—it was the fact that Heracles was the hero of prophecy.

If a living being can endure the power of the River Styx... they will gain a body so tough that ordinary weapons won’t even scratch it.

If his whole body is immersed, we can prevent the hero of prophecy from meeting an untimely death.

“But this child is a human hated by Lady Hera…”

“Then why did you come all the way here at Zeus' request… Never mind. If Hera finds out, just say you couldn’t help it because of my orders.”

Iris, Hera’s handmaiden, brought this child because Zeus asked her to?

Did Zeus send Iris instead of Hermes with the baby to avoid Hera’s suspicion?

To secretly send an illegitimate child to the Underworld through Hera’s confidante… What did you use to convince the Goddess of the Rainbow, Zeus?

Perhaps you swore on the River Styx that you’d never lay eyes on Iris again?

“Yes... I understand.”

“Good. Make sure to tell the Goddess Styx to submerge the child completely. Remember that.”

I sternly emphasized this, lest any part of his body—like his heel—be left out.

Seeing Iris head off to the Goddess Styx with a reluctant expression, I couldn’t help but smile.

One of the greatest threats to us gods was now halfway resolved.

If this Heracles grows up to be a great hero... the Gigantes are as good as dead.

Soon, the Goddess Styx entered the audience chamber.

The baby in her hands emitted the aura of the River Styx, his body visibly undergoing a transformation.

As expected from the son of Zeus, he withstood the power of the Styx’s waters well.

After handing Heracles over to a nearby handmaiden, the Goddess Styx spoke with a worried expression.

“Hades. I immersed him in the water because he’s Zeus’ son and destined to become a hero. But if we keep releasing humans who’ve received the power of the Styx into the mortal world…”

“Hm. I know. If too many heroes imbued with the Styx’s power roam the mortal world, it would throw everything out of balance.”

This child will likely return to the mortal realm and eventually study under Chiron, right?

If Heracles happens to train here in the Underworld, I’ll have to tell Chiron to give him a proper moral education.

Since he’ll grow into a powerful hero strengthened by the Styx’s waters…

We need to ensure he’s taught not to harm others recklessly.

“Of course, he’ll be properly trained under Chiron’s tutelage in due time. And naturally, we won’t be producing a horde of Styx-imbued heroes.”

“Well, that’s a relief. But still... you’ve seen countless heroes. Why give special treatment to this child?”

I obviously can’t say it’s because I know from my past life that Heracles will one day defeat the Gigantes...

“If you look at the letter Zeus sent… It says that in addition to drinking Hera’s milk, this child killed two snakes right after he was born.”

“Snakes..? How did that happen…”

“It’s suspected Hera sent them. Since he’s an illegitimate child, it’s inevitable.”

“Ah…”

The dark-haired goddess nodded, understanding.

Seeing her click her tongue at Heracles, I added more explanation.

“The one who brought this child here was the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris. Zeus personally requested me through a letter imbued with his lightning.”

“She must have secretly fed him Hera’s milk while she was asleep. Hera’s fury will be boundless.”

“Exactly. This child may not live a smooth life. Filled with the corpses of monsters and the jealousy of men…”

I turned to look at the baby in the handmaiden’s arms.

Heracles, unaware of the fate awaiting him, slept peacefully with a serene expression.

In truth… this child, Heracles, was deliberately born by Zeus to secure the gods’ victory.

While it’s certain that he’s strong enough to drink Hera’s milk and kill snakes right after birth…

I can’t help but feel as if we’ve thrown you into a harsh destiny.

But now that you’ve been dipped in the River Styx, I hope that helps you overcome your fate.

“Waaah! Waaah!”

“Wait…!”

“Ah! Hades! Please avert your gaze for a moment. Your stare is too intense for the child!”

At the panicked voice of the Goddess Styx, I quickly looked away.

I must have been staring too intently. I sometimes make this mistake…

Since I can’t feed him the food of the Underworld, I’ll have to either find a wet nurse or bring food from the mortal realm for the next month.