After the Titanomachy - (2)

Crossing Iris's rainbow, I found myself transported to Olympus. It had been a while since I felt the soft yet firm footing on these clouds.

In a world filled with white clouds, the distant sight of Olympus's temple appeared. It looked as if it was made of white marble, but in reality, it was a structure forged from metals by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes.

The grand temple, no, the palace, stretching up to the Milky Way in the sky...

"Why does it look so intact?"

It should be half-destroyed and in ruins from Typhon's attack. My muttering was answered by Iris with a sigh.

"Zeus ordered Hephaestus to spearhead the swift reconstruction of the palace."

I could almost see the valiant warrior summoning flames against Typhon, Hephaestus, the greatest blacksmith of Olympus, being ground to the bone in the process. Iris didn't look too pleased either... Ah, you must have had a hard time too.

I threw a sympathetic glance at the goddess of the rainbow and walked towards the gates of Olympus. The gates were unmistakably more splendid than those of the underworld where I resided.

Covered in gold, with dragon and lightning motifs engraved on the pillars and handles made of some strangely luminous metal. From a distance, the Milky Way flowed softly, adding to the grandeur.

"Oh, that decoration was devised by Apollo and Hephaestus after much thought..."

While admiring the aesthetically pleasing design, Iris began to explain. I listened half-heartedly and then opened the gate.

Srrrk—

The floor of Olympus's palace was made of clouds. Hence, the gate opened smoothly without any unpleasant creaking sounds.

In the lavish hall, numerous gods and servants moved about. Ornate tables and chairs were arranged, and ambrosia, the food of the gods, was served on plates.

"Black hair and black eyes with that cold aura..." "The Lord of the Underworld really came to Olympus..." "I heard Zeus invited him, but still..."

Ignoring the whispering lower gods and servants, I looked around.

Ting-ting-ting~

"Wow..." "Shh..! I can't hear the music."

The sight of Apollo, the god of music, sitting and playing the lyre with a golden goblet of nectar beside him, was the first to catch my eye. The surrounding goddesses and female servants were enraptured, listening to his performance.

"Here, pour some nectar." "Yes! Right away!"

When the gods extended their goblets, servants in chitons ran across the clouds, pouring nectar from pitchers. They were the attendants of Hebe, the goddess of youth, who managed the nectar and ambrosia at every godly banquet.

As the daughter of Zeus and Hera, she was always busy directing her attendants during such events.

"Hebe." "Oh! Lord Hades, you've arrived!"

She greeted me with a radiant smile and a bow. It had been a while since I'd seen my niece. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, I reached for a nearby golden goblet.

Or at least, I tried. The blue-haired god of the sea reached for it first.

"Hey, Hades. I didn't think you'd actually come to Olympus." "Poseidon."

The god of the sea grinned and downed the nectar in one go. In his other hand, he held his signature trident, the Trident of Poseidon.

"So, what do you think of the Olympus banquet?" "Nothing special, just another gathering."

Poseidon picked up a piece of ambrosia and spoke to me.

[Next time, would you join a banquet at my palace? There's something I can't discuss here...]

As the second-in-command of Olympus, he glanced around, his expression hardening, and quietly conveyed his message. I nodded slightly.

[I’ll send my emissary to the entrance of the underworld later.] [That's fine.]

Indeed, this is partly why I decided to attend the banquet. Being present at a gathering of gods often brings news, secrets I might not know, and stories worth hearing. As the ruler of the underworld, I cannot afford to close my eyes and ears.

After making an appointment with Poseidon, we engaged in casual conversation and naturally drifted apart. The brief convergence of the rulers of the sea and the underworld attracted some attention, which soon dispersed.

Zeus, who organized this banquet, was likely to appear later. He would make a grand entrance, raise his goblet, and set the tone once more gods gathered.

"Hades. I didn't expect you to come." "And why not?"

Her hair, the color of ripe grain mixed with yellow, matched her striking features but contrastingly expressionless face. Demeter, one of the twelve Olympian gods and the goddess of the earth, was standing there.

She had been drinking nectar, looking down at the earth through the clouds.

"You’re always busy managing the underworld. Naturally, I thought you wouldn’t come." "I’m not constantly immersed in my duties."

Despite her disbelieving expression, it’s true. In fact, I could be said to be shirking my duties right now, taking a break.

She turned her head back to gaze at the mortal realm. From the palace on Mount Olympus, the view below was usually peaceful... but not now.

"Are those working on the half-destroyed Mount Olympus your subordinates?" "I just assigned some minor tasks to lower gods and nymphs."

Reconstructing the destroyed Mount Olympus looked far from minor. Those nymphs down there had faces full of complaints.

I listened in on what the workers on the mortal realm were saying.

"Huff... How long do we have to keep doing this..." "It's a task from Demeter! If we slack off, our bodies will wither!" "I'm a Dryad. We can't afford to make Demeter angry!"

Dryads are nymphs living in trees. They have long lifespans but are not immortal like gods and cannot stray far from their trees. Hence, they must obey Demeter's orders without complaint, even if it means hard labor.

"You should take it easy on them." "Hmm? The earth is my child, and they depend on me to live. What's wrong with this amount of work?"

Demeter looked puzzled, but I hoped she could show some mercy. If she ever worked in the underworld, she might understand the burdens faced by those beneath her.

"The king of gods, Zeus, is entering!"

A lower god capable of controlling the wind announced loudly. At that moment, a muscular god with golden hair appeared, Zeus.

"It looks like everyone is enjoying themselves."

The gentle melody from Apollo’s lyre ceased. Gods who had been eating nectar and ambrosia paused their meals and bowed their heads in respect.

With all eyes on the king of the gods, he began to speak.

"As the host of this Olympus banquet, I, Zeus, will say a few words."

Clearing his throat, he spoke in a powerful, majestic voice infused with divine power.

"Recently, we faced the formidable enemy, Typhon, but thanks to the united efforts of all the gods here, we succeeded in defeating that monster!"

Everyone knew this banquet was a celebration of their victory over Typhon.

"Let us take a moment to commend those who made significant contributions in the battle against Typhon. First... Hermes!"

The youthful Hermes, holding his Caduceus, walked forward and bowed. Zeus patted his shoulder, said something, and then raised his voice again.

"This Hermes, despite being grievously injured by Typhon, managed to request aid from the underworld. If not for Hermes, Olympus might have fallen! As a reward, he shall receive greaves forged by Hephaestus..."

"Ooh..." "As expected of the messenger god..." "Hermes indeed did well." "If Hades hadn’t retrieved the Scythe, it would have been dangerous..."

Watching Zeus praise his son, Hermes, I observed quietly. Hermes wore an awkward smile, feeling the praise was a bit much.

"Next, the goddess of wisdom and my daughter, Athena, step forward!"

Fully armored, Athena confidently strode forward and knelt before Zeus. During the battle with Typhon, her strategy had indeed proven effective.

"The plan to deceive Typhon came from your mind, truly befitting the goddess of wisdom..."

Zeus mentioned recognizing and praising the gods. This was a celebration, and praising means acknowledging the accomplishments of those beneath him.

Hence, neither Poseidon's nor my names were mentioned by Zeus. Although Zeus is acknowledged as the strongest and king of the gods, we, the three principal gods, are nearly equal.

"...Ares! You fought valiantly, like the god of war..."

And well, there's no need to spoil the celebration for Zeus’s children. Sipping nectar, I watched Zeus praise the gods.

Hmm... Does Olympus nectar taste different? Why does it seem sweeter than when I drink it in the underworld?

"...This concludes the commendation for those who bravely faced Typhon! I, Zeus, shall now take my leave, so please continue to enjoy the banquet!"

Thunder echoed as Zeus vanished from the hall. It seemed he left to ensure the lower gods could enjoy themselves without his imposing presence.

Though he could have simply walked out, must he always depart with thunder? It's quite noisy.

"Hermes! I'd like to hear more about how you escaped from Typhon!" "I wasn't here at the time, but was the monster truly that strong?" "As expected of the goddess of wisdom, Athena!" "Ares, let's ride chariots together later..."

The main figures of today, those who shone in the battle against Typhon, were surrounded by numerous gods. They wanted to hear tales of valor or seize the opportunity to build connections with the Olympian gods.

"Lord Poseidon! Though Zeus didn't mention it, your role..." "Yes, which god's son are you?"

Meanwhile, I sat in a corner, sipping nectar with Demeter, with no one approaching me. Even Poseidon had gods speaking to him... Why...

Demeter, noticing this, chuckled and spoke.

"Of course. Who would dare approach you? Annoy you and they might end up in Tartarus, or please you and they get dragged to the underworld."

"Did I voice my thoughts aloud?"

"...It’s all written on your face, Hades."

I could understand. Apart from the twelve Olympian gods, many others revered and feared me.

The underworld, the realm of the dead, is deep, dark, terrifying, gloomy, and melancholic... Still, it’s a banquet, and finding someone to converse with is challenging, making it somewhat dull.

At least I made acquaintances with a few newly born gods. They nervously introduced themselves, and I sent them off casually.

"Relax your expression; it looks even more menacing. You look ready to drag someone to Tartarus..." "I'm not."

Demeter sipped her nectar, commenting on my demeanor.

Is this not outright underworld prejudice?