The Story of Eros and Psyche - (1)

Despite Gaia's trap, the expedition to Mount Athos had achieved partial success. This was the conclusion I reached. It was disappointing that Chrysaor, the wielder of the golden sword, had escaped, but considering the fact that the expedition had fallen into Gaia's trap, this result was still quite an accomplishment.

However, there was something suspicious about Orion's death… Apollo's sacred raven acting in such a way? That raven is far from unintelligent. It would have been able to predict the path of the golden sword chasing it.

"Hades, about the hero who just killed Orthrus and then died," Persephone spoke, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she watched beside me.

Orion, the son of Poseidon, was the hero in question. Persephone had begged me to let her observe the expedition, and I had allowed it. She had been intensely focused on the mortals' struggle. To a god, the desperate battles of mortals were nothing more than fleeting entertainment. Hmm. I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective.

"When I last visited Olympus, I observed something while gazing down at the mortal world," she continued. "And what was that?" "Orion was hunting with Artemis. They seemed very close… Artemis cared for him deeply."

Ah, so Persephone had visited Olympus. I hadn't allowed her to attend the feasts there before we met, but now that she was known as my wife, Demeter had likely allowed her to attend such gatherings with a bit of relief.

So, Artemis cherished Orion? That sheds light on Apollo’s raven’s strange behavior. However, suspicion alone is not enough to accuse the sun god. There's no concrete evidence, and reprimanding my nephew based on mere speculation would be overstepping.

“I suppose I'll have to remember this misstep and deal with it properly when the time comes,” I muttered. "Excuse me?" “Nothing, my dear.”

Apollo had aided me quickly when I battled Cronus on Earth, but this act of his was rather disappointing. Perhaps he considered a single human life trivial… Of course, for Apollo, that wouldn’t be a stretch. After all, gods inherently viewed mortals as lesser beings, especially one holding the title of an Olympian like him. He might have believed he could easily pass it off as an accident caused by his raven.

But how would Poseidon react to this? Knowing that without Apollo's interference, the expedition might have been wiped out, Poseidon might simply tolerate the situation… or perhaps not.

I continued to watch the mortal world, gently stroking Persephone's hair as she sat beside me. The army of the Macedonian kingdom had finally arrived, joining forces with the heroes to defeat the remaining monsters and clean up the battlefield.

"Hehe..."

Orion would soon be arriving in the underworld, as would the countless other fallen heroes, likely already being led by Thanatos.

"Hades, my lord, the goddess Artemis has arrived in the underworld!" "Artemis? Let her in."

So, Artemis’s feelings for that mortal were indeed quite deep.

“Hades, uncle… please… please bring Orion back to life!”

My niece knelt before me, her tears falling onto the ground as she begged. We had neither a particularly good nor bad relationship, yet here she was, her once-proud demeanor now reduced to tearful desperation.

Was this how much she cared for Orion? A noble goddess lowering herself to beg for the life of a mere mortal… could it be that she was in love?

“You know well that your request is impossible,” I replied. “But… we loved each other. I’m certain Apollo killed him deliberately out of jealousy…” “Haa…”

As I suspected. Artemis, too, believed Apollo had a hand in Orion’s death. But regardless, I couldn’t revive him.

“Are you asking me because of the story of Tantalus’s son?” “Yes… I’ve heard you can bring back mortals who die unjust deaths. Please…” “But that was an exception, an act committed in the most atrocious of circumstances. The victim was entirely innocent, so I returned his soul to the living.”

The story of Tantalus was one that enraged most of the gods. Tantalus had committed such a heinous crime that he was condemned to eternal suffering in Tartarus, while his kingdom was reduced to ruins. That was why the exception had been made.

"Orion's case, however, cannot be treated the same. He was a hero who voluntarily embarked on an expedition and was killed by Chrysaor's golden sword." "But it wasn't the golden sword… it was my brother Apollo…"

Tears streamed down the moon goddess’s face. Even if Apollo had indirectly caused Orion’s death, it didn’t change the fact that the dead could not be revived just because Artemis asked.

Yet, as the hero who had slain Orthrus, a child of Typhon, perhaps there was another way to honor him…

“Return to Olympus, Artemis. I am sorry for the loss of your beloved mortal. The most I can do is…”

"...?"

"Ask Zeus to place Orion among the stars. Immortalizing him as a constellation, an eternal hero in the sky, should bring you some solace." “...Thank you… sniff... thank you...”

“If you wish, I can allow you to meet him once.”

With that, Artemis bowed and left, visibly relieved. Knowing that her lover would be immortalized in the heavens had eased her sorrow somewhat.

Orion, having slain one of Typhon's children, certainly deserved to be commemorated as a constellation, and Zeus would likely have no objections. It would also offer some comfort to Poseidon, though I hoped this would prevent him from confronting Apollo. I would consider asking Zeus to reprimand Apollo in case things escalated further.

As Hades and Artemis discussed matters in the underworld, elsewhere in Olympus, a heated argument was taking place between a mother and her son.

The quarrel was between the winged young god Eros and his mother, Aphrodite.

“No! I’m not doing it, no matter what you say, Mother!” “Eros, shooting a golden arrow for this purpose is something even Hades wouldn’t mind! Why won’t you listen to me?”

To understand this argument, one must look back a little into the past…

In a certain kingdom on Earth, there was a princess named Psyche, known for her extraordinary beauty. Her beauty was so remarkable that people began worshipping her as a living goddess. Eventually, rumors spread that Psyche was even more beautiful than Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty herself.

“Have you heard? They say Princess Psyche is actually Aphrodite’s daughter.” “Well, that would explain her beauty. No one could compare otherwise.” “I’ve never seen a goddess in person, but I’d wager Psyche is even more beautiful than Aphrodite.”

The rumors didn’t stop there. In Psyche’s kingdom, people ceased visiting Aphrodite’s temple, leaving it covered in dust. Naturally, this provoked the goddess’s intense anger.

“Who is this insolent girl daring to steal my glory?”

Psyche not only failed to quell the rumors, but she seemed to enjoy the attention. This only fueled Aphrodite’s wrath, and she decided to punish the princess by enlisting her son, Eros.

“Shoot that insolent girl with a golden arrow and make her fall in love with the most repulsive man imaginable.” “...No! I won’t do it!” “What did you just say?! You refuse to shoot a simple mortal with your arrow?”

Eros’s refusal stemmed from a previous mishap. During target practice, he had accidentally shot Persephone with one of his arrows, resulting in him being dragged to the underworld and forced to shoot arrows for Hades for a considerable time. He was terrified of facing a similar punishment.

Now, back in the present, Aphrodite was trying to soothe her sulking son, Eros, who was on the verge of tears. She was determined to convince him to shoot the golden arrow at Psyche.

“Eros, Hades only scolded you for your reckless target practice. He never said anything about the nature of the arrows themselves.” “But…” “Think about it. Hades was angry because your carelessness caused trouble. But if you deliberately shoot a mortal to punish her, he won’t mind.” “Ugh… but what if he sends me back to the underworld to shoot arrows at mortals again? I don’t want to!” “And what about your poor mother’s temple? It’s been neglected because of that girl. Won’t you at least help restore my honor?”

Aphrodite’s words slowly began to sway her son as she gently coaxed him. If Hades had witnessed this scene, he would have likely scoffed at the lengths the goddess was going to punish a mortal.

But Aphrodite was determined to mete out her divine retribution.

“So, Eros… even if Hades questions you, just say I ordered it. Now, hurry and shoot that golden arrow!” “...Really? You’ll take all the responsibility…?” “Yes, you can say it was my command. Now go!”

At last, Eros gave in to his mother’s persuasion and set off for the mortal world, carrying his magical arrows. Perhaps he was also curious to see this Psyche, who was rumored to be as beautiful as Aphrodite herself.