The Labors of Heracles

After informing Olympus of the situation, I descended directly to the Underworld and headed toward Tartarus. As I approached Tartarus, a familiar darkness fell, and Lady Nyx appeared.

"Welcome. Did you bring the token from Uranus?" "Yes. He granted me a strand of his hair."

I took out the silver strand from my chest, revealing it as I looked at her face, as beautiful as the night sky.

Swish.

"The scent of the deep sky—it truly is Uranus' hair." "Does this mean you’ll assist us now?"

In response to my question, the Goddess of the Night gave a playful smile.

"Haha... You managed to return in one piece? I half-expected Uranus to throw punches right away." "The sky did briefly turn against me. But I was able to pass the test, as he showed me some mercy."

The encounter reinforced just how crucial it was to have persuaded Lady Nyx. Creating storms with the wind between stars is something even Zeus could do. Such powerful attacks are possible for Poseidon and me as well.

But only the Protogenoi can summon such calamities with a casual flick of the wrist. Though mortals may call us Olympians almighty, true absolutes in this world belong solely to the primordial gods, with Chaos as the foremost.

The Protogenoi, like Gaia, who are closest in lineage to Chaos, naturally wield extraordinary power.

"Hmm... You brought the token from Uranus as I requested, so I suppose I should keep my promise." "...!" "If you manage to defeat Gaia’s Gigantes but she appears afterward, then I shall aid you. However..."

The Goddess of the Night trailed off, and the darkness around us seemed to deepen. Her voice echoed from all directions.

"If you call upon me for aid after suffering defeat at the hands of the Gigantes, it will not be Gaia who punishes you, but me."

"...I understand."

The enveloping darkness vanished completely after her final words. I must have been smiling at the spot where Lady Nyx had stood.

The worldwide holiday celebrated by mortals, known as "The Day of Thanatos," came to be known as a day to avoid death and enjoy rest. It brought significant changes to the Underworld.

Temples across the land issued an oracle declaring this day a formal holiday. Executions were forbidden, and even conflicts were discouraged for the day. The war gods laid down their weapons briefly, allowing the Goddess of Peace to spread her influence.

Naturally, the number of souls arriving in the Underworld was reduced by more than half. As a result, a rare atmosphere of tranquility spread throughout the Underworld.

"...It can’t be that work ends this quickly, can it?" "Even if this is the first holiday since the oracle was given, I didn’t expect the number of deaths to drop so drastically." "Perhaps it’s true that mortals are avoiding death on the Day of Thanatos?"

With more free time, the gods felt a sense of peace. Even divine punishments rarely resulted in mortal deaths on this day, as the gods themselves restrained their actions.

According to Hermes, the Goddess of Peace, Eirene, was particularly grateful to me.

"Though, I must admit, I feel a bit like resting myself. Uncle..." "...You and Iris are still tirelessly working, aren’t you?" "I may not be as burdened as Lord Charon or Lord Thanatos, but I’m putting in my share of effort too..."

Of course, some gods, like Hermes, Charon, and Thanatos, still couldn’t rest. At least their workload was somewhat reduced, making it a bit easier for them.

The same applied to me. Work had lessened, though I wasn’t entirely free from duty. Still, this was an improvement. Previously, there wasn’t even one day off a month, as I had to be on constant standby every day.

Back then, even during feasts, I worried about the outbreak of wars on the mortal plane. When a plague struck, everyone would curse Apollo, the god of disease and healing.

At least now, there’s room for relaxation. And that means...

Sip... Mmm...

"...Shall we rest a bit, Styx?"

I could spend some sweet time with the goddesses. With all my work completed, I was briefly surprised when Lady Styx approached me, nectar in hand, as I relaxed on my throne. She leaned in for a kiss, which I reciprocated, thankfully with divine speed.

When the sweet moment ended... or should have ended, she didn’t get off my lap.

Her soft hands rested against my chest, her face filled with a coy smile. She pressed closer, and just as the atmosphere became more heated, she whispered in my ear, her voice filled with a delicate allure.

"Hades, shall we continue next time?" "...Yes. Let’s do that."

It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

As the slightly flustered goddess left the chamber, I reviewed the report that had nearly shattered the moment. Heracles had apparently left the Underworld, which meant he had earned some recognition from the Goddess Megaira.

Though he couldn’t fully overcome the Goddess of Retribution, he must have managed to hold his ground in some way.

I immediately went to Chiron's training grounds, where I saw a massive crater. It was as if a giant's fist had struck the earth—a level of destruction that seemed beyond human capabilities.

Awaiting me there was the Goddess Megaira, her snake-like hair hissing as it acknowledged my presence.

"So, that crater was created by Heracles?" "Yes..."

After listening to the Goddess of Retribution, I understood just how much Heracles had grown.

"At first, he relied solely on brute force, but when not sparring with me, he was constantly by Chiron’s side..." "He couldn’t defeat you with strength alone, so he learned the art of technique." "He’s incredibly talented. Now I see why you threw him into the Styx River, Hades."

Though he hadn’t yet inflicted significant damage on the Goddess, he had increased the time he could endure her intermittent attacks. Instead of just absorbing blows with his Styx-enhanced skin, he was deflecting them with skill.

"I intend to observe him as he makes his way to Hera’s temple. Would you care to join me?" "Think Hera will refrain from punishing him?" "...Probably."

I’d informed her in advance, so she shouldn’t kill him. Probably.

Upon reaching Thebes, Heracles took in the fresh air. He had experienced much in the Underworld.

He had met countless friends who didn’t fear him, studied under the sage Chiron, conversed with the great Lord of the Underworld, and even sparred with one of the Goddesses of Retribution.

Sigh...

Though he had overcome numerous hardships, Heracles still feared the looming punishment from Hera. Following Lord Hades' advice, he was prepared to go to her temple and beg for forgiveness.

The divine power he felt when fighting Goddess Megaira was immense. She wasn’t a river god or a forest deity, but one of the three Goddesses of Retribution. How powerful, then, must the Queen of the Gods, Hera, be?

But the tasks she would assign him would surely aid him on his journey to godhood.

Strengthened in his resolve, Heracles arrived at Hera’s temple. As he approached the goddess’ statue to plead for forgiveness...

"I am Heracles, and I come from Thebes to seek forgiveness from the goddess." "Hold on. You’re not allowed to enter." "What? Why can’t I go in?" "There’s an oracle from Lady Hera stating that you must not be allowed inside."

Of course, he was stopped at the entrance due to Hera’s oracle. Judging by the look in the priest’s eyes, it seemed genuine.

"Did she also forbid me from seeking forgiveness outside the temple?" "...She did not specify that."

Upon hearing this, Heracles knelt before the temple, bowing deeply as if to beg for Hera’s forgiveness. The priest said nothing more as Heracles settled there.

For four weeks, Heracles endured a dire situation. Although his body was as strong as the gods, with skin tempered by the River Styx...

Splat. Drip. Splurt—

"Ugh... What’s that smell?!" "Leave him be. He’s a sinner repenting before Lady Hera. It’s been four weeks now." "But what’s all that? Birds and animals keep dumping their waste all over him!" "Shh! That’s likely a divine punishment."

"Ew... The stench. Even inside the temple, the smell is unbearable!" "I think I’ll have to pray to Lady Hera that he has repented enough. This is too much..."

He may have trained his body, but his sense of smell was untrained.

‘Damn it.’