Story of Pluto's Temple - (1)

After many years, in Hades' office.

The king of the Underworld was busy judging souls and selecting those who would enter Elysium. An attendant approached with something to report.

"Lord Hades, someone has arrived in the Underworld..." "Let them in."

An elderly soul with golden hair turning white with age entered. I recognized him immediately.

"We have a distinguished guest in the Underworld." "Do... do you know me...?"

It was Cadmus, the great hero who deceived Typhon to restore Zeus's tendons, founded Thebes, defeated Ares' wicked son, the dragon Ismenios, and was punished to eight years of servitude, eventually gaining Ares' forgiveness and marrying his daughter, Harmonia.

The great hero Cadmus trembled as he knelt before me.

"It seems you've lost your memories after crossing the River Lethe. Mnemosyne, please fetch some water from the Pool of Memory." "Understood, Hades. For Cadmus, there’s no problem."

Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. When the dead cross the River Lethe and drink its water, they lose all memories of their mortal lives. But drinking from the Pool of Memory restores those memories.

Though sometimes, souls with intense grudges retain their memories even after drinking from Lethe...

Regardless, Mnemosyne, the goddess of the Pool of Memory, left to fetch the water. As Cadmus drank from the Pool of Memory, his memories gradually returned. His hazy, confused eyes became clear, reflecting the grandeur of the hero he once was.

"Ah... Lord Hades. It's truly been a long time." "Indeed, it has. I was too busy to attend your wedding to Harmonia."

Fully remembering his past, he smiled warmly and bowed, just as he did when we first met.

"It's fine. As the lord of the Underworld, you must be busy." "Were you disappointed that I didn't attend your wedding?" "Haha... I would have been delighted if you had come, Lord Hades." "Hmph. You've grown more eloquent with age."

The reason I restored Cadmus's memories was simple. I wanted to hear how this great hero, who had faced Typhon, viewed his life.

"I wanted to hear your thoughts on your life in the mortal world." "What do you mean...?"

I continued with a slightly bitter expression.

"The curse of misfortune you received for killing Ares' son, Ismenios." "Ah..." "I regret the tragedies that befell the royal family of Thebes that you founded. Even Ares himself regretted it..."

Once a curse is cast, not even a god can revoke it.

I heard that Ares deeply regretted cursing Cadmus when he gave his daughter to him in marriage.

Although Cadmus was the first human to marry a goddess, it didn't end well. The curse of misfortune led to a series of tragic events for his descendants, causing Cadmus and his wife to turn into serpents.

"I'd rather become a serpent..." "Father Ares, do not leave my husband alone. Please, turn me into a serpent as well."

Cadmus fell silent, lost in thought. Despite his many recognized achievements, his life ended in misfortune due to the gods.

Did he resent the gods who kidnapped his sister, cursed him, and eventually drove him and his wife to choose death due to the misfortunes of their descendants?

"I am not one to be ungrateful."

Unlike back then?

After a while, he spoke again.

"Ares' curse... I can understand him. What parent can forgive the killer of their child?" "Hmm." "Instead, I am grateful for the short eight years of punishment and the gift of his daughter. And..."

His sincerity was evident, not out of fear of punishment but from the truth. Despite his life ending in misfortune and experiencing death, he remained noble.

"Thanks to that, I met a wife who followed me even in inevitable death."

Harmonia, the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, and the goddess of harmony. Unlike Ismenios, she was an immortal deity but chose to follow Cadmus in death.

"I cannot blame anyone for the tragedies of my descendants. Ruling Thebes with my wife was enjoyable. Though discovering Typhon's remnants was concerning..."

"Typhon's remnants? Did it resemble Typhon?" "Yes. Though much smaller, it had a serpent's lower body and a human upper body, and was a very powerful monster. I struggled to defeat it."

A serpent lower body and human upper body. And for Cadmus, who defeated Ismenios, to struggle...

My face hardened. Could it be remnants of Typhon? Or perhaps another monster I know...

"After that, I never encountered Typhon's remnants again, so I didn't report it to the gods... Lord Hades?"

It could be a Gigante.

"Where did you find that monster?" "Ah... While walking near Thebes, I heard strange noises coming from a cave. That's where I found it."

Cadmus said he found the giant half-human, half-serpent monster eating people in a cave near Thebes. He drew his sword and fought it, but even Cadmus, who defeated Ismenios, struggled considerably.

Not all Gigantes have equal strength. Fortunately, the one Cadmus encountered was within his capabilities.

Perhaps it hid in the cave to avoid the gods' notice. If our grandmother Gaia hid the Gigantes with all her power, even Demeter might not know.

Demeter, the goddess of the earth, is undoubtedly less powerful than Gaia. Unlike when we overthrew the Titans, the initiative lies with them.

Maybe it was a trap to lure the gods, or some independent action by a few individuals.

But I need confirmation from the goddess of memory to be sure if it was a Gigante.

"Mnemosyne, please check Cadmus's memory." "Alright. Close your eyes for a moment."

Mnemosyne placed her hand on Cadmus's head and read his memory. Soon, she looked at me with a serious expression and nodded.

Damn, it was a Gigante.

"Alright... For your great deeds in life, you are granted entry to Elysium." "Elysium... Thank you, Lord Hades!" "Your wife too, may you live happily there."

Thus, the first residents of Elysium, the paradise, were born. Cadmus and his beloved wife would forever live in peace in Elysium.

Despite the pleasant conversation with Cadmus, I felt uneasy.

A Gigante undiscovered by the Underworld soldiers was found in Thebes...?

But I don't have the time to search for Gigantes myself. I can't neglect the duties of the Underworld to wander the mortal world.

Perhaps I should follow Apollo's example of intervening in the mortal world through a temple.

"The priestess of Delphi, I have come from afar..." "Are you here to receive an oracle from Apollo? Wait your turn."

Unlike the multi-talented Apollo, who could even prophesize, who would willingly worship the god of the Underworld?

Apollo is widely worshiped in the mortal world, with the famous Delphi temple, but my temple is in only one place, Thebes.

It was built by Cadmus in honor of our connection.

"Inform Olympus that traces of Gigantes have been found, and bring Morpheus to me." "Yes!"

Soon, Morpheus arrived, summoned by the soul soldier.

"What do you need, Lord Hades? Did I do something wrong...?" "I'm not here to scold you for occasionally giving humans nightmares as a hobby."

He looked shocked. Did you think I wouldn't know? I'm not here to address that right now...

"I need your help."

The great hero Cadmus founded the city of Thebes.

In Thebes, the only temple of Hades in the world. Though it should be bustling with humans seeking divine favor for worshiping one of the three prime gods...

"Yawn~"

The place was deserted.

Parona, the priestess of Hades' temple, sat in boredom.

No visitors, people avoiding the priestess of the Underworld, The only benefit of being Hades' priestess was that no one dared to pick a fight with her.

Though she was of marriageable age and one of the top beauties in the city, Even the roughest warriors from Pankration wouldn't dare flirt with her, let alone talk to her.

"Ugh... I'm so bored..."

They were likely afraid of being dragged to the Underworld if they offended her. But the name of the god of the Underworld made the temple an unwelcome place.

"Why am I so sleepy during the day...."

The temple of Hades, built by the order of the great King Cadmus, was eerily quiet. So quiet that no one noticed when the only priestess fell into an unnatural sleep.

When Parona opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the temple.

It was a space filled with darkness so thick she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. As a well-educated priestess, she quickly understood the situation and knelt down.

"I don't know which god you are, but do you have commands for this humble human?"

She thought she had fallen asleep, but upon waking up in another world, her memories clear and her body moving freely, it couldn't be an ordinary dream.

Clearly, a god had intervened. But she didn’t think it was Hades, the god she served. Her lord had been silent for so long.

A low, cold male voice echoed from somewhere in the darkness.

"I am Pluto."

...!

Pluto, another name for Hades, the lord of the Underworld. Was she being judged for not managing the temple properly?

She hastily tried to defend herself but found herself unable to speak again.

"You are my only priestess in the mortal world. For your devout heart, I will grant a small reward and a task."

A reward and a task... So, he had something for her to do!

"Revive my temple. I will bestow blessings to aid you."

Her body, paralyzed with fear, started to move again. Her vision darkened once more.

The last thing she remembered was the knowledge violently entering her mind before she awoke from the dream.