"Scream! Ah... Ah..."
Parona, the priestess of Hades' temple, let out a scream as she abruptly stood up from her seat.
The pain in her head from the influx of knowledge and the strange energy coursing through her body overwheld her.
She hurriedly grabbed the water beside her and drank it, trying to organize the mories that had been implanted in her.
First, her master, Hades, desired the revival of the temple and the expansion of its influence. Ultimately, he wanted her help in finding creatures called Gigantes.
She shuddered at the thought of the grotesque appearance of the Gigantes—creatures with the lower body of a serpent, the upper body of a human, and a massive size, man-eating monsters.
"Ugh..."
The blessings she had received from Hades were surprisingly nurous. Like the Oracle of Apollo in Delphi, who prophesied in a trance, or the huntresses who received the blessings of Artemis by swearing to maintain their virginity, she too could now wield a portion of the power of the god she served.
She had the blessing of wealth, attracting fortune even while standing still, the ability to communicate with certain spirits, and a cold, dark energy that she felt when she slightly raised her hand.
'I was always a bit envious of the priestesses of Hecate...'
Hecate, the goddess of magic. For a human to wield magic, they must beco a priestess or follower of Hecate. Only then could they be taught the knowledge of magic and wield mysterious powers.
Even though she had been serving one of the three major gods, she had not been granted any abilities until now. Could it be that the Gigantes were so dangerous that even her god, who had shown little interest in the mortal world, would go this far?
‘Lord Hades... Honestly, I'm a little scared...’
And finally, she was appointed as the high priestess of the underworld ruler, Hades.
‘It seems like a responsibility far too great for ...’
Parona, on the verge of tears, slumped her shoulders. However, as a devoted priestess of Hades, she began to reaffirm her resolve when a guest arrived.
A young servant, dressed in a splendid and clean outfit, appeared, likely from the royal family.
"Are you the priestess of Hades—no, of Pluto? King Polydoros, the rightful ruler of Thebes, summons you."
* * *
Polydoros, the current king of Thebes and a descendant of the great hero Cadmus, who founded the city, clutched his head when he saw the priestess of Hades approaching.
As the priestess paid her respects to the king, he slowly began to speak.
"Last night, a figure claiming to be the god Morpheus appeared in my dream, telling that if I revive the temple of Pluto, the kingdom will prosper..."
This was undoubtedly an oracle.
An oracle is when a divine being conveys their will or warnings to humans, predicts a special human's fate, or when a human asks a god for information.
"And he also told to speak with the priestess of Pluto."
Already, the previous king of Thebes, Pentheus, had t his end due to the involvent of the gods of Olympus. Was another god ddling in Thebes?
Pentheus had been killed as a consequence of oppressing the followers of Dionysus, the newly ascended 12th Olympian god. Dionysus was the god of wine and madness, but Hades...
"So, if I don't follow the oracle, did Pluto say he would punish us by taking all the people of Thebes to the underworld?"
King Polydoros looked at the priestess before him with eyes filled with a mixture of fear and displeasure. Never before had the words of a beautiful priestess dressed in black felt so terrifying.
The priestess, seeming startled by the question, answered calmly.
"Lord Hades... only spoke of the benefits and said he would not impose any punishnt."
"No punishnt at all?"
Polydoros believed that all gods were capricious, self-centered, and arrogant. Anyone who had experiences like his would think the sa.
The mistake of Pentheus, the king before him...
All he did was impose a small sanction on the followers of Dionysus, who were disturbing the peace of Thebes.
"Squeal! Mother, it's ! Pentheus!"
"A boar! It's a boar! Kill it!"
"It's a boar that disrupts Lord Dionysus's festival! Kill it!"
"Ahhh!!!"
To think that a king, and not just any king, but one killed by the hands of his own mother in a fit of madness—what a horrifying event. Since then, everyone in Thebes had been careful not to defy the will of the gods.
They say that no thief ever dares to break into the temple of Hades, and that no one dares to flirt with the beautiful priestess standing before him.
So King Polydoros asked once more.
"Stop lying and tell the truth. Either way, I intend to follow the will of Pluto."
"It is... the truth. The more followers he has, the more Lord Hades will bless Thebes with wealth."
A god of the underworld showing more rcy than the god of wine? Perhaps he is rciful because, in the end, everyone becos his subject in the underworld. Or could it be that he only acts as a god of wealth when interfering in the mortal world?
Hades is also the owner of all treasures beneath the earth...
In any case, the will of the gods must be followed, and the risk of harm to Thebes seems low. Although they would be relying on Pluto's rcy, perhaps the city would receive so divine protection.
King Polydoros quickly made up his mind and showed his agreent.
"Alright, I understand. Is there anything you need to do?"
"First, in the na of the royal family..."
* * *
The Cold, Dark, and Fearso Underworld.
I was watching the events unfold in Thebes from here.
“They say praying to the statue of Pluto will bring the blessing of wealth?”
“That’s officially announced by the royal family. The story goes that His Majesty received an oracle.”
“Huh... Does this an that Pluto will now protect Thebes?”
“Not quite. It’s more like he will bring wealth to his followers…”
I breathed life into my marble statue inside the only temple in Thebes. If the faithful offered sincere prayers there, they would receive a minor blessing of wealth.
“I prayed at the temple and found a drachma on the ground afterward.”
“The na of Pluto is quite fearso, but...”
“Going there wouldn’t anger Ares, would it?”
“Could praying improperly drag down to the underworld?”
Gradually, more and more people began to visit my temple, which stood alone on the outskirts of Thebes.
At first, it was mostly rchants seeking the blessing of wealth, but as the royal proclamation spread and word of mouth grew, ordinary citizens with curiosity also began to visit.
The frequency of offerings, which occasionally ca from the mortal realm, increased, and as more worshippers experienced the blessings of wealth, they brought others with them.
“O Pluto, please ensure my journey to Athens goes smoothly.”
“I’m about to enter a mine—could you reveal the location of a gold vein…?”
It was mostly for wealth.
Of course, that was what I intended.
While the na Hades evokes fear, Pluto, my other na, is favored by all as the god of wealth.
If mortals were wary, I could simply operate under another na while in the mortal realm.
“O Hades, ruler of the underworld… I wonder how my parents, who passed away last year, are doing…”
“My friend wasn’t the most virtuous, but please show rcy…”
Sotis, worshippers sought not the god of wealth, but the lord of the underworld.
Usually, these were people nearing death or those who had lost a loved one to Thanatos' visit.
Their prayers were more desperate than those who invoked the na of Pluto.
Occasionally, I would listen to these desperate prayers and have Morpheus arrange for them to et their deceased loved ones in a dream.
Of course, this was only done under the strict supervision of Morpheus or Hypnos, and though mortals usually forgot most of the dream upon waking…
“Please! Please, let see my mother just one more ti!”
“Sniff… To hear my father’s last words in a dream… At least he’s doing well where he is.”
More and more people ca to my temple, longing to see their departed loved ones again.
Even if their prayers were sorrowful, they were only allowed one chance each. Don’t let your heart grow too soft.
From this, strange rumors began to spread among mortals.
The rumor was that if you wanted to see your dead family mbers just one more ti, you should visit the temple of Pluto…
* * *
The Underworld, Hades' Office.
I was quite pleased to see the influence of my temple in Thebes growing day by day.
If the temple’s influence continued to expand, it might expedite the search for the Gigantes.
If needed, I could even descend into the mortal world, taking possession of the priestess.
If soone prays about a loved one killed by a half-human, half-serpent monster near Thebes, that would be a sign of the Gigantes.
The priestess Parona is doing well, so now all that remains is for the Gigantes to fall into the information network I’ve set up in the mortal world…
“Hades.”
I turned my head and saw the goddess Lethe, with her long silver hair, approaching , her lips pouting. What could she be displeased about this ti?
“Hades, I hear you’ve been expanding your temple in Thebes lately?”
“Yes, that’s correct…”
A look of disappointnt flashed in the goddess Lethe’s dazed, unfocused eyes.
Could it be that she’s saddened by the absence of her own temple?
“But why isn’t my statue next to yours…?”
While so divine couples are worshipped together in the sa temple…
But we’re not married, are we?
The goddess Lethe gazed at , slightly parting her lips.
Her soft words escaped like a whisper…
“I want to be by your side too…”
When you look at like a rain-soaked small animal… it’s hard on my heart.
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