Persephone. Hestia.
One was the Queen of the Underworld. The other, the Lady of the Underworld.
These two goddesses, who held the highest positions in the Underworld, brought Eris with them as they descended into the realm of the dead.
Eris softly asked, "My lady, what kind of race does the Underworld have?"
Persephone didn't immediately answer Eris's question. Instead, she smiled and asked a question of her own, "Eris, what is the race of the Heavens?"
Eris shook her head, her expression one of helplessness as she replied, "My lady, I'm truly sorry, but I don't know. Only Zeus knows the answer, and now only Boros holds that knowledge as well."
Persephone nodded, smiling as she said, "That's understandable. After all, the race that represents the core of the upcoming 'Race for Supremacy' must be handled carefully. If not, it could lead to disastrous consequences."
"But," she continued, "the race of the Underworld is actually quite simple."
"Humans!"
"Humans?" Eris was stunned, unsure of what Persephone meant. Humans?
Persephone calmly continued, "Eris, in this struggle for the protagonist race, who do you think is the most important figure?"
"Poseidon? Boros? Or perhaps the Earth Goddess, who has laid countless preparations?"
"Eris!" Persephone's tone sharpened. "In your view, in this war for the protagonist race, what is the most critical factor?"
"This..." Eris hesitated briefly at Persephone's question, but after a moment of thought, she quickly grasped the meaning. With a serious yet strange look, she answered, "Actually, the core factor should be the mythological world itself, right? That's the fundamental key."
"Hehehe~~~" Hestia chuckled, her face brimming with her usual goofy smile. "That's right, Eris. What you said is correct. In this struggle over the protagonist race, the true obstacle is the mythological world itself."
"Every stage of the mythological world's development follows a natural order."
"The Primordial Age."
"The Golden Age."
"The Silver Age."
"And!" Hestia continued, "After the Silver Age ends, the Bronze Age will begin. That will be the era of humanity, and following that, the age of technology will arrive."
"Now do you understand?"
"Everything is unfolding according to the natural progression of the mythological world, and that is the real core of the matter."
"Whether it's the Earth Goddess, Poseidon, Boros, or even Athena, who has secretly withdrawn but still observes from the shadows, they are all formidable opponents. They're all important rivals."
"But!" Hestia smiled. "They are not the core. The true core has always been the mythological world itself."
"The Earth Goddess's actions have indeed opened up opportunities for the gods, but those opportunities are so rare that calling them miracles wouldn't be an exaggeration. In truth, they are almost impossible to achieve."
"Well..." Hestia paused, then continued, "Of course, one shouldn't rule out any possibility. Everything has a chance of happening, even if it's slim. That much is beyond dispute."
"So!" she asked, "In this situation, Eris, do you think the natural progression of the mythological world has been completely disrupted?"
"Now I understand!" Eris exclaimed, finally realizing the crux of the matter. The main issue had been right there all along.
Of course! The mythological world!
Even though the Earth Goddess had slightly altered the rules of the game, had she truly changed everything? The gods had been given a slim chance, but even calling it an opportunity was a stretch—it was nothing short of a miracle.
For the four God-Kings and the Earth Goddess, the chance existed, but it was far from guaranteed. In some ways, that chance could also be considered miraculous.
This was a gamble, a high-risk game. Winning could lead to immense gains, but what about losing?
It seemed that even in defeat, there was no real cost. Things would simply return to their natural course. That's why none of the God-Kings were overly concerned—they treated it as a game, nothing more.
This was the core truth.
While everyone was making serious preparations, no matter how diligently they worked, they would never fully immerse themselves in this contest.
This was just a game.
If they won, it would be ideal.
If they lost?
There wouldn't be any real losses, and that's what made this game so appealing. This was the fundamental point.
However! If one became too absorbed in the game, it could spell trouble. Getting too entangled could lead to serious problems—once that happened, it would be nearly impossible to resolve the ensuing issues.
"I see..." Eris pondered for a moment before speaking softly, "So, by creating a race of humans, even if we ultimately fail, there is still a chance for humans to become the protagonists."
"Only," she added, "these humans would come from the Underworld. They would be our people."
Persephone smiled warmly. "Exactly! That's the core idea. This plan was decided from the very beginning. Almost from the start, it was set in motion."
"By doing it this way, even if we lose, will the Underworld suffer any losses?"
"No!"
"There won't be any losses. In fact, the Underworld will have a much higher chance of victory than any other race."
"Even if, in the end, some gods choose to risk everything and attempt to destroy humanity..."
"In that case..." Persephone paused, looking at Eris, "Do you think the perfect humans we've created in the Underworld—flawless, without any defects—wouldn't be the best candidates? Wouldn't the mythological world be forced to choose them?"
Persephone smiled at Eris as they arrived at the heart of the Underworld. Before them, a group of flawless humans lived quietly.
Persephone's smile seemed to herald the beginning of everything.
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