The Story of Tantalus - (1)
After Hephaestus received his punishment in the Underworld, Zeus finally agreed to allow the marriage. However, the wedding of Hephaestus and Aglaea was unfortunately postponed.
A now somber Hephaestus returned to the Underworld, while I was in the middle of warning Aphrodite.
"As I've told you before, every time you seduce a god, it causes a rift in Olympus…" "Yes, yes… I know. You've burdened me with an unwanted marriage, so I've had to manage in my own way, right?"
The Goddess of Beauty grumbled with a slightly pouty expression. Standing beside her, Eros was fiddling with his bow. The reason he was here, even though he should have been in the Underworld, was that I thought he had reflected enough, so I swapped him out with Hephaestus.
"I'll never shoot arrows recklessly again..." "I won't stop you from spreading love as the God of Love, but refrain from randomly shooting arrows into the air."
At least now he should only practice archery at designated targets. But if he ever shot arrows recklessly into the air again…
"Eek!"
Eros quickly hid behind Aphrodite. Should I spank him if it happens again?
As Aphrodite stroked the head of Eros, who was hiding behind her, she looked at me and smiled. It wasn't her usual seductive, flirtatious smile. This was different…
"Thank you for persuading Zeus, Hades." "...I just thought it was unfortunate that the Goddess of Love couldn't love freely."
Her eyes and demeanor were sincere. Did she dislike Hephaestus that much? Well, I suppose it makes sense, considering the forced marriage...
I gave a vague response, mentioning that Hera had been a big help, and turned my back to leave. It was time to return to the Underworld.
"Hades, brother." "Zeus. Is there something you need from me?"
Just as I was about to head back to the Underworld, Zeus called out to me. Judging by his tone, it was probably an invitation to a banquet or a request for me to attend Hephaestus's wedding later.
"There's a human who wants to invite us gods to a grand banquet. Would you like to join?" "If I attend, won't it just sour the mood?" "The person inviting us is my son, and also the king of Lydia. He's a human who holds deep reverence for the gods, and I'd like for you to meet him."
Ah, so he's one of Zeus's sons.
In that case, I understand why Zeus wants me to attend. He probably wants his son, who reveres the gods, to receive some favor in the Underworld after his death.
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Since he's the son of Zeus, that makes him my nephew. The banquet of a king shouldn't be too boring... Maybe I'll drop by.
"Even though I can't promise him special treatment in the afterlife... I'll attend." "Good. You'll probably find my son rather charming when you meet him."
Zeus suddenly grew serious and looked at me with a firm expression.
"But that's only the surface reason for inviting you..."
So there's more to it?
The gods who went to meet the King of Lydia and son of Zeus numbered seven: myself, Zeus, Hermes, Dionysus, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hera.
I'd heard that the king invited all twelve Olympians, but...
Athena was busy rebuilding her temple after it was destroyed by the Chimera, Hephaestus was still in the Underworld, and Aphrodite and Ares were too busy enjoying their love affair to come.
Apollo and Artemis... were probably out hunting somewhere.
We rode the clouds for a short while until we arrived at a palace in the mortal world. A man adorned in garments embroidered with gold and wearing a crown stood before us—this must be Zeus's son and the King of Lydia.
"It is an immense honor to have such divine beings grace us with your presence!" "Tantalus, I hope today's banquet will live up to expectations?" "Of course, Zeus. I shall present the finest dishes for the gods of Olympus!"
Tantalus, the nephew in question, greeted each of the gods in turn. As Zeus had said, his demeanor was indeed remarkable.
"Oh, praise be to the Queen of the Gods. Thanks to Hera, my wife and I live in harmony." "Hmph..."
Hera merely cast a slightly displeased glance at Zeus's illegitimate child and left it at that. It seems he indeed enjoys Zeus's favor.
"The prosperity of Lydia's maritime trade is all thanks to the grace of Poseidon, lord of the seas." "Indeed."
Finally, Tantalus turned his gaze toward me and spoke respectfully. He clasped his hands and bowed without meeting my eyes, his actions reflecting his experience in dealing with gods.
"May I be so bold as to ask for your divine name?" "I am Pluto." "...! It is an honor to be in the presence of the Lord of the Dead, Pluto."
He then went on to offer various compliments. He thanked me for the wealth I had bestowed upon Lydia, which had enabled the people to live in prosperity, and mentioned how my symbol, mint, had spread throughout the land.
His praise was measured and appropriate. After finishing, Tantalus bowed and guided us forward.
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"Please follow me. The food fit for the gods is being prepared, so I ask for your patience." "Very well. Let's head in."
We followed Zeus into the palace of Lydia, led by attendants and maids to a spacious room.
"We'll wait outside the door. Call on us if you need anything."
Once the servants left and we were alone, I recalled Zeus's words.
"The boy is polite and devout to the gods, so I invited him to Olympus and let him taste ambrosia and nectar... and he had the audacity to steal some of it!" "...Tantalus did?" "Yes. His invitation to this banquet might be his way of apologizing. And the reason I called you..."
It's obvious, isn't it?
"You want me to lighten his sentence in the Underworld? For a mortal who dared to steal ambrosia and nectar? Normally, you'd be the first to show no mercy, Zeus." "That's true. But he's served the gods well so far... And his wife is the daughter of the Titan Atlas. I'll decide his fate after seeing how he hosts this banquet. If he confesses everything and kneels in apology, I might go easy on him. But if not..."
So, he married Atlas's daughter...
Atlas, the Titan who resisted us until the very end in the Titanomachy, was a formidable force. He now bears the eternal punishment of holding up the heavens. The only reason he hasn't rebelled is that we spared his beloved daughters and descendants from punishment.
Zeus is likely concerned that punishing Tantalus might provoke a rebellion from Atlas through his daughter.
Given that the threat from Gaia hasn't yet passed, it would be unwise to risk Atlas throwing down the heavens and challenging us.
The crime of stealing a bit of ambrosia and nectar hardly justifies a severe punishment for Atlas's son-in-law. Especially since Tantalus is also Zeus's own son, there's the matter of family to consider.
Now, if Tantalus had committed a greater offense, like insulting all three of the major gods...
After a short wait, Tantalus returned. He instructed the servants to serve a large bowl of stew, bowing to us as he presented it.
"Thank you for your patience, O gods. The stew, made with rare meats, is finally ready for you. Please enjoy to your heart's content."
It seemed true enough, for the stew gave off a pleasant aroma. Various herbs and spices were mixed into the dish, and its appearance was quite appealing.
But...
"You expect us to eat this?" "..."
The meat in the stew... was human flesh.
There wasn't a single god at the table who didn't recognize the human flesh in the stew. Even a lesser deity would sense something was off and refuse to eat. Let alone the highest-ranking gods present here.
For a man to serve human flesh to the gods... he was clearly no ordinary human.
I glanced at Dionysus, whose expression was neutral, though his eyes were starting to glaze over.
That look—it was the sign he was about to give in to madness. So, this wasn't the result of Dionysus's influence...
The other gods also refrained from touching the stew, their anger barely restrained. Zeus had closed his eyes the moment he saw the stew.
No one made a move to eat, and Tantalus stood there, oblivious, until he opened his mouth as if nothing was wrong.
A mortal this mad... I'd never encountered one in my thousands of years as a god.
"O great gods, why do you hesitate to partake of this…"
"You wretched fool! Tantalus! Have you truly gone mad!!!"
FLASH! BOOM! CRASH!!!
Tantalus's smug words were cut off by Zeus's furious roar. Lightning shot down from the sky, obliterating the palace in an instant.
RUMBLE... CLATTER.
The grand palace was reduced to ruins, and countless humans were buried beneath the debris. Even in the aftermath, there were many dead souls—so many had been caught up in it.
"Grrgh..." "What... What's happening... Is that... a god?!" "Your Majesty...?!"
The cries of humans echoed all around, but Zeus paid no mind, levitating the stew into the air. The pieces of human flesh floated and gathered, and he passed it over to Demeter.
It seems he plans to resurrect the dead human later.
With his fury somewhat tempered, Zeus gestured, and Tantalus, now bloodied and sprawled on the ground, was lifted by an invisible force, clutching at his throat as he was dragged forward.
"Ugh... Gah!" "You dared serve human flesh to the gods? Who was this human, and why did you do this?" "Ugh..."
Lightning crackled in Zeus's eyes as he exerted his immense pressure. Faced with the wrath of the king of the gods, no mortal could lie.
And the truth that came out of Tantalus's mouth was beyond anything we could have imagined.
"I wanted to... test whether the gods are truly wise... That was my son in the stew...Zeus approached me, leaving Tantalus lying stunned on the ground.
Flames and lightning flashed with every step, and thunder continued to crash in the sky above.
"I'm sorry, brother. I never thought Tantalus would do such a thing."
"...That madman should be thrown into Tartarus."
"Since he killed his own son and turned him into food, it's only fitting that he suffers eternal hunger."
Should we call upon Limos, the goddess of hunger, to help us?
No... That madman deserves to suffer for a long time. There's no need to have Limos waste her power.
Once upon a time, there was a madman, a contemporary of Sisyphus who imprisoned Thanatos.
His name was Erysichthon, and he swung his axe at Demeter's sacred oak tree.
Crack. Thud!
"Blood from the oak!"
"Lord Erysichthon, please stop swinging your axe, even now!"
"I will have my revenge on you... human."
The oak bled from the spot where it had been cut and vowed revenge, but he did not care and chopped it down.
Having thus incurred the wrath of Demeter, Erysichthon was visited by a goddess sent by her...
"Food! Bring more food! Sell everything and buy more food!"
"Father... You've already eaten more than sixty portions..."
"I'm... still hungry! Hurry!"
At Demeter's request, the goddess cast Erysichthon into an insatiable hunger,
causing him to squander all his wealth and eventually eat himself to death.
That goddess was Limos, the Goddess of Hunger.
Zeus glanced at the pile of human flesh Demeter was holding and spoke.
The king of the gods had lived for many millennia, but even he couldn't hide his shock at such madness from a mortal.
"Demeter. I should go to the Moirai, the three goddesses of fate, and revive this poor soul."
"Perhaps if we reshape his body, we can restore him."
"...Then we'll have to return the soul that's already come to the Underworld."
Just then, the sound of wings fluttered in the sky.
With blood in their eyes and snakes for hair, the three goddesses appeared.
Bronze wings and torches in their hands,
the Furies sent their avatars toward Tantalus.
"A FATHER, KILLING HIS OWN SON?"
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"YOU SHALL SUFFER ETERNALLY."
"YOUR SINS WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN."
These were apparitions sent by the Furies, visible only to the guilty.
Tantalus would be haunted by them eternally—until his death.
Wait... if he's haunted only until he dies, he'll be free of them when dead.
Poseidon, seeming to reach the same realization, looked at me.
"Hades, why not imprison that wretch alive in Tartarus?"
That was an excellent idea.
Tantalus broke out in a cold sweat and opened his eyes wide.
Wasn't he dead for deceiving the gods? Surely the entire palace had been destroyed by Zeus's wrath...
Is this the afterlife?
Tantalus tried to move, but his body was bound tightly with ropes.
He struggled to lift his head and saw a cave-like scene.
"Awake, Tantalus?"
Pluto? The... Underworld?!
A chill hovered around him, and following the voice, he saw Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld, sitting on a black throne, staring at him with piercing eyes.
Nearby, a male god with black wings and a female goddess with sea-green hair, both from the Underworld, stood.
The surroundings were pitch black, with only a few dying torches dimly illuminating the room.
The blackness emanating from Pluto seemed to devour the light of the flames.
"YOUR CRIMES WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN."
"Ugh..."
The echoes of the Furies' voices penetrated his mind.
Had he really thought he could deceive the gods as a mere mortal?
Tantalus groaned, and Pluto's low voice resonated.
If he stayed still, he would die... But Pluto was also the god of mercy, so perhaps he could invoke his mercy...
"Now... let us discuss the punishment for killing your own grandson and deceiving your family."
"Is deceiving the gods such a great crime?"
"Silence, you worm!"
Boom!
The black-winged god beside Pluto roared in fury,
and Tantalus's head was slammed to the ground, striking it hard.
But as the Lord of the Underworld raised his hand, the overwhelming pressure disappeared.
"Mm. Thanatos, calm yourself. Even a sinner has the right to speak... Go ahead, make your excuses."
Tantalus quickly weighed his options.
The Underworld was entirely Pluto's domain; not even his father, Zeus, could interfere here.
If he could somehow sway Pluto's mercy, he might have a chance...!
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But lying to a god would likely fail.
He had killed his own son and turned him into food, though none of the gods had eaten it.
Even the Furies were hounding him...
"Don't you have anything to say?!"
"N-No, it's just that..."
Yes, pity! He needed to appeal to Pluto's pity.
His crime was sacrilege, having stolen ambrosia and nectar and attempting to deceive the gods with human flesh.
But the rumors about Pluto were that he was the most merciful of all the gods.
Unlike the cruel and capricious Olympians, if he could appeal to Pluto's gentler side...
"Is it such a terrible sin for a mortal to test the gods, O Lord Pluto?"
"..."
"I am the son of Zeus, a demigod, and I have always been curious! I've heard tales of gods tormenting mortals or making mistakes! I only wanted to understand the gods better! Please, forgive my small curiosity!"
"..."
"I believe I have already paid for my crime through death! Please take pity on me, O Merciful God... let me die a peaceful death!"
Tantalus watched Pluto's face closely as he finished speaking.
For some reason, the gods around him remained silent. This silence only deepened Tantalus's unease.
After a moment, Pluto, who had been watching him intently, suddenly burst into laughter.
But it was no joyful laugh—it was mocking. Had he failed to sway the god?
"Hahaha! You think you're dead? No, you're still alive. You're only here because Thanatos hasn't yet claimed your soul."
"What...?"
"And your greatest sin wasn't deceiving the gods or stealing ambrosia and nectar."
"...?!"
"I asked you what excuse you had for killing your own son, and this is what you come up with?"
It was then that Tantalus realized his mistake.
He had tried to appeal to Pluto's mercy, without even considering his son.
"Th-That's..."
"If you had stolen only ambrosia and nectar, you would have spent decades in servitude here. If you had merely died for deceiving the gods, your punishment would have been relatively light."
"Ah..."
"But you never once mentioned the murder of your son. There is not a single hint of guilt. Your sentence is decided."
Tantalus tried to protest, but his voice failed him.
As he struggled to speak, Pluto delivered the verdict with cold finality.
"Murder is a grave sin. Killing your own son is a capital offense. Worse still, you tried to feed his flesh to your kin."
"...!"
"You cannot atone for this crime, even after tens of thousands of years. Therefore, you will be sent to Tartarus..."
"...!!!"
"And you will suffer eternal hunger, and Cerberus will periodically feast on your entrails."
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Tantalus thrashed in vain as the wraiths dragged him away.
But there was no escaping the punishment for his sins.
The madman who had cooked his own son was now receiving his just reward.
I watched as Tantalus was dragged away by the dead.
Like the eagle that tore at Prometheus' liver, Cerberus was allowed to feed on Tantalus' entrails periodically.
It's not the most pleasant meal, but it'll keep Cerberus, who is always hungry and drooling, well-fed.
Tantalus won't die, but will regenerate, even as his innards are continuously torn out by the gatekeeper of the Underworld. Thanatos will not claim his soul, and I will keep him alive.
But why did the gods agree to attend a banquet hosted by Tantalus, who had stolen ambrosia and nectar? Perhaps they expected him to commit further blasphemy during the feast, giving them a clear reason to punish Atlas's son-in-law harshly...
Perhaps it was an indirect warning, a way to show the remaining Titan gods that the balance of power in the world had definitively shifted... He's also the son of Zeus, so maybe it's safe to say they punished him while suppressing any grief.
...No. I shouldn't overthink it.
I didn't ask Zeus directly, so this might all just be my speculation.
"I've never seen a man like that... never before," Mente said, still in shock.
"Don't be so surprised, Mente. When you've lived as long as we have, you'll see all sorts of things."
Mente stared at the spot where Tantalus had been taken, completely dumbfounded.
Of course she was shocked—after all, she was a Naiad who had once led a quiet life along a river.
When she was my priestess, the humans revered her, but since becoming a goddess, she mostly spread mint and did administrative work, so a sight like this must be entirely new to her.
She didn't even attend many trials of the dead, so her exposure to such madness was limited.
Still, in Tantalus's case... he truly was insane.
"Humans like that... they really exist..." Mente muttered, shaking her head in disgust.
Ugh... this isn't good. I can't let her develop a prejudice based on Tantalus's actions.
Seeing her shake her head gloomily, I decided to speak up.
Since I'd already visited the mortal realm with Styx and Lethe, I thought perhaps I should take Mente out as well, to lift her spirits.
"Mente. How about we visit Thebes again, after all this time?"
"...?!"
"Remember? The last time we tried, we were interrupted by the Gigas attack."
She looked up again, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Her previously melancholic turquoise eyes now glistened with anticipation.
"P-Po-san! At last, it's my turn to go on a walk with you! Just like Styx-sama and Lethe-sama...!"
"...How did you even know about that?"
"Of course! Everyone in the Underworld talks about it! Lately, the gossip around here is all about who will become Hades-sama's consort..."
I wish everyone would stop prying into my love life...