Chapter 164: The Tale of the Golden Apple – (2)
The Tale of the Golden Apple – (2)
Zeus, with an awkward smile, slid the golden apple toward me, but I turned my head away, pretending not to notice.
I found his attempt to pass the responsibility onto me utterly irritating.
“You seem to have quite the headache as well.”
“Indeed. Borrowing the wisdom of another god is tricky when even my daughter, the goddess of wisdom, is vying for the golden apple.”
So, you want to seek help from the god of fairness?
He must have assumed that my decision would reduce the quarrel among the three goddesses.
“Isn’t this just dumping it on me in the end?”
“No, it’s simply that there’s no one else suited to decide. Just look over there.”
Following Zeus’s gaze, I saw the three goddesses still eyeing the golden apple.
Judging by the greed and pride gleaming in their eyes, they seemed utterly unwilling to yield.
“Well… truthfully. Isn’t it true that you’re more trustworthy than me? Remember the judgment involving Ares and Poseidon? After all, you’re the god of fairness…”
“If we’re being fair, the rightful recipient should be Thetis, the goddess at the heart of this wedding. Or, we could split the apple into three parts.”
“Hmm…”
Seriously. That’s perfectly reasonable.
“Let’s discuss this further once the wedding concludes.”
“Alright. I’ll also try to come up with a better solution.”
Even if Zeus wasn’t entirely reliable, he did make sound judgments when gods clashed.
Like the dispute between Poseidon and Ares, or when all the male gods vied for Aphrodite. He resolved those matters with neutrality.
For now, I decided to leave it to Zeus.
* * *
However, deciding the rightful owner of the golden apple turned into an exceedingly prolonged issue.
Even with gods’ different perception of time compared to mortals, the discussions dragged on excessively.
In the meantime, Thetis and Peleus had a son, and Thetis’s request to bathe her son in the Styx River to make him immortal was denied.
“Why? Why is it not allowed? Even the god of strength was bathed in the Styx River as an infant…”
“It’s not permitted. Heracles was an exception among exceptions. Thetis’s son is not a prophesied hero.”
Rumors also spread of Apollo sharing love with a mortal princess of Troy.
Whether this love would end in tragedy, no one could tell.
“Hades, a letter has arrived from Olympus.”
And so… Zeus’s letter, declaring that a decision must now be made, arrived in the Underworld, prompting me to ascend to Olympus.
Other gods, realizing the gravity of the situation, had already approached Zeus to offer their opinions.
“Zeus, why not just give it to Hera? The pretext of presenting it to the queen of gods…”
“But wouldn’t the other goddesses strongly oppose that?”
“My opinion is that Hades should decide. His judgment would be the most impartial…”
“I agree as well. Letting the god of fairness decide seems best.”
Seriously. Why is everyone trying to push this onto me?
After some contemplation, Zeus finally spoke. But that guy… his eyes hinted at something ominous.
“Hades, brother. Not long ago, Gaia told me something.”
“Gaia?”
“Heroes have been rampaging across the land, slaying not just monsters but even wild beasts.”
“What?”
“Think about the heroes who offered the Gigantes as sacrifices during the Gigantomachy. With such power, their actions on the earth must have offended Gaia as well.”
The current Earth Mother Goddess had fully acknowledged us.
Although she hadn’t attended Thetis and Peleus’s wedding, she sent her blessings, congratulating her granddaughter Thetis on her marriage.
Even if she disliked us, it meant she had completely abandoned the idea of ousting Olympus.
However… she was a primordial deity, a Protogenos.
She must never be underestimated, and even Zeus, the king of the gods, tread carefully around her.
Though she had accepted us, a sudden whim could once again unleash a being like Typhon.
Zeus continued to explain.
“Heroes seeking glory is natural. But remember how terrified I was when they offered the Gigantes as sacrifices on the Plains of Phlesra?”
“So, what’s your point?”
“I intend to use the golden apple to purge the heroes.”
“……”
“Of course, I won’t unleash a divine punishment like a great flood. Only those consumed by greed and selfishness will be caught in its grasp.”
Greed and selfishness. So, you’re planning to provoke a war.
But war inevitably results in innocent casualties.
“Besides… even without such measures, a war among humans is already on the horizon.”
“I know. Recently, Dike has been reporting to me about the atrocities committed by heroes.”
“Hermes mentioned that the Greek states are eagerly eyeing Troy, favored by Apollo. A war will likely break out within half a century. Wouldn’t it be better to hasten it slightly?”
Wait a moment. I sensed something strange.
The situation was unfolding far too conveniently.
The extinction of monsters on earth, prompting heroes to seek glory elsewhere.
Gaia’s dissatisfaction with heroes exterminating beasts and other creatures, leading her to demand their eradication.
Finally, the golden apple, arriving at just the right moment to create a pretext.
This kind of orchestrated feeling… I had experienced it several times before.
For instance… during our battle against the mighty Titan gods, when the conditions for our victory aligned perfectly.
“Could it be… destiny?”
At my words, Zeus nodded.
“Precisely. It’s destiny for war to erupt in the mortal realm. While it could be forcibly averted, why should I bother, especially when heroes have become a nuisance?”
An opportunity to gain Gaia’s trust, eliminate threatening heroes, and secure justification and benefit.
Zeus’s final words weighed heavily on my mind.
* * *
The fate of the Titans relinquishing dominion to Olympus.
The fated defeat of Typhon and the Gigantes at our hands.
The destined tragedies of King Oedipus and King Perseus.
These are laws that lesser deities cannot even perceive, and only the twelve Olympians can attempt to alter.
In a way, they could be considered a higher concept than prophecy.
“Do you really intend to incite war? Many mortals will perish because of it.”
“This is one matter where even your words won’t change my decision. This is my judgment as king of the gods.”
From Zeus’s and the other gods’ perspectives, that made sense.
To slightly stoke the flames of a war that would eventually occur…
To earn Gaia’s trust and seize an opportunity to eliminate the threatening heroes.
“…Zeus. Out of respect for your authority, I will say no more.”
“Well. That’s appreciated.”
“But I can’t just stand by and watch. I’ll intervene in the mortal realm in my own way.”
Still, I couldn’t entirely give up just because it was fate.
Surely, there had to be a way to twist things, like how I alleviated the tragedy of King Perseus.
I stepped back slightly, leaning against a nearby pillar, signaling I wouldn’t express further opinions.
Hermes, who had been observing me with his arms crossed and head turned, approached Zeus quietly and began to speak.
“Um… Father.”
“Hermes. Do you have a suggestion?”
“Since Uncle Hades has given his tacit approval, if you’re going to start a war, leave it to me.”
“Explain in detail.”
Hermes cleared his throat briefly before speaking.
“Father, you know well that I frequently roam the mortal realm. I’ve come across some very intriguing humans.”
“Hmm.”
“If you plan to use the golden apple to incite a major war, then it would be best to involve someone among humans who holds a high status and garners attention.”
Does he intend to use a king of some nation?
“What if we bring the most handsome mortal, Prince Paris of Troy, and have him choose which goddess deserves the golden apple?”
“A prince of Troy, huh…”
“Surely, all of them, including Lady Hera, would make him offers. Athena, for example, would promise victory in war or wisdom… and Lady Aphrodite would probably offer a beautiful woman…”
“Whichever one he chooses, it will certainly cause an uproar, won’t it?”
At Hermes’ words, the other gods nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. That’s quite the idea.”
“Depending on the man’s disposition, any of the three choices would provide ample justification.”
“If signs of war don’t emerge, we can always supplement it with an oracle…”
Is he serious? Snatching a mortal and forcing him to choose among three goddesses, then starting a war?
I couldn’t bring myself to agree.
But after having already stepped back out of respect for Zeus’ authority, I couldn’t interfere again.
In that case… they mentioned that the mortal was a prince of Troy, didn’t they?
Perhaps I should intervene briefly when it comes time for him to choose a goddess to award the golden apple.
If he turned out to be a sensible mortal, I would protect him even if it meant enduring the goddesses’ wrath.
Being a prince, the odds of him entertaining any foolish ideas were low, but…
“Hermes! Then proceed to inform the three goddesses and have Prince Paris of Troy serve as the judge.”
“Understood, Father.”
“Wait. I’m coming along too, Hermes.”
“Yes? Oh, yes!”
Just one last thing before we go.
* * *
After hearing Hermes’ proposal, the three goddesses readily agreed.
Their eyes were filled with unshakable confidence that the mortal Paris, renowned as the most handsome man on earth, would undoubtedly choose them.
“Then let’s head straight to the mortal.”
“Fine. As the prince of Troy, he should be capable of making a fairly wise choice among mortals.”
“Hmhm… No matter how wise he is, he’s still a man. Naturally, he will choose me, the most beautiful.”
Before their bickering could escalate further, I interjected briefly.
Athena and Hera already seemed resolute. The only one who might listen to me was Aphrodite.
“Aphrodite. Wait.”
“What is it?”
“I helped you divorce Hephaestus last time, didn’t I? Just think about it one more time. Is there really a need for this quarrel?”
“Sorry, but even if it’s you, Hades, I can’t overlook this. It concerns my divinity itself.”
“…Athena. Do you feel the same? Hera, you too?”
“I still believe I am the most fitting goddess for the golden apple. Even if this is Father’s will.”
“I think so too. I understand your concerns, Hades, but doesn’t it seem irrelevant?”
Both Athena and Hera seemed to have guessed why Zeus was delegating the decision about the apple’s owner to a mortal instead of deciding himself.
Yet they refused to back down… truly unyielding.
“Ha. Fine. I understand.”
The gods couldn’t easily interfere with the punishments or rewards decided by another god.
But if it hadn’t been executed yet, it could still be undone.
If that mortal prince Paris made a wise decision, wouldn’t the aftermath be minimized?