Chapter 92

Chapter 92 The Goddess of Mint and Thebes – (2)

“…Ha. Hades?”

Mente urgently called my name as she saw my stiffened expression, but…

I couldn’t pay attention to her.

The Sacred Band? Homosexuality as true love? What the hell is this nonsense?

Dionysus couldn’t possibly be behind this, could he? Is this truly a culture that developed naturally?

Or was it influenced by Zeus bringing the Trojan boy, Ganymede, up to Olympus?

Or maybe…

“Hold on, I need to ask something.”

“Oh, are you a foreigner?”

I briefly revealed myself to the humans and grabbed the arm of a boy who was running past me.

The boy didn’t seem startled, perhaps because he had similar experiences before, even when approached by a stranger who seemed to be an outsider.

While it was a good sign that many people were flocking to and thriving in my city of Thebes, the priority now was to figure out what was going on.

“Yes, I haven’t been to Thebes in a long time… What exactly is this Sacred Band?”

“The Sacred Band? Oh, it’s Thebes’ elite force! The Sacred Band was only formed recently.”

“What I mean is… why was a unit made with men acting like that?”

While trying hard not to look at the hundreds of men still expressing affection for each other,

I asked the boy who was looking up at me.

“Well, the smart philosophers all said so!”

“Philosophers?”

“Yes! Do you know the conclusion they reached after debating about love for months in the square? It was that ‘Love between men is pure love without the purpose of childbirth.’ Ahem!”

What in the…

“Is this based on some divine oracle or another reason?”

The boy looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Huh? But wouldn’t the gods also like it?”

“This?”

“Because our Thebes realized a piece of the truth before other cities. The theologians and priests said that even the gods favor…”

It seems this is indeed influenced by Zeus…

Come to think of it, theologians have been around for quite some time.

They aren’t priests but those who record tales and genealogies of the gods.

Even those humans came to such a conclusion?

“Mente… let’s go somewhere quiet.”

“Hades…”

I rubbed my temples as I watched the boy run off happily with the few drachmas he received for answering my questions.

Is this the madness people see in Dionysus? I should’ve paid more attention to Thebes.

I’ve been quite busy lately and neglected to keep an eye on Thebes, and now it’s like this.

This is precisely when the power of the gods should be used.

Once my date with Mente is over, I’ll appear in the dreams of the king or the high priest of Thebes and deliver an oracle.

If I command them to immediately disband the Sacred Band or threaten to throw those who engage in same-sex relations into Tartarus, it will cause great chaos…

But merely hinting that the god Pluto disapproves of homosexuality should be enough to make them stop.

Putting my thoughts aside, I grabbed Mente’s right hand as she quietly watched me.

“Ah…!”

“Sorry, Mente. I got lost in thought for a moment.”

“It’s okay. As long as you weren’t thinking about other goddesses, I don’t mind!”

“There seems to be some kind of festival over there. Let’s head that way.”

* * *

I held Mente’s hand and moved in one direction.

It was much better now that those strange Sacred… whatever people were out of sight.

Just as I expected, it seemed Thebes was celebrating some kind of festival today, with people strolling around with cheerful smiles.

But what was stuck in the citizens’ hair… Mint leaves?

“Surely, there are a lot of people because it’s a festival day… Let me have a mint leaf too.”

“Yes, here it is.”

The man bought a mint leaf from a street vendor and tucked it behind his ear.

It seemed that if one had the will to participate in the festival, they would wear mint leaves in their hair.

So, could the festival currently being held in Thebes be for Mente?

“For the next three days! We’re selling mint oil at a discount! It’s great for adding to baths or applying to the body!”

“Is it better than olive oil?”

“This is the mint perfume said to bring Elysium right before your eyes, available now…”

“Indeed, as expected of a city that serves Pluto, they’re even holding a mint festival.”

“It’s so curious that they worship the terrifying lord of the underworld…”

“Shh, if you say that here, people will curse you. Don’t you remember? Most Thebans are followers of Pluto.”

“Even the priests of the Apollo temple in far-off Lydia acknowledge the efficacy of mint…”

“It seems the god of medicine, Phoebus, also thinks highly of mint leaves.”

“They say it clears the mind and reduces fever. And there’s more…”

These people were chatting and celebrating over the symbol I had chosen, holding a festival in its honor.

All were praising and expressing gratitude for the god’s grace.

It was always a heartwarming and fulfilling sight.

Mente, who was holding my hand and following me, also had a pleasant smile lingering on her lips.

“Hehe… Hades. The humans really love mint!”

“It’s all thanks to you for creating it. You performed a feat worthy of becoming a goddess.”

Mente looked at me with a radiant smile.

Was this refreshing scent coming from her? Or was it coming from the nearby humans enjoying the mint festival?

“Um… I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“When we first met, you said you would take mint as your symbol.”

“…?”

“What did you mean when you mentioned ‘lost memories’? What kind of memories made you take the plant I created as your symbol…?”

“Alright, I’ll grant you one wish for restoring the memory I had forgotten.”

Mente looked at me with sparkling eyes.

However… even if I told her that there was a time long ago when I was mortal, she wouldn’t believe it.

The reincarnation of mortals is something managed by various gods of the underworld.

Mente wouldn’t know about the world where science had developed, the many foods made from mint, or how that unique scent would daily cleanse the mouth after meals.

So my answer was…

“That mint was a plant I originally knew.”

“Huh? But it didn’t exist until I accidentally created it…”

“A long, long time ago, in a time you don’t know… it was a plant that was always by my side.”

Mente’s face, which was looking at me, took on a wistful expression.

I didn’t know what she was imagining, but I continued speaking.

“When that refreshing, distinctive scent, often loved or hated, touched my nose, I realized that what you made was that plant.”

“Oh…”

“That’s why I took mint as my symbol.”

Mint leaves were tucked into the hair of the humans noisily chatting around us.

To other gods, it might just be a uniquely fragrant plant, but to me, it was a reminder of old memories.

It was a precious plant that reminded me I was once a mortal, not an immortal.

That is mint. And the one who made it for me, Mente…

I reached out and touched Mente’s cheek as she quietly looked at me.

Not avoiding my touch, she instead leaned into me, and the refreshing scent wafted from her hair.

“I’m always grateful to you, Mente.”

“What are you saying… I was just a nymph, and the grace I received from Hades is…”

“No, you’ve brought back memories that are irreplaceable to me.”

As a powerful god reborn with strength, status, and honor… I lacked nothing.

Though it’s been so long that I can hardly remember, I think I once strove for those things in my past life.

And that’s why the one thing I couldn’t grasp in my hand…

No, what I do remember but slips away like flowing water, are memories of my past life.

“…Sometimes, I find myself having unpleasant thoughts. Occasionally… I look down on mortals, just like the arrogant gods I despise.”

“Even you, Hades, who is known as the god of mercy to humans?!”

Not just any god, but one of the three major gods; even Zeus, king of the gods, can’t treat me lightly.

Most gods are younger than me or of a lower rank.

And my divine domain is the underworld, which mortals fear most.

I am the lord of the underground world, possessing position, wealth, and power.

It would be a lie to say I never feel arrogance.

“Because I’m not a perfect god… Sometimes, when mortals praise and fear me, I get caught up in thinking it’s only natural and fall into arrogance.”

“Hades…”

“There were times when I thought I should not tolerate humans’ insolence and show them my majesty as the great lord of the underworld.”

“But Hades, you’re praised as the most just and merciful among all the gods.”

“That’s the result of effort, not my inherent nature.”

I, who am called the god of mercy by mortals…

Even recently, when I was punishing Tantalus, I had to suppress the urge not to impose even more terrible punishments.

I also had the impulse to sentence a criminal to severe punishment without giving them a chance to plead.

While most of these thoughts stemmed from anger at a man who killed his son and served him as a meal,

There was still a faint, lingering fury at the idea that a mere human dared to deceive and mock the gods.

“The lord of the underworld, who should be the most just, is, in fact, an often wavering and clumsy god. Did I shatter a bit of your illusions about me, Mente?”

“No, no… not at all. The Hades I know is…”

I smiled at Mente.

I could see a hint of tears welling in her clear teal eyes.

I reached out to wipe the corners of her eyes and placed my hand on her soft nape.

Seeing her pale, delicate skin up close stirred my heart. It seemed I was harboring the same thoughts as her.

“You’re the one who pulls me back sometimes.”

“M-Me?”

“Yes, every time I recall you and the scent of mint… it makes me reflect on my actions.”

The memories of my mortal self hold me back from gradually losing my perspective on mortals as time erodes it.

Back then, it was an unremarkable scent that I always smelled,

But now, as a god of the underworld,

Mint is the object that makes me remember that I was once mortal.

“And I’m always thankful and indebted to you for creating mint.”

“A-And…? Is there anything else…?”

“…I think I share the same feelings as you.”

The longing expression on Mente’s face turned beet red.

Watching her, looking as if she might burst at any moment, I slowly tightened my grip on her nape.

Like a magnet drawing iron, the goddess’s face approached mine without resistance.

Amidst the overwhelming mint scent that was almost suffocating… I pressed my lips against hers.

“Mmph…”

This sweet and fresh sensation…

It was unmistakably, peppermint candy.