King of Underworld

Chapter 52 Hephaestus’s Story – (3)

So, Hephaestus told the Olympian gods he would be away on Lemnos Island for a few days, yet here he was, participating in the festival?

Something felt suspicious…

I examined Hephaestus standing on the platform.

“If everyone would kindly follow me for a moment, you’ll be able to appreciate my work of art!”

“A work of art? From the god of blacksmiths?”

“Hephaestus is skilled at crafting weapons, but art?”

“Could it be a rather large piece?”

As the gods whispered curiously, Zeus, who had been eating ambrosia, addressed him.

“Hephaestus, you sound so confident—should we be looking forward to this?”

“Of course, Father. Not even Apollo could surpass this work of mine!”

What on earth have you created, nephew? Surely, it’s not a weapon like my Bident…

His bold declaration that his piece could outdo that of the god of art caused murmurs to grow louder, but Apollo only smiled curiously, intrigued.

“Is that so? Since you put it that way, let’s go see it. Lead the way.”

“Yes, Father. Anyone interested, please follow me!”

Zeus stood up, and Poseidon, looking intrigued, also began to walk.

Though Hephaestus was known for his reputation as a blacksmith, he had never tried to compete in the realm of art…

As I hesitated, the goddess Styx leaned in and whispered to me.

“Hades, Hephaestus seems serious, so let’s go see it.”

“Something seems off… Well, alright, let’s go.”

The gods who followed Hephaestus arrived at his residence on Olympus.

Could it be that his artwork was here, in his quarters?

Standing before his bedchamber, Hephaestus turned to face us.

After clearing his throat, he grasped the door handle and spoke.

“This is modern art, no, Greek art. The title of the piece is Love and War!”

With that, the door swung open…

And the artwork was revealed.

* * *

Inside Hephaestus’s bedchamber, what we saw was…

A man and woman entwined on the bed, as if they had just finished making love.

It was Aphrodite and Ares.

“Ah… No!”

“Hephaestus…?! You said you were going to Lemnos Island…”

The two naked lovers, caught in their adultery, tried to flee the scene but failed.

A thin bronze net surrounded their bodies.

“Ugh! Why won’t this break…?”

“Ugh…”

“What do you think of my artwork? Isn’t it something that even Apollo couldn’t surpass?”

Everyone was too stunned to speak as they stared at the scene.

Even though Ares, the god of war, couldn’t break free from the bronze net…

What really captivated everyone was the divine beauty of Aphrodite caught underneath.

The goddess of beauty, tangled with Ares in their nakedness.

Her flawless, soft skin and her struggles to escape the net.

Her face, flushed with the shame and guilt of being caught in the act of adultery before so many gods.

Her hands desperately trying to cover her chest and lower body, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Everything about her radiated absolute beauty.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Suddenly, the sound of applause drew our attention to Apollo, who was standing there, clapping absentmindedly.

From his nose, the golden ichor, the blood of the gods, trickled down.

Unlike humans, we gods don’t bleed from mere excitement…

It seemed that his artistic sensibilities had been shattered, dealing a significant blow to his divine essence.

“I acknowledge it, Hephaestus. I could never match your art.”

“Hmm. With effort, you could come close.”

Watching Apollo, no longer the god of art, unable to tear his eyes away from Aphrodite’s figure as he wiped his nose, I felt a headache coming on.

“Sigh… This is insane…”

The other gods, finally coming to their senses, began to add their own comments.

“Didn’t Hera tell them to stop their affair last time?”

“Even after they’ve had Harmonia, they’re still at it…”

“What a spectacle befitting an art festival.”

“Zeus, what do you think?”

“Well… they should have stopped by now. Tsk tsk.”

Apollo, who had been clapping absentmindedly, spoke to Hermes, who appeared equally stunned.

But neither of them could take their eyes off Aphrodite.

“Hermes, are you jealous of Hephaestus? Or perhaps of Ares?”

“Apollo, what do you mean by that?”

“I’m asking if you envy Hephaestus’s jealousy… or Ares’s humiliation.”

“Of course, I envy them both. I wish that net were stronger so I could be trapped there forever…”

Hearing their conversation made my headache even worse.

Do the humans who worship us in the mortal world know about this side of the gods?

“Ugh… This is just too much…!”

The goddess Styx, standing beside me, looked like she was about to explode, then quickly fled the scene.

Judging by the distant sound of her departure, it seemed she had hurried back to the underworld.

“Ares, Aphrodite. You’ve even had Harmonia by now; isn’t it time you stopped?”

Zeus sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Poseidon, who had also witnessed the adulterous scene with a rather displeased expression, spoke to Hephaestus.

He, too, seemed unwilling to involve himself further in this mess.

“Hephaestus, I’ll personally see to it that these two offer you an appropriate apology and compensation, so release them now…”

But even Poseidon couldn’t take his eyes off Aphrodite’s body.

“Yes… Well, since you say so, I’ll end it here.”

Hephaestus approached the bed and operated some mechanisms, causing the net to release naturally.

It seems he had anticipated that Aphrodite would call for Ares while he was away and had spread false rumors.

No wonder the Olympian gods were confused, thinking Hephaestus had gone to Lemnos Island…

* * *

As the bronze net loosened, Ares fled to his sanctuary in Thrace.

The goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite, left for Cyprus.

On the island of Cyprus, there is a Fountain of Virginity that can restore a woman’s maidenhood if she bathes in it.

She’s probably planning to bathe there to reclaim her virginity.

But really, what’s the point if she’s just going to lose it again when she’s with another man?

Following Hephaestus’s promise to inspect my weapons, I accompanied him to the forge.

As I watched him diligently inspect my Bident, his back turned to me, I spoke up.

“Hephaestus, won’t today’s events only make Aphrodite hate you more?”

The blacksmith god’s back trembled.

“In truth… I’ve half given up. Sob…”

“In that case, why not consider another goddess? You could speak to Zeus…”

At this point, it’s almost as if their marriage is beyond repair.

Even if Zeus himself officiated the wedding, after today, surely he would have second thoughts?

I could perhaps offer some advice and see if both husband and wife are willing to divorce.

If the problem is that the gods who covet Aphrodite might start fighting, I could step in…

“But half of me… still yearns for Aphrodite’s beautiful form…!”

Oh…

“I desperately want to win Aphrodite’s love, but the future seems bleak! She’s already given herself to Ares and even had Harmonia! All I’ve been left with is my ugly face and this desire for revenge…!”

Honestly, what should I do?

Perhaps I should arrange a mediation…

“Grr… One day, I’ll burn that scoundrel Ares’s face with flames!”

It seems this woman trouble is really going to cause chaos.

I can’t just stand by any longer.

“Let’s go meet Aphrodite together.”

“What?”

“Why not ask her directly what it is about you that makes her turn to Ares?”

The only option left is to have an honest conversation.

* * *

As soon as the weapon inspection was finished, Hephaestus and I headed straight for the island of Cyprus.

After telling one of Aphrodite’s nymph attendants to inform her that we were waiting,

We waited briefly before the goddess of beauty, having finished her bath, approached us.

I signaled Hephaestus, who nervously began to speak.

“What is it that displeases you so much that you keep calling for Ares?”

“Hmph… What displeases me?”

Aphrodite’s face twisted.

“Of course, it’s this marriage itself. I always wanted to marry the one I loved!”

“You agreed to marry me at your father’s behest, and now you’ve had a child with Ares and still act this way—isn’t that too much?”

“Hephaestus, you barely come home because you’re always absorbed in your work at the forge! How do you expect us to grow closer?”

Although Aphrodite isn’t entirely in the right…

Still, shouldn’t he have paid more attention to his wife?

“I’m the god of blacksmiths, so I can’t help it. But ever since we married, I’ve tried my best to make an effort.”

“Hmph…”

Aphrodite averted her gaze, perhaps feeling a bit guilty.

As the god of blacksmiths, Hephaestus was often busy crafting items requested by the Olympian gods, working day and night,

But since marrying the goddess of beauty, he had made efforts to

spend more time at home.

Though it seems those efforts were not enough to satisfy Aphrodite…

“But how can you avoid me even at official gatherings like the meetings on Olympus? I asked you last time, but you completely ignored me! You’re doing this on purpose because everyone knows you love Ares?”

Clearly, they both harbored deep-seated grievances, and their words grew harsher even with me present.

But this was an issue that needed to be addressed once and for all.

“You only seek me out to save face at such gatherings. Isn’t that proof that you married me for my looks alone?”

“What did you say?! So you’re saying you’ve had enough? Meanwhile, you only come to me when you need something made…!”

As their emotions heightened, their powers began to clash.

The island of Cyprus trembled, and their divine auras, captivating and overwhelming, spread in all directions.

Flames erupted from beneath Hephaestus’s feet, heating the air.

If this continues, the island’s life forms will start dying, so I must intervene.

“Stop. That’s enough.”

I stepped between Hephaestus and Aphrodite, disrupting the tension.

Amidst the smell of burning and the intoxicating aroma, the cold energy of the underworld unsettled everything.

“Hephaestus, no matter how busy you are with your work, it’s important to pay more attention to your wife. If other gods have complaints, tell them to come see me in the underworld.”

“Yes… I understand.”

Hephaestus calmed down and stepped back a little.

Next, I turned to the goddess of beauty, whose expression was still fierce.

With a sigh, I placed a hand on Aphrodite’s shoulder and met her gaze.

“Aphrodite, aren’t you the goddess of love? And yet, you can’t even fulfill a simple request from a man who longs for your love? Even after having a child with another man, here stands Hephaestus, a god who loves you.”

“That… I…”

Aphrodite tried to retreat slightly,

But this time, they needed to have a proper conversation to ease their conflict, even if just a little.

“I can’t force the goddess of love to love, but if you’re married, at least try to act like a couple in public.”

“Ugh… Okay…”

With tears forming in her eyes for some reason, Aphrodite blushed and hurriedly left the scene.

Now that a proper conversation had been had, I hoped things might improve as I turned back to see…

“Sniff…”

Hephaestus, with a face more sorrowful than ever, was shedding tears.

“As expected… Looks are everything in this world… Oh, Father Zeus…”