#1001 Maternity Rhapsody Real Finale: The Importance of Learning

t is I, Cronus, god of agriculture.

Thou art ever in need of friends.

At mine own signal, they come posthaste.

“Lord Cronus! What great calamity hast befallen?! Is it an invasion?!”

“Lord Michizane!!!”

Behold, ‘tis none other than mine own stalwart companion I met on the farm, Lord Sugawara Michizane!

Though a deity of scholarly pursuits in another realm, we art kindred spirits!

We art more in sync than with mine own offspring.

Thus, Lord Michizane and I swiftly became friends, and he always cometh to mine own aid in times of need!

True comrades share each other’s burdens!

No truer words were e’er spoken!!!

As I unfolded the circumstances, the goddess Vesta, who was present, seemed to grasp the situation as well.

“So this ruckus is a conspiracy between thee and Father. Thou art truly without shame, foreign god, to act so brazenly in another’s domain.”

“Goodness, such harsh words.”

Despite Vesta’s sharp words, Lord Michizane responds with a jovial smile, displaying the composure of a seasoned elder.

“The customs of gods vary by world, yet here they doth seem most inefficient. To think but one deity oversees all childbirth!”

“Indeed!!!”

Taking the opportunity, Elethyia interjected.

Lord Michizane is a revered god of learning in a distant realm.

He draws countless worshippers to his shrine for success in examinations each year.

A truly virtuous deity.

Opposite him, mine own daughter Vesta, guardian of the hearth and household safety, observes this discourse.

What synergy might arise from these two deities’ meeting?

With confidence, Lord Michizane proclaims, “Fret not, for our world’s system is most logical and refined! Let us summon the birth deities from our realm to aid us here!”

Oh?!

A deity akin to Elethyia in their world?!

But could they be summoned so easily?

Will it not disrupt childbirth there...?

“Hmhmhm…! In our realm, each birthing hut is overseen by its own birth deity, thus their numbers art near limitless!”

C-Come again?!

“The gods of creation once declared, ‘We shall slay a thousand each day!’ ‘Then we shall build fifteen hundred birthing huts daily!’ Hence, the huts and birth deities art countless! A few sent hither would not disturb our world!”

“How splendid!”

The first to be moved to tears by this presentation is Elethyia, the goddess of childbirth.

“What a rational system! One birth, one deity! Such personalized care is extraordinary! To think, Lord Michizane’s world boasts such an abundant divine workforce!!!”

“Indeed, we art not called a realm of eight million gods for naught.”

“Lady Vesta! Should we not adopt this practice? ‘Tis always seemed unjust that I alone bear the burden of all humanity’s births!”

Why so faint-hearted?

Even Santa Claus delivers gifts to all the world’s children alone!

...What? That’s a different matter entirely?

I see...

However, even to me, an observer, the logic behind Elethyia’s argument is quite understandable.

Why, indeed, is she burdened with such an arduous and extensive task all by herself?

Is it not the duty of the Olympian deities to oversee the world’s management?

When thou undertake a task, thou must see it through to the end, nay?

“I am well aware of that…!”

Vesta’s words art tinged with bitterness.

“Do thou know how many times I have brought up the need for additional staff at the regular Olympian meetings? Yet, each time, a certain god doth inevitably vetoes the motion... Every. Single. Time!”

Pray, who is this spiteful god?

“Hera.”

“Ah.”

...An involuntary ‘Ah’ escaped mine own lips.

The response was so fitting it could not be otherwise.

“Elethyia is, in truth, Hera’s own daughter…”

“Mine own greatest shame!!!”

“That wench seethes with jealousy over Zeus’s affairs. Out of spite, she forbids Elethyia’s dispatch, preventing the births of Zeus’s illicit offspring...!”

How vile.

The unborn child did nothing wrong. In fact, even the mother is not at fault. The god of agriculture knows this. Usually, in these cases, it is Zeus who comes barging in, disregarding everyone’s wishes.

It is all that gent’s fault.

And then, Hera, Zeus’s long-suffering wife, usually takes out her anger on others.

How many women and their children have been caught in the crossfire of their marital spats?

What a terrible couple—I would like to have a talk with their parents.

...Wait, that is me.

I am both Zeus and Hera’s parent.

“Thou must forgive mine own son and daughter for causing thee such inconvenience...!”

“Er, the one to whom thou dost apologize is also thy own daughter.”

However, the story became clearer in mine own eyes.

The foolish daughter, Hera, doth wish not to relinquish her means of tormenting her unfaithful suitors.

She hath sway over her daughter Elethyia, yet should another deity of childbirth arise, her control would be for naught.

Only by monopolizing a role doth it hold value.

Hence, the fool desires to have the power of childbirth held solely by her daughter, ensuring that with a mere command, she might halt it at will.

“What a vile creature. Who art her parents?”

“‘Tis thou.”

Ugh, I cannot bear this.

“Yet, Vesta, how canst thou, being present, allow Hera’s tyranny to persist? Art thou not the eldest daughter, the elder sister?”

“What could I have done? Indeed, I was the firstborn amongst the Olympian siblings, yet thou didst swallow me at birth! And then spewed me forth again!”

Indeed, that is true, aye.

“As I was expelled last, I be deemed the youngest, hence cannot speak sternly to either Zeus or Hera! In the hierarchy of the Twelve Olympians, I am placed at the very bottom!!!”

Is that so?

Pray, what connection is there between the order of mine own regurgitation of offspring and their rank?

“Zeus, in his desire to bolster his own dominion, likely wished not for any elder being to hold sway over him.”

Thus, he banished his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, and took his sister Hera as his consort to keep her under his thumb.

“Did he not make some overtures toward thee as well, Vesta?”

“That accursed Zeus... He sought to make me his mistress even after naming Hera his queen! It so repulsed me that I swore an eternal vow of chastity to escape his lecherous advances...!”

“What a grim ordeal.”

In Zeus’ case, ‘tis oft hard to discern if his acts be driven by political scheming or sheer carnal desire.

“Yet, in turn, I was cast from the heart of the divine realm. Now, the throne of heaven is occupied almost entirely by Zeus and his progeny. Mine own voice holds scant weight.”

“Thou hast endured much, and valiantly so.”

“When thou dost console me thus, Father, it feels amiss!”

What a willful daughter I have.

Yet during mine own imprisonment in Tartarus, Zeus, as expected, hath plunged into utter depravity.

‘Tis a scene that calls for a father’s stern rebuke, though I hear that Zeus himself hath been confined somewhere ere mine own release.

“Serves him right!” thought I, though Hera, it seems, remains free. Methinks I shall reprimand her whilst I visit the heavens.

“Please, Father! Thou art the sole one who can chastise that foolish sister! Thou art our last hope!!!”

Oh-ho!

To be relied upon by mine own daughter! Not since the days of yore have I known such a thing!

A father’s heart doth swell with pride!!!

“What a lamentable state... all due to a lack of scholarly pursuit.”

Huh? What is it, Lord Michizane?

Ah, mine own children’s disgrace, so embarrassing that I should not have revealed it to outsiders.

“That the gods of Olympus have sunk to such depravity! Fools and self-serving! And why? Because they study not! Hence, I say, embrace learning! I, Sugawara no Michizane, god of scholarship, shall not stand idly by whilst Olympus falls into ruin!”

“What?!”

“Who is the god of scholarship in this realm? Should he keep a vigilant eye, the chief god would not have fallen so!”

The god of scholarship in this world?!

Did we possess such a one, Vesta?! Pray, enlighten me!

“Though Apollo is a god of the arts, art and scholarship art not one and the same. Athena, perchance, did handle such matters, yet is she not but Minerva in another guise? And Hermes governs wisdom, but of the alchemical sort...?”

Come on, now. Could it be...?

Have we no god of scholarship in our world?!

Suddenly, we seem like barbarians!

“Indeed, the chief god’s folly be understandable. If such be the case, then I shall take upon myself the mantle of scholarship in this world and renew the minds of the Olympian deities!!!”

What bold words spake Lord Michizane.

Seeking aid merely to address a childbirth boom might instead lead to a grand reform of our divine realm!