#950 The Strongest Deity

Bonjour to all, ‘tis Hermes, the celestial deity.

In recent times, the heavens have been most tranquil.

The reason is that the celestial king Zeus, the root cause of nearly all troubles, hath been imprisoned.

Without that troublesome old man, the celestial realm is rid of nearly eighty percent of its disasters.

Hence, the theory that Zeus = trouble.

Nay, not a theory but a fact.

The remaining twenty percent of misfortunes stem from Hera, the queen of the gods.

And also Athena.

When Zeus, her husband, was imprisoned, Hera, the mother goddess, did try to stir a war, but finding little support, her attempt did fizzle out before it could ignite.

In such times, it is not human virtue... or perhaps divine virtue that holds sway.

Presently, there art no movements to free the troublesome Zeus, and Hera, her ambitions thwarted, sits quietly in a corner of the heavens.

Moreover, another heavenly troublemaker, the goddess Athena, hath also departed from this world.

― “There is no point in staying in a world that doth not respect me,” she said.

While it is good that the sources of trouble have left, one cannot help but worry they might be causing mischief elsewhere.

If only they were within mine own sight, I could stop any untoward actions. Though having them before mine eyes would be unpleasant, it is worrisome to think they might be up to no good out of sight.

...Do I possess a tendency to subject my humble self to hardship?

It seems such individuals art quite the trend these days.

Despite the newfound peace in the celestial realm, minor disturbances art never completely absent.

Today, I, Hermes, am visiting mine own elder brother, the god of craftsmanship, Hephaestus.

I was asked by our half-brothers, Apollo and Velesares, to check on Hephaestus, as they found his behavior peculiar.

The heavens art currently ruled by Apollo, said to be the most radiant son of Zeus, with Velesares assisting him.

Though Apollo shines brightly and possesses great charisma, his dual role as the god of arts leaves some gaps, which Velesares, the god of war, diligently fills.

At times, I think Velesares should take over completely, but he seems to believe he is not suited for the spotlight and leaves the glory to Apollo.

A shame, verily. The gent is one of the few legitimate children born to Zeus and Hera, akin to a rightful heir in mortal terms.

Most of Zeus’s children art illegitimate, born from his many affairs.

Truly, he is a scoundrel.

Another legitimate child, and the one I am visiting today, is Hephaestus.

There art claims that he was conceived by his mother, Hera, with Zeus. However, there art also those who assert that Hera, in her fury over Zeus’ incessant infidelities, bore Hephaestus alone, without the seed of a man.

For this reason, before his imprisonment, Zeus particularly shunned Hephaestus among his many children, of whom there are likely dozens, saying, “I absolutely abhor children born of infidelity.”

To which everyone around him would retort, “Thou art the greatest practitioner of infidelity thyself!”

...But I digress.

Mine own mission today is to visit Hephaestus and discern the cause of his strange behavior.

They said his behavior was ‘peculiar,’ but in what manner, precisely, is it so?

Those toxic parents of his, Zeus and Hera, art now completely quiet and serene, art they not?

With such thoughts, I, Hermes, approach Hephaestus’ temple.

“Brother, art thou within? I brought thee some rice balls from the convenience store, thy favorite spam rice balls!”

With his favorite treat in hand, I succeed in gaining entry.

However, as always, Hephaestus’ temple is cluttered.

Hephaestus, the god of blacksmithing and the greatest craftsman of the heavens, naturally has a forge that doubles as his home.

Unlike the other gods’ temples, his prioritizes functionality over comfort.

But today, the state of his temple is... unusual.

Whoa.

Upon entry, I immediately notice the so-called ‘peculiarity.’

Everything is untidy.

Hephaestus, ever the diligent worker, always keeps his workplace in meticulous order.

The claims of odd behavior from Apollo and Velesares appear credible.

“Oh. Th-Thou hast come indeed.”

Good, it’s Hephaestus.

He’s here.

Had he been absent, I would have been at a loss.

“Long time no see, brother. I brought thee some fried rice balls from the store...”

“T-Today, I need them not...”

...

What?!

Hephaestus, refusing his favorite rice balls?!

Something is gravely amiss.

Apollo and Velesares’ concerns art well-founded.

I must uncover the reason for this unusual behavior!!!

“Br-Brother? Why is it so cluttered today? Thou usually keepest everything so tidy.”

Mine own urgency stems from Hephaestus’ paramount importance in our celestial realm.

Without a shred of exaggeration, Hephaestus is the most important deity in our divine realm.

This holds true not only in the heavens but also in Uncle Hades’ underworld and Uncle Poseidon’s vast oceans.

The reason being, Hephaestus is the finest craftsman in the divine realm. The sacred artifacts and tools he creates art not only beautiful but possess the power to turn the world upside down, depending on their use.

The gifts bestowed upon otherworldly heroes art his work, and one such gift ended up subduing earthly turmoil and even quelling divine disputes.

A prime example, indeed.

Bestowing skills upon summoned heroes is Athena’s task, but once, Hephaestus stood in, and the resulting gift wrought immense changes.

Furthermore, when the gods desire the finest furnishings or adornments, they turn to Brother Hephaestus, for he is the most reliable craftsman.

The goods he crafts art always worth the payment rendered, without fail.

The gent is reputed to provide value ‘beyond the price.’

Orders for his creations even come from other worlds, securing vital external revenue for our realm.

If Hephaestus were to fall into a melancholic state, he could potentially create a plethora of superweapons capable of annihilating the world.

Besides the incident with the hero, the angels who once nearly destroyed the earth were also said to be his creations, though attributed to Zeus.

He once casually mentioned creating a ‘Big Bang Reproduction Device,’ which we all vehemently opposed.

Hephaestus is the most fearsome deity. More than Zeus, Hades, or Poseidon.

While Hephaestus himself may do nothing, his creations can achieve anything.

From creating worlds to destroying them.

Therefore, one must exercise the utmost caution regarding Hephaestus’s temperament.

For he is an artist at heart, and it is often through his emotional highs and lows that his creations come to life.

Now...

“Is there a cause for this mess? If something troubles thee, I am here to listen.”

With great caution, I inquire.

Every word I speak carries the weight of the world’s fate.

“...I am shaken.”

“What?”

“Recently, I have wondered if I am compromising in mine own work, if I could create greater things but am holding back. Such thoughts have lingered in mine own mind...!”

Wow, Brother Hephaestus is surprisingly eloquent...

Despite his self-critical musings, it would be a relief if he took it easy.

For Hephaestus’ fully committed works often have significant global impacts.

So please, moderate thy efforts.

“A-A significant event shook thee, brother? Strange indeed, what could it be?”

An event that could shake Hephaestus to this extent must be major.

And surely, it should have reached the ears of the other gods.

Yet, I have heard nothing of such an event.

I, Hermes, the god of wisdom and known as the messenger of the gods!

I should be the first to know!

...I find mine ownself getting heated.

“So, what is this event, pray tell?”

By now, mine own curiosity is one hundred percent genuine.

Hephaestus responds with a solemn expression.

“...Giant robots.”