The Myth of the Greek Heavenly Demon - Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – The Messenger Of Gods And Mentor Of Heroes

Chiron personally brought him, and both Zeus and Apollo stepped forward to deliver an oracle, making the boy named Dianes a person of great interest.
Hermes, too, heard the rumors and became intrigued, so he listened around and surprisingly found that many among the gods of Olympus had a favorable opinion of Dianes.

“The boy grew up in Passos, which has long been a place of worship not only for Father but also for Poseidon and Ares.”

The beautiful Passos in the northern Aegean Sea prayed for the safe voyages of fishermen and sailors to Poseidon.
And they prayed to Ares for courage to face numerous pirates and invasions from other kingdoms.
So, when asked if they knew a boy named Dianes from Passos, the first two gave a very unexpected response.

“The first person I visited was Lord Poseidon. When I casually asked if he knew about Dianes of Passos, he praised him endlessly… almost as if he wanted to adopt him as a son.”

Poseidon, the God of the Ocean.
Hermes’s first investigation target, the master of the Aegean Sea surrounding Passos, perhaps knew something.
When he casually mentioned Dianes of Passos, Poseidon couldn’t stop praising his martial arts and his reverence for the gods.

“Often, the child performs sword dances and spear dances by the nymphs’ seashore, and it seems he dedicated them to Poseidon. The dances were so graceful and beautiful that Poseidon once said he wanted to invite him to his deep sea palace to personally offer him a drink. Every time he performed his sword dance, Poseidon was pleased and gifted him with fish or artifacts, and he protected the Nereid nymph who was to be the child’s companion so that no one could harm her.”

He even offered all the fish and artifacts he obtained to the temple of Zeus, making Zeus inwardly envious of such a promising and devout follower.
It was evident how proud the god with the dark blue beard must have been.

“Ho… Such spear skills that even Poseidon admires…”

Indeed, Chiron, who had personally crossed spears with him, nodded in agreement.
His spear skills were like the wind itself. How could Poseidon not be pleased when these skills were dedicated to him?
Moreover, he did not selfishly hoard the gifts received from the god but humbly offered them to the supreme god, expressing gratitude to all the gods once again.
It was clear how proud and pleased the god of the rough sea was to have such a young and promising follower.

“And then, there’s my brother Ares. By Zeus, it was the first time I saw him speak so fondly of a human hero.”

Ares, the God of War, known for his rough and rugged nature, even among the Olympians.
He was a god who caused numerous incidents with his fiery temper, even among the other Olympians.
And such a god found someone admirable?

“What exactly happened?”

When told that Ares, the belligerent war god, was fond of Dianes, naturally, images came to mind of Dianes laughing loudly over the corpses of countless barbarians.
Or Dianes, dancing on corpses while draped in the blood-stained skins of wolves and jackals with their heads still attached, etc.
It seemed only natural, yet fortunately, Hermes shook his head.

“He offered wild boars and bears he hunted in a desperate struggle alone to my brother’s temple without hesitation. Not only that, he personally composed poems praising him and placed them on the altar. Ares was so deeply moved that he sent down flames to accept the offerings first in front of other priests. He even carries those poems around and brags about them! Yes, that Ares!”

Fortunately, it was not the scene of bloody madness Chiron had imagined.
Rather, the poems and offerings were so moving that even Ares was touched. Just how moving were those poems?
Curiosity suddenly arose.

“Oh, does that child have talent in poetry?”

“Yes, it is a uniquely styled poem, concise yet highly rhythmic, and its expressions are also unique and outstanding. Even Athena was very envious.”

Thanks to that, Ares, who was often seen as an uneducated war maniac, was grateful to the child for helping him gain a reputation as a well-rounded God of War.

“Phew. That’s a relief.”

Chiron felt both admiration and relief upon hearing that the new hero was talented in both literature and martial arts and was loved by the gods
How many heroes had met their ends tragically due to their own arrogance, earning the gods’ disdain?
Even Hercules was a constant worry due to his arrogance and birth. Dianes, however, revered the gods and diligently honed himself without such issues.

“And then… surprisingly, Father seems to have a very favorable view of Dianes, that child.”

“Zeus… are you talking about him?”

Even as he received the oracle in his dream and brought Dianes to the forest, Chiron was constantly worried that Zeus might not find this child pleasing.
From the perspective of the one who bestowed the great hero of the already predicted Gigantomachy, he was concerned about how the hero to be compared to him would be regarded as an eyesore.
Chiron could not hide his astonishment at Hermes’s message.

“That’s what I’m saying. I was wondering where to go after hearing from Poseidon and Ares.
Father’s eagle brought me to him.”

The highest peak of Olympus.
Zeus, who was overlooking all of Greece from above, subtly mentioned Dianes’s offerings and prayers to Hermes, who had come in response to his summons.

“Let me see. Father was so impressed that he kept reciting it to me… Here it is!”

Hermes, who was rummaging through his pocket, pulled out a parchment with the poem written on it and handed it to Chiron.

“I read it too, and wow. When this kid grows up, the twelve Olympian gods will be fighting over who gets to bring him to their temple.”

“Is it that impressive?”

As Chiron carefully unfolded the parchment handed over by Hermes, he was surprised once by the fact that the supreme god Zeus was so impressed, and twice by Hermes’s high praise of the poem.
And as he finished reading the poems on the parchment, he was astonished for the third time.

“Wow… This is a masterpiece. To honor the supreme god in this manner…”

Honestly, it was hard to call this a eulogy.
It didn’t follow the conventional format of temple eulogies, and the rhythm was very exotic.
However, the content was definitely appropriate to move the heart of Zeus.

“Sitting on a lofty throne, embracing the child abandoned by his mother and forgotten by his father. Even if the golden throne is soiled by muddy feet and the white divine robes are stained by hands, he merely cherishes them with a smile, for he is the father of eternity. Revere him, our father. Ruling over all matters, he merely smiles at the insults and foolish names of the fools for the sake of his beloved consort. Blessing the illegitimate child as his own flesh and blood, enduring the humiliation of loving a mortal, for he is the one of holy love. Worship him, the beloved of all.”

Hermes recited the poem softly, as if he had memorized it. It must have moved Zeus’s heart.
Considering that Zeus often lost his dignity among the Greeks due to his infidelity and was constantly maligned by Hera, it was no surprise that an orphan at his temple offering such a poem and tribute would deeply touch him.

“Even Hera, who received this, asked me, ‘Is this the reason why your father raises orphans in his temple and declares them his sons and daughters?’”

Thanks to this, Zeus and Hera’s temple was reportedly peaceful for the first time in a long while after the meeting ended.

“Right. I didn’t think much of it… orphans born through adultery or infidelity are, in a way, born in denial of Hera’s divine karma.”

“Our Father’s profound love for stepmother Hera, who embraced and protected all of those orphans as if they were her own, and even endured the insults! Woah, how can this young one be so thoughtful? Thanks to that, Iris and I, who were caught in the middle, were able to take a breather.”

Although Hermes was making an exaggerated joke, he was probably sincere when he said it was a breather.
Whenever Zeus and Hera fought, it was always Hermes, Zeus’s messenger, and Iris, Hera’s messenger, who bore the brunt.
Every time that happened, it was Chiron who listened to the complaints in the late morning.
He could understand it.

“Anyhow, when viewed overall, the public opinion of Olympus is mostly very favorable toward our new hero, that’s what I’m saying.”

Hermes concluded with a refreshing smile, and seeing this, Chiron also nodded in agreement.
However, the information he desired did not come out.

“…Were you unable to find out about his origins?”

“Ugh… It is, embarrassingly, so.”

Hermes, who was said to know every story after traveling around the world in a day.
Even he stiffened his face as he couldn’t find out anything about Dianes’s birth.

“I visited those with a similar aura to that child, the gods and spirits who have visited the island of Passos in the past decade, and even beings of different forms. They all shook their heads. None of them lied either.”

“Such effort… You’ve been through a lot.”

“No, I’m also a bit curious, so you don’t need to worry.”

Hermes waved his hand dismissively, clearly frustrated by the lack of any clues.
If even he reacted this way, there truly was no lead.
In that case… maybe?

“Uh, Lord Chiron?”

“What is it?”

With a slightly hesitant face, Hermes brushed his hair in the air and looked at him with concern.

“This might sound a bit funny, but considering that even Father is paying attention and being cautious. That child might be involved with greater beings than we imagine.”

“Greater beings?”

“Shh! Be careful. They exist and yet do not exist. Even Father Zeus reveres and fears them.”

Even Zeus himself fears them, and Hermes does not seek to know more.
There was only one such group.
The first gods, beings that embody the sky and earth, death and darkness.
Dianes was related to them?

“No way… No way that could be…”

If so, Dianes was more than just a mere human hero.
Though not yet granted divine status or responsibilities, if he truly were their child…

It would be something that could turn the whole world upside down.

“For now, it’s just speculation… Lord Chiron, please keep it as mere speculation.”

“Ah, understood.”

“You never know. As the child said, he might simply be from the Hyperborean clans beyond Olympus.”

Trying to lighten the tense atmosphere, Hermes joked, and Chiron reluctantly nodded in agreement.

“Well then… I’ll be off! Lord Hades has informed me that the Charon Coast is full again.”

“Oh dear, won’t you stay to see your sons?”

“Haha, they’ve come to see me so often that they complain if I’m not busy. So, I’ll be off then!”

-Ahahaha!

Leaving only the sound of his cheerful laughter, Hermes disappeared into the distance in an instant.

“…Phew. This is just…”

Hermes vanished like the wind, leaving behind a mystery, and Chiron, feeling complicated, could only stroke his beard.