After Hecate poured out everything she knew like beans from a bamboo tube, she held her breath and carefully observed Hades's reaction.
The air in the throne room seemed to freeze.
Hades raised his hand, his intertwined fingertips gently touching his temples.
Even with his thoughts, he felt a deep silence and... a headache in the face of this series of chaotic situations, starting with Eros, 'assisted' by Hecate, and finally culminating with Poseidon's clear ideas.
Things could be so tangled and convoluted that it exceeded his usual scope of issues.
After a long silence, his deep violet eyes regained their calm.
Since chaos had already arisen, it was pointless to seek the root cause; how to choose the most advantageous path for Hades and the existing order from this chaos was the key.
His thoughts raced quickly, his eyes gliding past the frightened Hecate and the anxious Hephaestus before him, and directed them towards Zeus, the center of the energy vortex of Olympus.
Hera's divinity, under the influence of Poseidon's absurd repertoire, was already riddled with holes and had even turned into a cancer that had backfired on Hera.
Since Zeus's marriage to Leto had become a joke, it would be better...
A clear plan formed in Hades's mind.
He looked at Hephaestus, and his voice regained its usual majesty and calm: "Hephaestus, go back and tell your mother goddess."
Hephaestus immediately straightened up and looked at Hades intently with his one eye.
"Since the shackles of marriage have bound her to the brink of collapse, it would be better to remove them."
Hades's words were like the pronouncement of law, clear and cold.
"Declare a divorce to the world."
"Divorce?" Hephaestus repeated in surprise, the concept seeming so strange and rebellious in the eternal life and relationships of the gods.
"That's right," Hades confirmed.
This move had three advantages: first, it would completely sever the marital bond between Leto and Zeus, which existed only in name and continued to cause her pain. Perhaps this would alleviate the ongoing negative reaction of the priesthood against her and give her a chance to catch her breath. Second, the concept of 'divorce' would be introduced into the divine realm, and the scope of the 'marriage' priesthood would expand—marriage should include not only union but also dissolution. If successfully defined and implemented, Hera's influence over marital authority would not weaken, but might be strengthened and elevated, encompassing a more complete cycle. Third...
Hades's gaze seemed to pierce through the walls of Hades, and he saw Leto, who had given birth to an heir under a curse, her heart full of pain and resentment.
"...Perhaps this can be used to give Leto an explanation, to alleviate the accumulated grievances on Olympus due to the God-King's philandering, and to avoid greater chaos."
He paused and finally added: "And Zeus's opinion?"
The corner of Hades's mouth curled almost imperceptibly: "Is that important?"
At the level of absolute power and rules, when the marriage itself has become a threat, what reasonable excuse can the God-King, who insists on preserving it, come up with?
Especially given the assumption that Leto was nearly battered by this marriage.
Hephaestus digested this astonishing proposal, and although he was not good at scheming, he understood that this might be the most direct way to save the Mother Goddess at the moment.
He nodded heavily: "I understand, Your Majesty, King of Hades! I will convey your proposal to the Mother Goddess in its original form."
As for Hera's choice, as Hades said, it was up to her.
Having sent off the hasty and anxious Hephaestus, he waved his hand for the relieved Hecate to withdraw, and once again only Hades and the watching Metis remained in the throne room.
A shrewd and slightly playful smile was on Metis's face as she approached lightly: "Oh? Your Majesty, the King of Hades, is very decisive and directly proposes divorce."
Hades did not respond to her teasing; he felt that the previous crisis regarding the 'residences of goddesses' had not been finally resolved, only interrupted by Hephaestus's sudden appearance.
At this moment, behind Metis's smiling eyes, there was clearly still a feeling of 'settling accounts after autumn'.
After weighing it for a while, Hades made a very wise decision—to avoid the edge for a while.
His expression remained unchanged, and he spoke in a calm tone, as if merely stating an established work agreement:
"The birth of the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite, is special, and there are huge hidden dangers that could affect the stability of the world's laws. I need to personally investigate and ascertain her status."
An excellent official reason.
When Metis heard this, the smile on her face grew brighter, and she said softly: "Oh?" with a trailing sound that carried an inexplicable meaning:
"Is this to... investigate the hidden dangers of the goddess of beauty? Indeed, it is said that this newborn goddess has a face that captivates all living beings. Your Majesty going personally is truly... conscientious."
Hades's face did not change, as if he hadn't heard the deeper meaning of her words at all, and he only nodded faintly: "It is my duty."
With these words, his figure began to gradually fade on the throne, preparing to use the authority of Hades to go directly to the realm where the goddess of beauty resided.
Just as he was about to completely disappear, a soft and clear voice from Metis sounded in his consciousness, with a note of 'concern':
"Then Your Majesty must investigate 'well', and make sure you 'clearly and deeply' understand every detail under the goddess of beauty's crown~"
The last drawn-out syllable, like a final warning, was imprinted on Hades's perception.
The next moment, Hades's figure completely vanished from the throne.
Metis stood alone in the empty hall, looking at the spot where Hades had disappeared. The smile on her face slowly converged, giving way to a deep light of wisdom.
She whispered to herself in a voice only she could hear:
"Divorce... Is it really just a simple idea of expanding marriage?"
Her fingertips unconsciously touched the [Chain of Resolve] on her wrist again, and a deep thought flickered in her eyes.
Hades, who had already fled, did not go directly to find Aphrodite.
First, he descended to a desolate coast at the confluence of the Underworld and the Aegean Sea.
He needed a little time to organize his thoughts and ensure he would deal with the problematic goddess of beauty in the most 'fair' and 'without personal emotions' state.
After all, the majesty of Hades was beyond doubt.
Especially... this was particularly important under some kind of 'internal family pressure'.
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