Chapter 48: Argos—The Trace of Typhon (1)
Poseidon, who always lounged in the sea, now stood in a vast field.
Instead of his usual bare-chested look, he wore overalls and a straw hat—like a common laborer.
“Why call me when you’ve got your own kids?”
He grumbled, but no one listened.
Everyone was busy with their tasks.
Demeter had already warned them:
— “Remember: my brother’s working off the gold he’s borrowed. He’ll be here often now. Help or stay out of his way—just watch to make sure he works.”
— “Anyone caught playing with him gets punished.”
Poseidon sulked at his outcast treatment.
Merfolk at least answered back…
All he could do was trudge toward the mean goddess exploiting him.
“Seriously, I don’t even use gold…”
He arrived at a modest palace—ornate but humble compared to other gods’.
Especially considering its owner.
“Oh, you’re late.”
“I said before Helios’ chariot rose.”
Demeter scolded the slow-walking Poseidon.
Who else could reprimand him?
The earth goddess wore the same outfit—except for her prominent curves beneath the overalls and the gleaming sickle slung over her shoulder.
Poseidon gave her a mournful look as she beamed with farmwork joy.
“I’m a sea god… and I’ve been busy.”
“Sea god and earth god. How long will you focus only on earthquakes? And busy? I know your schedule. You were planning something weird with the elves today.”
“No! Just an adventure on land-spiders!”
Demeter ignored his protests.
She knew whenever he “adventured,” surface races turned strange.
Case in point: he once taught her goblins to hoard shiny things.
Now they collected like crows—she could only sigh.
“Adventure, my foot. You’re off to prank Hera’s golden apple garden. No nonsense—come help if you want your gold.”
At Demeter’s firm command, Poseidon was dragged off like livestock to slaughter.
***
While Poseidon toiled to repay Demeter’s gold, humanity flourished rapidly.
Prometheus, Deucalion, and Pyrrha’s collaboration revived the fallen with memories erased but knowledge intact.
As humans grew, gods began valuing temples and offerings in their domains.
Once indifferent, they now measured influence by human devotion.
This sparked pride-fueled rivalries.
Olympus worked hard to manage it—Hera and her goddess coalition especially.
“Another dispute today.”
“Yes. Minor—river gods bickering.”
“Hm. River gods, then.”
Hera nodded at Eris’ report.
River gods were no surprise—managed by Eurynome and Amphitrite.
“Just send a notice. Humans are back, and the surface is shared, but domains still exist.”
“Understood.”
Hera and Eris savored rare calm, praying it lasted.
They hadn’t slept since human revival began.
‘Zeus working instead of chasing women—believe it?’
But trouble always strikes during peace.
“Lady Hera!”
“Lady Hera!! Disaster!!!”
Sipping coffee, Hera sighed at the frantic messenger Hermes.
“Quiet. An Olympian herald shouldn’t be so excitable.”
“Ah—sorry.”
Hermes bowed, flustered.
He thought he’d grown into the role, but Hera still intimidated him.
Rushing without manners before her…
He straightened his clothes, caught his breath, and reported.
“The humans, races, river gods, and nymphs of Argos are uniting to build Lady Hera a grand temple.”
Eris tilted her head.
‘Huh? A grand temple for Hera—good news, right?’
‘Why the urgency?’
Then it hit her.
“L-Lady Hera!”
Hera instantly grasped the gravity.
“Yes. That land was originally ceded to Poseidon.”
The news of Argos reached Poseidon while he was forced to farm under Demeter’s iron rule.
A nymph managing the water source at Demeter’s farm had heard it from other nymphs.
Demeter was more shocked than Poseidon.
“No way. Humans wouldn’t be that reckless. And river gods and other races joining them? Impossible.”
“Well…”
According to the nymph, Argos had always been firmly Poseidon’s territory—so its people worshipped only him.
But the world had changed. The Twelve Olympians now ruled, and the surface was declared shared domain.
Thus, a bizarre rumor spread: Argos was originally Hera’s land, ceded to Poseidon under duress.
Human prosperity fanned the flames.
Argos had lived by fishing—but human growth brought rapid development.
No longer reliant on the sea.
Naturally, humans and races acted under Themis’ law: the right to choose gods—even to deceive them.
Forgetting someone would bear the consequences.
“Huh. No matter how I think about it, it’s odd. Humans and races betraying Poseidon over that?”
Demeter sensed something off but could do nothing—she wasn’t involved.
Poseidon, conversely, didn’t dwell.
He never raged over trivialities.
“Yeah, it’s weird. Just send investigators. Done.”
Clang, clang, clang.
He hammered his broken sickle, ignoring the frantic nymph.
“Uh… so how should we respond…?”
Demeter sighed at Poseidon’s apathy and commanded the nymph herself.
“Sigh. First, dispatch a team. Mermaids will do. Give them this seal.”
The panicked nymph grabbed the seal and bolted—desperate to avoid entanglement.
After sending her off, Demeter eyed Poseidon still fiddling with the sickle.
“Stop touching that. You’re ruining it more. The blade’s dulled, the handle’s shrinking. What did you do?”
“Oh, that explains it…”
Demeter rubbed her temples at her brother’s indifference to the surface.
“What will you do?”
“About what?”
“This incident.”
Poseidon answered with the same disinterest.
“It’s nothing. Not Zeus or Hera’s kids involved—just humans doing their thing.”
“Doesn’t it feel off? Suddenly boosting Hera’s faith over some lame rumor?”
He acknowledged the strangeness.
But was it worth his direct action?
Moving himself would drag Hera in too.
“You know gods like us shouldn’t react rashly.”
“…”
Demeter had no retort.
A misstep could split Olympus and Poseidon’s factions—who knew what chaos would follow?
The names tied to Argos were too big.
Though Poseidon’s apathy was extreme.
“Let’s wait. Hera will send Eris to investigate, and our team will find something.”
***
Per Poseidon’s order, merfolk formed an investigation team.
They infiltrated Argos disguised as merchants, as usual.
“Coral, don’t blow our cover.”
“I know. If we’re exposed, all clues vanish.”
The team entered Argos braced for tension—expecting a depressed atmosphere from the Poseidon-Hera dispute.
Gathering deep intel would be hard.
But contrary to their fears, Argos buzzed with life.
Children played, merchants shouted to sell, and nearby humans, races, and lesser gods mingled joyfully—oblivious to rumors.
Like a grand festival.
“W-What is this?!”
“They don’t look like traitors.”
“Do they trust Hera’s protection?”
“…”
Sensing the odd vibe, the team split roles:
- Some approached Hera’s friendly priests.
- Some gathered info as merchants.
- Others hit the back alleys.
Team leader Azure, a mermaid, disguised as a merchant to meet Hera’s priests.
Poseidon and Hera’s good relations meant merfolk got along with Hera’s followers.
Azure herself had ties—Hera’s magic-savvy priests often needed powerful mermaid tears.