(Greek Mythology) The Abyss
Chapter 81
Tartarus, bored to the point of exhaustion, had become quite adept at amusing himself, whether by entertaining himself or by building his happiness on the suffering of others.
While the latter might sound inhumane, Tartarus wasn't human, so it didn't matter.
Recently, Tartarus was creating new plants for his own amusement, and incidentally, to beautify his environment.
Of course, while Tartarus's aesthetic sense was undoubtedly impeccable, given his personality, you shouldn't expect him to create anything normal, even if they were undeniably beautiful.
For example…
Stiffly looking up at the ghostly blue flowers floating in the distance, resembling clusters of will-o'-the-wisps, Hemera's feelings were indescribable.
While the flowers were actually quite beautiful, in the dark environment of the abyss, weren't their color and form a bit too eerie?
"And have you ever seen flowers grow floating in mid-air?"
"Your Majesty Tartarus, you're practically a leader in the new generation of agricultural technological innovation! At least hydroponics needs nutrient solutions, but here it's provided directly by the air. Well done!"
Looking at the drastically changed environment with a bewildered expression, Hermera's lips twitched. She'd only been away for a few decades, how had the Abyss turned into a forest?
"Okay, she believed His Majesty Tartarus wouldn't actually turn the Abyss into a forest, so what she really meant was that she was lost again, in a forest.
"...Your Majesty Tartarus?"
No response.
"Your Majesty Tartarus!!"
Still no response.
Liar!!!ヽ('⌒メ)ノ
With a face etched with obvious displeasure, Hemera realized she must have been tricked. She was told that calling his real name would elicit a response; was it because of the extra two characters? (So you've just so easily forgotten the possibility that he might not want to respond?)
After hesitating for a few seconds, Hemera abandoned the idea. She simply didn't have the courage to call Tartarus by his name.
"So what if I'm lost? It's not the first time. I'll find my way out eventually," Hemera thought optimistically.
"Tartarus, Hemera is looking for you." The law's signature flat, cold tone.
"Don't worry about her. She's experienced with these things. She'll find her way out in a few years."
On this issue, Tartarus and Hemera were unusually in agreement, though one was genuinely indifferent, and the other was used to it.
However…
"Law, have you been quite free lately?" Tartarus asked, a hint of doubt in his voice.
Law had changed its usual behavior lately, constantly seeking him out for chats, covering a wide range of topics, which Tartarus found very strange.
Floating Life: I think Law might have caught the erratic behavior from Jinjiang Literature City. (Nods affirmatively)
Law: …
"I'm just worried you'll inherit Chaos's hobby, starting to cause trouble when you're bored." Although Tartarus hadn't actually caused any real trouble, being absolutely responsible and not reckless, ever since Tartarus tried to persuade Law to let him kill the God-King, Law felt it needed to be on the safe side.
Actually, Law was sometimes quite troublesome, because it had to act according to the rules. Therefore, unless it involved matters of great importance to the world, Law basically couldn't control what Tartarus did. And clearly, the Law, responsible for overseeing the world, couldn't only deal with major events; it had to handle everything, big and small.
Crossing the line is a recipe for disaster. If Chaos crosses it once, Tartarus will cross it again. With these minor but persistent problems, even the Laws will get annoyed.
While the Laws could potentially punish Tartarus, as following the rules doesn't preclude flexibility, Tartarus clearly doesn't care about such a small punishment.
Giving Tartarus a fraction of their attention to chat, or wasting time dealing with the endless stream of potential troubles, the Laws don't need to think twice about the choice.
"Am I really that untrustworthy?" Tartarus pleads innocently; he really hasn't done anything wrong.
"It's not that you're untrustworthy, it's that Chaos is untrustworthy."
Given Chaos's precedent, and facing Tartarus, who shares similarities with Chaos in attributes and personality, even the best performance won't save the Laws' nerves, made exceptionally sensitive by Chaos's antics in this situation.
In other words, Tartarus was simply implicated by Chaos, a situation Tartarus genuinely understood.
Chaos possessed a peculiar ability: he could make any being who saw his true face become his lifelong enemy, a deep and unwavering hatred. Those who understood Chaos's laws and Tartarus clearly fell within this realm.
The conversation with the laws and Tartarus concluded, and Hemera finally found a way to escape the forest besides traversing all the locations. Using the necklace Tartarus had given her, she teleported to the Abyss Temple.
"Hemera, your intelligence has finally improved." Although the tone was still as cold and indifferent as ever, Hemera could detect a sense of relief in his voice.
Hemera: ...Your Majesty, can't you stop insulting my intelligence? %>_<%
#The Goddess of Daylight is unhappy, but it's no use#
Therefore, Hemera cleverly (experiencedly) changed the subject, "What's that?"
"A vine."
Of course, this wasn't an ordinary vine. It was a family of vines that liked to weave themselves into various shapes, and the one that attracted Hemera's attention the most was a vine trying to weave itself into a wicker chair.
Earnestly weaving back and forth, pausing occasionally to think about its next move, the vine quickly formed the prototype of a wicker chair.
Huh? Not long enough? No problem, I can take myself apart and weave a smaller wicker chair.
...Uh...still not long enough (í _ ì)
After stiffening for a few seconds, the vine, dejected, lay limply on the ground, looking utterly hopeless.
Hemera, speechless at the vine's almost tearful emotional fluctuations, felt a complex mix of emotions. Such a fragile vine was truly rare.
However, seeing the vine so dejected, Hemera couldn't bear it. So she turned and launched a blinding glare at Tartarus, her face practically screaming, "You better find a way to comfort it!"
Calmly ignoring Hemera's intentions, Tartarus, of course, wouldn't comfort a vine. He wasn't that silly as Hemera; such a jarringly incongruous act was obviously beyond his comprehension.
With a light tap of his pale fingertips, Tartarus channeled a tiny amount of divine power into the vine. The vine immediately lengthened, and after a pleasant burst of energy, it happily wove itself into a chair, even swaying twice as if gesturing for the two gods to sit.
Hmm, a vine that knows how to repay kindness.
Chapter 81