Danmachi Familia from Hell

26

- You… have... a son, my lord? - Landgrave stammered weakly. - You never… told… me about… him.

Hades had often spoken to his first follower about his family, so Belakher could easily list the names of his god’s siblings or most of the nephews and nieces fathered by Zeus. But why had he shared stories about his brother’s children while remaining silent about his own offspring?

- I don’t. I only had one - replied the golden-eyed god, whose voice, though as calm as ever, was far quieter and gloomier. - Zagreus… is gone.

- Incredible - Matiás said, utterly astonished. - Who would have thought that such a grim and terrifying god would find a woman willing to have children with him?

The blond knew from Ares that gods—though nearly immortal and as ancient as the stars—possessed extremely low fertility (with a few thunderous exceptions), and it required thousands, sometimes even more unions before a goddess would begin to carry new life beneath her heart.

- From what my father told me, Lord Hades was not always like this. It was because of Zagreus that he became so cold and stripped of emotion. That child… even his birth came at a terrible price - the god of war continued.

- Long before I found the soul of my beloved Cora, I met an equally extraordinary woman in the Upper World. Not a goddess, but a nymph.

- Forgive me, my lord, but… I have no idea who—or what—these nymphs are - Vlood interjected.

- That’s not your fault. I would wager most mortals do not know - the god of death reassured him. - You see, besides gods and the souls of the dead, several other races live in the Upper World. The darkest abysses of the realm of the dead are inhabited by demons. In certain regions there are cyclopes, the creators of my bident. And there are also nymphs, who dwell in forests and by the waters surrounding Olympus.

- They are usually neither as powerful nor as beautiful as goddesses, but still far more lovely than most women of the Lower World, and they can control nature - Ares said dreamily.

- The one I met was named Minthe.

Before Hades’s eyes flashed the memory of a slender woman with long green hair, emerald eyes, and skin white as pansy petals.

- She was my first wife, but her fate… was sealed by the two of us.

- Unlike mortal women, nymphs can bear children with gods. The problem is that their bodies contain only a fraction of a god’s power

- What does that mean? - Vlood, Belakher, and Matiás asked one after another.

- When a child grows within the mother’s womb, it takes nourishment from her so it can grow. In the case of divine infants, something more is required.

- What? - the blond asked curiously.

- Energy, energy that grants the child immortality and power. When a goddess bears a child, there is no issue. They possess so much of it that they can safely share a portion with their growing offspring. Unfortunately, nymphs…

- …pay for childbirth with their lives - Hades explained, a shadow spreading across his face. - Both sons and daughters drain nearly all of their life force over nine months. And when the child finally leaves the mother’s womb…

- …she disintegrates into atoms. The energy of her existence is poured into her offspring so that it may be born a full-fledged god. There is no alternative that would allow a weaker child to be born while saving the nymph’s life.

- Yet Minthe wanted a child, and she knew that I desired one as well. She consciously chose to give her life to bring the new one into the Upper World. Thus I experienced one of the worst—and at the same time most wonderful—days of my existence. In a single moment, I gained a son… and lost my beloved.