Tower of Heaven

[It has been a long time since this garden has received visitors.]

The woman who spoke was hard to look away from. She had emerald green eyes and hair that looked like a faded auburn color. There were locks of gold that told of a different story, but that version of her no longer existed.

There was quite a lot that could be said about her figure. She was someone who looked like she was personally sculpted by the Gods. However, Atlas felt like he would lose his head if he looked down. No, rather than that, he felt like it would go against his dignity to make further notes about her appearance.

Instead, he focused on the voice that sounded like spring itself.

Atlas didn’t need an introduction. He didn’t know much about the Underworld, but Hades and Persephone were two names Charon mentioned over and over again.

"It is my pleasure. I never expected to be meeting someone so revered on my trip here," Atlas said with a bow.

Persephone giggled slightly.

[Did you not come to meet with my husband?]

"That…well, my words still hold true, as even my meeting with him was largely unexpected."

Atlas smiled and spoke comfortably. It was the same kind of aura he felt from Hel. He didn’t feel pressured by Persephone’s Godhood. He didn’t feel like she had a position so far above him, but he acknowledged it in his mind and treated her with respect.

Yet, he was still able to speak to her comfortably. With only a few sentences exchanged between, he wasn’t able to understand why. Nevertheless, he pushed forward the conversation.

Naturally, he wasn’t going to walk away from a God who seemed interested in his existence.

[Why have you come here?]

"I was only perusing the palace. I had some questions for the servants, but I never thought I would end up here."

[Yes, well, if a certain person was watching properly, you would not have been allowed entry. Still, it is not a bad thing that you have come.]

Persephone lightly turned her body and walked as if she was gliding to a nearby tea table, where she sat before addressing Atlas again.

[Are you enjoying the garden?]

He looked around. His first impression was certainly a good one. If she was the one who created the garden in the front of the palace as well, she evidently had talent.

Atlas almost chuckled when he had the thought.

’She has talent?’

Who was he to be thinking such things? She was a Goddess whose Divinity was tied to the vitality of the world, so wasn’t it only natural for her to be talented?

Experience tales with

Even the word talented might not have been enough to describe her.

Atlas knew that much. He felt like he needed to humble himself after such an overconfident thought.

Still…

"Compared to the garden in the front of the palace, this one feels less impressive."

Persephone’s aura provoked truthfulness from the core of his soul. The thoughts in his mind came out before he could control them, and in the end, he said an opinion he thought would offend the Goddess.

He was wrong.

Persephone was not offended. Her eyes widened slightly, but the expression on her face didn’t change much afterward.

[Can you explain why that is?]

Her tone was clearly curious, goading Atlas into giving a more in-depth opinion. He took a second to consider his words before speaking.

"If the garden in the front is meant to project feelings to the masses and allow them to perceive it as they please, then this one is not meant to be perceived at all. I can feel the tones this garden is attempting to convey, however, it is impossible for me to relate to them."

He looked at Persephone.

"I believe it is impossible for anyone to fully enjoy this garden other than the one who crafted it."

It wasn’t the answer she was expecting, nor was it an answer Atlas expected to give. Nevertheless, it summarized his thoughts well.

He mentioned those emotions before. Longing, desire, hopelessness, peace, acceptance, care…

He felt those emotions clearly, but there was no context behind them. When they entered his mind, they were lost in the void and could only be questioned.

Persephone created this garden for her own enjoyment. Many had visited it in the past, but they seemed to believe that this garden represented the Underworld itself. The feelings it portrayed seemed to be perfectly representative of the spirits and souls in this realm.

They were never able to see what was truly in this garden.

What truly stood here was the story of Persephone’s journey. It was a story of her very first days in the Underworld, days that she spent in the realm unwillingly. She created this garden in order to fill her pain with some sort of joy, and as she grew accustomed to her life, she added to it and used it as a separate Legend, so to speak.

It was a garden only ever meant for her eyes. Others had seen it, but she never wanted others to understand it.

There were fourteen gardens throughout the palace that she had created for various reasons. This was the only one not meant for prying eyes, yet this was the one Atlas had found.

And, though he wasn’t completely able to understand her intent, he dissected it to a level that even other Gods weren’t able to see.

Was it because he was completely unrelated? Was it because he was a mortal who had such a small perspective on the world?

Suddenly, Persephone became curious about the hero who’d come to the palace this time.

[What was your meeting with my husband about?]

Atlas wasn’t expecting her curiosity, but he answered readily, explaining his quest.

"In the end, to receive the information I want, I was tasked with finding the three Cyclops brothers and retrieving an item from them."

Though he didn’t go into too much detail, it was enough for Persephone. She gave him a knowing look as if she’d understood a secret that he couldn’t grasp.

[I see… So that is what’s troubling you.]

She nodded her head matter-of-factly, smiling so beautifully that it put Atlas’ mind at peace.

[Follow the path that you see ahead of you. It will lead you to what you seek.]

She spoke simple words that anyone could speak, but they didn’t have the same meaning when they came from her.

’Follow the path I see

That was the path that led him to the Cyclopes in the overworld. All of the servants in the palace spoke of them. Though Atlas hadn’t asked anyone else, he felt that others wouldn’t have different answers.

There was an island in the overworld where Cyclopes lived. He didn’t know what he’d find there. He didn’t know if it would be the location of a clue or his final destination.

But that changed nothing.

Whether it was verifying the information or searching for the island, Atlas had to go to the overworld. What he wanted now was located in the overworld alone.

Persephone herself told him to follow the path he saw.

And he wasn’t going to doubt the goodwill of a God.

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