FeTr 0004: Olympus 2
After crossing the door, I could appreciate the majestic appearance of this place. The external architecture resembled the temples in Greece. Obviously, the Greek temples were a mere shadow of a simple version of this one, here, one could notice the amount of effort spent to adorn.
While the external appearance was astonishing, the internal one did not fall behind. Gold entailed statues, caduceus, marble statues could be seen in several locations. The central part of the temple hall was graced with a remarkable giant life-sized statue of Hermes, and if it weren't for the gold green aura emanating from the fake marble Hermes, I'd be lost awed by the perfection present in all the engravings and statues.
The maid remained silent all the way in the main hall, surrounding the central statue, numerous brilliant marble benches had some worshipers. They did not seem to be doing nothing, just admiring the sculpture.
After passing by it, the maid pointed to a corridor in the leftmost part at the end of the hall, there was a corridor. She continued to guide me, but she stopped just to be sure that I was following her and not lost looking for each small entailing.
Similar to what the temple was, the corridor did not lack remarkable features. However, it seemed to be longer than I expected. The main hall from where we came already seemed too big to fit what I was seeing from outside. But the number of doors leads me to question the style of distribution of space here, as it seemed too simple compared to the decoration.
Our walk barely started in the corridor, and she stopped at the first door on the right.
"Master Hermes main office is here. Please have no hesitation to enter without knocking. Have a good, sir Rufus." She said while maintaining a business smile. People here enjoy formality and order more than I expected, the way she behaved was impeccable.
"Thank you lady…"
"Helena"
"Thank you for your support, lady Helena." Now it was my turn to put on a gentle smile, at least I needed to show a courtesy back. Afterward, I opened the door and entered the room.
A man wearing a gold and green tunic, with a brown strap tied to his arm, was waiting for me next to the door. He was smiling. Hypnotic, I was straight, but he had so many androgynous features that I almost confused myself.
"Sir Rufus, I hope that you had a comfortable journey to our Olympus. I am Hermes, one of the major gods."
His way of presenting himself was awkward, one of the major gods, are there minor and intermediate ones?
"I am Rufus Costa, deceased by gunshot, trader." I said, almost as if I were hypnotized. I don't why I presented myself that way, but somehow I felt compelled to say what I do for a living.
Hermes studied my face for a second and said:
"My apologies, you are not used to divine aura. It can be nauseous. I will contain it a little, sorry, but I am unable to suppress it completely here."
As soon as he finished his explanation, I felt an odd relief, as if something that was bothering me was removed, but I still don't know what.
"Mortal souls felt compelled to the god's nature when they met them for the first time. In my case, due to my commerce dominion, people present themselves as if they were in a meeting with an oppressive CEO".
These incongruent feelings that I have been submitted are starting to make me not nervous but angry. My patience is waning fast, I have things from my coffin and burial, people that I love that got behind. I couldn't hold it anymore, I started to cry. This last moment was not like any other, the relief that washed me destroyed my last wall of tolerance. I am not angry with Hermes, Charon, the maid or anyone else, even my killer. But why me?
---
Hermes remained in silence, waiting patiently until I recovered my composure back. He had a sorrowful expression and was not pressing me.
"Sorry, I should have done that earlier."
"In front of the Helena or Charon?"
"Neither, I was never alone since I crossed."
"Yes, you cannot be alone until are proper instructed of how the afterlife works. That's one of many rules imposed by Zeus. Every so often, we would like to leave the most grievous souls alone. I can relate to your feelings, but that does not mean that I don't care."
His empathy was noteworthy, I don't know whether this was just an empty demonstration of kindness or a genuine compassion for the troubles of others.
"I appreciate your empathy," Regardless of the truth, I need a brief time to recompose myself. I still can't overcome all of this because it is too unreal.
"You might have learned some rules from Charon. Obols, costs to use his ferry, Olympus is inaccessible even if it might not appear to you."
"Charon told me that. He was genuinely surprised by my 'invitation', as he did not seem aware of this possibility."
"Actually, several souls received the invitation. Anyone who had made a great contribution to his world would be. Naturally, each person receives its own personal calling… Or summoning."
"That sounded ominous. Was I summoned?"
"Fear not. When I mean summon, it is the way you might be imagining. The soul arrives directly in front of one of the gods. In general, to be punished or to receive its sentence." Hermes had not changed, neither his tone nor his face have moved.
"But please have a seat. As you have understood, you were invited. I feel sorry for the fee, however your soul carries a considerable value."
I sat on the sofa that he indicated, apparently he was not going to speak with me while behind his desk. But rather, he sat directly in front of me.
He clapped his hands and a small creature appeared!
"Yes, master Hermes? What can I do for you?" The small creature, similar to a little gnome and wearing a butler outfit, spoke with a strong tone.
"Sorry if I startled you, master Rufus."
"No, I am just surprised. I think".
"Could you get some iced mate tea?"
"Of course, sir." Then, a jar with traditional brown tone tea appear with some ice cubes floating. The jar started to move itself, serving the liquid in two cups, like I've seen in some movie…
"Thanks! I love, mate tea".
"The first rule to selling something: know your client." Hermes said as if he were some shady street dealer. I gave him a shy smile to his joke. As soon as the jar filled our cups, the gnome butler vanished the same way that he appeared.
"Do you want to sell me something?"
"The truth is that I need your services and expertise." Hermes made a pause and adopted a serious expression, then continued speaking.
"I need you to transmigrate to a specific world. This place lacks a lot in terms of economic, politics, and technology. I fear that this disarrangement could lead to wars, famine and meaningless destruction."
"Ok. That escalated quickly. Straight to the point, I like it. But, why me? Second, did I die intentionally for that?"
Hermes kept a composed face, crossed his hands to assume a more pensive way. I think he wants to believe that he was worried. Call me distrustful, but a god calling a mortal and to request a favor, first day of the afterlife? Where is the catch?
"For your first point. I require someone why proficient knowledge in economics, preferably both practical and theoretical. Your world has many economic theories, several of them are very intriguing and might be applicable for this particular world."
"You fill this profile quite well. You are not an economist, but an engineer who deliberately chose to learn economics and became a trader."
"I did find any job that matched my interest, so I moved to the financial sector."
"Correct, but then you discovered your true passion. Trading."
Now, I am embarrassed. I did not disclose that not anybody, not even to my parents. I felt nude in front of him. Being a full-time trader is a very stressful job, and most people tend to leave after sometime. I have been in this field for about 5 years now.
"And not only that, you have banking experience. The theoretical one, which is a big plus."
"So… do you want me to be a banker trader in some isekai adventure?"
He seemed surprised by the term "isekai", but I do believe that is how anyone would call a transmigration to another world.
"Bluntly speaking, yes. It is what I want from you."
The most terrible period of silence in my entire existence (summing living and non-living) is this very one.
"Of course, I am not asking it for free. To your earth family, three generation from your parents downwards will be granted a home in a mansion in Olympus."
The way he phrased gave me the impression that this something wonderful that nobody would be insane to refuse. But I do not know what is to live anywhere in this realm!
"You seemed confused. Olympus is very much the Heaven, think of that."
"Your proposition is daring. If there are some murders or disgusting individual. I know my family, but three generations? I do not vow for them."
"Wiser than I expected. One only comes to any of the realms after finishing his sentence, regardless of the person. For instance, murders could spend a lot of time in Tartarus or some other heinous Hades realm."
A lot of time, to a god that lives forever, say that… I think I should not worry.
"So you can read my mind?"
"No. I can't. Was that to worry you so much? Sorry. I meant no offense."
"None taken."
He coughed. "Well, I think it is clear that you have the qualifications for that. I look not only what you have done, but what you might do in the future. That is the beauty of mortality, which is always astonishing and inexplicable."
"Your second question. I am afraid that I do not rule over death, at least not directly, and do not have any influence over the Fortune Dominion. Few gods can make minimal changes to the fate. Significant fate modification requires mortal action."
"Aren't you almighty? The vision that I have from the gods is crumbling."
Hermes gave a great laugh. "Yes, we are. But if we try to influence the mortal directly, some natural compensation would appear to ensure that the freedom of choice is kept."
"You mean that if you bestow the trading knowledge to someone, that would by itself would promote a counteraction to prevent its benefits?"
"Very accurate. However, the change can be very insidious. The person that I bestow the knowledge might use it to corrupt the whole world or, worse, die without doing anything at all."
"So might I die as soon as I arrive to this another world?"
"You are quite dramatic. Why would I spend so much effort to transmigrate you to immediately send you back here?"
It was almost imperceptible, but I noticed that this topic made Hermes a little uncomfortable. "You can't talk about that?"
Hermes reacted to my question, I think I caught him red hand in his own emotions.
"Transmigration alters significantly all destinies in a world. This opportunity reached me because I am widely known in the world that I am going to send you. And, because someone forcibly introduced variables there, I have enough power to insert a non-combatant individual there."
I grasped the outline here. Someone messed with the fate and freedom of inhabitants of this world, to keep the balance, he received power to adjust back.
"I understand the general problem. So I just need to accelerate the world development somehow."
"Actually, if I tell you what I want, I would corrupt the process as a whole. I believe you are intelligent enough to figure everything out."
What the hell? I need to solve a problem that I don't know what it is?! Fuck!