King of Underworld

Chapter 70 Persephone’s Story – (5)

“…Persephone, do you know what it means to eat the food of the Underworld?”

“Huh?! Should I not have eaten it? I’m sorry…”

Persephone’s expression quickly turned gloomy.

The Underworld is a world entirely different from the mortal realm, and thus it has its own set of rules.

These rules are carefully preserved on parchment infused with divine power…

The Laws of the Underworld.

Article 1, Clause 1: The dead cannot be brought back to life.

Article 1, Clause 2: All souls must undergo judgment to cleanse their karma from the mortal realm.

.

.

.

Article 5, Clause 2: …..

Article 5, Clause 3: Anyone who eats the food of the Underworld, even once, must live here.

This rule, Article 5, Clause 3, directly applied to Persephone.

It didn’t mean she could never leave the Underworld, but it did mean she would have to relocate her residence to the Underworld.

This rule applies even to gods, which is why the deities temporarily dispatched to the Underworld never touch the food here.

Neither Athena, Ares, nor Aphrodite ate any food while in the Underworld.

“Sigh… Anyone who eats the food of the Underworld must live here.”

“Huh? So that means I’ll live with you now, Uncle?”

Since Persephone had been struck by Eros’s golden arrow, she didn’t seem to mind the idea.

But what would Demeter or Zeus think about this?

Wait a minute… No matter how young she is, not even 300 years old yet, could she really be unaware of the laws of the Underworld? Did she eat it on purpose?

The position of queen of the Underworld naturally comes with power and influence, especially if someone struck by a golden arrow like Persephone…

“…For now, follow me. Don’t leave my sight.”

“Okay!”

It was better for me to keep an eye on her.

* * *

I carried out my duties while keeping her with me for a while.

“For the loss of your purity, you were cast out and met your death at the hands of Artemis’s followers, but now…”

“…Glory be to the god of mercy… Thank you, Pluto.”

While I listened to the grievances of the souls and tried to make fair judgments,

Persephone looked on with a puzzled expression.

After I finished all the backlogged trials, she approached me.

“Uncle Hades, why are you so lenient with humans?”

“Lenient?”

“Yes. It seems like you show mercy even to those who insult the gods or act arrogantly.”

Her eyes were filled with pure curiosity rather than sarcasm or discontent.

This was exactly the kind of thinking a young god, born under the high authority of the gods, would have.

With their overwhelming divine power and authority, tasked with maintaining the balance of the world, they often felt a sense of superiority over weak mortals.

This wasn’t just Persephone’s issue.

Most gods probably thought the same way…

“…It would be better to abandon that line of thinking.”

“Eh..? W-What?!”

“The Underworld is where mortals end their journey, their final destination. What would happen if I were harsh with them?”

“But aren’t we gods beings who are served by mortals? If I simply stopped using my power over spring, humans would…”

Young gods possess great power despite their innocence,

which is why they could sometimes appear harsh and capricious to humans.

Persephone, who was born worshipped and had the ability and lineage to match, would especially feel this way.

Demeter and Zeus also occasionally displayed harshness towards humans… She seemed to take after her parents in that regard.

“…You really are a goddess of one of the seasons.”

“But I’m the goddess of spring and seeds…”

“That’s not what I meant. What I’m saying is that your slightest actions could be perceived as natural disasters by humans.”

I continued speaking, looking into Persephone’s eyes, which were filled with questions.

I hoped that what I had seen and felt in the Underworld would help her, even if just a little.

“We gods are not perfect beings. Even Zeus or Athena can make mistakes.”

“My father or the goddess of wisdom too?”

“There’s no such thing as a perfect god. That’s why you must refrain from using your powers on a whim or making hasty decisions.”

“Uncle Hades, one of the Three Gods… Have you ever regretted something?”

“…More times than I can count.”

How could I have lived for so long without ever showing a flaw?

Even as the god of mercy and the fair ruler of the Underworld…

“I’ve regretted making the wrong judgment by mistake, and I’ve also been swept up in my emotions.”

“Oh…”

“When you are angry, it may seem insignificant that mortals die in the aftermath…”

“……”

“But remember that to them, it is an unavoidable disaster. Those wronged souls come to the Underworld after all.”

As she pondered my words, Persephone’s previously free-spirited divine power surged within her.

Could it be that she was awakening to her role, realizing the responsibility of her domain?

“As gods, we can’t always be right, but we must strive to make the best decisions.”

“…I’ve never heard anything like this from my mother before…”

Persephone murmured quietly as she looked at the ground.

At that moment, I felt that she had grown a little.

The lively and energetic Persephone’s power seemed to settle down and become more ordered.

Spring, one of the four seasons, had become a bit more stable, and the seeds sown in the earth would grow well.

“For now, I’ll assign you a temporary residence. And I’ll inform your mother of this…”

“Hades, there’s an emergency! In the Underworld right now…”

The goddess Styx burst through the door, urgently searching for me.

Could it be another attack by the Gigantes?

“In the Underworld… the soul of the deceased Chiron has arrived!”

* * *

Chiron.

A centaur with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, known as a wise teacher.

He was skilled in all sorts of techniques and possessed vast knowledge, but his greatest strength was in education.

He was responsible for raising many heroes in the mortal world.

If Chiron had died, it would be difficult to raise a hero who could defeat the Gigantes as foretold.

“I’ll go meet him immediately. But he’s an immortal being…”

“He… gave up his immortality after being tortured by the Gigantes who suddenly attacked him!”

“…I see.”

Only a few hundred Gigantes had come to target Typhon at Mount Etna.

But to think they’d spread their forces to kill Chiron…

Just like when they corrupted Oedipus, could it be that Gaia is targeting the heroes?

Did she somehow discover the prophecy that we gods knew?

No, if she were certain, she would’ve launched a full-scale attack immediately.

She probably suspects that the heroes are connected to the Gigantes, but isn’t fully convinced yet.

It’s a relief that she doesn’t have the power to foresee all of the future.

Even Prometheus doesn’t possess that ability…

In any case, I hurried with Persephone and the goddess Styx to meet Chiron.

Yes, niece, it’s better for you to stay where I can see you.

Soon, I saw Chiron, appearing as a semi-transparent soul.

He had truly died and come to the Underworld…

“Chiron.”

“Lord Hades. It’s been a long time. I’m sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances.”

When I spoke to him, the centaur lowered his head with a bitter expression.

“I heard that the Gigantes tortured you. You may rest here in peace.”

“…I feel guilty, as if I abandoned my duty to raise heroes and fled into death.”

“Who could withstand the torture of monsters that rival the gods?”

“Thank you, Lord of the Underworld. They… even killed some of the students I was teaching…”

Due to Chiron’s widespread reputation across the world,

wherever he was, it was always bustling with people aspiring to become heroes.

But many were massacred when the Gigantes suddenly attacked.

Chiron and his students resisted, but they couldn’t overcome monsters, each equivalent to a minor deity.

According to him, many of his students were either massacred or fled.

“Though I only learned of it after arriving in the Underworld, thankfully, the gods Dionysus and Ares descended and drove them away.”

“Hmm… While you were in the mortal world, both Corinth and Athens were attacked.”

“It seems they appeared in many places as well.”

“The gods of Olympus descended and killed the Gigantes, but the damage was significant…”

“Rather than killing ordinary mortals, they aimed to destroy temples and sever the connection between mortals and gods. They also rushed at any heroes or demigods they saw.”

After Chiron finished speaking, Thanatos and other gods added more details.

The cities of Corinth, Athens, and others had been attacked…

“Many heroes died in this incident.”

“Athena hurriedly descended to the mortal realm, but her temple was half-destroyed.”

“What does Olympus think about this?”

I raised a hand to stop the gods from continuing their discussions.

“The goddess of the rainbow will likely descend to summon me to the Divine Palace of Olympus. For now, maintain the usual vigilance until then.”

“But shouldn’t we prepare a little more?”

“Isn’t Demeter on our side?”

“Ah… Since the goddess of the earth has the Omphalos stone, she should have located the Gigantes’ base by now!”

Though the Gigantes had succeeded in killing Chiron in their latest attack, they had also revealed their base to us.

Demeter must have already informed Zeus,

and by now, many gods would be keeping a close watch on the Gigantes’ base.

The Gigantes would no longer be able to launch surprise attacks without the gods noticing.

All that remains for them is a full-scale war or Gaia’s schemes.

* * *

From earlier, Persephone had remained quiet, simply observing with bright eyes.

At least she wasn’t interrupting my work. Perhaps my earlier words had an effect on her.

The goddess Lethe tilted her head as she looked at Persephone and spoke.

“Hades, who is that goddess who’s been here this whole time? She doesn’t seem to be a minor deity…”

“Oh, I’m Persephone!”

I should explain this beforehand to avoid being falsely accused of tricking a goddess into coming to the Underworld.

If I kept my mouth shut and stayed silent, it would only lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.

“She’s the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, whom I met near Mount Etna. By the way, she was struck by Eros’s golden arrow and saw me, and she also ate food from the Underworld.”

“What?!”

“She was struck by Eros’s golden arrow… Wait, then…”

“Does Demeter know about this?”

“I plan to go up to Olympus soon to explain everything directly.”

The expressions of the numerous gods gathered here changed.

There was nothing I could do. After all, I needed to urgently receive reports on whether the Gigantes had attacked anywhere besides Mount Etna…

“I’m telling you, I’m perfectly fine even after being struck by the golden arrow!”

“Yes, yes.”

“Ugh… It’s true! You saved me before I was struck by the arrow, so take responsibility!”

“…What?”

“Seriously… Hades, why do you keep increasing the number of goddesses around you every time you leave?”

“Before it gets any worse…”

The crowd quickly turned their heads to look at the goddess Styx and the goddess Lethe.

And I also saw Mente, who had entered late and was now frozen.

As everyone froze, Persephone suddenly spoke, her voice trembling.

“Lord Hades, you touched me gently back then! You have to take responsibility!”

“W-What?”

“Wait, did I mishear because I’m getting old? Should I visit Apollo to check my ears…”

“Who touched whom?”

“Hades…! What did you do?!”

Why is everyone reacting like this?

This is a misunderstanding…

Persephone, even though you’ve matured as a goddess, your cheerful spring-like personality remains unchanged…!

“Niece… You were being strangled by a Gigantes, and I simply grabbed your side and placed you on the chariot. That’s what you’re talking about…”

“T-That’s the same thing! I want to marry Lord Hades!”

“Hades, are you sure you only placed her on the chariot and didn’t do anything else?”

“The Gigantes aren’t the problem right now! Just tell us everything quickly…”

“L-Lord Hades… I’m fine with being a concubine, but if there are too many…”

The Underworld has always been a place where all sorts of things happen, but lately, it feels like it’s been especially chaotic. Could it be that Gaia has cursed it?

“Lord Hades, the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, has arrived. It’s probably regarding the Gigantes, and she’s been sent by Olympus…”

“…! Bring her in immediately.”

She must have come to invite me to a meeting at the Divine Palace of Olympus.

We need to discuss the matter of the Gigantes and figure out how to explain this to Demeter.

As the Underworld was bustling with noise, the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, arrived.

“I’ve come to see the lord of the Underworld…”

As she entered, Iris stopped speaking, looked around at the situation, and her eyes widened in surprise.

Seeing Iris like this, Moros, the god of inevitable death, spoke indifferently, as if it were nothing unusual.

He had been leaning against a wall in the corner of the office with his arms crossed.

“Ah, Iris, don’t be alarmed. This is just the usual scene in the Underworld.”

“Lord Moros, what on earth is going on here…”

“It’s really nothing special. It’s just that the daughter of Demeter and Zeus was struck by Eros’s golden arrow, saw Hades, ate food from the Underworld, and is now quarreling with the three goddesses who are in love with Hades.”

“W-What? Whose daughter did you say?”

The color drained from the face of the goddess of the rainbow, and the seven-colored halo that usually radiated behind her dimmed.