Chapter 113: Justice and the Underworld

I was able to mediate the dispute between Ares, Aphrodite, and Eos adequately.

Still, calming Aphrodite's anger was quite challenging.

[Aphrodite, don't get too angry and listen quietly]

[Hades?!]

[If Eos took Ares from you, is there any reason you can't take him back? I don't think the charm of the goddess who oversees love and beauty is inferior to the goddess of dawn]

[...But.]

Reminding her of the goddess of dawn's accomplishments over time,

Persuading her that free love was what Aphrodite wanted when she wished to divorce the god of blacksmiths...

"Goddess Eos, it wasn't right to pursue Ares when he already had a partner."

"Is that a judgment made as the god of fairness?"

"...Anyone would say the same. They may not have been officially married, but to covet Ares who already had children with Aphrodite..."

I said something to Goddess Eos, and also scolded Ares who was watching cautiously...

But I didn't use the power of fairness for all of this.

The discomfort felt when something is amiss, though not as strong as Dike's divine object, the scales of justice.

This must be the power and duty of fairness.

But I won't be swayed by it. I'll make appropriate judgments with my reason.

A judgment possible because it's a divine status that came additionally to the ruler of the Underworld, not a god of fairness from the beginning.

'The standards of fairness are not so clear. In cases of blasphemy, death is the basic punishment...'

It's suitable for reference purposes, but not perfect.

Can the fair judgments made within my knowledge truly be called fair?

Finishing my thoughts, I walked towards where Zeus was.

***

When I saw Zeus again, he was enjoying leisure while looking down at the humans below the clouds.

Sitting on his throne with his chin resting on his hand, a blue light swirled in one of his eyes.

Zeus, seeing me enter the audience chamber of the Olympian palace, waved his hand to dismiss the other gods and attendants.

"Were you observing the mortal world?"

"Yes. It seems humans are committing fewer sins these days, thanks to you, brother."

"This divine status of fairness or whatever, it's just tiring."

Zeus looks at me with a slight smile.

"I can guess why several divine statuses have been added to you, brother. Even humans are worshipping you like that..."

"So why did you call me? It must be something important?"

"Ah... about that."

The king of gods clears his throat and strokes his beard.

What is he trying to say that he's stalling so much?

"Ahem. Ahem. Um... about Dike, the goddess of justice."

"Dike, who recently became part of the Underworld? There's no way she would have caused any trouble..."

"I understand why you accepted the divine status of fairness, but couldn't you consider my face a little?"

Ah. I immediately understood what Zeus was saying.

I had heard that Dike, working in the Underworld, was going around lecturing the gods whenever she had time.

And the gods, who had been unruly until now, wouldn't have stayed quiet, so they must have complained to Zeus.

Did they go to Zeus because talking to Dike wouldn't work since I, the god of fairness, was backing her?

"Of course, I dismissed them outright, but it seems there's quite a bit of discontent. They've lived that way for ages..."

"There are many who haven't come to their senses. Tsk."

"Hmm. It would be nice if everything flowed justly, but that's not always the best course of action."

Pursuing overly righteous justice tends to clash with reality.

Like the conflict between reason and emotion, the clash between injustice and justice also needs a proper balance.

Even if I support Dike, dramatic changes might be difficult.

But that would defeat the purpose of me accepting Dike. Perhaps gradual changes would be possible.

Zeus probably guessed this and intended to talk in person.

He might have judged that sending a letter could lead to misunderstandings on our side...

"Still, I heard you've been restraining yourself lately. Are you being mindful of Hera?"

"Well, Heracles is growing up well too, so, ahem."

"Your words have a point. I'll speak to Dike appropriately."

"Oh. You're listening? Thank you."

"But you should also manage the gods so they don't fall into reckless indulgence. If Dike is uncomfortable, wouldn't it be better not to create many situations where she needs to step in?"

Zeus nods his head reluctantly.

Well, it would be difficult to manage and control numerous gods individually...

"If the higher deities set an example from the top, the nature of the gods might change little by little."

"Humans praise you as the god of mercy and fairness, and indeed, you show such aspects."

"From my perspective, it feels like an unnecessary burden... I accepted it partly thinking of future battles with the Gigantes."

"Indeed, the current you would be stronger than Poseidon."

Zeus is right. I, who am revered by humans with all sorts of praise, am stronger than Poseidon now.

Of course, I would lose if we fought in his domain, the sea, but under equal conditions, I would have a slight advantage.

Even so, it's not a significantly meaningful difference.

It's just additional to the divine status of the Underworld.

"Anyway, I'll speak appropriately to Dike who's currently in the Underworld."

"Her sisters were feeling left out. They're my daughters, but they're close."

Now, shall I return to the Underworld?

***

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, when Hades went to Olympus.

The goddess of justice, looking as if waiting for someone.

Because today is... the day Persephone properly introduces Dike to the Underworld's work.

"Sister Dike!"

"...The daughter of Goddess Demeter, favored by Lord Hades?"

"Speak comfortably! You can just call me Persephone!"

"Alright. Persephone."

"Since you're now part of the Underworld, shouldn't you receive an introduction here?"

That is, because it's the day she promised with Persephone, the goddess of spring and seeds, a few days ago.

Soon, a cheerful goddess comes running, waving her hand.

She was quite late from the promised time, but...

"I'm sorry. You waited long, didn't you?"

"Not that long..."

"Well, I stopped by the living world to briefly bless the seeds to grow well..."

Dike knew. That many gods, including Persephone, work busily.

Although Lord Hades didn't assign her much work out of consideration for her efforts to establish justice...

Hadn't she herself worked quite a bit here?

She also knew that the enormous workload she received on her first day in the Underworld was just a small part.

"It's fine, just introduce me to what you're going to show today."

"Yes, sister! First, follow me. Our office is this way..."

Following Persephone, Dike soon discovered mountains of documents.

In an office as spacious as the personal palaces of the 12 Olympians, numerous beings were busily moving, carrying parchments.

Many messengers and lesser deities rushed to the office to report, then relayed orders from the person in charge.

On one side, high-ranking deities surrounded by mountains of parchments were moving their hands with their heads buried in desks.

"We have a problem! There's been another riot at the Phlegethon River!"

"It seems the souls are throwing tantrums again, not wanting to cross the river of fire. The deity who originally controlled that place..."

"Hey! The nectar quantity in the 112th food storage doesn't match! What's going on here?"

"I'll tell the guards there to properly check the inventory again."

"Do I have to worry about things like this? Investigate properly and report back!"

"It seems a soul was wrongly placed in reincarnation. One that should have entered a male body was reborn into a female body..."

"Which idiot couldn't even do that one thing right...!"

"What?! They put in the wrong soul?"

"Which god is responsible for this! Is it that guy with red horns on his head?"

"Did you receive Lethe's blessing too? That guy's role is to torture sinners!"

Incredibly noisy. No, a chaotic scene of the Underworld.

A deity spoke to Dike, who was overwhelmed by the reality of the Underworld that all mortals fear.

No, they spoke to Persephone beside Dike.

"Goddess Persephone?! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you come this way quickly?"

"Ah, today I'm in charge of guiding Sister Dike!"

"...I'm envious."

Goddess Persephone smiling brightly.

She soon pointed her finger at a goddess. That goddess also seemed to have seen Persephone and Dike, slightly bowing her head.

The shadow under her eyes evoked sympathy and pity.

"I'll introduce you one by one. You should know their faces."

"Hmm."

"First, this is Medusa. You know her, right? Previously, Perseus..."

"I pay my respects to the goddess of justice."

"...You can call me Dike."

"Then, I have work piling up, so..."

The spring goddess spoke to Dike as she watched Medusa turn her head back to her desk after greeting.

She was a mortal who suffered too much from the gods in her previous life and was made a god by Hades.

Hades had assigned her less work out of consideration and provided various conveniences,

but on busy days like today, she often voluntarily helps with work, a brief explanation of the kind goddess followed.

"...Oh. And over there is the goddess of mint, Menthe."

"Ah.. Hello...! Goddess of Justice!"

"Yes. I've heard many stories about the nymph who created Lord Hades' symbol becoming a goddess."

The goddess of mint, with a refreshing scent wafting around, was moving hurriedly with a tearful face.

Until Persephone and Medusa came to the Underworld, she was the youngest, they said.

Next, the spring goddess pointed to two goddesses felt among the mountains of parchments.

Their conversation, feeling like higher deities than Persephone, could be heard from here.

"Styx... I think this is written wrong?"

"Ah! I'm sorry, Lethe! I keep making these mistakes because it's so busy today...."

"Sigh..."

Dike approached them and gave a slight greeting.

Judging from their conversation, they must be the goddess of the River Styx and the goddess of forgetfulness.

As they were high-ranking deities existing since the time of the Titans.

"I'm Dike, the goddess of justice who recently started working in the Underworld."

"I've received reports. You're the daughter of Goddess Themis, right? But if you're the goddess of justice."

"Wouldn't it be better to assign her as a judge... Her divine object, the scales, is famous..."

"That would be fine too, but if she oversees justice, she'll have to mind the affairs of the living world as well..."

Dike wondered: Does justice not exist in the Underworld?

This was the current state of the Underworld, the workplace all gods avoid.