Chapter 39: Ominous Signs - (1)

Another day of unrest in the Underworld.

Goddess Aphrodite, who had agreed to help with the Underworld's affairs for a while, was working hard again today.

Until they reach the River of Forgetfulness, Lethe, humans retain their memories from the living world,

So naturally, there were those who couldn't accept the fact that they had died and caused disturbances.

"Aaaagh! I'm not dead yet!"

"Please, let me see my mother just once, I'll walk in on my own after seeing her briefly!"

"Damn it, untie this!"

Those denying reality, those with lingering attachments to the living world, those bursting with anger towards those who killed them...

And even souls wandering the Acheron River without a single coin.

Just as the goddess was getting tired of maintaining her divine dignity and started charming souls with just her gaze,

Charon, who had returned from taking souls across the river, relayed a message from Hades.

"Hades says he's going to hold a feast in the Underworld for an entire day."

"A day... A whole day?!"

"Hmm. I was quite surprised too. I guess he's still worried about Thanatos's incident..."

Though it was the same news, their reactions were different.

While the ferryman of the Acheron River was happy that he could rest for a whole day,

The goddess of beauty and love was shocked that they would only rest for that long.

Well, what work did the goddess of beauty and love do on Olympus?

Love is an emotion that arises naturally, and beauty too had no area for her to intervene.

And Olympus was full of leisurely gods like her.

Feasts were frequent, and they could live a carefree life.

"Come to think of it, you lived comfortably on Olympus, so you might not be used to this work."

"...I think I understand why Athena avoids the topic of the Underworld since the Great Flood."

Such a hothouse flower suddenly falling into a work hell...

This reaction was only natural.

***

"I... I've been wronged... Zeus forcibly... sob... why did Hera only to me..."

"...I see. Let's rest a bit and talk again."

A human soul who came to the Underworld after being raped by Zeus and killed by Hera's revenge.

Behind the weeping woman, goddess Lethe quietly approaches and makes her forget her memories of the living world.

When passing judgment in the Underworld, we occasionally see those who come with their memories of the living world intact.

It's natural that the River of Forgetfulness doesn't work on those who die with deep grudges...

"Why are there so many rape victims in the living world..."

The gods are selfish.

Not just Zeus who thinks with his lower half, but most of them are like that.

The higher the god's status, the worse this tendency, but even lesser gods often rape humans.

Just today, three rape victims arrived in the Underworld.

All of them pleaded to me with their memories of the living world intact.

As I held my head in my hands, goddess Lethe, who had just erased the soul's memories, quietly approached.

"But Hades doesn't do that. Even though you're popular..."

Of course not, I'm one of the Big Three after all.

Marrying me would make one the mistress of the Underworld, gaining tremendous power and strength.

Honestly, while my face might look a bit gloomy, I think I'm quite handsome.

There are quite a few goddesses who subtly express their feelings for me, though not to the extent of Poseidon, whose wife Amphitrite gets angry every day due to his excessive infidelity,

or Zeus, who has relationships with most women he sees.

But...

"Sigh... Seeing such souls all the time makes me feel this way."

All kinds of rape, adultery, and crime of passion murder victims come to the Underworld.

Seeing those who died due to goddesses' curses or jealousy makes any desire to marry disappear...

And the mistress of the Underworld must be chosen carefully.

It would be a bit much if she killed rape victims like Hera, Zeus's wife and queen of the gods,

or if she got angry and completely overturned the sea like Amphitrite, Poseidon's wife...

Just then, an attendant approached to inform us that the feast preparations were complete.

"Well, it seems the feast preparations are almost done, so shall we head to the banquet hall?"

"Tch... Alright."

Everyone must be happy to have a day off after so long.

I left the office with goddess Lethe quietly following behind me, heading towards the banquet hall.

I instructed that Dionysus's wine be distributed to the people of the Underworld for today's feast.

Even though souls don't need to eat or drink, I wonder if they can still feel festive...

"Have the Muses arrived?"

"Yes! The goddesses have already arrived and are in the banquet hall."

The nine Muse goddesses who preside over the arts are the daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus.

Goddess Mnemosyne, hearing the news of my feast, personally contacted Olympus to call her daughters.

Toot toot~

The sound of music as we enter the banquet hall.

Goddess Euterpe is playing the flute, and Terpsichore is dancing to it.

The other Muse goddesses were also livening up the feast atmosphere according to their fields.

As I sat down for a moment and looked around the banquet hall, I noticed everyone seemed to be enjoying the long-awaited break.

But something seems odd.

"Oh my..."

"How exhausted must he have been..."

There's something in a corner at the back of the banquet hall... gods are whispering.

As I casually approached, I saw an old god lying down trying to sleep.

"Zzz... Snore..."

Why is god Hypnos sleeping on the banquet hall floor, was he that tired?

Well, I held this feast for them to rest, so I shouldn't disturb him.

I had an attendant quietly move the sleeping god Hypnos to a quiet room and returned.

"Another death by disease? Weak mortals, tsk tsk tsk... mumble mumble..."

In another corner, death energy was flickering around Thanatos as he sipped nectar.

Even at this moment during the feast, he couldn't rest because he had to control his avatars to harvest souls.

"Lord Hades!"

Someone calls me.

I've heard this voice somewhere, ah!

"Oh my~! Lord Hades! It's been so long!"

"Erato. Long time no see."

A goddess with long blue-silver hair that suits her tunic well approaches me with a smile.

It's goddess Erato, one of the nine Muses, in charge of love poetry and solo singing.

"You're always working hard in the Underworld, but I've been so busy I couldn't visit..."

Goddess Erato approaches and links her arm with mine.

Don't get too close, niece...

Her coquettish behavior is cute, but isn't she getting too close?

"Lord Hades~ Seeing you after so long is giving me so much inspiration~"

"...?!"

Somehow I feel like eyes are gathering on us, this should be enough...

Contrary to my inner thoughts, Erato clears her throat and begins to recite poetry.

The sweet voice of the goddess of art in charge of love poetry and solo singing echoes through the banquet hall.

***

Humans say~

Phoebus with a smile like the sun, Poseidon with a chest like the sea.

Dionysus with a charming figure, Hermes with his cheerful wit.

Erato pauses briefly to take a sip of nectar, then continues, placing her hand on my chest.

But we know~

Pluto of the Underworld, whom everyone fears, is actually...

"Gasp... I-I'm sorry! Then I'll be going...!"

"Huh...?!"

Erato suddenly stops speaking, looking behind me.

She bows her head, looking very flustered, and steps back.

As I turn around, I see goddess Styx smiling at me.

But she doesn't seem to be in a good mood.

"Hades... Again with some strange goddess..."

"Pardon?"

"Sigh... It's nothing. By the way, why are you holding a feast? Do you know how much damage skipping work for just one day can cause..."

Yes, yes... I know.

"I thought everyone needed a break..."

"But what if work piles up again like last time?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that. If you look over there..."

We turned our heads to see Thanatos controlling his avatars while muttering something with a grim look.

The busiest god in the Underworld still seemed preoccupied with harvesting souls.

"Was this the next one, oops... A whole family starved to death..."

Setting aside the black wings getting soaked by dipping into the nectar cup,

No god was near Death due to his fearsome appearance of harvesting souls in real-time.

"God Thanatos is still working hard, and the three Minos brothers are taking turns resting."

"So can I go back now? Hades?!"

Goddess Aphrodite, looking very angry, interrupted the conversation.

The goddess of beauty, whose appearance had become even more decadent compared to a while ago.

I think I've worked her hard enough.

It was noticeable how much the Underworld's workload had decreased for a while.

"Good work. If you ever want to come to the Underworld again..."

"Re-Really?! I can really go?"

Aphrodite leaves as soon as I agree.

Goddess Styx, watching her, shook her head in disbelief.

"Seriously, acting like that after just working a bit at the Acheron River."

Is it because she's a goddess who only played around comfortably on Olympus? She's quickly escaping the Underworld...

...?! Someone is praying to me.

A devotee in Thebes, no, a priest?

But this desperation and plea, filled with fear...!

"Lord Hades! Please help us! A monster, half-snake and half-human...!"