Chapter 44
Goddesses Styx and Lethe, who had left to change clothes, returned.
But their attire...
"Goddess Styx, isn't that chiton... the one blessed with Hecate's magic of tranquility?"
"That's right. It's a gift I received when I went to Olympus last time."
Goddess Styx came wearing a revealing chiton with a plunging neckline.
The beautiful, shimmering black fabric enhanced the goddess's beauty even more.
"And me... How do I look?"
Goddess Lethe also approaches, wearing thin clothing that clearly shows her thigh line.
No... I've never seen her wear such clothes before?
"I've been saving this for when I go out with Hades like today. Did I do well?"
"Yes... You look especially beautiful today."
Unlike her usual emotionless eyes, her smiling face was truly beautiful.
I left the fortress as if enchanted by the two goddesses.
But isn't it a bit early to cling to my arms?
It's suffocating when you do it from both sides...
"Squeak! Squeak!"
"There, there."
I patted Cerberus, who guards the fortress entrance,
Then passed through the River of Forgetfulness, River of Fire, and River of Sorrow in order, finally reaching the River Acheron.
Charon, steering the newly created giant ferry(?), froze when he saw us.
The ferryman, looking at the faces of myself, Styx, and Lethe, quietly muttered.
"...So which one is the official wife?"
"Me!"
"Of course... it's me..."
The strength in both my arms is gradually increasing.
As I start to feel increasingly soft sensations, let's stop here...
"Charon, please don't say unnecessary things..."
"Ah... I understand..."
Somehow, we managed to reach the mortal world.
It's been a while since I've faced clear air and warm sunlight in my true form.
Chirp chirp- Tweet tweet.
The cries of living beings and the vitality of nature, hard to feel in the underworld.
"How are we going to Mount Etna?"
"I usually use a chariot. I'm always indebted to the ghost horses."
Of course, it's not only humans who face death and come to the underworld.
All kinds of animals and monsters are the same.
I waved my hand, summoning a semi-transparent chariot and ghost horses in the empty space.
Horses with blue flames burning in their eyes and never tiring are summoned with rough neighs.
Neigh-
The chariot is also a masterpiece among masterpieces, made directly by Hephaestus.
Though not a divine object, it's incredibly sturdy.
I lightly boarded the chariot and extended my hand not holding the reins,
Soon the goddesses smile and take my hand in turn as they board.
But... The belt I glimpse on Goddess Lethe seems somehow familiar...
I tried to look closer, but Goddess Styx urged me on.
"Let's go quickly! Hades!"
I nodded and drove the chariot towards Mount Etna.
The underworld chariot, invisible to human eyes, moves at high speed.
***
Near Mount Etna.
Except for the snow-covered peak, the scenery everywhere exudes warmth.
Vast grasslands spread near the mountain, and various animals roam about energetically.
However, since Typhon's body is buried under the mountain, frequent earthquakes occur.
That's why I occasionally come to the surface to patrol, while also sightseeing in the mortal world.
"I've always wanted to come here. I heard that even Olympian goddesses often come down here."
"There are some nymphs over there too."
I stopped the chariot briefly and looked around.
Beautiful forest nymphs wearing revealing chitons can be seen singing.
"Kyahaha!"
"Lady Kore! Come with us!"
"Next time, let's go into the forest!"
Hmm... But who is that blonde goddess running around energetically?
Since I don't recognize her face, is she a newly born goddess?
As I was about to drive the chariot to look around Mount Etna again,
Goddess Lethe gently tugged at my clothes to call me.
"Hades. Hades."
"What is it?"
"Please let Styx and me get off here."
"We'll just look around for a bit. I see some nymphs I know..."
"Then I'll go around the mountain once. Feel free to look around."
Nymphs they know? Well, that's possible.
The goddesses seem excited, probably because they've always been in the underworld and are now out in the mortal world.
"We'll be back soon after looking around!"
"Then see you again in a bit..."
***
The goddesses who got off Hades' chariot went deep into the forest.
Looking around, they seemed to be searching for someone.
"Weren't we supposed to meet here?"
"Ah, over there..."
Soon they smiled faintly and walked as if they had found who they were looking for.
In the middle of the forest stood a goddess who was beauty itself, with her arms crossed.
"Really, you came out with Hades? With that wooden man?"
"It's all thanks to the belt Aphrodite lent me. Hee..."
The one the underworld goddesses were looking for was none other than Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love.
Goddess Lethe approached her and unfastened the belt to hand it over.
It was the seductive belt, Kestos Himas, made directly by Hephaestus.
Aphrodite, receiving her belt back, wore a puzzled expression.
"You're saying the belt I lent you was effective?"
"Yes! Hades, who always brushed us off when we asked to go somewhere, came out to the mortal world with us for the first time!"
"It's all thanks to Goddess Aphrodite."
The goddesses smiled brightly while Aphrodite looked rather dumbfounded.
"Ugh... When I wore it, he seemed indifferent and uninterested..."
"...Is that so? He seemed especially kind today."
"Maybe you wore it wrong..."
Aphrodite's face crumpled as she saw the two goddesses looking genuinely confused.
The goddess of beauty, seemingly having suffered a great blow to her pride, clutched her head and shouted.
"No! That can't be! I'm the goddess of beauty and love after all... Argh! How frustrating!"
After huffing for a moment, Aphrodite crossed her arms again with a pouty expression.
As she was about to summon a cloud to return straight to Olympus, Goddess Styx called out to her.
"Um... Aphrodite."
"What...?"
"Didn't you originally like Hades too? Then why did you lend us the belt?"
Goddess Lethe also stared at Aphrodite as if curious.
The fact that Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, had come down to the underworld following Hades,
Was known to all the gods working in the underworld.
Even the most oblivious person could notice that the goddess had ulterior motives.
So why did she lend the enchanting belt to her love rivals?
Aphrodite answered with a smirk to the goddesses full of questions.
"What I wanted was just one night, and anyway, for one of the Big Three, it's not strange to have numerous women, right?"
"Then what about Poseidon or Zeus..."
"They're not really my type. And with Lord Zeus, Lady Hera's glare is a bit..."
The goddesses nodded as if understanding, and Aphrodite whispered in a low voice.
Even the cunning expression of the goddess of beauty herself looked alluring.
"And once he gets married and knows pleasure, won't his eyes wander elsewhere?"
"I don't think Hades would like a goddess who commits adultery."
"Argh! Shut up! It's not like I wanted to marry Hephaestus..."
However, her expression crumbled immediately at Goddess Lethe's words.
This time, Aphrodite threw a question at the underworld goddesses.
"But aren't you burdened by marriage? If you marry the lord of the underworld, there's all that work, and the weight of being the wife of one of the Big Three..."
Hades, the god of the underworld, is popular among women.
His high divine status as one of the Big Three, his gloomy but handsome face, and his kind nature different from his brothers.
However, there were occasionally goddesses who were reluctant to become his official wife.
With great rights come great responsibilities.
Having to reside in the dark underworld rather than Olympus,
And the numerous duties to manage as the mistress of the underworld can be daunting.
"I don't mind such things."
"I already have a lot of work anyway...?"
However, the Goddess of Forgetfulness and the mistress of the River Styx were different.
Their answers came without a moment's hesitation as soon as the question was asked.
Aphrodite briefly recalled Pygmalion.
The mortal who was more sincere about love than anyone, who moved the heart of the goddess of love.
"...Thanks to the goddess's blessing, I lived a life without regrets with my beloved wife!"
Pygmalion achieved love through the blessing she bestowed on his statue,
But she herself, despite being the goddess of love, couldn't have the love she wanted.
"Oh... How can you be so beautiful, you shall be mine, Poseidon!"
"Uncle Poseidon, please yield her to me."
"You are more beautiful than anyone I've ever seen..."
"Goddess. I have composed a poem praising your beauty."
"Enough, enough! At this rate, there will be discord among the gods, so I, Zeus, will decide Aphrodite's husband!"
Beauty so great that all gods coveted her.
To prevent discord in Olympus, the supreme god Zeus forcibly decided her husband.
"Lame Hephaestus? Why should I..."
"Father, this is too much..."
"What? But..."
"Letting Aphrodite decide is..."
Rumble! Boom!
"I will hear no more objections! From now on, the husband of the goddess of beauty is Hephaestus!"
And so, a forced marriage.
Her husband, Hephaestus, tried his best to treat her well.
He made anything she wanted and gifted her the magical girdle, Kestos Himas.
But she couldn't bring herself to love her husband and began to commit adultery.
She bore Harmonia, the goddess of harmony, with Ares and had relationships with many male gods.
The more forcibly suppressed, the more fiercely it burns - that is love.
A somewhat sad smile played on the lips of the goddess of love.
She sent her blessings to the two women challenging love with sorrowful eyes.
"...I suppose that's what love is. I, Aphrodite, will cheer for you, so do your best."
And at this time, Hades was...
"What's your name?"
"I'm called Menthe?"
He was in conversation with a nymph who evoked memories of the past.