Chapter 69
"Huh?"
Only then did Persephone seem to notice the golden arrow stuck in her chest, and she pulled it out.
As the goddess's hand touched it, the golden arrow that had fulfilled its purpose dissolved into the air and disappeared.
"This is... Eros's golden arrow?"
Eros, the god of love, takes the form of a child holding a bow and arrow.
He possessed golden arrows of love and lead arrows of hatred.
The golden arrow causes the one hit to fall madly in love with the first person they see,
while the lead arrow causes the one hit to hate madly the first person they see.
Because it was a stealthy and fast arrow, characteristic of love,
Persephone, exhausted from the prolonged battle, couldn't avoid it...
"I was hit by a golden arrow, right?"
"Sigh..."
But Persephone, who was just hit by the golden arrow, saw me.
Now I'm going to receive my niece's love.
...What do I do about this?
As I looked in the direction the arrow had come from with a dejected face, Persephone spoke.
"But I feel fine? Maybe it was shot wrong? Hehe."
"...Even Zeus would fall in love if hit by that arrow."
The goddess now looking at me and giggling will be overflowing with emotions rising in her heart, even if she pretends otherwise.
I can't pretend I didn't see her get hit by Eros's arrow. How on earth do I handle this?
Her father is Zeus, the king of gods, and her mother is Demeter, the goddess of the earth...
If I make any mistake, it could really cause a war.
"But... I really feel fine. By the way, are you planning to return to the underworld now?"
"I'm thinking of tidying up this area a bit before returning."
The surrounding area had been completely devastated by the aftermath of fighting the Gigas.
As if Zeus's thunderbolt or Poseidon's trident had struck,
the ground everywhere was overturned, and countless cracks had split open.
The peak of Mount Etna, where Typhon was sealed, had been blown away by the aftermath of my attack,
and the once beautiful forests, fields, and streams of the plain lay shattered and strewn about.
Most of the many nymphs were either dead or had fled, as they were nowhere to be seen...
As I looked around at the traces of nature's destruction that would horrify Pan, the god of nature, my niece stretched out her hand.
Along with it, I felt a warm and gentle divine power.
"Uncle Hades! Let me help too. I'm the goddess of spring and seeds, so I can do this kind of thing."
Whoosh-
A green wave spread from Persephone's hand, gently caressing the earth.
Grass grew beside fallen trees, and the barren plains regained their color.
Well, the goddess of spring would be better at restoration than me, who rules the underworld.
It would have been much easier if Pan or Demeter were here...
"How was that? I did well, right? I usually only use this when playing with nymphs, but as expected..."
"...Yes. You did well."
My niece, who was chattering as if seeking praise while looking at me, was truly adorable.
Her beauty would stand out even among the beautiful goddesses of Olympus.
Golden pupils and hair resembling her father, Zeus. A figure with curves in all the right places.
A lecherous male god would welcome with open arms the fact that such a goddess had fallen for him.
"What are you thinking about standing still? Tell me too!"
But she's my niece...
***
"Phew... It's all done. I've tidied everything up."
While I thoroughly searched the surroundings for traces of Gigas and tracked them,
Persephone had somewhat restored the damaged earth.
"Good job."
"Hehe... Now you're really going back to the underworld, right? I want to go too!"
I froze at the words that came out of Persephone's mouth, smiling like a fully bloomed flower.
Yes, this is exactly the problem...
Those hit by Eros's golden arrow fall into absolute love.
An emotional power that even Zeus, I, or Poseidon cannot resist.
I know its power well, as many among the dead who came to the underworld had been hit by Eros's arrow in life.
If they confirm their love for each other and one side accepts, it ends happily,
but if one side keeps rejecting or they can't be together due to differences in status...
Some took up weapons and cut down those who interfered with their love, some cried sadly and committed suicide,
and some went mad, clutching their bursting hearts and resenting the gods.
It's truly appropriate to use the expression 'blinded by love'.
If I flatly reject my niece, imagine what might happen...
"You might find me appealing because of Eros's arrow, but that's a false emotion. I can't take you to the underworld..."
"Y-Yes... Sob... Waaah!!!"
"Even if you cry like that, I can't take you to the underworld..."
"If... if I die, I can go to the underworld! Even if I have to die..."
Yes, there would immediately be a suicide incident involving a goddess.
And if the goddess of spring and seeds, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, says she'll commit suicide at the entrance of the underworld...
"Your Majesty! It's terrible! Until yesterday it was snowing, but today the sun is scorching..."
"You mean the season of spring has disappeared! The gods must be angry!"
"For seeds not to grow is an abnormal phenomenon... Has something happened to the Olympian gods?"
First, the whole world would be in chaos because the goddess of spring and seeds abandoned her duties.
Then of course, her mother Demeter would...
"What?! My daughter tried to commit suicide to go to the underworld... What? She was hit by a golden arrow and fell for Hades, but was rejected?"
"The land has completely dried up!"
"We received an oracle at Delphi saying it's because Goddess Demeter is greatly angered..."
"Crops no longer grow from the earth, oh Zeus..."
Demeter would surely do something.
She's not so much a benevolent god like Hestia, but rather similar to Artemis.
If her emotions are disturbed, the earth will completely dry up, and only the number of humans coming to the underworld will increase.
And it doesn't end there.
Her father is Zeus, the king of gods.
"Brother Hades... rejected Persephone, and because of that she tried to commit suicide to go to the underworld..."
"Yes, Father. After I asked Lady Demeter..."
"Demeter abandoned her work all because of that?"
"Yes..."
"...Even if it's Brother Hades, that's a bit too much. I suppose I should have a talk with him."
All sorts of protest documents would rain down on the underworld, souls of those who starved to death would flood in.
Both mortals and immortals would denounce the underworld.
All these disasters that just occurred in my mind...
Could happen if I don't take my beautiful niece, who's smiling innocently right in front of me, to the underworld.
"Uncle Hades? So can I go too? Hehe... I've always been curious about what the underworld looks like."
Although she's smiling happily while looking at my face now...
If I accidentally stimulate her severely, chaos will come to the world.
"If... if you stare at me like that, it's a bit embarrassing. Hihi..."
Oh Zeus, save me.
I'd rather fight Father Kronos once more.
***
I guess I'll have to take her to the underworld first and then try to soothe her somehow.
Gigas might have attacked places other than Mount Etna, so I need to return to the underworld right now to find out.
I don't think they'll come to the underworld...
And a messenger will come from Olympus about the Gigas attack,
so I can go up to the divine palace then and explain directly to Demeter.
"...Alright. I can show you around a bit. Follow me."
"Wow! Thank you, Uncle!"
Persephone spreads her arms and hugs me.
Should I accept this? If I don't, she might cry and ask if I dislike her...
Hug.
The volume felt on my chest and the fresh scent of spring tickles my nose, but...
"Ehehe..."
I really feel like I'm going to lose my mind.
Is this right? To end up taking my niece who was hit by Eros's arrow to the underworld.
"That's enough hugging, get on the chariot..."
"Heh... Your chest is so broad... Can't we go like this?"
"...It's uncomfortable, so ride beside me."
"Okay!"
I headed towards the entrance of the underworld with the brightly smiling Persephone.
"Wow! These horses are cute!"
Sn-Snort?!
Don't stroke the mane of the ghost horses running hard...
They get confused when a goddess with the opposite energy suddenly strokes them from behind...
Somehow, I arrived in the underworld with her.
Persephone looked around curiously, not at all scared by the dark scenery of the underworld.
"Wow, there's even a cute dog here?"
"That's Cerberus, Typhon's offspring. I brought him here and made him the divine beast of the underworld."
Gr... Growl?! Growl?
Persephone vigorously stroked the three-headed dog who was confused by the unfamiliar goddess showing interest in him.
Cerberus was unable to gather his wits due to the sudden affectionate attack.
The fearsome gatekeeper of the underworld seemed to be trying to gauge the relationship between Persephone and me,
moving his eyeballs busily before finally showing his belly and sprawling out.
Pant pant! Pant!
"Uncle Hades! Look at this. It's really soft. Hihi!"
No, even if it looks like that, it's still a powerful monster.
It could probably tear apart a Gigas or two?
"For now, I'm busy with work, so stay in this room for a while, and if you need anything, tell the servant."
"Okay! ...Ooh. You can do this too?"
Growl?! Pant pant!
I need to discuss the Gigas matter with other gods, so I'll leave her with the servant for a bit and come back.
I also need to look at the backlog of judgments and the recent situation in the underworld while I was in the mortal world...
"Lord Hades! You've come at a good time. There are matters that need your direct approval..."
"Morpheus. Is it about the dead again this time?"
"Ah, if you look at this..."
"This issue needs to be discussed with other gods as well..."
I briefly discussed work matters with Morpheus, who had spotted me, and approved some documents.
He said it was time for him to go deliver dreams to humans and hurriedly left.
Now I moved to bring Persephone from the room.
Crunch. Munch munch.
And I found my cute niece eating pomegranate from a small bowl.
Who put pomegranate in this room? Was this originally a resting place for other gods?
Wait... according to the laws of the underworld, those who eat food from the underworld...
"Ehehe... Uncle Hades! You should try this too! Even though it's the underworld, the fruit is fresh?"
Looking at my niece with red pomegranate juice flowing down her mouth, I held my head.
...Oh damn it.