Chapter 94
After resolving the issue in Thebes, I was in the middle of discussing work with Goddess Styx.
It's all thanks to her that work doesn't pile up too much whenever I leave the Underworld...
"I swear by the River Styx that I speak only the truth, your hair is gleaming beautifully today as well, Goddess."
"Ugh... Stop making strange oaths in front of me! You hadn't been doing it for a while, but now..."
Once again, Goddess Styx is extremely embarrassed by my oath in front of her.
But how can I resist when such beautiful black hair, comparable to silk woven by Athena, is swaying before my eyes?
As I put down the parchment for a moment and stare blankly at the black waves flickering before me...
The Goddess, with a slight blush, opened her mouth.
"...Do you want to... touch it? Just a little..."
This was impossible to resist.
As I nodded blankly, the Goddess of Oaths approached and pressed her body against mine.
Is the scent at the tip of my nose from the mountain of parchments, or is it the olive scent emanating from her?
I placed my hand on her hair as she forcibly lowered her head to look at her work, not facing me.
As I slowly caress the Goddess's hair that feels like it might slip through my fingers, I sense a strange, indescribable atmosphere.
"Mmph..."
Am I feeling happiness right now?
Despite the hard and busy work of the Underworld, spending a good time with a goddess...
Clunk.
"Lord Hades! Brother Ares is at the entrance of the Underworld... Oh?!"
"Ahem... What's the matter?"
"Ah...!"
The one who opened the door and entered was Persephone, the Goddess of Spring and Seeds.
She quickly scanned the office and, upon seeing Styx and me clinging together, pouted and put her hands on her hips.
"Geez... You're always alone with Goddess Styx, am I completely invisible to you, Lord Hades?"
"You don't even call me uncle anymore..."
"Of course, because when we get married, I should call you 'darling'! So when are you going to take me to the mortal world together?"
"...? You and I going to the mortal world together?"
"Oh, come on~ You're pretending not to know again. Are you going to keep acting like this? The rumor that Lord Hades goes on outings to the mortal world with goddesses he's fond of has already spread throughout the Underworld. You've spent time with Goddess Styx, Goddess Lethe, and even that lesser god Menthe, so why only with me..."
Please. My niece...
Of course, it's not a big problem among gods, but there's a bit of psychological resistance...
It seems your existence is a bit... too early for me.
Thanks to the beautiful Goddess of Spring, I've had a chance to change my thinking, but I'm still uncomfortable with our relationship...
Let's change the subject for now.
"...What's this about Ares coming to the entrance of the Underworld?"
"Oh, that? He said he needs help in holding a trial because of a big fight he had with Uncle Poseidon..."
Ares and Poseidon had a big fight?
As far as I know, they only clashed during Poseidon's rebellion before.
***
Thus, I saw the male god walking into the audience chamber.
Rock-hard, toned muscles, divine armor made by Hephaestus, a sword at his waist.
My nephew and the God of War, Ares, knelt on one knee before me with an awkward smile.
What brings Ares, who has been terrified of the Underworld since the Great Flood, here?
"Uncle Hades, how are you?"
"...Yes. I've heard the gist of it. What's this about you and Poseidon having a big fight? And why have you come to the Underworld?"
"I'll explain slowly. So, what happened was..."
According to Ares' story, it was because of a demigod named Halirrhothius, Poseidon's son.
Halirrhothius, born between Poseidon and a nymph named Euryte.
Believing that his father was Poseidon, he apparently caused trouble in Athens, the city where Athena is the patron goddess.
"Hey! You look pretty good for a priestess serving Goddess Athena!"
"P-Please don't do this. We have all sworn chastity..."
"Chastity oath? So what? Do you know who I am?"
He habitually harassed the priestesses of Athena's temple, groping their chests...
Thwack! Crash!
"What?! You're telling me to leave because I have no money? To me?"
"Even if you are Poseidon's son... Ugh!"
"No, no. How dare you treat me like this after receiving so much grace from the sea?"
He took things without paying and caused trouble in various restaurants and inns in Athens...
"Wait! Please wait a moment, that's the olive tree symbolizing Goddess Athena...!"
"So what?! My father is Lord Poseidon."
Rumble... Boom!
He even incurred Athena's wrath by indiscriminately cutting down olive trees symbolizing the goddess.
But Athena couldn't directly confront Poseidon, so she only scolded him mildly...
After hearing this much, I asked Ares a question.
"Is this what you heard directly from Athena?"
"Yes. That trash apparently did such things."
"...Alright, continue."
The God of War, Ares, had a demigod daughter.
That girl, named Alcippe, was grazing in the fields near Athens...
Unfortunately, she encountered the ruffian Halirrhothius.
"You know who I am, right? Come with me, marrying me would be..."
"W-Who are you! Kyaaaa! Father!"
"Can't you be quiet! My father is Posei... Ugh!"
Slash- Thud.
"Alcippe, are you alright?!"
"Fa... ther... Sniff. Thank you..."
Halirrhothius, who was trying to forcibly take Alcippe, encountered Ares who rushed over hearing his daughter's scream...
Naturally, Ares, seeing the madman trying to rape his daughter, swung his sword and cut off his head.
When his son died, Poseidon fiercely condemned Ares.
"Ares! You bastard! You cut off my son's head?!"
"What?! Uncle Poseidon's son tried to rape my daughter!"
"Even so, you!"
"I did nothing wrong!"
As their argument grew more intense,
Zeus and other gods decided to hold a trial to mediate... So.
"...I see. The one who tried to rape your daughter is probably being punished after passing through the three judges of Minos. So why have you come to the Underworld?"
"Everyone said that Uncle Hades is the most suitable judge! Please give a fair judgment!"
The God of War, who had been passionately explaining in front of me, now looks at me with deep emotion.
They're asking me, who's in the Underworld, to make a judgment?
***
"The one who tried to violate your daughter is already dead, so he's under my jurisdiction, but isn't the dispute between you and Poseidon Zeus's job?"
This is clearly a matter of the mortal world.
Wouldn't Zeus handle the judgment? But the fact that this issue has come to me means...
"That's... As I said, everyone recommended Uncle Hades."
"Explain in more detail."
The situation in Olympus that Ares described was as follows:
When their argument intensified, Zeus, the King of Gods, decided to hold a trial in Athens,
and other gods also expressed their intention to attend the trial.
But then...
"Sigh... Then I, Zeus, will listen to both sides and make a judgment..."
"Zeus. Wouldn't it be better to ask Hades to handle this kind of matter instead of you?"
"I think Hera is right... After all, doesn't Hades always handle these things in the Underworld?"
"...I also think Hades, who is used to making judgments..."
When Zeus said he would take on the role of judge, the goddesses opposed and recommended me, he says.
When Hera, Hestia, and Aphrodite voiced their opinions, other goddesses agreed...
"Ha! Yes, let's leave it to Hades instead."
"I don't mind either. There's no god fairer than Uncle Hades."
"Hmm. So does everyone agree to entrust the role of judge to my brother Hades?"
Even Poseidon and Ares before me said that I would be more suitable as a judge than Zeus.
After Ares finished his explanation, I looked at my nephew.
"That's how it happened, Uncle."
"...Now they're entrusting matters of the mortal world to me as well."
"Father said that if Uncle helps, he would give you a ring with similar effects to Harmonia's necklace."
Harmonia's necklace, belonging to the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite and wife of Cadmus, is a divine object that brings youth and beauty to its wearer.
But we gods don't need it because we're immortal.
Still, a ring of youth...
It could be useful to give to a human I like or for collection purposes.
"Hmm..."
By the way, the fact that Poseidon's son caused trouble specifically in Athens, Athena's city.
The guy might really be a ruffian, but I wonder if Poseidon deliberately overlooked it or ordered it?
Athena and Poseidon don't get along well, so it's quite possible.
I can guess why other goddesses mentioned me when Zeus said he would take on the trial,
and I understand why Zeus readily stepped back at such opinions.
Originally, he would have said he'd be the judge to keep Poseidon in check,
but he probably guessed that with my personality, I would side with Ares. It wouldn't look good for him to check too overtly either.
I wonder if Poseidon thought I would be better than Zeus at least.
For now, this is the story I heard from Ares.
It's a matter to think about after hearing both sides of the story.
"...Alright. I understand. Where should I go?"
"Thank you, Uncle! The trial is scheduled to be held on a hill near Athens tomorrow, so if you could attend then..."
Sigh... Yes. Another fight has broken out among the gods, so I need to mediate.
I'll examine the memories of Halirrhothius, who died by Ares' hand and became a subject of the Underworld, and then go to the trial.