King of Underworld

Chapter 38 Tumultuous Story of the Underworld – (3)

“The raucous tale of the Underworld – (3)”

“Charon, old man, at least now you won’t have to row as much as before…”

“Kuhuk. What do you know! Even before, we moved mostly by power, so I didn’t have to row much, but the important thing is I still have to ferry these mortal scoundrels across the Acheron River! There’s even a mechanism for the boat to move on its own, yet I still have to keep rowing…”

It must have been tough for him to ferry souls around all the time.

That’s how things usually go in the depths of the Underworld.

“At least it’s better than Thanatos’ work. Cheer up.”

“That’s not comforting at all…”

The ferryman—or rather, the captain—Charon resumed rowing on his newly acquired boat.

In proportion to the size of the massive boat, his oar also lengthened.

“I’ll try to increase the amount of coins placed in the mouths of the deceased by exerting more influence on the living.”

“…I don’t need money; just let me rest.”

I should at least ask my priest to say something about it.

Even if the family of the deceased is poor, the funeral guests could chip in a little, which would fatten Charon’s pocket.

Eventually, this might even be recognized as… condolence money.

“Get on, you lot! I’ll take you across the Acheron River!”

The boat carrying the souls moved away once more, driven by Charon’s rowing.

Even though I made an automatic motor at the bottom of the boat, since these are the rules of the Underworld, Charon is doomed to keep rowing.

“Hades. Can’t you hear me..? I’m getting in the mood for some hot time now…”

Aphrodite, who had been controlling the souls on the side, approached and placed her hand on my chest.

The goddess of love smiled softly as she attempted to seduce me.

Hmm, get off.

“By the way, there’s a dead person who came here upon hearing that you’ve arrived in the Underworld.”

“Huh? A soul that wants to meet me?”

As Aphrodite wore a puzzled expression and waited for a moment,

A man emerged from Charon’s boat, which had just dropped off the souls on the other side of the Acheron River.

As soon as he saw Aphrodite, he hurried over and prostrated himself.

“Ah.. You’re definitely a human I remember.”

“Goddess Aphrodite… Pygmalion, who has received your grace, your favor, and your mercy, is here to offer his gratitude.”

The man’s name was Pygmalion.

The world’s greatest sculptor who, with Aphrodite’s blessing, was able to marry the statue he had crafted.

Pygmalion, wearing a more serious expression than when he created the statue, presented himself respectfully before the goddess Aphrodite.

Moved by the mortal’s sincerity, the goddess of beauty and love straightened her posture.

The goddess Aphrodite placed her hand on her devotee’s shoulder.

Pygmalion, as if overwhelmed with emotion, bowed even lower.

“You’re the sculptor from the island of Cyprus who prayed to me while making the statue.”

“Yes! Thanks to the blessing of the goddess, I lived a life with no regrets, loving my wife!”

“I witnessed your true and pure love for the woman I breathed life into, and it remained genuine until the end.”

The way she referred to the statue as a woman rather than a mere sculpture made the sculptor tremble.

“It’s all thanks to the goddess. I wanted to express my gratitude for allowing me to fulfill my love.”

“Think of it as a reward for your earnest yearning for love.”

I quietly observed their conversation without intervening.

Right now, Aphrodite was not just a goddess of beauty but was showing a benevolent smile befitting a goddess of love.

* * *

Pygmalion, who had been expressing his gratitude with tears in his eyes, departed.

Come to think of it, there was something I was curious about regarding her…

“What were you thinking when you breathed life into that statue?”

“Oh~ back then?”

Aphrodite fell into thought for a moment.

The image of the goddess deep in thought was reflected in the Acheron River.

Soon, the goddess smiled mischievously and opened her mouth.

“Wouldn’t fulfilling the impossible desires of mortals and answering their earnest prayers be what a god is supposed to do?”

Impossible desires and earnest prayers.

Though we gods live eternally, our emotions don’t dull, nor do we become like machines that just perform assigned tasks.

Should I say that our personalities remain intact? It’s more accurate to say that we are anthropomorphic gods with human traits.

That’s why incidents like Zeus’ assaults, the tragedy of Phaethon and Helios,

the rebellions among the gods, or Thanatos’ strike happen…

“Well, to be honest, it was just a whim. I never expected a human to move my heart…”

I suppose these kinds of heartwarming stories emerge occasionally.

As I nodded in understanding, Aphrodite shot me a sharp look.

“That aside, I’ve been asking you since earlier. Isn’t it about time we…”

“If you like hot times so much, I could assign you to the Phlegethon River.”

“No! Why should I work in the Underworld!”

“…? Didn’t you want to come to the Underworld?”

The goddess of beauty’s expression contorted in frustration as she vented her anger.

“That’s not what I meant! I wanted to spend some enjoyable time with you…!”

“Wasn’t it fun meeting Pygmalion and working here?”

“Aaaah! I-I’m just going to go back!”

What. Go back? That’s not happening.

I already got Zeus’ permission to bring over any god I wanted.

You’re going to work here a bit longer.

“For your information, Zeus has already given his approval to bring you here.”

“W-What?!”

“Due to the Thanatos incident, I arranged to receive some of the gods from Olympus.”

Aphrodite’s face turned blank when she heard the news that Zeus had sold her out.

She was in denial, unable to accept the reality that had befallen her.

“Since it’s come to this, I’ll leave the task of managing the dead at the Acheron River to you.”

“H-Hades!”

Aphrodite, working hard on the Acheron River.

Thanks to her, I could feel that many changes had taken place in the Underworld.

With Charon quickly receiving souls, Thanatos’ work efficiency had also improved,

and the number of souls swiftly reaching the River Cocytus had increased, which ultimately provided more leeway to all the gods of the Underworld.

Even those who often went on a rampage, unable to accept their deaths, had decreased…

“Hades! This isn’t what I expected!”

* * *

Anyway, after encouraging Aphrodite, who was working hard on the Acheron River,

I returned to the citadel of the Underworld and leaned back in my throne, tilting my head.

So many incidents have happened lately…

Still, with the goddess Aphrodite helping out in the Underworld, I could finally have some time…

Suddenly.

A presence I had felt behind my throne crept closer and embraced me.

Soft, silver hair, gentle touch.

“Goddess Lethe, how is the management of the souls in the River Lethe going…”

“I’ve entrusted it to my followers.”

“Then, what about the selection of the newly recruited attendants…”

“Don’t think about things like that.”

When the goddess’ small hands gently covered my eyes, I simply closed them.

The sensation of my head resting comfortably somewhere soft… Hmm.

I tried to sit up and escape from the embrace of the goddess Lethe, who was behind the throne, but I failed.

Uh… You’re gripping a bit tighter…

“Zeus and Poseidon don’t seem to have as much work as Hades does.”

“…That’s unavoidable due to the nature of the Underworld.”

Zeus, who rules the heavens and the entire world, might be the busiest of us all,

but because of that, he delegated many tasks to numerous gods.

The sun and the wind, nature and the earth, arts and madness…

Except for major events like the threat of the Gigantes or war, other Olympian gods handle most matters.

Poseidon, who governs the vast seas and waters, likewise,

entrusts most of the work to the many sea nymphs, Nereids, and divine beasts.

In fact, unless something happens that affects the entire marine ecosystem, there’s no need to be concerned.

Whether earthquakes occur in the depths of the sea… or sharks hunt fish,

all these things are part of natural death and the cycle of the ecosystem.

But the Underworld where I reside is a bit different.

It is the place that ensures this cycle functions properly.

If issues arise with the souls coming to the Underworld, it becomes difficult to assign souls to newly born lives.

If space in the Underworld runs out or becomes saturated, it becomes challenging to receive the dead.

If proper judgments on sins aren’t made in the Underworld, the laws of the world can’t stand firm.

And the most important problem is…

“All the gods are too busy. Just look at Charon or Thanatos…”

“That’s true…”

Unlike Olympus, the effects of task delegation aren’t as significant…!

There aren’t many gods with free time, so how can I even distribute the work?

Moreover, I can’t ask the Furies, who are feared by everyone, for help.

“Shall I use my power to clear your mind?”

“…Please

do.”

The goddess Lethe whispered in a worried tone.

With her power of forgetfulness, she could probably help me temporarily forget my fatigue.

It’s like temporarily lifting unnecessary memories from my mind…

Smooch.

…?!

The soft sensation on my forehead was brief,

but from that spot, my mind cleared, and my mental fatigue began to melt away.

No, more importantly, did she just kiss my forehead…

“Shh. Ah… Don’t say anything and just rest.”

When I opened my eyes, I saw the goddess’ face, contrasting with her silver hair, blushing bright red.

I stared at her flushed face, which looked as if it might burst if touched, for a moment before closing my eyes again.

“…I suppose I will.”

My face likely wasn’t much different from that of the goddess Lethe.