The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 141: Proposal

After a short moment, the River Styx once again took on the form of a goddess.

But is there a place inside a river where one can get ready or dress up? Her appearance and clothes seem slightly different.

“…Whew. Why propose so suddenly! At least, you could have set the mood a little…”

“Are you… against it by any chance…”

“How could I be! Do you know how much I agonized over whether I should propose first!”

With a flushed face, the goddess—no, Styx—pulled me in close. Smiling, I didn’t resist and kissed her once more.

A silver line connected us for a moment, then dissolved, and in a slightly trembling voice, she began to speak.

“…Hah… I must be your first proposal, right? You haven’t been around to other goddesses…”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

After all, Styx is the goddess I’ve had the longest connection with and the one I connect with the most.

I finally felt a bit at ease.

“Hmph. Hmph. I knew it! Naturally, that’s how it should be! By the way, where did you get this ring?”

“I melted down the Styx Sword you gave me and made it into this. Hephaestus did me the favor.”

“Oh…”

“I had considered other gems or treasures, but I thought this would be the best way to show my feelings.”

As I embraced the goddess, who was covering her mouth and trying not to cry, I wiped away her tears.

It wasn’t too difficult to console her as she sniffled in my arms for a while.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment? I even dreamed about it…”

“Morpheus must’ve had a hard time, then.”

“Oh, really! Even now, you say things like that? You’re such a heartless god.”

The goddess Styx playfully hit my chest with a small smile.

The sight of her cute expression made the corners of my mouth turn up involuntarily.

We sat by the riverside and shared stories for a while.

Casual conversations, which were always enjoyable, now felt different. The words we spoke and the emotions that arose were unlike before.

“And as much as I hate to say it, I…”

“I know. I’m not a clueless goddess. And I never thought I could have the seat beside the ruler of the gods all to myself. Hurry up and go visit the other goddesses too.”

“Thank you. I swear on the River Styx… I will make you truly happy.”

“…!”

Splash!

Ah. She fell in again.

* * *

Next, I headed to the audience chamber.

Originally, I was going to the River of Forgetfulness… but one of the goddess’s attendants told me she had gone to the audience chamber with some documents.

“Hades… take a look at this…”

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Thud.

With drowsy eyes, the goddess dropped a mountain of documents in front of me.

But she shouldn’t be this busy lately, right?

“What is all this?”

“It’s because Gaia unleashed a dragon during the Argonauts’ journey, killing many people in Iolcos, remember?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Because of all the people who died, my workload increased, and a few days ago, Heracles showed up and added even more work.”

But with more manpower—or rather, god-power—why is there still so much work piling up?

The goddess Lethe clenched her fist, her shoulders trembling slightly. Her expressionless eyes held a faint hint of resentment.

“He’s completely clueless when it comes to paperwork, even if he’s strong. The lesser gods working with him are in an uproar. Just recently, the god Apollo, whom you brought here, stormed out saying, ‘I can’t work with that guy!’”

“Oh.”

“So now things are even more tangled, and I’ve been cleaning up the mess…”

Right. Chiron taught Heracles combat, manners, and other virtues and skills fit for a hero, but he never learned the duties of a manager.

The work in the underworld is endless, and as a god, he’s in a position where he must make decisions.

His divine title is one of strength and struggle, so it’s no wonder Apollo would get frustrated.

“Still, as a god, it’s something he needs to experience at least once. I hope he learns a lot from this.”

“Hah… Let’s just get it done quickly. I’ll help.”

So we moved to the office and started sifting through the scrolls busily.

Proposal? It had long slipped my mind.

Tap.

Until our hands suddenly touched.

“Oh.”

“What’s the matter? Did something come to mind?”

Ah, right. I was originally planning to propose to the goddess Lethe.

What am I doing here… I need to finish quickly and confess.

But once the thought entered my mind, I couldn’t focus on my work. Thinking about how to bring it up slowed my hands, and her fragrance next to me made my head spin.

“Hades.”

“…?”

“Do you have something you want to tell me?”

“Ah. Was it that obvious?”

“Yes… very…”

With a nod, the goddess Lethe set down her scroll and gazed at me intently.

Her weary eyes trembled slightly.

“If you have something to say, please go ahead and say it. I’d like to take a break as well.”

“Understood. Then…”

Swallowing once, I pulled a small box from my robe. Inside was a ring of youth I had received from Zeus a long time ago.

Opening the lid slightly and turning it so that the goddess could see… I expressed my wish.

“Please marry me, Lethe.”

“Oh…!”

“I swear I will never forget my love for you. Even until the end of the world.”

The goddess's hand trembled slightly as she reached it toward me, and I gently took her hand to slide the ring onto her finger.

The ring of youth slid onto fingers so delicate that it seemed they might shatter at a touch.

Humans say that forgetfulness with the passage of time is the blessing of the goddess Lethe.

So by giving her a ring symbolizing youth, did my intention to have a love that would defy forgetfulness come across?

“Yes. I would like that too.”

And naturally, we shared a kiss.

I held the goddess Lethe gently in my arms and kissed her as she closed her eyes.

Chu~

“Hmm… This feels nice… Hehe. Am I the first?”

“Well… About that…”

“…So I’m not the first?”

The sudden chill—could that be part of the goddess's power?

* * *

I spent a little time consoling the goddess Lethe, who was now pouting.

She said it wasn’t fair to have favorites among goddesses… and why she wasn’t the first… Thankfully, she was willing to listen to me.

I could never become a husband who sets his wives against each other like Poseidon or Zeus.

Fortunately, it seemed that they all got along relatively well, probably because they knew I was against any conflicts.

Of course, that might change depending on my actions.

Is it Mente next? No, she went to the mortal realm to visit her nymph friends.

Then it’s time to go to my niece… Demeter's daughter, Persephone.

Following the divine energy of the goddess of spring, I ended up back in the audience chamber.

There, I saw my adorable blonde-haired niece. What’s that in her hands?

“Oh! Uncle Hades!”

“…Kore.”

Don’t suddenly call me uncle. You were calling me Lord Hades until recently…

When you say that, it makes me feel a bit guilty about what I’m about to do.

“I have to go back to the mortal realm tomorrow! And I prepared a gift… hehe!”

A gift? Is it some kind of flower from the mortal world?

As I chuckled and reached out to pat her head, I heard music playing.

*♬♪~♩*

“Hmm? Could it be Lord Apollo?”

“A lyre?”

The sorrowful music stirred something deep within me as it slowly approached.

I’ve heard a lot of music in my time. Even Typhon was enchanted by Cadmus's playing… Apollo's lyre…

The concerts of the Muses… even the songs of the Sirens and Pan’s flute.

But I’ve never heard anything quite like this.

Wondering if it might be some kind of power or magic, I wrapped myself in divine energy, but it wasn’t that either.

Then this is pure skill—just musical prowess.

There are very few who could create such music.

No, almost none. Could Apollo’s best playing even sound like this?

But Apollo is working in a corner of the underworld, so it might be another god.

“Oh… sob…”

I saw Persephone beside me, dropping what she was holding as she gasped.

A single tear slid down her cheek.

♪~

The sound of the lyre filled the underworld.

If it can draw tears from a goddess, who is essentially a personification of natural phenomena, it must be powerful enough to influence even inanimate objects.

It would surely affect the gods working in the underworld, as well as the sinners and their endless punishments.

It’s unlikely to be a prank from a god… and it’s not the magic of Lady Hecate.

Ha. Whoever it is, they’re impressive indeed. To stir the underworld solely with the power of music…

“Sob… sniff.”

“Here, use this to wipe your tears, Kore.”

“Yes… thanks…”

After handing her a handkerchief, I sat on my throne and waited for the visitor.

The music was steadily drawing closer to this place, so it was undoubtedly directed at me.

Does this mean they’re approaching, playing music to plead something from me?

With a wry smile, I leaned my chin on the armrest of the throne. I’ll have to see just who it is.

♬~

The wait wasn’t long.

Soon, I saw a mortal man entering, playing the lyre.

Though not as handsome as a god, he had a fine appearance, long hair, and tears flowing from his closed eyes.

He was one of the heroes trained by Charon here in the underworld… one of those who sailed on the Argo.

When he stopped playing, the mu

sic that had been reverberating through the underworld came to an end.

Even Persephone—Kore’s—tears momentarily ceased.

The mortal who entered the audience chamber knelt before me, tears streaming down his face.

“Oh lord of the underworld! I am a humble mortal named Orpheus. Please, I beg of you, save my wife, Eurydice!”

I looked at the mortal, his forehead pressed to the ground.

He’s asking me… to bring back the dead?

Even if Zeus himself begged, I wouldn’t grant such a request—am I supposed to make an exception for you?