The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 87: Love and Fire – (2)

For now, I urgently called out to Hephaestus, who was about to leave with Eros to the torture chamber of sinners.

“…Hephaestus.”

“Yes?”

The god of the forge stopped for a moment and looked back.

Yes… my nephew gave me the bident, often repaired my weapons, and even built Charon's boat.

Then I must at least solve his marriage issue to maintain balance.

“Do you still have feelings for Aphrodite? Think carefully, and answer prudently.”

“…Hmm.”

“If you wish, I can find you a goddess whose beauty rivals that of Aphrodite.”

Hephaestus pondered deeply.

Emotions such as confusion, sorrow, affection, and regret flashed through his eyes.

“Aphrodite has been involved with not only Ares but also many other male gods. She even has many children…”

“But I…”

“I understand, you must still have feelings. But a marriage cannot be sustained by the one-sided devotion of just one party. Even though Zeus forced you two together, you know this too, don't you?”

“……”

“What you did this time has certainly reached Aphrodite’s ears.”

The god of the forge hung his head low and remained still for a long time.

Just as he seemed frozen in place, Eros spoke to him.

“Um… Hephaestus.”

“What is it, Eros?”

“Well… As the god of love, I know this… Mother’s heart has already left…”

“Heh…”

Hephaestus let out a sigh deep enough to extinguish the underworld itself and finally spoke.

What came out was resignation, accompanied by a bitter smile.

“Haha… Uncle, it seems Aphrodite and I are no longer meant to be.”

“…I see.”

With that, Hephaestus gave up on continuing his marriage with Aphrodite and left.

Now, I was thinking of a way to persuade Zeus.

Aphrodite’s marriage to Hephaestus was a decision made by Zeus, the king of the gods.

He did it because he feared that the gods would fight over the incredibly beautiful goddess of beauty.

“I will accept no further objections! From now on, the husband of the goddess of beauty is Hephaestus!”

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Since it was strongly proclaimed under the authority of the supreme god, it won’t be easy to overturn this decision.

I would need a proper reason and justification, as well as the agreement of the other gods.

To persuade Zeus, I need a way to prevent the gods from fighting… and Poseidon's cooperation.

But if Aphrodite’s official husband disappears, other gods would eagerly pursue her…

Wait, male gods… On second thought, I have an advantage here.

I heard that Poseidon is currently in Olympus…

I’d better head to the divine palace above the clouds right now to convince the gods.

* * *

The Olympus Palace.

The peaceful beings on the clouds started murmuring when they saw me.

“Wait… Isn’t that the king of the underworld…?!”

“Lord Hades?! Could it be because of that issue about Lady Demeter’s daughter being taken to the underworld last time?”

“Although a lot of time has passed, he might have come about that lower deity named Medusa…”

Poseidon was nowhere to be seen, perhaps inside somewhere drinking nectar.

I called over a young female servant who was carrying nectar nearby…

“Oh… O-oh, I-it’s an honor to meet Lord Hades!”

“Where is Poseidon?”

“T-the lord of the sea is… over there…”

I nodded and was about to move, but then I noticed the servant's face.

I hadn't seen this face before in the Olympus Palace… Wait, is this a man?

“What is your name? Are you a newly born lower deity?”

“I… I am Ganymedes, formerly a prince of Troy… Lord Zeus brought me here to Olympus. O king of the underworld!”

I looked at the boy who bowed before me.

His face rivaled that of any goddess, yet he was a boy?

And wait a minute, Zeus brought him here? Don’t tell me…

“Did Zeus bring you here by force? If so, nod slightly, and I will return you to the living world.”

“N-no, it’s not like that. Lord Zeus has treated me well.”

He's so frightened he can hardly speak. It’s clear he hasn’t been in Olympus for long.

It doesn’t seem like he has any special power or lineage… Did Zeus just kidnap him because of his looks?

And from Troy, no less—a fairly large nation. Was this really the right thing to do?

Not even because he was an important hero or needed for some great purpose, just because he was beautiful.

“Very well. Continue with your duties.”

“Y-yes…!”

I should bring up this boy's story when persuading Zeus.

Wait… If I tell Hera about this too, persuading Zeus will be much easier.

As I continued to ponder and walk on the clouds, I finally saw Poseidon.

The blue-haired god was drinking nectar beside him, listening to music flowing from a lyre.

I walked straight to him and sat down beside him.

"Poseidon, I have something to discuss."

"Hades? What brings you here…"

"I need to get Hephaestus divorced and find him a new wife, and I need your help persuading Zeus."

"Hmm."

He downed the nectar in one gulp and made a disinterested face.

"Is it because of what Hephaestus almost did to Athena this time?"

"That's right. I worry that if he's given a beautiful goddess, he might turn to Gaia's side."

"Well…"

"You provoked Hephaestus, didn’t you? Thanks to you, Athena suffered a bit, so show some mercy to the nephew you manipulated."

"If my nephew joins Gaia’s side, it will only cast doubt on Zeus' authority, won’t it? Why should I help with that?"

Seeing him smile slyly, it seems he still hasn't given up on his dream of rebellion.

To think that he provoked Hephaestus just because he didn’t like Athena…

The more discord among the gods, the more Zeus’ authority is doubted.

He seemed uninterested in the throne of the gods for a while, but now it looks like he's dreaming of some strange ambition again.

"I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with this throne of Olympus."

"Honestly, Hades, from my perspective, I don't understand you either. Anyway, I don't particularly like Zeus, so do as you please."

"Are you still thinking about overthrowing him?"

"Hmph! If I'm willing, will you consider joining me?"

The lord of the sea muttered as he turned his head away.

Hmm. So he's not really thinking about starting a rebellion. Just causing some minor trouble, I guess.

Still, thinking about it irritates me.

He provoked his poor nephew and now wants to act like he had nothing to do with it?

This guy, always harassing mortals…

“…Alright, I'll try persuading you differently. Although no one believes it, what if I confirm that you did indeed provoke Hephaestus? And thanks to you assaulting Medusa, she's now in the underworld grinding her teeth. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring her to Olympus to expose your crimes. I can't even count how many human victims you've killed who are now in the underworld. I could assign a small fraction to serve in the training grounds where those connected to the living world go… Your reputation among heroes who will return to the living world will hit rock bottom…”

In reality, these are things I am reluctant to actually carry out.

I would have to respect Medusa and the other victims’ wishes, making it impossible.

Besides, there's no reason for me to directly oppose Poseidon.

If it's not for the purpose of opposition… I shouldn't even be having this conversation, but working in the underworld has made me build up irritation without realizing it.

Too many victims complain to me about their resentment against Poseidon…

As I said this, Poseidon's face turned red, and he slammed the table, standing up abruptly.

Fortunately, because of his temper, he didn't catch on to the oddities and let it slide.

If he thinks about it slowly later, he’ll realize it was all bluster…

“What-what?! Hades, are you threatening me?!”

His blue divine power flickered in his eyes, and the gazes around us turned in our direction.

Now that I've shown the whip, it's time to show the carrot. Don’t get so angry, Poseidon.

“…Do you think I would do this if I had any other choice? If you help me this time, I will let you meet those who have already died.”

“My dead children?”

“All of your illegitimate children, as well as the mortal women you loved.”

“Hmph!”

Poseidon sat back down and looked at me.

Not even Zeus can interfere with my authority over the souls of the dead.

I even rejected Zeus’ request to let him meet Semele, Dionysus' mother and a mortal woman he killed by accident.

Aside from rare exceptions like Phaethon and Helios,

Meeting between the dead and the living is a matter of maintaining the world’s balance, and thus is not permitted, even to the gods.

Poseidon, who has an extraordinary affection for his children, found this proposal enticing.

He grumbled, took another nectar, and gulped it down.

“They say mortals revere you as the god of mercy, yet you show none to your own brother.”

“Think of it as your karma. The victims of your actions keep coming to the underworld regularly.”

“Hmph… Over some mere mortals…”

“Hephaestus seems to have given up on Aphrodite too. If you help get them divorced and find him a new wife, wouldn’t he owe you something in return?”

Poseidon rolled his eyes, pondering.

He's calculating the benefits of agreeing with me versus the losses of refusing.

“…I'll make sure to tell Hephaestus you were a great help. You wouldn’t want to be hated by your nephew for nothing, would you?”

“Fine. But I won’t be able to help actively, just so you know.”

“That will suffice. Now, let’s go persuade Hera.”

It’s enough if he simply shows agreement with my opinion.

The mere fact that Poseidon and I are in agreement could sway Zeus' mind.

I heard

 that Poseidon also courted Aphrodite when she first appeared.

He must have given up after she had children with Ares, or maybe it was because he feared his official wife Amphitrite's wrath…

Poseidon and I moved to see the queen of the gods, Hera.

The beautiful goddess, applying olive oil to her face inside a suitably large building, jumped in surprise upon seeing us.

“Hades and Poseidon…? Don’t tell me… a rebellion?!”

“…You misunderstand.”

Of course, that’s the first thought she has.