King of Underworld-Chapter 74: A Slightly Different Story of the Underworld (2)

A Slightly Different Story of the Underworld - Chapter 2

Thump, thump.

As I carried Persephone back to the fortress, I felt movement in my arms. It seemed she was regaining consciousness.

“Ugh... Where am I... Ah!” “You’ve awakened. I’ll get you to a resting place soon, just hold on.”

Covering another god's domain with one's power is no easy feat. It’s similar to how Gaia finds it difficult to interfere with my worshippers in Thebes.

Even as one of the three Great Gods, it’s not simple for me to blanket places like Athens or Delphi with my power. While it’s not impossible, it drains quite a bit of energy.

And for a goddess like Persephone, whose divine rank doesn’t even match that of the Twelve Olympians, to interfere with my domain, even just a part of the Underworld, is an enormous task. It’s only possible because she’s the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. If my niece hadn’t been in the Underworld, it would have required one of the Twelve Olympians themselves to neutralize the Underworld’s aura.

“Uncle Hades... you’re holding me so tenderly... Does this mean you’ve finally agreed to marry me?” “Just rest quietly and regain your strength before I put you down.”

Despite her weak smile and attempt at a joke, her face was pale. Right now, she likely didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger.

When I checked the effect of the power she had infused into the Underworld’s aura...

“This isn’t a one-time thing. You’ll need to reapply your power every six months to maintain the effect.” “So, that means I’ll get to be held by you every six months?” “...Since you’ve done such a service, as much as you need.”

The spring energy Persephone infused won’t last indefinitely. Over time, it will be eroded by the Underworld’s energy and eventually revert to its original state.

“He... hehe...” “What are you giggling about? You’re likely too drained to even use your divine powers right now.” “I’m just happy at this moment...” “Sigh...”

Seeing Persephone smile up at me as I carried her, I couldn’t help but feel the corners of my mouth lift slightly. My niece, noticing, looked up at me in surprise.

“Wait! Did you just smile?” “...You must be imagining things.”

After placing Persephone in a suitable room, I returned to my throne and closed my eyes. There was much to prepare now that we were planning to issue an oracle in the world of the living and begin training heroes.

Zeus had already taken Morpheus to deliver the oracle directly to the King of Thebes in a few days... I needed to inform my temple priests in advance as well.

We would need to transport various training tools and supplies to the gorge, and since the heroes’ food would need to come from the world of the living, arrangements would need to be made for that as well...

The priests of the world of the living are in for a busy time.

“Are you the high priest now? I’ve summoned you because I have something important to convey.” “Th-this is...! Lord of the Underworld...! Please, command me!”

The current high priest was an old man. Watching the mortal faces and positions change with the passing of time makes me acutely aware of how fleeting time is...

“We will connect the Underworld with the world of the living through my temple.” “Wh-what?!”

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But this is not the time for such reflections.

The high priest was shocked by the abrupt news, but I ignored his reaction and continued to explain. I told him about the snake monsters, the Gigantes, the training and management of heroes, the oath by the River Styx...

“...That’s all. You will discuss the details with the King of Thebes after he receives Zeus’s oracle in a few days.” “I will follow your commands to the letter, O merciful Lord Pluto!”

“Oh, and... Erect a statue of Persephone, the goddess of spring and seeds, daughter of Demeter and Zeus.” “The goddess of spring... residing in the Underworld...?! Are you saying...?” “That’s how it turned out. She is now a goddess of the Underworld.”

I gave the high priest in Thebes limited information and ended the communication. Even though he’s the high priest of my temple, there’s no need to reveal every detail of the gods' affairs.

This high priest seems particularly devout.

It makes it much easier to convey my intentions and establish connections with the world of the living. It seems that, as time goes on, the faith of my followers only grows stronger...

“Lord Hades! The goddess Demeter has sent a letter to the goddess Persephone!” “...There’s no need to bring it to me. Deliver it directly to Persephone.”

As I sat on my throne, the tasks continued to pile up.

“Next, there are those who arrived in the Underworld with strong resentment and still remember their grievances against the gods...” “Inform the goddess of forgetfulness, Lethe, of this matter.”

“The god Eros, who is tasked with punishing the gravest sinners, is requesting to stop drawing his bow...” “Is he begging to be released?” “Well... no, he isn’t.” “He still hasn’t learned his lesson. Don’t bother relaying any more of his requests for the time being.”

“Also, Triton, the son of the sea lord Poseidon, has arrived and sends his regards...” “Show him to the audience chamber and serve him nectar.”

As I dealt with each task brought by the messenger, I thought to myself. Now it finally feels like the Underworld is back to its usual state.

The oracles of the Olympian gods descended upon the world of the living. They reached the temple of Apollo in Delphi, the temple of Athena in Argos...

The message delivered by all the Olympian gods was clear:

Those who wish to become heroes, head to Thebes.

This single, short oracle ignited the hearts of all the young men and women aspiring to become heroes. Many had believed that the path to heroism would be difficult after the death of Chiron, the widely known mentor of heroes...

But with the recent chaos caused by the rampaging Gigantes, monsters with the lower bodies of serpents that had wreaked havoc across Greece, the number of those aspiring to be heroes swelled.

“Does this mean we can gain strength and become heroes there?” “Apollo said the name of the serpent monsters that killed Chiron was Gigantes.” “I heard that the goddess Athena descended upon Athens to slay a Gigantes?” “If these monsters can only be defeated by heroes... Excellent! That’s the kind of challenge I’m after!”

The message was clear to everyone, especially since all the gods had spoken with one voice.

“If we go to Thebes, we can catch the eyes of the gods!” “Those chosen there will receive blessings and weapons, and become heroes!” “I want to be like King Perseus of Argos...!”

Every day, dozens of hero aspirants flocked to Thebes. Men and women of all ages and talents gathered in the city, and Thebes experienced an unexpected boom.

“Your Majesty, the number of people passing through the gates today alone...” “The city’s population is increasing rapidly.” “The market district is so crowded that we may need to consider expanding it...”

Though the sudden influx of people might cause a shortage of essential goods and facilities, Thebes is blessed by Pluto, the god of wealth.

The royal treasury of Thebes was always full, and no one went hungry. Mint, the city’s specialty and renowned product, was spread across the world by the merchants passing through.

“This is mint, is it? You say it’s a blessing from Lord Pluto...?” “It’s perfect for making tea, and placing it at a funeral will prevent the stench of death.” “It’s a useful leaf for headaches and stuffy noses... It must be a gift of mercy from Lord Pluto to us mortals.”

Naturally, this also drew many worshippers to Pluto’s temple in Thebes. They were awed by the grandeur of the temple, amazed at the statues of the various deities of the Underworld, and finally...

“Why is there a statue of the goddess of spring in Pluto’s temple?” “Ah, that? Well...” “Isn’t Persephone the daughter of Demeter and Zeus?” “Haha, well, you see... Lord Pluto brought her to the Underworld after being struck by one of Eros’s arrows!” “What?! An arrow from Eros?” “How else would the normally stoic lord of the Underworld suddenly fall for the goddess of spring?”

Rumors that Pluto had abducted Persephone began to spread. The mystery surrounding the mistress of the Underworld, which had lingered since the temple's inception, only grew.

“Well, if the merciful god brought the goddess of spring to the Underworld, it must have been because of Eros’s arrow.” “Since Pluto is the Zeus of the Underworld, no matter how much Demeter tried, she couldn’t stop him...” “Isn’t Eros’s golden arrow known to spark feelings even between those of the same gender?”

New worshippers began to emerge, devoted to the goddess who had newly arrived in the Underworld. They believed that Pluto, so deeply in love with Persephone, had brought her to the Underworld out of pure devotion.

“Oh, noble Hera of the Underworld, beloved of Pluto, please bless this year’s harvest...” “Yet the seasons remain as they should, so she must visit the world of the living from time to time, right?” “She’s certainly receiving Pluto’s love.”

However, those who saw Persephone as the rightful mistress of the Underworld faced strong opposition. Many worshippers pointed out that the temple already housed numerous other goddesses.

“Persephone is just a whim of Lord Pluto!” “But what about the goddess Lethe, who governs forgetfulness, or Lady Styx, who rules the river Styx...?” “Then what will you say about Lady Menthe, who created mint, became a priestess of Pluto, and ultimately joined the goddesses of the Underworld?”

“Zeus’s consort is Hera, and Poseidon’s wife is Amphitrite, so the mistress of the Underworld must be...” “Or is it possible that there isn’t really a formal consort? Could it be just our assumption?” “Nonsense! How could a ruler of a world not have a consort by their side?” “Well, that may be true, but Lord Pluto is a busy deity...”

This was the epitome of the ancient Greeks’ love for debate.

Eventually, the square in front of the Temple of Hades became a place where the worshippers of the Underworld gathered daily to debate who was truly Pluto’s consort.