Episode 7: The King of the Underworld is Tired

Episode 7: The story of Life – (2)

"Hades, my lord, the souls under my care are complaining of exhaustion."

"Even if it is Lord Zeus, how can he not consider the opinion of the Underworld?"

"Do the gods above the clouds have no regard for the Underworld?"

In an instant, the banquet hall of the Underworld had turned into a forum for criticizing Olympus' decisions, causing the face of the beautiful goddess of the rainbow to grow pale.

I looked around at the gods gathered here.

The lower deities who guide the souls crossing the River Styx and manage the Underworld, and Thanatos, the god of death, who tirelessly works day and night to collect the countless souls.

Thanatos' twin brother, Hypnos, the god of sleep, who assists with the collection of souls by bringing deep sleep when requested by his brother.

"Isn't death by the great flood an unavoidable, fated death, Moros?"

"What are you talking about? Most humans will be destroyed, so it's your domain, Keres."

Moros and Keres, children of Nyx and other deities of death, like Thanatos.

"What if too many souls flood in suddenly and the river runs dry?"

Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness, granddaughter of the night goddess Nyx.

The name of the River Lethe was derived from her.

"Is this the reward for being the first to rush into battle in the war against the Titans? Lord Zeus is too much."

And even the goddess Styx, who voluntarily stepped up to help with the overwhelming workload of the Underworld, couldn't hold back her frustration.

Having been assigned the unfamiliar task of paperwork, she looked at me with tearful eyes.

Though I am the king of the Underworld, I cannot ignore the hard work and grievances of these deities.

I closed my eyes and raised one hand quietly, and everyone fell silent.

I began organizing my thoughts on what to say to the frozen Iris in front of me.

"Goddess of the rainbow, Iris."

"Command me, Lord Hades."

I looked down at Iris, who had knelt on one knee, clearly intimidated by my deep voice.

"Why did Olympus fail to inform me in advance about the great flood?"

"That is... the humans' wickedness escalated so quickly that there was no time to give you notice..."

No, Zeus sent Pandora's box in the first place to create an excuse to wipe out humanity.

Ever since Pandora's box was opened, evil has spread across the earth, and the number of souls coming to the Underworld has rapidly increased.

Knowing Zeus' petty nature, he likely premeditated punishing humanity as a form of retribution for Prometheus stealing fire and sharing it with them...

And Pandora was created to ensure that humans would engage in wickedness, providing him with that excuse.

* * *

Managing the souls that come to the Underworld is naturally our responsibility, so we have no complaints about the increased workload due to the great flood.

However, it's displeasing that Olympus decided to wipe out humanity without consulting me.

Even if Zeus is the king of the gods, must such important matters be communicated to the Underworld as mere notifications rather than discussions?

Go back and tell Zeus that the Underworld expresses deep regret over Olympus' decision.

When I finished speaking, Iris' face stiffened.

"…..!"

"Do you have anything else to convey? Goddess of the rainbow?"

"Nothing at all. I will convey your message as you have spoken, Lord Hades..."

As I spoke, I felt a slight irritation, and in my frustration, I inadvertently released my power, causing the ground to crack and a gloomy divine aura to emanate from my body.

It seemed I had taken out my anger on the messenger unnecessarily, so I controlled my expression and formally dismissed her.

Zeus, who is sensitive to his authority, will surely understand my intentions.

The goddess Iris bowed deeply and left the banquet hall.

Only then did the other gods, who had paused the feast, begin moving to prepare for the impending overflow of the Underworld due to the great flood.

"We should secure additional places to stay until life is restored after the great flood..."

"Thanatos, take it easy until the flood arrives. I'll help with the soul-collecting duties."

"You're the only one I can rely on. Thank you, Hypnos."

"Keres, let's get to work."

"Moros, put down the nectar in your hand and speak, will you?"

What displeased me the most was that Iris had conveyed the news of the great flood without consulting me, the king of the Underworld, in advance.

If such a disaster as the great flood strikes without warning, the Underworld's officials will feel as if they were struck by lightning out of a clear sky.

Had they consulted with the Underworld beforehand, we could have deployed souls in shifts or at least given them some warning to prepare themselves mentally.

The more I think about it, the more it annoys me.

I went to Olympus myself to help during the battle against the Giants last time, too.

* * *

This is the palace of Olympus.

Zeus, seated on his golden throne above the clouds, was listening to Iris' report.

When Iris, a fairly high-ranking deity, returned to Olympus looking pale and terrified, Zeus was puzzled, but as he listened to her report, he understood.

"And so, Lord Hades is extremely angry and has expressed deep regret over Olympus' decision.."

"Oh no, I completely forgot about my brother...!"

Why did I fail to consider Hades, who manages the dead souls?

As he watched Iris break out in a cold sweat, Zeus was now pondering how to handle this situation.

Hades felt justified in feeling slighted when the decision to bring about the great flood was made without consulting the Underworld. If it were another weaker and less influential god who defied or complained about his decision, Zeus could simply crush them with his authority. However, when it comes to one of the three major gods who governs the Underworld and resides near Tartarus, where the Titans are imprisoned, it was necessary to proceed with caution.

Though Zeus rules the sky and is called the king of the gods, he wasn't without those who could check his power.

"Zeus! Have you run off after another goddess again?!" 

His wife and sister, Hera, who had just flown in and crossed her arms in a fury, was one such person.

"No, it's a misunderstanding. While I might glance at other women now and then, there is no one truly worthy to sit beside this Zeus but you..." 

"Glance at other women?! Grr... Were you just trying to seduce Iris again?"

Hera, Zeus' lawful wife, governed over marriage and family. No matter how much Zeus was the king of the gods, when it came to infidelity, he had to back down to her.

"No! This time it's truly a misunderstanding. I was just discussing the great flood with my brother Hades in the Underworld..."

The king of the gods broke out in a cold sweat as he tried to explain himself.

However, as Hera listened, her frown deepened.

"Is it any wonder that someone who spends all day thinking about seducing goddesses would forget the simple wisdom of listening to the opinions of other gods?"

"That is... hmm. It was indeed my mistake. But how should I appease the Underworld..."

"Hmph. If you're having trouble making decisions, why don't you consult the daughter of Metis?"

"The daughter of Metis... Of course! Iris, go and bring Athena."

Metis was Zeus' cousin and first wife, who fed a potion to Kronos to make him regurgitate the gods. Her marriage to Zeus led to the birth of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

The prophecy that a son born from Metis would threaten Zeus' throne was averted when a daughter, Athena, was born instead. 

Athena, being a wise goddess, reassured Zeus, who feared that the prophecy might extend to her future offspring, by swearing by the River Styx to remain a virgin forever.

Only then did Zeus abandon all suspicion and came to love and cherish her greatly.

"Father, you called for me."

Not long after, a rainbow appeared before Zeus, and Iris and Athena walked out from within it.

As always, Athena was clad in her golden, sturdy helmet, armor, and armed with a spear and shield. Despite this, the radiant beauty of the silver-haired goddess could not be hidden.

Zeus posed his question to the noble and wise goddess.

"...Thus, I need your wisdom. If you have any good advice, please share it."

After listening to Zeus' story, Athena pondered for a moment before speaking.

"To what extent are you willing to go to calm our uncle's anger?"

"If I could judge that, I wouldn't have called for you. Speak freely."

At Zeus' words, the armored goddess of wisdom cautiously expressed her opinion. Both Hera and Iris quietly watched her, awaiting her words.

"It would be best if you, Father, personally descend to the Underworld and apologize this time."

"What?! This Zeus, personally?!"

Instead of sending a messenger god like Hermes or Iris?

The king of the gods was taken aback, but he decided to listen to his cherished firstborn.

However, the goddess of wisdom said nothing more after that.

"Why aren't you saying anything else? My beloved daughter."

"I apologize. I was just pondering over this situation where the wickedness of humans has escalated to such an extent that they must be destroyed by a great flood..."

The wickedness of humanity had been intentionally provoked by Zeus himself through Pandora's box. Their extreme misbehavior provided Zeus with the justification he needed to bring about the great flood.

However, there was no need to mention that here.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom, was not so foolish as to lose herself in other thoughts in front of her father, the chief god... which meant...

"Better to take what might seem an excessive measure before a major problem arises? Is that what you mean to say?"

Athena remained silent, lowering her head.

The impending great flood would certainly align with Zeus' intentions, as humanity had crossed the line, providing him with the necessary justification. But what if Hades, due to this incident, harbored resentment and eventually raised a revolt against him?

Up until now, Zeus had known his eldest brother as someone who wouldn't start a fight over a trivial matter.

Yet, hearing that Hades was furious through Iris, it was clear that as the king of the Underworld, he was protesting to Olympus.

Zeus couldn't afford to lose the support of not just Hades but also the other gods of the Underworld. His throne could be at risk, especially considering the importance of Tartarus near the Underworld.

"Are you still hesitating, Zeus? Don't tell me you have time to chase after women but no time to appease the Underworld?"

Hera's words drove the final nail into Zeus' contemplation.

"Very well. I shall go myself to meet with my brother Hades and have an honest conversation with him."

Come to think of it, it's been a while since I last saw my brother in the Underworld, so this will be a good opportunity to catch up. 

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