Episode 183: The King of the Underworld is Tired

Side Story – Alecto, the Goddess of Vengeance

After Olympus emerged victorious in the war against the Titans, I descended straight to the underworld and went around meeting various deities.

Having greeted many gods and even the Hecatoncheires guarding Tartarus, the place I now headed to was...

Step. Step.

The cave known as the dwelling of the Erinyes, the goddesses of vengeance.

Naturally, even gods avoided them, but since I had already conversed amicably with deities like Lady Limos, the goddess of famine, and Lady Eris, the goddess of discord, I had no reason not to seek them out.

“A guest has come to visit.”

As I reached the entrance, a clear, feminine voice echoed from within the cave.

It was unmistakably the voice of one of the goddesses of vengeance. The ominous and chilling presence emanating from inside confirmed it.

The Erinyes.

Born from the blood spilled onto the earth when Uranus's genitals were severed.

Three fearsome maiden deities with bronze wings, bleeding eyes, and serpents for hair.

Hissss! Hiss!

“Are you the goddesses of vengeance? I am Hades. I will be residing in the underworld from now on, so I hope we can work together…”

“This cave belongs to my sisters and me. Do not come here.”

Their cold and ruthless image, coupled with their distrust of strangers, made it hard to approach them.

To them, born from Uranus's severed genitals, I must seem like nothing but a young, insignificant god.

Perhaps befriending them would be extremely difficult.

But I would not give up.

As the ruler of the underworld, how could I neglect or disregard the deities who dwelled here?

To truly embody the weighty title of the King of the Underworld, I must persist on a righteous path.

And...

Drip. Drip.

The sound of blood-tears falling endlessly onto the ground.

Was there truly no way to stop it?

* * *

I began bringing nectar and ambrosia and regularly visited their cave.

How many times had I been told by Tisiphone, the leader among the three sisters, to leave the offerings outside the cave?

“Well, I’ll leave it here again today. Oh, by the way, we’ll be holding a banquet in the underworld soon. If you could attend…”

“Come in.”

At last, had they started to open their hearts, even just a little?

After over ten years of regular visits, I was finally permitted to enter their cave.

As I stepped into the damp, dark cave, I felt the chilling and overwhelming divine power of vengeance.

The goddesses of vengeance stared at me with emotionless eyes.

Alecto, the goddess of unceasing anger, spoke first.

“You need not come anymore. You’ve won.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t play dumb. We have eyes and ears, and we haven’t aged in vain. When you rebel against Zeus, call on us. We’ll pay you back for all the nectar and ambrosia you’ve given us.”

Tisiphone, who punishes the unfaithful, and Megaera, the goddess of jealousy, nodded in agreement.

What on earth were they talking about?

“...Yes. Hades is better than Zeus.”

“We heard you’ve been meeting with deities like Limos, the goddess of famine, and Eris, the goddess of discord. You’re gathering the ostracized and shunned gods to march on Olympus, aren’t you? You’ve got some skill. Quite fitting for the King of the Underworld.”

So, they thought my visits to them all this time…

Were part of a ploy to recruit them for a rebellion against Zeus?

“No, you’re misunderstanding.”

“Don’t worry. This place is beyond Zeus’s sight. If you need to be cautious…”

“No, that’s not it! You’re really misunderstanding!”

“...?”

The expressions of the goddesses of vengeance turned peculiar.

* * *

Fortunately, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up.

“…So you’re saying you have no intention of rebellion?”

“Why would I fight with Zeus? Taking over Olympus would just mean more work for me.”

“Then why have you been befriending the outcast gods?”

“Well, because I’m the god of the underworld. At the very least, in my domain, no one will be discriminated against based on their role or appearance.”

The three goddesses stared at me blankly, mouths slightly agape.

Even the snakes that served as their hair opened their mouths and fixed their gaze on me.

“Hm… Is this why you invited me inside? If this makes you uncomfortable, I can leave and stay outside the cave again.”

“No… from now on, you can just come in.”

I took out the nectar and ambrosia I had brought with me and handed it over. The goddesses accepted them with somewhat conflicted expressions.

Since I was here, I also took a few sips of the nectar myself.

Gulp, gulp.

“Hades.”

“?”

“You’re… a bit different from the other Olympian gods.”

I smiled at Alecto, the goddess of unrelenting anger, who stared at me blankly as she accepted the ambrosia.

Was it surprising to her that the ruler of the underworld would come here and show concern for them?

Of course, my way of thinking was probably quite different from most of the Olympian gods.

Zeus and Poseidon, my brothers, were proud of their victory in the Titanomachy and their dominion over the world. The younger gods likely saw the older ones as outdated relics.

But I couldn’t see it that way.

What kind of ruler of the underworld would I be if I couldn’t even properly care for the gods within it?

Those who pass judgment on mortals must always uphold fairness and embody the dignity of a true god.

“It’s nothing special. More importantly, we occasionally hold banquets in the underworld. I’d be grateful if you could attend one.”

“…That might be too soon.”

Hiss.

The snakes in her hair let out small, almost purring sounds.

They were definitely still wary of me, but not as hostile as when we first met.

I couldn’t help but wonder if the emotions and moods of the Furies were reflected through their snake hair. Fascinating.

* * *

Time passed more quickly after that.

Now, whenever I visited their cave, they would greet me as if it were the most natural thing in the world and even prepared a place for me to sit.

But lately, something seemed off with Tisiphone and Megaera.

They often left, leaving only Alecto behind, claiming they were off to torment sinners in the mortal realm.

Just like now.

“Ahem. Ahem. I must head to the mortal realm for a bit.”

“Have… a good time…”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Just hurry up and go!”

Once again, I was left alone with Alecto in the cave.

This had been happening quite often recently. Surely… it couldn’t be…

Hiss. Hiss.

Alecto’s snake hair slithered up onto my shoulder.

Noticing it, I realized just how close Alecto and I were sitting. Close enough for her snake hair to touch me.

Close enough for our shoulders to brush.

Her faint, slightly excited breathing tickled my ears.

Hiss…

The snakes moved.

The more I looked at them, the cuter her snake hair seemed. They never bared their fangs at me, not even once.

Raising a hand, I gently stroked one from the top of its head. It tilted its head against my hand, as if pleased.

“Adorable.”

“What… W-What are you talking about? I’m a goddess of vengeance, not cute at all!”

The snakes recoiled in surprise, pulling away from me.

But their gaze remained fixed on me. They really were cute.

“No, I meant… your hair.”

“Ugh… w-well, then…”

Her ears turned red, and she whispered something under her breath.

“T-Then… I suppose… you can touch them, if you want…”

She was adorable.

Not her snake hair, but Alecto herself, the goddess of vengeance whom everyone else avoided.

Dear gods.

Did I just find a goddess of vengeance… cute?

In truth, compared to other goddesses with dazzling beauty, their appearances fell short. Goddesses like Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love; Hestia, the goddess of the hearth; Styx, or even Lethe—they couldn’t compare.

And yet, could it be that a goddess of vengeance like her...?

As I became more conscious of her, she began to stand out.

If not for the blood-red tears streaming from her eyes and the snake-like hair, her appearance and figure would rival even the most stunning goddesses.

Sssssk. Slide.

“Ahhh...”

Almost in a trance, I reached out to touch the snakes. One by one, I stroked them.

As I continued, more of them began to approach me, showing signs of affection. By the time I had touched over five, Lady Alecto rested her head on my shoulder.

Thud. Hisssss?!

The snake-like hair seemed startled by their mistress's sudden movement.

The snakes trembled momentarily before calming down and cautiously approaching again. How cute.

“This… this is just… If you find my hair cute, then you can touch it more comfortably... N-no, wait…!”

“Thank you. I like it.”

“Don’t… don’t enjoy this kind of thing too much... Ugh. Whenever I’m with you, my blade of vengeance feels…”

Sssssk. Slide.

Before I knew it, my face was buried in her snake-like hair.

Just as I thought it was time to pull back, the goddess suddenly turned her head and looked directly at me.

Amid the snake-filled surroundings, our gazes locked.

For some reason, my heart began to pound. Her flushed face reflected my own, likely no different in its redness.

“Hades. Do you know?”

“Know what…?”

“You’re the first person to ever call me cute.”

At that moment, her hair wrapped around my face and pulled me closer.

Wait. Her hair—could she control it like this?

“Mm…!”

Our lips met.

Her warm breath and heat seemed to fill the underworld cavern.

My body, too, began to grow warm.

I reached out, holding the back of her head and pulling her closer.

As we deepened the passionate kiss, our faces finally parted with a light sound.

“Hah... hah.”

“Hoo...”

Her flushed face had transformed entirely.

Her eyes seemed to crave more, while her trembling hands appeared almost pitiful in their hesitation.

And then—

-Flash!

A brilliant light and divine power erupted from the goddess, transforming her appearance.

No, not just her appearance—her very essence. Her divine authority, the core of her being, was changing.

A divine authority is more than the domain a god governs.

It is the source of their existence, the essence that defines them. A god of madness manifests insanity, and a god of love embodies the pursuit of affection.

But now—

“…What?”

If a goddess whose existence embodies vengeance is, even for a moment, overwhelmed by another emotion...

Could she still be called a goddess of vengeance?

Moreover, if she herself recognizes an emotion deeper than vengeance...

This convergence of factors—guilt, retribution, revenge—all of it caused her form to completely transform.

The snakes, once the physical manifestation of her wariness toward others, closed their eyes and softened into silky hair.

The blood-red tears of suffering and hatred ceased to flow.

The bronze wings, symbols of ruthless vengeance, lost their steely resolve and turned a pure white.

“Ah... Ahhh…! My form… I…!”

“…You’re beautiful, Lady Alecto.”

The goddess of first love, Alecto.

With white wings, light green hair, and golden tears of love streaming down her face, she radiated divine beauty.

“Since I am the one who caused you to change, I will take responsibility. Please become the queen of the underworld.”

“R-really?”

“Yes. You are my first love, Lady Alecto.”

And thus, a new queen was born for the underworld.

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