The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 8: The story of Life – (3)

The Underworld, ruled by Hades, was as busy as ever today. Especially now, as all the gods were fully mobilized in preparation for the great flood that would soon sweep across the surface.

"When the flood begins, the small creatures in the lowlands will be the first to die."

"Looking at this list, the first city we should visit is..."

"The ferryman Charon on the Acheron River will have a hard time."

"We should have the souls vacate this section and move their places..."

The desperate efforts of the Underworld's administrators to prepare for the sudden surge in population.

And I, Hades, who receives all the reports and handles the operations.

Allocating and judging the souls that would come to the Underworld due to the great flood, arranging space for them in the Underworld, managing the subordinate gods, distributing roles efficiently, and devising measures to prevent various issues in the Underworld.

There was almost nothing that didn’t require my attention.

I had to manage everything while ensuring that I didn’t overstep into the domains of other gods.

Now I understood why there were so few stories about Hades in the fading knowledge of 21st-century Greek mythology.

"Hades, if we expand the Underworld's boundaries toward the Elysian Fields..."

"How about recruiting more ferrymen to help Charon?"

"Perhaps it would be better to request support from Olympus..."

With so much work, it was impossible to leave the Underworld.

By the way, the Elysian Fields is a paradise where those who accomplished remarkable deeds or showed great virtue during their lives reside after death.

The majority of souls who do not qualify for this will reside in my Underworld.

Despite being underground, the Elysian Fields is a mysterious place filled with sunlight, plants, and animals, like any ordinary meadow in the living world.

Souls who enter there live in a meadow blessed by the gods, pursuing what they desire and experiencing spiritual fulfillment that surpasses any material pleasure.

In simple terms, you can think of it as the ancient Greek version of heaven.

"Hades! Zeus... Lord Zeus has come to the Underworld!"

I must have misheard. 

It seemed like the soul that rushed into my office had said Zeus was outside.

"Lord Zeus has arrived in the Underworld, accompanied by Iris, the goddess of the rainbow!"

I had conveyed my displeasure through Iris earlier, but for Zeus, with his enormous pride, to come all the way here?

At a nod from me, the doors to my office opened, and a familiar golden-haired god appeared, ushered in by the soul guards.

It was Zeus, coming in with an awkward expression, coughing as if to clear his throat, with the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, following him cautiously.

"Hem. Hem. It’s been a while, hasn’t it, brother Hades?"

He really did come down to this dark place himself.

* * *

For the king of the gods to personally come to the domain of one of the other three major gods and offer an apology...

Could his power be unstable right now? Or is something happening on Olympus?

"It was my mistake not to inform you about the flood in advance. I was too focused on punishing those shameless humans to remember to consult with you, brother."

I gestured for Zeus to take a seat in the chair opposite me.

Now that he’d come to apologize in person, my anger was starting to subside.

"Hmm. I had no intention of disrespecting the authority of the Underworld. As a token of my apology, I’ve prepared a few things..."

"As a token of apology?"

"First, during the flood, I’ll send some servants from Olympus and my daughter Athena to help with the overwhelming workload in the Underworld..."

Oh... This is quite good news.

The goddess of wisdom is more than capable of handling a massive workload; she can certainly manage the Underworld's overwhelming tasks.

"And never again will the life of the mortal world be extinguished by Olympus alone, without consulting the Underworld."

That goes without saying.

"I swear this on the River Styx."

I was nodding casually, feeling appeased by the fact that Zeus had come all the way to the Underworld to apologize, when I suddenly froze.

A vow sworn by the River Styx is absolutely binding, even for gods.

Well, it seems he’s genuinely reflecting.

No matter how much one criticizes Zeus, he does know when to swallow his pride as the king of the gods.

Of course, the fact that I’m not just some insignificant lower god likely contributed to his decision.

"And how about we share a drink of nectar? We have much to catch up on after so long..."

I chuckled and cleared some documents from my desk.

Iris, quick to take the hint, produced ambrosia and nectar from the rainbow and excused herself.

"Alright, let’s have a drink after so long." 

* * *

As Zeus and I drank nectar and conversed in my office, whispers could be heard throughout the Underworld. 

Mostly, it was the lower deities, administrators, and souls of the Underworld murmuring.

"Goodness... Lord Zeus is in the Underworld..."

"Even though he's Hades' brother, were they really this close?"

"There won't be any sudden lightning strikes, right...?"

It seems that my words to Iris must have lit a fire under him. For him to rush here and gauge the sentiments in the Underworld...

"So, other gods besides me expressed dissatisfaction with the flood."

"Poseidon is really the main issue. He seems to be eyeing my position, and this time too, subtly..."

Listening to Zeus vent, I took a sip of ambrosia.

Even though he gained a justification for wiping out the surface through Pandora, it seems there were some gods who doubted or opposed the great flood.

I spoke to Zeus, who was now lamenting his situation.

Is there really a need to cling to the position of King of the Gods?

"Why do you and Poseidon care so much about being the ruler of Olympus?"

"Hahaha! Could it be that brother Hades also covets this position?"

Zeus' eyes momentarily sharpened, but I casually took a sip of nectar, unfazed.

"You know me, and I know you; there's no reason to harbor unnecessary suspicion. It was probably just a joke."

"A joke, a joke. But isn't it interesting that you, too, know the view from the Olympus throne? I'm rather fascinated that you're so indifferent to power."

The view from Olympus, looking down on everything from above the clouds.

Zeus, Poseidon, and I, along with the other three gods, all saw that view before we fought the Titans.

It truly was overwhelming.

Perhaps this is what the scenery of an omnipotent being would be like—a sense of omnipotence and elation, as if the entire world was in my grasp.

It was one of the reasons I decided to fight the Titans.

But if you ask why I'm different from Poseidon, despite having the power and position to challenge that throne...

"If I were to ascend to the golden throne of Olympus, I would no longer be able to stay here."

"Olympus is much better than this dreary Underworld."

Do I need to explain further?

If I were to seize the throne of the gods and move to Mount Olympus, many things would change.

For one, I wouldn’t be able to frequently see Styx, the goddess who kindly forged my sword...

Thanatos, who tirelessly reaps souls every day, wouldn't follow me to Olympus...

Hypnos, Moros, Keres, and Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness, who assist with the Underworld's duties, wouldn't either.

Lastly, all the people living in the Underworld who follow my rule would have to be left behind.

Costaris, the guard who always watches over my office door, refused to be reincarnated despite having his memory erased after suffering an unjust death in the mortal world.

Nerdis, the woman who pours nectar beside me at every Underworld feast, died tragically at the hands of wicked thugs...

At that point, Zeus interrupted me.

Perhaps he was getting bored, listening to tales of human woes.

However, the golden god stroked his beard and nodded, as if he had come to some realization.

For the first time in a long while, Zeus displayed the true nature of a god-king. His regal demeanor briefly surfaced.

"I see. Now I understand. Brother, you don't covet the throne of the gods because you're already a true king."

He's right. I am the king of the Underworld.

Becoming the most powerful among the gods is nothing compared to fulfilling my duties or caring for my people in my current position.

Maybe I've grown fond of this dark, dreary place.

And if you've only just realized that now, why don’t you, as the King of the Gods, stop behaving like a rogue, indulging in rape?

And it’s not just rape—how many times have you been unfaithful? Yet, you still want to hold on to your power?

I subtly conveyed these thoughts in a more gentle manner.

"Well? I have a duty to ensure the prosperity of the Olympian gods, after all. And honestly, I still can’t get Iris' lovely figure out of my mind..."

Zeus shook his head with a feigned stern expression, but his eyes were full of lecherous intent as he spoke about Iris' body.

Aren't you afraid of Hera, Zeus?

You always talk about the prosperity of the Olympian gods, but isn’t that just an excuse to satisfy your own desires?

Otherwise, why would you have relationships with your sisters and other relatives...

"Umm, why are you looking at me like that?"

The scoundrel avoided my gaze with an uneasy look.

Should I just “Uranus” him?