King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 88

Love and Fire – (3)

“…So, you’re planning to divorce Hephaestus and Aphrodite and pair them with new partners?”

“Exactly. If you help, it’ll be much easier to persuade Zeus, wouldn’t it?”

After a calm explanation, Hera quickly understood it wasn’t a rebellion.

Having regained her composure as the Queen of the Gods, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

“Coming to the goddess of family to ask for help in breaking up a family, do you think this is right, Hades?”

“But don’t you know that it was an unstable marriage from the start, like a tattered rag?”

Hera’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Isn’t it the duty of the goddess of family to find them a harmonious new family?”

“Hmm… I suppose you could see it that way.”

“Hephaestus has also given up on Aphrodite. If you find him a new family, he will thank you for your motherly grace with tears in his eyes.”

Hephaestus was dropped on the island of Lemnos by Hera as soon as he was born.

It’s a relief that she’s reflecting on it a lot now.

“I think the root cause of what happened between Hephaestus and Athena is that he wasn’t satisfied with his relationship with Aphrodite. That led to him having a child with Gaia… If Gaia were to dress up beautifully and appear before Hephaestus…”

“He might fall for her beauty?”

“Even if it’s not betrayal, he might leak information or do a small favor, who knows?”

Hera cherishes Athena quite a bit, so this incident must have been quite shocking for her.

Just a little more persuasion…

“And I heard Zeus brought a boy named Ganymede to his house…”

“Grind! Now he’s even laying his hands on men! Do I have to lose out to men now?!”

The leisurely look on her face completely changed, and the goddess of family became furious.

Could it be that he really brought him to Olympus because of his looks…

“Ahem. Anyway… Zeus himself is into love… well, looks, to the point of going for the same sex, yet he’s suppressing the love between Aphrodite and Ares?”

“That’s certainly true.”

“And if you help me this time, Aphrodite will be grateful to be with Ares and might reward you. That means the goddess of love might…”

“She might tell me how to win back Zeus’s attention from that human brat?”

“Exactly. If things go well, I’ll tell the goddess of love how much your help meant.”

Whether Aphrodite lends her magical girdle, the Cestus Himas [a magical belt that makes the wearer irresistible]…

Or gives advice as the goddess of love, it’s a win for Hera.

“Alright. I’ll add my opinion too.”

“Since we’re on the topic, let’s go right away.”

So, along with Poseidon and Hera, we headed to Zeus, and the King of the Gods was lying in a large bedroom, taking a nap.

Poseidon approached and spoke to wake Zeus.

“Wake up, Zeus.”

“Ugh…?!”

But as soon as he opened his eyes and saw Poseidon, Zeus…

“Who… Poseidon, even you, Hera?”

The god of the sky, who was lying down, immediately got up, holding lightning.

Instantly, the huge building exploded, and fierce electricity revealed its presence in his hand.

Flash-Krrrr!

“…Another rebellion!!! Poseidon, if you’re thinking of challenging me again, come at me!”

“No, it’s a misunderstanding…”

“Haa… It’s not what you think, Zeus.”

“…Oh, Hades, brother? So, it’s not a rebellion…”

Amidst the storm of divine power swirling from all directions, I rubbed my forehead.

* * *

“…Hephaestus and Aphrodite’s divorce?”

“Yes, so put down that lightning. If I were here to rebel, I would have brought Cyanea!”

Only then did Zeus see Poseidon with a sulky expression, not taking out his trident, Hera looking dumbfounded, and me rubbing my forehead behind them, and he quietly made the lightning disappear.

“No… Ahem! How could I not think it was a rebellion when Poseidon came while I was sleeping?”

“Of course, it could be a misunderstanding, but we gathered our opinions because it’s about Aphrodite.”

It feels strange to be having this conversation in a building that has been blown away.

The surrounding gods are whispering, and I can see Hermes flying over urgently from over there…

“Haa… Let’s move the location first.”

“…That would be good.”

And so, we entered a quiet room.

Poseidon, me, Hera, and Zeus sat around a round table.

I diligently explained to Zeus the reasons for Hephaestus and Aphrodite’s divorce.

Hephaestus was driven to the point of trying to rape Athena, and if things continue like this, wouldn’t he fall for Gaia when she shows up dressed up…

He even exposed her affair with Ares at the art festival last time, so how bad must it be…

The goddess of beauty also gave birth to Harmonia with Ares, and now Hephaestus has given up on Aphrodite…

After thinking for a while, Zeus looked at me and asked.

“But why are you so involved in their affairs, brother?”

“…I just feel sorry for them. My nephew has made a lot for me so far.”

“That Bident [Poseidon’s trident] was quite sharp…”

Poseidon brought up the story of the Bident.

That’s right, no weapon could ever match the Bident…

“If Hephaestus has given up on the goddess of beauty… it might be morally right to divorce them. But…”

“Are you worried that other male gods will fight over her?”

“That’s what I’m worried about. If I reverse my decision and change my words…”

The weight of the King of the Gods’ words diminishes.

That’s exactly why he hasn’t divorced them until now.

Of course, he must have also considered Hephaestus’s contributions, and hoped that she would stop having affairs someday…

Various circumstances are mixed in.

“Then we can help a little. Right, Poseidon?”

“Well, just showing a moderate amount of agreement…”

“I also permit it. They have never had a happy family life…”

Zeus stroked his beard again and pondered.

“Can we really quell the backlash from the numerous male gods?”

“…Send any dissatisfied ones to the underworld. I’ll properly educate any who are blinded by the goddess.”

“Is that okay? Isn’t that passing too much work to the underworld…”

“Passing work? Isn’t it reducing it instead?”

In fact, I don’t think there will be many like that.

With me, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hera all making threats, who would dare to openly express dissatisfaction?

“…Alright. We’ll have to do that. Then summon Hephaestus from the underworld for a moment, and I’ll summon the gods of Olympus.”

“Yes, good thinking.”

* * *

“…After careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that it is right to end the relationship between Hephaestus and Aphrodite at this point.”

Zeus declared their divorce in a place where most of the gods were gathered.

Let’s see… Aphrodite had an undisguisable look of joy, and Hephaestus sighed and stood silently.

“Hephaestus, I will introduce you to a new wife. How about Aglaea, the goddess of splendor?”

“Yes. I will follow my father’s will…”

Aglaea, the goddess of splendor.

One of the three goddesses born between Eurynome, the daughter of the Titan god Oceanus [the Titan god of the river Oceanus, a great river encircling the world], who rules the ocean, and Zeus.

A goddess with very beautiful turquoise hair waves her hand at Hephaestus.

The god of blacksmithing also looked at her face and seemed reasonably satisfied.

Even if she doesn’t match Aphrodite… there’s no way there wouldn’t be demand for a male god who is one of the twelve Olympians and Zeus’s eldest son, no matter how ugly he is.

Aphrodite and Ares were rather happy…

The problem was, of course, the male gods. It started with Hermes’s question.

“Um… Father. But didn’t you say last time that Aphrodite’s husband is Hephaestus, brother…?”

At those words, Zeus frowned and glared at Ares and Aphrodite.

“Those two are so madly in love… Tsk! They even gave birth to Harmonia and Eros, didn’t they?”

Ares and Aphrodite didn’t show any displeasure even at Zeus’s glare.

Rather, they shrugged as if to say they were willing to endure this much criticism.

“Forcing unwanted love was my mistake! However, if anyone causes excessive strife by making advances on Aphrodite, they will be struck by this Zeus’s lightning!”

Krrrr!

Zeus’s strong threat, and next to him, Poseidon, me, and Hera were watching the gods.

Now, the lower gods won’t fight to take Aphrodite.

I should tell Aphrodite to moderate her seduction of the male gods…

Although Ares is unavoidable, the seeds of discord must be controlled.

However, as expected… the problem is with some high-ranking gods who are blinded by the goddess of love’s beauty.

“Aphrodite, if you ever get tired of Ares…”

“Hermes. Apemosyne, the granddaughter of Minos [King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa], with whom you had a forced relationship, is in the underworld… Should I bring her here?”

“What?! No, that’s…”

“Ahem, Hades, great-uncle. Unlike Hermes, I can make Aphrodite happy…”

“Apollo, Daphne, who became a tree because of you, must be weeping in the underworld.”

“That’s because of Eros’s arrow… Never mind.”

Poseidon gave up… and there’s another one with a strange look in his eyes…

Yes, Dionysus is over there.

Stare-

…::;;

I raised my eyes and sent a silent signal, and Dionysus slightly turned his head away from me.

Good… The underworld is full of people who went crazy and died because of your festival of madness.

“Ahaha…”

Ares… well, he already had children, so let’s just move on… I looked around at the other gods for the last time.

Let’s see, the gods of wind, or the gods of the river, or those under Demeter, the goddess of the earth…

Wait, aren’t most of these self-serving thugs?

Even Zeus, the King of the Gods, from the beginning…

“…Ahem. Ahem! With this, I will end the meeting for now! The wedding of Hephaestus and Aglaea will be held at Olympus…”

There are so many Olympian gods, but why are there so few normal ones?