King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 162

The King of the Underworld is Tired, Episode 163 (162/179)

The Story of the Golden Apple – (1)

Finally, the wedding ended… and the quiet time in the Underworld flowed quickly once more.

I even had a statue made for the goddess Nyx in my temple in Thebes.

“Lord Hades has given an oracle. He commands that a statue of Nyx, the goddess of the night, be made…”

“Nyx? Are you saying we should create a statue of a Protogenoi [primordial deity] and spread her glory?”

“Was there even someone like that in the Underworld?”

Occasionally, I had Dice [Dike], the goddess of justice, supervise gods or humans.

These days, humans have become so strong that they disrespect the gods or commit atrocities quite often.

Of course, I also visited Alecto, one of the goddesses of vengeance, who, for some reason, didn’t come to the wedding…

“Lady Alecto?”

“Sob… sob. Hades. Why is it okay for the other goddesses but not for me?”

“No, that’s… well, you see.”

“Is it because of this hideous hair? Or the blood flowing from my eyes?”

I had a hard time calming her down as she begged me, saying she loved me.

To think that the goddess of vengeance would have feelings for me. But I can’t even imagine recklessly increasing the number of my wives…

“Haaa…”

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While I was having these headache-inducing thoughts, the goddess Styx came in.

She’s beautifully adorned today as well. Hmm. Could it be from the afternoon… no, surely not?

“Hades. Have you heard the story about Thetis getting married this time?”

“Ah. I received the messenger Zeus sent, but I don’t think I need to go.”

“Peleus, was it? Anyway, it seems she’s truly fallen in love with that human hero…”

The communion between humans and gods has borne fruit.

Considering Cadmus, Heracles, and now the goddess Thetis getting married, could it be that heroes are starting to get closer to the gods?

“Hades! Big trouble. We’re in big trouble!”

“…Lethe?”

While I was talking with Styx, the goddess Lethe rushed in.

What is it this time?

“Mother is nowhere to be seen!”

“Lady Eris? Maybe she just has some business to take care of…”

“No, the problem is that she got angry about not being invited to Thetis’s wedding and ran off!”

What? The goddess Eris wasn’t invited to the wedding? And she got angry and ran off?

She’s definitely planning something.

“They sent invitations to the goddess of starvation and even Gaia [the primordial goddess of the Earth], but Mother didn’t get one!”

Fate can’t always be happy, just, or good,

But I wish they would have overlooked it just a little at a wedding…!

“I have to go right now. Where did they say the wedding was being held?”

“In the Olympus Divine Palace.”

I hurriedly left the Underworld and rushed to Olympus.

Discord is always present, an element that cannot be excluded from fate.

But the place where discord will occur is at the wedding of Thetis, who received the prophecy that she would give birth to a son who would surpass his father.

If the wedding falls apart, what happens to the prophecy?

Zeus? How will the king of the gods react?

Dealing with problems before they explode is the best way to prevent future troubles.

* * *

But when I arrived at Thetis’s wedding, I realized I was already too late.

All sorts of loud voices were going back and forth at the gods’ wedding above the clouds.

“Ha! As the queen of the gods and the goddess of marriage and family, I am naturally the one who deserves this golden apple!”

“Even if Lady Hera says so, this is more fitting for me, who possesses the greatest wisdom and competence among the goddesses.”

“If it’s for the goddess with outstanding beauty as written here, isn’t it obviously me? The goddess of beauty and love is here, yet you claim to be more beautiful…”

Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.

These three goddesses were fighting over a single golden apple.

No matter how precious a golden apple is, I had a few myself.

In the first place, a golden apple tree is one of Hera’s possessions… there must be another reason.

I pushed through the gods and called out to Ares.

“Ares.”

“Oh. Uncle Hades. You’ve arrived.”

“What on earth is going on? Why are those three goddesses fighting over a mere golden apple?”

He rubbed his head with a troubled expression.

“Well. Isn’t it because it’s written on that golden apple, ‘For the fairest goddess’?”

“Ah.”

“It seems to be the work of Eris, the goddess of discord. Nothing can be done about it.”

Ares shrugged, his eyes full of embarrassment.

Anyway, I understand now. In the end, it’s a battle of pride… is that what it means?

The most beautiful goddess is obviously Aphrodite, but perhaps everyone interpreted it differently.

“Hmm… who do you think is the most suitable owner of that golden apple?”

“Wouldn’t it be right for Lady Hera to have it? Who else would be more fitting for that apple if not the queen of the gods…”

“But isn’t the most competent and outstanding goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom?”

“If we’re going by the literal meaning of the words, shouldn’t we give it to the goddess Aphrodite?”

Hera interpreted the phrase as meaning the most excellent goddess,

Athena as the most outstanding and competent goddess,

And Aphrodite as the beautiful goddess, as the words say.

But even if I try to mediate with these words, it won’t work.

Those who are fighting now probably know that they each interpreted it differently. It’s really a battle of pride.

The reason Hera isn’t suppressing the two goddesses with force is the same.

She must be thinking of taking the golden apple fairly with her words and the recognition she receives from everyone.

* * *

The wedding, which should be celebrating the start of a new family, was already filled with loud voices.

The goddesses fighting were not lower deities, but high-ranking deities above the Olympian Twelve.

In this situation, there were few who could stop them.

Hymenaeus, the god of marriage, only showed a troubled expression, and Dice [Dike], the goddess of justice, suppressed her anger.

The protagonists of the wedding, who should be angry, were trying to ignore it.

Poseidon, one of the three chief gods, was also feeling displeased and wondering whether to intervene.

“Ahem. Still, it’s a wedding. Having such a debate is a bit…”

Many were avoiding eye contact, wary of having the goddesses’ anger directed at them.

After watching such behavior for a while… I sighed deeply and walked forward.

“So! The owner of this apple is…”

“Are you denying it even though it’s written ‘most beautiful’? Of course, it’s Aphro…”

“What are you all doing at Thetis’s wedding?”

The goddesses, who had been in a heated argument until just now, glared at me.

Their heads turned with hostility, wondering who dared to interrupt. But when they recognized my face, they softened.

“Hades. In the first place, the golden apple tree is mine, and I am the most elegant and excellent goddess. Do you think it’s right for goddesses who don’t even meet my standards to take this?”

“Lady Hera! I acknowledge that Lady Hera is the best among the goddesses. But I cannot yield the golden apple. I am the most competent goddess, so I should take it.”

“Haaa… what are you all talking about! It says the most beautiful goddess! The goddess of beauty is right here!”

“No. Everyone, be quiet and listen to me.”

Let’s just quiet them down for now.

The three goddesses, who were huffing and puffing at my words, closed their mouths for a moment.

“What’s so important about that golden apple that you’re fighting like this? Wouldn’t it be better to just give it to the protagonist of this wedding, the goddess Thetis…”

“That won’t do!”

“Absolutely not!”

“That’s unacceptable!”

Well then, what do you want me to do? Are you going to keep fighting here?

You should choose the time and place for a battle of pride. Is this even right, doing this at a wedding?

Should I just suppress them with authority? But I can’t do that to Hera. No matter how annoying she is, I have to respect the queen of the gods…

But if they were fighting like this at my wedding, I would never have let them off, no matter who they were, even Hera.

I would have chased them all out of the Underworld, no matter what anyone said.

“What in the world are you all doing at a wedding!!!”

Yes. Just like this.

* * *

Thetis is not a goddess who is hated, and Peleus, the human hero she is marrying, is Zeus’s grandson.

So it’s only natural that Zeus is angry like this.

“It’s a fine sight to see, not sharing blessings at a wedding but starting a fight.”

Zeus, with a scowl on his face, walked over to this side and picked up the golden apple.

“I will decide who the owner of this apple is later! Right now, the priority is to celebrate the newly born bride and groom!”

“Yes…”

“Alright, dear.”

“If Lord Zeus says so. Well…”

Thankfully, everyone has decided to move on for now.

Yes. Fight later. What in the world are they doing at someone else’s wedding?

He moved his feet and approached the goddess Thetis and her human husband.

Since I came to the wedding, I should naturally offer my congratulations.

“Ahem. Hmm. There was a bit of a commotion, but congratulations on your marriage, Lady Thetis.”

“Thank you…”

“Peleus, was it? The human next to her too.”

“Thank you, King of the Underworld!”

After giving a few words of blessing and a suitable wedding gift, I headed straight to Zeus.

He was troubled, looking at the troublesome object that had caused the discord.

“Zeus.”

“It’s giving me a headache, deciding who to give this to.”

“Actually, it would be better to just interpret it as it is and give it to Aphrodite, but…”

“Then a fight will break out.”

If he cut the golden apple into three pieces and divided it, they would fight, saying he was mocking them.

If he gave it to one person, the other two goddesses would harbor resentment.

If he suppressed them with authority and just gave it to Thetis, the protagonist of the wedding, all three goddesses would harbor resentment.

Then shouldn’t he entrust the judgment to someone everyone can agree on?

Zeus seemed to have the same thought as me, as he looked at me and said.

Um. Yes. If you, the king of the gods, decide well and give it to one goddess…

“Can Brother Hades decide? If the decision is made by the lord of the Underworld, who is renowned as the god of fairness, everyone will accept it, even if they have some complaints.”

“Hey…”

Don’t pass it on to me.