King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 181

Afterword – 21st Century Olympus (2)

Gulp, gulp.

The cocktail, a mix of all sorts of ingredients, was quite delicious.

The smooth aroma of honey wine, the flavor of the heavenly drink nectar, and the tang of golden apples blended harmoniously in my mouth.

I was about to ask for another glass, surprised by the unexpected taste, but then I remembered the purpose of my visit.

I had to find our Underworld’s mischievous princess before she disappeared again.

“Has anyone seen Melinoe today?”

“Are you referring to the Goddess of Nightmares? Ummm… I’m sorry, but I’m not sure.”

I turned my gaze from the nymph, who was tilting her head, and approached the goddesses dancing on one side of the banquet hall.

A place where goddesses in daring outfits were swaying to the music. Surely she wouldn’t be among them, would she?

“Ahahaha! Hestia, are you really a virgin goddess? You move like you’ve done this a time or two…”

“What?! I just practiced it as a hobby, okay? Aphrodite, you’re one to talk…”

♫♪ ♫

“My goodness. I didn’t realize there were so many beautiful flowers in Olympus.”

“It’s a shame the Goddess Athena isn’t here. She’s quite… Hehe.”

“Wow…! M-me too…!”

“Who’s pushing like that… Hades?”

I grabbed the shoulders of the gods who were drooling as they admired the goddesses and pushed them aside, looking around.

Aphrodite, wearing a flamboyant dance costume that barely covered her vital parts, was displaying a dazzling dance, Hestia was moving passionately as if in a competition with her, Dike, whom I had given a temporary vacation, was also there, and so were the moon goddess Selene and the dawn goddess Eos… but Melinoe was nowhere to be seen. Where did she go?

“Oh? Hades?”

I made eye contact with Aphrodite, so I moved closer.

“Have you seen my daughter?”

“The Goddess of Nightmares? I don’t know… Hehe. Maybe I’ll feel like telling you if you spend some time with me.”

“…?”

A provocative smile on her face, Aphrodite reached out her hand to me.

I could almost hear the shouts of the gods behind me, filled with jealousy and envy. What was this nonsense to a married man who already had children?

She should go dance with Ares or something…

“Haa. Never mind. Hestia, have you seen Melinoe? It seems like she ran away again, so I came all the way to Olympus to find her.”

“Oh? Oh! She came to the banquet hall with Morpheus and then left for the mortal realm? I don’t know the details…”

“Eek! Why would you tell him that! Really!”

“What? You’re already famous for having more than twenty lovers… Oops!”

“Be quiet! Don’t blurt it all out here…!”

“So what! Everyone knows about your behavior anyway…!”

The two goddesses stopped dancing and started arguing in an instant.

I passed by them, unsure whether they were on good terms or not, and looked around again.

If Hestia was right, Melinoe must be in the mortal realm [the world of humans].

But I didn’t know where in the mortal realm she was, and searching the vast mortal realm one by one was nearly impossible.

In times like these, I needed…

“Pan.”

“Yes?! Lord Hades, is that you! It’s been a while!”

I had no choice but to ask Pan, the god of nature, to help me find her.

* * *

I explained in detail that I needed to find my daughter, who seemed to have run away to the mortal realm.

Pan’s reaction after hearing all of this was a bit ambiguous.

“Hmm. That might have been possible in the past, but it’s a bit difficult these days.”

“What is?”

“In the old days, I could have spread out and searched, but these days, people are watching, so it’s not easy. At best, I can only rely on plants or the whispers of small animals that can move discreetly…”

Indeed. This was a problem.

In the mythological era when Typhon and the Gigantes [monstrous giants] were rampaging, even if animals moved in perfect order, people would just assume it was the power of the gods.

But in today’s mortal realm, where people doubted or didn’t believe in the existence of gods, it would be chaos.

If I were to issue a divine message in the mortal realm…

– Breaking news! Reports are flooding in that people are hearing the voice of a man claiming to be the god Hades in their heads…

– The government has expressed concerns about religious conflicts…

– We have brought you news that Greek mythology was true. The power of the religion that believes in and follows the god of wealth from mythology…

– A pessimistic ideology that it is better to die quickly and go to Elysium [the paradise in the Underworld] than to live in a painful reality…

– Since the man claiming to be the god of the underworld appeared, the suicide rate has skyrocketed across the country…

Hmm. That wouldn’t be a desirable phenomenon.

Of course, my faith is widespread in the mortal realm.

However, if I were to actually issue a divine message or reveal myself, it would cause great chaos. Naturally, I would have to refrain from using powers that appear supernatural from the perspective of humans.

The world is different now than it used to be.

It is no longer an era where honor, fame, serving the gods well, or loving one’s neighbor were virtues. Customs of hospitality are almost non-existent, and the perception that the gods punish those who commit sins or that one pays for their sins in the afterlife is also fading. Only material things dominate everything in this age of money. The reaction to the appearance of the god of wealth would be obvious.

“…Then, for now, just search in a way that doesn’t attract too much attention from humans.”

“Understood. But don’t expect too much.”

“Alright.”

I watched Pan close his eyes and draw out his divine power, then my gaze went to his attire.

Overalls, a round hat, black shoes. Even the god of nature couldn’t resist the flow of the times and had modernized…

Quite a long time passed, and then he opened his eyes wide and spoke.

“Aha! I found them! They are with the god Morpheus in a country called Korea in the mortal realm…!”

“Tell me in detail where that is.”

“I will attach a divine beast that can convey my words to you. That fellow will guide you…”

I had to bring them back right away. Even the nightmares that mortals abhor are part of the world.

She’s old enough now, why is she running away with Morpheus?

* * *

Whisper, whisper.

“…What’s that on his shoulder?”

“A bird? Isn’t it a pet eagle?”

“But are eagles usually that big? Some kind of mutant eagle…”

“Isn’t it because it’s a bird that lived abroad? That guy looks like a foreigner.”

I didn’t bother to hide my presence with divine power and stepped into the mortal realm, and I was getting some attention. I was going to disguise myself as a human and look around the mortal realm while looking for Melinoe, but was it because of this eagle divine beast on my shoulder?

Kkyaaaak-!

– The place Lord Pan mentioned is that way. Revered Hades!

“Ugh…!”

“What. Is it angry because we’re staring too intently?”

“We’re going to get into trouble. Look away.”

This divine beast. It’s attracting more attention than I thought.

Even if it speaks to me, it only sounds like the cry of an angry eagle to other humans, making it even more so.

Ignoring the gazes pouring in from all directions, I moved my feet when a group handing out flyers grabbed me.

To be precise, an old man who looked quite old.

What does that banner say? Elysion Church?

Is it a religion whose purpose is to go to Elysion? What is it?

“Wait. You there, young man. Come and listen to some good words!”

“…?”

“Looking at the eagle on your shoulder, it seems like you believe in Zeus, but you shouldn’t! You’ll go to hell later. Tartarus [the deepest, darkest part of the Underworld]!”

The joy that there was still someone who recognized that my brother Zeus’s divine beast was an eagle was fleeting…

I frowned at the words that came out of the old man’s mouth. What nonsense was he spouting?

“If you don’t believe in Lord Hades, you’ll fall into Tartarus after you die! Quickly throw away that eagle on your shoulder and start growing mint in your house from today. You know this, right? Lord Hades’s…”

Kkyaaaak-!

– How dare you! You insignificant human! Do you know who is in front of you…

The old man grabbed my hand and tried to force a pot with mint planted in it into my hand.

But it didn’t end there.

“This is exactly 200,000 won [Korean currency, roughly $150 USD]. If you pay just 200,000 won and take this, you can go to Elysion after you die? Come on, come on…”

“…Do you know that your sins are accumulating right now?”

“What?! This young punk is talking back rudely…”

“If you don’t want to fall into Tartarus after you die, you better stop doing this.”

These kinds of guys are my believers? No, I don’t feel any faith, so they’re not even believers.

The smell of lies is very strong. Are these people accumulating wealth by enticing humans who might be deceived and extorting them?

And they dare to borrow my name?

If they come to the underworld after death… no, I should increase Melinoe’s workload a bit.

“It looks like you don’t have much time left to live, so I’ll see you again soon.”

“Th-that rude bastard!”

Kkyaak-!

– Lord Hades! If you command me, I will devour the liver of that arrogant fellow!

I shook off the old man who was trying to grab me. After remembering the souls of the wicked guys who sold my name,