King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 184

The King of the Underworld is Tired 184 (183/193)

Extra Story – Aphrodite, Goddess of Beauty and Love (1)

Another day of gods busily working in the Underworld.

An unexpected messenger from Zeus arrived—Iris, the goddess of the rainbow.

“I greet the master of the Underworld.”

“Did Zeus send you?”

“Yes. Lord Zeus urgently summons Lord Hades to Olympus, as he has matters to discuss.”

Zeus? Why does he want to summon me?

Crossing the rainbow bridge that Iris summoned, I arrived at Olympus… to a truly spectacular scene.

“Aphrodite is mine! Who do these youngsters think they are…!”

“Lord Poseidon, let Aphrodite choose herself. Taking her by force is…”

“Hmm. Hmm. I haven’t married yet either…”

“How can such beauty exist? Truly a goddess of beauty!”

“Hades, brother. You’ve arrived?”

It was perfect beauty. A beauty that even Hera, the queen of the gods, would envy.

A goddess, more beautiful than anyone I had ever seen, stood there.

She calmly accepted the numerous gazes of desire directed at her, looking around with interest.

“What is happening? It seems the gods are fighting over who will take that goddess as a wife.”

“Ah… she’s the goddess born from the severed genitals of Uranus when they fell into the sea.”

“How much time has passed since then? Why is this happening suddenly?”

“I’m not sure. She introduced herself as Aphrodite.”

Aphrodite. The moment I heard that name, a memory flashed in my mind.

The goddess of beauty and love, the most beautiful goddess in Olympus. Well, that explains why so many gods are fighting to claim her.

Who was her husband originally?

“Anyway, I understand the situation. You want me to mediate the dispute between the gods.”

“Yes. Can you help a little? Otherwise, there might be a civil war in Olympus. I’ve considered forcing the issue or pairing her with another god, but…”

“Unless someone has the looks to catch her eye and achievements that other gods can accept, Olympus will never be peaceful.”

No matter who she marries, there will be a fight.

Perhaps Poseidon? But Poseidon already has Amphitrite as his official wife.

If Aphrodite is given to Poseidon, the unmarried gods will vehemently object.

“Now, now. Everyone, stop fighting. Stop!”

“Yes, let’s stop here. How old are you all, fighting over a single goddess? Have you even asked who she wants to marry?”

I added some weight to Zeus’s words.

Finally, it’s getting a bit quieter. Aphrodite and the other gods are focusing their attention here.

“Excuse me. Who is that speaking next to Zeus, the king of the gods? He seems to have a very high divine rank.”

“Huh? Are you talking about Hades, the god of the Underworld?”

Aphrodite glanced at me and whispered to Hestia.

Her eyes seem a bit strange.

* * *

Zeus and my stern words silenced everyone.

Poseidon seems a bit dissatisfied, but he seems to accept it for now.

“Seriously! Fighting over who will be the wife of a goddess who just arrived in Olympus… very well done.”

“Hmph. Hades, are you also interested in Aphrodite? Don’t come late and act like you’re so great.”

“Poseidon…”

I’m getting a little annoyed.

Even if she is the goddess of beauty and love, how can so many gods be completely captivated and lose their minds?

Isn’t she too dangerous? If Aphrodite wields her beauty as a weapon…

“This is unbearable! I, the king of the gods, will decide who gets Aphrodite!”

Zeus, who had been frowning, suddenly stood up and glared fiercely at the gods.

In his hand was a shining thunderbolt.

“First, everything will depend on Aphrodite’s choice! However, those who already have official wives are forbidden from courting Aphrodite any further!”

Zeus’s words brought mixed reactions.

Those already married to suitable goddesses sighed in disappointment, while the unmarried gods smiled with satisfaction.

Still, this is a reasonable judgment. Zeus himself has withdrawn from the competition, so he has the justification to ignore Poseidon’s protests…

As soon as Zeus finished speaking, an angry Poseidon turned and left, and all sorts of gods began to court Aphrodite.

“Aphrodite, if you spend your life with me, I will only look at you.”

“Ahem! If you choose me, Ares [god of war], I will dedicate all the glory from the wars to you…”

“Beautiful lady, I am Hermes, the messenger god. How about taking a long journey with me?”

“Aphrodite, even your name is so beautiful. I am…”

While numerous gods approached her, I went to Hestia.

The goddess of the hearth, pouting and placing her hands on her hips, looked at me and crossed her arms.

“Hmph. What is it, Hades? Aren’t you going over there? You’re not married yet…”

“I’m not interested in Aphrodite. Rather…”

“What? Then why are you here… D. Don’t tell me!”

Hestia suddenly blushed and stammered.

What are you thinking that makes you so flustered? Ah, you had the same thought as me.

“I. I’m a virgin goddess, so. I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your feelings…”

“Could that goddess be sent by Gaia [the primordial goddess of the Earth]?”

We can’t rule out the possibility that she’s a spy sent by Gaia.

* * *

I remember that the goddess of beauty and love is Aphrodite, but I don’t know the process by which she came to belong to Olympus.

But looking at her being courted by the gods now… could it be a plot by Gaia to divide Olympus?

I roughly explained these speculations to Hestia.

“I don’t think she was sent by Gaia.”

“Why?”

“I heard that goddess was only floating on the sea. She never touched the earth and came straight to Olympus.”

That’s true.

But her beauty, which has captivated all the gods, is something to be wary of.

“Aphrodite! If I can have you, I will offer all my treasures!”

“Surely, the one who can be compared to the radiantly beautiful goddess of beauty is me, Apollo, the sun god…”

“Everyone, I’m sorry, but please let me pass.”

Aphrodite, who was surrounded by gods, pushed through them and came this way.

…Huh? Why is she looking at me and coming straight towards me? What is it?

“Excuse me. Handsome, what is your name?”

Aphrodite, who came right up to me, looked up at me with a faint smile.

Didn’t she hear my name from Hestia earlier? And the envious and jealous gazes from the gods behind her.

I have a lot of work to do back in the Underworld, but I already have a headache.

“…Hades, god of the Underworld.”

“Oh my. What a wonderful name. So, Lord Hades, are you married?”

“I have no intention of courting you, so look for another god.”

“Hmph. Don’t you like me?”

The goddess of beauty stared intently at my face with sparkling eyes.

Do I not like you? Which man could escape that beauty?

In fact, when I faced her up close, I also felt my heart stir.

“It’s not a matter of whether I like you or not. I have no intention of getting married yet.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Marriage is a ceremony between those who love each other, and it is also about choosing a partner to spend your life with. So, find another god who loves you.”

Unlike the other gods who were captivated by her charm, she must have come because she was curious that I didn’t show interest.

Her actions too. I really feel like she’s a goddess who hasn’t been born long.

“Do you usually live in the underground world, not above the clouds?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t the underground dark and damp? It seems too dark there…”

“Someone has to be in charge of the Underworld.”

“Why haven’t you gotten married?”

“Just because.”

The goddess Aphrodite asked questions, as if she had many curiosities.

But even that added to her innocent charm, making the goddess’s beauty shine even more.

“Please take me to the Underworld too.”

“What?”

“I. I want to see the Underworld where Lord Hades lives.”

You’re coming to the Underworld? To the underground world that all gods avoid?

I was about to refuse outright, but I looked behind her for a moment.

The scene where countless gods were clamoring, revealing their desires.

“Wh. What?!”

“Aphrodite. The Underworld is not a place for a beautiful goddess like you to go…”

“Ugh! Is Aphrodite going to be Lord Hades’s…!”

“If you ever go to the Underworld, you must never eat the food there! Then you will have to live in the Underworld…”

If I refuse outright, what will happen to Aphrodite? Will the gods continue to fight in Olympus?

I don’t think I’ve heard that Aphrodite belonged to the Underworld in the original myths.

I glanced at Zeus, and he nodded slightly.

Perhaps it was a sense of relief that the seed of discord thrown into Olympus could be sent to the isolated world of the Underworld.

Tsk. Well, I should think of it as one more god to help with the work in the Underworld.

“If you agree to help with the work there while you stay in the underground world, I will agree.”

“Hehe. Thank you.”

And so, I returned to the Underworld with Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love.