King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 79

Bellerophon’s Story – (2)

I returned from Elysium with Pegasus to the fortress, where the goddess Styx greeted me.

She had taken the opportunity during my brief absence to handle urgent matters and was taking a short break.

“You’ve returned, Hades… and you’ve brought Pegasus.”

Flap!

Some might think it’s an overreach of authority, but I was the one who granted the goddess Styx the power to help us in the war against the Titans, as a token of my gratitude.

Therefore, she often becomes the final decision-maker when I am not in the Underworld.

However, if there was a problem that was difficult for the goddess to judge on her own, she would put it on hold and wait for me.

“Now, all that’s left is to deliver this to the hero. I was thinking of sending Hermes or Athena…”

“Shall I send a letter to Olympus?”

“Yes, please.”

After finishing my words, I was about to return to my original place when the figure of the goddess Styx caught my eye.

Long black hair and blue eyes filled with fatigue. A parchment in her hand.

Come to think of it, I’ve been indebted to the goddess quite a lot.

A long time ago, during the war with the Titans… helping with the affairs of the Underworld and supporting me when I was immature.

The touch of the Styx sword tied to my waist feels strangely warm.

The goddess Styx, as well as the goddess Lethe, Mente, and Persephone…

They are grateful people who like my lacking self, but have I ever given them a proper reward?

The goddess’s beautiful eyes were filled with trust, faith, and affection towards me.

As I stared at her quietly, lost in complex thoughts, the goddess chuckled and said.

“Pfft. Hades. Why are you staring so intently? Are you captivated by my beauty?”

“…Yes. You look particularly beautiful today.”

“N-…?! Nehehet?! Wh-…what…”

The parchment fell from the goddess Styx’s hand, and her face turned red up to her ears.

She raised one hand to cover her mouth, not knowing what to do.

And I, too, opened my mouth with a slightly nervous voice.

This is just a walk… Yes, a reward. That’s all… It doesn’t mean anything… probably.

“Since Pegasus is going to the mortal realm, would you like to fly around the sky with me?”

“Heeup!… I-…I-…I’ll go prepare right away! Wait here!”

Dodo… Thud!

The goddess, who hurriedly brushed past me, caught her toe on the door of the audience chamber.

Of course, a part of the door that was caught on the sturdy body of the goddess was destroyed.

Looking at the debris of the slightly broken door scattered on the floor of the audience chamber, the thought that came to my mind was…

‘Should I change my clothes too?’

* * *

I thought she would be back soon…

But surprisingly, even after a long time had passed, the goddess Styx did not return.

…?

Just as I was about to go out to see if something had happened,

The door burst open, and the goddess Styx rushed in with a hurried look.

She was panting, bending over with her hands on her knees, as if she had been chased by someone until just now.

Who dares to make the goddess Styx so flustered in the Underworld?

Could it be an all-out war with the Gigas [giants]?

“Huk… Huk… Let’s go out quickly, Hades…!”

“What’s wrong? Has a war broken out in Olympus? Or has Poseidon rebelled again…”

“That’s… Huk… not it… The goddess Lethe kept following me with suspicious eyes, so I went around the Underworld once… Heeek.”

“…Let’s have a glass of water first.”

Listening to the goddess Styx’s words slowly…

The goddess Lethe, who found the goddess Styx changing clothes in her room…

“Styx… Where are you going dressed like that…?”

“L-…Lethe?! It’s nothing!”

“Something’s suspicious…”

From then on, she followed her around, and she was able to escape only after giving her a lot of work.

The goddess Styx sighed softly and finished her explanation.

“Ugh… Lethe was so persistent…”

“Because you were dressed like that…”

Unlike the plain clothes she was wearing until just now, she was wearing a chiton [a simple tunic] with a considerable amount of her chest and legs exposed.

Her face, coated with olive oil and honey, was glossy, and golden ornaments hung from her slightly flushed ears.

“…Hades.”

“…Yes?”

“If you stare at me too much like that…”

Even the slightly flushed cheeks, all of this showed her beauty.

“Will you go out with me, goddess?”

“…! Of course.”

So I went to the mortal realm with the goddess Styx for a while.

Of course, I brought Pegasus with me too.

Neigh!

Pegasus, as if happy to be in the mortal realm after a long time, ran around for a while.

I stopped the heavenly horse, then got on the horse’s back and held out my hand to the goddess Styx.

“Get on.”

“…Yes!”

I grabbed Pegasus’s reins and got on, and the goddess Styx wrapped her arms around my stomach from behind, leaning her head on my back.

The soft touch feels like it’s about to touch my back, adding to the awkwardness.

Stroking Pegasus’s glossy white mane, I commanded.

The intelligent heavenly horse born as a divine beast will understand my intentions.

“Let’s go up. Up into the sky, but only to the point where we don’t reach Olympus.”

Neigh!

* * *

Pegasus kicks off the ground and flies up.

The horse’s pure white wings flutter greatly, creating wind.

Whoosh-

Up, higher up.

Nymphs [minor female deities associated with nature] can be seen watching us from the nearby mountains.

I waved my hand to hide us from the eyes of mortals, then said to the goddess Styx who was riding behind me.

“Riding a cloud or chariot and speeding through the sky isn’t bad, but sometimes it’s nice to ride a horse and feel the wind. I wanted to show you this sight.”

“Come to think of it, Hades, did you say that the reason you fought the Titans was because of this?”

“Yes. To be exact, it’s because of the scenery at the top of Olympus. But this scenery is similar…”

Neigh!

More and more, we came up to the point where clouds floated beside us. If we go up a little higher, we will be at the same height as the Olympus Divine Palace.

But I had no intention of going up to Olympus, so I pulled the reins, and Pegasus flew slowly according to my will.

Looking down, what I saw was a wide plain and human cities that looked like countless dots.

“I’m almost always in the Underworld… so I don’t think I’ve seen this kind of scenery often.”

“Now that the work in the Underworld has become much more stable, you will have time from time to time.”

“…Thank you. Maybe it’s because I’m with Hades, but I’m enjoying the sky outing too.”

When I glanced back, the face of the goddess Styx, who was close to me, came closer.

She closed her eyes slowly as she met my eyes.

Anyone would know what she wants.

The goddess’s red and beautiful lips. What would happen if I took this one step forward?

I stopped Pegasus, who was flying leisurely in the sky, turned my head, and slowly approached.

The gradually increasing heartbeat sounded louder than Zeus’s thunder.

The noisy wind and bird sounds around me, I couldn’t hear anything.

Right now, my eyes and ears are only focused on the goddess who is close to me.

“Hoo…”

I thought, panting with a breath that sounded somehow impatient but rough.

I am also a man, so I don’t dislike the goddesses who like me.

But… can I make them happy? Not just one goddess, but several?

I knew.

This is just my prejudice, fear, and hesitation…

Just as I was hesitating, caught up in conflict, a clearly artificial gust of wind blew.

Whiooooong-

“Oh my!”

“Hmm?!”

Pegasus staggers, caught in the gust of wind.

Naturally, the goddess Styx, who had been closing her eyes, and my hesitating body also shook.

I put strength into the reins I was holding in one hand to control the staggering Pegasus,

And I put my other hand around the waist of the goddess who looked precarious.

And… we, who were close to each other in the strong wind…

Peck.

The sensation of soft lips touching gently. The goddess’s scent felt along with the sweet scent of honey.

A minor accident that happened in the sky pushed my back.

The goddess, who opened her eyes at the sudden shaking, soon could not hide her widening pupils.

I, too, could only turn my head away hastily with a reddened face.

Whiiiiing-

I could quickly tell who had caused the sudden gust of wind.

Because the god who was flying away, giving me a thumbs up and nodding, was seen in the distance.

The god of the south wind who brings warmth and rain, Euros.

It was the work of the son of Eos [the goddess of the dawn], the goddess of dawn, who is in charge of the east wind.

Perhaps he was passing by to blow the east wind into the world, and he saw us and created a suitable wind.

Are you some kind of god of matchmaking…

* * *

I was about to go back now when I met the messenger god who was flying somewhere.

Hermes saw us riding Pegasus and said with a face full of curiosity.

“Oh? Isn’t that Hades, great-uncle? And behind him is the goddess Styx?”

“…Hermes.”

“What brings you to the sky… Ah! Don’t tell me you were having a good time? Oh, I interrupted you. Haha!”

“……”

Neither I nor the goddess Styx could say anything.

Because the moist and soft touch still remained on my lips…

“…Really?”

“Don’t talk nonsense, I’ll give you Pegasus’s reins, so take them to that hero.”

“Yes? Ah… Thank you for lending me Pegasus.”

“Pegasus will be released when he lands on the ground, so you take him to a suitable place on your own.”

I have to test whether the hero who will kill the Chimera [a fire-breathing monster with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail] can handle Pegasus.

If he can hold on to Pegasus with the reins, I can lend it to him.

“Yes, I was thinking of doing that too. But… did you two really have something going on…?”

“…Shut up.”

You’re unnecessarily quick-witted.