King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 91

The King of the Underworld is Tired 91 (91/140)

The Goddess of Mint and Thebes – (1)

“Lord Hades! Shall we depart right away?”

Behind Mente, who was urging me, I could practically see an illusion of a puppy tail wagging furiously.

She must have been very disappointed about the interrupted walk from the last time the Gigas [Giants in Greek mythology] attacked.

“I haven’t been paying enough attention to you lately. If you had told me in advance, I would have made time to take you out.”

“That’s… I wanted to, but…”

The Goddess of Mint wore a troubled expression, showing her reluctance.

“Wanted to, but…?”

“Ah, no! I can’t! If I cut in line, I’ll be cursed… I’ll be cursed and trampled…”

Suddenly, she put her hands together and trembled.

What on earth is she talking about? Cursed… trampled? What is that supposed to mean?

“Anyway, let’s go through the heroes’ training grounds and head straight to Thebes. I need to get out into the mortal realm to clear my head.”

“Yes! I’ll dress up prettily to please you, Lord Hades! Oh, and I…”

Mente, who was about to leave the audience chamber with a happy face, suddenly stopped and spoke softly.

Her face wasn’t visible because she had her back to me, but her ears were redder than ever.

“Lord Hades looks best in the… the chiton [a simple tunic garment] decorated with gold thread that you wore when you first met me. It’s definitely not my taste, just…”

“If you liked it, then so be it.”

So, that outfit I wore last time was Mente’s taste?

I chuckled at her bold words and changed my attire.

It’s nothing new, but I was well aware of my looks and popularity.

However, because of my high position as the King of the Underworld, it was hard to find a deity who would treat me without reserve.

Moreover, most mortals feared the name Hades and called me Pluto.

That’s how it should be… but the Goddess of Mint was different.

“Wow…! Lord Hades, you look so cool right now! Hehe… I’ll be right back!”

When she met me as a water nymph [a mythological spirit of nature] Naiad, not as a low-ranking goddess…

A unique nymph who was more curious and excited than fearful.

Perhaps it was because of that nature that she became my priestess and eventually rose to the position of a goddess.

* * *

Mente and I went to the heroes’ training grounds, where Persephone’s power lingered, and soon found Chiron [a centaur in Greek mythology known for his wisdom].

The centaur sage was giving a lecture to aspiring heroes, looking happier than ever.

“When shooting an arrow, spread your feet shoulder-width apart, and your back foot…”

Chiron notched an arrow and aimed at the target.

The heroes, who were watching him carefully, sat in a wide circle in the open space.

After Chiron’s explanation, they scattered and tried archery practice.

Seeing them awkwardly drawing their bows, as if they had gathered only those who were not skilled in archery, Chiron approached.

He must have spotted us, even though we were far enough away not to be seen by the heroes.

“When did you arrive, Lord Hades? Goddess Mente, you’re here too.”

“Chiron, it seems the training of heroes is going well.”

“Ah, of course. You’ve sent us many heroes who have accomplished their tasks recently, haven’t you? Thanks to that…”

Chiron stopped talking and turned his head.

In an open space far from here, heroes were holding weapons and aiming at each other.

I even see some familiar faces, Bellerophon over there… and Perseus too…

Thud!

A man lightly dodged a flying sword and tripped the man in front of him.

The fallen man complained to his opponent as if he felt wronged.

“King Perseus! What is a great hero like you doing here!”

“What are you talking about? Nurturing successors is also a hero’s duty, isn’t it?”

“No, but for someone who used to be a king to be training…”

“…? Lord Cadmus is over there too, so I’m practically unknown. Hurry up and attack!”

A spectacle of all sorts of famous heroes who had completed their tasks and died training aspiring heroes.

When Perseus died and came to the Underworld, Zeus had intended to make him a constellation with his wife Andromeda.

However, Perseus, upon learning about the Thebes Hero Training Center, refused and expressed his desire to work hard to train successors even after death, so it was done according to his wishes.

Originally, I was going to send him to Elysium [the final resting place of heroes and virtuous souls in Greek mythology], but he knelt down, saying that a sinner who killed his maternal grandfather could not go there.

He was truly a hero who reminded me of Cadmus in many ways.

“They can receive such high-level training. It’s much better than when I was teaching alone.”

“I’m glad it’s helpful. I’ll send any heroes who want to come here in the future.”

I watched Chiron smile contentedly for a moment before turning my gaze to Mente.

She was in the middle of admiring the sight of the heroes training.

“Wow… Lord Hades. Look over there. Is that the serpent Python…?”

“Mente, if we show ourselves to them, it will only cause a commotion, so let’s pass by quietly.”

I urged Mente and moved my feet out of the gap in space.

Whoosh-

“Wh.. What?! The heroes haven’t even… Gasp! Oh, Lord Hades…!”

As soon as we crossed over to the mortal realm, what I saw was a middle-aged priest who was flustered to see me and Mente.

A high priest with quite deep faith… his name was clearly…

“Was it Vesiledes? His faith, praying every day without fail, is truly exemplary of a priest.”

“To remember my name… It’s… an honor! Sniff…”

No, wait a minute. Don’t suddenly prostrate yourself on the floor and cry…

I only praised him a little for praying every morning and evening.

It’s cold here because it’s a stone floor, I need to get out of here quickly.

“It’s uncomfortable to keep watching my priest prostrate himself on the cold stone floor. Get up.”

“But… how can I…”

“That is an order.”

Only then did the priest carefully get up.

“Keep the fact that the Goddess of Mint and I came to Thebes a secret.”

“Of course! By the River Styx… Ugh.”

“…Such an oath is not necessary.”

As soon as I heard the words River Styx, I briefly prevented him from speaking.

Why is he trying to swear by the River Styx right away? [The River Styx was a deity and a boundary between the world of the living and the Underworld]

There’s no need to go that far… Isn’t his faith a little too excessive?

If Mente and I stay here any longer, he might faint, I need to get past him quickly…

We passed by him, who showed faith bordering on fanaticism, and blended into Thebes, concealing our appearances.

* * *

But as soon as we came out of the temple connected to the Underworld, what we saw was…

“Goodness, are you going to keep insisting? The official wife of Lord Pluto is definitely the Goddess Styx!”

“Your grounds are too weak, aren’t they? She was hit by the golden arrow of the God Eros [God of Love] and fell for the Goddess Persephone…”

“That golden arrow wasn’t even proclaimed by the priests of the Pluto Temple, so stop speculating, okay?”

“How else would you explain the statue of Lady Lethe [Goddess of oblivion] being right next to the statue of Pluto?”

There were countless people of Thebes debating about my official wife.

Some were seriously arguing, and some were expressing their opinions with interesting expressions.

However, the problem was that their number… was more than enough to fill the plaza in front of the temple.

When I made eye contact with Mente, she also gave me a bewildered look.

“The Goddess of Mint was originally a nymph and then became a low-ranking goddess, which shows Pluto’s favor!”

“That’s because she created mint, which is a symbol of Lord Pluto, not because of favor!”

Coincidentally, a story about Mente came up.

Whether me making Mente a low-ranking goddess was out of favor for her… or just a reward…

Squeeze.

Along with that, I felt a small hand grabbing my right hand.

The goddess’s soft touch shyly held me, and I turned my head to look at her.

“Lord Hades… I… I’m also curious.”

“Mente.”

“What do you think of me…?”

A question she threw as soon as we came to the mortal realm.

Her face was flushed red, but she was looking into my eyes as she spoke.

It was a question she had always been curious about. I could feel a slight anxiety in her eyes.

Clearly, it was Zeus, not me, who made Mente a low-ranking goddess.

But to the question of whether I favored Mente or not…

“…Lord Hadees?”

Shiny, turquoise hair and clear eyes.

She boasted a beauty that was not inferior to the goddesses even when she was a water nymph, and she became even more beautiful as she became a low-ranking goddess.

As I stared at her without saying a word, Mente seemed to feel anxious and hurriedly opened her mouth.

“I… I don’t even dream of being your official wife… but even as a concubine…”

“Mente.”

Slowly raising my hand, I gently stroked her hair, and she stopped talking.

Although I would have thought about avoiding this situation in the past, I decided not to do that anymore.

From the moment I first met Mente as a nymph… the days she worked in my temple as a priestess,

To her becoming a low-ranking goddess and coming to the Underworld because she liked me, and the sight of me working with her flashed before my eyes.

The reason why I was able to not lose my smile in the Underworld even while being plagued by all sorts of petitions and work…

The Goddess of Mint, who never lost her cheerfulness even in the Underworld, had already deeply entered my heart.

“…You don’t have to beg so much. I don’t dislike you either.”

“Ah…”

Her eyes widened, and then she snuggled into me with relief.

The refreshing scent emanating from the goddess’s entire body tickled the tip of my nose.

While enjoying the sensation of her soft turquoise hair, something behind Mente caught my eye.

“I love you. Meledipus.”

“I like you too… Alcaeus.”

A scene of two men, appearing to be in their 20s and 30s, hugging each other.

Moreover, the other citizens didn’t seem to find anything strange about it.

“Yes. That is true love.”

“Love with a woman is impure affection aimed at reproduction.”

I quickly looked around at the absurd sight…

Hundreds of men in unified soldier uniforms were showing affection on one side of the street.

What crazy bastard dared to poison my Thebes?

“….Lo. Lord Hades?”