King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 94

The King of the Underworld is Tired 94

Ares and Poseidon’s Trial – (1)

After settling the matter in Thebes, I was chatting with Lady Styx while working.

It’s all thanks to the goddess that things don’t pile up too much whenever I leave the Underworld…

“I swear on the Styx River, and only tell the truth, that the goddess’s hair is radiant today.”

“Ugh… Please don’t make strange oaths in front of me…! You hadn’t done that for a while, but you’re doing it again…”

Lady Styx is very embarrassed by my oaths in front of her today as well.

But I can’t help it when her beautiful black hair, comparable to silk woven by Athena, is swaying before my eyes.

I briefly put down the parchment and stared blankly at the black waves flickering in front of me…

The goddess, slightly blushing, opened her mouth.

“…Then, would you like to… touch it? Just for a moment…”

I couldn’t resist this.

I nodded blankly, and the goddess of oaths came closer to me.

Is the scent I detect the scent of parchment piled up like a mountain, or the scent of olive emanating from her?

Without looking at me, she forcibly bowed her head and focused on her work, and I placed my hand on her hair.

As I slowly stroked the goddess’s hair, which seemed to flow out of my hand, I felt a strange, subtle current.

“Ugh…”

Am I actually feeling happiness right now?

Despite the arduous and busy work of the Underworld, I am spending quality time with the goddess…

Knock.

“Lord Hades! Ares is at the entrance to the Underworld… Oh?!”

“Ahem… What is it?”

“Ah… !”

It was Persephone, the goddess of spring and seeds, who opened the door and came in.

She quickly scanned the office, and as soon as she saw me and Lady Styx close together, she pouted and put her hands on her hips.

“You’re… always with Lady Styx, and I’m not even visible in your eyes? Lord Hades?”

“You don’t even call me uncle anymore…”

“Well, if we get married, I’d have to call you ‘dear’! So, when are you going to go to the mortal realm with me?”

“…? You and I are going to the mortal realm together?”

“Oh, you’re pretending not to know again. Are you going to keep doing that? The rumor that Hades goes on outings to the mortal realm with the goddesses he likes has already spread throughout the Underworld. You spend time with Styx and Lethe, and even that lower god, Menthe, but why not with me…?”

Please. Niece…

Of course, it’s not a big problem among the gods, but there’s a bit of psychological resistance…

It seems like your existence is a bit… too early for me.

Thanks to the beautiful goddess of spring, I had a chance to change my mind, but the relationship with her is still unsettling…

Should I change the subject for now?

“…What’s this about Ares coming to the entrance of the Underworld?”

“Ah. That? He said he needs help with opening a trial because he had a big fight with his uncle Poseidon…”

Poseidon and Ares had a big fight?

I thought they had only clashed during Poseidon’s rebellion before.

* * *

That’s how I came to see the god walking into the audience hall.

Tight muscles like iron armor, the armor of the gods made by Hephaestus [the god of blacksmiths, metalworking, carpenters, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes], and a treasured sword at his waist.

Ares, my nephew and the god of war, gave an awkward smile and knelt on one knee in front of me.

What brings Ares, who has been terrified of the Underworld since the Great Flood?

“Uncle Hades, how do you do.”

“…Yes. I’ve heard the story roughly. What’s going on that you and Poseidon had such a big fight? And why did you come to the Underworld?”

“I’ll tell you slowly. So, what happened was…”

According to Ares’s story, it was all because of a demigod named Halirrothios, Poseidon’s son.

Halirrothios was born between Poseidon and a nymph named Euryte.

He believed that his father was Poseidon and committed all sorts of atrocities in Athens, the city where Athena [the goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare] is the main god.

“Oh! You’re a priestess serving the goddess Athena, so you don’t look bad on the outside, do you?”

“Plea… Please don’t do this. We have all sworn chastity…”

“Chastity oath? So what? Do you know who I am?”

He habitually groped and harassed the priestesses of the Athena Temple…

Thud- Crash!

“What?! You told me to leave because I don’t have money? Are you doing this to me now?”

“Even if you are the son of Lord Poseidon… Keuk!”

“No. No. You’ve received so much of the sea’s grace, yet you dare to treat me like this?”

He didn’t pay for things or took things from various restaurants and inns in Athens, and caused a ruckus…

“Wait! Wait a minute, that’s the olive tree symbolizing the goddess Athena…!”

“So what?! My father is Lord Poseidon.”

Drrr… Kuung!

He indiscriminately cut down the olive trees symbolizing the goddess Athena, incurring Athena’s wrath.

However, Athena couldn’t confront Poseidon head-on, so she just scolded him appropriately…

After hearing the story so far, I asked Ares.

“Did you hear these stories directly from Athena?”

“Yes, that’s right. That trash committed such acts.”

“…Keep talking for now.”

The god of war, Ares, had a demigod daughter.

The girl named Alcippe was grazing in a field near Athens…

Unfortunately, she encountered the scoundrel, Halirrothios.

“You know who I am, right? Follow me, marrying me is also good for you…”

“Wh… Who are you! Kyaaaak! Father!”

“Can’t you be quiet! My father is Poseido… Keok!”

Slash- Thud.

“Alcippe, are you okay?!”

“Fath… Father… sob. Thank you…”

Halirrothios, who tried to forcibly take Alcippe, was confronted by Ares, who ran after hearing his daughter’s scream…

Naturally, Ares, seeing the crazy bastard trying to rape his daughter, swung his sword and cut off his head.

When his son died, Poseidon vehemently criticized Ares.

“Ares! You scoundrel! You cut off my son’s head?!”

“What?! Lord Poseidon’s son tried to rape my daughter!”

“Even so, you!”

“I did nothing wrong!”

As their quarrel gradually intensified,

Zeus [the god of the sky and thunder, ruler of the Olympian gods] and the other gods decided to hold a trial to mediate…

“…Yes. The guy who tried to rape your daughter is probably being punished through the Minos brothers [judges of the dead in the Underworld]. So why did you come to the Underworld?”

“Everyone said that Uncle Hades is the right person to be a judge! Please give a fair ruling!”

The god of war, who was passionately speaking in front of me, looked at me with a lot of emotion.

Ask me, who is in the Underworld, to make a ruling?

* * *

“The guy who tried to rape your daughter is already dead, so it’s under my jurisdiction, but isn’t the dispute between Poseidon and you something Zeus should handle?”

This is clearly a matter of the mortal realm.

Wouldn’t Zeus judge it himself? But the fact that this problem has been passed on to me…

“That’s… As I said, everyone recommended Uncle Hades.”

“Tell me more details.”

The situation in Olympus that Ares told me was like this.

As the gods’ quarrel intensified, Zeus, the king of the gods, decided to hold a trial in Athens,

And the other gods also expressed their intention to attend the trial.

But…

“Hoo… Then this Zeus will listen to both sides and make a ruling…”

“Zeus. Isn’t it better to ask Hades for this kind of thing rather than you?”

“Hera is right… Hades has always been in charge of this kind of thing in the Underworld, hasn’t he?”

“…In my opinion, Hades, who is familiar with the ruling…”

When Zeus said he would take on the role of judge, the goddesses opposed him and recommended me.

When Hera [the goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, and family], Hestia [the goddess of the hearth, home, and family], and Aphrodite [the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation] expressed their opinions, the other goddesses agreed…

“Ha! Yes, let’s leave it to Hades instead.”

“I don’t mind either. There is no god more fair than Uncle Hades.”

“Hmm. So everyone agrees to entrust the judge to Hades, right?”

Even Poseidon and Ares in front of me said that I would be more suitable as a judge than Zeus.

After Ares’s explanation was over, I looked at my nephew.

“That’s what happened. Uncle.”

“…Are you now entrusting even the affairs of the mortal realm to me?”

“My father said that if my uncle helps, he will transfer a ring with similar effects to Harmonia’s necklace [a cursed necklace that brings misfortune to whoever possesses it].”

Harmonia’s necklace, the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite and the wife of Cadmus, is a divine object that brings youth and beauty to the wearer.

But our gods don’t need it because they are immortal.

Still, a ring of youth…

I can give it to a favorite human or use it for collection.

“Hmm…”

By the way, Poseidon’s son caused a riot in Athens, Athena’s city.

The guy might really be a scoundrel, but Poseidon wouldn’t have deliberately condoned or ordered it, would he?

Athena and Poseidon don’t get along well, so it’s possible.

I can guess why the other goddesses talked about me when Zeus said he would take on the trial…

I also know why Zeus readily stepped down from such an opinion.

Originally, he would have said that he would take on the role of judge to keep Poseidon in check,

But he must have guessed that I would side with Ares if it were my personality. It wouldn’t look good if he was too openly checking it.