Chapter 8 The Story of Life – (3)

 

The underworld, ruled by Hades, was bustling as usual.

 

Especially now, with all the gods mobilized to prepare for the great flood that would soon sweep the earth.

 

“When the great flood begins, the small animals in the lowlands will be the first to die.”

 

“First, we need to visit the cities listed in this underworld register…”

 

“Charon, the ferryman of the Acheron River, is going to have a hard time.”

 

“We need to get the souls to clear this area and relocate.”

 

The desperate efforts of the underworld officials to cope with the explosive population increase.

 

And I, Hades, processed all the reports they submitted, handling the tasks.

 

Assigning and judging the souls that would come to the underworld due to the great flood, and preparing the spaces for them to reside in the underworld.

 

On top of that, I had to oversee and efficiently delegate the roles of the subordinate gods and prepare for various problems that might arise in the underworld.

 

I had to manage almost everything without encroaching on the jurisdictions of the gods overseeing each domain.

 

Now, I understood why there were so few stories about Hades in the 21st century’s Greek mythology, which was gradually being forgotten.

 

“Hades, what if we expanded the boundaries of the underworld towards the Elysian Fields?”

 

“How about recruiting more ferrymen to assist Charon?”

 

“Perhaps it’s better to request support from Olympus…”

 

With all this work, it’s impossible to leave the underworld.

 

By the way, the Elysian Fields is a paradise where souls who achieved great feats or showed great virtue during their lives dwell.

 

Most souls that are not eligible to enter that place reside in my underworld.

 

Despite being underground, Elysium is a mysterious space full of sunlight, plants, and animals, just like an ordinary meadow above ground.

 

The souls there enjoy spiritual satisfaction that surpasses any material pleasure, doing whatever they want in the meadow blessed by the gods.

 

Simply put, it’s the ancient Greek version of heaven.

 

“Hades! Zeus… Lord Zeus has arrived in the underworld!”

 

Did I hear that wrong?

 

It seemed like the soul who rushed into my office said that Zeus had arrived outside.

 

“Lord Zeus and Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, have visited the underworld!”

 

I had expressed my displeasure through Iris earlier, but for the proud Zeus to come here personally?

 

With a nod, the soul soldier opened the office door, revealing a golden-haired god I knew.

 

Zeus entered with an awkward face, coughing, followed cautiously by Iris.

 

“Ahem. Ahem. It’s been a while, brother Hades.”

 

He really came to this dark place.

 

* * *

 

For the king of the gods to come personally to apologize in the territory ruled by the other three principal gods…

 

Could it be that his power is unstable now, or is there a problem on Olympus?

 

“It was my mistake not to inform you about the great flood in advance. I was so focused on punishing those despicable humans that I forgot to consult with you, brother.”

 

I gestured to Zeus to take the chair opposite me.

 

I felt somewhat appeased now that he had come to apologize personally.

 

“Ahem. I didn’t mean to disrespect the authority of the underworld. As an apology, I have prepared some things…”

 

An apology, you say?

 

“First, I will dispatch some attendants from Olympus and my daughter Athena to assist with the excessive workload during the great flood.”

 

Oh… This is good news.

 

The goddess of wisdom is incredibly efficient, capable of handling the enormous workload of the underworld.

 

“And there will be no more decisions made by Olympus to exterminate life in the lower world without discussing with the underworld.”

 

Of course, that’s natural.

 

“I swear by the River Styx.”

 

The very act of Zeus coming to the underworld to apologize softened my heart, and I nodded in agreement until I stopped.

 

An oath by the River Styx is unbreakable, even for the gods.

 

Well, he does seem to be reflecting.

 

No matter how much I criticize Zeus, he knew when to swallow his pride as the king of the gods.

 

Of course, the fact that I am not an easy lower god also played a part in this decision.

 

“How about having a drink of nectar with me? There are many things to discuss after a long time.”

 

I chuckled and cleared the documents off the desk.

 

Iris, with quick wit, brought out ambrosia and nectar from her rainbow and stepped back.

 

“Alright, let’s have a drink after a long time.”

 

* * *

 

As Zeus and I drank nectar and talked in the office, murmurs could be heard throughout the underworld.

 

Lower gods, officials, and souls were whispering.

 

“My goodness… Lord Zeus in the underworld…”

 

“Though they are brothers, were they always this close?”

 

“There won’t be any sudden lightning strikes, will there?”

 

He must have felt the urgency from my words through Iris. For him to come quickly to gauge the mood of the underworld…

 

“Other gods have also expressed their dissatisfaction about the great flood, it seems.”

 

“Poseidon is the biggest problem. He keeps trying to usurp my position, and this time too, he subtly…”

 

I listened to Zeus’s complaints while sipping ambrosia.

 

Even though he had justified the flood through Pandora, some gods were suspicious or opposed to it.

 

I spoke to Zeus, who was venting his frustrations.

 

Is it really necessary to cling to the position of king of the gods?

 

“Both you and Poseidon, what’s so important about the title of master of Olympus…”

 

“Hahaha! Brother Hades, do you perhaps desire this position as well?”

 

Zeus’s eyes momentarily sharpened, but I casually removed the nectar glass from my lips.

 

You know me, and I know you, so there’s no reason for unnecessary suspicion. It was just a joke.

 

“A joke. A joke. But you know the view from the golden throne of Olympus, don’t you? I find it rather intriguing that you have no interest in power.”

 

The Olympus palace, looking down on everything from the clouds.

 

Before we fought the Titans, Zeus, Poseidon, and the six gods saw that view.

 

Indeed, it was an overwhelming sight.

 

The omnipotence and elation of feeling as if the whole world was in my hands, the view an absolute ruler would see.

 

One of the reasons I decided to fight the Titans.

 

But if you ask why I differ from Poseidon despite having the power and status to challenge for that position…

 

“If I ascend to the golden throne of Olympus, I would no longer be able to stay here.”

 

“Surely Olympus is much better than this gloomy underworld.”

 

Should I elaborate more?

 

If I were to usurp the throne of the king of the gods and go to Mount Olympus, many changes would occur.

 

I wouldn’t be able to see the grateful Styx who forged my sword often…

 

Thanatos, who works hard harvesting souls daily, wouldn’t come up to Olympus…

 

Neither would Hypnos, Moros, and Keres, who assist with the underworld’s tasks, nor Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness.

 

Lastly, I’d be separated from all the people who currently reside in the underworld and follow my rule.

 

Costaris, the guard who always watches the door of my office, refused reincarnation even after his memories were erased from being wronged in the mortal world.

 

Nerdis, the woman who pours nectar beside me at every underworld banquet, also suffered a dreadful end at the hands of wicked rogues…

 

Zeus interrupted me at that point.

 

He seemed bored by the tales of humans.

 

But the golden god stroked his beard and nodded as if he had realized something.

 

For the first time in a long while, I saw a glimpse of Zeus’s true nature as the god of kingship.

 

“Indeed, now I understand. Brother, you don’t covet the throne of the gods because you are already a true king.”

 

That’s right. I am the king of the underworld.

 

Being the most powerful among the gods is nothing compared to fulfilling my current duties and taking care of my subjects.

 

Perhaps I have grown attached to this dark and gloomy place.

 

If you’ve only now realized that, then as king of the gods, why don’t you stop behaving like a rogue and stop committing such acts?

 

Not just the rapes, but also how many times you’ve committed adultery. And yet you still want to keep your power.

 

I softened my words to convey the message more gently.

 

“Well? I have a duty to make the Olympian gods flourish. And to be honest, even now, Iris’s lovely figure lingers in my mind…”

 

Zeus shook his head with a stern expression, but his eyes were filled with lewd intent as he spoke of Iris’s figure.

 

Are you not afraid of Hera, Zeus?

 

You always talk about the prosperity of the Olympian gods, but isn’t that just an excuse to satisfy your own desires?

 

If not, why would you have relationships with all your sisters and relatives?

 

“Hmm, why are you looking at me like that?”

 

He avoided my gaze awkwardly.

 

Should I just ‘Uranus’ him?