The God of Fairness, Hades (2)

 

A stern gaze looking down upon her.

The majesty emanating from the King of the Underworld, ruler of the dead.

Kneeling before Hades, the King of the Underworld, Dike thought:

The only one truly worthy of the divinity of justice was the god before her.

After all, in her eyes, which could distinguish good from evil, few gods were deserving of such a title. Regardless of their rank, most gods were self-centered and impulsive in their thinking.

There were frequent cases where a god might show mercy one day and, on the next, become enraged over a perceived slight to their divinity. Gods were largely born with personalities that did not change over time, and because of that, mortals were destined to suffer endlessly.

It went without saying that even among the gods, the unfairness born from power dynamics was rampant.

Only a few gods, like Hestia, consistently bestowed mercy.

In contrast...

Among the many capricious divinities, akin to natural disasters, there was one who stood out with his character, or rather, his divine character. Not only did he refrain from tormenting mortals, but he also reprimanded gods and upheld justice, embodying the role of a chief deity.

Mortals sang praises to his mercy, for his hands touched not only the dead but also the living.

On Earth, his mercy was so widely known that he received faith comparable to Zeus himself.

Surely, if Hades were to accept her, the spread of justice across the world would be far greater.

 

"I, Dike, the goddess of justice, humbly ask to follow in the footsteps of the Lord of the Underworld and the God of Fairness."

I could not answer easily.

First, because I felt the weight and responsibility contained in Dike's words.

As the goddess of justice, she had chosen to borrow my power to set the world in order.

Indeed, if Dike became one of my subordinate deities, the high-ranking gods of Olympus might restrain themselves in my presence.

As the goddess of justice, Dike also governed the concept of fairness. Yet, she wished to cede that concept to me and become a subordinate deity.

It was not as though I was making a mortal into a god. Accepting one more subordinate concept was not a burden for me, especially as I was already one of the three chief deities.

The reasoning was sound, and I agreed with it.

Supporting the goddess of justice was not a bad decision.

But...

"Do you believe I am qualified to be the god of fairness?"

"Yes? Of course—"

"When mortals began calling me the god of mercy, I remained silent. It only meant that the gods were cruel to them."

The small amount of mercy I showed must have been deeply felt by them.

However, I think the divinity of fairness is somewhat different.

"I am not perfect enough to oversee fairness as a concept. Do you know how many mistakes and wrong judgments I have made in my role as judge of souls? I always regret and ponder over them. The god of fairness you envision surely isn’t like me."

"But, Lord Hades, do you not always strive to deliver just judgments?"

"......"

"A perfectly fair god cannot exist, but you, Lord Hades, are the one who strives for the most just judgment for mortals, are you not?"

Indeed. I seem to recall having a similar conversation with Lady Lethe.

Though only Dike and I were present in the audience chamber, I felt as if I could hear Lady Lethe speaking to me, reminding me of my efforts to render the fairest judgment.

Isn’t it natural that Hades is not the primordial god, Chaos?

I felt a little heavy-hearted. Of course, she might have ulterior motives for seeking my protection, but as the goddess of justice, she must have judged that I was capable of fulfilling the responsibility of fairness.

Godhood comes with the duty to maintain balance in the world and fulfill one's responsibilities.

Not just in the realm of the Underworld, wealth, or mercy... Could I also govern fairness well?

I closed my eyes and fell into deep thought.

As I focused on nothing else, I could hear the voices of mortals calling out to me from the living world.

Though I could choose not to listen to their prayers, I allowed myself to hear them.

The most voices came from Thebes, followed by Argos, Ethiopia, and perhaps the kingdom where Psyche resided...

"Oh, great god Pluto! I seek your mercy!"

"I pray that my son, who died on the battlefield, may find happiness in the underworld."

"Thanks to your grace, I have amassed this wealth. I offer twenty oxen as a sacrifice!"

"With the mint sent from the mercy of Pluto... "

"Pluto, please protect me..."

"Oh god... I am wronged. Please release my grievance."

"I swear to Pluto, I did not commit this crime!"

Mortals praying to me for various reasons. While some called upon me as the god of wealth, recently, more sought me for my mercy.

It made sense... In this world of mythological monsters, absolute monarchy, and gods with human-like hearts, the only place for powerless mortals to turn was to the gods—and only to those gods who were at least somewhat favorable toward humanity.

How pitiable. How sorrowful.

 

After some time passed, I opened my eyes again and looked at the goddess of justice.

"I still believe I am not suited for the divinity of fairness."

"Ah..."

Dike’s shoulders slumped with disappointment and sadness.

But I was not finished speaking.

"However..."

"...?"

"I believe in your judgment, which seeks to uphold justice in this world to the very end."

"Your... words mean?!"

"I will accept the divinity of fairness, as you propose."

Her face brightened again. Hmm. She looked so joyful, but would she still feel that way after working in the Underworld for a few days?

As I accepted the divinity of fairness, I could feel new powers and authorities flowing into me. Unlike the godhood of mercy that mortals had naturally attributed to me, this was more like a formal transfer of divine authority.

"Thank you! Lord Hades! As expected, such a fair and just decision...! Please, command me in anything from now on."

"In that case, take this first. Any god who serves in the Underworld should handle at least this much."

"...?"

Thud.

I handed her the pile of scrolls stacked next to me.

Was this too little work for such a competent goddess of justice? Perhaps I should add more...

"Lord Hades...? What is all this?"

"Hm? Can’t you tell by looking? The scroll at the top is a report on the finances of the Underworld and an inventory of the offerings sent by the worshipers..."

"No, I mean... There’s much more work than I expected..."

"More work? That's only your afternoon assignment. Including what’s already been processed by the lesser gods before being reported to me, it’s much more."

"......"

Clang—

The sword and scales, symbols of the goddess of justice, fell from her hands. She had no hands left to hold them while carrying the stack of scrolls. She could have just levitated them in the air...

"Oh, and when you’re done with that, stop by the Styx to receive your next assignment from Lady Styx."

"......"

The once-expressionless face of the goddess of justice, who had always maintained composure in the face of injustice, darkened.

 

At the temple of Hades in Thebes, high-ranking priests could be seen scurrying about from early morning.

"A divine oracle has been received by the High Priest from Lord Hades?!"

"What did he say this time...?"

"Could it be another plant like mint from last time?"

They rushed into the High Priest's chamber, heard the oracle, and quickly left the temple to take action. The reason was...

"Lord Hades has declared that the goddess of justice, Dike, now belongs to the Underworld!"

"What?! The goddess of justice in the Underworld?!"

"In any case, we need to create a new statue of the goddess immediately! Summon the sculptors and bring the finest marble..."

Some priests went to explain the changes to the theologians and the royal palace.

The rumors spread swiftly across Thebes...

And the discussions before the temple of Hades about the lady of the Underworld turned into debates about divine authority.

"The goddess of justice in the Underworld?! What does that even mean?"

"We should accept the oracle as it is."

"So, does that mean justice now belongs to the domain of Lord Pluto?"

"It’s not strange, given that Lord Pluto is the god of mercy."

"But how can justice be subordinate to mercy? Something seems off. The divine authority of Pluto... it’s..."

"Could it be judgment and fairness?"

"If the god of Pluto includes justice, wouldn't he also govern law?"

After much debate, they reached a new conclusion.

There had been cases where monsters were elevated to godhood after death, after all.

"Wait, everyone knows the story of Medusa, don’t they?"

"Of course, the tale where Medusa, wronged and turned into a monster, was made into a goddess by Lord Pluto?"

"When mortals die and enter the Underworld, they are punished for their sins, but if they led good lives or died unjustly, they are rewarded, are they not?"

The people of Thebes gathered and thought.

A god who judges mortals fairly, meting out proper punishment and reward, and who mercifully looks after them...

"Does that mean Lord Pluto is the god of justice, judgment, and fairness?"

"...Perhaps we should consider the Underworld as embodying all these concepts?"

"A fair judgment awaits at the end of a mortal's life... That does sound right."

"The wicked are cast into Tartarus, which is judgment, while Medusa's elevation to godhood exemplifies fairness and mercy, does it not?"

"Come to think of it, aren’t the Three Furies also part of the Underworld?"

"Since judgment must be fair, the divinities of justice and fairness would naturally fall under Pluto's domain..."

Thus, from Thebes, word spread widely that Lord Pluto now presided over justice, judgment, and fairness.

Surprisingly, few people expressed opposition or disagreement, for this new revelation matched perfectly with the history of Lord Pluto they had witnessed until now.