The Story of Life - (1)
The gods commanded Prometheus, a Titan who foresaw the future and surrendered during the war with the Titans, to create the human race.
And his brother, Epimetheus, created various creatures such as pigs, horses, and birds, all the beings I know.
At this crucial turning point in the world, what was I, Hades, the king of the underworld, doing?
"Recently, the souls passing over the River Styx have increased significantly."
"Hades, isn't the important thing the humans? If I have to deal with other creatures as well, my workload will become too heavy..."
"Ask Hypnos, the god of sleep, for a little help, and once the underworld stabilizes, then start bringing only humans."
I was busy organizing the underworld due to the countless deaths of the newly created beings.
The underworld is not a space meant solely for humans.
As countless souls reached the end of their lives and flooded into the underworld, my duties as its overseer increased dramatically.
If I had been leisurely overseeing things until now, it meant that I had to start managing things seriously as the king of the dead.
Now, all the newly born lives were dying far too easily.
The beings cast into nature by the gods began a fierce struggle for survival, and Thanatos, the god of death, complained of exhaustion.
Overnight, he became the busiest worker in the underworld, sending out numerous shadows, or rather, avatars, to bring back the dead souls, causing the underworld to become crowded with spirits.
At one point, there were even souls waiting to be reincarnated in the underworld.
Fortunately, this is a problem that time can resolve.
After a while, the newly born beings would learn wisdom from their surviving ancestors and could live longer than they do now.
"Hades, I have been wondering if it would have been better to side with Cronus these days."
...
Well, I am struggling too, so please bear with me.
Still, for now, the hardships of some gods have opened wide.
Thanatos, the personification of death, had become haggard, his eyes dull from controlling his many avatars.
His once shining wings had become ragged, and it felt as if his steel-like black feathers were falling one by one.
Could it be that an immortal god, the son of Nyx, could collapse under excessive work?
"To hear such words from the king of the underworld is quite frightening. Please, do not joke about it."
Thanatos made a face as if he had bitten into something sour and sighed.
Ah, I let my thoughts slip out again.
The underworld is so quiet that I have developed a habit of talking to myself.
As much time passed and the cycle of life and death normalized, bringing peace back to the underworld, we erupted in cheers.
From the perspective of the immortal gods, it hadn’t been an excessively long time...
Finally, the animals adapted to their environment, and humans began to live in groups, reducing the frequency of easy deaths.
Though it was a short time, the work that had felt like hell (Tartarus) was now beginning to show signs of ending.
If Zeus hadn’t created a human named Pandora to send all sorts of diseases and harmful substances to the surface, things would have been a bit easier.
Or perhaps, as a price for giving fire to humans, he could have made Prometheus work as a slave in the underworld.
Honestly, I think it’s too harsh to have him eaten by an eagle just for sharing some fire.
Thanks to that, humans occasionally offer sacrifices...
Because of Pandora's box, which Zeus cast down to the earth, the underworld had been in a state of saturation for a while.
At the very least, shouldn’t Athena, the goddess of wisdom, be dispatched occasionally?
Anyway, after a long time, we finally had some leisure, and a modest party was held in the underworld.
Thanatos, Hypnos, the goddess of the Styx, and several other gods who had helped with the underworld's work all entered the fortress of the underworld and enjoyed nectar and ambrosia.
In one corner of the banquet hall, a few souls played the lyre made by humans, while attendants busily carried drinks and food.
I sat at the head table, sipping nectar and inwardly cursing Zeus.
Ding.
Ding ding~
"Glug glug. Hah... I can finally take a break now."
"I'm glad that our stories have spread among humans, making the task of bringing back souls easier."
"Indeed, these days, most dead humans seem to resign themselves when they see my wings."
Did you know? The drink of the gods, nectar, is not just one flavor.
Once it touches the tongue, it gives a refreshing and smooth sensation, with a mix of coolness and sweetness.
"Ah! Today, the nectar tastes even better."
Perhaps that’s why the goddess of Styx, who used to nag a lot, is drinking it like crazy...?
The food of the gods, ambrosia, is even more unique.
It tastes exactly like what the eater desires most at that moment.
For me, it tasted like the pork belly I used to eat in my past life.
Hmm, as I grew tired of pork belly, it now tastes like sweet chocolate chip cookies.
"Hades, do humans offer many sacrifices to you?"
The goddess of Styx, who was drinking nectar beside me, brought up the topic of humans.
I heard that human nations have now emerged on the surface.
The stories of the Olympian gods have spread widely, and there are humans who occasionally call my name when making sacrifices.
Shall I listen to what humans are saying right now?
I briefly 'listened' in.
[Hades! O Hades, why have you taken my mother? Why!]
[O Pluto, god of abundance! Please accept these beasts and grant me a thread of your blessing!]
[O Hades...
Please...
I beg you, do not take me!]
[Close your eyes and open them, and Hades will be standing before you! Die!]
Hmm.
As expected, the surface is a mess.
I recalled the face of a grateful devotee who offered dozens of cattle they raised to me and closed my ears again.
My other name is Pluto, the one who provides abundantly.
I am the god of wealth.
There are humans who worship me as the god of abundance, but perhaps it is due to the common belief that the underworld is a wealthy place.
Indeed, the underworld is overflowing with precious jewels and minerals for humans.
Moreover, I possess the Cornucopia, the horn of plenty, so I hold the title of the god of abundance.
If one reaches into this large horn, they can pull out as much food and wealth as they desire infinitely.
It is a magnificent item befitting the god of abundance, but what does it matter...
I am not human, so it holds little significance.
"Hades..."
Please stop clinging.
The goddess of Styx has drunk too much nectar.
"Your Majesty of the Underworld... I have a report..."
A soul standing guard with a spear quietly approached me and whispered.
He was a male soul who lived for about 30 years before dying, and if he wishes to stay here instead of reincarnating, he would be assigned such a role.
I thought that souls choosing the underworld would be quite rare, but perhaps because they forget their memories from the surface after passing through the Lethe River, there were more than I expected.
Of course, the balance of reincarnation must be maintained, so I cannot grant everyone their wishes.
I pushed aside the goddess of Styx, who was also intoxicated by the great nectar, and listened to the soul's words.
"The goddess of the rainbow, Iris, has come to visit the underworld. She says she comes to deliver a message from the high one..."
As soon as the ghostly soldier conveyed this, the modest festival came to a halt.
The goddess of Styx, who seemed completely sober, and Thanatos and Hypnos, who put down their ambrosia, all turned their sharp gazes toward me.
"Could it be... just when we were finally able to rest..."
"Surely not...? O Zeus."
The banquet hall doors opened, and soon a beautiful goddess with azure hair and white wings entered.
She radiated a soft, rainbow-colored aura from her body.
Normally, one might lose their senses at the sight of such a beautiful goddess, whom even Zeus would covet, but here, only tension filled the air.
"I, Iris, meet the lord of the underworld after a long time."
The goddess of the rainbow, Iris, is the messenger who conveys the will of Zeus and Hera.
However, she primarily delivers Hera's messages, so there is still hope.
"Zeus has decided to unleash a great flood to punish the fallen humans."
Suddenly...?
Punishment of fallen humans > Great flood > Most humans die > Sudden increase in the population of the underworld > Overwork
The minds of the gods sitting here began to race quickly.
The conclusion they reached with their brilliant minds was that from now on, their workload would overflow.
"Hypnos, can you put me to sleep?"
".... I swear by the River Styx, you shall not close your eyes until the flood is over."
"I don't think I can help this time, Hades. Well then, I shall take my leave..."
"O Zeus, please."
Tartarus...
I suppose I must open it?
I seriously contemplated a coup.