Persephone's Aftermath
After Persephone and Eros arrived in the Underworld, the welfare of the gods who worked there greatly improved.
Eros, who was tasked with torturing serious criminals day and night, was not the only one affected.
Surprisingly, Persephone showed remarkable enthusiasm in helping with the affairs of the Underworld.
As the goddess of spring, she was inexperienced in this work but diligently assisted the other gods.
It seemed that merely being infatuated with me was not enough of a reason, so I decided to approach her directly and ask.
As I got closer to where the gods were busy with paperwork, I soon heard the sounds of suffering.
It was common to see gods carrying piles of parchment, and some hurried past without noticing me.
Everyone was working hard...
"Ugh... When will this ever end..."
"Oh, Lord Hades, you have arrived."
"Nectar... I just want to have a glass of nectar."
Among them, a goddess with long golden hair stood out.
She was flipping through a mountain of parchment piled high on a long desk, playing with a quill.
It was hard to believe she was the lively goddess of spring, as she gave off a rather decadent vibe...
"Persephone."
"Oh, Uncle Hades...! Just a moment. I need to handle this document that came up from the souls' living quarters..."
"...? Alright."
Honestly, I was a bit taken aback.
Her golden eyes dripped with disappointment, yet she turned her gaze back to the paperwork.
What on earth was going on?
Ding-ding-ding—
"Ugh! My neck is stiff..."
"I'm going to close my eyes for a moment, so wake me up when the bell rings again..."
After some time, the mountain of parchment had decreased, and a short break had arrived.
Even in the Underworld, they did not work without a moment's rest.
We were immortal gods who did not need to eat, but thanks to the memories of lunch and dinner from our past lives, we periodically rang the bell to give the Underworld some leisure time.
Of course, for Charon or Thanatos, and the serious criminals, it was a bit different...
"Oh! Lord Hades?! When did you get here...!"
"Could it be... Ah. Did you come to see Lady Persephone?"
Only then did the gods, who had just recognized me, try to show their respect, but I waved my hand and looked at Persephone.
The gods discreetly made way, and I spoke to the goddess.
"Did someone force you to work in the Underworld?"
"What? No?"
"Then why... are you doing this? You are the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, so you should have some privileges..."
"But... an inexperienced goddess is not Uncle Hades' type, right? I'm just trying my best!"
What on earth was she talking about? When did I ever say I liked workaholics...
Persephone puffed out her chest and seemed to emphasize something.
"Even the goddess of Styx and that lower god, Mentes, say the same thing, you know?"
"...?"
"They say if you can't even handle this much, you won't get a second glance. The goddesses aiming for Uncle Hades are all..."
Why on earth was such a rumor spreading?
I couldn't possibly go around correcting every goddess...
"From the start, you are supposed to periodically infuse power into the outskirts of the Underworld, so taking a break shouldn't be a problem..."
"That's different! That's a reward, and this is a competition!"
"...?"
"Hmph~ Hmph~ It's a trivial matter, so you don't need to know, Uncle. Hehe!"
Ding-ding-ding—
"Oh! It's time to work again! I'll see you later in the evening!"
Feeling somewhat uneasy, I decided not to pry any further.
"... Then I'll leave this to the goddess Mnemosyne... Do I have any other matters to settle?"
"What you just mentioned is the last one, Lord Hades."
"Alright, Morpheus, you should go back and rest too. You'll have to work hard again starting tomorrow..."
Creak.
Just as I was about to finish my day's work and take a break, the door to the audience chamber opened slightly, and a goddess entered.
It was my niece, Persephone, whom I had just visited.
"The goddess of Styx... and the goddess Lethe are both absent... Hehe!"
"...? Persephone?"
She brought dates and figs, which mortals in the living world often enjoyed as snacks.
Persephone plopped down on the floor next to my throne with a silly grin.
"Uncle, if you have nothing to do, would you like to talk with me?"
"But isn't it about time to head back to the living world?"
It was now the time I had promised Demeter.
In fact, it seemed like the deadline had already passed...
"I like the Underworld, but... I don't want to go! I want to stay a little longer...!"
Pouting her cheeks, my niece complained cutely.
Still, she needed to go back before it got too late.
Wouldn't her mother worry?
Thanks to her, the affairs of the Underworld had become considerably easier in recent months, so taking a little time to chat seemed reasonable...
Well, if we spent some time talking, she would eventually return, right?
"It wouldn't matter for a short while, but..."
"Hehe... Then, Uncle, would you like to hear my story first? When I was in the living world..."
She shared stories about playing with nymphs near Mount Etna, tales of speculating about the gods, and stories about her mother, Demeter, who was also my sibling...
I learned a bit more about Persephone.
Surprisingly, she had some quiet hobbies like weaving and watching plays...
"Um... I'm talking too much. Please tell me about yourself, Uncle!"
"...?"
"Like the appearance of the goddess you like, or what makes you attractive to the opposite sex..."
I turned my head away from her sparkling eyes.
What on earth was she saying...
"I have no such thing."
"... Tch. Or tell me an old story! You've lived a long time, so you must know many tales..."
What good is it to live long...
But as you said, I do know quite a few stories.
From the tale of my father, Cronus, who existed from the very beginning...
"Have you..."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever been to the top of Mount Olympus?"
"Uh... Just once! My mother didn't take me there very often..."
"... I still can't forget that view."
I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling the past.
Persephone quietly waited for me to speak.
Long ago, when I was born and first ascended to the peak of Mount Olympus...
It was when I first felt the desire to live long in this world...
The reason we fought so fiercely in the war against the Titans.
The reason we all sought to seize the hegemony of the world was that very ambition.
Now, the reason everyone coveted the sky ruled by Zeus was also because of that.
Yes, the omnipotence of looking down on everything from that high sky...
Recalling that time, I began to share stories of the past with Persephone.
"Wow... Even Uncle Hades, who everyone says is detached, had such a time."
"Back then, it was like that. As I ruled the Underworld, I gradually grew fond of this place."
As I reminisced about the past and talked with Persephone, quite a bit of time had passed.
Wasn't it really time for her to go? My niece?
While I was thinking this, the door to the audience chamber opened, and a messenger rushed in.
"Lord Hades! The goddess of the earth, Demeter, has come to take Lady Persephone!"
Demeter came in person?
Even if her daughter was a bit late in returning to the living world...
It shouldn't be something that would require the earth goddess to come in person.
"She must have come to tell me something directly. Show her to the audience chamber."
Hearing this, Persephone quietly got up from her seat.
Yes, it seemed she was planning to sneak away before her mother arrived.
"Uh... Um... Then, Uncle Hades, you seem busy, so I'll just... Hehe..."
"If you don't want to run into Demeter and hear her nagging, then return to the living world on time next time..."
Not long after she headed to the living world, a guest arrived.
With a seemingly cold expression and a glamorous appearance, she had beautiful light brown and golden hair.
The goddess of the earth, Demeter, had come to the Underworld.
"Hades, my daughter..."
"She just ran away to avoid hearing your nagging. She is probably in the living world by now."
"... I see."
As expected, Demeter's expression did not change, as if she had anticipated this.
Even after hearing that her daughter was not here, she continued to gaze at me, indicating she had something to say.
The earth goddess, using her divine power to block the surrounding sounds, spoke softly.
Demeter, who had just been making eye contact with me, subtly turned her head to the side.
"... Do you know why I am so protective of Kore?"
I sensed a hint of sadness in her lowered voice, so I chose not to answer.
It seemed she did not expect a response, as she continued speaking.
"My daughter, Kore, is too beautiful. Anyone who has seen her face praises her appearance."
As Hephaestus had mentioned before, Persephone indeed possessed extraordinary beauty.
The only goddess who could rival her beauty was Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love.
Unless one were a goddess who presided over beauty, there were hardly any who could compare to Persephone's looks.
Demeter spoke in an even more subdued voice.
"In Greece, being beautiful is..."
"Yes, a curse rather than a blessing. I know well."
In Greece, where ruffians abound, who use deceitful tricks and infidelity to form relationships...
Beauty is a curse, not a blessing.
Aphrodite herself had been forced into an unwanted marriage because of her beauty.
Persephone found her mother's excessive protection suffocating, but without Demeter, it would not have been surprising if she had faced dire situations long ago.
"There were countless who threw glances at my daughter. Even though I am her mother and her father is Zeus."
"Because Persephone is beautiful."
"If things continue like this, it would not be strange for anything to happen. I have always worried about her."
Even the king of the gods, Zeus, could not always stay by Persephone's side.
"... Until the rumor spread that the lord of the Underworld had fallen for my daughter and abducted her."
One of the reasons I kept Persephone in the Underworld came from Demeter's mouth.
Although rumors spread among mortals that I had been struck by Eros' arrow and fallen for my niece, I deliberately did not correct the false rumors.
The more it became known that I loved her...
"Hades, thanks to you, those who approached Kore have disappeared. No fool would dare to touch someone marked by the lord of the Underworld."
As she turned her gaze back to me, gratitude shone in her eyes.
"I know you are different from the other gods driven by desire. Kore still maintains her purity..."
"......"
"I don't know if you and she will eventually marry. But if that day comes, I ask you to take good care of Kore."
A request from a mother, not just the goddess of the earth.
I glanced at Demeter's eyes, which were waiting for my response, and opened my mouth.
"... Do not worry."
"I must return to the living world now. Please keep today a secret from Kore."