The King of the Underworld is Tired Chapter 8 (8/82)
The Story of Life – (3)
The underworld, ruled by the King of the Underworld, Hades, is bustling as usual today.
Especially now, all the gods are mobilized to prepare for the great flood that will soon sweep the earth.
"When the great flood begins, the small animals in the lowlands will start to die first."
"First, when I looked at this register (冥府), the city we should visit as a top priority is..."
"The ferryman Charon of the River Acheron will have a hard time."
"We need to make the souls leave this area and move to a new location..."
The desperate efforts of the underworld officials to prepare for the explosive population increase.
And I, Hades, who receives all their reports and handles the business.
The allocation and judgment of souls coming to the underworld due to the great flood, and the preparation of spaces for them to reside.
In addition, the command of the gods under me, efficient role distribution, and preventive measures for various problems that may arise in the underworld.
Almost every aspect is something I need to handle.
I have to manage everything without infringing on the jurisdiction of the gods in charge of each area.
Now I understand why there are few stories about Hades in the 21st-century Greek mythology knowledge that is gradually being forgotten.
"Lord Hades, if we expand the range of the underworld to the Elysian Fields..."
"Would it be good to hire more ferrymen to help Charon?"
"Perhaps it would be better to request support from Olympus..."
With so much to do, I can't possibly leave the underworld.
By the way, the Elysian Fields is a paradise where souls who accomplished great deeds or performed good deeds in life are allowed to live.
The majority of souls who do not qualify to enter there will reside in my underworld.
Despite being underground, the Elysian Fields is a mysterious space filled with sun and flora and fauna, similar to an ordinary meadow in the mortal world.
Souls that enter there will live in a meadow blessed by the gods, doing what they want and experiencing a spiritual satisfaction that transcends any material pleasure.
In simpler terms, it can be thought of as the ancient Greek version of heaven.
"Lord Hades! Lord Zeus... Lord Zeus has come to the underworld!"
Did I hear wrong?
It seemed like a soul ran into my office and said Zeus was outside.
"Lord Zeus has visited the underworld with the goddess Iris, the goddess of the rainbow!"
I conveyed my displeasure through Iris earlier, but did the proud Zeus really come here?
I nodded, and the door to my office was opened by a soul soldier, revealing the golden-haired male god I knew.
Zeus, looking awkward, cleared his throat and came in, followed cautiously by the goddess Iris of the rainbow.
"Hmm. Hmm. It's been a while, Lord Hades."
You really came to this dark place yourself.
* * *
For the king of the gods to come to the domain ruled by another of the three major gods and apologize.
Is his power unstable, or has something happened in Olympus?
"My mistake for not telling you about the great flood earlier. I was so focused on punishing those shameless humans that I forgot to consult with you."
I gestured for Zeus to take the chair on the opposite side.
It's good that he came to apologize in person.
"Ahem. I didn't mean to disrespect the authority of the underworld. I have prepared some things as a gesture of apology..."
"A gesture of apology?"
"First, to prepare for the excessive workload during the great flood, I will send some of the attendants from Olympus and my daughter, Athena, to the underworld..."
Oh, this is quite good news.
The goddess of wisdom is worth a hundred, and she can easily handle the massive workload of the underworld.
"And I promise that there will be no more decisions made by Olympus alone that could lead to the extinction of life in the mortal world without consulting the underworld."
Of course, that's obvious.
"I can swear this by the River Styx."
I nodded, my heart softening at Zeus's visit to the underworld to apologize.
A vow made by the River Styx is an absolute and unbreakable promise, even for the gods.
Well, it seems he is showing some remorse.
No matter how much people criticize Zeus, he knows when to humble himself as the king of the gods.
Of course, the fact that I am not a weak minor god also contributed to this decision.
"How about having a drink with me? We have a lot to talk about after a long time..."
I smiled and temporarily cleared the documents on my desk.
The goddess Iris, quick to notice, took out ambrosia and nectar from the rainbow and stepped aside.
"Sure, let's have a drink after a long time."
* * *
As Zeus and I drank nectar and talked in the office, whispers could be heard from various parts of the underworld.
Mainly from the minor gods, officials, and souls of the underworld.
"Wow... Lord Zeus is in the underworld..."
"Even though Lord Hades is his brother, I didn't know they were so close..."
"Is something going to happen suddenly...?"
It seems my words to Iris made him feel the heat. He came here in a hurry to gauge the mood of the underworld.
"Other gods have also expressed dissatisfaction with the great flood."
"Poseidon is actually the biggest problem. He keeps trying to challenge my position, and this time he's subtly..."
I listened to Zeus's not-quite-complaint while putting ambrosia in my mouth.
He obtained the justification to sweep the earth through Pandora, but there are also gods who are skeptical and opposed to the great flood.
I told Zeus, who was complaining:
Is it really necessary to be so attached to the position of king of the gods?
"What's so great about being the master of Olympus, both for you and Poseidon?"
"Hahaha! Are you, Lord Hades, also coveting this position?"
Zeus's eyes suddenly sharpened, but I casually took the nectar glass from my lips.
You know me, and I know you, so there's no need for unnecessary suspicion. It's just a joke.
"Just a joke. But, Lord Hades, don't you know the view from the palace of Olympus? I find it surprising that you, who have no interest in power, are so different."
The palace of Olympus, where you can overlook everything from above the clouds.
Before the battle with the Titans, the six of us, including Zeus and Poseidon, all saw that view.
It was indeed overwhelming.
Is this what the supreme being sees? It felt as if the whole world was in my hands, a sense of omnipotence and elevation.
One of the reasons I decided to fight the Titans.
But if I were to challenge that position, despite having the power and position to do so, why am I different from Poseidon?
"If I ascend to the golden throne of Olympus, I won't be able to stay here."
"Olympus is much better than this dull underworld."
Do I need to explain it a bit more?
If I were to usurp the throne of the king of the gods and go to Mount Olympus, many changes would occur.
First, I wouldn't be able to see the grateful River Styx often...
Tanathos, who works hard every day harvesting souls, wouldn't come to Olympus either...
Hypnos and Moros & Ker, who help with the underworld, and the goddess Lethe of forgetfulness.
Finally, all the people who live in the underworld and follow my rule would have to leave.
Costaris, the guard who always stands in front of my office door, refused to be reborn even though he died unjustly and had his memory erased.
Nerdis, the woman who serves me nectar at the underworld feasts, also died after being mistreated by evil ruffians...
When I said that much, Zeus interrupted me for a moment.
It seems he found the human stories boring.
But the golden god stroked his beard and nodded as if he had realized something.
A rare display of the king of the gods' dignity from Zeus. His true nature was briefly revealed.
"Indeed, now I understand. You are already a true king, so the position of king of the gods doesn't appeal to you."
That's right. I am the King of the Underworld.
Becoming the most powerful among the gods is not comparable to fulfilling my duties in my current position or taking care of my people.
Perhaps I have grown attached to this dark and dull place.
And if you have only just realized this, why don't you, as the king of the gods, stop being a ruffian and committing rape?
Not just rape, but how many affairs have you had? And you still want to hold onto power?
I softened my words to convey this message gently.
"Well? I have the duty to prosper the Olympian race. And actually, I still see the beautiful figure of Iris..."
Zeus shook his head with a seemingly strict expression, but his eyes were full of lecherous intent when he talked about Iris's figure.
Aren't you afraid of Hera, Zeus?
Is the prosperity of the Olympian race just an excuse to satisfy your own desires?
If not, why would you have relationships with your sisters and relatives?