King of Underworld

Chapter 117: Holiday in the Underworld – (2)

After much discussion about creating a new holiday that would span the world…

The gods, myself included, narrowed down our opinions.

1. The holiday would be once a month, set on the first day of every month.

2. A divine oracle would be delivered to the humans in the living world, marking it as an official day of rest recognized by the gods.

3. On the holiday, wars would temporarily cease, and any mortal who started a war on that day would be punished.

“Well, we should go with this general framework. Even executions for death row inmates should be postponed during this time…”

“If we send down the oracle, humans will follow it. It should also lessen the burden on the Underworld.”

As the gods discussed this, Hestia suddenly spoke with a face full of questions.

“Wait, isn’t this holiday being set because the Underworld is too busy? Wouldn’t it be easier if Olympus helped out a bit?”

“But does Olympus have that much room left?”

Hestia’s suggestion was appreciated, but the gods weren’t exactly leisurely these days either.

Not to mention, some gods were absent from this meeting because I had requested that they search for traces of Uranus not too long ago…

“Searching for Uranus can be handled by Hermes and a few other gods. So, it’s fine if some of them are brought over to help.”

“…Zeus, don’t you think there are too few gods searching for Uranus?”

I glanced over at Zeus, who just grinned and waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about it. Our grandfather, Uranus, will be found soon enough.”

“You must’ve discovered a clue, then.”

“We’ve been quietly searching for a long time now. As our battle with Gaia draws closer, we need to track the whereabouts of the Protogenoi, who could become a variable.”

I looked at Zeus with slightly surprised eyes. Why is he so competent in moments like this, but only occasionally…

“If there’s any remaining divine power from a god of the sky that isn’t mine, it’s not hard to find. Aphrodite, his child, is also searching.”

“Good. Once you find him, let me know immediately. I’ll go to persuade him myself.”

“It won’t take long. The search range is narrowing, so it should take only about a month or two…”

It really wasn’t far off now.

Compared to Lady Nyx, Uranus might be easier to persuade, but still…

Persuading a Protogenoi required proof from another Protogenoi—what a hassle.

Still, with Lady Nyx’s feather in my possession, it should make the persuasion easier.

Our grudge against Cronus is mutual, and there’s likely resentment toward Gaia as well, who gave her child a sickle and ordered him to cut off his father’s manhood.

“Couldn’t you send gods to the Underworld regularly? Everyone has been overworked since the birth of humans.”

“Of course. I’ll arrange for the less busy gods to be sent over regularly.”

With Zeus’s words, the meeting in Olympus concluded.

I returned to the Underworld, intending to judge the souls, but found Mente waiting in front of the Acheron River. Charon, the ferryman, had also stopped rowing and was staring at me.

The green-haired goddess ran over to me, her face filled with eager anticipation.

“Hades! How did things go at Olympus?”

“It’s been decided. The first day of every month will be an official day of rest. And Olympus will now send gods to help regularly.”

“Hooray! Hades, you’re the best!!!”

Poof

I felt as if I heard a squishy sound as Mente hugged me briefly, then quickly raised her head.

“Oh no, this isn’t the time for that! I need to spread this good news to the other gods!”

“…Go ahead.”

As Mente dashed off, I saw Charon, the ferryman, approaching.

Since he took on the job of ferrying souls, I’d never seen such a bright expression on his face…

“Hades, does this mean I can also rest on the first day of every month? This is really great…”

“Ah, but since there will still be people dying, you’ll need to continue working. The number of dead will be smaller than usual, though.”

“…Damn it.”

Charon’s unique power to ferry souls across the Acheron River couldn’t be replaced by anyone. Not by me, nor any of the gods sent from Olympus.

* * *

The holiday agreed upon by the gods of Olympus was proclaimed through divine oracles.

At first, the humans of the living world were puzzled, but they soon adapted once they weighed the pros and cons.

“A day off on the first day of every month… Even executions are forbidden on that day?”

“According to the oracle from the Temple of Pluto, those who commit crimes on that day will face even harsher punishment.”

“The same message was delivered from other temples, too. Does that mean the gods themselves are taking a break?”

“But if we rest on the first day of every month, what about work for our livelihoods?”

“That’s why it’s encouraged, not mandatory.”

While ordinary people accepted the new holiday as just that…

Theologians and priests viewed it from a slightly different perspective.

“But do the gods really need to create a holiday for us humans?”

“Now that you mention it, it’s not for any god’s birth or a commemorative day, is it?”

“Could it be that the gods themselves want a break?”

“Shh! That’s blasphemy. The omnipotent gods wouldn’t need a day like that, would they?”

“Well… But the gods watching over us from Olympus do have personalities like ours, so…”

Yes, the gods were capable of doing things that humans could never imagine,

but they were still personal deities with unpredictable, capricious behavior, closely connected to mortals.

“…So, is it really because they want to rest?”

“Rather than a day off, it feels like there’s some other meaning.”

“Maybe it’s a day when the gods, who govern the world, want to set everything aside and observe the living world?”

“That sounds plausible. A day to observe the living world…”

The conclusion they reached was that the holiday was for some divine interest or agenda.

However, they couldn’t find out more due to a lack of information.

There was, however, one brave priest…

“Oh, goddess Athena of wisdom! As one who thirsts for knowledge, I seek your wisdom! What is the meaning behind the holiday on the first day of every month? Is it, as rumors say, a day for the gods to rest as well?”

“That… that lunatic!”

“Isn’t that blasphemy? He might get divine punishment.”

“But he’s been a priest serving Athena for decades. Let’s wait and see…”

Unable to contain his curiosity, the priest of Athena sought her wisdom, and in response, the goddess delivered her oracle.

The first day of every month is a day to distance oneself from death. It is also a day of rest for the gods of the Underworld.

Upon hearing Athena’s oracle, the people nodded in understanding.

Theologians diligently recorded the oracle, and the priests of the goddess offered sacrifices of gratitude.

“As expected, that’s the reason. A day to distance oneself from death!”

“Death is the inevitable end that all living things dread, so perhaps they’re showing mercy.”

“That could be one interpretation, but the goddess’s words literally say it’s a day of rest for the gods of the Underworld…”

“There’s a temple for Thanatos, the god of death, in Thebes…”

“Ah! So it’s a day dedicated to Thanatos, the god who harvests souls!”

“Indeed, he does harvest souls every day…”

Thus, the first day of every month became known to mortals as the “Day of Thanatos.”

The notion that it was a rest day for the god who guided the dead spread across all of Greece, eventually reaching the ears of the gods.

* * *

Today was the Underworld’s holiday, a day of rest for all, at least in name.

But even on such a day, there were gods who couldn’t rest—namely, the lord Hades, the ferryman Charon, and…

“Kuh… kuh-huh! Thanatos! Isn’t today your day? So why are you still working?”

“…Shut up, Hypnos. You’ll be working soon enough.”

“Unlike some people, I’m only busy at night! During the day, I have some leisure time.”

Thanatos, who was busy bringing the naturally deceased to the Underworld.

And Hypnos, the god of sleep, relentlessly teasing him. But what if Thanatos ran away again at this rate?

I shot a warning glance at the god of sleep, who shrugged and burst into laughter as he backed off.

“Mortals are quite commendable; they mostly sleep at night! Haha!”

“Sigh… Hades. As for me, I understand, but shouldn’t the gods from Olympus be arriving soon?”

“Yes. Today, a new group of gods is scheduled to arrive in the Underworld.”

As per the agreement with Zeus, Olympus had been sending gods regularly.

I wondered who would arrive today. Himeros? Anteros? Or perhaps Semele, who was deified after being the mother of Dionysus?

But an unexpected goddess came to the Underworld.

“The goddess of persuasion, Peitho? You’ve come to the Underworld? That means…”

“Yes. Lord Zeus has found traces of Uranus. He has also commanded me to accompany you, Lord Hades.”

“So, Uranus has already been discovered. Where is he?”

“He is hiding near the foot of the Aquila constellation in the sky.”

He had been hiding in the constellations, no wonder he hadn’t been found until now.

Still, the Aquila constellation… Wasn’t that in honor of the eagle that Zeus cherished, the one who brought Ganymede?

What a silly reason to turn it into a constellation.

“Peitho, return to Olympus and tell Zeus this: There’s a chance that Lord Uranus might feel uncomfortable or displeased with your power of persuasion.”

“What? But…”

“I’ll handle persuading him myself.”

If I could gain Lord Uranus’s protection during this, it would be excellent.

Then, Gaia would no longer be a threat at all…