King of Underworld

Chapter 69 Persephone’s Story – (4)

“Uh?”

It was only then that Persephone seemed to notice the golden arrow lodged in her chest. She pulled the arrow out.

As the goddess’s hand touched it, the golden arrow, having fulfilled its purpose, dissolved into the air and disappeared.

“This is… Eros’s golden arrow?”

The god of love, Eros, takes the form of a child wielding a bow and arrows.

He possesses both the golden arrow of love and the lead arrow of hatred.

The golden arrow makes the one struck by it fall madly in love with the first person they see,

while the lead arrow makes the one struck by it despise the first person they see with equal intensity.

Due to the nature of love, the arrow was swift and subtle, and Persephone, exhausted from the prolonged battle, couldn’t avoid it…

“So… this is the golden arrow?”

“Sigh…”

And yet, Persephone, who had just been struck by the golden arrow, looked at me.

Now, I would receive the love of my niece.

…What am I supposed to do?

As I stared with a helpless expression in the direction where Eros’s arrow had come from, Persephone spoke.

“But I’m perfectly fine? Maybe he missed his shot? Hehe.”

“…Even Zeus would fall in love if struck by that arrow.”

The goddess, who was now laughing cheerfully while looking at me, was undoubtedly feeling an overwhelming emotion, even if she pretended otherwise.

I couldn’t ignore the fact that she had been struck by Eros’s arrow. How on earth was I supposed to handle this?

Her father was Zeus, the king of the gods, and her mother was Demeter, the goddess of the earth…

If I made any mistakes, a real war could break out.

“But… I really am fine. By the way, are you planning to return to the Underworld now?”

“I’ll tidy up this area first before returning.”

The aftermath of the battle with the Gigantes had completely devastated the surroundings.

It was as if Zeus’s lightning or Poseidon’s trident had struck,

the ground in every visible direction was overturned, and the number of cracks and fissures was uncountable.

The peak of Mount Etna, where Typhon was sealed, had been swept away by the impact of my attack,

and the once beautiful plains, forests, and streams were left in ruins.

The numerous nymphs had mostly either died or fled…

As I surveyed the traces of destruction that would make Pan, the god of nature, recoil in horror, my niece reached out her hand.

Along with it came a warm, gentle divine power.

“Uncle Hades! Let me help too. As the goddess of spring and seeds, I can handle this kind of thing.”

Swoooosh—

A green wave spread from Persephone’s hand, gently caressing the earth.

Grass grew next to the fallen trees, and the desolate plains regained their color.

Well, it made sense. It would be better for the goddess of spring to handle the recovery rather than me, who rules the Underworld.

It would have been much easier if Pan or Demeter were here…

“How is it? Did I do well? I usually only use this when playing with the nymphs, but it seems it’s useful in times like this…”

“…Yes. You did well.”

My niece, who was chattering away as if expecting praise, was truly adorable.

Even among the beautiful goddesses of Olympus, she would undoubtedly stand out with her exceptional beauty.

She had inherited her father Zeus’s golden pupils and hair. Her figure was perfect, with every curve in the right place.

If it were any other lecherous male god, they would gladly welcome a goddess like her falling in love with them.

“What are you thinking about while standing still? Tell me too!”

But she’s my niece…

* * *

“Phew… It’s all done. I’ve finished everything.”

While I was scouring the area for traces of the Gigantes and tracking them,

Persephone had managed to restore some of the ruined land.

“Good work.”

“Hehe… So now you’re really going back to the Underworld, right? I want to go too!”

I froze at the words that came out of Persephone’s smiling mouth, which bloomed like a fully blossomed flower.

Yes, this is exactly the problem…

The one struck by Eros’s golden arrow falls into absolute love.

Neither Zeus, I, nor Poseidon could resist the power of such an emotion.

Among the dead who arrived in the Underworld, many had been struck by Eros’s arrow during their lives, so I was well aware of its potency.

If their love was reciprocated, it would end in a happy conclusion,

but if the other side refused or if they were separated by differences in status…

They might pick up a weapon and cut down those who obstructed their love, weep bitterly until they committed suicide, or hold their chest as if it was about to burst, curse the gods, and go mad.

It’s the perfect example of being ‘blinded by love.’

If I were to outright reject my niece, who knows what might happen…

“You may see me in a favorable light because of Eros’s arrow, but that feeling is false. I can’t take you to the Underworld…”

“Y-Yes…? Hic… Sob… Waaah!!!”

“No matter how much you cry, I can’t take you to the Underworld…”

“If I die, I can go to the Underworld! I’ll die if I have to…”

Yes, then there would be an immediate suicide attempt by the goddess.

And if the goddess of spring and seeds, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, were to attempt suicide at the entrance of the Underworld…

“Your Majesty! There’s a serious problem! Just yesterday, it was snowing, but today the sun is scorching…”

“Does that mean spring has vanished?! The gods must be furious!”

“This strange phenomenon where seeds won’t grow… Could something have happened to the gods of Olympus?”

The whole world would be in chaos because of the goddess of spring and seeds abandoning her duties.

Naturally, her mother, Demeter, would…

“What?! My daughter is attempting suicide because she wants to go to the Underworld… What? She fell in love with Hades after being struck by a golden arrow and was rejected?”

“The land has dried up completely!”

“After receiving an oracle from Delphi, it’s clear that the goddess Demeter is in a great rage…”

“No crops are growing from the earth anymore, Zeus…”

Demeter would certainly do something drastic.

She’s more of the type who’s similar to Artemis rather than a kind goddess like Hestia.

If her emotions were to fluctuate wildly, the land would dry up completely, and only more humans would arrive in the Underworld.

But it wouldn’t end there.

Her father is Zeus, the king of the gods.

“Hades rejected… Persephone, which led her to attempt suicide in order to go to the Underworld…”

“Yes, Father. According to what I heard from Lady Demeter…”

“Demeter neglecting her duties is all because of that?”

“Yes…”

“…No matter how much it’s Hades, this is a bit too much. I’ll have to have a talk with him.”

The Underworld would be flooded with complaints, and the souls of those who starved to death would surge in.

Mortals and immortals alike would condemn the Underworld.

All of these disasters that had only just played out in my mind…

could become a reality if I didn’t take my beautiful niece, who was smiling so blissfully right now, to the Underworld.

“Uncle Hades? So, can I go too? Hehe… I’ve always been curious about what the Underworld looks like.”

Though she was smiling happily at me right now…

If I provoked her too harshly, the world would descend into chaos.

“Staring at me like that makes me a bit shy. Hehe…”

Oh, Zeus, help me.

I’d rather fight Cronus one more time.

* * *

In any case, I’d have to take her to the Underworld and gently soothe her.

I also needed to return to the Underworld immediately to check if any other Gigantes had attacked other places besides Mount Etna.

I didn’t think she’d actually come to the Underworld…

And since a messenger from Olympus would be coming regarding the Gigantes’ attack,

I could go up to the Divine Palace and explain everything to Demeter directly.

“…Fine. I suppose I can show you around. Follow me.”

“Wow! Thank you, Uncle!”

Persephone spread her arms wide and hugged me.

Should I accept this? If I didn’t, she might cry, thinking I disliked her…

Poof.

I could feel the softness and the scent of fresh spring emanating from her chest, tickling my nose…

“Hehehe…”

I was really about to lose my mind.

Is this really okay? Taking my niece, who was struck by Eros’s arrow, to the Underworld?

“Now let go and get on the chariot…”

“Hee… Your chest is so broad… Can’t we go like this?”

“…That would be uncomfortable, so sit next to me.”

“Okay!”

I headed for the entrance to the Underworld with Persephone, who was smiling brightly.

“Wow! These horses are so cute!”

Prr…Prrr?!

Don’t pet the mane of the ghost horses so eagerly…

A goddess with an aura completely opposite to theirs suddenly petting them from behind would startle them…

Somehow, I managed to take her to the Underworld.

Persephone looked around the dark landscape of the Underworld with curiosity rather than fear.

“Wow, there’s a cute dog here too!”

“That’s Cerberus, the offspring of Typhon. I brought him here and made

him the guardian beast of the Underworld.”

Grr… Grrr?! Grr?

As Persephone began petting the three-headed dog, who was taken aback by the unfamiliar goddess showing interest in him, Cerberus couldn’t keep his composure.

The terrifying gatekeeper of the Underworld moved his eyes rapidly, trying to gauge the relationship between me and Persephone, then finally exposed his belly and flopped over.

Pant, pant!

“Uncle Hades! Look at this. It’s so soft. Hehe!”

Even though he looks like that, he’s actually a pretty powerful monster.

I’m sure he could tear apart at least one or two Gigantes.

“For now, I’m busy with work, so stay in this room for a while, and if you need anything, tell the attendants.”

“Yes! …Oh wow, you even know how to do this?”

Grr?! Pant, pant!

Since I needed to discuss the Gigantes with the other gods, I’d leave her with the attendants for a while and return later.

I also needed to review the piled-up trials and check on the current state of the Underworld while I was in the mortal realm…

“Hades! You’ve come at the right time. There’s something that requires your direct approval…”

“Morpheus. Is this another problem with the dead?”

“Ah, if you take a look at this side…”

“This issue should be discussed with the other gods as well…”

I talked with Morpheus, who found me and started discussing work, and approved the documents.

He hurried off, saying it was time to bring dreams to the mortals.

Now, I moved to retrieve Persephone from the room.

Crunch. Munch.

I found my cute niece eating a pomegranate placed in a small bowl.

Who put a pomegranate in this room? Was this originally a resting area for other gods?

Wait a minute… According to the laws of the Underworld, those who eat the food of the Underworld…

“Hehe… Uncle Hades! Try this! The fruit is so fresh, even though it’s from the Underworld!”

I held my head as I watched my niece, with pomegranate juice dripping from her lips.

…Damn it.