King of Underworld-Chapter 183

“Are you the Goddesses of Vengeance? My name is Hades. From now on, we’ll be sharing the Underworld, so I came to greet—”

“This cave is where we dwell. Do not return.”

Cold, cutting words.

Their reputation for cruelty and distrust of strangers made them difficult to approach. To them, I must have seemed like a fledgling god unworthy of notice, born long after Uranus’s fall.

Perhaps befriending them would be impossible.

But I would not give up.

As the king of the Underworld, how could I reject or ignore the gods who belonged to my domain?

I bore a heavy title, and to live up to it, I would continue walking the righteous path.

Besides...

Drip. Drip.

The sound of their ceaseless, bloody tears falling to the ground...

Was there truly no way to stop it?

Over the years, I visited their cave regularly, bringing offerings of nectar and ambrosia.

Every time, their answer—delivered by the eldest, Tisiphone—remained the same:

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“Leave it at the entrance.”

Ten years passed in this manner. I left offerings without fail, never stepping inside, until...

“Come in.”

Finally, they permitted me to enter.

I stepped into the damp, cold cave, the air heavy with the oppressive presence of divine vengeance.

The three goddesses sat motionless, their emotionless gazes fixed upon me.

Alecto, the embodiment of endless rage, spoke first.

“You needn’t come anymore. You’ve won.”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Don’t feign ignorance. We hear much and see more. When you rebel against Zeus, call upon us. We will repay you for the nectar and ambrosia.”

Beside her, Tisiphone, punisher of infidelity, and Megaera, the spirit of jealousy, nodded in agreement.

Rebel against Zeus? What in the world were they talking about?

“I believe you’re mistaken...”

“Do not worry. Zeus’s gaze does not reach this cave. If secrecy is—”

“No, no! That’s not it! I’m truly not plotting any rebellion!”

“...?”

The Erinyes’ expressions turned quizzical.

Fortunately, I managed to clear up the misunderstanding.

“So you’re saying you have no intention of rebelling against Zeus?”

“Why would I fight Zeus? Managing Olympus sounds like an endless pile of work.”

“Then why have you been befriending the outcast gods?”

“I’m the god of the Underworld. In my domain, no one is scorned for their appearance or their duties.”

The three goddesses stared at me, dumbfounded, their snake-like hair also freezing in place.

“...If that’s all, I’ll take my leave. I don’t want to impose—”

“No. You may enter whenever you please.”

I placed the nectar and ambrosia before them, their hands accepting the gifts reluctantly.

Sitting down beside them, I took a sip of nectar myself.

Gulp. Gulp.

“Hades.”

“Yes?”

“You’re... different from the other Olympians.”

Alecto’s unblinking gaze held mine, and I smiled softly in return.

To the Olympians, perhaps the Erinyes were nothing more than relics of an ancient era, born of blood and vengeance.

But to me, every god of the Underworld, no matter how feared or avoided, mattered.

How could I call myself the king of the Underworld if I neglected its inhabitants?

“Nothing more than my duty. By the way, we occasionally hold feasts in the Underworld. I hope you’ll attend one day.”

“...That may be a bit premature.”

Hiss.

Alecto’s serpentine hair hissed quietly, but there was less hostility now.

I wondered if their emotions were somehow reflected through their serpents. It was fascinating to observe.

Time passed swiftly after that.

The Erinyes grew accustomed to my visits, even welcoming me with reserved acknowledgment.

Yet I began to notice something odd.

More frequently, Tisiphone and Megaera would find excuses to leave, leaving only Alecto and me alone together.

“Hmm. I need to check on some mortals.”

“Have... fun...”

“Just go already!”

Once again, I found myself alone in the cave with Alecto.

Lately, this seemed to happen quite often. Surely, it wasn’t what I thought...

Hiss. Hiss.

Her serpentine hair slithered onto my shoulder, a quiet hiss audible near my ear.

I realized just how close we were, enough that our shoulders touched. Her faint, fluttering breath brushed against me, strangely heated.

Hiss...

I glanced down at the serpents.

Though they should have been terrifying, I found them... cute. They never bared their fangs at me, after all.

Raising a hand, I gently stroked one of the snakes. It tilted its head and nuzzled against my palm.

“You’re adorable.”

“W-What?! I am the goddess of vengeance—I am not cute!”

The snakes recoiled in surprise, though their wide eyes remained fixed on me.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“I meant your hair, Goddess.”

“Ugh... Then...”

Her voice dropped to a whisper, so quiet I could barely hear it.

“If you think so... I suppose you can touch them more...”

How adorable.

Not the serpents, but the goddess herself.

What am I thinking?

Compared to Aphrodite, Hestia, or even my wives, the Erinyes were often dismissed as monstrous and fearsome.

But now, looking at Alecto...

She was beautiful.

Swish.

As I continued to stroke her serpentine hair, she rested her head on my shoulder.

At some point, her snakes coiled around me, as though embracing me.

“Alecto.”

“What...?”

“You’re beautiful.”

Her face flushed crimson.

And then—

Fwoosh!

A surge of divine light engulfed her. The serpents, symbols of distrust, softened into silken hair. The blood tears ceased to flow. Her bronze wings faded to white.

“A...Ah...”

“You’re radiant, Alecto.”

The goddess of vengeance had transformed.

Standing before me was a goddess of pure beauty, her green hair shimmering and her white wings glowing faintly.

“I will take responsibility for this. Become the queen of the Underworld.”

“Truly...? Do you mean it?”

“Yes. You are my first love, Alecto.”

And so, a new queen was born in the Underworld.