2. Let's Dress Up a Bit
2. Let's Dress Up a Bit
The command to bring a tailor was executed faster than expected.
Before long, artisans holding fabrics and jewels entered my bedroom one after another, and as their numbers grew, I was once again able to realize the power that Hades possessed.
There was a deceased soul who claimed to have made kings' clothes when alive, and a nymph who had lived far longer than humans and woven fabrics her entire life. The jewelers were each holding tools I had never seen before, and as soon as they faced me, they all bowed their waists down almost to the floor.
"We greet His Majesty, the King of the Underworld."
That title was still a little awkward.
Not that I had any intention of showing it, though.
Standing in front of the mirror, I took a look at the black robe I was currently wearing and then spoke to the tailor standing at the very front.
"Keep the black color."
Black itself suited Hades very well.
The problem was that the original Hades was far too obsessed with black.
Even mourning clothes would be more flashy than this.
"Instead, mix in gold and deep orange. Anyone who sees me should be able to tell at a glance just how wealthy I am."
The tailor cautiously raised his head.
"Would using a lot of gold be sufficient?"
"No."
I immediately shook my head.
"Wealth and vulgarity are different things. If simply attaching a lot of gold made one look noble, every nouveau riche in the world would look like a king."
The jewelers standing next to him nodded in unison.
Having said it, it struck me as a bit funny too.
Just because I used to walk around draped in luxury brands when I was alive, here I was after dying, criticizing even the fashion of gods.
Still, despite everything, I had collected quite a few expensive luxury items, worn them fairly often, and often mix-and-matched different brands, so my fashion sense was actually quite decent.
Enough to coordinate my own outfits, at least.
"Use black as the base and let the gold emerge naturally. Mix in the orange light like flames, but do not make it excessively bright."
"I will keep that in mind."
"The same goes for the jewels. Bring the most expensive ones, but there is no need for ones that are merely large in size. Choose items that naturally harmonize with the clothes."
I looked at the gold and jewels piled up haphazardly in one corner of the bedroom.
No matter how many times I looked, it really felt like such a waste.
To think he lived with stuff like that piled up like mountains while wrapping himself in nothing but black cloth.
'It's like a billionaire picking up unbranded clothes at Dongmyo to wear. Why on earth did he live like that?'
It was clear that Hades had no awareness of being rich.
Or perhaps he was aware he was rich, but entirely aside from that, lived without ever thinking of dressing himself up.
As I was giving various orders to the artisans like that, a calm woman's voice was heard from beyond the closed door.
"I heard Your Majesty suddenly summoned artisans."
In an instant, the inside of the bedroom fell silent.
Even the artisans who were moving busily before me naturally made way, and through the gap, a woman walked in.
Her first impression was extraordinary right from the start.
Her black hair flowed down long past her waist, and her skin was pale like moonlight.
Her ample breasts, slender waist, and voluptuous hips clearly revealed their curves even though hidden beneath a thin tunic.
It was a beautiful face with a beauty mark under her eye placed like the finishing touch on a masterpiece, but it did not give a soft impression. Just standing still, it felt as though the surrounding light dimmed by a degree.
The moment I saw her, her name naturally came to mind.
Hecate.
An ancient goddess presiding over magic, night, and crossroads, who maintained a deep relationship with the Underworld—strictly speaking, a being closer to an ally than a subordinate.
Hecate slowly looked around the room and then fixed her gaze on me.
"Your Majesty King of the Underworld, are you planning to wage war against Olympus?"
"How could tailoring new clothes possibly be preparing for war?"
"Since Your Majesty declared that you would drape yourself in gold and jewels, I thought an event of that magnitude must have occurred."
I gave a faint chuckle.
"Is it really that surprising that I am using my own wealth?"
"Because until now, you did not even show any interest."
That couldn't be refuted.
After touching the fabric the tailor was holding, I said casually.
"My thoughts have simply changed a little. There is no reason for the King of the Underworld to make himself look shabby."
Hecate looked me over for a moment.
It was a gaze observing Hades, who was speaking differently than usual.
"I will agree with those words."
"Then that is fine."
"However, even while selecting clothes, work does not disappear."
As Hecate lightly moved her fingers, black stone tablets floated in the air.
A few of them descended in front of me.
'No way.'
I looked at the text packed densely onto the stone tablets.
"Must I examine all of these?"
"I brought only the urgent ones."
Just the urgent ones are this much?
I thought that once I became a god, at the very least I wouldn't have to go to work.
'He wasn't the king of the dead, he was the king of civil servants.'
Whether in the East or the West, King Yeomna acting like a civil servant doesn't seem to be very different.
Sure enough, administrative work seemed to be a fate for a king governing the Underworld.
Still, I picked up one of the stone tablets.
Surprisingly, unfamiliar characters were read effortlessly. Which deceased soul died where, how they entered the Underworld, and what judgment they were currently awaiting were all naturally understood.
Though I had not inherited every single specific memory, the methods of using authority, the management of the Underworld, and deeply ingrained habits and knowledge seemed to naturally surface from deep within my head whenever needed.
After reading a few pages, I was able to realize an even more surprising fact.
The Underworld was already running quite well.
The process by which the dead entered was established, there was a system of judgment, and there were beings everywhere handling their assigned tasks.
It wasn't that the original Hades was incompetent.
Rather, he was the type who lived far too diligently doing only his own job.
'Then there's no need to needlessly overhaul it.'
If I overturn a perfectly fine organization just because I'm a modern person, it will only ruin things.
Sometimes, there is a need to respect the original good system.
I ordered additional investigations for only a few cases with ambiguous judgments, and processed the rest according to existing procedures.
Hecate looked at me.
"Your judgment is swift."
"There is no reason to needlessly shake up something that functions well."
At those words, Hecate paused for a very brief moment.
Could it be that she noticed I'm not the real Hades?
For now, I should be careful.
"......That is true."
Just then, the tailor approached and bowed his head.
"Your Majesty, it is ready."
I changed into the clothes and stood before the mirror once more.
This time, I was quite satisfied.
The black cloth still anchored the overall sense of weight, but thanks to the gold decorations flowing along the shoulders and chest, it was no longer gloomy like before. The deep orange embroidery mixed between the gold, looking like fire burning in the darkness.
Gold was also used at the waist and wrists, but it was not excessive.
Around the neck, instead of a large ornament, hung a gold decoration embedded with a single black jewel, and my hair was neatly slicked back.
Looking in the mirror, I slowly nodded.
'This is it.'
If the original Hades was a handsome recluse living underground, right now anyone looking would see a king.
And an extraordinarily wealthy king at that, appearing both noble and dangerous at the same time.
Since the room had gone quiet, I turned around.
The artisans and nymphs were staring at me blankly before hurriedly lowering their heads.
Hecate was also silent for a moment.
"How is it?"
When I asked, she answered a beat late.
"It suits you well."
"Is that all?"
"Do you require more detailed praise?"
"No. Never mind."
I shouldn't have asked.
A faint smile flickered at the corners of Hecate's lips.
She then pulled out a black scroll from her bosom and handed it to me.
"Coincidentally, Zeus has sent an invitation."
"Zeus did?"
"It is said he is holding a banquet in Olympus. No meetings or things like that are needed; it is said to be a banquet purely meant for enjoyment."
I unrolled the scroll.
It was a banquet inviting everyone, starting from the Twelve Olympians to various lesser gods.
According to the remaining sensations in my head, if it were the original Hades, he most likely wouldn't have gone this time either.
Banquets are troublesome, noisy, and there aren't any gods he particularly wants to see anyway.
Zeus probably knew that as well, but it was highly likely he sent the invitation merely out of courtesy.
However, I was different.
Dressed in the newly tailored clothes, I took a look in the mirror.
With this face and this body, I had no intention of cooping myself up underground again.
"Convey that I will attend."
Hecate wore a rare expression of surprise.
"You mean you will go in person?"
"Indeed."
I folded the scroll back up and passed it to the servant waiting nearby.
"It is not as if I can remain bound to the Underworld forever, can I?"
Above all, I wanted to see them at least once.
What kind of guys Zeus and Poseidon, whom I cursed so much, actually were, and what they looked like.
What the gods of Greek and Roman mythology actually looked like.
And what that goddess whose name I only knew so far, Persephone, would look like too.