Tumultuous Tales of the Underworld - (3)
"Charon, at least you don't have to row as much as before..."
"Hmph. What do you know! Even before, I could move the boat with my powers and barely needed to row. The real issue is that I still have to keep ferrying these mortal souls across the Acheron! There's even an automatic motor installed, so why do I have to keep rowing..."
He must have found ferrying souls far more exhausting than I'd realized. Then again, all the grunt work in the Underworld is like that.
"Still, it's better than what Thanatos has to deal with. Cheer up."
"That doesn't help at all..."
Charon, the ferryman—or rather, captain—of the Acheron, now rowed aboard his newly acquired vessel. His oar had grown proportionally to match the massive ship's size.
"I'll speak with my priests in the mortal world and see about increasing the number of coins placed in the mouths of the dead."
"...I don't need money. Just let me rest."
Still, I should at least mention it through my temple priests. Even if a deceased person's family is poor, if the mourners at the funeral each contribute a little, Charon's pockets might grow heavier. In time, this might even become known as condolence money... or funeral offerings.
"Get on board, you lot! I'll take you across the Acheron!"
The boat, laden with souls, drifted away once more under Charon's steady strokes. Though an automatic motor had been fitted to the hull, the laws of the Underworld dictated that Charon must continue rowing for all eternity.
"Hades. Are you even listening to me...? I'm starting to feel like it's time for some hot fun..."
Aphrodite, who had been overseeing the souls nearby, approached and placed her hand on my chest. The goddess of love smiled softly, attempting to seduce me. Hmm. Get lost.
"More importantly, there's a soul who came after hearing you'd arrived in the Underworld."
"Huh? A soul who wants to meet me?"
While Aphrodite wore a puzzled expression, we waited. Soon, a man disembarked from Charon's boat after it had dropped off its passengers on the far side of the Acheron. The moment he spotted Aphrodite, he rushed over and prostrated himself.
"Ah... I remember you. You were human once."
"O Aphrodite, goddess... I, Pygmalion, who received your grace, your blessing, your mercy, offer my deepest gratitude."
The man's name was Pygmalion. The world's greatest sculptor, who had been granted the chance to marry his own creation thanks to Aphrodite's favor. He bowed before the goddess with a far more solemn expression than when he had carved his statue. Moved by the mortal's sincerity, the goddess of beauty and love straightened her posture. She rested a hand on Pygmalion's shoulder, and he lowered himself even further in gratitude.
"You're the sculptor from Cyprus who prayed to me while making that statue."
"Yes! Thanks to your blessing, I lived a life without regret alongside my beloved wife!"
"I watched that pure, unwavering love you shared with the woman I gave life to... until the very end."
The sculptor trembled at her wording—calling the statue a woman rather than a mere sculpture.
"I came to express my gratitude for all of this... for your grace, and for helping me achieve my love."
"Think of it as a reward for how desperately you yearned for love."
I remained silent, not interrupting their conversation. At this moment, Aphrodite wore the gentle smile of the goddess of love rather than the goddess of beauty.
Pygmalion, who had shed tears while offering his thanks, eventually departed. Come to think of it, there was something I'd been curious about...
"Back then, what made you decide to give life to that statue?"
"Ah~ that time?"
Aphrodite fell into thought for a moment. Even her contemplative pose reflected beautifully upon the Acheron. Soon, she spoke with a playful smile.
"Isn't that what gods do? Granting mortals their impossible wishes and answering their earnest prayers?"
Impossible wishes and earnest prayers, huh. We gods live for eternity, yet we don't grow numb to emotion or repeat our duties like machines. I suppose we maintain the personalities we've developed. Or perhaps it's more accurate to call us personified deities with human-like qualities. That's why incidents like Zeus's assaults, the tragedies of Phaethon and Helios, divine rebellions, and Thanatos's strikes occur... but occasionally, heartwarming stories like this one emerge as well.
Just as I nodded to myself in understanding, Aphrodite shot me a sharp glare.
"That aside, I've been asking since earlier. Now that we've got time, why don't we..."
"Ah, if you like things hot, I could assign you to the Phlegethon."
"What?! Why would I have to work in the Underworld?!"
"...? Didn't you want to come here?"
The goddess of beauty's face twisted in frustration as she raised her voice.
"That's not what I meant! I was talking about spending a pleasant time together with you...!"
"You even got to meet Pygmalion. Working here isn't so bad either..."
"Aaaagh! Fine, I'm going back!"
What? Back? Not a chance. I'd already gotten Zeus's permission to bring whichever god I wanted. You're staying here to work a little longer.
"For the record, Zeus approved of bringing you here."
"What...?!"
"I filed a complaint about Thanatos's situation and arranged to have several Olympian gods dispatched here."
Aphrodite's expression went blank upon hearing that Zeus had sold her out. She looked as though she couldn't accept the reality that had befallen her.
"That's how it is. Take good care of the souls at the Acheron."
"H-Hades!"
Aphrodite toiled diligently at the Acheron. Thanks to her, I could feel the many changes taking place in the Underworld. With Charon processing souls more quickly, Thanatos's efficiency improved as well. More souls reached the Cocytus faster, ultimately granting all the gods of the Underworld some much-needed breathing room. Even the number of souls who refused to accept their deaths and caused disturbances had decreased...
"Hades! This isn't what I expected at all!"
After encouraging Aphrodite as she labored at the Acheron, I returned to the citadel of the Underworld and leaned back against my throne, tilting my head. Too many incidents had erupted lately... Still, with Aphrodite helping out, I should have some time to...
Poof.
A presence that had been lingering behind the throne approached quietly and embraced me. Soft silver hair, gentle hands.
"Lady Lethe, how is the management of the souls in the Lethe going..."
"I left it to my subordinates."
"Then what about selecting the new attendants we recruited this time..."
"Don't think about things like that."
When the petite goddess's hand gently covered my eyes, I simply closed them. The feeling of my reclined head resting against something soft... Mm.
I tried to sit up and escape Lethe's embrace from behind the throne, but failed. Hey... you're gripping tighter now...
"Zeus and Poseidon don't seem to have as much work as you do, Hades."
"...It's because of the nature of the Underworld. There's nothing I can do about it."
Zeus, who ruled the sky and the entire world, might actually be the busiest of us all—but precisely because of that, he delegated tasks to countless other gods. The sun and wind, nature and earth, art and madness... aside from major events like the Gigantes' threat or wars, everything was handled by the other Olympians. Poseidon, who ruled the vast seas and waters, likewise entrusted most of his duties to the countless sea nymphs, Nereids, and divine beasts. Unless an incident affected the entire marine ecosystem, he had no need to concern himself. Whether an earthquake struck the ocean floor or sharks hunted fish in the depths, all of it was part of the natural cycle of death and rebirth.
But the Underworld where I resided was different. This was the place that ensured that cycle proceeded smoothly. If problems arose with the souls arriving here, assigning souls to newly born lives became difficult. If the Underworld ran out of space or became saturated, receiving the dead grew harder. If judgments for sins weren't carried out properly, the laws of the world would collapse. And the most critical issue was...
"All the gods are far too busy. Just look at Charon and Thanatos..."
"Well, that's true..."
Unlike Olympus, the effect of delegating work wasn't very significant here...! There were hardly any idle gods to begin with, so how could I possibly distribute tasks? I couldn't even ask the goddesses of vengeance for help, since everyone avoided them.
"Would you like me to clear your mind with my power?"
"...Please do."
Lethe whispered in a concerned voice. With her power of forgetfulness, she could at least make me forget my fatigue for a while. Or rather, temporarily lighten the unnecessary memories weighing on my mind...
Chu.
...?!
The soft sensation against my forehead lingered briefly before my mind cleared and the mental exhaustion melted away. No, more importantly, she had just pressed her lips to my forehead...
"Shh. Ah... don't say anything. Just rest."
When I opened my eyes, I saw the goddess's face, flushed bright red in contrast to her silver hair. After gazing for a moment at her cheeks that looked ready to burst into flames at the slightest touch, I closed my eyes again.
"...I suppose I will."
My own face probably wasn't much different from Lethe's right now.