King of Underworld

Chapter 163 The Tale of the Golden Apple – (1)

Finally, the wedding was over, and the tranquil time of the Underworld began to flow swiftly once more.

In my temple in Thebes, I also created a new statue dedicated to Goddess Nyx.

“The Lord Hades has delivered an oracle. A statue of Nyx, the Goddess of Night, must be made…”

“Goddess Nyx? Did He instruct us to make a statue of one of the Protogenoi and spread her renown?”

“Was such a deity even present in the Underworld?”

Sometimes, I tasked Dike, the Goddess of Justice, to oversee the actions of gods or humans.

Lately, humans had grown bold, treating gods lightly or committing heinous acts with increasing frequency.

Of course, I also visited Alecto, one of the Furies who, for some reason, had not attended the wedding…

“Alecto?”

“Sniff… sob. Hades. Why is it okay for other goddesses but not for me?”

“Well, that is… uh, you see.”

“Is it because of my unsightly hair? Or the blood flowing from my eyes?”

I went through a great ordeal calming her down as she pleaded her feelings for me.

Who would have thought that one of the Furies harbored feelings for me? However, recklessly increasing the number of wives was out of the question.

“Sigh…”

While I was deep in these troubling thoughts, the door opened, and Goddess Styx entered.

She came adorned beautifully again today. Hm. Could it be since this morning…? No, it couldn’t be.

“Hades, have you heard about Thetis getting married?”

“Oh. Zeus sent a messenger, but I didn’t think it was necessary for me to attend.”

“Peleus, was it? It seems she’s genuinely fallen in love with that mortal hero…”

The union of gods and mortals bore fruit.

Considering Cadmus, Hercules, and now even Goddess Thetis getting married, are heroes drawing closer to the gods?

“Hades! Big trouble! Something terrible has happened!”

“…Lethe?”

In the midst of my conversation with Styx, Goddess Lethe burst in, flustered.

What is it this time?

“Mother is missing!”

“Goddess Eris? Perhaps she’s attending to some matter or other…”

“That’s not it! She stormed off in anger because she wasn’t invited to Goddess Thetis’ wedding!”

What? Goddess Eris wasn’t invited to the wedding? And she ran off in a rage?

This could only mean she’s about to cause trouble.

“Even the Goddess of Famine and even Gaia received invitations, but Mother was the only one left out!”

Fate doesn’t always guarantee happiness, justice, or good tidings.

But at a wedding, couldn’t she overlook it just a little…?

“I need to head there immediately. Where is the wedding being held?”

“At the Olympian Palace.”

I urgently left the Underworld and hurried to Olympus.

Discord is a constant presence, an inseparable element of fate.

But to stir discord at the wedding of Thetis, who is prophesied to bear a son greater than his father…

If the wedding falls apart, what will happen to the prophecy?

What about Zeus? How will the King of the Gods respond?

Taking preventative measures before any trouble erupts is the best way to avoid future headaches.

However, when I arrived at Thetis’ wedding, I realized I was already too late.

Amid the cloud-filled ceremony of the gods, heated arguments were raging.

“Ha! As the Queen of the Gods and the Goddess of Marriage and Family, it is only fitting that I claim this golden apple!”

“Even if Goddess Hera says so, this is rightfully mine, as I possess the greatest wisdom and capability among the goddesses.”

“Isn’t it obvious that it belongs to me, the Goddess of Beauty and Love? Claiming otherwise in the presence of one as beautiful as I am is…”

Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite.

The three goddesses were quarreling over a single golden apple.

While golden apples are indeed rare, I owned a few myself.

And Hera even has an orchard of golden apple trees… There must be another reason for this chaos.

Pushing through the gods, I approached Ares.

“Ares.”

“Oh, Uncle Hades. You’ve arrived.”

“What on earth is going on? Why are those three goddesses fighting over a mere golden apple?”

Ares rubbed his temples in frustration and explained.

“Well, it’s because the golden apple is inscribed with ‘To the most beautiful goddess.’ Isn’t it obvious?”

“Ah.”

“Seems like something Goddess Eris, the Goddess of Discord, would do. It can’t be helped.”

Ares shrugged, his expression troubled.

Now I understood. In the end, it’s a battle of pride… That’s what this is about, right?

The most beautiful goddess is undoubtedly Aphrodite, but it seems they all interpreted the inscription differently.

“So, who do you think is the rightful owner of that golden apple?”

“Of course, I think it should go to Goddess Hera. Who else but the Queen of the Gods could…”

“But isn’t the most capable and outstanding goddess, Goddess Athena, more deserving?”

“If it’s taken at face value, then it should obviously go to Goddess Aphrodite.”

Hera interpreted the inscription as “the most excellent goddess.”

Athena took it as “the most capable and outstanding goddess.”

Aphrodite understood it as “the most beautiful goddess,” exactly as written.

Even if I tried to mediate using such interpretations, it would likely be futile.

The goddesses arguing now must already know that they’ve interpreted the words differently. It’s truly a battle of egos.

Hera’s decision not to overpower the two with her strength was likely a calculated one.

She intended to claim the golden apple through rhetoric and general recognition.

The wedding, which should have celebrated new beginnings and blessings, was already filled with shouting.

The quarreling goddesses were not minor deities but high-ranking ones among the Olympian Twelve.

In such a scene, there weren’t many who could dare intervene.

Hymenaios, the God of Marriage, merely looked awkward, while Dike, the Goddess of Justice, held back her frustration.

The wedding’s main characters, who should have been angry, pretended not to notice.

Even Poseidon, one of the Big Three, looked displeased as he hesitated to step in.

“Ahem. Still, this is a wedding. Such arguments seem a bit…”

Many averted their gazes, reluctant to attract the wrath of the arguing goddesses.

After observing the scene for a moment, I let out a deep sigh and stepped forward.

“So, the owner of this apple is…”

“Are you denying that it says ‘most beautiful’? Clearly, it’s mine, Aphrod…”

“What do you all think you’re doing at Thetis’ wedding?”

The sharp glares of the quarreling goddesses turned towards me.

Who dared to interfere? I turned my head with hostility. However, upon recognizing my face, they softened.

“Hades. The golden apple tree was mine from the beginning, and I am undoubtedly the most elegant and excellent goddess. Do you think it’s right for goddesses unworthy of their stature to take this?”

“Hera! I acknowledge that you are the greatest among goddesses. But I cannot yield the golden apple. I am the most competent goddess, so it should go to me.”

“Haaa… What nonsense are you all spouting? It says the most beautiful goddess! And the goddess of beauty is right here!”

“Enough. Everyone, quiet down and listen to me.”

First, I needed to calm them down.

At my words, the three goddesses, who had been fuming, momentarily fell silent.

“What’s so special about that golden apple that you’re all fighting over it? Wouldn’t it be better to just give it to Thetis, the protagonist of today’s wedding?”

“That’s unacceptable!”

“No way!”

“That is out of the question!”

Then what do you want me to do? Are you planning to keep fighting here?

Even pride battles should consider the time and place. Acting like this at a wedding is absurd.

Should I suppress them with authority? But not Hera. No matter how annoying she is, the Queen of the Gods deserves respect.

If this were my wedding, though, I wouldn’t let it slide, not even for Hera.

Regardless of who it was, I would have thrown them all out into the Underworld.

“What are you all doing at a wedding!!!”

Exactly like this.

Thetis wasn’t a goddess anyone hated, and her human groom, Peleus, was a grandson of Zeus.

So it was natural for Zeus to be furious.

“Instead of blessing the wedding, you’ve turned it into a spectacle of bickering. What a delightful sight to behold.”

Zeus, his face contorted with anger, walked toward us and grabbed the golden apple.

“The owner of this apple will be decided later! For now, celebrating the newlyweds should be the priority!”

“Understood…”

“Fine, dear.”

“If you insist, Zeus…”

Thankfully, everyone seemed to agree to let it go for now.

Good. Fight later. What a disgraceful display at someone else’s wedding.

I moved toward Thetis and her mortal husband.

Since I was here, offering my congratulations was only proper.

“Ahem. Ahem. There was a bit of commotion, but congratulations on your wedding, Lady Thetis.”

“Thank you…”

“Peleus, was it? To the human beside her as well.”

“Thank you, Lord of the Underworld!”

After offering a few words of blessing and a suitable wedding gift, I turned to Zeus.

He stood, staring at the troublesome golden apple that had caused all the commotion, lost in thought.

“Zeus.”

“It’s giving me a headache, figuring out who should receive this.”

“Honestly, it seems like the simplest solution would be to follow its inscription and give it to Aphrodite…”

“That would start another fight.”

If he split the golden apple into three pieces, they’d accuse him of mocking them.

If he gave it to one goddess, the other two would hold grudges.

And if he used his authority to give it to Thetis, all three goddesses would resent him.

Then, shouldn’t the judgment be entrusted to someone everyone could accept?

Zeus seemed to reach the same conclusion as I did, as he looked at me and spoke.

“Hades, brother, could you make the decision? As the well-known god of fairness, the ruler of the Underworld, your judgment might be grudgingly accepted.”

“Hey…”

Don’t dump this on me.