King of Underworld

Chapter 87 Love and Fire – (2)

Just as Hephaestus was about to head to the torture chambers with Eros, I called him back.

“Hephaestus.”

“Yes?”

The god of blacksmiths stopped in his tracks and turned to face me.

Right… this nephew of mine had crafted my bident, repaired various armaments for me, and even built Charon’s ferry. It was only fair that I help him resolve his marriage problem in return.

“Do you still have feelings for Aphrodite? Think carefully and answer wisely.”

“Hmm…”

“If you want, I can find you a goddess who rivals Aphrodite’s beauty.”

Hephaestus fell into deep thought.

His eyes were filled with a swirl of confusion, sadness, love, and regret.

“Aphrodite has been with Ares, and countless other gods. She’s even had many children…”

“But I…”

“Yes, I know it’s hard to let go. But a marriage can’t survive on one-sided affection. Even though Zeus forced you two together, you’re aware of the reality, aren’t you?”

“……”

“This latest incident you’ve caused… it’s surely reached Aphrodite’s ears by now.”

Hephaestus’s head hung low, and he stood motionless for a long while.

Just as the blacksmith god seemed frozen in his thoughts, Eros spoke up from beside him.

“Um… Lord Hephaestus.”

“What is it, Eros?”

“Well… as the god of love, I know this much… My mother’s heart has long since drifted away…”

Sigh.

With a sigh heavy enough to shake the Underworld, Hephaestus finally spoke.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips, accompanied by a resigned tone.

“Haha… Uncle, it seems Aphrodite and I are no longer meant to be.”

“…I see.”

Now that Hephaestus had given up on continuing his marriage with Aphrodite, I needed to devise a way to convince Zeus.

Aphrodite and Hephaestus’s marriage had been arranged by Zeus, king of the gods.

Zeus had feared that the gods would fight over the goddess of beauty, given her unrivaled allure.

“I will hear no further objections! From this moment, the husband of the goddess of beauty is Hephaestus!”

Since Zeus had forcefully declared it as the ruler of Olympus, reversing that decision would be no easy feat.

I would need solid reasons, strong arguments, and the agreement of other gods.

To persuade Zeus, I’d have to come up with a solution to prevent further conflict among the gods… and enlist the help of Poseidon.

But if Aphrodite’s official husband were removed, the other gods would likely flock to her.

Wait… “other gods”… that gives me an idea.

The key player here is Poseidon, and since I’ve heard he’s currently on Olympus…

It seems I must head to the palace above the clouds to rally support.

* * *

Olympus Palace.

The peaceful denizens of the clouds stirred as I arrived.

“Wait… isn’t that the King of the Underworld?!”

“Lord Hades?! Could it be because of the time he took Demeter’s daughter to the Underworld?”

“It’s been a while, but maybe he’s here about that incident with the minor god, Medusa…”

It seemed Poseidon wasn’t visible at the moment, likely enjoying his nectar somewhere deep inside.

I stopped a young attendant carrying nectar and called them over.

“H-H-Hail, Lord Hades!”

“Where is Poseidon?”

“T-The Lord of the Seas is… over there…”

I nodded and was about to walk away when the attendant’s face caught my attention.

A face unfamiliar to Olympus… wait, was this a boy?

“What is your name? Are you a newly ascended minor god?”

“I am Ganymede, formerly a prince of Troy… Lord Zeus brought me to Olympus, Lord of the Underworld.”

I looked at the boy—no, this young man—who bowed before me.

With a face rivaling any goddess’s in beauty… but a boy?

And wait… Zeus brought him here? Could this be what I think it is…?

“Did Zeus forcefully bring you here? If so, nod slightly, and I’ll return you to the mortal realm.”

“N-No, that’s not it. Lord Zeus has treated me well.”

He’s clearly too scared to speak freely. It’s obvious he hasn’t been here long.

It doesn’t seem like he possesses any special powers or bloodline… Did Zeus really bring him here just for his appearance?

And from Troy, no less, a rather prominent kingdom. How could Zeus just take a prince like that?

And for what, simply because he was beautiful?

“Very well. Continue with your duties.”

“Yes, my lord…!”

This young Ganymede’s story could be useful when I talk to Zeus.

And… if I bring this up with Hera, convincing Zeus might become even easier.

With these thoughts in mind, I made my way through the clouds and soon spotted Poseidon.

The sea god, with his blue hair, was drinking nectar and listening to the music flowing from a lyre nearby.

I approached him and sat down beside him.

“Poseidon, I need to discuss something.”

“Hades? What brings you here?”

“I want to arrange a divorce for Hephaestus and find him a new wife. I need your help convincing Zeus.”

“Hmm.”

He downed the rest of his nectar in one gulp, his face indifferent.

“Is this because of what Hephaestus almost did to Athena?”

“Yes. If we don’t intervene, I fear he might turn toward Gaia, especially now that they’ve had a child.”

“Well…”

“You provoked Hephaestus into that mess, didn’t you? Now that Athena’s been involved, show some mercy to your manipulated nephew.”

“If my nephew sides with Gaia, it will only further undermine Zeus’s authority. Why should I care?”

A smirk tugged at his lips. He clearly hadn’t given up on his dreams of rebellion.

Then again, provoking Hephaestus just because Athena displeased him…

The more the gods quarreled, the more Zeus’s rule would be questioned.

Poseidon had seemed disinterested in ruling Olympus for some time, but now he harbored strange ambitions again.

“I don’t understand why you care so much about the throne of Olympus.”

“I don’t understand why you care so much, Hades. But as for me, Zeus doesn’t sit well with me, so do as you will.”

“Do you still dream of overthrowing him?”

“Hmph! If I did, would you be interested in joining me?”

Poseidon grumbled, turning his head away.

Hmm. It seems he hasn’t fully abandoned the idea of rebellion, but it’s just a minor grudge for now.

Still, this situation is frustrating.

This man manipulated our poor nephew, yet now he’s playing innocent?

Always tormenting mortals for his amusement…

“…I suppose I’ll have to try a different approach.
It seems no one believes you were behind the whole Hephaestus-Athena debacle.
But if I publicly confirm it, and if I also bring Medusa, who’s been grinding her teeth in the Underworld after you assaulted her, up here to testify… And let’s not forget the numerous mortals you’ve killed. I could arrange for a few of their victims to serve in the training grounds, so when those heroes return to the mortal realm, they’ll spread word of your atrocities…”

Most of these are empty threats, of course.

I’d respect Medusa’s wishes and those of the other victims, so it’s unlikely I’d actually go through with it.

And I have no real reason to start a war with Poseidon…

Though the number of vengeful spirits in the Underworld because of him is overwhelming…

As I finished speaking, Poseidon’s face turned red, and he slammed the table with his hand as he shot up from his seat.

Thankfully, his temper kept him from noticing the bluff.

He’ll probably figure it out later, but for now…

“What?! Hades, are you threatening me?!”

His eyes flared with blue divine energy, and the eyes of the surrounding gods shifted to us.

I showed him the whip—now it’s time to offer the carrot. Don’t get too angry, Poseidon.

“…If you help me this time, I’ll arrange a meeting with your dead children.”

“My… children?”

“Yes, all of them, including those you fathered with mortal women.”

“Hmm.”

Poseidon sat back down, looking at me intently.

Even Zeus has no control over the souls of the dead.

Zeus once begged me to allow him to meet Semele, Dionysus’s mother, whom he had accidentally killed. I refused.

Other than rare exceptions, such as the case of Phaethon and Helios, contact between the living and the dead is forbidden—even for the gods—as it disrupts the balance of the world.

But Poseidon, known for his overflowing affection for his offspring, might be swayed by this offer.

After some grumbling, he sat back and gulped down more nectar.

“You’re worshipped as the god of mercy by mortals, but you show none to your own brother.”

“You’ve accumulated quite the karmic debt. The souls of those you’ve wronged come to the Underworld regularly.”

“Hmph… just because of some insignificant mortals…”

“Hephaestus seems to have finally given up on Aphrodite. If we arrange for his divorce and find him a new wife, wouldn’t that also bring you some benefits?”

Poseidon’s eyes darted back and forth as he weighed the pros and cons of my proposal.

“…I’ll make sure Hephaestus knows you were a big help. You wouldn’t want to make an enemy out of him, would you?”

“Fine. But don’t expect me to actively assist.”

“That’s more than enough. Now I just need to convince Hera.”

As long as Poseidon agreed to support me in theory, it didn’t matter how active his participation would be.

Having him on my side would already make Zeus reconsider.

Come to think of it, when Aphrodite first appeared, I’d heard that Poseidon had courted her as well.

He must’ve given up once Ares fathered her children, or maybe he backed off out of respect for Amphitrite.

With Poseidon now in agreement, we made our way to Hera, the queen of the gods.

When we entered the grand hall, Hera, who had been applying olive oil to her face, jumped in surprise at the sight of us.

“Hades and Poseidon…? Could this be… a rebellion?!”

“…It’s not what you think.”

Of course, that’s the first thing that comes to mind.