The King of the Underworld is Tired

Today is the second day of the Olympic festival dedicated to Zeus.

It’s a day of running, javelin throwing, chariot races, and more.

Like yesterday, I plan to sit in the stadium with Goddess Lethe and watch the events.

While climbing the stone steps and looking for a place to sit, I overhear the voices of nearby humans.

"Was running the first event? Last time’s winner was…"

"But won’t the child of a god win again anyway?"

"It’s hard for mere mortals to match the heroes, especially those with Olympian blood…"

"Still! We mortals have our own strength…"

Anyone, whether demigod or human, can participate in the Olympic festival dedicated to Zeus.

However, the gap between those with even a fraction of divine blood and ordinary mortals is not easily bridged.

The mere fact of having divine blood grants strength, stamina, and perhaps even unique abilities.

Listening to the people passing by, Goddess Lethe spoke up.

"It seems the humans are feeling deprived…"

"It's understandable if they lack divine heritage. The difference is there from birth…"

"Then wouldn’t a demigod, a descendant of the Twelve Olympian, inevitably win these events?"

"Not necessarily…"

Even among demigods, there’s a noticeable difference in abilities depending on how closely they’re related to higher-ranking gods.

But that doesn’t mean the outcome of these competitions is predetermined.

"The 16th contestant is a devoted follower of Artemis, the goddess of the moon…!"

We found a decent spot and listened to the announcer.

It seemed the race was about to start, as the athletes got into position, and the crowd quieted down.

Boom—

Thud. Thud-thud.

"Whoo-hoo—!"

"Give it your all, Moroclas!"

"Do you know how many drachmas I’ve bet on this?!"

"Run faster!"

With the sound of the drum, all the contestants took off.

Young Greek men’s bare feet powerfully pushed off the ground as they sprinted.

"Lineage certainly plays a big role, but there have been cases where personal effort overturned that."

"I thought examples of bridging that kind of inherent gap were extremely rare…"

The world is inherently unfair.

Differences in heritage, talent, innate abilities, and social standing are not easily overcome by anyone.

"And the winner is Deitos! The crown of victory shall be bestowed upon you!"

"Wow!!!"

"A demigod… lost to a human?"

"I always knew he was something special since he ran around outside the city every day!"

"So there’s someone faster than Hermes’ descendant…"

But sometimes, there are humans who manage to overcome such differences.

The one who won the race against many demigods must be one of those few.

"Wow… Truly impressive. I think I see the qualities of a hero in him."

"If he comes to Thebes, he would certainly be worth nurturing in the underworld."

A terracotta amphora depicting the running contest was filled with olive oil.

A laurel wreath, made of olive branches and laurel leaves, was placed on the winner’s forehead.

Goddess Lethe, watching the winner smile widely as he lifted the amphora, spoke.

"A hero… Speaking of which, what happened to the brother Bellerophon accidentally killed?"

"His resentment seems to have softened a lot, as he expressed a desire to meet Bellerophon."

After arriving in the underworld, Bellerophon accepted the settlement I proposed.

If his brother wished, he would meet him personally to apologize.

Bellerophon, when he finally met his brother in the underworld, knelt down and apologized.

Fortunately, the victim accepted the apology.

As we were thinking about Bellerophon’s story, a middle-aged man sitting next to us spoke up.

"Hey… Just a moment! Excuse me, but are you two married by any chance?"

"Is he talking to us?"

"Yes, indeed. You two seem quite close, but if she’s already married…"

He looked at Goddess Lethe suspiciously.

Married women were prohibited from attending or even watching the male-only Olympic festival.

However, virgins were allowed to watch, as they were expected to understand the world of men.

I could just say that the goddess and I aren’t married, and that would solve everything.

But then… Goddess Lethe, with a shy expression, said something quite bold.

"Yes. We’re married."

* * *

"What, what did you say?! Hey! Guards! A married woman is…"

The man, flustered by Lethe proudly claiming herself as a married woman, tried to call for the guards.

But soon, he lost his memory for a moment and stood there dazed.

Goddess Lethe glanced at me, almost gauging my reaction.

Perhaps it was because she said we were married…

"Goddess."

"Why… Why? You… don't want to marry me? Hades?"

I swallowed the words I was about to say.

We aren’t married yet, nor are we even in a relationship…

But I’m not so foolish as to not understand what she wants to hear.

Perhaps, at this moment, I can give her the answer she wants.

"Mu…"

"Hm? Say it louder…."

Cheering voices for the athletes preparing for the next event, people laughing and chatting.

Thunder rumbling, proof that Zeus was watching the games from the sky with satisfaction…

Despite all of that, the only thing I could hear was the goddess’s question.

She seemed to have gathered considerable courage just to ask, as her small fingers fidgeted.

Red lips moving slightly, trembling eyes.

"...Hades?"

Just like Styx…

Instead of saying anything, I moved closer to where she was sitting.

She flinched as my face neared, but she didn’t look away.

I used a glamour to conceal us so no one else could see.

Not even most of the Olympian gods would be able to see through it.

This wasn’t the first time I’d done this.

Skillfully, I moved my hand to gently grasp the back of her head and pulled her towards me.

I hope this conveys my answer to her.

Smooch.

This is the second time.

* * *

Helios had already passed with his sun chariot,

And darkness had settled over Olympia.

In the quiet nighttime streets, I walked arm in arm with Goddess Lethe.

Step, step.

Maybe because of that brief kiss from earlier.

I found myself constantly aware of the soft touch of her arm entwined with mine.

"Hee…"

Not only had she entwined her arm with mine, but now the beautiful goddess rested her head on my shoulder.

This ticklish feeling in my chest is far from unpleasant.

After walking around for a while and looking at the surroundings,

Something caught my attention with my divine senses.

"Ugh… a knife… blood on my body…"

A groaning sound came from inside a brick house.

It seemed to be an elderly man, perhaps a former soldier, plagued by a terrible nightmare.

He still hadn’t escaped the battlefield, even with his eyes closed and cold sweat on his brow.

Normally, such things would be under Morpheus’s jurisdiction,

But helping ease his suffering would be fitting for the goddess beside me as well.

Perhaps realizing the same thing, Goddess Lethe stopped walking and looked at me.

"I’ll be right back."

I nodded at her, meeting her eyes, and she vanished.

Soon, the power of forgetfulness enveloped the house, leaving only the sound of his soft breathing.

The pain of war would gradually become a faint memory.

Goddess Lethe returned quickly, a slight smile on her lips.

The goddess who once grieved over her unwelcome role has changed so much…

"You've brought a small bit of peace."

"Hmph… I just don’t like seeing humans suffer from being bound by memories of the past."

That’s what forgetting is.

While people may resist it touching precious or important memories, they hope for the goddess's blessing on painful, tormenting memories.

It’s much like death.

As mortals age and draw nearer to death, they’re more likely to become my followers.

Meanwhile, the young, who are far from death, praise Ares, Apollo, or Zeus.

"Spending the day with Hades after so long, and seeing interesting things..."

We had seen enough of the Olympic festival, which the humans offered to Zeus.

I couldn’t leave the underworld unattended for too long, so it was about time to return.

I raised my hand and pointed to a tall hill.

"How about we go up there one last time?"

And so, I climbed the hill with the goddess of forgetfulness.

Insects chirped all around, and beautiful fireflies flitted about.

Chirp, chirp—

The place was dark and filled with shadows; I stood at the top of the hill and looked down.

The night view of Olympia, a great city and sanctuary, spread out before us.

And then… with her silver hair fluttering in the strong wind, the goddess spoke.

Her gaze fixed on the city, not on me, yet somehow it felt like she was looking right at me.

"Hades."

"Yes, my lady?"

"One day, won't the countless mortals living in that city also fully accept my blessing?"

There’s no god whose mind won’t eventually receive the blessing of forgetfulness.

Memories of the distant past grow hazy and are sometimes forgotten in the recesses of the mind.

Mortals forget even more easily.

Even memories of just yesterday can be partially forgotten by humans.

"As the goddess of forgetfulness, I must bestow my blessing on everyone, little by little."

"Neither Zeus nor I were exceptions. Even for you, Lady Lethe."

As the goddess of love falls in love, so does Goddess Lethe fall into the depths of forgetfulness.

Lethe smiled faintly again as she looked my way.

"But today's memories… I don’t want them to fade."

"...I feel the same."

"Would you help make sure I don't forget today?"

Yearning filled her eyes, only to soon vanish behind her eyelids.

I also approached her and slowly closed my eyes.

Turning my head slightly to the side… and, at the same time, embracing her soft figure, our lips touched.

"With pleasure."

I parted my lips slightly and nudged her lips with my tongue.

A small gap formed as the two of us became connected through that opening.

My first thought was that it was sweet and warm.

At the same time, the thought that brushed my mind was that I wanted to continue this tenderness.

The intimate parts inside tangled together, yet it didn’t feel unpleasant at all.

Rather… I had an even stronger desire to be closer.

My wandering hands fumbled aimlessly until I regained my senses and pulled away.

A long silver thread formed between us before disappearing.

The sweet taste of peach lingered in my mouth.

"Haa…"

Even if forgetfulness should envelop me with the passing of time,

This moment, I will never forget.