The King of the Underworld is Tired

Side Story – The Rebellion of the Underworld (Epilogue)

As the new king of the gods, I now gaze down from the golden throne of Olympus, not from the dark and gloomy depths of the underworld.

Of course… I still remain the ruler of the underworld as well.

The most powerful weapons, Scythe and Astrapē, which once belonged to Zeus, are now mine.

By overthrowing Zeus, I not only claimed his throne but also his divine authority as the god of the sky.

The domains of the underworld, fairness, mercy, sovereignty, the sky, law… and more.

With my own divinity combined with what I gained from Zeus, I could feel the immense weight on my shoulders.

And along with this weight came an irritation at Zeus for having behaved so recklessly while carrying such responsibility.

"Though you are my brother, I cannot forgive you for plunging the world into chaos. From now on, you shall carry the celestial sphere yourself, in Atlas’ place."

"Hades! How could you do this to me? I treated you well, didn't I—"

"Take him away!"

"Hahaha! Zeus, let me give you some tips on how to hold the celestial sphere more easily!"

Completely fallen, Zeus, now stripped of all but his authority over thunder and lightning, was dragged away by Atlas.

With Astrapē and Scythe taken from him and his body wounded, Zeus would forever carry the celestial sphere.

And given that his loins were shattered, there’s a high chance he might meet the same fate as Uranus (Ouranos).

Now, the remaining issues are disciplining the gods, preventing chaos among mortals in the mortal realm, solidifying my authority...

And most importantly, negotiating with Lady Gaia.

"Hades."

As I sat on the golden throne, lost in thought, Hera approached me.

Once the queen of the gods, her authority had significantly diminished now that Zeus had been dethroned.

"A king of gods deserves a queen worthy of him. Have you considered any goddess for the role?"

Though I had never been interested in romance and had thus remained unmarried, now that I was king of the gods, I needed to find a goddess to fill the position beside me.

But if Hera was bringing this up, then perhaps…

"Why do you ask?"

"It’s obvious you’ll pick someone like Styx or Lethe from the underworld, but who says a king must have only one queen?"

"And?"

"What about marrying my daughter, Hebe, the goddess of youth?"

Hebe, the second daughter of Zeus and Hera, was known as the princess of the gods and a goddess of unparalleled beauty.

She usually serves nectar and ambrosia to the gods in Olympus.

The reason Hera is proposing this to me is likely because she wants to strengthen my reign, which has just begun, while also maintaining influence through her daughter, Hebe.

She might fear that I, having ousted Zeus, could also cast her out or treat her as irrelevant in Olympus.

But for me, it’s not a bad suggestion.

If Hera supports me, even indirectly, it would help stabilize Olympus.

"I will consider it. This isn’t a decision to be made lightly."

"...Very well. You’re the ruler of Olympus now, so I’ll follow your decision. Especially now that Zeus has ended up like this…"

"I regret what happened to my brother. If only he had ruled more wisely, I wouldn’t have come to Olympus in the first place."

"Even Hestia turned her gaze away from him, so the legitimacy lies with you."

Hera’s expression was complex.

A mixture of sympathy, resentment, acceptance, and bitterness.

Well, no matter how much she resented Zeus’ infidelity and even revolted against him once, she must have felt something for him after all those years.

"Lord Hades! You must come quickly!"

Hermes’ voice rang in both my and Hera’s ears.

It seemed something urgent had happened.

When Hera and I stepped outside the divine palace, we found an unexpected goddess waiting there.

A green-haired goddess with a beauty so chilling it sent shivers down one’s spine.

But the overwhelming aura she exuded made it impossible for anyone to approach her.

"Hades. It’s been a long time. I hear you’ve dethroned Zeus and become the ruler of Olympus?"

"…It is an honor to meet the great Protogenoi."

"Indeed. At least you have more respect than Zeus or Poseidon ever did."

The goddess of the earth and a great primordial deity.

And now, an enemy of the gods— Lady Gaia herself—had come to Olympus.

"All gods, leave us at once."

May the eloquence of Peitho, the goddess of persuasion, grant me success in this negotiation.

* * *

I brought her into the halls of the Olympus palace. It wasn’t as if I could turn her away, nor was it appropriate to show disrespect to someone who had existed since the dawn of time.

"Hmm."

Gaia began to survey the ruins of Olympus, her gaze filled with curiosity.

Though Hephaestus was the god of blacksmiths, even he couldn’t restore the vast palace of Olympus in an instant.

The twelve golden thrones came into view before us. I offered the highest seat to her.

Gracefully and elegantly, Gaia took her place on the throne and directed her gaze toward me.

"I heard that you, who once stayed only in the Underworld, have become the ruler of Olympus."

"I could no longer stand by and watch as the immature gods, led by Zeus, wreaked havoc and plunged the world into chaos."

"I see. Then, I suppose you intend to correct even the small mistakes Zeus has made?"

Gaia spoke softly with a smile, yet her eyes remained cold.

She must be referring to Zeus imprisoning the Titans in Tartarus.

I had to choose my words carefully now. The future of Olympus might depend on whether I could persuade her at this moment.

Though there were points where I, as the king of gods, could not back down...

"If you’re asking me to release the Titans trapped in Tartarus, I must decline."

"...Hoho. I thought you’d be more reasonable than Zeus. Was I mistaken?"

"As you surely know, Lady Gaia, freeing those who are hostile to Olympus from Tartarus would undoubtedly spark another war of the gods."

Gaia narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue at me.

But I wasn’t finished speaking yet. What I needed now was a mix of straightforwardness and cunning.

"If the throne of the king of gods tempts you so much, then I suppose there’s no helping it."

"It’s not because I coveted this position. The reason I rebelled against Zeus was his attitude toward mortals."

Though Gaia was the goddess of the earth, she was also the mother of all life and a goddess of creation. Perhaps she might be somewhat sympathetic toward mortals.

"...Go on."

"As the king of gods, Zeus abandoned his wife, Hera, and went around assaulting mortal women. He cared nothing for the mortal realm, instead fighting over the goddess of beauty with the other Olympians. I could no longer stand idly by."

"......"

"If the Titans imprisoned in Tartarus are released, they will surely aim to overthrow the order led by Olympus. While I’m confident in facing the Titans, the mortal realm would inevitably be caught in the crossfire and destroyed in the process."

Atlas, Prometheus, and Epimetheus were now on our side.

Of course, Atlas still required careful monitoring, but except for Cronos, I was confident we could defeat the Titans trapped in Tartarus.

Yet, could humanity endure the decades-long battle that would ensue?

After staring at me for a moment, Gaia finally spoke.

"You claim your reasons for taking the throne of Olympus are righteous? And now you want me to show mercy because of it?"

"I am also a god of fairness and mercy, and the goddess of justice belongs to the Underworld."

"Hmph. Did you really think you could convince me with such flimsy reasoning?"

Of course, she would respond this way.

That’s why I had prepared one more proposition.

"Then, I would like to make a proposal to you, Gaia."

"Oh?"

"I invite you to stay here in the palace of Olympus. Please guide me with your wisdom."

Gaia’s eyes widened slightly.

The irritation that had filled her gaze now blended with intrigue and interest.

"You want me to stay here and watch over you? Hmph... That’s a choice Zeus would never have made."

"If I fail to meet your expectations, you may cast me out at any time. After all, you certainly have the power to do so, do you not?"

“…Hohoho. How amusing.”

With a slow motion, Gaia rose from her throne and approached me.

Her gaze, once filled only with irritation, now overflowed with curiosity and interest as it swept over me.

She grasped my chin and pulled me toward her.

This couldn’t possibly be… No, surely not? From what I know, my grandfather Uranus, my father Cronos, and even my brother Zeus had all… with Gaia…

"You’re quite amusing. Despite being hailed as one of the three supreme gods by mortals and now crowned as the king of gods, you still care for mortals. Even though you’re not an earth goddess like me, you know how to look down and care for those below you..."

"Thank you."

"You’re also quite handsome... Won’t you entertain me in another way?"

Gaia’s gentle hand stroked my chest.

Her sultry gaze was becoming harder to bear. Her overwhelming presence and figure only added to my unease.

I swallowed nervously. I had vowed

 to welcome any goddess who came to me as king of the gods, but this… this was too overwhelming.

Still, if Gaia were to support me, Olympus would fall perfectly under my control...

"How much longer will you make me wait?"

Her sultry whisper, coupled with her warm body pressed against mine, left no room for hesitation.

"...Allow me to escort you inside."

"Hohoho. That’s more like it—very manly of you.”