The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 113: Justice and the Underworld

I managed to mediate the quarrel between Ares, Aphrodite, and Eos, though it was quite difficult to calm Aphrodite's anger.

[Aphrodite, calm down and listen quietly.]

[Hades?!]

[If Eos has taken Ares from you, can't you just take him back? I hardly think the goddess of love and beauty's charm is inferior to that of the goddess of dawn.]

[…But.]

I reminded her of the contributions made by the goddess of dawn, and persuaded her that it was free love that made her want to divorce the god of smithing in the first place.

"Goddess Eos, going after Ares when he already has someone isn’t the right thing to do."

"Is that your judgment as the god of fairness?"

"…Anyone would say the same. Even though he hasn't officially married, Ares already has children with Aphrodite…"

I also said a few things to Eos and gave Ares, who was awkwardly standing by, a piece of my mind.

But I didn’t use my power of fairness in this situation. 

Although I didn’t summon Dike's artifact, the Scales of Justice, there was a lingering discomfort that came from knowing something was off. 

This discomfort is what I'd call the power and duty of Fairness.

However, I wouldn’t let it sway me. I would make the right judgment based on my reason.

After all, this was a judgment he could make because fairness was not his primary domain, but rather a divine power that had been added to him as the ruler of the underworld since the beginning.

'The standard for fairness is not so clear. The fact that the basic punishment for blasphemy is death is a good example…'

It serves as a useful reference, but it's not perfect.

Would the judgments I make based on what I know truly be considered fair?

With that thought, I headed toward where Zeus was.

* * * 

Zeus, whom I saw again, was leisurely looking down at the humans below the clouds.

Sitting on his throne, he propped his chin on his hand, and a blue light flickered in one of his eyes.

Seeing me enter the audience chamber of the Olympus palace, Zeus waved his hand, dismissing the other gods and attendants.

“Were you watching the world below?”

“Yes. It seems that thanks to you, humans are committing fewer sins these days.”

“This power of fairness or whatever, it’s nothing but a burden.”

Zeus looked at me with a slight smile.

“I think I understand why so many additional powers have been bestowed upon you. Humans worship you fervently, after all…”

“So, what’s the reason you called for me? It must be important.”

“Ah… about that.”

Clearing his throat, Zeus stroked his beard.

What in the world is he taking so long to say?

“Hmm. Hmm. It’s about the goddess of justice, Dike.”

“Dike, who’s now part of the underworld? I doubt she’s caused any trouble…”

“I understand why you accepted the power of fairness, but can’t you think about my dignity a little?”

Ah. I immediately understood what Zeus was getting at.

I’ve heard that Dike, who now works in the underworld, has been lecturing the gods whenever she has free time.

But there’s no way the normally unruly gods would take that lying down, and it seems they’ve complained to Zeus.

Since I, the god of fairness, had been backing her up, they must have gone to Zeus instead.

“Of course, I dismissed their complaints right away, but it seems there’s still quite a bit of dissatisfaction. They’ve lived that way for ages, after all…”

“Seems like there are many who still haven’t come to their senses. Tsk.”

“Hmph. It would be nice if everything could proceed justly, but that’s not always the best solution.”

Pursuing absolute justice too fervently often collides with reality.

Just as reason and emotion clash, the conflict between injustice and justice requires a delicate balance.

Even if I support Dike, drastic changes will be difficult to achieve quickly.

But if we take it slow, maybe it’s possible. After all, the very reason I accepted Dike is to bring about gradual change.

Zeus likely guessed this, which is why he wanted to talk face to face.

If he’d sent a message, I might have misunderstood his intentions.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been holding back lately. Are you being careful around Hera?”

“With Heracles growing up well, mm-hmm.”

“You have a point. I’ll speak to Dike in moderation.”

“Oh, will you? Thanks.”

“But you should also keep the gods from falling into excessive debauchery. If Dike makes you uncomfortable, you can always prevent situations where she needs to step in.”

Zeus nodded reluctantly.

Well, managing and controlling all the gods individually is no easy task…

“If the higher-ranking gods set an example, perhaps the temperaments of the others will gradually improve.”

“You’re being praised by humans as the god of mercy and fairness, and I see you truly live up to that reputation.”

“To me, it just feels like a pointless burden… One reason I accepted this power was to prepare for the fight against the Gigantes.”

“True, with your current power, you might be stronger than Poseidon.”

Zeus is right. With all the titles and honors I’ve received from humans, I’m now stronger than Poseidon.

Of course, if we fought in his domain—the sea—I’d lose. But on equal footing, I’d have the upper hand.

Though it’s not a significant difference.

It’s just additional power that comes along with being the god of the underworld.

"Anyway, I'll have a word with Dike, who’s currently in the underworld."

“Her sisters seem to miss her. They're my daughters, after all, and they share a strong bond.”

Now, it’s time to return to the underworld.

* * *

At the time Hades went to Olympus, in the underworld…

The goddess of justice appeared to be waiting for someone.

It was because today, Persephone was going to teach Dike about the underworld's duties.

“Sister Dike!”

“…The daughter of the goddess Demeter, favored by Lord Hades?”

“Please, just speak casually! You can just call me Persephone!”

“Alright. Persephone.”

“Now that you’ve become part of the underworld, shouldn’t you get a proper introduction here?”

Today was the day Persephone, the goddess of spring and seeds, had promised to meet with Dike.

Soon, a lively goddess came running toward her, waving her hand.

She was quite late compared to the time they had agreed to meet…

“I’m sorry! Did I keep you waiting long?”

“Not for too long…”

“Well, I stopped by the mortal world to give a blessing so the seeds could grow well…”

Dike knew. She knew that Persephone, along with many other gods, was always busy.

Though Lord Hades, in consideration of her focus on justice, hadn’t assigned her many duties, Dike herself had already done a fair share of work here.

She had also learned that the massive workload she received on her first day in the underworld was only a small portion of the total tasks.

“It’s fine, just show me what you need to today.”

“Yes, sister! Please follow me. Our office is this way…”

Following Persephone, Dike soon came upon a mountain of documents.

In an office nearly as large as the personal palaces of the twelve Olympian gods, numerous figures were bustling about, carrying scrolls.

Many messengers and lower gods ran in to report, while others passed on orders from their superiors.

In one corner, high-ranking gods, surrounded by piles of scrolls, were hunched over their desks, moving their hands furiously.

“We have a serious problem! Another riot has broken out at the Phlegethon River!”

“Looks like the souls are throwing a tantrum because they don’t want to cross the river of fire again. The goddess who used to manage that area…”

“Hey! The nectar count in the 112th food storage doesn’t match up! What’s going on there?”

“I’ll tell the guards to conduct a proper inventory again.”

“Do I have to worry about even this? Send a correct report back up!”

“There’s a problem with one of the souls slated for reincarnation. A soul that was supposed to enter a male body ended up in a female body…”

“Which fool couldn’t get that right…?!”

“What? They put the soul in the wrong body?”

“Which god is responsible for this? Is it that one with the red horns?”

“Are you blessed by the goddess Lethe? That’s the one in charge of torturing criminals!”

The underworld was incredibly noisy. No, it was utter chaos.

Amid the overwhelming sights of the underworld that all mortals feared, a deity approached Dike. 

No, it was actually Persephone beside Dike whom the god addressed.

“Goddess Persephone?! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be over there?”

“Oh, I’m guiding my sister Dike today!”

“…I envy you.”

Persephone smiled brightly.

She soon pointed to another goddess with her finger. The goddess gave a slight nod when she noticed Persephone and Dike looking at her.

The shadows under her eyes evoked both sympathy and sadness.

“I’ll start introducing you to everyone, one by one. You should at least know their faces.”

“Mm.”

“This is Medusa over here. You know her, right? From the story with Perseus…”

“Greetings to the goddess of justice.”

“…You can just call me Dike.”

“Well then, I have a lot of work to get back to.”

As Medusa returned to her desk, Persephone explained to Dike.

She was a mortal who had suffered greatly at the hands of the gods before Hades turned her into a deity.

Hades had been considerate and assigned her a lighter workload, providing her with various conveniences. But on busy days like today, she often helped voluntarily.

“…Oh, and over there is the mint goddess, Mente.”

“Ah… hello…! Goddess of justice!”

“Yes. I’ve heard much about the nymph who became a goddess after creating Lord Hades’ symbol.”

The mint-scented goddess was moving hurriedly with a face on the verge of tears.

Before Persephone and Medusa arrived in the underworld, she had been the youngest one here.

Next, Persephone pointed toward two goddesses who were buried in a mountain of scrolls. Their conversation, full of authority, reached Dike’s ears.

“Styx… I think you wrote this wrong.”

“Oh! Sorry, Lethe! I’ve been so busy today that I keep making these mistakes…”

“Hah…”

Dike approached them and gave a slight nod.

Based on their conversation, these were the goddesses of the River Styx and of Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness.

They were high-ranking deities from the time of the Titans.

“I am Dike, the goddess of justice, and I have recently started working in the underworld.”

“I’ve received the report. You’re the daughter of the goddess Themis, right? But if you’re the goddess of justice…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to assign her as a judge? Her artifact, the Scales of Justice, is famous…”

“That could work, but since she oversees justice, she’ll need to keep an eye on matters in the mortal world too…”

Dike thought to herself.

Does justice not exist in the underworld?

This was the true state of the underworld, the place all gods avoided working in.