Chapter 979: Chapter 979: The Choice Given to Erebus
The next morning, a knock sounded at the door of the hotel where Erebus was staying.
"Who is it?"
Being woken from a dream so early in the morning naturally put him in a bad mood. Even Erebus, a benevolent god who liked to think of himself as an evil one, was no exception.
He opened the door and found a face outside that looked resolute, though not particularly imposing.
Erebus paused slightly. He could tell the visitor was an adventurer, but the impression he had of him was faint.
"Hmm, you are...?"
"God Erebus, I am Raul, from Loki Familia."
"Oh? So... that child is looking for me?"
After Raul introduced himself, Erebus finally recalled who this not-so-memorable man was. Still, he didn’t think his relationship with Loki was close enough for her to personally send someone for him. His thoughts immediately turned to the recent center of attention, Bell Cranel.
If it was that child, it made sense that he would reach out through Loki.
"Well... I’m not entirely sure," Raul replied in a stiff, almost scripted tone. "My task was simply to find you and bring you to the familia. Loki-sama is waiting for you at home."
Raul’s mechanical explanation made Erebus feel a bit helpless. No wonder this kid left such a weak impression. That soft, unassertive personality really stood out.
Still, this confirmed Erebus’s guess. The one who wanted to see him wasn’t Loki, but that child. If he was going to meet Bell, then he’d at least need to pay attention to his appearance.
"Wait here a moment."
Erebus turned around and went back into his room to get changed. He’d opened the door in nothing but simple sleepwear. He wasn’t about to head out dressed like that.
Fifteen minutes later, Erebus opened the door again. His appearance had completely shifted into the refined, polished look befitting a god. He wore a black suit, his hair neatly smoothed down and styled, every detail radiating formality.
"Let’s go."
There was a hint of curiosity in Erebus’s heart. He genuinely didn’t know why that child had summoned him. From the projections that had appeared in the sky earlier, it seemed Bell held him in fairly high regard. Of course, those were probably just polite words. He wasn’t naïve enough to take them at face value.
Otherwise, wouldn’t that just make him a fool?
And so, Erebus followed Raul to Loki Familia. They passed through Loki’s personal room and then through a spatial passage hidden within it.
"..."
Erebus looked around, slightly stunned. He knew exactly where they were.
And precisely because he knew, the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
’Living outside the world itself? Who exactly are you guarding against?’
This was genuinely unexpected.
This "outside the world" was a place even the mad gods of Evilus couldn’t reach. Once you crossed over, there was practically no chance of ever coming back.
’Tch. His handiwork, no doubt. How long has he been laying this out?’
Erebus understood clearly. Making preparations like this meant Bell fundamentally didn’t trust gods at all. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to create defenses specifically against them.
He was fully committed to the idea that no god could break in, which was why he’d built such a space in the first place.
’Careful, cautious... and a little unhinged.’
Erebus quietly added several notes to his mental evaluation of Bell, forming a much more three-dimensional impression of him.
Under Raul’s guidance, Erebus entered the massive treehouse.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Loki and the others sitting off to one side of the living room. At the center were the two "Worlds" and Bell. Nearby stood two figures whose appearances contrasted sharply, one black and one gold, both wearing twin tails.
’So it starts like this?’
The instant he felt their gazes converge on him, Erebus’s body stiffened.
"Loki-sama, I’ll be taking my leave."
"Oh, good work."
After receiving permission, Raul withdrew without another word, not lingering for even a second.
Raul knew his place. In this special space, everyone seated here was at least a god. As an ordinary adventurer, the correct move after finishing his task was to leave immediately. Some things simply weren’t meant for him to know, and Raul was well aware of that.
"Now that everyone is here, we can start."
With everyone assembled, Bell picked up the thread and opened the discussion.
"God Erebus, Ereshkigal. I didn’t call you here for anything else. It’s about the structure of the Underworld I mentioned last time."
Once the topic was made clear, Erebus understood why he’d been summoned. His gaze shifted to the two twin-tailed figures, one black and one gold. One of them was clearly Ereshkigal from another world.
"Some basic construction on the outer layers of the world is already complete. There’s still a lot left unfinished, but the Underworld can begin construction now. Among the Underworld gods I know, the two of you are particularly responsible, so I’d like you to take charge of its creation."
"Of course, this isn’t limited to building the Underworld. In the future, you’ll also be responsible for matters related to reincarnation."
Bell laid out his conclusion plainly, then looked to see whether the two Underworld gods had any objections.
Erebus considered it for a moment before speaking.
"Then what kind of Underworld do you want it to be?"
"As the central hub of reincarnation for both humans and gods. All human births and deaths must pass through the cycle of reincarnation, and I want you to establish a system that clearly distinguishes reward from punishment. Beyond humans, gods who die will also be reborn through the Underworld. And when gods later reincarnate within the human world, that process must also fall under the Underworld’s jurisdiction."
That was a tremendous amount of authority.
Erebus could already see both the responsibilities and the power this role would entail. In the future, no matter how many humans or gods the new world held, the Underworld would be an unavoidable passage for all of them.
"That would be an enormous undertaking. Managing human souls alone is already a massive task. If reincarnation is included, the Underworld system will require a great number of personnel."
Bell was well aware of the issue Erebus raised, which was why he followed up immediately.
"I know the Underworld’s workload will be immense. That’s why I’m willing to grant you greater authority. When it comes to control over the Underworld, you may establish a more official godly collective focused on managing its affairs. That collective doesn’t need to consist solely of gods. You can also include humans or adventurers you believe are suitable."
"God Erebus, do you accept the conditions I’m proposing?"
