Moments later, the River Styx took the form of the goddess once more. Had she found a place within the river to make herself presentable? Her attire and appearance seemed somewhat altered.
"...Phew. How can you spring a proposal on me like that! Couldn’t you have at least set the mood a little...?"
"Is it that you don’t want to...?"
"Of course not! Do you know how long I’ve agonized over whether I should be the one to propose first?"
Face flushed, Styx pulled me toward her. I didn’t resist, smiling as I kissed her again.
A faint silver line briefly connected us before it faded. She spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
"...I suppose I’m the first, right? You haven’t been to any of the other goddesses yet..."
"Yes, you’re the first."
She was my longest-standing confidant, the one who understood me best. With her, I finally felt at ease.
"Hmph. Hmph! Of course, it should be me! And this ring—where did you get it?"
"I crafted it from the Stygian blade you gifted me, with Hephaestus lending his skill."
"...Ah."
"I considered other gems or treasures, but I felt this best represented my heart."
As I held her close, I gently wiped away her tears. It wasn’t difficult to comfort the goddess as she sobbed softly in my embrace.
"Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment? I’ve even dreamed about it..."
"Morpheus must’ve had his hands full."
"Ah! Even now, you’d make such a remark? You’re as frustrating as ever!"
With a small laugh, Styx playfully hit my chest, and I couldn’t help but smile at her endearing reaction.
We sat by the riverbank, talking about many things. It was a pastime we’d always enjoyed, but now, with our relationship transformed, even familiar words felt new.
"And I understand that I won’t be the only one," she said, almost casually. "I’m not so naive as to think I alone could hold the throne beside you. Go on—visit the others quickly."
"Thank you. By the River Styx, I swear... I’ll do everything to make you happy."
"...!"
With another splash, she’d vanished back into the river.
My next destination was the audience chamber. I’d initially aimed for the River of Lethe, but her attendants informed me that she had gone to the audience chamber with some documents.
"Hades... look at this..."
Thud.
The goddess with drowsy eyes dropped a mountain of documents on the table. It was supposed to be a less busy period, wasn’t it?
"What’s all this?"
"Well, during the Argonauts’ expedition, Gaia unleashed a dragon to wreak havoc on Iolcus, remember?"
"That she did."
"Due to all those deaths, our workload has increased. And since Heracles arrived recently, it’s only gotten worse."
With more... or rather, divine strength on hand, how was it that work had somehow piled up even more? Lethe’s clenched fist shook slightly, a faint hint of exasperation in her normally placid gaze.
"He’s adept with physical tasks, but when it comes to paperwork, he’s hopeless. The minor deities who work with him are utterly exasperated. Even Apollo left his post, saying, ‘I cannot work alongside that brute!’ and stormed off..."
"Ah."
"So things got messier, and now we’re stuck with the aftermath."
Of course. Heracles had received instruction in martial arts, etiquette, and virtues, but he’d never once been trained in the duties of a manager. And here, the work wasn’t merely busy—it required critical decision-making. His divine domain was strength and combat, so Apollo’s frustration made sense.
"Still, as a god, he will need this experience. Let’s hope he learns something from it."
"Yes... let’s deal with this quickly. I’ll help you."
We moved to the office and quickly began sifting through scrolls and parchments. Proposal? That thought had been long forgotten from my mind.
Tap.
That is, until our hands accidentally brushed.
"Ah."
"What’s wrong? Did something come to mind?"
Ah, yes. I’d come here to propose to the Lady of Forgetfulness, Lethe. What was I even doing? I needed to finish this quickly and confess.
Once I’d become aware of it, the work felt impossible to focus on. My hands slowed as I pondered the words, and the goddess’s scent beside me seemed to cloud my thoughts.
"Hades."
"...?"
"Do you have something you want to tell me?"
"Was it... obvious?"
"Yes... quite a bit."
Lethe looked at me knowingly, her weary gaze trembling slightly.
"If you have something to say, then please say it first. I could use a little rest."
"Of course..."
I swallowed, pulling out a small box from my robes. Inside lay a ring of youth—a gift from Zeus in my younger days. I lifted the lid, showing it to her, and voiced my wish.
"Lethe, will you marry me?"
"...Oh!"
"My love for you will never be forgotten. Not even at the world’s end."
Her hand, quivering slightly, reached out to me, and I gently placed the ring upon her delicate finger. The ring of youth—a symbol of enduring love, one that would withstand even the gift of forgetfulness.
"Yes, I’d love that."
Our lips met naturally, and I held her close, sharing a quiet, heartfelt kiss.
Sigh.
"...Wonderful... hehe. Am I the first?"
"Well... actually..."
"...Not the first?"
A sudden chill filled the room. Surely, it was her power manifesting, right?
I spent a moment soothing the Lady of Forgetfulness, who wore a slightly pouty expression. She muttered about fairness among goddesses and how she should have been first. But luckily, she was forgiving.
Unlike my brothers, Poseidon or Zeus, who left their wives to feud, I sought to ensure peace among them. Thankfully, they seemed aware of this and maintained amicable relations, though I knew it would require effort to keep it that way.
Next, I should visit Mente... or rather, no. She’d already left for the mortal world to visit her fellow nymphs. Which meant my next visit would be to my niece, Persephone, daughter of Demeter.
Following the trail of Persephone’s divine essence, I found myself back in the audience chamber. There, with her golden hair, was my niece, carrying something in her hands.
"Oh! Uncle Hades!"
"...Kore."
Calling me “uncle” now, are we? You’d called me Lord Hades before... If you keep this up, I’ll feel guilty about what I’m here to do.
"I’ll be returning to the mortal world tomorrow, Uncle! I even prepared a gift... hehe!"
A gift? Perhaps some of the world’s flowers? I chuckled, reaching to ruffle her hair when I heard the faint strains of music.
♬ ♪~ ♩
"Huh? Could it be Lord Apollo?"
"A lyre...?"
The melody was poignant, stirring emotions deep within me.
I’d heard many melodies before—Cadmus’s spellbinding tune that even Typhon was entranced by, Apollo’s divine lyre, the Muses’ harmonies, even the sirens’ song and Pan’s pipes.
But this... this surpassed them all. Could it be magic? I enveloped myself in divine energy but found it to be nothing more than pure musical mastery.
Whoever was playing, their skill was unparalleled. Only a select few could achieve such music... almost none, in fact. I wasn’t even sure Apollo could match this with all his might. Yet, he was occupied in another corner of the underworld...
"Aaah... sniff!"
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Beside me, Persephone dropped her gift as tears spilled down her cheeks.
♪~
The underworld filled with the sound of the lyre, an emotive force that could move even the personified elements of nature. If it could touch a goddess’s heart so deeply, its influence must surely reach the realm’s shadows, its tormented souls, and its tireless gods.
This wasn’t likely a trick by one of the gods... Nor could it be Lady Hecate’s magic. Whoever it was, they’d truly achieved greatness, stirring even the depths of the underworld with music alone.
"...Here, use this to dry your tears, Kore."
Handing Persephone a handkerchief, I seated myself on the throne, waiting for the visitor. The music was approaching, which meant its source was headed my way with some purpose.
If he was coming to petition me, then he was making quite an entrance. A small smirk formed on my face as I rested my chin on the throne’s arm, intrigued by who this could be.
♬ ~
The wait was brief. Soon, a mortal entered, playing the lyre.
A man of striking features, though not as divine as the gods, with long hair and tears flowing from his closed eyes. He was one of the Argonauts and a student of Charon in the underworld.
The moment he lifted his hands from the lyre, the music that had moved the underworld so profoundly ceased. Even Persephone’s tears slowed.
The mortal knelt before me, tears streaming down his face.
"Lord of the Underworld! I am Orpheus, a humble mortal. Please, I beg you... restore my wife, Eurydice, to life!"
I silently observed the man prostrate before me. To revive the dead... Even for a mortal with talent like his, he was asking the impossible.
Even Zeus’s requests had met with refusal—what made him think he’d fare any better?