The God of Underworld - Chapter 200

200: Chapter 44 200: Chapter 44 The Underworld was calm, the torches along the obsidian walls of Hades’ office flickering with their steady blue glow, casting long shadows that stretched across the mountain of scrolls and stone tablets stacked upon his desk.

Hades, his expression calm yet burdened by the weight of endless duty, placed down his quill after signing the last of the parchments.

He exhaled slowly, the kind of sigh only gods who had carried eons of responsibility could release, then looked up at the figure standing silently before him.

“Thanatos,” Hades said, his deep voice cutting through the silence, “I will be leaving for a short while.

My family will hold a gathering in the Overworld, and I have agreed to attend.

Until I return, you will oversee the realm in my stead.” The god of peaceful death, who had faced the cries of mortals and the final breaths of kings without flinching, gave a solemn nod.

“As you command, my king.

The Underworld is safe in my hands.

You may leave without worry.” His tone was steady, but in his eyes, there was already the faint dread of knowing how much paperwork and petitions awaited.

Hades leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the carved armrest as though remembering something.

After a brief pause, he added, “One more thing.

If you are able, take care of Hera and Demeter’s duties as well.

They will be leaving with me.” Thanatos froze.

His eyes widened, his lips parted, but no words came at first.

For an eternal moment, he simply stared at Hades, as though unsure whether he had heard him correctly.

Finally, he managed a strangled, “W-what…?” Hades looked at him with a calm, almost amused expression, as if his words had been the most natural thing in the world.

“Yes.

I will be away, and so will they.

Which means their duties fall to you, until we return.” Thanatos staggered a step back, his normally pale face turning even paler.

“Their… duties?

My king, you want me to handle not only my own endless workload, but also that of the Hera and Demeter, two of the highest ranking gods in underworld?!” His voice cracked despite his usual composure.

“My lord, are you planning on killing me through paperwork?

If my death is your wish, there are quicker and far less cruel ways to send me to Tartarus!” Hades’ lips curved into a small, almost teasing smile.

He rose from his seat, walked around the desk, and placed a firm hand on Thanatos’ shoulder.

The god of death stiffened, looking at him with wide eyes, but Hades’ gaze was calm, unwavering.

“I trust you, Thanatos.

Among the countless gods of this realm, there is no one more reliable than you.

You have never once faltered in your duty.

That is why I leave this in your care.” Thanatos opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat.

How could he refuse when his king looked at him with such unshakable confidence?

That steady gaze, that calm authority-the look that someone of high position would give to the one whom they trusted the most.

Against such trust, Thanatos felt utterly powerless.

Still, his lips trembled as he muttered, “My king… I would rather wrestle with ten thousand raging souls in Tartarus than try to keep up with the endless petitions of Demeter’s farmers, Hera’s courtly disputes, and your own mountain of reports.

Do you understand what you ask of me?

It is suicide, a slow and cruel death by ink and parchment.” Hades chuckled softly, patting his shoulder as though comforting a younger brother.

“You exaggerate.

You are Thanatos, the one even mortals respect at their final hour.

If you can guide the dying with such patience, surely you can handle a few stacks of parchment.” “A few stacks?” Thanatos nearly choked, his hands clenching into fists.

“By the Fates, there are mountains of them!

Mountains that never shrink, no matter how much I write!” Hades tilted his head slightly, pretending not to hear his lament.

“I shall return soon.

Until then, I leave everything in your care.” Thanatos closed his eyes, defeated.

When he opened them again, he muttered darkly, “When you return, my lord, you will find me buried under scrolls, my soul wandering the halls as one of the shades.

If I survive, it will be a miracle worthy of the Muses’ songs.” Hades only gave him a confident smile, his hand still steady on Thanatos’ shoulder.

“Then I will look forward to hearing such a song when I return.” With that, Hades put on a black cape and walked out of his office.

Thanatos stared at his back until he disappeared.

He then collapsed on the floor, his eyes blank and lifeless.

Outside, the obsidian corridors of Hades’ fortress echoed with the low rumble of shifting stone as the King of the Underworld stepped out from his office, the grace and bearings of a king still carried in his calm stride.

The torches along the walls flickered as if bowing to his presence, and soon he reached the great gates of his fortress.

There, waiting gracefully, were Hera and Demeter, dressed in flowing robes that shimmered faintly under the pale glow of the underworld’s firelight.

Hera’s hair was arranged with the elegance befitting a queen, while Demeter’s garment bore motifs of wheat and fertile soil, the symbols of her dominion.

Between them stood Nekyria, her tiny hand clasped tightly in Hera’s, her wide eyes sparkling with excitement at the sight of her father approaching.

The very moment she spotted him, Nekyria let go of Hera’s hand and broke into a run, her little feet pattering against the cold stone as she called out in a high, joyous voice, “Dad!” Hades slowed, his usually impassive face softening as the girl threw herself at his legs, hugging him with all the force her small body could muster.

He reached down with a rare smile and lifted her easily into his arms, setting her on his hip.

Nekyria grinned up at him, her hair spilling over her cheeks as she began to recount her day without pause.

“Dad, I had the best adventure with sister Kester!” she said eagerly, her hands waving as though to paint the story in the air.

“Sister Keres took me to the Overworld!

She showed me how to rob people and threaten them!

And I did it!

I really did it!

I told a grandma to hand over her best cake or I’d curse her soul for eternity!” Her eyes shone with pride as if she had just conquered Olympus itself.

For a moment, Hades’ expression froze, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

His deep voice remained steady, but there was a dangerous calm to it as he asked, “Did she now?” Nekyria nodded furiously, her excitement undimmed.

“Yes!

And the grandma was so nice, she gave me cake for free!

Then I healed her legs because she couldn’t walk well, and she laughed and said I could come rob her every day!

Isn’t that amazing?” Hades inhaled deeply through his nose, his purple eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

“Amazing indeed,” he muttered under his breath, his tone carrying the weight of a storm held barely in check.

He forced a smile for Nekyria’s sake, but inwardly he was already imagining the “talk” he would soon have with Keres.

Meanwhile, in Tartarus, Keres-sitting on a jagged rock, sharpening her blade-suddenly felt a sharp itch spread across her rear.

She stiffened, dropping her whetstone, then shivered violently.

“Ah… that sensation…” she muttered with dread and a strangely guilty delight.

“Is my king going to spank me again?!” She rubbed her butt as though trying to soothe phantom pain, her face twisting between fear and the faintest spark of excitement.

“Damn it, it’s because I failed to turn the princess into a proper underworld goddess!

Punishment is coming… I can feel it…” Back at the gates, Hades shifted Nekyria to one arm and turned his gaze to Hera and Demeter.

Both goddesses had been silently watching the exchange, Hera’s lips curving into a faint smirk while Demeter pressed her fingers to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“She grows more like you every day,” Hera remarked, her voice carrying both amusement and a subtle note of teasing reproach.

“A little shadow trailing after her father.” Demeter’s expression softened as she reached out to stroke Nekyria’s hair.

“She has your strength, but also a kindness that surprises me.

That mixture will make her extraordinary.” Hades’ expression shifted slightly at that, his calm voice breaking the silence.

“Kindness is a rare thing in the Underworld.

Perhaps too rare.

But… it suits her.” He adjusted his grip on Nekyria, who was still babbling happily about her ‘robbery.’ Then he looked back at Hera and Demeter, his tone returning to the businesslike steadiness he was known for.

“Are you both ready to depart?” Hera nodded, her poise regal, her golden earrings catching the dim torchlight.

“We are.

The others are waiting, and I, for one, do not intend to let Zeus claim all of mother’s attention.” Demeter added with a small smile, “It has been too long since we have sat together as a family.

I admit, I look forward to it.” Hades gave them both a slight nod.

“Very well.” With a single wave of his free hand, the air before them shimmered and warped.

A great gate of pure light and shadow materialized, its frame carved with symbols of both life and death, and its center swirling with a depth that seemed to stretch across worlds.

The gate groaned softly as it opened, the power of the King of the Underworld coursing through it.

Hades turned to the goddesses, his crimson gaze steady.

“Let us go.” And with that, carrying Nekyria close to him, he stepped forward.

Hera and Demeter followed, their robes flowing as they crossed the threshold.

The gate closed behind them with a resonant hum, leaving the fortress silent once more.