The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 109: The God of Fairness, Hades – (2)

A stern gaze looked down at her.

The dignity emanating from the lord of the underworld and the king of the dead.

Dike, kneeling before Hades, king of the underworld, thought.

The one truly qualified as the god of fairness is the god standing before her.

It was only natural because, with her eyes that discern good from evil, there were not many gods deemed worthy.

Regardless of rank or stature, most gods held self-centered and capricious thoughts.

It was not uncommon for a god to grant mercy one day and then, angered by an insult to their divinity, seek vengeance the next.

Gods maintained their personalities as they were at birth, so mortals were forced to endure endless suffering.

Unfairness was rampant among gods, governed by power dynamics even within their own ranks.

Only a few gods, like the goddess Hestia, consistently showed mercy.

But among the countless deities who were as fickle as natural disasters, there stood out one with an exceptional disposition—not mere humanity, but divinity.

Rather than tormenting mortals, he chastised the gods and set the standard for justice as the chief deity.

Mortals sang of his mercy, which extended not only to the dead but also to the living.

Wasn't he the one whose mercy was so widely known on Earth that his worship rivaled even that of Lord Zeus?

Surely, if Lord Hades accepted her, she could spread far more justice throughout the world than she could now.

* * *

"I, Dike, the goddess of justice, humbly request to follow in the footsteps of the god of fairness and the lord of the underworld."

I could not easily respond.

First, because I could sense the weight and responsibility in Dike's words.

As a goddess of justice, she chose to borrow my power as a means of establishing order.

Surely, if Dike became my subordinate deity, the high-ranking gods of Olympus would be more restrained in their actions toward me.

Being the goddess of justice, she also governed the concept of fairness.

But for her to relinquish that concept to me and wish to become a subordinate deity...

It is not as though I am granting a mortal godhood; accepting a subordinate concept as one of the Three Chief Gods is not difficult.

It’s not a power that exceeds me, nor is it a position I cannot handle.

She has just cause. I also agree with her reasoning.

Becoming the backer of the goddess of justice is not a bad idea.

However...

"Do you believe I am qualified to be the god of fairness?"

"Pardon? Of course, it’s only natural..."

"When mortals began calling me the god of mercy, I remained silent. It meant that the gods had been so harsh on humans."

The small mercy I showed must have resonated deeply with them.

However, I think being the god of fairness is a slightly different matter.

"Do you know how many mistakes and wrong judgments I’ve made while overseeing the judgment of souls? I constantly regret and agonize over them. Surely, the god of fairness you envision wouldn’t be like this."

"But doesn’t Lord Hades always strive to render fair judgments?"

"......"

"There may never be a perfectly fair god, but the one who strives to render perfect justice for mortals is none other than Lord Hades, isn’t it?"

Indeed. I remember discussing something similar with Lady Lethe.

Though only Dike and I are present in the audience chamber, it feels as if I hear Lady Lethe speaking to me.

Her words to me when I was striving to deliver the fairest judgments...

Isn’t it obvious that Hades is not the primordial god, Chaos?

My heart feels heavy. Though part of her intent is surely to seek my protection...

As the goddess of justice, she must believe that I can carry the burden of fairness, which is why she’s doing this.

A god must maintain the balance of the world and bear the responsibility of fulfilling their duties.

Beyond the realm of the dead, wealth, or mercy… can I truly govern fairness as well?

I closed my eyes and sank into thought.

As I cleared my mind of everything, I naturally began to hear the prayers of mortals calling out to me from the living world.

Though I could have ignored the voices of the worshipers, I chose to listen to the sounds that came to me.

As expected, the loudest voices came from Thebes.

Next were Argos and Ethiopia, and then from the kingdom where Psyche once lived...

"O mighty Pluto, we beg for your mercy!"

"May our son, who died on the battlefield, find happiness in the underworld..."

"Thanks to your grace, I have accumulated this wealth, and so I offer twenty oxen as a sacrifice!"

"Thanks to the mint you sent to the living world, O god of mercy..."

"Pluto, please protect me..."

"O god… I have been wronged. Please, relieve me of my grievance."

"I swear by Pluto, I did not commit this crime!"

Mortals prayed to me in all manner of situations.

Some called out to me as the god of wealth, but more and more lately, they sought me for my mercy.

It was only natural… This was a world filled with mythical monsters, absolute monarchs, and gods with human emotions.

For powerless mortals, the only place they could turn for help was to the gods, especially the few gods who showed favor to them.

How pitiable. How tragic.

* * *

Time passed for a moment, and I opened my eyes again to look at the goddess of justice.

"I still don't think I am suited for the divinity of fairness."

"Ah..."

The goddess of justice lowered her shoulders in disappointment and sorrow.

But I wasn’t finished speaking yet.

"However..."

"...?"

"I trust your judgment, in striving to uphold justice in such a world."

"Th-That means?!"

"I’ll accept the divinity of fairness that you proposed."

Her face brightened once again. Hmm. Is she really that happy about this?

After working in the underworld for just a few days, won’t she regret it?

As soon as I accepted the divinity of fairness, I felt various powers and abilities emerge within me.

Unlike the divinity of mercy, which humans naturally ascribed to me, this felt closer to a transfer of divine authority.

"Thank you! Lord Hades! Truly a judgment worthy of the god of fairness... If you command me, I will do anything..."

"Then, start with this. Any deity in the underworld should handle at least this much."

"...?"

Thud.

I handed over the stack of parchment piled up beside me.

Is this too little for such a capable goddess of justice? Perhaps I should add more...

"Lord... Hades? What is all of this?"

"Hm? Can’t you see? The parchment on top is a report reviewing the underworld’s financial status and the offerings sent by the worshippers..."

"No, I mean... there's more work here than I expected..."

"More work? That's just your afternoon quota. And if you include what’s already been processed by the lesser gods before it reaches me, there’s even more."

"......"

Clang—

The sword and scales of the goddess who governs justice fell helplessly from her hands.

She had no hands left to catch them, busy as she was lifting all the parchment I had given her. She should just float it all in the air...

"And once you finish all of that, stop by Lady Styx to receive your next task."

"......"

A dark shadow appeared on Dike’s face—a face that had always remained expressionless, even when witnessing the gravest injustices.

* * *

In Hades' temple in Thebes.

From the morning, the sight of high-ranking priests suddenly rushing about could be seen.

"A divine oracle has been given to the high priest from Lord Hades?!"

"What did he say this time?!"

"Could it be that he's giving us another plant like mint again?"

They rushed to the high priest’s chamber to hear the contents of the oracle, and soon after, hurried out of the temple in all directions.

The reason was...

"Lord Hades has declared that the goddess of justice, Dike, is now a deity belonging to the underworld!"

"What?! Why is the goddess of justice in the underworld...?!"

"In any case, we must create a new statue for the goddess! Call the sculptor and bring the finest marble..."

Some of the priests went to theologians and the royal palace to explain the changes.

The rumor quickly spread throughout all of Thebes...

And the discussion that had been happening in front of Hades’ temple about the mistress of the underworld shifted to a debate about divine authority.

"The goddess of justice in the underworld...? What could this possibly mean?"

"I think we should just accept the oracle as it is."

"Then… does this mean justice falls under the domain overseen by Lord Pluto?"

"Since Lord Pluto is also the god of mercy, it’s not so strange."

"But justice can’t be subordinate to mercy, can it? Something feels off. The divine authority of Lord Pluto that we knew..."

"Then, could it be judgment and fairness...?"

"If it includes the divinity of justice, wouldn’t it mean he governs the law?"

After much debate, they came to a new conclusion.

Since there had been a precedent of a monster ascending to godhood as a goddess…

"Hold on, everyone knows the story of the goddess Medusa, right?"

"You mean the story where Lord Pluto made Medusa, who had unjustly become a monster, a goddess after her death?"

"Isn’t it true that when one dies and enters the underworld, they are punished for their sins committed in life, and if they had done good or were unjustly killed, they are rewarded?"

The citizens of Thebes gathered there began to reflect.

A god who judges the dead fairly and justly, delivering the appropriate punishments and rewards, and who mercifully cares for mortals...

"So, is Lord Pluto the god of justice, fairness, and judgment...?"

"...In fact, could it be that all of these concepts are included in the idea of the underworld?"

"That a fair judgment awaits at the mortal's final destination… That makes sense."

"Sinners fall into Tartarus, which is judgment, and the example of the goddess Medusa represents fairness and mercy?"

"Come to think of it… don’t the three Furies also belong to the underworld?"

"Judgment must be carried out fairly, so the divinities of justice and fairness also..."

And so, from Thebes once more...

The rumor spread widely that Lord Pluto governed justice, judgment, and fairness.

Surprisingly, there was hardly any opposition or dissent,

Because this new realization perfectly aligned with the behavior they had witnessed from Lord Pluto until now.

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