The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 117: Holiday in the Underworld – (2)

After much discussion about creating a new holiday that spans the entire world...

The opinions of the gods, including mine, began to converge.

1. The holiday will be once a month, set for the first day of each month.

2. We will send a divine oracle to the humans in the mortal realm, designating it as an official holiday acknowledged by the gods.

3. On the holiday, wars will be temporarily halted, and any mortal who starts a war on that day will be punished.

“For now, this general framework should work. Even executions for death row inmates will be postponed on this day...”

“If we deliver an oracle, the humans will follow. The burden on the underworld should also lessen.”

As the gods were talking, Hestia suddenly spoke up with a curious expression.

“Wait, isn't the reason we're setting a holiday because the underworld is too busy? Wouldn’t it be easier if Olympus helped out a little?”

“But does Olympus have that much manpower to spare?”

I appreciated Hestia's suggestion, but the gods aren’t exactly free right now either.

Just recently, I said we needed to search for traces of Uranus, which is why a few gods aren’t here...

“Only a few gods, like Hermes, are enough to search for Uranus. So it’s okay to take a few others.”

“…Zeus, don’t you think there are too few gods searching for Uranus?”

When I turned to look at Zeus, he chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry. Our grandfather, Uranus, will be found soon enough.”

“Sounds like you've already found some clues.”

“We've been searching for him in secret for a long time. The battle with Gaia is approaching, so we need to pinpoint the locations of the Protogenoi, who could become wildcards.”

I looked at Zeus with some surprise. He can be so competent at times like this, but why is it that...

“And if it's a place where the divine power of the sky, which doesn’t belong to me, lingers, it won’t be hard to find. Even Aphrodite is helping in the search…”

“Alright. Once you find him, let me know. I’ll go and persuade him immediately.”

“It won’t take long. We’ve narrowed the search area, so probably within a month or two…”

It really won’t be much longer.

Although convincing him should be easier than persuading Nyx,

I still need to bring a token from another Protogenoi to convince a Protogenoi—what a hassle.

But since I’ve already received a feather from Lady Nyx, it should make things easier when I go.

We share the same resentment towards Cronos, and there’s likely resentment toward Gaia as well, who gave a scythe to her child and made him cut off his father’s genitals.

“By the way, could you send gods to the underworld regularly? Ever since humans were born, we’ve always been overworked.”

“Of course. I’ll send idle gods on a regular basis.”

With Zeus' words, the meeting at Olympus came to an end.

When I returned to the underworld to resume judging souls,

I saw Mente waiting by the Acheron River. Even Charon, the ferryman, had paused his rowing to stare intently in my direction.

The green-haired goddess ran up to me, her face filled with anticipation.

“Hades! How did the meeting at Olympus go?”

“We’ve decided to make the first day of every month an official holiday. And from now on, Olympus will regularly send gods to help.”

“Hooray! Hades, you’re the best!!!”

Squeeze.

I felt as though I could hear a squishy sound from my body. Mente, who had hugged me briefly, quickly lifted her head and said,

“Oh, right! This isn’t the time for this, I’ll go spread the good news to the other gods!”

“…Alright.”

As Mente ran off, I saw Charon approaching from the river.

Since becoming the ferryman, I’ve never seen Charon look so bright before...

“Hades, does this mean I can also take a break on the first day of every month? This is great, thank you…”

“Well, people will still die, so I’ll need you to work. There’ll be fewer souls than usual, though.”

“…Damn it.”

Charon’s authority to ferry souls across the Acheron River is unique.

No one else can replace him—not even a god sent from Olympus, or myself.

* * *

The holiday agreed upon by the gods of Olympus was proclaimed through a divine oracle.

At first, the humans of the mortal realm were confused, but after weighing the pros and cons, they quickly adapted.

“The first day of every month is a day off... even executions are prohibited?”

“According to the oracle from the Temple of Pluto, those who commit crimes on that day will face even harsher punishments.”

“The same message came from the other temples, too. Does that mean even the gods will take a break?”

“But if we rest on the first day of every month, what about making a living?”

“That’s why it’s recommended, not mandatory.”

While ordinary people accepted the new holiday with a “Well, it’s here now…” kind of attitude, theologians and priests saw it from a slightly different perspective.

“But, is there really a reason for the gods to give us humans a holiday?”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. It’s not a celebration of a god’s birth or an anniversary, is it?”

“It couldn’t be that the gods made this day just because they wanted to rest, right?”

“Shh! That’s blasphemy! The omnipotent gods don’t need such a thing as a break, do they?”

“Well… but the ones looking down from Olympus have personalities like ours…”

That’s right. The gods can do things far beyond human capacity without breaking a sweat,

"Yet, they are gods with close ties to mortals, and their behavior can often be unpredictable."

“…So, could it be they really do want to rest?”

“It feels like there must be some deeper meaning than just a break.”

“Maybe it’s a day when the ones who govern the world lay down everything for a day and observe the mortal realm?”

“That makes sense. A day to look over the mortal world…”

Their conclusion was that the holiday must have been created due to some interest of the gods.

However, there wasn’t enough information to figure out more.

But there was one brave priest who…

“Oh, wise goddess Athena! As one who seeks knowledge, I humbly ask for your wisdom! What is the meaning of this holiday on the first day of each month? I wish to know if, as the rumors say, even the gods need rest!”

“That… that lunatic!”

“Isn’t that blasphemy? He’s probably going to be punished by the gods.”

“But he’s been serving the goddess Athena for decades. Let’s wait a bit and see…”

Unable to suppress his curiosity, a priest of the goddess Athena asked her directly for wisdom, and in response, a divine oracle from the goddess came down.

* * *

The first day of every month is a day to distance oneself from death. It is also a holiday for the gods of the underworld.

Those who heard Athena’s oracle nodded in understanding.

Theologians diligently recorded the oracle, and the priests of the goddess offered up sacrifices in thanks.

“Ah, so that’s what it is. A day to distance oneself from death!”

“Death is the inevitable end. It’s something all living beings fear, so perhaps this is a gesture of consideration.”

“That’s one possible interpretation, but the goddess clearly said it’s a holiday for the gods of the underworld…”

“There’s a temple to Thanatos, the god of death, in Thebes…”

“Ah! That makes sense. If we think of it as a day to honor Thanatos, the one who reaps souls, it fits perfectly!”

“Indeed, he does harvest souls every day…”

And so, the first day of every month came to be called 'Thanatos’ Day' by mortals.

The idea of a rest day given to the god who guides the dead spread throughout all of Greece, and eventually, even reached the ears of the gods.

* * *

Today is the underworld’s day off. Officially, it’s a day of rest for everyone.

But even on a day like this, there were gods who couldn’t rest, namely the lord Hades, the ferryman Charon, and…

“C-Cough! Thanatos! Isn’t today your day? Why are you still working?”

“…Shut up, Hypnos. You’ll be working soon enough…”

“I, unlike some, am only busy at night! I have plenty of free time during the day.”

It was Thanatos, the god bringing naturally deceased humans to the underworld.

Hypnos, the god of sleep, teased him relentlessly. But if he keeps this up, Thanatos might run off again.

I shot a glance at the god of sleep, and he shrugged his shoulders, chuckling as he backed off.

“Mortals are so thoughtful, only sleeping at night. Ha ha ha!”

“Phew… Hades. As for me, when are the gods from Olympus supposed to arrive?”

“Yes. Today is the day the new gods from Olympus are scheduled to arrive.”

As promised by Zeus, Olympus had been sending gods to the underworld on a regular basis.

Who’s coming today? Himeros? Anteros? Or perhaps Semele, who was elevated to goddess status and is the mother of Dionysus?

But the god who came to the underworld today was unexpected.

“Peitho, the goddess of persuasion? You’ve come to the underworld? Does this mean…”

“Yes. Lord Zeus has found traces of Lord Uranus. He has commanded me to follow you, Lord Hades.”

“So, he’s already found Lord Uranus. Where is he?”

“He’s hiding near the foot of the Eagle constellation in the sky.”

No wonder we hadn’t found him until now, hiding among the stars.

But, the Eagle constellation... wasn’t that created in honor of the eagle who brought Zeus’ beloved Ganymede?

Why does he turn everything into a constellation for such reasons, honestly.

“Peitho, return to Olympus and inform Zeus. There’s a chance that Lord Uranus will be uncomfortable or displeased with your power of persuasion.”

“What? But…”

“I’ll handle the task of persuading him myself.”

If I could gain the protection of Lord Uranus, that would be perfect.

Then Gaia wouldn’t be a threat at all…