The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 62: The Story of Perseus – (4)

"Yes, and the second thing..."

Medusa’s gaze slowly turns toward my mouth.

"I will give you the right to choose your own fate from now on."

"Do you mean...?"

"If you wish to stay in the underworld instead of reincarnating, I will provide the greatest comfort. If you choose to reincarnate, I will let you decide everything, including your status."

If she desires, I would also grant her the blessing of controlling the level of her forgetfulness.

But that’s not all. The most important part is...

"Lastly... If you want, you could become a minor deity of the underworld."

...!!!

Medusa's eyes widen.

But it's not something so surprising... After all, she's already a demigod, and her sisters are deities, aren't they?

I judged this compensation to be the most appropriate for her.

The Minos brothers beside me seemed calm, probably because I had already given them a heads-up and discussed it beforehand.

But Thanatos, who had brought the deceased here, seemed quite startled.

"Why are you offering me such a thing?" Medusa looks at me with a perplexed expression.

Her eyes were filled with nothing but questions.

"Even though you are a god of mercy, turning a monster slain by a hero into a deity is..."

"You are not a monster. You are merely a victim of fate."

I cut her off and answered.

"There are many reasons. Despite it being fate, I was involved in your death, and I also govern the underworld, the final resting place of mortals..."

To those who suffered misfortune in the mortal world, I offer peace.

To those who committed excessive sins, I give punishment.

That is the responsibility of the ruler of the underworld, who must maintain the balance and cycle of the world.

And...

"But the biggest reason is that I've never seen anyone suffer as much harm from the gods as you have."

"...?!"

Because of her beauty, she was raped by Poseidon, a force of disaster she couldn’t resist.

Losing her purity was painful enough, but she was also abandoned by Athena, whom she served, and turned into a monster.

She tried to live quietly on a small island with her sisters, harming no one, only to be used as a stepping stone for a hero's glory.

In my personal judgment... whether it's Phaethon, Oedipus, Cadmus, or many other humans,

There is no one who suffered more at the hands of the gods than her.

"The underworld is a realm separate from Olympus... I may not be Zeus, but I do have the authority to elevate one minor deity."

"Ah... you truly are a god of mercy."

Being called a god of mercy wasn't something I particularly liked.

If there are so many gods causing trouble that simply returning what one received earns the title of 'mercy'...

But if hearing such words from her would offer comfort and peace, I don’t mind being a god of mercy for a moment.

If it can bring her solace, then it’s fine.

In her eyes, there was now a glimmer of hope and expectation, like a beam of light found in a dark cave.

"If I become a god, will I ever be able to meet my sisters again?"

"You won’t be able to reside in the mortal world, but I will allow you to visit them occasionally."

Her head gently moved after hearing my words.

"If I can meet my sisters again... Yes, please make me a deity."

Medusa nodded her head, and I waved my hand.

Black divine energy surged toward Medusa in front of me.

Sssaaa—

Power beyond the perception of mortals forcibly expanded her essence.

Her demigod soul was engulfed in black flames, and light burst forth as if blessing her transformation into a new being.

Hwaak—

I could feel the entire underworld welcoming the birth of a new minor deity.

Since Medusa was already of Titan blood and a demigod in rank, the elevation was not difficult.

The black flames that surrounded her mortal self disappeared,

And now, her appearance as one of the many gods of the underworld was revealed.

The clothes she wore in her mortal body before she died were gone, and she stood as if returned to the moment of her birth.

Her green, beautiful hair and soft, flawless figure elicited gasps from the Minos brothers.

"You are now a minor deity of the underworld, Medusa."

Medusa opened and closed her hands, examining her transformed body, before suddenly letting out a scream.

"Kyaaah!"

Trying to cover her private parts with her hands, she blushed deeply and spoke in a trembling voice...

"Um... sorry, but could you give me some clothes..."

Oops.

* * *

After sending off the newly ascended minor deity Medusa and reclining on my throne, Goddess Styx approached.

Goddess, as usual, your outfit is quite daring.

"Hades. Now that Medusa has become a minor deity, how should we assign her duties?"

"Do you feel sympathy for what she’s been through?"

"Sigh... of course. There's hardly a god who wouldn’t feel pity after hearing her story."

Now that she is a deity, she must fulfill her duties to maintain the balance of the world.

But since her ascension was granted as a form of compensation for her suffering...

"Assign her only simple tasks. I didn’t elevate her to a deity just to burden her with work."

"Understood. I’ll handle it that way."

"And please summon Mente for me."

Goddess Styx left, and soon, a weary-looking Mente appeared before me.

She held papers in her hand, probably having just been working.

"Lord Hades... Why did you summon me?"

"Mente, it seems thanks to your efforts that mint has spread widely throughout the mortal world. You've done well."

"R-really?! Does that mean..."  

She glanced at the papers in her hand, her face lighting up as she spoke to me.  

No need to get that close; I can hear you just fine...  

"Does that mean I no longer need to spread mint among mortals?! Please tell me that's true!"  

"Well... yes. Now that it's widely recognized as my symbol, you can stop..."  

"Waaah! F-Finally...!"  

Oh dear, I had another task for her...  

But it's been a while since Mente looked so happy, so I stayed silent.  

A bit of relief, after all this time, shouldn’t be an issue.  

"Heh... Hehehe... So why did you call me? Could it be a reward, like a trip to the mortal world just the two of us..."  

"...No, I called you to discuss how to make food with mint."  

"Do you want me to spread that among the mortals?"  

When I nodded, Mente, who had regained some of her old nymph-like energy just moments ago, suddenly deflated.  

The disappointment on her face was obvious—she looked like the goddess of despair herself.  

"The souls carry such a strong scent of mint that Charon is struggling because of it."  

"Yes..."  

"So, if we have mortals consume mint in their food, the amount of mint used in funerals will decrease..."  

As I explained while looking at the parchment, Mente's slumped posture made me feel a bit sorry for her.  

Still, this workload is relatively light... she didn’t have to do any work when she was a nymph, so she’ll have to get used to it.  

"If you finish this task well, I’ll take you along when I go on patrol near Mount Etna."  

"...!!! Really? Not with Goddess Styx or Lady Lethe, just with me?"  

Did I say something wrong?  

Seeing her eyes sparkle like that... I get the feeling this isn’t going in the direction I intended.  

"Those two goddesses went last time, so probably..."  

"You just said it’d be just the two of us, right?! Ehehehe..."  

Mente is... cute, but something's off.  

She’s starting to remind me of Aphrodite somehow.  

"Alright, alright. For now, start with spreading mint tea and mint leaf dishes among the mortals..."  

"Ehehe... Yes... Hehe..."  

I forcibly turned my gaze away from Mente, whose eyes were growing increasingly... sticky.  

Ahem. Ahem. Stop looking at me like that.

* * *

Now that Perseus has slain Medusa, it’s time for the cape of invisibility I lent him to be returned.  

And sure enough, Hermes, the messenger of Olympus, came to the underworld.  

"Uncle Hades, it’s Hermes! I’ve returned!"  

"The cape of invisibility?"  

"Ah, here it is. I must say, Perseus was quite courteous."  

Courteous? Did he show some gratitude for lending him the equipment?  

I accepted the Kynee he handed me and placed it next to my throne.  

"Along with returning the borrowed equipment, Perseus also offered Medusa's head to Lady Athena."  

"Hmm. Bring that head to the underworld as well."  

"What?"  

Hermes stared at me with a strange expression before replying.  

"Uh... Uncle? If you ask for it, I’m sure Lady Athena will give it to you. But may I ask why...?"  

"Medusa is now a deity of the underworld. Since her body remains in the mortal realm, it must be retrieved."  

"A deity?!"  

The stunned messenger god stammered, mouth agape, as he looked at me.  

"Uh... Uncle...? You made the monster slain by Perseus into a deity..."  

"She’s not a monster. She’s a poor woman who was raped by Poseidon and punished by Athena."  

"But Father and Lady Athena may protest..."  

"What are they going to do about it? Just bring me Medusa’s head. If they refuse, tell them I’ll come get it myself."  

"Y-Yes, sir..."  

Hermes, bowing and clearly troubled, returned to Olympus.  

Shortly after, Medusa's mortal head was returned to its rightful owner.  

The head of the creature with snake-like hair and closed eyes.  

When I handed it to Medusa, she lowered her head, looking slightly uneasy.  

"Anyway, I’ve recovered your head."  

"Uh... thank you. Truly..."  

"Your head... well, since it was part of your mortal body, you can decide what to do with it."  

As I left those words and turned to walk away, I felt a hand grasp my sleeve.  

"Hmm?"  

Turning around, I saw her hesitating for a moment before looking straight at me.  

"The grace of turning a slain monster into a deity—if you allow it, I will spread this kindness among the mortals."  

"...You may do so as you wish. However, I too..."  

I also bear responsibility for her death.  

If not for the kynee I lent, Perseus would have perished instead of Medusa.  

"But unlike the other gods, you apologized."  

"......"  

"And you even granted me a new life as a deity... I wish to share this grace with the world."  

Has she abandoned the goddess she once served and chosen me as her new patron deity?  

It feels less like a faith born of gratitude and more like a crutch to heal her wounded heart.  

"...Very well."  

Even so, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse her.