Chapter 7: Impersonation (1)

Hydra tilted her head, lost in thought.

“Even though I just let it slide because Lord Hades is my boss, honestly, it felt a bit strange to me too. When I asked who the room was for, he just said it was someone he knew and changed the subject.”

【Exactly. What did I tell you? I told you I was right.】

“Then that bride… is she coming to the Underworld soon?”

【She’ll definitely be here within a few months.】

The silhouettes of the two whispering figures passed the Cocytus River and finally reached the Acheron.

At the edge of their vision, they spotted Charon, the ferryman of the Underworld. Charon, who was usually constantly working, was lying leisurely in his skiff.

“Charon, are you finished with work already?”

Hydra blinked and approached Charon, who was lying with his legs crossed. It was then that she raised her voice.

“Oh my, what is that? Wheat stalks? Flowers?”

Looking closely, he was holding some flowers in his hand. Even Thanatos, whose expression rarely changed, couldn’t help but be surprised. Not only was the color of the flowers incredibly vibrant, but they were a species that could never be found in this vicinity.

Observing the out-of-place bouquet, Thanatos approached Charon.

【Charon, where did you get those flowers? They don’t look like a species from the riverbanks.】

At Thanatos’s words, Charon sat up abruptly and glared at them. He seemed wary, as if afraid they might snatch the flowers away.

【I’m not asking to see them. I’m literally curious about the source.】

Thanatos gestured for Charon to come closer.

【As Lord Hades’ subordinate and colleague, I oversee the fate of death. This means I must also uphold the rules of the Underworld.】

Since Thanatos symbolized the death that all humans must eventually face, his very existence was the rule and the truth.

【I cannot simply let this matter slide. Even if you, my brother, treasure those flowers.】

“…….”

【Spit it out. Who gave them to you?】

However, Charon felt that Persephone, who had shown him such a beautiful sight, had paid a sufficient price to cross the river. Being a man of loyalty, he shook his head despite Thanatos’s urging.

After a moment of thought, Thanatos opened his mouth with a 【Hmm.】.

【If you don’t answer, I’ll have no choice but to suspect that you went somewhere Lord Hades doesn’t know about and picked them yourself.】

“……!”

【If that’s the case, I’ll have to report to Lord Hades that the ferryman of the Acheron has been negligent in his duties.】

Charon’s ghostly fire flared up in panic. He stiffly turned his head. The bouquet of flowers and grain was still held precious in his arms and hands.

Thanatos shook his head as if he found it regrettable.

【It’s fine, Charon. I’ll find not only you but also the being who gave you those flowers and bring them before Lord Hades.】

As he finished speaking, shadows gathered around Thanatos, and a greatsword and scythe appeared on his back.

Having abandoned his loyalty in just ten minutes, Charon wrote on the ground with his staff:

[The woman Lord Hades is looking for gave them to me so she could return to the surface.]

Though scribbled in haste, the sentence was clear enough to read. Hydra, who had been crouching blankly, suddenly opened her mouth.

“……I guess she’s the person who’s going to marry Lord Hades.”

【That would mean the bride has fled, then.】

At that moment, Hydra and Thanatos both shut their mouths tight. Hydra’s words were, by any measure, a jab implying that there was no reason for a goddess of the flourishing surface to fall for a god of the Underworld.

Swallowing a sigh, Thanatos furrowed his brow. The image of a goddess leaving Hades behind bloomed in the minds of both Thanatos and Hydra.

[Do you happen to know a ‘Kore’? She gave me this bouquet.]

Just then, Charon wrote a small note in the corner. Thanatos, who had been scowling slightly, brightened his eyes.

【……’Kore,’ you say.】

“You know her?”

【Yes, I do.】

He spoke quickly.

【Lady Demeter recently gave birth to a daughter. That daughter’s childhood name is ‘Kore.’ Though even I don’t know her real name.】

With a determined face, Thanatos pointed to the dirt floor.

【Charon, can you describe her appearance? And lend me a messenger bird as well.】

Beyond the Acheron River. The fortress wall built at the outermost edge of Hades’ domain.

“……I’m probably the only one who would do this crazy thing multiple times.”

Persephone had once again become a rock climber.

She had safely left the Acheron by building a ‘friendship’ with the ferryman. After returning the messenger bird to him, she had run without looking back, allowing her to reach the outer wall this quickly.

However, regardless of that, climbing up and down the stones was no easy task. She stared into the void with an exhausted expression.

Right. Don’t seeds grow even through cracks in a cliff? If so, rock walls are a pretty decent domain to oversee.

It was the moment Persephone let out a hollow laugh at her own absurd thoughts.

“Who goes there!”

A guard shouted loudly from below her. Persephone’s body went stiff.

I’m caught.

She clicked her tongue softly. Well, there was no helping it.

Persephone calmly climbed down the wall. As she turned toward the guard after stepping onto the ground, he barked a question.

“Who are you?”

“…….”

“You don’t look like someone I’ve seen around here. Reveal your identity!”

A man at least a head taller than her thrust a spear toward Persephone. Persephone crossed her arms without a word. Unlike her indifferent gaze, a whirlwind of emotions was raging in her heart.

‘……The people of the Underworld are scarier than I thought!‘

Persephone was trembling on the inside. The ferryman might have looked different from a human, but he was someone she could talk to; however, the guard in front of her didn’t look that way at all.

He gave off the feeling of being, quite literally, no pushover. Since he didn’t look like he would vanish like a soul, he was probably a lower-ranking god with a physical form…

‘Can I win?‘

Persephone swallowed hard. If she didn’t attempt a lie, being captured was a certainty. It was only natural that she had to do something!

“I asked for your identity! If you don’t answer right now—”

“—You don’t know who I am?”

Just as the guard was about to nudge her elbow with the spear, she tilted her head back. The shouting guard faltered for a moment. In that brief second of his confusion, Persephone’s arrogant-sounding voice dropped heavily.

“Truly?”

“…….”

“Are you prepared to take responsibility for those words?”

The guard’s gaze wavered slightly. Persephone barely resisted the urge to smirk. Not yet. If she looked happy now, she would fail to completely peel away the layers of doubt. She had to be careful.

Frowning, the guard replied stiffly.

“Responsibility or not, I do not know you. It is only natural to be suspicious.”

“Heh, those are hardly welcome words.”

Persephone twisted her lips as if angry. Furrowing her brow in feigned displeasure, she crossed her arms. At her fingertips, she gathered divine power imbued with the colors of abundance.

“You are a god, so you must know well that I, too, am a god. Not some mortal nymph, but a real god capable of wielding proper power.”

Her mouth felt a bit awkward saying it, but she didn’t let it bother her. Releasing a bit of her divine aura, Persephone brushed her hair back.

“I cannot guarantee that you will be safe after blocking my path.”

“……You must reveal who you are. Otherwise, I cannot let you pass.”

Narrowing her eyes, Persephone placed a hand on her cheek.

‘First, I’ve moved up from him speaking down to me to him using formal language.‘

How could she win this guy over? After facing off against the guard for a long time, she let out a deep sigh as if she had no choice.

“Lord Hades is truly blessed to have such a hard-working subordinate.”

“……Pardon?”

“As a servant of Lady Demeter, I’m dying of envy. My master runs around everywhere with a sickle and rolled-up sleeves. Do you have any idea how much I struggle to maintain the dignity of a god?”

At the same time, she gave the guard a look that said he was quite commendable. She asked in a calm tone:

“Have you heard of Hecate, the aide to Demeter?”

“Yes?”

“I asked if you’ve heard of her.”

Persephone had casually impersonated her mother’s assistant!