Chapter 8: Impersonation (2)

“You seem quite clever… Tell me, are you aware that Lady Demeter and Lord Hades possess powers that are deeply intertwined?”

At this moment, Persephone—fully adopting the persona of her mother’s aide—raised her index finger. She spoke as if giving a lesson to a younger, less experienced god.

“Ah, yes. I am aware of that much.”

“Recite why that is.”

“……Since death is a prerequisite for life to bloom, I’ve heard their powers are closely related. A sort of cycle, if you will.”

Persephone nodded and quickly added:

“Exactly. And as Demeter’s aide, that principle of the cycle applies to me to some extent as well.”

“Which means……?”

“It means I have also become an administrator of the Underworld. My role is to oversee these gates and boundaries; I am one of the security chiefs.”

The guard let out a gasp and bowed low.

“……My apologies, Lady Hecate. I am merely a low-ranking soldier and was unaware.”

Persephone looked down at the top of the guard’s head and let out a triumphant internal laugh.

Hecate was indeed Demeter’s aide, but she was also the Goddess of Magic who had helped raise Persephone. She presided over the crossroads and thresholds created by humans. While Persephone hadn’t heard anything about Hecate managing the gates of the Underworld yet, the name of the ‘Goddess of Thresholds’ was clearly prestigious enough to make this lower god bow his head.

Persephone gave a graceful wave of her hand.

“No, it was unexpected for me to come this far in, too. Originally, I intended only to wander the boundary between the living and the dead, but I felt a strange magical energy here. Somehow, I ended up all the way here.”

“Magical energy? Can you feel it too, Lady Hecate?”

The guard asked a serious question in response to the nonsense Persephone had just babbled as a cover.

‘……I don’t know the first thing about magic or spells.‘

Persephone glanced at the guard. His previous sharp demeanor seemed to have been an act; he now wore a simple, honest expression and shook his head.

“Ah, I’m not questioning your work, Lady Hecate. I’m sure the judgment of Lord Hades for placing you here, and your own wisdom in coming this far, are beyond reproach. After all, isn’t this place a ‘threshold’ as well?”

“……Then why do you ask?”

“The stones of the Underworld used to build these walls usually drain one’s vitality. I wondered if you sensed the magic contained within them.”

The guard looked at the wall and then suddenly turned back to Persephone.

“And there is one more thing I’d like to ask……. Why were you clinging to the wall?”

Reflexive nonsense spilled from Persephone’s lips.

“I thought the stone might be useful as a material for a spell, so I was wondering if I could pluck one out.”

“…….”

“…….”

Shocked by her words, the guard let out a low groan.

“Oh…… I see.”

He seemed confused, likely having never met a god so bold as to treat the property of the Underworld so casually.

‘I’m sorry, Hecate.‘

Persephone shed a tiny mental tear, imagining herself stuffing her own fist into her mouth to stop talking. At that moment, the guard pointed toward the gate.

“Are you planning to head out?”

Persephone’s eyes snapped up.

“I will escort you to the boundary you are in charge of, Lady Hecate.”

As the soldier scratched the back of his head, an indescribable liveliness returned to Persephone’s irises. She almost nodded her head vigorously like a waterwheel, but she caught herself and gave a slow, dignified nod.

Passing through the immediate gate, another one greeted them. For some reason, the eyes of the soldiers seemed to be gathering on her. Persephone, subtly scanning her surroundings, reached out to the guard beside her.

“Do you happen to have any spare cloth? I’m more accustomed to wearing a veil.”

“Ah, yes. I can give you a spare cloak.”

Persephone draped the dark cloak over her head. The guard gave an admiring look and moved closer to her side.

“With the cloak on like that, you truly look like the Goddess of Magic.”

“Is that so.”

“By the way, how did you get this far in? This is inside the fortress walls, and I don’t recall seeing you when I was stationed outside.”

Why does this soldier have so many questions?

However, since he didn’t seem like a bad god, Persephone decided to answer his question with another question. She shrugged her shoulders.

“Do you all not have shifts? Lord Hades is far more heartless than I thought, not even giving his subordinates a break.”

“That is absolutely not the case!”

The guard waved his hands frantically in denial. Startled by the sudden shout, Persephone’s eyes went wide like a rabbit’s. Surprised by the volume of his own voice, the guard took a small step back.

“M-my apologies. But Lord Hades treats us very well.”

“……So it seems.”

“It’s true. Not only do we have shift rotations, but we receive stipends based on our work, and occasionally he shares Ambrosia or Nectar with us. He even patrols the area himself sometimes.”

The guard spoke rapidly. Persephone’s fingers twitched slightly.

‘A low-ranking soldier is defending him this passionately?‘

To Persephone, who knew the myth of Hades beforehand, this was a surprisingly positive reaction. A small lump of guilt formed in her throat. Just as she was about to swallow it, the guard asked her a question.

“Has Lady Hecate not received any… compensation from Lord Hades?”

“As an equal partner, there is no such compensation. I don’t harbor any ill will, but since I’ve only recently begun staying at the boundary, it’s not as if I’d suddenly develop fond feelings.”

“Ah, I see…….”

The fierce expression he had earlier was gone, replaced by a face full of disappointment. Just as Persephone was about to click her tongue at him, the guard looked up with a smile.

“But I’m sure you will come to like him, Lady Hecate.”

Persephone blinked.

“……Right.”

Her voice sank low.

Maybe Hades isn’t a bad person as a ruler…

“Ah, if we just open this and pass through, the boundary with the living world is right there.”

Having led Persephone through the multiple layers of walls, the guard pointed ahead. Persephone gripped the front of her cloak tightly.

‘Yes, once I pass through there, I’ll be fine.‘

She had heard that Cerberus, the watchdog and gatekeeper, stood at the boundary of the living and the dead, but she had already devised a plan for that. So, as long as she slipped out like this, she wouldn’t be caught by Hades……

“Thank you for escorting m—”

Just as Persephone was about to wave goodbye to the guard:

“Hey, guys! Emergency announcement!”

A soldier, presumably a colleague of the guard, waved a piece of paper.

“Has anyone seen a woman with pink hair and lime-green eyes?”

Persephone’s ears perked up. The guard beside her walked toward his shouting colleague.

“What is it? Why a woman all of a sudden?”

“Lord Thanatos sent a messenger bird saying he’s looking for her. This note was attached to its leg.”

Her eyes darted toward the one holding the messenger bird. As he shook the unfolded note, several soldiers gathered around. Fortunately, the one right next to her hadn’t heard the details yet.

“Is it a lost soul or something?”

“No, I’m not sure, but……”

The one who brought the bird scratched his neck.

“They say she’s Lord Hades’ bride?”

A chill ran down Persephone’s spine.

Thanatos was the personification of Death itself. Whenever Demeter’s human workers died of old age, he was an elder-tier god who, along with the Messenger God, always visited the farms or cottages. Though she had never spoken to him face-to-face—Demeter always made her go inside the house—she had seen them talking from a distance many times.

When she was a child who knew no better, she only thought his black wings of death looked like a crow’s, but……

‘Wow, I’m kind of screwed, aren’t I?‘

Now that she was all grown up, she felt like collapsing and wailing right then and there. Thanatos, known for having a heart of bronze, never let go of what he once grasped and never made exceptions. If a god like that had issued a public notice in the Underworld to catch her, she had to run immediately.

‘And what? The King’s bride?‘

Are these people crazy? Who are they making a married woman!

“I shall take my leave now. Do not follow me.”

“Lady Hecate?”

Answering quickly, Persephone began to run without looking back. The guard reached out a hand, but she was running so fast she looked like she was being chased by wolves.

“She just left…….”

Smacking his lips in confusion, he headed toward the colleague with the messenger bird and grabbed his shoulder.

“Who is this bride person? Is Lord Hades finally getting married?”

“Seems like it. They say the counterpart is Lady Demeter’s daughter. Her name is…… what, ‘Kore’? Her name is ‘Maiden’ (Kore)? Is it a nickname? I’ve never heard of her.”

“I haven’t either. Stop rolling your eyes and read the rest.”

“It just describes the bride-to-be’s appearance. Pink hair and lime-green eyes.”

The guard’s eyebrows twitched. The moment his colleague described ‘Kore,’ the image of ‘Hecate’ before she had covered herself with the cloth flashed through his mind.

‘Wait?‘

The guard’s wavering gaze flew to the spot where Persephone had just been.

‘Didn’t Lady Hecate have pink hair and lime-green eyes?‘

Just as his eyes filled with doubt:

“They say her clothes and skin are white, and she isn’t very fleshy.”

“…….”

“Has anyone seen her?”

The guard’s mouth fell open. He let out a sudden roar.

“I think that was ‘Lady Hecate’!”

“What? Where is she? She was just with you a moment ago.”

The guard shut his mouth like a duck. Cold sweat began to bead in his palms.

“I lost her……!”

Tearing at his hair, he let out a groan that sounded like a lament to himself.

Things are getting tense for Persephone! Should we move on to Chapter 9?