After sharing brief goodbyes with my companions, I immediately sent a message to the <Underworld>. A reply came back in no time at all.
[Constellation, ‘Father of the Rich Night’, has permitted your entry.]
[Constellation, ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’, has permitted your entry.]
[Nebula, <Underworld>, has opened a portal that will summon you.]
Tsu-chuchuchuchut!
Now originally, it was not easy to leave beyond the scenario’s boundaries when a massive scenario was already underway. However, the <Underworld> had willingly spent an enormous amount of Probability for my sake.
I was really grateful for that.
I might be called their successor, but, I haven’t even paid them a proper visit to say hello after getting their help the last time…..
Now that I thought about it, I was kind of apprehensive, too; what if the reason for them permitting my entry without any issues was to beat me up for not visiting the <Underworld> until now?
– Kim Dok-Ja.
A message suddenly came flying in and startled me. I quickly looked up. It wasn’t via [Midday Tryst], which meant there could be only one who had sent me this message.
– What’s this? I thought you’d be busy after becoming the branch manager. But you still have enough leeway to mind what’s happening this side, too?
– No, I don’t. I made time, though.
Bihyung, floating in the air, grumbled a bit while sucking on leaf tobacco. This guy…. It looked as if he was fatigued from overworking after becoming a manager recently. He stared at me with complicated eyes and let a long sigh escape from his lips. I sensed the surrounding channels’ transmissions get blocked off temporarily.
– You’re trying to do something really dangerous.
– When did I ever not do that?
– This is different from the past. This time, the entirety of the <Star Stream> is paying attention to the things you’re doing.
– I think I’ve heard that hundreds of times by now.
– You keep this up, and all the Probability’s karma you’ve accumulated so far will blow up in your face. You know what that means, don’t you?
I nodded my head. I clearly saw all the horrifying things that happened after the twisted Probability exploded forth back in the ‘Demon King Selection’.
And honestly, I’d been often feeling as if I was standing on a Jenga tower missing quite a few blocks lately.
– You be careful now. You can’t stay lucky forever. Even if you are under protection by Great Dokkaebis or Outer Gods…..
– Under the protection of who??
– ….Forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything.
Bihyung shook his head and lightly spread some smoke in the air. When he did, the frozen channels began opening up once more with the tobacco smoke as the centre.
– Come back alive. Don’t die.
– Is that something you should say to a guy heading to the netherworld?
He didn’t have to say anything, but I knew that, most likely, Bihyung had been stopping all the interference attempts coming from the Bureau. He was just a measly little low-ranked Dokkaebi the first time we met, but now, he became big enough to help me out in this manner. Indeed, one had to live long enough first to see something like this.
[Transmission through space-time has begun.]
All sensory perception seemed to split apart before me and when I opened my eyes again, the blackened and withered grounds of the netherworld greeted my presence. It was the <Underworld>. Originally, I needed to utilise the services of the boatman Charon and cross the river first, but that step had been omitted this time.
I walked on the gravelled banks of the dried-up river and headed off towards Hades’s palace for a while. The moment I stepped inside the outer castle, though, tens of thousands of gazes landed on me as if they had been waiting for my arrival.
From the three Judges of the <Underworld> to the innumerable number of souls – judging from how ferocious the overall atmosphere was, I had to conclude that their gazes were not friendly at all.
[Judges of the <Underworld> have discovered your presence!]
As expected, there was another purpose in summoning me here, wasn’t there?
Shu-shu-shut…
Emitting Statuses that might turn every living thing into withered, mummified husks, the three Judges of the <Underworld> approached me as if they were gliding in the air.
Each judge was a Fable-grade Constellation.
I quickly grasped the [Unbreakable Faith] attached to my hips. Even if I had grown stronger, it was not going to be easy trying to fend off against these three when we were in the <Underworld>.
It was right then that the leading Judge’s eye level began lowering towards the ground. That was the start; the second and third Judges also lowered their eye level. All three of them were now kneeling before me.
…..Uh?
And the army of the <Underworld> following after them all began settling down like a violent but low tidal wave. I took a closer look, and that volatile atmosphere I felt earlier was a bit different in nature to what I was assuming earlier. In fact, the Judges of the <Underworld> were looking at me while wiping away at their eyes – as if they were deeply moved about something.
Ku-gugugugu!
The <Underworld> itself seemed to have knelt before me to open up a path.
It was the path that led into the inner sanctum of the palace. Only two Constellations were allowed to walk on this path up until now.
[We welcome you to the Kingdom of the Night, oh, Heir to the <Underworld>!!]
Along with the Judge’s declaration, a system message floated up in my view.
[You are currently the Prince of the <Underworld>.]
*
While moving through the palace’s interior, I couldn’t help but feel a bit strange inside.
I figured that something like this might happen after becoming the ‘successor to the <Underworld>’, but still, experiencing a near-vertical rise of my station made the inside of my brain go all soft and mushy.
I had never been treated this warmly before in my life. On top of that, what was up with this rather gloomy and decorative costume?
[Character, ‘Ricardo von Kaixenix’, asks you if you were also a prince.]
The Fourth Prince of the Kaixenix Archipelago, sharing the same vision as me, decided to say something. As I deliberated on what my reply should be, the Judge attentively studying me also decided to address me. [Excuse me, your highness.]
“Yes?”
[I’d like to apologise for the matters of the last time.]
Now that I thought about, this ajussi, he was the same Judge who ‘greeted’ me when I entered the <Underworld> in order to recover Shin Yu-Seung’s soul. He was the one who drank lots of ‘Yamata no Orochi’s Snake Wine’ and helped me in secret…. What was his Modifier again?
“No, it’s fine. Things worked out well in the end so it’s alright. I was actually grateful back then.”
The Judge lowered his head as if he was feeling apologetic, and pushed the doors to the audience chamber wide open. [The King of the <Underworld> is waiting for you.]
I tensed up and stepped across the doorway along with the Judges. The confidence-inspiring Statuses from them guarding my side made me feel a bit weird inside, though.
If I become the master of the <Underworld>, I’d get to order around Constellations like them.
[….Fufu. I see. So that’s what happened.]
Persephone’s voice coming from the darkness interrupted my chain of thoughts. She sat on her throne and was busy chatting away with someone sitting on the top of her hand.
[Ba-aht, ba-aht. Aba-aht!]
[H-mm, it was the same story back then, too?]
[Ba-aht, ba-aht!]
It was a little ‘mochi’ bouncing around; I knew who that voice belonged to. And even before I could say something, Biyu discovered me first and cried out in happiness.
[Abahat! Abahat!]
[Our young successor has finally arrived, it seems.]
I didn’t know why Biyu was here, but still, this wasn’t a bad development. Persephone seemed to be thoroughly entertained by her adorable antics, after all.
Hades’s stony gaze and Persephone’s warm, gentle one landed on me simultaneously. It felt as if my whole body was freezing up as this itchy sensation travelled all over me. As expected, just the glance of a Myth-grade Constellation contained enough power to overwhelm all existences.
I recalled Hades’s incredible battle against Poseidon and performed a simple standing greeting with a bow of my head.
“It’s been a while, oh, ‘Father of the Rich Night’, and ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’.”
[Indeed, it’s been too long, my child. Have you been well?]
“Uh…. Yes, I have. How about you, my queen?”
[Fufu, we’ve been doing well. Although, we were a little saddened that our only son paid us a visit so belatedly like this.]
The conversation we shared had this festive holiday vibe to it. Since I didn’t have any experience in things like this, I couldn’t figure out at all on how to carry on with the conversation.
Hades sitting on a commodious throne was looking down at me with an expression I still couldn’t read, while Persephone carried a brightly-smiling face as she continued to talk to me.
[The loneliness from your absence has been filled by our littlest granddaughter here. To think, I’d get to see a Dokkaebi granddaughter in our old age…. Indeed, one needs to live long enough first to see such a thing.]
She must’ve really liked Biyu still going ‘Ba-aht, ba-aht’; Persephone gently patted the small Dokkaebi sitting on the back of her hand. [Although we have a grandchild, you still regretfully lack a partner. When are you planning to introduce us to your mate?]
“Ah, that, I still need to think abo….”
The top question nobody wanted to hear during the holidays flew in at me right away.
It was right then the silent Judges decided to step forward.
[According to our investigations, there are several potential candidates, your majesty.]
[Ho-oh, is that so?]
[Yes. This data has been compiled after investigating through the Olympus’s Fate Matching System ⸢Cupid’s Arrow Shot⸥ and ⸢Help us DUO Venus⸥.] (TL: DUO is apparently a match-making company in South Korea, specialising in finding marriage partners. Not sure if I got the reference right, though.)
[Judges, you seem to have done something productive for once.]
….N-no, hang on a minute here. Why were these geezers called Judges investigating my private life??
Unfortunately, a hologram floated up in the air without giving me a chance to stop them.
[Firstly, this is the Candidate no.1.]
What popped up on it was a certain footage.
– Dok-Ja has a dokja’s life to live, after all.
– A Dok-Ja’s life…. Dok-Ja-ssi, that’s a wonderful assertion.
What the…. Out of all the footages available, why did they have to go and bring out such dark history?
The Judge spoke in a composed tone of voice. [Candidate No.1 is a deeply considerate woman. Not only can she accept our Prince’s peculiar sensibilities with tolerance as vast as rivers and oceans, but she also possesses a gentle, warm personality and natural decisiveness, as well as a wonderful outer appearance. Honestly speaking, she may even perhaps be out of our esteemed Prince’s league….]
It felt as if the more I heard him speak, the more dazed I got.
[Next up is Candidate No.2.]
Following her, a certain woman sucking on a lemon candy and blessed with prim eyes as well as a distinctive beauty spot just below one of them appeared on the screen.
– Dummy.
– Why are you crying on a nice day like today? I mean, it’s even snowing, too…. I promise to think up a nice Modifier later on, okay?
The Judge formed a contented smile while looking at the footage and continued on with his story. [Although Candidate No.2 possesses an abrasive personality and often resorts to biting, sarcastic remarks, she also happens to share a special relationship with our Prince. She is the sole existence who fully understands our Prince’s dark hobby, and not only that, they can even converse freely regarding that hobby. Truly, a special being, with no one else like her in the…..]
Yup, the match-making system of <Olympus> had definitely lost a lot of its marbles, hadn’t it?
Before the face of the third candidate could appear, I summoned up all my courage and shouted out. “No, hang on a minute! I don’t have any thoughts of marriage yet!”
The Judge lowered his head as if he wanted to apologise and backed off. [If the esteemed Prince isn’t ready yet, then the introduction of the next candidate can be delayed until the next time….]
[Hmm…. I wonder who’ll be able to tame this stubborn Prince of ours.]
Persephone complained in a tone of voice eerily similar to my real mother.
[Well, if all else fails, it’ll be fine to bring the Dokkaebi that gave birth to this child as your partner. Both Hades and I are not bound by humanity’s trifling and old-fashioned idea of one’s preference….]
Marry Bihyung? I’d rather kill myself.
[Hades and I will not interfere even if you possess the sexual preference of ‘Man Who Knows His Ignorance’ and ‘Sage of Idea’…..]
[Judges of the <Underworld> are waiting for your choice with keen anticipation.]
[A small number of Constellations are getting interested in your preference.]
[Constellation who enjoys changing genders is paying close attention.]
I lightly sucked in a breath and quickly opened my lips to speak. “Mother.”
Persephone’s eyes trembled after she heard my words. [What did you…]
“I believe you already know why I came here.”
[……..]
“I’ve come to ask you for a favour.”
Even if the time flow was slower in the <Underworld>, I couldn’t dither about for too long. From the get-go, I had only one reason to pay a visit to this place, anyway.
“Please, lend me the army of the <Underworld>.”
My words finally prompted Hades to break his silence. [Do you understand what that implies?]
A voice that seemed to blanket the world in pure darkness began pressing down on the entire palace.
An existence of the <Underworld> permitted to lead the army – there was only one such being, and that was the master of this realm, the King of the <Underworld>.
“I am aware.”
[Does that mean you shall officially accept the position of the successor?]
I nodded my head.
[If you agree to become the King of the <Underworld>, then once all these scenarios are over, you must remain here to rule this realm. Do you truly understand what that means?]
“It means that I cannot go to the world of the living without special circumstances.”
[Are you saying that you shall willingly succeed the throne of the <Underworld> and be locked up here for the rest of your life?]
“Yes,” I unhesitantly replied.
Hades slowly stood up from his throne and stared at me with a certain air of aloofness.
Even though I’ve grown much stronger, fighting against Hades was still out of the question. My heart felt as if it’d explode from the nervousness, but since I was doing it, I had to see it till the end.
The power of the <Underworld> was essential if I wanted to win the ‘Great War of Saints and Demons’.
“I shall become the official successor of the throne of the <Underworld>.”
<Episode 74: Great War of Saints and Demons (3)> Fin.
