While Calli was hesitating, the rainbow-colored Anteater’s carriage had successfully entered Lust’s Abode, allowing William, Chifon, and Erinys to sigh in relief.
Only when the carriage disappeared from sight did Erinys sense that another Ferryman was near her.
Her face turned grim when she discovered that there was a flying ship that was right behind hers, making her want to slap herself for not paying close attention to their surroundings.
However, before Erinys could chastise herself, she received a mental message that came from the Ferryman who had discovered her identity.
“Long time no see, Erinys,” Calli said. “Have you been well during your stay in the Land of the Living?”
The Half-ling’s eyes widened in shock because she had recognized the owner of the voice.
“Calli, is that really you?” Erinys asked back.
The Ferryman of the Underworld could talk with each other telepathically, making communicating very convenient for all of them.
“Who else?” Calli replied. “Still, you took a great risk to return here. You should have stayed in the Surface World.”
“I returned because of important reasons.”
“I’m sure you did. Else, you would not be here right now.”
Calli had decided to keep Erinys’ return to the Underworld a secret.
After being around the Hal-ling for several years, she just couldn’t bear the thought of seeing her drown in despair after her father had locked her up in a place that was far away from everyone’s sights.
As the two Ferrymen talked, their ships approached each other, until they floated side by side.
William, who had also had the opportunity to meet Calli in the past, thought of a good way to prevent themselves from being discovered. However, he knew that what he was about to propose also contained risk, and might even endanger Calli’s safety if it was discovered.
“You want to hide in my flying ship?” Calli’s face turned pale after hearing William’s proposal. She was about to shout “Are you out of your mind?” but managed to hold it back in time because she saw Erinys’ desperate expression.
“Do you know what would happen to me if they found out that I was harboring a wanted criminal in the Underworld?” Calli glared at William. “Do you know how serious this offense is?”
“No,” William replied. “I’m sorry. Forget what I said. It was wrong of me to involve you in our problems.”
Erinys lowered her head because she didn’t want to involve Calli in something that would have her severely punished by her father.
Harboring a criminal of the Underworld was the same as being branded as a traitor. The God of Death disliked traitors the most, and he would not hesitate to use his deathscythe to cut their souls in half before tossing them to the River of Flames to suffer for a millennia.
“I’m sorry, Erinys.” Calli bowed her head in apology. “I am willing to keep your return here in the Underworld a secret, but I can’t help you in this dangerous endeavor. I don’t want to get punished by your father.”
“I understand, Calli,” Erinys replied. “Thank you for keeping my return to the Underworld a secret. That alone is enough. You should leave now while you can. If you are discovered with us, things will become difficult for you in the future.
Calli gave Erinys an apologetic gaze before nodding her head.
“Be careful, Erinys,” Calli said. “You too, William. Make sure to protect her at all costs. If something bad happens to her, I will not forgive you, do you understand?”
William smiled before nodding his head. “Rest assured, I will protect her with everything I have. Thank you for being a good friend to her.”
Calli gave her best friend a bitter smile before urging her flying ship to fly away.
Unlike Erinys, Calli had experienced what it was like to live in the Surface World. She had died a violent death, and when she woke up in the Underworld, she found herself as one of the few individuals who had been chosen to become a Ferryman of the Underworld.
Calli was already happy with what she had right now, and didn’t want to ask for anything more. She prided herself in being able to ferry the souls of the dead in the Underworld, and thought of her job as the best thing in the world.
pAnDa (nov)e1 She no longer needed to fear feeling hungry, being hurt, or even dying. Everything she needed, and everything she wanted, was already hers for the taking, so endangering her position for William’s sake wasn’t worth it.
As the flying boat disappeared from view, the Half-ling became more vigilant of her surroundings. She felt lucky that the one that discovered her was Calli, and not another Ferryman. If it was the latter, the God of Death would have already descended in Lust’s Abode and confronted them right away.
Since Erinys was focused on their surroundings, it was up to William to focus on what was happening at the gates of Lust’s Abode.
An hour passed…
Two hours…
Three hours…
Finally, in the fourth hour, something unexpected happened.
Hundreds of people walked out of the gate as if they were just taking a random stroll outside of Lust’s Abode.
None of the guards stopped them because they had no reason to. They were just ordered to keep everyone out of Lust Abode, and not to keep everyone inside it.
For most of the residents of the Fourth Circle of Hell, they didn’t have any particular need to leave the city. They could all fornicate wherever they wanted, and no one would bat an eye at what they were doing.
Not even the guards wouldn’t stop them from doing what they wanted.
Among these people who marched out of the city were Princess Sidonie, Morgana, and Ashe.
After hearing Kasogonaga’s story, the three ladies immediately came up with a plan for how the three of them could escape Lust’s Abode without being detected by the guards.
William’s plan to charm the guards wouldn’t work because these beasts were of a different breed and were resistant to charm spells.
Because of this, Princess Sidonie and Morgana decided to charm the people of the city instead. They believed that if the three of them walked out of the city, they would be immediately stopped by the guards. However, if there were hundreds of them then it would be a different matter altogether.
Just as they planned, they were able to leave the city without being found out by the guards.
William, who could communicate with his wives telepathically guided them to where Erinys’ ship was hiding.
A tearful reunion followed as Princess Sidonie and Morgana clung to William in tears. Ashe, who was more composed than the two Succubus ladies, hugged the red-headed teenager from behind to feel his warmth.
Just like Chiffon, Princess Sidonie, and Morgana, Ashe had missed the Half-Elf terribly. If not for the current situation they were in, she would have already dragged him to another room and tumbled on the sheets with him.
“It’s time to go back,” William said to the three ladies who still held him in a tight embrace. “We can hug each other as much as we want after we leave this place.”
The three ladies finally let go of their darling and sat on the bed.
“Before we go, I need to house your souls inside these crystal vials,” William explained as she showed his wives the vials that Cathy had given him. “Only then will I be able to take all of you out of the Underworld.”
The vials were made from special materials, so he couldn’t store them inside his storage ring and simply kept them in his pocket for the duration of the journey.
Chiffon, Princess Sidonie, Morgana, and Ashe, had no objections to William’s proposal.
One by one, the souls of his wives entered the vials without any problems.
However, as soon as Ashe’s soul entered the last vial, the flying ship started to shake, making the Half-Elf’s and the Half-ling’s faces turn pale.
“You Half-Elf bastard!”
A loud, and angry roar shook the entire Fourth Layer of the Underworld, as the God of Death made his appearance in the skies above Lust’s Abode.
His tattered robes fluttered in the breeze, as his bony hand held a black Deathscythe, whose blade was now crimson in color.
All the denizens of the Fourth Layer gazed at their God with awe, fear, and admiration. For them, Thanatos was the law of the Underworld, and whatever he wished for, would become a reality.
“Give me back my daughter or die!”
Thanatos’ roar echoed within the entirety of the Underworld, making those who heard it tremble.
Erinys, who was inside the flying ship, started to hyperventilate due to the fear and shock that assaulted her at the same time.
“Don’t worry.”
A pair of strong arms wrapped around her small frame, making her calm down a bit.
“I’ll deal with your father,” William said as he patted the Half-ling’s head. “Stay here with Maple and Cinnamon. I’ll handle this.”
He handed the crystal vials, which contained the souls of his wives, to Erinys for safekeeping.
Without another word, William left the cabin and floated above the flying ship.
As soon as he made his appearance, the God of Death growled. Clearly, he didn’t like seeing the Half-Elf’s face, especially after he had taken his beloved daughter away from him.
“Hello, Father,” William greeted the God of Death, which made Princess Sidonie, Morgana, and Ashe, who were inside the crystal vials, cover their faces with their hands due to embarrassment.
They knew that William had a bad habit of teasing his opponents when he felt like it, but right now, he wasn’t teasing an ordinary opponent but the God of Death himself!
From high above the Temple of the Ten Thousand Gods, a sigh escaped the Primordial Goddess’ lips.
Thanatos and her had a nice long talk with each other, and she promised the God of Death that she wouldn’t interfere if he, and William, were about to trade blows with each other.
“Well, since it has already come to this then so be it,” the Primordial Goddess rested her beautiful face on the palm of her hand. “Now then, Will, I wonder how you will fare against a God who wants nothing more than to beat you into a pulp.”
In truth, the Primordial Goddess found this situation quite amusing. She didn’t know how William would be able to get out of this mess, so she decided to simply watch, and see how this battle between the God of Death and her Prince would unfold, as she sat on her heavenly throne.
She wanted to see how much William had grown since the last time he fought against a being, whose strength far surpassed his own.
