Chapter 37 Journey to the Underworld (Part 4)

Only naive and ignorant children make choices!

Hermes obediently followed Apollo's advice. He knew more about the underworld than she did, so his actions must have been meaningful.

Of course, this obedience was only half genuine.

She stroked the money pouch she had taken from her waist, made a new one in its likeness, and then put the triangular tripod and the crow cage inside.

Apollo, observing her actions, asked, "Is this your hiding place?"

"Then what else can we do? Swallow them? What if I forget to turn them back if they disappear?" Hermes argued. "Besides, who would be so greedy as to want everything!"

...

...There really is one. Look, there's one right in front of us.

Apollo thought about it and decided not to reveal his true feelings.

At this moment, the two gods of the underworld on the hammock seemed to have finally noticed their intrusion, and their magnetic voices came from above.

“I think trespassing into the underworld and harming Cerberus must be heinous crimes, right, brother?” The silver-haired, silver-eyed Grim Reaper looked down at the two Olympian gods mixed among the silver-haired human undead.

We should also admire the God of Light for carefully using his healing power to repair the damaged gates of the underworld; otherwise, the crime would have been compounded.

The golden-haired, golden-eyed god of sleep didn't even glance at them, lazily replying, "Yes, little brother, we have to deal with them before Hades finds out."

"Haha, good brother, we're on the same page!"

A gust of wind swept by, and Hermes blinked, deftly extending her arm to use the Scepter of the God of Commerce to block the sudden and fierce attack from Death.

Death was incredibly strong and not to be underestimated; she almost had her wrist slashed by that scythe.

She frowned as she met the gaze of Thanatos, the master of death who exuded a sinister and terrifying aura.

When he was in the mortal realm, he would wear a black cloak and sometimes carry a sharp sword, but no one knew that he and his brother had a pair of dark wings, from which magical power would emanate when they flapped.

Often, sleep and death go hand in hand, just as the gods who govern them are twins.

Thanatos narrowed his eyes, a smug smile spreading across his handsome face.

He stared with great interest at the goddess Olympus before him, whose strength was in no way inferior to his own.

"The newly appointed chief god? He actually managed to defeat Cerberus!" Death observed Hermes closely for a moment, his nostrils twitching as if he were sniffing her scent. "Ah, so she's the child of the King of Gods and Maia, daughter of Atlas. She reeks of cunning and despicableness..."

He was actually smelling her!

Hermes frowned again, forced to endure this scrutiny. Despite her great annoyance, she still managed a flawless smile.

“You are a very observant deity.” She abruptly withdrew her scepter, causing the other to stumble back a step. “Son of Nyx, although I don’t know why you attacked me, let’s make this short.”

"Apollo and I have come to the Underworld on the orders of Gaia, the Earth Mother—to bring back Persephone, who has been abducted by Hades!"

Upon hearing this, Thanatos tilted his head slightly.

"Huh? Persephone?" He seemed quite puzzled as to who this was.

Even the sleeping god, who was originally lying on his side in the hammock, turned over and lay on his stomach, propping his cheeks up with his hands and looking down at them.

“I suppose it’s from Olympus too? I’ve never heard of that name in the Underworld.” Hypnos tilted his head, his face, which resembled his twin brother’s, appearing exceptionally gentle and polite. “No, wait, I didn’t see it when I was on Mount Olympus either.”

...Wait a minute, so the son of Nyx also lived on Mount Olympus?

Hermes glanced at the god of the underworld who stood high above the roaring undead among the silver humans, feeling both surprised and a fleeting sense of suspicion.

If they were unaware of Persephone's existence, then why did Apollo, Athena, Artemis, and Hecate know her?

It was Apollo who suddenly spoke up and answered Hermes's question.

“Demeter has protected her daughter very well, except this time.”

The God of Light helped Hermes draw the attention of the winged twins and stand with her to face the new danger.

He remained rational and restrained, and although he was gradually deviating from his original self, he seemed to enjoy it.

“Let us proceed to Hades’s palace, sons of Nyx.”

"As Hermes said, this is a task given to us by Mother Earth Gaia."

Hermes saw Death's gaze shift from herself to Apollo beside her.

Thanatos chuckled, a hint of excitement in his eyes: "It's not impossible, anyway, the unchanging life is just too boring, Apollo."

He paused for a moment, his eyes lingering on the somewhat mysterious new chief god.

"Hermes, the ruler of fraud, theft, commerce, and nature! You must also have snakes as your companions, right?"

This abundant earth power, seemingly possessed even before birth, is truly amazing...

Hermes hesitated for a moment after hearing Thanatos's question, but still answered truthfully: "Yes, I found two green snakes in Arcadia and adopted them."

"No wonder!" Thanatos was even more excited, and thus became exceptionally generous, waving his hand to the two Olympian gods in an invitation, saying, "Then please, Hermes, Apollo, as long as you can reach that palace safely!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a pair of huge, dark gray wings suddenly sprouted from his broad, sturdy back.

They flapped their wings slowly twice, and a strong wind swept through, overturning the throng of human spirits. Most of them were thrown into the River of Pain, where they howled and struggled in the murky black water.

The water of the River of Pain is lighter than that of the mortal world; even a feather floating in it will sink. Human bodies and souls cannot cross its waters, and so can most gods.

The spirits of the dead will be submerged and eroded if they stay in this river for too long, and will eventually vanish into nothingness.

The old man on the ferry, whose eyes blazed with fire, leisurely watched this dramatic scene without questioning his brother, who shared the same mother.

Charon might feel relieved, since these human spirits brought by the Grim Reaper did not carry any treasure, and he was unwilling to take them to the other side in a boat empty-handed.

So Hermes and Apollo could only watch helplessly as the human spirits that Thanatos had thrown into the Acheron River perished in agony, while the remaining unaffected by the winged magic lay trembling on the bank, now unable even to utter a wail.

Some of the undead were flung onto the high rocks, where sharp stones pierced through their translucent bodies. These undead could feel pain, but without flesh, they could not bleed.

Hypnos, sitting in the hammock, greeted the silver-haired humans with a gentle smile: "Hello, humans."

This scene is so ironic.

Thanatos, having retracted his wings, said, "Alright, I have cleared the obstacles for you here, Olympian gods."

"Get out of here quickly. After all, this is the back door that my brother and I opened for you. Don't drag us down with you."

Even his smile was so cold and cruel.

This is the embodiment of death.

Hermes felt sorry for the innocent dead; they had all lived, and the souls gathered here after death truly existed.

She could not save those humans who had already disappeared into the River Styx, but she would surely find a way out for these survivors.

"Why are these spirits gathered here instead of going to the kingdom of the underworld? Is it because they can't pay Charon?" Hermes said, her expression a mixture of pity and seriousness. "If that's the case, then I'll share my treasure with them!"

“Arcadia in the mortal realm is my homeland. I led the people of Arcadia to discover mineral veins and created coins as a measure of value, which could be used to purchase goods and collect items.”

As she spoke, she took out the silver coins from her purse and, in front of everyone present, used her divine power to share them with the poor children still here.

She also lowered the spirits that had been hanging high up, restoring all the souls that had been damaged by the things of the underworld to their original state.

The sleeping twins witnessed it all without blinking.

Thanatos frowned: "How can there be such a foolish yet intelligent god?"

All human spirits stranded behind the gates of the underworld and along the River of Pain can use silver coins to exchange for a chance to enter the kingdom of the dead.

Apollo realized Hermes's intentions and wanted to stop her, because the bag of silver coins was what they had used to bribe the Ferryman of the Styx.

But after hesitating for a moment, he still did not stop her.

He simply whispered her name: "Hermes".

Hermes heard Apollo calling her, but she simply flew towards the River of Pain.

Unable to easily cross the raging black river, she stopped on the bank and shouted to the old god of the underworld on the boat in the river: "Lord Charon! Please make sure to reach this cooperation and deal with me!"

Upon hearing the word 'deal,' Charon stirred the raft, causing the boat to swim toward her.

"I have given each of the human souls who have passed away a silver coin. Please accept their money and safely transport these children to the other side, so that they may dwell in the realm of Hades and find eternal peace!" Hermes declared resolutely. "From this day forward, all human souls who come to the underworld to cross the river will continue this tradition. In my name, Hermes, I will forever protect humanity!"

She is a gentle and benevolent goddess who not only blesses the gods but also humankind.

She created the lyre, the flute, commerce, measuring tools, coins, and other things that have benefited future generations.

Although she was born as a deity of deception and theft, her life possessed the attributes of nature and the earth, and she had perception, power, and love for all living beings.

Her name was Hermes, and she was trusted by the Earth Mother and was also the chief goddess of Olympus.

Charon was well aware of this; he could disregard lowly humans without a second thought, but he was unwilling to oppose this powerful goddess.

Moreover, he cherished gold and silver treasures.

“Yes, I accept, benevolent goddess Hermes,” said Styx Ferryman, his fiery eyes revealing undisguised calculation and greed. “But how can you be sure that every human who dies in the future will carry a silver coin with them to me?”

He noticed that Hermes had another money pouch tied to her waist, but since it emitted a light, it must contain Apollo's things, so he wasn't very interested.

After all, Apollo was known for his stubbornness and vengefulness.

—Look at the fate of the giant serpent Pitong, who once belonged to the goddess Gaia when he was alive!

Charon appeared kind and friendly, but inwardly he was calculating his own interests.

Hermes understood that Charon had agreed to her request. She thought for a moment and then explained with a smile, "It's very simple. Just make sure that a silver coin is placed properly in their mouths after they die."

The things humans carry with them in life are also taken to the underworld after death.

Poseidon also agreed that humans could build ships and sail on the ocean, and as people around the world established connections with each other, this tradition would gradually be carried forward and developed.

And she will work hard for them.

And so, Hermes gently comforted the human spirits who were stranded there, and they boarded Charon's ship one by one. They were finally able to cross the River Styx with its special waters and head to their new home.

As they were about to travel to the realm of Hades, Hermes received their most sincere affection.

"Thank you, revered and exalted goddess Hermes." The human spirits knelt before her, bowing and saluting. "We will forever remember your protection and blessings, and from now on we will always worship you."

"Thank you, Hermes."

At this moment, Hermes felt immense joy and satisfaction.

She responded gently, "It's alright, my dear children, I love you all very much."

Upon seeing Hermes in this state, Apollo, who had been silent all along, paused in surprise.

Hypnos and Thanatos, who were watching from the sidelines, looked on with strange expressions.

"Strange," Death muttered, "Why does she look so much like that person..."

“Thanatos, think about it.” The god of sleep yawned lazily and snapped his fingers at his brother under the hammock. “The rules can change.”

"Ha, interesting!"

...

Finally, Hermes and Apollo successfully boarded Charon's ship.

Hermes gave all the coins to the undead, but she swore in the name of the Styx River that she would give Charon an even more precious treasure on her next visit, so Charon agreed to give them a free ride this time.

The boat rocked slightly, and terrifying echoes of water and bubbling sounds filled the air.

Apollo remained silent, his eyes slightly lowered, as if deep in thought.

Charon ignored the radiant God of Light and spoke only to another goddess who felt particularly close to him: "Perhaps you should come and live in our underworld, Hermes."

Hermes blinked and smiled, "That depends on what the gods of the underworld think, dear Grandpa Charon!"

"Hey, I promise, everyone will welcome you!"

after all……

Charon gave the God of Light a meaningful look, one that clearly already knew about the matter.

After all, Hermes possesses the characteristics of a goddess of the underworld.

The underworld has five ever-flowing rivers—Acheron of resentment and pain, Xytes of sorrow and lamentation, Chrysleregton of hellfire, Leth of oblivion, and Styx of hatred and oath-keeping.

These five rivers flow around the underground kingdom, and each one is a product of the underworld.

When Charon, carrying Hermes and Apollo, reached the other side, they disembarked.

They arrived at a vast, gray plain called the Fields of Truth, also known as the Land of Periwinkles.

"Good luck to you." Charon shook the heavy money bag in his hand.

Charon did not tell them where to go next, but the all-knowing Apollo knew perfectly well.

He did not ask Hermes why she had the sudden inspiration to help humanity again, nor did he blame her for squandering the bag of coins.

After all, this did not actually harm their purpose and interests for this trip.

Thanks to the cunning yet kind Hermes.

"The Garden of Truth connects two roads: the Elysian Paradise, a place of happiness, and the Tartarus Abyss, a place of torment," Apollo said slowly. "And between them lies the palace of Hades, the god of the underworld."

On the gray plains ahead, a serene and peaceful goddess awaits them.

The goddess wore a golden crown, her eyes were blindfolded, and she was dressed in a white robe.

She held a scale in her left hand and a sword in her right, appearing both righteous and serene.

Apollo gazed intently at the goddess who governed the laws of the earth: "If you had to choose, which of these two places would you prefer, Hermes?"

Hermes thought for a moment, then answered with a grin.

“I want to go to both.” She walked first toward the goddess who was waiting for them. “I don’t want to have to choose between the two.”

Only naive and ignorant children make choices!