CHAPTER 109: CHAPTER 109: HADES IS MY BEST FRIEND

It was already getting late, so Hades no longer delayed and entered the banquet with Persephone at her side.

The serene black bride, hand in hand with a radiant maiden dressed in a flowing green gown, they seemed like a perfect contrast of peaceful death and passionate life.

Surrounded by fluttering pixies, their arrival wasn’t grand or loud, but rather quiet and unobtrusive.

Among the many goddesses attending the banquet, only a few noticed Hades’ presence at first.

This wasn’t just because of her faint presence, it was also because most eyes were already drawn to someone else.

Eros, dressed casually and without any intention to steal the spotlight, still couldn’t hide his cursed charm. At a gathering like this, it was impossible for him to go unnoticed.

Curious or passionate gazes came at him from every direction, locking tightly onto his figure.

After staring for quite a while, some goddesses remembered their manners and quickly looked away, pretending to engage in other topics to shift the mood.

But their eyes and conversations never strayed far from Eros.

"Is that the Lord of the Underworld, Hades? The very first of her kind, actually male? Isn’t he the first male god we’ve seen?"

"Wasn’t she supposed to be the elder sister of the King of the Gods? How did she turn into a man? Could this be a sign of resolve, reshaping her divine form on purpose?"

"Mmm, if I could get a kiss from him, I’d die happy."

"And those two standing in front of him, they must be his stolen consorts, right? One’s Demeter’s daughter, but who’s the other one?"

The crowd of goddesses whispered among themselves, already mistaking Eros for Hades.

Naturally, neither Eros nor Hades could miss these murmurs.

Hades’ step faltered slightly. If it weren’t for the occasion, she might have honestly felt tempted to clarify things and see how Eros would handle it.

But tonight was far too important for games.

She stepped forward and walked to the highest point in the banquet hall.

"Fellow denizens of the Underworld, honored guests, most of you are seeing me for the first time."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am a child of Cronus, and the soon-to-be sovereign of the Underworld, Hades."

She hadn’t even lifted her veil, still half-shrouded as she addressed the crowd.

Because for Hades, it wasn’t her appearance or dress that defined her, it was the aura she carried.

The aura of annihilating death. Every deity tied to the Underworld could feel their divine domains tremble and shrink in her presence.

Through her sheer presence alone, Hades left no room for debate. She was the true and undeniable Lord of the Underworld.

In fact, she could strip others of their domains with a single gesture, reducing them to ornamental goddesses.

It was blatant pressure. Unlike Poseidon, Hades wielded nearly all of the Underworld’s authority.

Poseidon might have held the title of Sea King, but most of the rivers and oceans had long since been divided by the sea’s previous ruler, Oceanus.

In the hall, the only ones who remained unaffected by Hades’ pressure were the neutral Hermes, and the sons of Nyx, Hypnos and Thanatos.

Still, after a short moment of pressure, Hades retracted her aura and ceased suppressing the crowd.

"Please do not mistake me as someone who uses power to coerce. The new King of the Gods appointed me to this role."

"We’re all navigating this for the first time. If any friction arises, I hope you’ll be forgiving."

Of course, whether you’re happy or not doesn’t matter. What matters is whether I’m happy.

That was the subtext, and every Underworld deity heard it loud and clear. This new leader clearly intended to make sweeping changes.

If you cooperated, everything was fine. If not?

Then you could be replaced.

This was the worst-case scenario. Each goddess had carved out her own little territory in the Underworld.

Now, with a leader parachuted in from above, asking them to support a new development strategy, who wouldn’t feel threatened?

Their positions, their domains, it all could be redrawn. Why would they cooperate?

And yet, with Hades standing there wielding the authority of life and death, not a single one dared to speak out against her.

Now was not the time to stand out. Hades might even be hoping someone dumb enough would step forward so she could make an example of them.

So the deities of the Underworld turned their eyes toward those few who had the qualifications and backing to challenge Hades.

Hypnos kept a composed face, pretending nothing bothered him, but his fear was evident beneath the surface.

Nyx had many children, so why had she sent only these two youthful ones this time?

Seeing the almost childlike faces of Hypnos and Thanatos, many of the Underworld gods already sensed what was happening.

It seemed even the Night Goddess Nyx had chosen to yield and hand over the reins.

Under the faint and ambiguous gazes of the others, Thanatos stepped forward toward Hades with a cold expression.

She stared at Hades fearlessly. For a moment, even the others lost interest in Eros and focused on this brewing standoff.

Thanatos represented Nyx. The rest would take their cue from her attitude.

After all, without someone behind them as a shield, they didn’t dare defy Hades openly.

As Thanatos approached, Eros watched her with curiosity.

She looked exactly like Hypnos, yet her expression and aura were completely different.

Fascinating. He couldn’t help but wonder, do these twin sisters share sensations or emotions?

If they did, then things might get even more interesting.

Just as Eros was sizing her up, Thanatos also looked at him.

It wasn’t because of his connection to Hypnos, her foolish sibling getting played was hardly surprising.

No, she focused on Eros because of Nyx’s orders.

Though Eros was human, her mother had told her to treat him as an elder brother and to show respect.

Nyx also instructed her that everything today was to follow Eros’ lead.

The meaning was clear, whether the Night faction would be allies or enemies of Hades depended entirely on Eros.

Other gods might question such a command, but not Thanatos.

She obeyed Nyx absolutely, no matter how absurd the order.

After glancing at Eros, she turned back to Hades, furrowing her brow and pointing at Eros.

"Hypnos said you took him and won’t give him back?"

The moment she spoke, the watching goddesses were thrown into confusion.

Wasn’t this the part where she should’ve boasted of the Night Faction’s pride and rebuked Hades for meddling?

Why did it sound like a lover’s quarrel?

Had this handsome youth been snatched away from someone too?

Those with shallow understanding tagged Hades as a man-snatcher in their minds.

Those with deeper perception, however, saw the layers.

A cunning move, she wasn’t really picking a fight. It was a veiled jab at Hades’ authority.

Truly a daughter of the fierce Nyx. Terrifying.

Of course, Thanatos’s real thinking was much simpler.

Mother said follow Eros’ lead. So first, she had to rescue Eros.

He was clearly being imprisoned by Hades. That couldn’t stand.

So she went straight to the point.

"Idiot! Fool! She didn’t steal him from me!"

Hypnos turned beet red, desperate to explain but unsure where to start.

She had only sworn to watch over Eros because of a past vow, not because she liked him!

But to Thanatos, that didn’t matter.

"It’s the same."

Thanatos knew the truth. She just didn’t care to explain it.

That single sentence crushed Hypnos into the ground.

Ignoring her now-flustered twin, Thanatos looked back to Hades.

"Is it true?"

Hades stared at the young goddess of death. Her veiled eyes narrowed slightly.

She hadn’t expected Demeter to show up late, yet Eros had already drawn this kind of trouble to her doorstep.

"There’s no such thing. Eros is my friend. I simply invited him to stay for a while."

"When will you let him go?"

Thanatos was surprisingly aggressive, but Hades didn’t mind.

"After today, I’ll send him back."

"Good."

Thanatos turned to Eros.

"Do you dislike Hades?"

???

You’re seriously asking that?

Eros met Hades’ veiled gaze and caught the slight curve of her lips.

"How could that be? The Lord of the Underworld is my dear friend. Why would I be unhappy with her? In fact, the more I see her, the more I like her."

Hades is a good person! She even lets me sleep with the Queen of the Underworld and takes the blame herself.

Even if we have kids in the future, she’ll raise them happily. Isn’t that the definition of a best friend?

Anyone who dares claim Eros and Hades don’t get along, Eros would be the first to fight them.

Seeing that he wasn’t threatened or coerced, Thanatos nodded.

"I understand."

She then turned back to Hades and gave a slight bow.

"Thanatos, on behalf of my mother Nyx, greets the sovereign of the Underworld."

With those words, the Night Faction formally recognized Hades’ rule.

Even though it was spoken by the young Thanatos, it was a declaration backed by Nyx herself.

The other Underworld deities were filled with conflicting emotions, unsure how to respond.

Thanatos straightened, then lifted a hand. A black light shimmered in her palm.

"This is a gift my mother specially prepared for you."

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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter

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