I Am Hades, Lord of the Underworld!

Hestia had left.

Mephistopheles and Moira had also departed.

The two gods had begun to contemplate their paths forward. Now, it was time to get busy.

After all, if they succeeded in advancing, it would be far more significant than the hidden power of the seven-headed, ten-horned red dragon.

Whether Mephistopheles revealed himself or not was actually irrelevant. Even though Mephistopheles didn't originate from this mythical world, it was obvious that he had ascended from being a devil to becoming a demon god.

For the gods, this was a common occurrence. It wasn't a big deal.

As they might say: "I'm the best in the world. One of my top generals is a foreigner. What of it? If you don't like it, I'll make you submit today!"

That's why strength is what truly matters.

And when Mephistopheles and Moira both ascended to become God-Kings, the Underworld would then have three God-Kings on the surface, along with Erebus and Nyx as their guardians.

Well...

It seemed that Poseidon and Zeus would be irrelevant in the upcoming schemes and struggles.

Of course, Poseidon and Zeus shouldn't be underestimated. They undoubtedly had their own contingencies in place.

"Ah!"

Hestia flopped onto her bed, looking exhausted. "Mother, Mother, seriously! You could've handled this yourself. Did you have to make me do everything?"

"Sigh!"

Hestia sighed helplessly.

It was clear that everything Hestia had prepared—whether it was entrusting the responsibilities of the Underworld to Demeter, obtaining a strand of divine good and human evil from her brother, or helping Mephistopheles and Moira—had all been orchestrated by Rhea.

For Hestia, she was merely the errand runner. There was no denying that Hestia wasn't foolish. After all, as a god, she couldn't be. 

But the problem was that Hestia had never been good at these complicated matters. From the very beginning, why had she joined her brother's camp? Besides deeply admiring and respecting her brother, the key reason was that she wanted to be a laid-back slacker. She had no interest in fighting for power or participating in such affairs.

And yet...

The Titanomachy had just ended, and Hestia was already getting busy. It seemed that after the Titanomachy, Hestia had become more active.

In fact, the gods of the Underworld found it quite strange. What had gotten into Lady Hestia?

But these were not matters for them to involve themselves in. They could ponder it, but ultimately, it wasn't their concern. After all, a comrade would never betray a comrade!

Absolutely!

Absolutely!

Absolutely!

Never betray!

"Hehehe…"

Rhea watched Hestia rolling on the bed with a gentle expression.

To Rhea, she was now merely a shadow of time, fixed in this moment. She hadn't died, nor had she revived, existing in a strange state.

But...

Kronos had been defeated, her husband had been vanquished, and afterward, Rhea had let go of many internal conflicts. Watching the lively and childlike Hestia and the mature and steady Hades, who now ruled the Underworld, Rhea found she wanted to stay here, not leave.

Love.

Family.

These were the threads that ran through Rhea's existence as the goddess of time. Now that love had ended, family was what mattered most to her.

Demeter, Hera.

Poseidon, Zeus.

Though they were also her children, they hadn't cared much about Rhea. And while Rhea deeply valued family, she wasn't foolish. Naturally, she wouldn't give too much attention to those four children.

Hades, on the other hand, even as an opponent, had always shown deep respect for her, the respect a child should have for their mother.

Hestia, lively and adorable like a child, made Rhea feel the warmth of motherhood.

Actually...

This was because of Hades' personality. To be precise, the fusion of two souls had created the new ruler of the Underworld, Hades, who controlled his emotions with reason.

But...

He only analyzed things with the utmost rationality; it wasn't that he had lost all emotion. Especially given the environment of that other soul, Hades held deep respect for his parents, embodying the virtue of filial piety.

Though Hades had killed his father with his own hands, as enemies, this was an inevitable outcome. Yet the respect he held for them was unwavering. Regardless of the reasons behind their conflict, the fact remained that his parents had given him life. Even if they were enemies, the respect due to them was still there.

In the Greek pantheon, this was actually a rather extraordinary occurrence. Rhea valued love and family, as did Erebus and Nyx.

Rhea, Erebus, and Nyx—these three deities stood out as the most out-of-place among the chaotic Greek pantheon.

As for Hades?

Hades' genuine respect, rather than a mere act, also made him stand out in a similar way.

In short, this complete disconnect was precisely why Rhea remained in the Underworld.

Rhea smiled and said, "Hestia, I can't leave the Underworld. Besides, it's better that I don't say certain things myself. After all, my identity is what it is."

Hades and Hestia both respected Rhea, their mother.

But to the other gods of the Underworld, she was an enemy. In reality, both Poseidon and Zeus knew that Rhea's statue remained in the Underworld. Normally, it should have been sealed.

But!

After Kronos was defeated and sealed away, this was no longer an issue. A minor matter! A minor matter! In the end, it was just a delicate situation, and no one wanted to break that fragile balance.

Only...

Poseidon and Zeus probably hadn't anticipated that Rhea's presence would cause such significant changes. Otherwise, they would have insisted on sealing Rhea, no matter what.

"Mother!" Hestia blinked and asked curiously, "When Father revives in the future, will you leave?"

"I will."

"But…"

Rhea shook her head and whispered, "I won't live to see that day. Maybe…"

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