Chapter 53 - A Feast Within Hades' Palace

Nebarius had no say regarding Hades' orders, therefore, he hurriedly passed the words to the palace's staff to which they gladly accepted.

When was the last time they had work to do? Furthermore, it's not a holiday, but there will be a feast due to a guest. They don't know who this guest is but they were pretty grateful.

Something to work on, finally, they thought.

Eternal is pretty boring.

Meanwhile, Joren didn't know why the hell Hades actually invited him to a feast in the middle of the night.

'I just want to talk with Allecto…' but he couldn't complain. After all, he expected to be at least thrown out.

"Follow me."

Hades stood up and Joren just noticed that this being is twice his height, making Joren looked like a little child.

But compared to Gyges and the Titans he saw… well, they were smaller than ants.

Joren, with a straight face, followed him as the two talked.

"So, you're the first new undead in a while."

"I don't know about being the first in a while but yes, I just became an undead."

"Claiming what is yours is reasonable." Hades said to which Joren had a bad feeling.

'This is all going too smoothly. Am I actually a genius?'

No

"However," Hades then continued, making Joren relieved and tensed up at the same time, "I doubt that Allecto would give it back. It's just my thoughts though, she might actually return it since it's weird why she would keep a lower half of someone's soul."

"Then I'll be prepared for it."

Joren could only give a simple reply. As they further walk, the more pressure he felt. Hades said to wake the Furies up, that definitely means Megaera would be part of the feast too.

'Say the truth? I wouldn't know what her reaction will be.'

After some thoughts, Joren decided to just go with the flow. If Megaera immediately asked him, that would expose him as either lying to Hades or her depending on what name he will be sticking with.

Upon arriving at the dining hall, Joren salivated after a delicious aroma entered his nostrils. The door opened and he saw the big meals that were placed atop the table.

'Huh? Is that set up in the first place or are they faster than fast food?'

Hades sat on the biggest chair at the end of the table before one of the maids with skin the same as Megaera, Joren noticed, led him to the chair opposite to the lord.

At that moment, he saw someone sitting adjacent to him.

"What a surprise, my friend."

Thanatos was sitting there with an excited smile on his face, completely an upside-down expression of what Hades was showing.

"Oh, you know each other?"

"Yes, Lord Hades, we just met some time ago while I was moping around." Thanatos answered to which Hades ignored the second half.

"Joren, you're not scared of death?"

Joren was surprised by Hades' sudden question. Fortunately, he came up with an answer.

"What's the point of living in the realm of the dead?"

"You have a point."

Thanatos nodded while Hades wasn't sure if he agree or not. Well, that was a peculiar answer so he let it go.

Meanwhile, the former who nodded was entertained by Joren's answer. Thanatos knew that Joren was here to steal his soul back. He was greatly surprised when the guest the Hades Palace was preparing a feast for is the soon-to-be soul-stealer which Hades hates so much.

'If Hades knew that I'm turning a blind eye to this, he will surely punish me. Joren, I hope you can accomplish this smoothly.'

"Let's wait for the girls. Although I know you just want to talk to Allecto, I have to invite the three of them. Those girls don't leave their rooms, always playing with their phones and computer."

Hades sighed, making Joren question if what he said was not a joke.

"You should give them some work to do, Lord Hades." Thanatos wanted to bite his lips since he was the one who really wants something to work on.

"No, their job had long been unavailable due to the agreement with the human ancestors. I believe, now, they are just calling us myths. The Myth Academy is doing great in hiding the history and other things."

Joren took a sip of the cup, not knowing it was wine.

"Kah-!" he suddenly coughed but successfully gulped the liquid instead of spitting it out towards Thanatos which would have been a great disaster for both parties.

"Is the wine not fitting to your taste?"

Hades asked but Joren wiped his lips with the towel placed on the table and waved his other hand.

"No, it's delicious… just a little strong."

'Fuck, this is so strong! I didn't notice it by its mild smell!'

This was actually the first time Joren had drank wine. He didn't want to indulge in it since didn't have the money in the first place, or friends to drink with which is sad. Furthermore, he's still a minor so he couldn't buy one even if he wants to.

"Do you want another drink?"

"Yes, if there's cola…" Joren asked for his comfortable drink to which Hades raised an eyebrow.

"A cola?" he then glanced at the head maid who led Joren to his seat earlier. She came to him and whispered something.

"Sorry, Joren, but it seemed that we don't have any cola anymore. Interestingly, however, it was Cerberus who ordered the last one. As you know, transactions between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead are very difficult to do so common stocks in the surface world are actually scarce here and vice versa."

"I see…" Joren found that fact interesting as that explains a lot of things.

At that moment, the door somewhere behind Hades opened and Nebarius entered to hold the door with his head cast downwards.

After him, there were two women with ashen skin entered. Joren knew the one at the front. She's Megaera while the woman behind her must be one of the other two Furies.

'Aren't there three of them?'

Joren thought but this was also asked by Hades.

"Where's Tisiphone?"

"Lord, she… didn't want to come." Megaera said with an apologetic smile. Hades just sighed.

"Where's Persephone?"

"I don't want to disturb her sleep." Hades said.

"What if she gets angry that you didn't invite her to a feast only happens once in a while, Lord?" Megaera frowned, making Joren confused who's actually the Lord here.

"Will she really get angry?" Hades seemed to get antsy.

"Long time no see, Half-Sister Megaera and Half-Sister Allecto."

Thanatos greeted them. Joren almost jolt up from his chair, hearing the name who holds his half-soul.

"Thanatos, you're here too?" Megaera asked before whispering to her sister, "Allecto…! Stop hiding behind me!"

"Shut up…! I'm not hiding…"

Allecto glanced at Joren and sat farthest from him. Meanwhile, Megaera finally looked at who the guest was. She sat down as he looked at him and saw a familiar face.

"Eh?"

'Cousin!? So, did he finish his business with the UnderWorldLand. Since I haven't heard any news, it seemed that he didn't really do anything big there.'

Megaera thought. Seeing her reaction, Hades introduced.

"His name is Joren Vierei, the new undead."

"Joren!?" Megaera almost stood up from her seat upon hearing this. Meanwhile, Joren had prepared himself for what's to come.

"Lord, what's he doing here as a guest, isn't he just a lesser undead? What's with the feast?"

Allecto grumpily asked after she leaned towards Hades.

"Don't be like that. Was there ever a time a lesser undead knocked on the doors of my palace?"

"... no."

"That's why we can treat him like a guest."

"No, the reason why they don't come is that why would we even let any lesser undead here!?" Allecto speedily complained, "Much less prepare a feast for him?"

"Allecto, do you want to kick him out?"

"Yes, please!"

"Then you will be kicking Thanatos out too."

"Ugh… w-why?"

"Because he wouldn't be here without the feast."

With that logic presented by Hades, Allecto shut her mouth up and just took out her phone.

"Don't take that thing out. We're in the middle of dining with a guest."

Allecto just rolled her eyes as she put her phone down.

"Also, do you think Persephone would be angry if we let her out of this?"

"I don't know. I mean, she's always angry if you wake her up from sleeping."

"Hm… what do I do?" Hades pondered before recalling that he's the host at the feast for a guest at that moment.

"Alright, since we're all here, let's begin eating."

Joren stopped chewing after hearing that.

'I thought we can start eating the moment we sat down.'

But he was being pressured by Megaera's stare that he didn't realize he was the only one eating.

'It's more pressuring that she's not talking…'

"Do you two know each other?"

Thanatos then asked when he noticed the strange atmosphere between the two of them.