Chapter 61 - 61 Suspicions

"See, Tisiphone agrees and to take three of the Furies, my trials will not be short of impossibility." Hades said, making Tisiphone look at him and mutter-

"Three of the Furies?"

"Yeah, the Lord plans to marry us all with the same man." Megaera simply explained.

"Isn't that what you want?" Hades asked. He knew that these three sisters are inseparable so he assumed. Furthermore, it's no issue at all. The only issue is-

"Lord, you really think this lesser undead has what it takes to get all three of us? What are his trials? I want to hear it."

Tisiphone said with a calm voice.

Joren's face became solemn as he was about to hear his trials. From what he had been hearing, the difficulty should be the same as stopping an asteroid from hitting the Earth if it's on its way.

"Alright, the first trial. I've decided to call it- the Trial of Blood."

Hades said with his heavy voice.

'The Trial of Blood. It seemed that this wouldn't be so easy.' Joren's heart pumped.

"For this first Trial," Hades lifted his chin and looked down on Joren as an intimidating aura covered the whole dining hall, even making Persephone feel the weight on her shoulders, "You and I are going to the UnderWorldLand. At the end of the day, if I didn't have fun, you fail."

"What the Hades is that Trial!?" Persephone rebutted and stood up again, "How is that difficult!?"

All of them were thinking the same thing. Even if Hades is the most depressed being right now, the difficulty of that Trial is far lower than what they had expected.

"What's the Blood about?" Allecto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not all about his worthiness, it's about him as a whole person. If your family doesn't agree with his personality and he was unable to make me laugh even once, then he's not fit to enter this family." Hades explained.

"So, Lord, you're saying if he has the right to take our Blood?" Megaera asked what she had guessed.

"If he has the right to enter our family, yes, something like that."

"Why would you name it that way?" Persephone sat down while sighing, "So, after that, the real Trial begins?"

"This is already a real Trial. No matter how strong one is if he's not fitting into this family, he is unworthy." Hades straightforwardly said.

Everyone then looked at Joren. After he just finished eating and drank the whole glass of water, he noticed the stares and smiled.

"Then, let's do this. When?"

"Now, I have all the time in the world."

Hades said with a grumpy tone as if he was being forced. Looks like he wouldn't go there to have fun but to see Joren's character.

Actually, others including Joren have no idea how is Hades going to judge him and on what basis but since he had already decided on that idea, there's no one stopping him. Persephone would if it was just nonsense but if Joren did miraculously pass the trials, he would've to be with them for the rest of the eternity.

If they were not to like him as a whole then it would be hard for him to fit in there, creating an awkward home environment if he was added.

That would've been awful.

In other words, Hades did not prioritize their image. If it was for image, they could just hide Joren, who could find him out?

Thinking about it, this really should be the first test.

"Let me prepare first." Hades have long finished eating and stood up to walk out of the dining hall.

With the Lord of the Underworld out of the room, Persephone has the highest seat so she asked-

"How did you even think that you have the right to ask Allecto's hand?"

Joren didn't know the answer since that wasn't his original intention in the first place. That's why he has to give a deeper lie.

"I think that it's not about having a right or not, Queen. I fell in love and it's natural to pursue it. If after all my effort, I still fail, well, that's just how it is."

It was poetic but looking at it from a realistic point of view, Joren seemed delusional since a lesser undead should've zero chance of standing beside a God. However, what stopped Persephone from saying it out loud is that this lesser undead did get a chance which is already a miracle.

'He's good at lying…'

Megaera thought while Persephone eventually responded.

"Fine, you have the freedom to act. I'm going to be fair and say that it's commendable for you to act on your emotions."

Joren replied with a smile.

"If there's nothing special about you… how do you think you're going to pass Hades' trials?" Persephone raised an eyebrow.

It seemed that Joren was already being interviewed but he was not pressured. He had been through worse and he didn't even see this as being in a hot seat or anything. He just thought that he was being asked casually.

Yes, this is just a casual conversation… except for the fact that it was Persephone who was questioning him and his motivations.

"I'll just try my best."

Joren simply replied.

'This guy's an idiot.' all except for Megaera thought. The latter knew that Joren can answer anything. It's not like he's really serious about it.

"Allecto, don't you have anything to say? Do you see something special in this lesser undead?" Persephone then looked at Allecto. Although Hades plans to marry all three sisters to him if he ever succeeds, Allecto was Joren's 'target'

"As I said earlier, Queen, if he can do it then he can do it." Allecto just replied and continued, "If he can't, he's better of just being a property of ours." she repeated.

Persephone felt like she was talking to a wall. She glanced and saw that Tisiphone was strangely looking Allecto too. Both of them were stranged out by her behavior. Meanwhile…

"Are you two hiding something?"

She asked both Allecto and Megaera.

"Hiding something?" Megaera was the first to react since she was abruptly included. She acted dumb.

Persephone's suspicion rose and then she looked at Allecto again.

"I don't know where you're coming from, Queen." she replied.

Persephone just sighed and gave up. If they didn't want to talk about it then she'll let them. It's not like it will be anything big considering that might relate to this lesser undead who's worth nothing in her eyes.

At that moment, Hades returned with a height that was the same as Joren and a cloak covering his body.

"Ready yourself, I will prepare the Chariot."

Hades no longer had the stern face but instead, just a cold one when he asked Joren.

Joren nodded and stood up to get his cloak but was then questioned.

"What happened with your hand?"

Hades asked. Earlier, he didn't notice the clothing around Joren's hand. But now, thinking about it, he didn't have that last night. What could've happened to have his hand mangled like that?

'Hm? I didn't notice that last night.' Allecto squinted her eyes to inspect Joren's hand. Her back was facing the entrance from which Joren entered just like Tisiphone and Megaera so none of them noticed it. After all, Joren acted as if everything was normal.

Only Persephone noticed it, however, she didn't know that Joren's hand was fine last night.

Joren have expected them to ask that but before he answered-

"I did that to him." Megaera abruptly said.

"Is it because he called me the most beautiful?" Allecto then snapped upon hearing this. She was still doubting the reason Megaera said when she was spotted exiting Joren's room and this was enough for her to think that Megaera must've done something to Joren, "I know that he's just a lesser undead but what you've done is pretty irritating. I thought you've changed already."

"It's not like I killed him, it's just a hand."

Joren expressed his shock upon hearing Megaera's reply.

'She's really helping me here!'

He couldn't help but feel lucky until-

"Nebarius, lock Megaera in the dungeons for one year, prohibiting her from eating and sleeping."

Hades immediately said to Nebarius who had been silent in the shadows like the other maids.

"Yes, Lord."

"Wait" Joren finally reacted as he was stunned. One year without eating and sleeping? Isn't that basically killing her?

He knows that he's a Goddess but aren't they supposed to favor her more than him?

"The moment I let you eat here with us, you're already a guest of mine, Hades." Hades replied to Joren's reaction with an aloof tone, "For hurting a guest, she will be punished."

While he explained, Nebarius have chained Megaera's neck and pulled the chains out of the dining hall. But since Megaera didn't resist, Nebarius didn't have to hurt her. She just followed the three-headed humanoid crow.

"..." Joren stared at her with widened eyes.

"Don't worry, one year is little to us. Treat it as if she's just grounded." Hades continued to explain to which Joren nodded.

"Sure"