Chapter 65 - One Pass

A moment ago, Hades and Persephone have misidentified each other only to find it out.

"Wait, Persephone?"

Usually, it was Persephone who's strict towards Hades but that's only when Hades was in the wrong or she just wants to tease him. But this time, she pulled Allecto into tailing them. There's no excuse for what she had done.

Persephone knows her husband well and is aware that he always has his guard down. What she didn't expect is that she would be found out for such a stupid reason.

"What are you doing here?"

Hades especially hates if his people were to leave the palace with any say. Persephone knows that well either so she can't tell any half-assed life.

"Ah… you found me out. Haha…"

"Hrm?"

Persephone began sweating under the cloak. She was so used to Hades being sweet to him that she forgot how it felt to feel the pressure of his anger. This is much worse than Allecto's anger to which she just views as a tantrum.

"I and Allecto are tailing you."

Persephone didn't even mention Joren since she didn't think anything of him. Everything was about Hades and how he plans to use the lesser undead for his entertainment.

"Sorry, please don't be angry with me." Persephone said sweetly as she stepped closer to hug Hades but he took a step sideward, evading her, showing that he's really mad. This made Persephone sadly frown.

"Is there a valid reason for you to tail me?" Hades asked, "You know that I hate these kinds of actions. Persephone, are you trying to go against me?" he said with a heavy voice.

Coincidentally, he and Allecto at that moment were both angry.

"..." Persephone couldn't say anything back and just lowered her head.

"Go back, right now."

Hades said to which Persephone nodded.

"Alright, Lord." she then turned around and walked away. Meanwhile, Hades was left to sigh.

'Am I getting too soft on her? To think that she would get out of the palace without my permit and knowledge.'

It has been so long since anyone had made him so mad. Not only that but it was also his own loving wife, Persephone.

Persephone was walking down the street with her head cast down, regretting that she thought she wouldn't be found out.

"I-is that you?"

A cloaked person then blocked Persephone's path and asked with a flustered voice.

"Al?" she spoke Allecto's alias and nickname since they couldn't possibly call each other out loud in this crowdy streets of UnderWorldLand.

"Queen… thank goodness, it's you." Allecto sighed. She may have called Persephone queen but that title is vague enough to be safe to use.

"You sound flustered."

"Flustered…?" Allecto didn't want to believe what Persephone just said. Wanting to change the topic, she asked in reply.

"How about you, Queen? You sound down all of a sudden."

"We should go back first." Persephone didn't say anything more and just walked away as Allecto follows her.

Diverting her mind, Allecto pondered what could've happened to make the Queen of the Underworld that sad. Well, there's only one answer that she could think of and it's the worst possible scenario.

'Oh no… did Hades see her?'

Allecto silently followed Persephone back to their carriage before their went back home.

Meanwhile, Hades found Joren who was still standing in front of a stand. The restroom was a bit far from there so it's difficult to find Joren if Hades was just a normal being but he was not and with a little focus, using some of his Godly powers that were left unused for so long, he can confirm that this cloaked person was none other than Joren.

"Let's go." he said. It may sound like that's his usual grumpy voice but Joren had noticed something more so he asked.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothing, let's go back for now." Hades didn't say anything more and since his mood was ruined for the day, he just want to go home and see if Persephone has returned like he said she should.

They have a lot to talk about.

'Something must've happened. I wonder what could that be…?' Joren began thinking of what could've possibly made the God of the Dead upset? It's not like Hades was already upset with him from the start. It even looks like he was enjoying himself.

But Joren couldn't be sure as Hades was not only cloaked by cloth but also an aura of mysteriousness.

At the same time, Joren was not completely clueless. He encountered Allecto in a cloak too. He may not know the whole situation but he could get a rough guess from what he had learned from the Hades' Family so far.

This could all be blamed on Megaera's running mouth.

'Allecto shouldn't be the only one here. She must be waiting for someone else too when I approached her. She should either be waiting for Tisiphone or Persephone and Hades encountered one of them on his way.'

He made a pretty accurate rough guess.

Eventually, they reached the border of the UnderWorldLand without any of the two uttering a single word except for when they were already near the chariot.

"You passed."

Hades said after seating down on the coach's seat on the chariot. Joren sat beside him again with a lesser distance than earlier as if nothing happened before…

"What?"

Joren couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Don't be so surprised. I will give you a pass."

Hades simply said. From the start, he had already planned to make Joren give a free pass from him. But that doesn't mean that the Trial of Blood is already over.

"You have now one pass from me. You only need four more." Hades surprised Joren with his words.

From how Hades said it, Joren could guess what he was talking about, "I see… since this Trial is about fitting into the family, I have to get other's approval as well."

"Correct." Hades nodded, expecting Joren to complain since this was the first time that he said these words. And, he didn't want to hear a complaint right now.

'Should I just kill this man?' Hades thought, thinking that it might relieve some of his anger.

Yet, against his expectations, Joren didn't word out a single complaint.

'Hm… I guess he is interesting. I'm starting to think that he should marry Allecto.' Hades internally kid himself, lifting some of his sourness, "The deadline is in next month. You will have to get all of the four women's approval for you to pass this test. Oh, also from Thanatos and Cerberus. Cerberus is still a part of our family… a family pet."

For Hades, this is all entertainment for him. He had to let Joren pass this Trial or else, he will lose sooner than expected and that's why he gave a pass while raising the difficulty.

Furthermore, although the Lord of the UnderWorld wouldn't admit it himself, he enjoyed this day. He had never had the chance to go out because he have no one to be with. The same way he was locking his people in his castle, he is locking himself in too.

That's why he found an unexpected relief and freedom, breathing in the fresh air outside like this.

It's like going on a long road trip and when the driver finally reached his destination, he stretches his legs.

Not just that but Joren has shown his real self for Hades to evaluate even though this lesser undead is hiding his true intentions.

Hades' mark on Joren; 'He's thick-skinned yet, accomodating.'

That was unexpected. He didn't think that he would give Joren a proper evaluation. After all, Joren was the kind of person who have trained himself to keep others comfortable around him.

It does not always work as he scares them with his face. But looking at how he got so close with Scarlett, Ness, Virena, and even Hades, it seemed that all of his training back then wasn't completely useless at all.

'A month from now? I don't have that much time… I have to get inside Allecto's room and get my soul. What if she's already using it?'

Thinking about it, made Joren feel more pressure.

'No! Scarlett, I'm thinking about you, not the Goddesses who want to bed my half-soul!'

No matter how much he fools himself, his original goal was drifting from his intentions. Realizing this made Joren internally sigh.

'Scarlett… I wonder where you are right now.'

Meanwhile, staring at the sunset from a mansion's window, Scarlett was thinking about Joren.

'I wonder if Joren is looking for me? It's been weeks already…'

"How are you feeling?"

A man then came up to her and asked with a gentle smile. Seeing this man, Scarlett couldn't but smile and reply.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"Hahaha, don't always thank me, I haven't done anything."

"No, I'm really grateful, that's why.." Scarlett said, "If you didn't hire me into this place, I would've gotten higher positions and be in Zeus' hands right now, Merlin."