Chapter 161

“Wow….”

The only reaction from Keres as she admired Hades’ newly operational task processing ability was a small exclamation.

Well, aside from that exclamation, there wasn’t much else she could do.

With Hades’ assistance summarizing the analysis of a soul’s life, sins, and good deeds upon their entrance for judgment…. handling the trials of tens of thousands of souls wouldn’t be such an impossible feat.

That said, even Hades wasn’t perfect in every aspect.

“Uh, this seems a bit harsh.”

“Hm? Let’s see… Yes, it does.”

Hades had applied the full penalty for theft to a woman who stole bread to feed her starving child and died after being struck by a stone.

Had this been another Death God, they might have shown leniency, understanding the heart of a parent trying to save their child, allowing them to wait until their child also passed into the underworld. But Hades lacked such compassion.

“Though it’s fast, this part is definitely problematic.”

“Hmph, keep in mind this system was created merely to assist you.”

Even though I made it by tearing off a portion of my divinity, I never intended to create an independent god.

“Still, it’s quick, summarizes well, and will undoubtedly be helpful.”

“Hmm. True. With this thing around, one of you can handle the workload of three.”

Previously, it took two out of three people just to keep the underworld running smoothly.

Moreover, the most crucial point.

“With continuous use of this system for trials and inputting results… Hades itself learns from these judgments.”

“Learning?”

“Yes. By learning from countless trial outcomes, it’ll get faster and more efficient, eventually handling the ever-increasing number of human souls. When that time comes, you’ll praise me for creating Hades.”

“Do we now…?”

I nodded slightly. After all, the human population hadn’t yet reached the billions. In a few thousand years, when it reaches ten billion… things could get truly overwhelming.

Perhaps wars killing tens of millions might occur… Hmm… No, that mustn’t happen. It simply cannot.

Such catastrophic wars must be avoided at all costs.

Anyway, as time passes, more humans will be born and die, so preparation is key.

This was part of getting ready.

“Still, if something this great existed, it would’ve been nice to have it sooner.”

“It’s a result of continuous research.”

I stared at the black tombstone. A depiction of me without dragon horns, with black hair, busily working.

It looked rather adorable, didn’t it?

“But does this Hades thing ever get tired?”

“As a fragment of me, its power is connected to my main body. Unless something happens to me, there won’t be any issues.”

Unless I sever the connection myself, of course.

And through this connection…

「And like this, I can connect my consciousness with Hades.」

Keres was greatly surprised when the figure within the black stone spoke. She clearly hadn’t expected this.

「If there’s an urgent matter requiring my presence, call me through Hades.」

“Yes. That’s convenient. There were some cases where I wanted to consult the Goddess of Life.”

「Don’t call me for trivial matters related to judgment. Only summon me for emergencies where my presence is absolutely necessary.」

“Understood. I’ll pass this along to the other two gods as well.”

Good. Now I don’t have to overly concern myself with the underworld anymore.

With this worry lifted, hmm…

Alright! Next, let’s further improve the automated prayer processing system for the Goddess of Life so it can handle even more tasks!

Roughly speaking… delegate everything related to the duties of the Goddess of Life! If I gradually divide my responsibilities among my fragments like this… eventually, the world might run on its own without me needing to do anything!

When that day comes, I can hibernate for centuries without issue! Sleep soundly for hundreds of years without worry!

Then, I might gain a little freedom from all these responsibilities.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

While testing Hades’ performance with Keres and assisting in the judgment of souls…

“Hmm. Found you.”

A voice came from behind.

“I’ve been looking for a while. Mom. If not for meeting Moros, I wouldn’t have known.”

“Sagarmatha…?”

“Yeah. It’s me.”

Eeeek?! Sagarmatha?! What’s Sagarmatha doing here?!

Our agreed-upon time together already passed! Even though I left early due to being summoned to the underworld, the period has ended!!

“One year. The time we agreed to spend together. But mom left before the year was up… You broke your promise. Mom.”

“No, the scheduled time has passed, so it’s over, isn’t it?”

“But mom, you left halfway through. Even if underworld business was important, you promised me first.”

“No, but maintaining the balance of the world through underworld duties is incredibly important….”

“Mom promised to spend one year with me. That was an important promise. Breaking it isn’t like you, mom.”

Grrr… No, it was just a few days early. Why is this pressuring me so much…?

But it’s true I didn’t fulfill the agreed time with Sagarmatha. Hmm….

“Ah. So, what do you wish me to do?”

“One year. Again. Spend it with me. That’s enough.”

“You came all the way to the underworld for this?”

“Yeah. Mom’s work is the most important.”

Truly, such a troublesome one.

“Fine. Since I broke the promise first, I can’t argue. Besides, I’ve wrapped up underworld affairs somewhat.”

“Yeah. Then let’s go back. Mom.”

As Sagarmatha pulled on my arm, I sighed softly and turned to Keres.

“That’s settled then. I’ll leave Hades-related follow-ups to you. Just teach the others how to use it briefly. Call me through Hades if anything happens.”

“Ahh, yes. Safe travels….”

Keres bid me farewell, seemingly overwhelmed by Sagarmatha’s aura and unable to say much else.

Of course. For Keres, a descendant of dragons, encountering Sagarmatha, one of the ancestors of dragons, feels akin to meeting a lofty elder.

Strictly speaking, Sagarmatha, the ancestor of gem-scaled dragons, and Keres, a black dragon, aren’t direct relatives. But since Erebos, their direct ancestor, is no longer around…

For the dwindling dragon population, such hierarchies are incredibly significant.

Thus, leaving the stunned Keres behind, I was transported away by Sagarmatha.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Nidavellir.

The grand underground city surrounding the sacred Mount Sagarmatha.

A city where non-dwarves cannot enter without a proper invitation. And here I was, walking its streets.

The streets were illuminated brightly by glowing mana stones, making it hard to believe this city lay beneath the earth.

Such an unreal landscape is something ordinary humans might never witness, even in death.

Ah, but now wasn’t the time to marvel at the scenery.

I referenced nearby signs as I headed toward my destination.

South-East District Road 75, Building 11. 75-11. Hmm. Is this it?

Standing before a fairly large mansion, I straightened myself briefly before gripping the iron ring attached to the door and knocking.

Bang! Bang!

The loud sound of the iron ring hitting the door echoed, and after a short pause, a voice came from the other side.

“Who goes there?”

“Is this Dong-gyeong Huang’s residence?”

“A human? Why does a human seek our master?”

The voice carried a tone of caution, understandable given the circumstances.

Dong-gyeong Huang, whose name some mockingly refer to as “false gold”… He’s a dwarf involved in less-than-honorable dealings, despite his immense wealth.

Instead, he amassed great riches.

“Tell him an archaeologist has arrived.”

“An archaeologist?”

“Yes. That should suffice.”

I adjusted the paper hidden in my robes.

No need to show it yet. Though I had to reveal it upon entering Nidavellir, this paper proving my favor to Huang Dong-gyeong holds immense value.

For stubborn dwarves, especially wealthy ones, proof of such a favor equates to mountains of silver coins.

After a brief moment, the heavy door opened.

“Please come in. Our master awaits.”

“Hmm. Understood.”

I entered the massive mansion.

Passing through corridors adorned with elaborate statues and artworks, I walked past a statue of a dwarf holding a colossal hammer.

Ah, this hammer… The Earth Shatterer I once helped find. To use such a relic as decoration…

Well, it’s a cherished family heirloom of Huang Dong-gyeong’s ancestors. It wouldn’t be right to use it as a weapon, so decorating with it makes sense.

Continuing on, I entered a room through a door slightly too small for a human.

And there…

“Ooooh! Long time no see! Archaeologist! Still as frail-looking as ever!!”

“It’s been a while. Huang Dong-gyeong.”

An elderly dwarf with golden beard greeted me.

Indeed, with Huang Dong-gyeong’s help… Could I uncover clues about Baal?

I’m uncertain. But if I do, it would be beneficial.