Chapter 115: The Honest Man
Only now did Rowe finally take a proper look at this so called honest man who held the divine office of King of Underworld, Hades.
Just as the later Homeric epics recorded, Hades had long hair, dark and deep like a still lake at midnight. His features were handsome and upright, his build tall and imposing. Black robes and armor draped his frame, and his entire presence carried a clarity that was almost tranquil.
A being that symbolized death.
That was the impression Rowe had the moment he saw him.
And while Rowe was observing him without thinking, the other party happened to glance back.
"Who is this?" Hades asked.
"Rowe, tell him your identity!" Gilgamesh grinned, then strode forward without looking back, climbing the towering steps as if the palace itself existed to support his heels.
In truth, he had already revealed it.
Hades understood at once.
"Rowe? The Sage of Uruk?"
"That's me." Rowe nodded. He did not mind getting acquainted with this honest man.
"Have you finally died, sir?"
Rowe stared at him.
Are you serious? If you can talk, say more.
Hades, however, looked as though the conclusion was obvious.
"Indeed. Even you cannot remain unscathed when facing Cronus."
"What is more, you devoured Tartarus itself."
He nodded to himself, satisfied.
"To accomplish such a feat… truly, he is a great man like me."
"?"
Rowe's eyes narrowed.
Is something wrong with this honest man?
"What is it?" Hades blinked, expression calm, tone flat, as if he could not imagine there might be an issue. "Sage, do you think I am wrong?"
"Using me as a metaphor, as the highest praise, this is what I learned from King Gilgamesh."
"I am the King of the Underworld, the ruler of all destinations, the master of what lies beneath. I believe there is no existence more outstanding than me."
"…"
Damn. Case closed.
No wonder Rowe felt that speaking style was familiar. It was because of Gilgamesh, who was currently grinning up there like he had personally invented pride.
Not as unrestrained as Gilgamesh, but the Hades in front of him was basically a restrained version of Gilgamesh's voice.
"AHAHAHAHAH, But compared to this King, the sole ruler of heaven and earth who wields the power of all creation, you are still lacking, Hades!"
On the throne, Gilgamesh threw his head back and laughed, perfectly pleased with himself.
Hades nodded in agreement, serious to the point of sincerity.
"Compared to your confident demeanor, I truly still have much to learn."
No.
You really do not.
Mastering death does not mean you should provoke others and seek death all day long.
Of course, a simulation was still a simulation. New attributes were bound to appear.
At least these two were only similar in flavor. Hades was arrogant, but not mad. The difference mattered.
"Why are you not speaking, Sage?" Hades asked again. "Is it because my praise is too great for you to bear? Hm… perhaps it is indeed not quite fitting?"
Rowe's lips twitched.
What should I do if I genuinely want to curse him?
He took a breath, trying to suppress the impulse.
Suppress a ghost.
"Praise?" Rowe's grin turned sharp, disdain plain on his face. "Who do you think you are? What can words of this caliber possibly amount to?"
"The source of all things is in my hands. All matters cannot escape the gaze of my wisdom. Forget you. Even if God King Zeus, the god of all your Greek gods, stood before me, I could make him sink from the sky to the ground!"
"In my eyes, you are nothing but ants crawling on the earth, fit only to kneel. If you can gaze upon my radiance, that is the greatest mercy and reward you will ever receive!"
It was neurotic, yes, but when it came to arrogance, Rowe was not inferior to Gilgamesh at all.
Who could be more rampant than someone who did not fear death?
And Rowe was not worried about offending Hades.
Even if his current body was dead, if provoking the King of the Underworld could make his soul perish faster, then it was something he would happily do.
Hades fell silent.
The King of the Underworld's black hair shifted slightly as he widened his eyes at Rowe, as though a new world had opened.
"As expected of you, Sage," Hades said, voice filled with genuine admiration. "Such subtle and profound words truly leave one pondering for a long time."
Rowe stared.
Did this guy also learn Gilgamesh's masochistic side?
But Hades's praise was sincere.
It was not admiration for the arrogance itself, nor for the contempt buried in Rowe's words. What Hades admired was the individuality Rowe displayed, something that belonged to a human.
From machina god to conceptual god, the Greek gods of this world drew humanity from humans in order to remain longer within the current era. Naturally, they loved those with flamboyant personalities. Many demigod heroes had attracted divine attention for this very reason.
More importantly, Hades could feel it.
Rowe had the capital to be arrogant.
He had devoured Cronus, then devoured Tartarus. That furnace like primordial world now boiled within his body. Rowe could not yet wield that power freely, but he undeniably possessed the possibility of raising his specifications, of truly becoming an existence that could rival a continent.
That was also why Rowe's clay tablets had been praised so highly in Greece.
Because they displayed human personalities and ideas.
To the Greek gods, that was priceless.
Of course, the most fundamental reason Hades had agreed to Gilgamesh's exchange was still Zeus's command.
His appearance here was merely an excuse.
An excuse to meet Rowe.
"What are your plans next, Sage?" Hades asked. "If you wish to return to the current world, I can send you back at any time."
"No hurry!" Rowe snapped, instantly vigilant.
Go back?
Go back for what?
It was not easy to come down. No one was sending him away that easily.
Next, he still needed to see where he could die a little faster, then go there and wait for the chance.
Only after ascending to the Throne of Heroes could he truly reunite with everyone.
"You do not need to trouble yourself with this, Hades," Gilgamesh said from above. "This King's reunion with his friend does not require the disturbance of idle people. Leave, King of the Underworld of Greece!"
Hades did not mind in the slightest.
"Then if there is an opportunity in the future, please come to the Underworld I govern for a visit."
With that, he departed.
Rowe turned his head and looked upward.
Scarlet eyes met his.
A serious question followed.
"Are you still seeking an opportunity for death?"
"My friend…"
Gilgamesh leaned back against the throne, legs crossed, handsome face set in a line that looked almost cold.
"No need to worry. This place is this King's domain. Even the Counter Force cannot eavesdrop on the communication between you and me."
"Though this King still cannot fathom what you truly intend, my insight is never wrong."
Rowe froze for a beat.
He was not surprised.
He simply exhaled.
After thinking for so long, it was only natural that Gilgamesh would understand something. Rowe had already prepared himself for this conversation.
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