Chapter 81 Proposal
Greece, the Underworld.
A golden-haired young man murmured, “Why hasn’t Thanatos returned yet?”
He bore a striking resemblance to Thanatos, with the only difference being his golden hair and eyes. His luxurious robe, trimmed with gold, outlined his elegant figure, and the golden accessories he wore were neither gaudy nor excessive, but rather quite dazzling.
He was none other than Thanatos’ twin elder brother, Hypnos, the God of Sleep.
While Thanatos was like the cold, silver-white moonlight, Hypnos was the warm, golden sun.
The dark-haired god seated on the throne spoke in a calm voice, “I wonder the same.”
Ever since Poseidon had gone to China in pursuit of Venus, Hades had taken over his duties for months, doing more than enough. If Poseidon didn’t return soon, he would stop intervening.
However, Thanatos, who had been sent to China to fetch Poseidon, had also disappeared without a trace, worsening the already severe shortage of personnel in the underworld.
Hypnos furrowed his brow with concern. “King Hades, Thanatos is reclusive by nature. You let him go on a long journey alone, he definitely wouldn’t ask anyone for directions. What if he’s gotten lost in China? He doesn’t even have a social media account, and I’ve been unable to contact him. Perhaps I should have taken on this task instead.”
A child traveling thousands of miles makes a mother worry. Thanatos had ventured alone to China, and as an older brother, Hypnos couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Hades turned to his trusted subordinate. “Do you speak Chinese?”
Hypnos: “……”
He didn’t, and he knew that if he went to China, he would be even more helpless than Thanatos.
As he worried, Hypnos suddenly lifted his gaze, his expression lighting up with excitement. “I sense Thanatos has returned to Greek territory! He’s not far from here!”
Being twin brothers, they shared a telepathic connection within a certain range.
Hades was even more thrilled, though he maintained a calm exterior.
Thanatos’ return meant Poseidon had return as well, which meant Hades would finally be free from the mountain of work that had piled up.
The Rhodope Mountains lay between southern Bulgaria and northeastern Greece, with large areas of uninhabited land. Therefore, no one saw a silver-haired youth with enormous bone wings and an Eastern young man riding the clouds, weaving through the sky.
“We’re almost home,” Thanatos said.
Yanluo, gazing down from the clouds, marveled, “Your homeland is beautiful.”
Thanatos lowered his head. “……Thank you.”
China, too, had breathtaking landscapes. Everyone believed their homeland was the most beautiful. But no matter how competitive Yanluo was, he would never lack the tact to say, “I think China is more beautiful,” not unless he wanted to break up with Thanatos.
Thanatos had not brought Poseidon back, and he really shouldn’t have returned. But Yanluo, feeling jealous, asked, “Do you think the command of the King of the Underworld is more important, or is our marriage more important?”
This was basically forcing Thanatos into an impossible choice, to decide who mattered more, King Hades or King Yan.
But it wasn’t even a fair comparison. One was a boss, the other was a lover. There was no competition, yet Yanluo insisted on making it one. His rivalry with the Western gods, in every possible way, could not allow him to lose.
The desire to outshine the Western gods was something ingrained deep within Yanluo.
He never imagined that one day, he would truly be the one on top of a sweet Western god in bed.
Although outside of the bedroom, Yanluo could almost tolerate Thanatos riding on his head. If it had been any other Western god destroying his apartment, he would have broken their bones without hesitation. But the little reaper…… the way he wrecked the house was almost endearing.
He could care less about the mess, as long as Thanatos gave him more kisses and hugs. How could it be called love if he wasn’t biased?
Thanatos was unable to win the argument, and besides, he was indeed…… moved by Yanluo’s proposal, so he half-heartedly agreed.
They flew over the Rhodope Mountains. Thanatos dove down, folding his wings as he landed on the ground. He grabbed Yanluo’s hand. “We’re going to the underworld.”
Living beings could not enter the underworld, and gods from outside could only find the entrance at specific locations. But Thanatos, as the God of Death, could enter the underworld at any time and from any place simply by letting his feet touch the earth, and he had the power to bring others along with him.
Despite the fact that they were heading to the underworld, Yanluo couldn’t help but feel pleased.
The little reaper had taken his hand first.
Thanatos held Yanluo’s hand, and with a single step, the surrounding scenery shifted, plunging them into complete darkness.
It was so dark that they could not even see their hands in front of them. All they could hear were the terrifying wails of the lost souls.
“Those are the cries of the dead souls sentenced to the River of Wailing,” Thanatos explained. “I told you about it before.”
“This is the domain of Erebus, the God of Darkness, which represents the dark side of the underworld. The souls must pass through this long stretch of darkness before reaching the underworld.” Just as Yanluo had once explained the Chinese underworld to Thanatos, Thanatos also explained the Greek underworld. He paused, then added, “Erebus is also the brother and husband of my mother.”
Yanluo, well aware of the chaotic relationships in the Greek pantheon, had no reaction of surprise. In their world, there was no taboo against incest, so marriage among blood relatives was perfectly normal.
He accepted this swiftly and with a respectful tone, he called out, “Greetings, Father.”
Thanatos: “……”
……They hadn’t even discussed the proposal yet, and Yanluo was already calling him “Father.” How shameless.
Thanatos quickly suppressed his discomfort and said, “No, my mother gave birth to my brother and me on her own. We don’t have a father.”
In their world, gods were not necessarily born with both parents present. Thanatos and his brother were born through their mother’s self-propagation.
Yanluo followed his lead smoothly. “Hi, Erebus.”
It didn’t take long for Yanluo to switch from addressing him as “father” to calling him by his name directly.
If Erebus wasn’t Thanatos’ father, Yanluo felt he didn’t need to lower himself. He only needed to maintain basic politeness.
Thanatos was left speechless for a moment.
Thankfully, the God of Darkness wasn’t there. Only the thick darkness remained.
“So when will we meet your mother?” Yanluo asked.
He had come to propose, after all. Naturally, he wanted to meet the little reaper’s family.
Thanatos replied, “She left long ago with Erebus to travel the world, to experience the customs and cultures of different pantheons. I don’t know when she’ll return.”
Yanluo furrowed his brow. “So, does that mean we can’t ask for your hand in marriage?”
Thanatos fell silent for a moment. “We can decide our own marriage. Informing King Hades and my brother is the same as informing her……”
Yanluo smiled, a sly grin tugging at his lips. “Thanatos, are you looking forward to marrying me?”
“Yes—” Thanatos started to answer, but suddenly his face turned red, and he stammered, “N-no!”
Yanluo looked at him with an expression that clearly said, “No need to explain, I get it.”
Thanatos, annoyed, quickened his pace, leaving Yanluo behind.
Yanluo chuckled and followed, easily keeping up.
After passing through the endless darkness, a towering gate to the underworld appeared before them. The terrifying three-headed Cerberus stood guard, not allowing any souls to escape or any outsiders to enter.
Sensing a strange presence, the three-headed dog turned its heads in unison. Upon seeing the unfamiliar Eastern face, it bared its teeth warily.
“Cerberus, he’s a guest I’ve brought with me,” Thanatos said calmly. “Step aside.”
Cerberus looked at the silver-haired youth, confused. It could smell the unmistakable aura of the God of Death on him……
The God of Death always wore black robes, and Cerberus had never seen his true face. But it could recognize his scent, and the young man before it resembled the God of Sleep perfectly.
Cerberus stepped aside.
Thanatos turned to Yanluo. “Let’s go.”
As Yanluo passed Cerberus, he smiled and petted the middle head. “So cute.”
Cerberus: “……”
It was the three-headed dog of the underworld! This Eastern man was treating it like an ordinary pet dog!
If it hadn’t been for the fact that the stranger was a guest brought by the God of Death, Cerberus would’ve bitten his arm off!
However, the most likely outcome at that moment would have been the three-headed dog losing one of its heads to Yanluo’s grip.
Cerberus didn’t know that its momentary hesitation saved one of its heads.
As Thanatos stepped through the gate of the underworld, a golden figure suddenly sprinted toward him and threw itself into his arms. “Thanatos, my dear brother, I’ve missed you so much! We’ve never been apart this long since we were born. You’ve even lost weight!”
Thanatos: “……”
On the contrary, he felt that he had been fattened by Yanluo.
“……Brother, let go of me.”
Hypnos reluctantly released him. “Thanatos, why aren’t you wearing your beloved robe? But it’s probably for the best. I’ve long told you to give up that black robe. You look so good like this…… Huh? Who are you?”
Hypnos finally noticed Yanluo standing behind Thanatos.
It was difficult to ignore Yanluo. To mark the formality of the proposal, he wore the luxurious robes of the King of Hell. His Eastern beauty was striking, and his presence was both regal and commanding.
However, Hypnos had been so excited to see his younger brother that he hadn’t paid attention to anything else.
Yanluo couldn’t help but feel relieved that at least Hypnos hadn’t completely ignored him.
From what he could see, Hypnos treated his younger brother very well, which put Yanluo at ease. While Thanatos had grown up lacking affection, it was clear he hadn’t been completely without love.
“He’s my……” Thanatos thought for a moment about how to phrase it, “boyfriend.”
“Friend?” Hypnos blinked, then his face lit up with joy. “You made a friend during your trip to the East? And you brought this Eastern god home to visit? That’s amazing! Thanatos, I can see how much you’ve changed since your journey. You’re so much more cheerful now!”
Thanatos had always appeared gloomy and pale, but now he seemed warmer and more confident. Hypnos, who knew his brother better than anyone, was keenly aware of this transformation.
Thanatos silently corrected him. “Boyfriend.”
“I know, male friend, right?” Hypnos said with a laugh. “Next time, make some female friends too. You’ll find that friendship is truly wonderful.” He thought Thanatos had simply confused “male friends” with “boyfriends,” since his brother had never been good with social relationships.
To Hypnos, the fact that Thanatos had made a friend at all was a miracle. As for anything more, like jumping straight into a relationship…… he didn’t dare imagine it.
Yanluo couldn’t help but smile. “Your Excellency the God of Sleep, I am Yanluo, the King of Hell of the East. I’m Thanatos’ lover. We’re in a relationship. I’ve come to Greece to formally propose to him and ask for his hand in marriage.”
Hypnos: “……Huh?”
Underworld Palace.
As they watched the piles of gifts spill out from the magical storage bag, filling the entire palace, and listened to Yanluo list the extensive catalog of presents in flawless Greek, both Hades and Hypnos wore blank expressions.
When Poseidon had sought Venus’ hand in marriage, he had sent a thousand carts of dowry. But Yanluo’s gifts far exceeded that amount.
This was, without a doubt, the most generous gesture Yanluo had ever made in his entire miserly life.
Hades couldn’t help but wonder, how had things come to this?
When he had seen Thanatos return, he had been overjoyed, eagerly awaiting Poseidon’s arrival behind him. Instead, a completely unfamiliar Eastern god entered the room.
Thanatos regretfully explained that he hadn’t been able to bring back the God of Sea, but he had returned with a boyfriend instead.
Hades: Who wants to see your boyfriend? I sent you on a mission, not to start a romance!
Hades had a hard time saying anything.
Both Hades and Hypnos had always known just how withdrawn and introverted Thanatos was. Despite their best efforts, they had been unable to help him overcome his isolation.
But now, Thanatos had willingly removed his black robe, his face lit with a smile, and he was speaking more than ever. Every change in him was because of this Eastern god.
Perhaps he had truly found his love. What reason did they have to stop him?
As long as Thanatos was happy, that was all that mattered.
But Hades, on the other hand, was in agony.
“King Yan,” Hades spoke up. “Where do you plan to hold the wedding? As a Greek god, where will Thanatos live after marriage? Will he have to live away from home forever?”
Hypnos nodded emphatically. He couldn’t bear to see Thanatos marry far away to the East. Besides, they were both male gods, why was his brother the one getting married? Why couldn’t Yanluo be the one to come to Greece?
“I’m planning to hold two weddings, one in China, and one in Greece,” Yanluo said seriously. “If Thanatos misses home, we can live in China for six months each year, and for the other six months, I’ll move to Greece with him. I can work remotely. It won’t interfere with my duties.”
It sounded fair enough.
“But what about Thanatos’ work during his six months in China? The work of the God of Death can’t be done remotely,” Hades pointed out. “For the past few months, a few heroic spirits have temporarily taken over the task of reaping souls, but their power doesn’t compare to Thanatos’. They can’t handle such high-intensity work for long.”
Yanluo replied, “We’ll just need to change the work system in the Greek underworld. Just like in our underworld, we have many temporary soul collectors. The evil spirits who want to atone for their sins or those seeking the chance to reincarnate would compete for these positions. I heard that the cries from the River of Wailing are the wails of souls serving in the Tartarus hell, right? So why not let those souls take on the duties of Thanatos and Hypnos? After enough work, they could earn their place in Elysium. Not every soul is beyond redemption. I’m sure many of them would welcome a chance to redeem themselves. By distributing the workload, no one would be overburdened.”
Hypnos’ eyes lit up. “I can take a vacation too! Honestly, I’m about to collapse from exhaustion. No breaks all year. I’m thinking of going on a strike.”
He suddenly glanced cautiously at Hades and whispered, “King Hades, I didn’t mean to suggest that you exploit your employees.”
Hades: “……”
Hades, maintaining his composure, said, “I will consider it.” And immediately set the wheels in motion.
“Hypnos, you and Thanatos go dig up the treasures underground as a return gift,” Hades instructed, looking at the piles of gifts filling the palace. “We won’t take advantage of the East.”
Hypnos replied, “Understood, King Hades. Thanatos, let’s go.”
Yanluo wanted to follow, but Hypnos turned with a smile. “King Yan, I need to have a private talk with my brother.”
Yanluo paused, stopping in his tracks.
By the underground river, Hypnos waved a small shovel, trying his best to dig up treasures. Thanatos, however, was much more violent. With one swing of his scythe, he uncovered a wealth of shining treasures.
Hypnos steadied his shovel and asked seriously, “Thanatos, do you really like that Eastern god? It’s only been a few months. You’re so pure, don’t let yourself be deceived.”
Thanatos replied, “He is very good.”
He whispered softly, “I love him.”
“I can tell. You’re willing to take off your black robe and show him your face,” Hypnos mused. “But has he seen your other form?”
The God of Death had two forms: the human one and the skeletal one, both of which were his true self. Hypnos knew that many people disliked the skeletal form. It was unattractive and terrifying.
Thanatos replied slowly, “He has seen it…… I think it’s better for me to maintain my human form.” Otherwise, he’d have to endure having his bones touched all over, and that was just too sensitive……
Hypnos immediately became serious. “If he can only accept the beautiful side of you and can’t accept your skeletal form, I think you should reconsider. Don’t spend your whole life wearing a human mask just for some superficial man……”
“I don’t need to reconsider, brother.” Thanatos blushed. “He can accept it.”
It was precisely because Yanluo accepted everything about him that Thanatos didn’t dare to turn into his skeletal form.
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