Persephone, who had briefly immersed herself in the healing spring, let out an exclamation of admiration.

“How amazing……”

Lifting her skirt, she saw that all her wounds had indeed healed.

She had thought it would be gratifying enough just to feel refreshed, but as expected of something created by the god of medicine, its effects were excellent.

Even the wounds that had reopened while fleeing from Cerberus earlier only had a slight redness remaining, and the flesh was neatly sutured as if sewn with thread.

‘I guess there’s no need to use divine power.’

Persephone, her mood now improved, hummed as she walked around.

If she continued walking and exploring like this, wouldn’t she eventually find an exit?

As she kept walking, fueled by such hopeful thoughts, a rope finally descended before Persephone.

Her foot caught on a stalagmite, and when she looked up, she saw that the ceiling was densely covered with stalactites.

Blinking, Persephone examined the stone walls around her.

‘A cave?’

Could this possibly be the exit?

Persephone narrowed her eyes as she peered at the round hole in the distance where light was coming in.

‘Am I seeing things because I’m too desperate?’

She hesitated for a moment at the sunlight she hadn’t seen in so long.

‘……But it really does seem like actual sunlight.’

Persephone didn’t let go of the rope that had come down to her.

“Yes!”

She exclaimed, clenching her fists tightly.

Soon, Persephone’s legs ran straight towards the cave exit filled with sunlight.

To find another exit like this, she was lucky. Even if the Underworld had multiple entrances and exits, finding one of them was no easy task.

Just as Persephone was about to step on the sunlit stone floor.

“Found you.”

“Ahh!”

A whisper came from right beside her.

Persephone jumped like a rabbit and stumbled backwards.

“Wh-who’s there! Who are you!”

She looked around frantically, but couldn’t see anyone.

Then she felt pressure on one of her arms. Sensing this subtle sensation, Persephone froze in place.

It was a man’s hand.

Could the king of the Underworld have already chased her to this cave?

“I-I-I’m not going to the Underworld!”

Persephone shouted, trying to shake off the hand.

But the pressure didn’t disappear. Rather, the unknown presence seemed to be trying to get closer to her.

After shaking her arm a few times, Persephone pretended to go crazy and let her hair down.

“Ahhh−! Get away!”

She started thrashing about wildly.

“Ah, oof! Wait, wait! Don’t raise your hands! Stay still, stay still!”

“Would you stay still if you were me!”

As Persephone was about to headbutt her opponent, she heard a voice she hadn’t expected.

Persephone’s movements stopped.

The figure in the darkness removed his hand from her arm.

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Miss Kore!”

It was a man’s voice, but more lively than Hades’.

“……H-how do you know my name?”

Persephone, having regained her senses, scanned the faintly visible silhouette in the darkness.

‘Smaller than I thought? Who is it?’

As Persephone kept tilting her head, the darkness cleared its throat.

Soon after, the figure of a young man adjusting his hat appeared.

‘I feel like I’ve seen this person somewhere before…..’

Persephone frowned, rubbing her chin. The man then took off his hat, revealing his tousled brown hair.

The man’s clear eyes fixed on Persephone.

“Um….. Haven’t you seen me a few times at Demeter’s farm? I thought Miss Kore would surely know me.”

“……Ah.”

Persephone noticed the winged shoes the man was wearing and the snake-entwined staff, and raised her index finger.

“Lord Hermes?”

“Ding dong dang, correct answer!”

Hermes clapped his hands.

Before Persephone could ask ‘Who sent you?’, he started rambling his own words.

“You know that I also serve as a guide for the dead, right?”

“Huh? Yes, I know.”

“Good, then your trust in me must be overflowing. That’s very fortunate. Unlike a certain someone, I won’t grab you by the hair.”

Hermes passed by her and stood directly under the sunlight.

Hermes, who had settled on a rock slightly above Persephone, stretched out his hand to her.

“Well then, shall we go to the surface together?”

“Ah……”

“Take my hand. I’ll take you there.”

At this moment, the god of thieves who usually coveted others’ possessions couldn’t help but look like a savior.

Persephone, rubbing her nose bridge that was about to get teary, reached out to take his hand.

“……Hermes.”

A heavy voice fell behind her back.

“If you found Kore, shouldn’t you have contacted me first.”

This time, it was really the king of the Underworld who had come.

Of course, for the king of the Underworld, his appearance was somewhat shabby—it seemed as if his subordinates had pulled at his clothes—but Persephone was in no state to notice his condition.

Goosebumps spread across her shoulders. She quickly tried to grab Hermes’ hand, but upon seeing Hades, he abruptly stood up.

“What a hurtful thing to say! I just found her too! And……”

Hermes, who had briefly stepped outside the cave and come back in, retorted.

Behind his brown silhouette, another figure’s outline appeared.

Persephone’s eyes widened.

“I was late because I brought her mother here as well!”

The sunlight delicately brushed over wheat-colored hair. Green irises, faintly shining even in the shade, swelled as they reflected Persephone below the rocks.

Demeter.

Persephone’s mother had come to the entrance of the Underworld.

Persephone, her mouth agape, slowly reached out to Demeter.

“……M-mom.”

“Kore.”

Demeter, having found her daughter, called Persephone by her childhood name.

She approached affectionately and placed her trembling hands on her daughter’s shoulders. Persephone, who was about to burst into tears, sniffled and wiped beneath her nose.

“So much has happened……”

It’s been hard, really.

Swallowing her words, Persephone collapsed into Demeter’s embrace as if fainting.

That’s when the anomaly occurred.

“……I can’t get out?”

Persephone tried to follow Demeter up, but her body wouldn’t move towards the outside.

It felt as if an invisible force was trying to block her.

‘Why?’

A question arose in Persephone’s mind.

Demeter, who had come all the way to the border of the Underworld, was equally perplexed. She hugged her daughter tighter and ordered Hermes.

“I’ll push from behind, so Hermes, you pull from the front.”

“Yes!”

Hermes grabbed her forearm and tried to lift Persephone, but.

“……No matter how much strength I use, her body won’t come up?”

She didn’t budge an inch.

At Hermes’ question, Demeter and Persephone’s gazes quickly flew to Hades.

But even Hades just shook his head blankly, as if he didn’t know how this situation had occurred.

After trying to pull Persephone a few times, Hermes exhaled heavily, “Phew.”

He cracked his sore fingers.

“Is it because Miss Kore is too heavy to come up?”

This time, both mother and daughter glared at Hermes simultaneously.

“You think you’re the only one capable, Hermes?”

“Exactly. A person can be a bit heavy sometimes.”

Two pairs of eyes resembling verdant foliage blazed fiercely.

Hermes, suddenly under attack, let out a nervous laugh.

“……Haha, well. It’s rare for a god to make me shut my mouth.”

Stamping his feet, Hermes bit his lip.

“Hmm, anyway, let’s quickly figure out the cause.”

Persephone, scanning her surroundings with anxious eyes, asked Hermes.

“Can I really go back?”

“Don’t be nervous, Miss Kore. It might be a problem we can solve more quickly than expected. From now on, just answer my questions one by one, okay?”

Persephone nodded, rubbing her hands that had grown cold.

Hermes asked in a light tone.

“Have you eaten any food from the Underworld by any chance?”

“Ah, no. Absolutely not.”

“Have you drunk any water from the Underworld?”

“No.”

【That can’t be.】

As Persephone shook her head vigorously, another voice echoed inside the cave.

【I smell mint.】

Thanatos added, putting down Hydra whom he had been carrying under his arm.

Persephone’s sharp eyes flew to the god of death. Thanatos met her gaze with an expressionless face.

【Didn’t you immerse yourself in the healing spring, little sprout?】

“The healing spring?”

Demeter questioned.

Thanatos, who had been leaning against the cave wall, straightened up. Bowing his head in respect to one of the twelve Olympian gods, the earth goddess, he explained.

【It’s a spring that contains a small amount of pomegranate tree sap and pomegranate juice.】

“What’s that?”

【It’s an experimental work created by Asclepius, who came to the Underworld as punishment for recklessly reviving the dead and blurring the boundary between death and life.】

“……Asclepius?”

【Yes. Because it contains components from the Underworld, we advise against beings from the living world entering it.】

Persephone urgently refuted.

“But I didn’t drink any water or anything!”

【If you had wounds, the spring water would have entered through them.】

“……”

【That has the same effect as drinking it.】

Thanatos examined Persephone’s attire.

【Judging by the fact that some bloodstains have disappeared, it seems you immersed your body in the spring….. How unfortunate.】

“……W-wait a moment. So what happens to me now? Am I trapped in the Underworld?”

【Rules must be followed.】

“……”

【There are no exceptions. Just like death.】

Thanatos’ indifferent voice echoed inside the cave.

Dizziness swept over her. Swaying like a flag, she now looked at Hades.

The king of the Underworld glanced at her with guilty eyes, then bit his lip.

“……Thanatos’ words are not incorrect.”

He who had been silent for a long time finally spoke.

“In principle, you must become a member of the Underworld.”

Persephone’s face turned white.

The fate she had tried so hard to avoid had finally caught up with her.