Thanatos had a bad relationship with Sisyphus.

Sisyphus. The first king who built the kingdom of Corinth. A very cunning and clever person of concern who even escaped death – Thanatos.

Now that he was in the underworld, he was in a position where he had to roll a large boulder without moving.

But there was a possibility that he might escape from the underworld with his unique cunning, so he was being watched especially closely.

Thanatos was therefore watching to see if Sisyphus had intentionally approached Persephone.

In Thanatos’ eyes, Persephone and Sisyphus, plowing the field like an ox, were reflected.

Persephone asked in a loud voice to the muttering Sisyphus.

“Haven’t you heard the story that I threatened Charon while crossing the Acheron River?”

“I haven’t heard it. Do I need to know what kind of god you are and what you’re doing?”

“……”

“……No, now that I think about it, I think I definitely heard it. I’m sure there was a good reason?”

“Do you think the ferryman was someone like you? Don’t talk about him carelessly.”

“……”

One corner of Thanatos’ mouth, who was watching them, slightly lifted.

He stroked under his nose, looking admiringly at Persephone who had raised her shovel.

[Huh……]

Honestly, it would be a lie to say it wasn’t satisfying.

At first, he had underestimated the young sprout.

The fellow had quite a fiery temper, but he didn’t seem as clever as Sisyphus.

After all, what could Demeter’s daughter have seen growing up on the earth goddess’s farm?

The sprout showed surprising action with quick movements, but she seemed quite absent-minded, what with her swaying gait and clumsiness.

“Ah, it was really funny, I tell you? If you were there, you would have rolled on the floor like me!”

Thinking back to Hermes chattering about how he should have heard the earth goddess’s nagging towards Persephone directly……

‘It didn’t seem like she was a cautious or meticulous god.’

Rather, she was the type to just run forward.

“You know what, King of Corinth?”

But the sprout immediately recognized that the middle-aged man in front of her was Sisyphus.

‘From then on, I had a strange feeling.’

When the sprout quickly attached the chain to the stake and sat on it, Persephone had already become someone Thanatos wanted to give a generous allowance to in his heart.

Thanatos, hiding his body in the shadows, briefly scanned the outskirts of the vegetable garden.

‘I held the stake, I wonder if she noticed.’

At the moment Sisyphus tried to run away, Thanatos turned his body into a shadow and firmly grasped the bottom of the stake.

Sisyphus’ strength was strong enough to lure Thanatos, who came to take his life, into a cave and imprison him. That strength wouldn’t have gone anywhere.

Now he’s too old to handle Thanatos, but he could have easily shaken off and run away from the still young sprout.

‘But there’s no match for a group attack.’

Thanatos decided to cooperate with Persephone the moment she sat on the stake.

It was a case showing that if you dislike the same target, it’s much easier to become friends.

Persephone, examining the plowed vegetable garden, frowned.

“What’s this. Why is it plowed so shallow?”

“That must be your imagination. I did my best.”

“I was wondering what the problem was, it was that your hands are slow?”

“Ah, honestly, my wrists are too tightly tied to the boulder, so I can’t do it quickly-”

“Are you making excuses?”

“……”

Persephone pointed at Sisyphus, who had tightly closed his lips.

“I said I’d give you food when you finish plowing, didn’t I!”

“……I’m not a pig who lives and dies for food!”

“What? Apologize to the pigs! Pigs are cleaner, more diligent, and kinder than you! You’re dirty, and you’re just a bad guy who only thinks about how to work less!”

“……”

Oh, the sprout was very skilled at rebuking sinners. To think that Sisyphus couldn’t say anything and shut his mouth.

Persephone, after giving Sisyphus a good scolding, poured a little seed into her palm and breathed into it.

The divine power that burst out with her breath outside her mouth weakly swirled around her.

‘Is she trying to germinate them first?’

Because Thanatos was now enjoying an unwavering mental comfort, he thought he might stay here until the fellow planted the seeds, but……

‘I should go report to Lord Hades first.’

It was then that Thanatos was about to rise from the shadow.

“……Were you really the god of seeds?”

Sisyphus’ voice, sounding quite surprised, rang out.

“Then who else would be the god of seeds if not me? Did you think it was a lie?”

“Ah, no, I thought it might be a trap.”

“What nonsense.”

“I thought maybe you were deliberately using the name of an unknown god to test my attitude……”

A pulse suddenly throbbed at Persephone’s temple. She opened her palm and struck Sisyphus’ back with all her might.

“Aaagh!”

“Stop exaggerating, it doesn’t even hurt.”

“Ugh….. It really hurts, I tell you!”

As Sisyphus groaned and bent his waist, Persephone frowned in confusion.

“Were you originally this weak? From what I’ve heard here and there, it didn’t seem like it.”

“I wasn’t originally like this. It’s because I’ve gotten old. Have you just realized that you’ve been abusing an elderly person?”

“Then you can’t beat Thanatos now either? Tsk tsk……”

The moment his name was mentioned, not only Sisyphus but also Thanatos, who was hiding his body, turned their attention to Persephone.

“……”

Sisyphus glared at Persephone, who was clicking her tongue, for a long time.

“……No matter what, do you think I can’t beat that guy?”

Then he snorted.

“Really? Does that mean you can win?”

“What do you take me for? It’s already 1 win and 1 loss. When I died, it was Hermes who came to take me, not Thanatos.”

“Oh……”

“Maybe he ran away because he was afraid to meet me?”

Sisyphus laughed triumphantly.

A dark blood vessel stood on Thanatos’ forehead.

[……]

Silently glaring at Sisyphus, he slightly pulled out his scythe.

“Huh?”

Persephone blinked at the suddenly cast shadow.

The unidentified lump of shadow was a head taller than Persephone.

As she was being extremely cautious and about to grab the shovel, a lifeless, pale arm suddenly popped out of the shadow.

“Aack!”

A scream burst from between Persephone’s lips as she rolled back.

At the same time, a black scythe split the space between Sisyphus and Persephone.

[I heard a dog barking somewhere, so I came to see.]

A strangely trembling voice, clearly closer to the primordial than that of other gods, settled in their ears.

[Was it you, King of Corinth?]

Death, Thanatos, sneered at Sisyphus.

Sisyphus glanced at Thanatos who had suddenly risen from thin air, then tilted his head crookedly.

“Well, well, were you the type to fall for provocation so easily? It seems the existence called Death has a more hot-tempered nature than I thought.”

[Better a hot-tempered person who doesn’t avoid an approaching fight than a coward who tried to run away from me.]

“……”

[Would you like to fight again, King? I always welcome a rematch.]

Thanatos, who had stuck his scythe in the back of his head, clasped his hands together.

[If you want to fight with just arm strength, that’s fine too.]

Persephone, who had been blinking and looking back and forth between the two, hurriedly headed out of the vegetable garden.

Persephone, who had put the seeds back in her pocket, shouted loudly.

“Now!”

Sisyphus and Thanatos’ gazes flew to Persephone simultaneously.

She raised her hand high towards the sky.

“The duel between ‘Death’ and ‘King’ on the ‘Cute and Cunning Sprout’ Persephone ship starts now!”

And then she sat down and started clapping vigorously.

“Woooo-!”

“……”

“Fight! Fight! Fight till it bursts!”

[……]

“Whoo-! The winning side is our side!”

Sisyphus and Thanatos’ eyes gradually became distant, as if gazing at far-off mountains.

Sisyphus, who had come to his senses, shouted at Persephone.

“Hey you! Why are you encouraging instead of stopping this?”

“Why should I stop it?”

Sisyphus was at a loss for words at Persephone’s brazenness.

But she shrugged as if it wasn’t her business.

“It looks fun, so why should I stop it?”

Finally, Sisyphus pointed at the vegetable garden and ranted.

“No, think about it! This isn’t something to be decided by fun!”

“Why?”

“If we fight here, won’t the vegetable garden be ruined! Are you going to crush the vegetable garden you cherish so much?”

“Did you plow it, or did I? We can make another vegetable garden, what’s the problem?”

“……”

“Besides, you said with your own mouth that you’d be stronger than Thanatos. If you two fight this time and determine the hierarchy, it’ll be comfortable for both Thanatos and you. One can be the elder brother, and the other can be the younger brother and follow, right?”

“Absolutely not!”

[I don’t like that either.]

Sisyphus and Thanatos shook their heads vigorously as if they were one body.

Persephone clicked her tongue and scratched her cheek.

“Then there’s no choice. As the host, I’ll have to give a reward to each of you.”

‘Host, she says?’

“Sisyphus, if you win, I’ll end today’s quota with this. But no food in exchange.”

“……Fine.”

“If Lord Thanatos wins……”

Persephone trailed off, putting her finger on her chin.

[It’s fine, sprout. It’s enough for me to restore my honor and get revenge-]

Thanatos waved his hand as if there was no need for that, but.

“No.”

Persephone smiled brightly, as if she had come up with a very good idea, and her index finger pointed upward.

“I’ll give you the chance to plow my vegetable garden.”

[……]

“Of course, I’ll also give you an extremely, really, very delicious meal!”

The young sprout’s eyes sparkled excessively.

As if she couldn’t contain herself at the thought of getting a new worker.

‘This brat……’

……Cancel the thought of wanting to give her an allowance.