Hades raised one eyebrow.

His gaze, which had been fixed on Persephone, flew to the prisoner eating lunch in the distance. Sisyphus’s body froze as if struck by lightning.

The look in his eyes seemed to say, ‘I was working until just now, couldn’t you have said something a little nicer!’

However, logically speaking, it’s natural to be more favorable to the king than to a prisoner.

Persephone showed him her tightly clenched fist and her eyes sparkled with determination.

“Labor is usually the greatest punishment for humans. So I tried to establish discipline by making him plow the fields.”

Hades almost took a step back at the aura emanating from the child before him. Barely steadying himself, he responded in a small voice.

“…Is that so.”

“Yes, it was all for your sake, Hades.”

“So, for me?”

“Yep!”

Persephone answered confidently.

Hades bent down slightly. Covering his mouth with his hand, he whispered.

“Won’t it be dangerous?”

His voice reached Persephone’s ear.

She blinked slowly, then nodded. It meant there was no need to worry about Sisyphus at all.

‘…Really?’

That guy was less dangerous in terms of being violent, but rather cunning, so he was still someone to watch out for.

He could potentially use that clever mind of his to attempt an escape.

Hades stiffened his mouth corners and asked Persephone a question.

“Has he ever tried to break free from those restraints or from you?”

“Actually, since he’s a person who thinks a lot, he doesn’t seem to have thought about escaping?”

“…What exactly did you do?”

“It just happened that way. Thanatos also helped.”

Hades turned his head towards Thanatos, who was some distance away from Sisyphus.

He seemed to have been quite close earlier, but appeared to have moved in the time it took for Persephone to come here.

Hades called out to Sisyphus, who was also gradually moving away.

“Prisoner, Sisyphus.”

“Ah, yes. Hades, what is it?”

Sisyphus stood up awkwardly, his chains clanking. Hades’s finger pointed alternately at him and the furrows in the field.

“I permit you to visit Persephone’s field… that is, her area, during the day in the underworld.”

Sisyphus, blinking rapidly, smiled broadly.

“Oh, thank you!”

“No need for thanks. Your restraints and the boulder will remain as they are.”

A flash of disappointment crossed Sisyphus’s face, but true to his cunning nature, he composed his expression. As if even that much was cause for gratitude.

Hades crossed his arms and nodded his chin emphatically.

“You’ll never be free from your chains, but when you visit this child’s field, you don’t have to roll the boulder. Understood?”

“I understand well. I’ll work hard this time too!”

Sisyphus exclaimed enthusiastically, just as Persephone had done.

Hades nodded shallowly.

‘This should be enough.’

It would be good for Demeter’s daughter too. Although this was the gloomy underworld, he hoped she would find unexpected joy, even if only for half a year.

It would be even better if she could spread that joyful experience to humans after returning to the surface.

“Would you like something to eat?”

At that moment, focus suddenly sharpened in Hades’s deeply sunken eyes.

He looked at Persephone, who was still standing in front of him. Another question burst from his lips.

“…What did you say?”

“I was eating something delicious, would you like to have a little before you go?”

Persephone pointed to the tray behind her.

So that’s what it was, she had been eating.

He was surprised that this troublemaker knew how to cook, but accepting food she offered felt like taking away what she had been eating.

Just as he was about to raise his arm to wave it off, saying he was fine…

“Ah, what!”

Persephone, turning around, jumped in place.

“It’s all gone, already?”

Her hands picked up the silver tray. The tray shone with a clean luster as if there had never been any food on it.

Sisyphus and Thanatos flinched together. She glared at them with blazing eyes and burst out,

“No, you gluttons! I can’t live like this!”

…She resembles sister Demeter when she shouts.

“You should have only eaten a third! What about my share?”

【…I thought you had eaten most of it before coming.】

“I thought so too.”

“No, how could you know that! You saw me eating first, didn’t you!”

【My apologies. I’ll bring ingredients next time I come.】

“I will work more.”

Persephone smacked her forehead as if giving up, and her body staggered.

Drooping, she walked to Hades and held the silver tray with both hands.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m actually good at cooking and wanted to give you at least one dish… but as you can see, there’s nothing left.”

Hades’s hand dropped limply like Persephone’s.

Ah, right. So I can’t eat it.

It’s fine, I wasn’t going to eat anyway…

Hades, who had become gloomy, shook his head slightly and raised it. Shaking off the depression, he took in the furrowed field within his view.

‘So this is the “domain building” Thanatos talked about. Hermes was right when he said it was like making a field.’

Had she been mindful of the need to control her divine power all this time?

As a senior who had explained the importance of power control, he felt a basic sense of responsibility, though he dared not interfere directly.

And even the underworld’s paradise, where various animals and plants grow, doesn’t actually farm for food.

They simply live and die repeatedly according to the principles of time buried beneath.

Even he, who was originally a god of the surface, hadn’t seen anything being born and growing for a long time. Perhaps that’s why he felt a bit curious.

“By the way, you said you asked Hermes for seeds, what kind of seeds were they? It looks like you’re going to plant them here.”

“Chickpeas.”

“…Why?”

“Well, beans are the most common, aren’t they?”

Was that so? I thought wheat was the most common in Hellas (*Greece).

But as if she could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his expression, Persephone snapped her fingers.

“You just thought wheat was the most common, didn’t you?”

“……”

“It’s not. Wheat is a bit tricky to grow. Instead, beans are the most common but grow well even in barren places, so it’s okay for me to try here.”

“Are there no other problems? Don’t you need fertilizer or anything?”

“Well, I think I can manage fertilizer somehow with my divine power. Not all at once, but by infusing it frequently in small amounts. I’ll plant other vegetables after harvesting the beans.”

At that moment, deep wrinkles formed on Persephone’s forehead.

“But there is one most important problem.”

“What is it?”

Persephone’s eyes rolled up into the air. Her small palm covered the cloudy sky.

“Originally, plants need sufficient sunlight to grow… but as you can see, there’s not much light compared to the surface.”

“…I see.”

“Is it possible for them to grow properly using only my power?”

So in conclusion, you need daylight?

Hades stared at the sky, which was less saturated than the world above. His eyelids narrowed slightly.

‘Regardless of whether it’s possible or not… bringing the sun here would break the rules, so that’s not an option.’

But ‘day’ is possible.

“…Lady Hemera. The King of the Underworld wishes to see you.”

His hand twisted slightly in the air.

“Would you come here now?”

Soon after, Hades’s black hair swayed like ears of grain. The light characteristic of daytime stripped away the shadow that had been cast over Persephone.

Following that, clear air carrying warmth lingered above their heads. Along with a voice that bent strangely, being closer to the primordial than other gods.

【O King of the Dead, why have you called me?】

Day, ‘Hemera’, poked her head out.

Though no face or anything that could be called a body was visible, the top of the head felt hot.

The gaze and presence of Day were clearly felt. Hades pressed his lips tightly, then shook his head.

“…Please treat me as you did when we first met.”

【Ah, is that better?】

Hemera’s eyes landed on Persephone, who had stopped in confusion.

【I was trying to help you save face since I saw a new face.】

“……”

【Pink-haired young lady, who might you be? I am Hemera, daughter of Nyx and goddess of day.】

“Uh, um…”

Persephone, who had been stuttering, lifted her head towards the sky.

“I’m Persephone, daughter of Demeter, the earth goddess.”

【…Oh, Demeter. I know her too. She’s been a friend passionate about farming since long ago. So that friend has now had a daughter.】

After a moment of silence, Hemera’s voice rang out.

【You seem no different from your mother goddess. And seeing that the King of the Dead called me…】

“……”

【I suppose you need my husband in paradise, and my arms or strands of hair, right?】

Hades nodded.

“What do you mean by arms or hair…”

Before Persephone could voice her question after listening to their conversation.

【It would be better to show you directly.】

Whoosh, a west wind blew.

Based on where Persephone had made her field, somewhere between the ash heap and the sea, one part of the sky that had been lingering gradually took on a vivid color.

It was as if three or four drops of indigo dye had been dropped into the firmament.

The rays of light that had been crowding the underground paradise enveloped Persephone’s domain.

As the sunlight reached the bridge of her nose, her face brightened like a flower.

Watching this scene, Hades asked in a low voice.

“…Is that enough, Persephone?”