Anyone who tells you that someone who died of violence quickly and without harm has absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Note that it didn't hurt for long. I suspect that when Hercules' War Club became familiar with my skull, my brain was so damaged that I was unconscious after a second or two. You'd think they could have found a better way to solve this problem, though.

Like a high-powered sniper, straight to the head. Or maybe some kind of fast-acting poison.

Instead, I woke up with a terrible headache and my first thought was – apart from "oh my, it hurts" – I was going to talk to my mom about it. Angry, if she really agrees with the plan.

Suppose I see her again. This is probably a safe assumption...... There is plenty of time.

Waking up is almost as shocking as being shot. I sat up straight, gulping in the air and letting out the most piercing scream I've ever made. This epic headache deserves an equally epic scream. When it came out, it was half pain, half shock, anger of being offended.

Once I got it out of my system, I cautiously touched the side of my head and found it intact and not covered in blood, and I was speechless with joy. The pain of the blow subsided so quickly that I wasn't sure if it was real or if it was some kind of echo from my central nervous system.

Relieved, curiosity and worry followed, and I lowered my hand and stroked my chest, over my heart...... Thankfully, the heart was beating steadily, although a little too fast. It's not surprising, really.

But when my fingers slid from my head to my chest, my fingers were already brushed with metal. I checked my neck and felt a thin, soft, fitting, cool metal band there, with a smooth oval stone deep down my throat.

I need a mirror.

Another quick check showed that I was no longer wearing the clothes I wore when I graduated. Instead, I was wrapped in a floor-length black silk robe and barefoot. I guess that makes sense because my graduation gown may have ...... It's messy. I shook myself and tried to get my mind in order, reminding myself that now that I was sure I was alive, I really should look at my surroundings.

(Or maybe alive.) It's a disturbing thought. ）

I sat in a huge room or on an ornately carved stone altar in the middle of a cave, about the size of an ancient gladiatorial arena. Every once in a while there were sizable square pillars, each with four torches, that illuminated the room enough for me to see everything but the darkest corners. Looking up, I saw that the ceiling – much higher than me – was rough hewn natural stone, with stalactites everywhere. Looking down again, I found that I was facing – along the length of the room – a beautifully decorated metal door that looked wide and tall enough for a truck to pass through.

I took another deep breath and was proud that I didn't scream with anger or fear. Instead, I took another deep breath to calm myself down, crossed the side of the altar with my legs, and slowly turned around.

"It's time for you to get up," a somber bass voice came from my right. This startled me and made a turn for the rest of the way, retracting my legs under me to balance on the altar.

A burly man sat on an equally large throne at the other end of the foyer, not far from the altar where I was sitting. His complexion was darker olive than mine; His hair was as black as a raven's wings, and his hair was short, tight curls. He had a thick beard, neatly trimmed into a royal goatee and mustache, and his eyes were pitch black, and I couldn't tell what color they were in the light of a flashlight.

He was dressed in a dark suit I didn't recognize, his breastplate, shoulder plates, bracers, and shin guards were made of what looked like silver-rimmed obsidian, and a two-handed sword rested behind his throne. Judging by his listlessness and chin in one hand, I guessed he was a little taller than seven feet.

Of course, for the gods, all physical properties are mutable.

It was then that I remembered my etiquette and quickly slid down the altar and bowed respectfully. "Hello, Lord Hades."

"Hello, TaliaRedowl," he replied, frowning slightly. "I wish we could meet in a less stressful situation, if anything. No matter how well you did in your graduation exams – I admit you did very well – I don't want that. ”

I had no idea how to respond, so I moved uneasily from one foot to the other. I was barefoot and the stone floor was cold.

He moved, leaning forward in the light of the flashlight, the tips of his fingers arched under his chin. I took a closer look at his face and thought he was handsome, actually...... He reminds me of Arman Assante, who was in his early 40s.

"You were imposed on me, TaliaRedowl, just as this situation was imposed on you." He pursed his lips and sat back, his hands on the armrests of the throne. "Do you have any lingering pain or discomfort? This pain is normal after regaining life. In this case, anything can be normal. ”

I quickly shook my head. "No, sir. No. ”

He nodded. "Okay."

"Yes......" I swallowed. Are there any other side effects I should be aware of? ”

He laughed at the time. It was a small, faint smile, but it touched his eyes and softened his dark demeanor. "There are some. You'll get to know most of them on the job. On top of that, it gives you immortality unlike most Avatars. While still susceptible to injury, no mortal weapon will be able to kill you, and your body will regenerate more thoroughly and even faster than your companions. ”

He paused for a minute, and his smile vanished as if it had never been. "I recommend not testing your regeneration limits. Thanatos was in Hiroshima, and although he recovered within a few hours, he never fully recovered. ”

I was shaking a little. "I'll remember, sir." I hesitated for a moment, then asked in a more timid voice than I wanted, "I...... Am I dead? ”

"No," Hades said firmly. "You are. Now you're not. ”

"What......" I swallowed, realizing that I was shaking a little. I struggled to stop it. "And what am I?"

"Mine," he said briefly, then motioned for me to step forward. "Come closer, girl. If you just cower in front of the altar, we'll never be able to do anything useful. ”

I tried to figure out if there was any humor or joke in the comment and decided no. "Then I'm already your doppelganger?" I asked as I approached him, my toes arching from the cold floor.

"The moment Hercules hit you," Hades confirmed, then frowned. "I really have to talk to him about it. There must be a less painful way to get this done. It took him hours to undo the damage he had done. He let out an exasperated voice and slowly rose from his throne. But he was always a bit savage. I don't know what I'm expecting. Come closer, girl, I won't bite you. ”

I did, almost stepping into his shadow. He stood tall above me, a foot taller than me, looking down at me. He has impressive eyebrows, equally impressive frowns. It's as if his facial features, each of which can be intimidated individually when viewed separately.

He stared at me.

I felt naked in front of that gaze, as if he didn't look at me as much as he looked at me. Judge me. I felt myself trembling like a prey and gasped. I would never let myself be intimidated like this!

I straightened up a little and met his gaze, and looked into his eyes, which I could now see was a dark cloud of gray.

After a long time, he nodded slightly. "Good. Girl, you should know that if I cast that kind of gaze at anyone but gods or doppelgangers, they would fall to their knees in fright, and even some doppelgangers couldn't stand it. He smiled, but this time it didn't touch his eyes. You're as strong as your mom said. ”

He walked slowly around me, and I could feel him staring at me all the time. Review me. For a moment, I wondered if he would look at my teeth too. When he spun around and stood in front of me again, he crossed his arms and looked at me thoughtfully. "You and I have to come to a consensus."

"Well," I said uneasily.

He grunted, returned to his throne, and sat back down, elbows resting on its arms and chin resting on a large fist. "Girl, I don't want another Avatar. I think you've heard of my ...... My last story. ”

I nodded. "As much as documented. The details are somewhat choppy. ”

"As I wish," Hades said lightly. "Truth be told, her death almost ruined me and had a permanent impact on our daughter. I have no intention of filling this position again and leaving my other staff to fill the vacancy. He took a deep breath and then let out a frustrated sound. However, in recent centuries, they have been somewhat overwhelmed by their tasks. The world is growing, and so is the population. I hate to admit that I need help, but I need your help. Frankly, there's a huge backlog of work for you to do. ”

He paused, apparently awaiting a reply. I couldn't think of one, and after a minute, he nodded slightly. "I owe your mother Athena a favor because she accomplished a mission on my behalf centuries ago. It's quite a favor, and I hope to repay it by doing the same for her at some point in the future. Imagine how surprised I would be when she came to me and insisted that I accept you as my Avatar. ”

"What!?" I asked incredulously, then put a hand over my mouth for a moment. "Sorry to bother you, sir."

He waved his hand, dismissive. "This is the first understanding that we have to reach. Girl, I hope you can interrupt me. If you think I'm acting like a jerk or doing something stupid, call me out. You are my representative in the mortal world, in other things, and for that you must know my thoughts...... Your collar will be taken care of when necessary.

"But you are also Athena's daughter, and if you ignore her wisdom, you will do so at your own peril. If she feels that it is my best choice for you to be my incarnation, then I intend to listen to her wisdom...... and your wisdom. Give it to me when you see fit. ”

"I ...... I don't know when it was......" I stammered. When is God's counsel offered?

"I don't expect you to do it unless it's time to do it," Hades said, with only a hint of humor in his eyes. "As I said, you are Athena's daughter. When you have wisdom to distribute, I'm sure you will. If you don't think I'm listening to you, feel free to grab my ears and let me be. “

"If I can get to it," I whispered.

He smiled. "Indeed."

I cringed inwardly. Ah.

"It brings us back to my original point of view," he said. "I don't want you here. Frankly, I still don't want you here. It may take a while for me to really value your opinion...... or your existence. Please try not to take it personally. ”

He sounded sincere, and I think I understood. His wife – according to some stories, his beloved wife – was his avatar. Who else can fill this position in all the ways she has to have? Of course not me. However, my mom felt like it was where I needed to be.

As Hades said, ignoring Athena's wisdom is at your own risk.

"It might help," I said in a neutral tone as much as I could, "if you stopped calling me 'girl.'" If you don't want to use my new title yet, you can use my name. ”

He blinked a few times, then leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees. "Miss, such a young man, this is so insightful. There's no denying that you're your mother's daughter. He punched his knee with his fist. You would think that two thousand years is enough to get rid of the pain! ”

"It depends on the pain," I said calmly. "Some pains never go away completely. So I get it anyway. ”

Hades nodded. "You're quite right, Talia, and you're right on both counts. Some pain will never go away, and if I don't give you the respect you deserve as my Avatar, you won't be able to do your job properly. ”

"I haven't had a chance to earn your respect yet, sir."

He waved me quiet. "That's not entirely true. I've been watching you for the last two years of training. You may not have done anything for me directly, but if I hadn't respected your skills—both mind and body—I would never have agreed to accept you as my doppelganger. Debt or no debt. ”

I felt like I understood what he meant, and just nodded in response. Then I waited, turned around and stood in a relaxing parade ground rest with my hands clasped behind my back. I finally got back on my feet...... My confidence has finally regained somewhat. I guess death and resurrection really unsettle me.

Doesn't it upset anyone?

He must have noticed my renewed confidence and ease as he nodded my head in agreement. "Your room is underneath that hall," he pointed to his right. "The door to the right of the hall leads to your living room. Everything you need is there, and I've assigned two invisible minions to keep you tidy and well-supplied. ”

Invisible minions are invisible souls, created through the use of necromancy. The thought of being served by them makes me shiver a little, but I think I'd better get used to it quickly. Especially since from now on I'm going to make Hecate my colleague.

"Across the hall," Hades continued, "is Pluto's office...... Your office. I must point out that it's been a while since no one has done more in it than just left information about what had to be done. "I'm looking for someone to help you tidy up and tidy up your office...... Now take some time for yourself. You'll find new office uniforms in your suite. ”

I waited a long time in case he had anything else to say, and bowed politely. "Have you taken a leave of absence, sir?"

He gestured dismissively. "Go, Talia. Keep yourself at home, but try not to take too long. Your assistant should be there soon, and you have a lot to do. ”

I bowed again, turned around, and walked in the direction he had indicated. It wasn't until I reached the entrance of the hallway that I could feel his eyes looking at me.

It's not a long hallway, just enough for the doors on either side and an antique urn sitting on a waist-high pedestal. The urn was so old that any ornaments that might have been painted on it had long since worn out, it was covered with a stone stopper and sealed with wax.

There's something very wrong about it, but I'm not sure what. Just looking at it makes me shudder.

There were neat little placards on the doors on either side of me. "Office" is on my left and "Private" is on my right. I turned to the right and the door opened before I could touch the handle. Convenient, that.

My suite, as Hades put it, was very different from the icy stone room where he apparently presided over the courtroom. There is a shelf on the left wall of the foyer that looks like it was used for spears, shields, helmets, and cloaks. Very practical.

Besides...... It's just not fair to call it a living room. The main room is somewhere between the harem room of Arabian legend that I envisioned and the very comfortable living room. In the center of the room was a huge shallow stone bowl, large enough for Hades to lie down. A fire was lit inside, crackling happily, and smoke ...... Rising from somewhere. The smoke disappeared a few feet above the large brazier.

It is surrounded by a circular sofa divided into four sections. On one side there is a dining room for 8 people, and in one corner there is a fully equipped kitchen, separated by a room partition (covered with warm, pleasant abstract art) and a breakfast bar with stools. The corner on the opposite side of the room, also divided, was filled with empty bookcases, a small table, a lamp, and a chair that looked very comfortable.

At least, Hades seems to know my tastes. I can't decide if this makes me uncomfortable or not. I don't think there's a reason to do that.

Another room opens from the living area and turns out to be a bedroom. A large four-poster bed is centered along a wall, facing two doors with a standing desk between them. One of the doors leads to a walk-in closet – already filled with all sorts of clothes I would choose for any occasion – while another door leads to an impressive ensuite bathroom. The bathroom has a freestanding shower and a bathtub that looks like big enough for three people.

I immediately took off my robe, climbed into the shower, and set it to the highest temperature I could tolerate.