(5 years later)

"Before we get started," I said, "I really want to thank you for your willingness to wait until my backlog is under control before it comes to my attention." ”

Minos bowed politely. "Of course, Lady Pluto. No one knows your overwork better than your Underworld colleagues. ”

Minos is a slightly obese, balding man dressed in a traditional white and blue Greek robe. He is one of the fourfold beings responsible for bringing the soul to its final rest. In his case, he is the judge of the souls, deciding where they should spend their eternity and whether they should be given the opportunity to reincarnate.

The other three are Hermes, Charon, and Tanatos. Tanatos collects the souls of the dead and sends them to Hermes, who takes them to Minos for trial. Once judged, these souls will continue to Caron, which transports them to the River Styx or the River Archeron, taking them to the realm of punishment or the realm of Asford. Very illustrious souls will continue to travel to Elysium, sometimes – very rarely – to the Island of Blessings.

If you are a very bad person in your life, Minos will instead bring your soul to Hades himself for trial and punishment, most of which takes place in Tartarus, which encompasses the realm of all other dead.

Be a good person. Trust me, you don't want Hades to decide your fate. Look at Prometheus and Sisyphus. When it comes to punishment, Hades is both imaginative and ruthless. It's a terrible combination.

Today is a doubly important day for me. This is both my fifth anniversary in the office of the Avatar of the Underworld and my first day of actively accepting the inhabitants of the Underworld. Part of my job is to listen to the books, process them as much as I can, and bring the rest to Hades' attention when appropriate.

That's who I am. Monster Hunter and Ombudsman are extraordinary.

That's how I ended up having Minos and Odysseus sit across from my desk. I crossed my hands on the table and smiled. "So, gentlemen, what can I do for you?"

Odysseus – a burly, rugged and handsome man, still wearing the leather and bronze armor he must have worn in his life – leaned forward with his hands on his knees. "We have a book, and we would very much like to bring it to Hades, Lady Pluto," he said politely. "For some time now, we have been distressed that tormented souls will never be released, even when they express sincere repentance. They don't even have a chance to reincarnate or prove that they're ready to be better people. ”

"Once the soul is judged," Minos chimed in, "they have no one to Hades—not even me!" -They want to repent of their evil deeds. In some cases, there are souls who are punished for actions that are actually not related to time! ”

"Look at poor Prometheus," Odysseus said so seriously, that I began to understand why he would be such a natural leader in life. It's easy to follow such a charismatic and caring person. "For tens of thousands of years, his liver has been pecked by eagles every day, just to bring fire to humans!"

"Considering how much humanity has already given the gods in return, how is this punishment appropriate?" Minos asked, clasping his hands together in front of him. "Many of these cases should be re-evaluated. At the very least, someone should talk to those who have been punished to find out if they are ready to take responsibility for their sins and repent. ”

Odysseus took out a scroll and took it out. "Here's a record of our thoughts on the subject, as well as some suggestions on how to manage it."

I took the scroll from him, but it didn't unfold. It feels like holding a lit dynamite stick. I looked back and forth between them, looked at the serious and hopeful expressions on their faces, and sighed. "Gentlemen, you know that I have no right to change the way things work here. All I can do is bring your concerns and thoughts to Hades for him to consider. ”

"That's what we're asking for!" Odysseus hurriedly said.

I nodded. "Good. I promise that what you say today will reach his ears, and this one is no different. "I picked up the scroll and put it on my desk.

The two got up, bowed politely, thanked them, and left.

Melinois walked up to me and shook his head. "I don't know what my father would think." She picked up the scroll and read it curiously.

I looked up at her and wondered – and it wasn't the first time – if I would have survived the last five years without her. Obviously, after working together for such a long time, we have had a positive impact on each other. She's still enthusiastic, still often speaks without thinking (often causing pleasant confusion or upset in the listener), and still isn't quite right...... But her eyes show how much she has changed. They are no longer pure black, but appear normal white around the sharply dilated pupils and bright purple iris.

She gave me an interesting look. "Do you want me to give this to my father for you?"

"Please! Are you sure you don't want to have lunch with us, Mel? "I met Eos for lunch at one of the many pubs in England called Rose & Crown. We discovered this two years ago while dealing with a pack of werewolves in Yorkshire. They have been harassing the local farmers and they happily recommend this bar when we asked afterwards to find a good place to eat. Since then, we have met there at least once a month for lunch or dinner.

Yorkshire pub cooking is not to be missed.

Mel smiled enthusiastically. "Thanks, but no. I know I'm making Ms. Jupiter uncomfortable, and that's okay. She gently touched my shoulder. Not all friends have to be friends with each other. Also, the Rose & Crown is a special place for both of you. I'm not going to meddle. ”

When she made up her mind on a topic, I knew it was best not to argue with her. "In that case, yes, please bring that one to Hades for me."

She saluted. "Of course, ma'am."

I shook my head slightly, thinking it was funny. "Okay. Do I have any other appointments this morning? ”

Without even consulting the scheduler clipped under her armpit, she shook her head. "No date at all today, Talia." She smiled. "You've been free all afternoon."

"It's the first time." I leaned back in my chair, stood up, and stretched. "In that case, I'm going to lunch!"

I collected it from the Cerberus hanging on the wall behind my desk and folded it from the shape of a spear into a one-foot-long cylinder, a shape I stumbled upon about two years ago. I clipped it to a special stand I made, tied it behind my belt and shook myself.

As I do, I focus on what I want to wear. My armor and dress blended into a neat set of black pants, black heels, a red silk shirt, and a black velvet bolero jacket. I don't need to wear it like that, and I rarely do...... But whenever I meet Eos, I echo her timeless biker/killer costume by dressing a little overdressed. According to her reaction, it also made her happy.

I stepped on the roses and crowns, walked in, and looked around. An arm reached out of the crowd from lunchtime by the window and waved at me. I walked in that direction, through the small crowded tables, to say hello to the locals I knew.

Eos somehow managed to find a small stall next to the window with two halves of my favorite local pale ale already on the table. I slipped in across from her and grinned at the old Transformers T-shirt she was wearing. "You're making 80s cartoons right now?"

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled unnaturally. "I'm running out of comic book materials. I might have to start reusing them at this rate. She looked me up and down quickly. You look like you're going to some kind of business meeting. I prefer you to wear skirts and stockings. ”

In return, I gave her a look. In addition to her Transformers T-shirt, she wore her usual faded blue jeans and biker boots, with a fur coat hanging from the booth's clothespins. "Are you going from here to a motorcycle rally?" I asked jokingly.

"Hell's Angels?" Eos grinned, then raised his glass. "I wish you good health, Pluto. Happy Death Day. ”

I smiled and raised my glass in return. "For you, Jupiter, thank you." The Dead Day joke is now another old friend she started using on my one-year anniversary as the incarnation of Hades.

We clinked glasses and drank a little. "What's going to eat at noon today?" I asked. We usually just get special houses and it hasn't disappointed yet.

"Beef stew in a fresh bread bowl. Well! Ios sat back behind him and shook his head. It's hard to believe you've only been on board for five years. I feel like I've known you all my life. ”

I smiled and slowly turned my glass on the coaster. "It's a compliment."

"You're welcome," she blinked. "I see you wearing the pin I gave you last year."

The pin is both a serious gift and a joke. It's a joke because it's ...... A key-shaped brooch about two inches long, made of blue metal, topped by a heart-shaped brooch with a small garnet sphere attached to it. A few years ago I joked that we were more like warriors in Sailor Moon, and it turned out that the character of Sailor Moon Pluto was mentioned.

It is a serious gift for two reasons: firstly, because it is set with tiny gemstones along its length, all of which are genuine, and the details and quality of the workmanship are exquisite. Secondly, and more meaningfully, because when I made this joke, Eos had no idea what I was talking about and struggled to figure it out.

"Of course I am." I returned the smile to her. "You gave it to me."

Strangely, Oos actually blushed a little, looked down at his wine glass, and then changed the subject. "How's it going to be?"

I took a sip of wine. "I just heard the book of Odysseus and Minos asking for punishment to be reconsidered after some time."

"Oh...... I bet Hades would love the suggestion. ”

"Hindsight?" I grimaced. "Not necessarily."

"A little stubborn about that kind of thing, huh?"

I shrugged my shoulders and didn't try to answer. It's impossible for me not to show infidelity, and Hades has earned my respect and loyalty many times. And, of course, infidelity to the Avatars is not easy because of our collars.

Eos might occasionally try to find some fun way to get around the restrictions and make fun of her father, but she knew I didn't. However, she teased me gently from time to time. Now she just smiled and nodded, and my lack of response was an answer in itself. "yes, I didn't expect that."

"I'll ask Mel to bring it for me," I said.

"Good decision."

I smiled unnaturally. "How's the situation at Olympus?"

"Your mother sends her greetings and wishes you a happy day." She took a sip of her drink. "She asked me to let you know as if she hadn't already, and she was proud of you. Dad was in the room at the time and added that he was proud of you as well. ”

I blinked, feeling my cheeks heat slightly. "What did Zeus say?"

Uss grinned. "Dad is not a person who gives honors lightly. If he says that, he's serious. ”

"Wow."

"Well, you've done an amazing job over the last five years," she said. "And you're more than willing to work closely with other Avatars, and some of us sometimes don't."

"Hmm...... You're like family to me now," I said, not knowing what else to say.

Uss nodded. "Of course we are! The avatars should stick together. She threw her fist out.

I bumped mine into her. "Yes, we are."

"Lunch, ladies!" The bartender, an older white-haired gentleman, staggered over to the table and put our meal in front of us. "It's nice to meet you both. Is there a special day today? ”

"I've been working for five years," I said with a laugh.

"Well, congratulations. These days, I guess it's an achievement. "He put an imaginary hat on us and went back to the bar.

Eos watched him leave. "Sometimes I wonder if I will be able to keep a mortal job if I have to. I doubt it. I've probably become a good mechanic, maybe. ”

"I'll probably end up being a librarian or something," I agreed. "There's absolutely nothing so funny."

We looked at each other and started giggling. Then we were busy with meals for a few minutes. As usual, the food was very good and worth paying attention to. Say what you think of a 5-star gourmet restaurant...... For my money, there's nothing better than homemade food in a cosy little bar in the middle of nowhere.

Before we can actually speak again, we are picking up pies after a delicious lunch. When Eos said, "This place is really a discovery, isn't it?" ”

I nodded. "Indeed."

After a while, she asked, "Have you ever regretted it?" ”

I nodded, a little confused. "Find this place?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, it's illogical. Do you regret being Mrs. Pluto? ”

I took the last bite of the pie and chewed it slowly, giving myself a minute to think about it seriously. I mean, I've thought about it a lot over the last couple of years. This job is my destiny, chosen for me by my own mother, and if what I hear is true, I will put in some effort in exchange for it. If she feels that where I am is important to me, that's enough for me.

But do I regret it? "No," I said at last. "I had doubts at first, but I really enjoyed the work I was doing – even if some of it was quite sad at times – and I loved most of the people I worked with. I can't imagine life without you and Mel. ”

Oos chuckled. "That person still struck me as weird, but she's definitely gotten better since she started working with you. You have a good influence on people, you know. ”

I felt my cheeks warm up a little more. "Thank you."

A gentle stream of air blew, and a note staggered down onto the table in front of me. It is written in Greek on what looks like an ancient parchment.

When I picked it up, Eos leaned forward slightly. "Office stuff?"

"I'm not sure. It just says to meet a person outside. ”

Erse rises. "Then let's go."

I looked at her with a smile and just assumed she would come with me. "You don't have to ......"

She held up a hand. "Talia, I'm here, I'm your friend. Don't think you're going to go there and come across a mysterious note dropper with no backup. ”

I smiled a little more, warmed by her words, and put enough money on the table to pay for our lunch (with a healthy tip). When I stood up, Eos shrugged and put on her coat.

"You're so stupid," I said.

"Just in case," she replied, giving me one look and telling me I had no intention of arguing with her.

I really don't want to, anyway.

Outside, we walked around the side of the stone building to the back. What we found there made me stop so suddenly that Eos literally bumped into me.

One...... Man...... Stand behind the bar and wait with true eternal patience. He was almost seven feet tall, dressed in a black robe, and his face was completely hidden in the shadow of a deep hood. Most strikingly, huge black feathered wings neatly folded behind him.

I bowed deeply. "Hello, Tanatos. What is our honor to visit? ”

Tanatos slid forward – I mean, it didn't look like it was walking literally – and pulled out a plain-looking clipboard. I took it from him and looked at it. That's a list of names, times, and places. More than half of them – from the top of the page down – are neatly crossed out.

The dead and the dying.

When I reached the first unmarked name on the list, my breath got stuck in my throat and my heart fell into my stomach. My friend Michelle, son of Hermes.

I looked up at Thanatos. "Does it have to be this way?"

I felt Eos leaning against my shoulder and watching, a little gasp emanating from her. She met him three years ago and they got along very well.

Thanatos nodded very slowly, then gestured to me, a bony hand peeking out from the folds of his robes. "I think," his voice echoed empty in his hood, sounding rusty from long use, "as his friend, you might want to ...... Pick him up in person. ”

"When?" I asked, feeling a little dizzy. Eos's hand rested on my elbow to stabilize me.

"Now," Thanatos whispered.

I looked down at the clipboard, memorized the address, and gave it back to him. When I looked at Eos, her heart was in her eyes, and sympathy and sadness were on her face. "Let's go," she whispered. "Michelle will never need you more than she does now."

I could see how much she wanted to help me and even completely lightened my load. But it's a job she'll never be able to help me with, and it's why I had to die, however briefly, to fill the position. Only the dead can collect the dead.

I gave her a quick squeeze of her arm and crossed the ocean and most of a country into the Los Angeles County Hospital. My need for Michel affected my Step, causing me to catch up just in time for what was happening.

I found myself in the main hallway of the emergency room, just in time to witness the moment of death. Two doctors and two nurses knelt on the bloodstained tiles and tried to resuscitate my friend. I knew right away that they were trying to avoid admitting ...... It's hopeless.

Michelle had two bullet holes in his chest above his heart, his face was pale, and he lay motionless in a pool of spreading blood. Moreover, his soul stood aside, and everyone except me was ethereal and dazed.

Out of habit, I made myself invisible and nihilistic to mortals when I arrived—another wondrous power of my armor—so I walked through them to him. "Hello, old friend," I whispered.

He blinked, looked at me from his body, and laughed widely. "Hey, Talia." Understanding sank into it and appeared on his face. "Ah,. I guess that means there's no hope, right? ”

I shook my head and placed one of his hands on mine. "I'm sorry. Thanatos asked me to come in his place, but it was time to go. ”

Michelle folded her other hand over my body and kept her eyes on my face so he didn't have to look at what's going on in the background. "It's good for him. I'm really glad you're by my side. It's a relief to see a friendly face now. ”

"What happened?"

He shook his head. "It's all vague ...... to me"

A policeman rushed up. "What do we have?" He asked the doctor.

Convenient, that.

"Multiple GSWs on one of our own damn doctors," one of the nurses said flatly. "Hell, he started less than six months ago."

"Any chance?" The officer asked.

The attending doctor sat on his heels and shook his head. "Nope. Call it. ”

"Time to die," the other nurse choked up, "05:37." ”

"They held out for too long," Michelle said calmly. "I should have called five minutes ago."

"Who fired the shot?" The officer asked, looking around.

"A patient," said the first nurse, slowly standing up. "Doctor. When Nichols pulled out a small gun and started shooting, he was checking on him. I didn't see where he went after that. ”

"We're over there," Michelle said, pointing to a curtained inspection area with a single bed and tip-over equipment.

I frowned slightly. "Let's go see," I said impulsively. "You're a demigod...... A regular gun shouldn't do that to you. We need to know what's going on. ”

"Thanks, Thalia," Michelle whispered.

I squeezed his hand again and we went to see it together.