In the Divine Palace of Hades, Persephone and Hades were seated opposite each other.
She knew the reason Hades looked up, but indeed, she was not very interested in it. For just like other deities from the surface, this Goddess of the Seeds did not take much liking to wraiths exuding an aura of death.
As for why Hades was so attentive to this, it was quite understandable. The stronger the life was when alive, the more powerful it would be after death, and the piety generated from such a life was often exceptionally astonishing.
The determination of the purity of faith lay in piety, but what determined the quantity was the strength of the life itself. For innately immortal deities, whether the faith was pure didn't have much of an impact; therefore, what truly captured the gods' attention was merely the amount.
Perhaps for other divinities of Olympus, they wouldn't care too much about those few powerful individuals. After all, humans were still in a state of barbaric growth, and if it weren't for the winter brought by Demeter, it's likely that the number of mortals would still be increasing.
So instead of focusing on those powerful beings, it would be better to increase the numbers. Faith is hard to coerce, mortal lives are very limited, and casting a wide net is the only hard truth. But Hades was different.
The lifespan of a wraith depends on the soul; the more potent, the longer it lasts. Without divine bloodlines, the legendary individuals among the fourth generation of human history could scarcely live twice or thrice the lifespan of ordinary people. Still, those of a similar rank among the wraiths could easily survive for thousands of years. This made individual strength quite cost-effective.
Moreover, Hades had had enough of those wraiths who liked to worship the Nether Moon. These skeletons and souls seemed to have a natural affinity for the being that granted them rebirth. So, given any possibility, Hades would rather nurture those unique and powerful beings separately, using his divine power to create a similar environment and grant them new life.
This method indeed avoided a lot of trouble. The only downside was that this task itself was not easy. Without the corresponding authority, even though the Goddess of the Nether Moon hadn't prevented the birth of unclaimed magic power from the source, Hades still needed to use a tremendous amount of energy to achieve the same thing.
However, if it was just a small number, Hades felt he could accept that. After all, he only needed to pay attention to those subordinates worthy of his notice. As for the rest, wraiths are different from the living after all; these beings who had died once not only lacked so many desires, but Hades also didn't rely on worship to draw faith.
Over the years, he had confirmed his conjecture. As Hades, the reverence for his authority and the rules established under this authority from those lives born in the Underworld was a form of faith in him. So, whenever he had a chance, Hades would personally visit the Mortal Realm.
But this time, faced with Perse's question, Hades merely shook his head.
"It is indeed a powerful aura, but it's not a mortal, so I must see for myself."
"And besides... it seems to have some connection to you."
Recalling that fleeting aura, Hades felt somewhat uncertain. It was a sensation tainted with divine aura, and even that breath felt familiar.
That was Demeter... Thinking this, as if he finally made a decision, he looked towards the goddess beside him.
So many years had passed, and he could now be sure that even if she wasn't the perfect choice, she was the one he needed. If so, there was no need to hesitate anymore.
"Perse... Although the arrival of winter is indeed a good thing, the gods will not tolerate it forever."
"One day, they will no longer bear the reduction of humanity, and at your mother's request, they will unite to pressure me to let you return to the Mortal Realm."
"But I do not want to go back."
She said indifferently, searching on the table and eating another fruit.
"I can explain to my mother, she will understand me."
"Perhaps... But whether she understands you or not, Zeus will definitely not understand me."
Hades shook his head, having little hope for this.
Hades saw all that King Zeus had done for Demeter. Clearly, even if he wasn't as jumpy as Poseidon and had ventured to the desolate depths, Zeus was still far from at ease with him.
It could be just the Divine King's subconscious check and balance, or he might have seen something. In any case, Zeus' actions had already vaguely expressed his stance. So this time, Hades decided to act first and seize her to the Underworld, then demand that King Zeus fulfill his promise.
Otherwise, he was sure that something bizarre would happen in between, and it seemed to be 'unrelated' to the master of Mount Olympus.
Thinking of this, Hades felt a bit amused. Zeus indeed was the 'Guardian of Oaths' — he would honor the exact words of an oath. Moreover, in matters outside the oath, he would do even more in the opposite direction.
But perhaps it was someone like him who could sit on the throne for longer — if he were human instead of the Divine King.
"King Zeus, truly disgusting."
Picking up the handkerchief to dab her moistened fingertips, Persephone raised her head. Her gaze pierced through the walls of the Divine Palace, overlooking the vast expanse of the Underworld from a higher perspective.