Chapter 181: You’re Not Going Off Alone Again (5)
“Were you thinking of running off like this again?”
He couldn’t bear to speak.
While Hades was looking down at Aisha, dumbfounded, she closed the door and entered, leaving the dish on his table and asked once more.
“I said, were you thinking of running off like this again.”
“No I…”
Tears were already welling up in her big eyes as if it could roll off at any moment.
And…
Beyond her wet gaze were her emotions: Affection, yearning, and the sort.
It was so genuine that it made Hades feel ashamed of himself for not trusting her even for a moment and complaining in his head about her unfaithfulness.
Hades winced on purpose to hide how moved he was. He felt like he would start crying like her if he didn’t.
“Didn’t you miss me?”
“How in the world are you here? You are…”
“Is that,” Aisha narrowed the space between her eyes as she closed up on him, “Is that the first thing you want to say to me after seeing me? Asking how I am here? Is that really… the words we need right now?”
“…”
“So many things happened until we got here. But there wasn’t a moment I didn’t think of Your Grace. Rather than thinking of what will become of us or the chances of us dying, I just…”
“…”
“Just wanted to see you. Even if we end up meeting at the end of the world, I thought that didn’t matter. I only worried about not getting to see you again by any chance.”
Aisha’s welled up tears finally ran down her cheeks.
Swallowing down the sadness verging up to her neck, Aisha grabbed at Hades’ sleeve as if to confront him.
“I missed you. I really… really…”
“…”
“I missed you.”
With the confession of that teary voice as a signal, the two bodies facing each other melted together in haste. Their lips swallowed each other’s with no way to tell who moved first. The act replaced the conversation they couldn’t have during their time apart.
It seemed like he was trying to replace his words with his actions to show how he missed her. His kiss was fiery and overwhelming.
It was as if they were thirsty animals. Despite how much he pushed her, the woman hung onto the man’s neck as if it wasn’t enough.
In a silence that is unbothered by anyone, only the sound of wet tongues intertwining was clearly audible.
Tap-
Aisha’s back reached the long table as she was pushed to the wall.
The two of them pulled away from each other’s lips and shared gazes that seemed to stick onto each other’s in midair.
“Hmb…”
A teary voice leaked out of lips broken apart, but only for a brief moment.
Hades’ lips dug into hers as if he would not permit even the shortest moment to spare as he picked Aisha up and sat her on the table.
Ting, clank-
Due to the passionate movements, the cheap ornaments on the table fell on the ground one by one, making a dangerous noise.
With no saying who was first, their hands were desperate to tear off every layer between them.
“Haa…”
Sitting on the table with her back against the wall, a heavy, out-of-breath moan burst out from Aisha’s mouth as she embraced Hades.
Even in that moment to gain breath, Hades’ crimson eyes were busy taking in sight of Aisha.
Looking at her own face reflected on the transparent sheen of his iris, Aisha laughed tearfully.
Did he not miss her, she asked?
How could he not miss a face like this?
“I missed you.”
“…”
“I missed you more.”
***
I cried a lot.
Throughout our conversation, I cried for my devastating fate, and cried at how hard it was up to this point.
…And because how exhausted he made me.
“You really are reckless. What are you doing following me here. You should have just waited back…”
Hearing about how I ended up following him to Orcus, Hades clicked his tongue as he busily put his clothes back on. I was about to follow his example and put my clothes back on but gave up.
It was hard to barely keep my eyes open…
“Who’s telling who for being reckless? Isn’t it more reckless to be wasting energy like this just before the big battle?”
“What, and you were brave enough to knock at my door and didn’t expect something like this would happen?”
Looking down at me, who was exhausted, Hades smirked.
He gave a shrug with an impish grin, then sat himself beside me.
As his hand reached out affectionately to pat my cheek and tidy up my hair, his expression got a little heavier.
“I can see why you followed me, but Aisha, I can’t go back after coming this far…”
“Yes, I’m not here to persuade Your Grace to go back either. It’s not like you are someone to be persuaded even if I try, right?”
“Then…”
“Even if we die, we die together. I’m going to go to Gaionia as well.” I said firmly. Hades’ face stiffened.
He then let out a sigh and rose from where he sat, gritting his teeth.
“Roxa this punk… I told him to stay hidden, he can’t do anything right. I should give him a whack before going.”
“W-wait.”
I never got around to telling him what happened to Roxa. Hades must have assumed that he would be somewhere inside this inn since we must have come here together.
Holding back Hades who was about to get out at any moment, I smiled awkwardly.
“What’s the point of blaming Roxa when it already happened? Just stay still, I’m too tired to move.”
He hesitated with a pouty face, but came back beside me to pull me in for a hug.
“But who is that punk who was getting onto you on the first floor? Did you meet him here?”
“Who… Ahh! You mean Daemon?”
Hades winced at how amicably I called him. I purposefully took out the bit about how Abel grew up through drinking Roxa’s potion, just to mess with him like this.
“I came across him here. What would happen if Your Grace ends up dead by any chance? Abel would need a father, so I should be looking for a good replacement too. He was good looking and was as strong as Your Grace… he isn’t a bad choice for a husband material for someone I’ve picked up in a hurry.”
I said feigning serious consideration. Hades’ eyes widened. I have never seen his eyes that wide before.
After blinking a few times, he managed to open his mouth.
“…Do you mean that?”
“Why would I be lying in this situation? Ah, in case Daemon misunderstands, I should go to him later and tell him that Your Grace has nothing to do with me.”
“What…”
It was quite sight to see Hades shooting up as if he was about to say something, yet was unable to say anything.
“I can see what you are thinking, but I mean…. Why do you think it is given that I will be dead? What are you going to do if I end up coming back alive?”
“Pfft.”
In the end, I couldn’t hold it back and burst laughter. Hades narrowed frowned as he saw me.
“Cheer up,” I told him as I ran my finger through the space between his eyebrows, wrinkled hard.
“You are so silly, you don’t even recognize your son.”
“What?”
“That was Abel. Actually, we almost died passing the first trial of Orcus. If it wasn’t for Abel back then, we would have died.”
“Abel? What in the world had happened?”
“There was a potion Roxa gave him. What was it he said… he said it was made out of will emitted when mana is released for the first time.”
“Ahh, I remember now. He was trying to sell it off to me with a lowered price of 1+1 worth four hundred million nort. He called it a potion that grants wishes or something…”
“My, so he offered it to you as well.”
“I couldn’t trust him, so I didn’t buy it, telling him that he could have them all for himself. But to find out it had such effect…”
Seeing Hades surprised, I asked him. “But there were two of them?”
“Yeah. He was originally intending on selling it as two hundred fifty million per bottle, but he said he would discount one hundred million if I get two. So is there only one of that left? In that case…”
“No.”
I see. I was wondering how Roxa managed to send Azar to the front of the portal on our last trial before getting to Mondus…
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, no. It’s nothing. Those two potions, we used them all. There’s none left.”
“Really?”
Looking at Hades smacking his lips like it was a pity, I spoke. “Our Abel grew up to be quite handsome, don’t you think?”
“Well, whose son do you think he is?”
“Let’s see him grow up like so together, no matter what.”
Hearing my words, Hades’ face froze slightly.
“I will not try to die. I will be by Your Grace and Abel’s side as long as fate allows me. Let’s live together, until our son is all grown up.”
“…”
“There’s no one who would blame you even if you fail, Your Grace. So…”
As I got up and hugged Hades cautiously, Hades hugged me back a little hesitantly.
“…Throw away your resolution to fight to your death. If you feel worn out, if you are at your limit, turn around without any regrets.”
“…”
“That is fine. Father is a hypocrite god, so he will act forgiving and send us back safe and sound.”
Okay? Hades didn’t reply to My added question at the end.
I locked eyes with him and whispered once more, almost pleading.
“I want to live happily with Your Grace in this life, no matter what.”
Hades looked into my eyes for a long while, then answered with a smirk.
“Alright.”
“Promise.”
“Alright. I will.”
It was a lie I could easily tell as always, but I smiled with a nod.
I didn’t expect this proud man to move according to my will to begin with. So it didn’t matter.
It was my job to beg for his life anyways.
***
-When exactly does the gate open on the new moon? I’ll go with you. I’ll go with you and fight with you. It would be much more doable than Your Grace fighting alone.
-What would have happened if I really didn’t find you? Don’t ever go off like this without telling me again. Then I’ll really be having an affair.
Aisha tweeted for a long time while waiting for the new moon, then started to doze off just as Hades expected.
It would have been rather troublesome if the reincarnation gate opened before she fell asleep.
He felt sorry for her, but he had no intention of going to Gaionia with her, where they would have to risk their lives.
It wasn’t just Aisha, but everyone who has followed him into Orcus without a clue.
‘Wait just a little more.’
The reason why the sky on the night of the new moon without a single moon to be seen was so bright must be because the reincarnation gate has finally appeared.
‘No matter what it is in there, for your sake,’
A giant blue crack in the sky.
Staring at that thing beyond the window, Hades planted a brief kiss on Aisha’s forehead where she lay down.
‘I will get rid of everything and come back alive safely.’
His affectionate gaze suddenly glared sharp in the darkness.
***
With three moons swallowed by darkness, dim light shone from the pitch-black night sky.
Under the reincarnation gate floating above the ‘dead land’ as it shone down on moonless Mundus, Hades drew his breath slowly in and out.
The stairway leading up to the reincarnation gate that could be only seen by those who are permitted reincarnation… that semi-translucent thing appeared clearly in front of Hades’ eyes as if the air was being distorted.
Despite him not having any right to enter through the reincarnation door,
‘He’s waiting, idle.’
It seemed that Gaionia was preparing to meet Hades, feeling laid back.
Clank-
As he arrived at the end of the staircase, walking up one by one, counting its steps with the tip of the sword in his hand,
Hades turned to the direction where Aisha would be fast asleep and smiled lightly.
“I will come back alive.”
With inaudible promise, the reincarnation gate swallowed Hades.
It was a sensation not so different from when getting past the first portal and when he had first entered Mundus.
The scenery was so as well.
An endless horizon.
Dry land that wouldn’t have a single blade of grass or a bud of flower growing on it.
The only difference from before was that the being he was dying to meet was right before his eyes.
“Ah.”
About ten steps away.
“I’ve finally found you.”
Facing the expressionless blond man before him, Hades grinned.
“…Sneaky rat.”