After sharing brief goodbyes with my companions, I immediately sent a message to the <Underworld>. A reply came back in no time at all.
在和我的同伴们简短地道别之后，我立即向冥界发送了一条信息。很快就收到了回复。
[Constellation, ‘Father of the Rich Night’, has permitted your entry.] [Constellation, ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’, has permitted your entry.] [Nebula, <Underworld>, has opened a portal that will summon you.]
[《星座》，《富夜之父》，允许你进入。][星座，‘最黑暗的春天的女王’，允许你进入。][星云，冥界，打开了一个传送门，可以召唤你]
Tsu-chuchuchuchut!
楚楚楚！
Now originally, it was not easy to leave beyond the scenario’s boundaries when a massive scenario was already underway. However, the <Underworld> had willingly spent an enormous amount of Probability for my sake.
最初，当一个巨大的场景已经开始时，要离开这个场景的边界是不容易的。然而，黑社会愿意为了我花费大量的可能性。
I was really grateful for that.
我真的很感激。
I might be called their successor, but, I haven’t even paid them a proper visit to say hello after getting their help the last time…..
我可能被称为他们的继承人，但是，在上次得到他们的帮助后，我甚至没有正式拜访过他们，向他们问好..。
Now that I thought about it, I was kind of apprehensive, too; what if the reason for them permitting my entry without any issues was to beat me up for not visiting the <Underworld> until now?
现在我想了想，我也有点担心;如果他们允许我进入的原因是因为我直到现在才去冥界而打我呢？
– Kim Dok-Ja.
-金道子。
A message suddenly came flying in and startled me. I quickly looked up. It wasn’t via [Midday Tryst], which meant there could be only one who had sent me this message.
一条信息突然飞进来，把我吓了一跳。我迅速抬起头。这不是通过[正午幽会]，这意味着可能只有一个人给我发了这条信息。
– What’s this? I thought you’d be busy after becoming the branch manager. But you still have enough leeway to mind what’s happening this side, too?
这是什么我还以为你当了分行经理后会很忙呢但是你仍然有足够的余地去关注这边发生的事情
– No, I don’t. I made time, though.
不，我没有，不过我挤出了时间。
Bihyung, floating in the air, grumbled a bit while sucking on leaf tobacco. This guy…. It looked as if he was fatigued from overworking after becoming a manager recently. He stared at me with complicated eyes and let a long sigh escape from his lips. I sensed the surrounding channels’ transmissions get blocked off temporarily.
飘浮在空中的比亨一边吸着烟叶，一边嘟囔着。这家伙..。最近当了经理后，他看起来似乎由于工作过度而感到疲惫。他用复杂的眼睛盯着我，嘴里发出一声长叹。我感觉到周围频道的信号暂时被阻断了。
– You’re trying to do something really dangerous.
你在做一件非常危险的事。
– When did I ever not do that?
我什么时候不这么做了？
– This is different from the past. This time, the entirety of the <Star Stream> is paying attention to the things you’re doing.
这不同于过去这一次，星流的全部注意力都集中在你正在做的事情上
– I think I’ve heard that hundreds of times by now.
我想我已经听过无数次了。
– You keep this up, and all the Probability’s karma you’ve accumulated so far will blow up in your face. You know what that means, don’t you?
如果你继续这样下去，到目前为止你积累的所有可能性业力都会在你面前爆炸你知道这意味着什么，不是吗
I nodded my head. I clearly saw all the horrifying things that happened after the twisted Probability exploded forth back in the ‘Demon King Selection’.
我点了点头。我清楚地看到了所有可怕的事情发生后，扭曲的概率爆炸向前回到’魔王选择’。
And honestly, I’d been often feeling as if I was standing on a Jenga tower missing quite a few blocks lately.
说实话，最近我常常觉得自己好像站在一座缺了好几个街区的叠叠乐塔上。
– You be careful now. You can’t stay lucky forever. Even if you are under protection by Great Dokkaebis or Outer Gods…..
你现在小心点你不能永远保持幸运即使你受到伟大的多卡比斯或外界诸神的保护..。
– Under the protection of who
-在谁的保护下？
– ….Forget it. I shouldn’t have said anything.
算了吧我不该说的。
Bihyung shook his head and lightly spread some smoke in the air. When he did, the frozen channels began opening up once more with the tobacco smoke as the centre.
比亨摇了摇头，轻轻地在空中撒了一些烟雾。当他这样做的时候，以烟草烟雾为中心的冰冻通道又开始打开了。
– Come back alive. Don’t die.
活着回来，别死。
– Is that something you should say to a guy heading to the netherworld?
你应该对一个要去冥界的人这么说吗？
He didn’t have to say anything, but I knew that, most likely, Bihyung had been stopping all the interference attempts coming from the Bureau. He was just a measly little low-ranked Dokkaebi the first time we met, but now, he became big enough to help me out in this manner. Indeed, one had to live long enough first to see something like this.
他不用说什么，但是我知道，很可能是Bihyung阻止了局里所有的干扰企图。我们第一次见面的时候，他只是一个微不足道、地位低下的多卡比，但现在，他已经长大了，可以用这种方式帮助我。事实上，人们必须活得足够长才能看到这样的景象。
[Transmission through space-time has begun.]
[通过时空的传送已经开始]
All sensory perception seemed to split apart before me and when I opened my eyes again, the blackened and withered grounds of the netherworld greeted my presence. It was the <Underworld>. Originally, I needed to utilise the services of the boatman Charon and cross the river first, but that step had been omitted this time.
所有的感官知觉似乎在我面前分崩离析，当我再次睁开眼睛时，阴间那发黑、枯萎的土地迎接了我的到来。是地下世界。最初，我需要利用船夫卡戎的服务，首先过河，但这一步这次被省略了。
I walked on the gravelled banks of the dried-up river and headed off towards Hades’s palace for a while. The moment I stepped inside the outer castle, though, tens of thousands of gazes landed on me as if they had been waiting for my arrival.
我走在干涸的河岸上的砾石上，朝冥府走了一会儿。然而，当我踏进城堡外的那一刻，成千上万的目光落在我身上，仿佛他们一直在等待我的到来。
From the three Judges of the <Underworld> to the innumerable number of souls - judging from how ferocious the overall atmosphere was, I had to conclude that their gazes were not friendly at all.
从三个黑社会的法官到无数的灵魂——从整个气氛的凶猛程度来判断，我不得不断定他们的目光一点也不友好。
[Judges of the <Underworld> have discovered your presence!]
[冥界的法官发现了你的存在!]
As expected, there was another purpose in summoning me here, wasn’t there?
不出所料，把我叫到这儿来还有另一个目的，不是吗？
Shu-shu-shut…
闭嘴。
Emitting Statuses that might turn every living thing into withered, mummified husks, the three Judges of the <Underworld> approached me as if they were gliding in the air.
冥界的三位法官发出庄严的声音，可以把所有的生物都变成枯萎的木乃伊。他们走近我，好像他们在空中滑翔。
Each judge was a Fable-grade Constellation.
每位评委都是神话级的星座。
I quickly grasped the [Unbreakable Faith] attached to my hips. Even if I had grown stronger, it was not going to be easy trying to fend off against these three when we were in the <Underworld>.
我很快抓住了系在我屁股上的“牢不可破的信念”。即使我变得更强大了，在地狱里也不容易对付这三个人。
It was right then that the leading Judge’s eye level began lowering towards the ground. That was the start; the second and third Judges also lowered their eye level. All three of them were now kneeling before me.
就在这时，主审法官的视线开始向地面下降。这是开始;第二和第三位法官也降低了他们的眼睛水平。他们三个人现在都跪在我面前。
…..Uh?
呃？
And the army of the <Underworld> following after them all began settling down like a violent but low tidal wave. I took a closer look, and that volatile atmosphere I felt earlier was a bit different in nature to what I was assuming earlier. In fact, the Judges of the <Underworld> were looking at me while wiping away at their eyes - as if they were deeply moved about something.
跟在他们后面的地下世界的军队开始像暴力的低潮一样安顿下来。我仔细观察了一下，我之前感觉到的那种不稳定的气氛，在本质上与我之前假设的有点不同。事实上，冥界的法官们一边看着我，一边擦着他们的眼睛——好像他们被什么东西深深地打动了。
Ku-gugugugu!
咕咕咕咕！
The <Underworld> itself seemed to have knelt before me to open up a path.
冥界似乎跪在我面前，为我开辟了一条道路。
It was the path that led into the inner sanctum of the palace. Only two Constellations were allowed to walk on this path up until now.
这条小路通向宫殿的密室。到目前为止，只有两个星座被允许在这条路上行走。
[We welcome you to the Kingdom of the Night, oh, Heir to the <Underworld>!!]
[我们欢迎你来到黑夜王国，哦，地下世界的继承人!!]
Along with the Judge’s declaration, a system message floated up in my view.
随着法官的声明，一个系统的信息浮现在我的眼前。
[You are currently the Prince of the <Underworld>.]
[你现在是地下王国的王子]
*
While moving through the palace’s interior, I couldn’t help but feel a bit strange inside.
当我穿过宫殿的内部时，我禁不住觉得里面有点奇怪。
I figured that something like this might happen after becoming the ‘successor to the <Underworld>’, but still, experiencing a near-vertical rise of my station made the inside of my brain go all soft and mushy.
我猜想，在成为“地下世界的继承者”之后，这样的事情可能会发生，但是，经历了几乎垂直上升的地位，我的大脑内部变得软弱和模糊。
I had never been treated this warmly before in my life. On top of that, what was up with this rather gloomy and decorative costume?
我以前从来没有受到过如此热情的对待。除此之外，这件阴郁而装饰性的服装是怎么回事？
[Character, ‘Ricardo von Kaixenix’, asks you if you were also a prince.]
[角色‘RicardovonKaixenix’问你是否也是王子。]
The Fourth Prince of the Kaixenix Archipelago, sharing the same vision as me, decided to say something. As I deliberated on what my reply should be, the Judge attentively studying me also decided to address me. [Excuse me, your highness.]
凯克森尼克斯群岛的第四位王子和我有着同样的想法，他决定说点什么。当我仔细考虑我的答复时，法官仔细研究了我，也决定向我发表讲话。对不起，殿下
“Yes?”
“什么事?”
[I’d like to apologise for the matters of the last time.]
我想为上次发生的事情道歉
Now that I thought about, this ajussi, he was the same Judge who ‘greeted’ me when I entered the <Underworld> in order to recover Shin Yu-Seung’s soul. He was the one who drank lots of ‘Yamata no Orochi’s Snake Wine’ and helped me in secret…. What was his Modifier again?
现在我想起来，这个阿尤西，他就是那个在我进入冥界为了找回申玉升的灵魂而“问候”我的法官。他就是那个喝了很多八岐大蛇蛇酒并秘密帮助我的人.....。他的修正值是多少来着？
“No, it’s fine. Things worked out well in the end so it’s alright. I was actually grateful back then.”
“不，没关系。事情最后都很顺利，所以没关系。那时候我真的很感激。”
The Judge lowered his head as if he was feeling apologetic, and pushed the doors to the audience chamber wide open. [The King of the <Underworld> is waiting for you.]
法官低下了头，似乎在道歉，然后推开了观众席的大门。[冥界之王在等你]
I tensed up and stepped across the doorway along with the Judges. The confidence-inspiring Statuses from them guarding my side made me feel a bit weird inside, though.
我紧张起来，和法官们一起跨过门口。不过，防守我这边的那些鼓舞士气的球员让我的内线感觉有点奇怪。
If I become the master of the <Underworld>, I’d get to order around Constellations like them.
如果我成为地下世界的主人，我就可以像他们一样在星座周围发号施令。
[….Fufu. I see. So that’s what happened.]
[...福福，我明白了，原来是这样。]
Persephone’s voice coming from the darkness interrupted my chain of thoughts. She sat on her throne and was busy chatting away with someone sitting on the top of her hand.
珀尔塞福涅的声音从黑暗中传来，打断了我的思绪。她坐在她的宝座上，忙着和坐在她手上的人聊天。
[Ba-aht, ba-aht. Aba-aht!]
[ Ba-aht，Ba-aht. Aba-aht! ]
[H-mm, it was the same story back then, too?]
[嗯，那时候也是一样的故事?]
[Ba-aht, ba-aht!]
[ Ba-aht，Ba-aht ]
It was a little ‘mochi’ bouncing around; I knew who that voice belonged to. And even before I could say something, Biyu discovered me first and cried out in happiness.
这是一个小’麻吉’周围跳跃;我知道这个声音属于谁。我还没来得及说什么，碧玉就先发现了我，高兴得大叫起来。
[Abahat! Abahat!]
[ Abahat! Abahat! ]
[Our young successor has finally arrived, it seems.]
[看来我们年轻的接班人终于到了。]
I didn’t know why Biyu was here, but still, this wasn’t a bad development. Persephone seemed to be thoroughly entertained by her adorable antics, after all.
我不知道碧玉为什么会在这里，但是，这仍然是一个不错的进展。毕竟，珀尔塞福涅似乎完全被她那可爱的滑稽动作逗乐了。
Hades’s stony gaze and Persephone’s warm, gentle one landed on me simultaneously. It felt as if my whole body was freezing up as this itchy sensation travelled all over me. As expected, just the glance of a Myth-grade Constellation contained enough power to overwhelm all existences.
哈迪斯的石头般的凝视和珀尔塞福涅温暖温和的目光同时落在了我身上。当这种发痒的感觉遍布全身的时候，我感觉好像整个身体都冻僵了。不出所料，仅仅是一个神话级星座的一瞥就足以压倒一切。
I recalled Hades’s incredible battle against Poseidon and performed a simple standing greeting with a bow of my head.
我回忆起哈迪斯与海神波塞冬的那场不可思议的战斗，用我的头鞠了一躬，做了一个简单的站着问候。
“It’s been a while, oh, ‘Father of the Rich Night’, and ‘Queen of the Darkest Spring’.”
“已经有一段时间了，哦，‘富夜之父’和‘最黑暗之春的女王’。”
[Indeed, it’s been too long, my child. Have you been well?] “Uh…. Yes, I have. How about you, my queen?”
[的确，好久不见了，我的孩子。你还好吗?]“嗯......是的，我很好。你呢，我的王后?”
[Fufu, we’ve been doing well. Although, we were a little saddened that our only son paid us a visit so belatedly like this.]
福福，我们一直做得很好。虽然，我们唯一的儿子这么晚才来看我们，我们还是有点难过
The conversation we shared had this festive holiday vibe to it. Since I didn’t have any experience in things like this, I couldn’t figure out at all on how to carry on with the conversation.
我们的谈话有节日气氛。由于我对这类事情没有任何经验，我根本不知道如何继续进行这种谈话。
Hades sitting on a commodious throne was looking down at me with an expression I still couldn’t read, while Persephone carried a brightly-smiling face as she continued to talk to me.
坐在宽敞王座上的哈迪斯低头看着我，脸上的表情我现在还看不懂，而珀尔塞福涅则带着一张灿烂的笑脸继续和我说话。
[The loneliness from your absence has been filled by our littlest granddaughter here. To think, I’d get to see a Dokkaebi granddaughter in our old age…. Indeed, one needs to live long enough first to see such a thing.]
你不在的时候，我们最小的孙女已经填补了我们的寂寞。想想看，在我们的晚年，我会看到多卡比的孙女.....。事实上，一个人需要活得足够长才能看到这样的事情
She must’ve really liked Biyu still going ‘Ba-aht, ba-aht’; Persephone gently patted the small Dokkaebi sitting on the back of her hand. [Although we have a grandchild, you still regretfully lack a partner. When are you planning to introduce us to your mate?] “Ah, that, I still need to think abo….”
她一定很喜欢碧玉还在发出“巴啊，巴啊”的声音;帕尔塞福涅轻轻地拍了拍坐在她手背上的小杜卡比。虽然我们有一个孙子，但你仍然遗憾地缺少一个伴侣。你打算什么时候把我们介绍给你的伴侣“啊，那个，我还得想想......”
The top question nobody wanted to hear during the holidays flew in at me right away.
假期里没有人愿意听到的第一个问题马上就向我袭来。
It was right then the silent Judges decided to step forward.
就在这时，沉默的法官们决定站出来。
[According to our investigations, there are several potential candidates, your majesty.]
[根据我们的调查，有几个可能的候选人，陛下]
[Ho-oh, is that so?]
是这样吗
[Yes. This data has been compiled after investigating through the Olympus’s Fate Matching System ⸢Cupid’s Arrow Shot⸥ and ⸢Help us DUO Venus⸥.] (TL: DUO is apparently a match-making company in South Korea, specialising in finding marriage partners. Not sure if I got the reference right, though.) [Judges, you seem to have done something productive for once.] ….N-no, hang on a minute here. Why were these geezers called Judges investigating my private life
是的。这些数据是在通过奥林巴斯命运匹配系统丘比特的箭射和帮助我们二人维纳斯调查后汇编而成的(DUO显然是韩国的一家婚介公司，专门寻找婚姻伴侣。不过，我不确定我的引用是否正确。)[法官们，你们似乎做了一件有意义的事。]不，等一下。为什么这些老家伙被称为法官来调查我的私生活？
Unfortunately, a hologram floated up in the air without giving me a chance to stop them.
不幸的是，一个全息图浮在空中，没有给我一个机会去阻止他们。
[Firstly, this is the Candidate no.1.]
[首先，这是1号候选人。]
What popped up on it was a certain footage.
突然出现的是一段特定的录像。
– Dok-Ja has a dokja’s life to live, after all.
毕竟Dok-Ja有dokja的生活。
– A Dok-Ja’s life…. Dok-Ja-ssi, that’s a wonderful assertion.
-一个Dok-Ja的生活....Dok-Ja-ssi，这是一个精彩的断言。
What the…. Out of all the footages available, why did they have to go and bring out such dark history?
什么......在所有可用的片段中，他们为什么要去揭露这样黑暗的历史呢？
The Judge spoke in a composed tone of voice. [Candidate No.1 is a deeply considerate woman. Not only can she accept our Prince’s peculiar sensibilities with tolerance as vast as rivers and oceans, but she also possesses a gentle, warm personality and natural decisiveness, as well as a wonderful outer appearance. Honestly speaking, she may even perhaps be out of our esteemed Prince’s league….]
法官用镇静的语调说话。[一号候选人是一位体贴入微的女性。她不仅能够接受我们的王子那宽广如江河海洋的独特的敏感，而且她还拥有温柔、热情和自然的果断，以及一个美好的外表。老实说，她甚至可能不是我们尊敬的王子的对手......]
