Following Hyde, they proceeded to the lower levels of Hell.
The sound of a whipping lash, followed by delayed screams. The shadows of the jailers endlessly whipping sinners were projected onto the rocks. This was likely the very image of hell everyone had imagined.
“Piyo, will you come here when you die?”
Piyo looked up at me with a frightened expression. It’s no wonder one would become afraid of death if shown this while still alive.
“Piyo will be alright. This is where people who have done bad things come.”
“Basically, everyone comes to Hell.”
Hey, why would you say that? You’ve made Piyo even more scared because of Hyde.
“Everyone commits some kind of sin. But living itself is a sin. I think those who go to Heaven from the start are cowards who have escaped all sin.”
It’s not necessarily cowardice. I’ve lived my life paying attention to every detail, so I should be able to go to Heaven.
“Well, most sins are light, so they go to Purgatory.”
“What kind of place is that Purgatory?”
“It’s a place where people go after finishing their sentences in Hell. There, they purify their sins and go to Heaven.”
I see, so it’s like an intermediate point. Perhaps it’s a place to rest on the way to Heaven after suffering in Hell. Piyo will probably rest in Purgatory for a while before going to Heaven.
“See, so Piyo won’t come here after dying.”
“Really? Will I be able to meet everyone again?”
I don’t know about that. Would I want to meet myself again after death? By the way, Hyde mentioned earlier that there was a riot in Hell and things were chaotic. The reason was that it was unfair for them to be punished when the jailers were fine.
“Speaking of which, they interfere with romance in the mortal world, but are the people living in Hell not mentioned?”
“About that… honestly, they don’t seem to be looked upon favorably. In the floors above this one, there is a city. Demons live there. It wasn’t like that in the past. Hell has changed over a long period of time.”
According to Hyde’s story, in the past, it was just a place to punish sinners, and demons and demonic beasts simply roamed a wilderness of boiling lava and rocks. Over time, it became a place where towns were built and life became easier, as if it were being adjusted to match the mortal world.
Heaven, it seems, does not look favorably upon this. And as life became more comfortable, and lower-ranking demons started to develop desires beyond just punishing sinners, other desires emerged.
“Well, some demons are like Succubi, so one could say it’s all about lust. But the problem is that some of the jailers were once sinners.”
So that’s also a possibility. They were originally sinners, but became jailers because they were too strong to handle?
“They must be quite formidable.”
“Formidable? Perhaps there are such people, but it’s mostly unrelated. It’s just that the sense of sin has changed over time. There are questions like, ‘Should they really be punished?’ But rules cannot be changed arbitrarily. So, they are given choices.”
“Either become a jailer and help with the work, or remain a sinner. If one becomes a jailer here, they will be the one punishing the sinners. However, the jailer themselves is still a sinner, with time left on their sentence. So, it’s made to look like they are working as punishment.”
In other words, they are made to do the demons’ work as punishment. It seems much better than being tormented endlessly.
“However, since their sentence can only be consumed during working hours, their time in Hell becomes longer. Furthermore, they are monitored while working, and most importantly, the moment they become a jailer, their bodies often change due to the miasma of Hell.”
So, if they want to finish their sentence quickly, they have to continuously accept punishment twenty-four hours a day. But if they become a jailer, they can return home and live their lives outside of working hours, right? This must be a small consideration from Hell.
“Then everyone would want to become a jailer, wouldn’t they?”
“That is decided by us based on their conduct in the mortal world. Lord Hades also considers the souls of the departed every day. There are many things we want to change, but it is not easy. In fact, it can take nearly a hundred years to decide on a single case.”
Time here feels almost infinite. What is this vague feeling I have? It’s like a company where things don’t progress easily. You come up with a reform proposal, but the people around you lack motivation, or your superiors don’t accept it. It feels like swimming in mud.
“Hell is also hard work. Ugh, what is this smell?”
As we were chatting and walking, a pungent, overpowering stench suddenly assaulted my nose. I instinctively coughed.
“This is the Punishment Facility ahead. Those who fawned over those above them will drown in excrement and urine. Now, let’s move on.”
I passed through the area of the cesspool, trying to keep it out of my sight as much as possible. Though I didn’t pass right next to it, it was truly awful. If I were told to work here, I would have to think about it.
