King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 21

Poseidon’s Story – (2)

“Of course, the only thing we’d be discussing is joining forces to overthrow Zeus, wouldn’t it?”

Poseidon takes another sip of his drink, unfazed by my lack of surprise at his bold statement.

“Is the throne of the King of the Gods that tempting?”

“Oh… it’s not that.”

The Sea God shakes his head and slowly opens his mouth.

Poseidon raises his hand, and his followers quickly move away from us.

“Zeus is no longer qualified to stand above us. Just think about what happened with Typhon…”

“But he still won in the end, didn’t he?”

“Yes, but only after being defeated and shamefully crawling into a cave with his tendons severed. Even when he fought with Scythe [likely a reference to a specific weapon or being], he struggled.”

Poseidon has always been ambitious.

When we drew lots for the dominion of the world, I ended up with the Underworld, which everyone avoided,

but he always regretted not getting the dominion of the Heavens.

But I didn’t expect him to start a rebellion so soon.

He must think I was disappointed in Zeus after helping him fight Typhon.

“It’s absurd for the King of the Gods, who rules the sky, to be defeated. Hades, Zeus, who even asked you for help through Hermes, won’t be able to win the upcoming battle against the Gigantes [a race of giants in Greek mythology].”

He must be talking about when he asked me for help through Hermes.

But I’m not inclined to overthrow Zeus just because he was defeated once.

“That’s what happens when you decide dominion with a mere lottery. It’s quite a sight to see him struggling against Typhon with all that overwhelming power.”

“So, you want to drag me in?”

“Of course, you might not be interested, but if I overthrow Zeus, I promise you a very satisfactory reward.”

No, I don’t need any rewards.

I don’t really want anything in the first place.

“Do you think there’s a chance of winning if I help? No, that’s the wrong question…”

“Hahaha! Of course! If the Underworld helps, there’s more than enough chance.”

Zeus is incredibly strong.

King of the Gods, master of lightning, the chief god who rules the sky.

Even if all the gods combined their strength, they couldn’t defeat Zeus alone, but…

that’s only when excluding me and Poseidon.

If two of the three chief gods join forces, there’s a good chance of winning. But why should I participate in a rebellion?

Zeus is better than you.

“No, I don’t oppose that rebellion.”

“What if I promise to grant you anything, except for the dominion of the sky?”

“No matter what you give me, I think I’m better off as I am.”

Poseidon frowns slightly and contemplates.

He probably doesn’t understand why I’m not swayed by power, just like Zeus.

“But… being stuck at the bottom of the underground due to bad luck…”

“If I hadn’t gone to the underground, the one of you two who went to the Underworld would have fought to the death.”

“Hmm… I didn’t expect this from you, Hades…”

Poseidon, who was lost in thought for a moment, crosses his arms.

“Then, do I have to show you evidence that Zeus is unfit to be king? Hera!”

“What…?!”

The moment Poseidon opens his mouth, the door behind the place where we were talking opens.

What emerges is the Queen of the Gods, Hera, with a chilling beauty.

She speaks in a cold tone.

“Hades, I can no longer stand to watch Zeus’s atrocities.”

* * *

I was a little surprised when Hera opened the door and walked out.

I guess Poseidon didn’t bring up the rebellion for nothing.

“No, there’s no way Zeus doesn’t know you came here…”

“Zeus ignores my words as his wife and the goddess of the household and always commits adultery. He’s having fun with another goddess right now.”

But you can just speak comfortably; you don’t have to use honorifics with me.

Like before you held the position of Queen of the Gods…

“He’s slept with dozens of goddesses so far. There are even more goddesses that I haven’t been able to identify…”

Hera is scolding Zeus with an angry face.

Well, of course, you have the right to be angry.

“Haa… How can he spend the night with goddesses and humans alike if their appearance pleases him! My insides are burning like the fire in Hephaestus’s forge [Hephaestus was the Greek god of blacksmiths and fire]…”

Uh, yeah… uh…

It seems like a rebellion is the right thing to do for you.

Isn’t this Zeus’s fault for not listening even if you tell him?

Poseidon’s confident voice flows out as I make a dumbfounded face.

“See? Even though the one who is called the King of the Gods has the goddess of the household as his wife…”

“Can’t you hear your wife getting angry in the sea?”

“…Of course, unlike Zeus, if I become the master of the sky, I am confident that I will only look at Amphitrite [Poseidon’s wife and a sea goddess].”

Put some saliva on your mouth before you lie [an idiom meaning to think before you speak or to not lie so blatantly].

Who would believe that?

“Not only Hera but also Apollo will join our plan. With this much, we can win even without you, right?”

“Do you really think so?”

“Hades, the King of the Gods is going to be replaced by me, Poseidon, even if you don’t help. What’s wrong with siding with the winning side anyway?”

Are you going to persuade me with that logic now?

Even with Apollo, Hera, and Poseidon, it feels like you’ll lose…

And Zeus is also the god of kingship.

You and Zeus are similar, but Zeus might be a little better…

Apollo is Zeus’s son, but he decided to revolt together. Is it because he’s dissatisfied with Zeus cheating on his mother, Leto?

“Zeus is strong; there’s no way you can do it even if you’re together. I’ll say it again, I’m against any rebellion.”

“Haa… Seeing you from when you fought Typhon, I didn’t think you’d become such a coward…”

“If you help overthrow Zeus, I’ll give you my daughter, Hebe, the goddess of youth. Is that not enough?”

Now he’s saying he’ll give me his daughter…

If she’s your daughter, she’s my niece. Niece.

“I also have beautiful goddesses of the Underworld.”

“Are you talking about Styx, who rejected the persistent courtship of the Titan Pallas? Or are you talking about Lethe, who always walks around with a dazed face? No one is more beautiful than my daughter…”

“That’s enough. I’m going to leave now.”

I got a little annoyed and stood up from my seat.

Hera’s anger towards Zeus is justified, but that’s not a reason for me to support the rebellion.

I don’t think Poseidon, Hera, and Apollo can beat Zeus even if they gather, and I don’t think Poseidon will perform the role of King of the Gods better than Zeus.

In conclusion, I don’t want to be on the losing side anyway.

I also didn’t like Hera, who compared my precious colleagues in the Underworld to her daughter and seemed to ignore them.

Poseidon, who was groaning, nodded slowly.

“Damn it! Damn it. Okay, I understand, but contact me anytime if you change your mind later.”

“You don’t have to worry about telling Zeus, do you?”

“Don’t tell Zeus…? Ha! It would be better for you to drop such useless thoughts…”

With Hera’s addition as the last word, I left the sea and returned to the Underworld.

Even if they rebel, they’ll just get struck by lightning and get beaten up.

Poseidon is still wary of Zeus…

Even if I tell Zeus now, Poseidon won’t know, but he’s more likely to trust his wife and son.

Since the rebellion hasn’t happened yet… If they claim it’s slander without any solid evidence, only we will be in trouble.

Zeus knows that I’m not interested in his position,

but if he thinks I’m trying to drive a wedge between him and his wife, I’ll refrain from telling him about today’s events.

And as I remember from my past life, the King of the Gods was always Zeus.

Poseidon has never been replaced even once.

* * *

Hera and Poseidon looked at each other as Hades left, laughing at them.

A sigh flowed from their mouths.

“Hmm… It would be a certain victory if Hades helped.”

“Was it a bad idea to tell him? It would be dangerous if he told Zeus.”

“Then you and Apollo can explain it well; the distance between Olympus and the Underworld is far. And…”

Poseidon shook his head.

“I had no choice. Athena said she would join if she could bring Hades in…”

“It would have been much easier if the goddess of wisdom had helped…”

They asked Athena to join them as well,

but the answer the goddess of wisdom gave was that she would refuse because there was no chance of winning.

“Athena, Zeus was afraid of you and ate Metis, who was pregnant with you [a reference to Zeus swallowing Metis to prevent the birth of a child who would overthrow him]. Have you already forgotten?”

“…I’m not without complaints, but to win against Father, at least two of the three chief gods must be together.”

“Bring in Hades?”

“But Hades is not interested in power struggles, so even if I participate, the result is obvious.”

Still, Hera’s persistent persuasion led her to say that she would join if she could bring in Hades…

In the end, it turned out like this.

“Zeus and I are enough to defeat that bastard if Apollo and I join forces!”

“I have no choice. We have to surprise Zeus when he’s off guard…”

* * *

Several days after Poseidon’s invitation, I was working in the Underworld.

While rummaging through the parchment with a tired look due to the usual amount of work…

“Lord Hades! A goddess who identified herself as Thetis has come to the entrance of the Underworld!”

“Goddess Thetis? Let her in.”

Thetis.

She is the sister of Poseidon’s wife, Amphitrite, and the goddess of the sea. I remember the prophecy of Prometheus that the son she bore would surpass his father…

Thanks to that, she was able to reject the courtship of Zeus and Poseidon, but why did she visit the Underworld?

I don’t have much contact with her…

Squeak-

A beautiful goddess reminiscent of blue waves entered the office.

She seemed very urgent and seemed to have something to ask of me.

“Hee… Hades! There are gods in Olympus who have rebelled against Zeus!”

“Is Poseidon among them by any chance?”

You’re just not deviating from my expectations.

You’ll fail anyway.

“How did you know…? Taking advantage of Zeus’s sleep, the goddess Hera, Apollo, and Poseidon ambushed him, stole his lightning, and subdued him.”

You’re completely deviating from my expectations.

So, you came to the Underworld for help.

Ambushing him while he was asleep, stealing his lightning, and subduing him,

Zeus was wary of Poseidon, but he probably didn’t expect the betrayal of Hera or Apollo at all.

Excluding Poseidon, there are no gods who pose a major threat to his power, so that’s understandable.

Should I have told Zeus to be wary of Hera even if I was suspected?

No, no. Then he would have been wary of me instead.

He might have thought of me as a brother who slandered his wife and son…

“Please call one of the Hecatoncheires brothers [giants with 100 hands and 50 heads] for a moment! We have to save Zeus!”

Goddess Thetis is shouting urgently for help.

But Tartarus [the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked] is currently in a situation where Cronos is often rampaging and Typhon’s head has even entered.

If one of the three Hecatoncheires brothers with 100 hands is taken away, the rebellion will be suppressed,

but in this situation where Tartarus is not stable, we must prepare for any possible situation.

“I can’t call the three Hecatoncheires brothers. Cronos has been rampaging in Tartarus recently.”

“That’s… But the rebellion that happened in Olympus…”

“You don’t have to worry.”

Goddess Thetis has a look of bewilderment, but my words are not over yet.

No matter how I think about it, Zeus is more suitable as the King of the Gods than Poseidon.

Both are authoritarian, only show off their strength, and are terrible gods who leave their wives and go out to rape and have affairs,

“My brother was not coveting the throne of the gods because he was already a true king.”

“Let’s take this opportunity to briefly hold a ceremony to commend the gods who made great contributions in the battle against Typhon.”

At least Zeus seems to be aware of his role as king.

I summoned the Bident [a two-pronged spear] that Hephaestus had made and grabbed the shabby helmet placed next to the throne of the Underworld.