King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 46

The King of the Underworld is Tired 46 (46/82)

Oedipus’s Tragedy – (1)

Thebes, the only country in the world with a Hades Temple, seemed peaceful, but a dark cloud hung over it.

This was due to a prophecy given to King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes.

According to the oracle from the Temple of Delphi:

‘Your son will kill his father and sleep with his mother.’

King Laius was horrified.

The oracle stated his own son would murder him and have relations with his wife.

King Laius secretly summoned a shepherd.

“Take this infant to a secluded place and kill him quietly.”

“Pardon? But… His Majesty’s son…”

“Son or not, he’s destined to kill me and bed my wife, so I can’t let him live.”

The shepherd left Thebes with the infant.

He took the child to a remote area.

However, he was tormented by the thought of killing a newborn.

A couple noticed him passing by.

“Excuse me, what are you doing with that child?”

“Well… it’s…”

“If you’re having trouble raising him, leave him with us. Since his feet are swollen, we can name him Oedipus (meaning ‘swollen foot’ in ancient Greek).”

They were the King and Queen of Corinth, who longed for children. Thus, Oedipus became the adopted son of King Polybus of Corinth.

Later, a grown-up Oedipus overheard a shocking story from Polybus’s brother during a royal banquet.

Though it came from a drunkard…

“Hic… You’re not your brother’s biological son, Oedipus.”

“What do you mean, uncle?”

“I mean, you’re the child my brother and his wife received from a shepherd… Hiccup!”

The story was so shocking that Oedipus traveled to Delphi to consult the oracle.

If anyone knew his origins, it would be Apollo, the god of prophecy.

‘You will kill your father and sleep with your mother.’

But the prophecy didn’t specify if they were his biological parents.

It only foretold Oedipus’s tragedy.

Believing King Polybus and his wife were his true parents, Oedipus left Corinth that night.

He thought that by leaving his adoptive parents, the King and Queen of Corinth, he could avoid the prophecy.

But…

A dispute arose with a group in a narrow alley.

The coachman, seeing Oedipus’s shabby clothes, started a fight, demanding he move aside.

“How can I make way in this narrow alley!”

“Ha! Do you know who’s in this carriage?”

“Looks like some nobleman, but status doesn’t excuse rudeness.”

“You insolent wretch! The person in the carriage is the king of a country!”

Oedipus laughed at the coachman.

What sane king would wander outside the city instead of staying in the palace?

In the age of mythology, the area outside the city walls was practically lawless.

Centaurs, nymphs, monsters, and various non-human species roamed freely…

It was a wild land where robbers and thieves were common.

“If the guy in there is a king, then I’m the prince of Corinth!”

“What?!”

Just then, someone inside the carriage reached out and lashed a whip.

The whip struck Oedipus’s head, knocking him down.

“Ugh!”

“You’re being presumptuous for a commoner. Get out of the way, or you’ll die.”

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got!”

Enraged, Oedipus drew his sword and killed everyone, including the owner of the carriage and the guards.

Only the coachman survived and fled.

However, the owner of that carriage was…

King Laius, hurrying to receive an oracle to deal with the Sphinx that had appeared in Thebes.

Oedipus had killed his own father, fulfilling the prophecy.

* * *

Continuing his journey, Oedipus arrived in Thebes and heard a story.

“That Sphinx is still blocking the road and causing havoc.”

“Ah, the one who eats passersby if they can’t solve his riddles?”

“Queen Jocasta, now a widow, will marry whoever gets rid of the Sphinx.”

“If I solve the Sphinx’s riddle, can I become the king of Thebes too?”

“Dozens have already gone to Pluto’s [Roman name for Hades, god of the Underworld] arms…”

Oedipus asked questions and headed to where the Sphinx was said to appear.

Sure enough, he found a huge monster with the body of a lion and the head of a human.

He immediately challenged it.

“Oho… A challenger? If you can’t answer my riddles, I’ll devour you.”

“Hurry up and give me the riddles, monster.”

“There are two sisters who give birth to each other, what are they?”

“Day and night.”

“What grows in the morning, shrinks at noon, starts growing again in the afternoon, and disappears at night?”

“Shadow.”

“What animal walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?”

“Human.”

Oedipus answered the first three questions instantly.

The Sphinx, a giant monster with a lion’s body and a human’s head, growled and bared its teeth.

But he won’t be able to answer the last question!

“Which god do all mortals fear the most and simultaneously desire to receive grace from?”

Oedipus pondered.

Many gods inspire both fear and longing.

Zeus’s lightning is frightening, but everyone desires the blessings of the sky.

The goddess Hera is the guardian of marriage and family, but she’s furious at adultery…

The goddess Artemis is the god of hunting and archery, but also a god of plague…

Many gods have contradictory aspects.

But this monster appeared near Thebes.

The gods widely worshipped in Thebes are Dionysus, the god of wine and madness, and…

“Pluto, the god of the underworld and mercy.”

“Krrrr!!!”

The answer to the last question is…

The lord of the underworld, whom everyone fears, but also Pluto, the god of mercy who shows a gentle side to the living.

This was evident from the mint, Pluto’s symbol, which grew throughout Thebes.

“Krrr! Me… To a guy like this!”

The Sphinx, unable to bear its shame, jumped off a cliff and committed suicide.

Thus, Oedipus married his own mother, Queen Jocasta, and became the king of Thebes.

The prophecy was perfectly fulfilled.

* * *

Oedipus, as king of Thebes, brought prosperity through good governance.

Thanks to the Necklace of Harmonia, a treasure passed down in the Theban royal family, Jocasta retained her youthful appearance, and they had children.

But… one day, a plague began to spread in Thebes.

“King Oedipus! Dozens have died today from the plague!”

“Collect the dead and cremate them with mint leaves. Isolate the sick from the healthy and…”

“The plague is unusually strong. Shouldn’t we consult the oracle at Delphi?”

“Hoo…”

The wise Oedipus took every possible measure,

but the plague only worsened.

Eventually, he sent Creon, Jocasta’s brother, to receive an oracle.

According to the priestess of Delphi…

The plague would only disappear when the parricide who killed his father and married his mother was punished.

King Oedipus was furious.

“There’s such a parricidal bastard! If I find him, I’ll blind him!”

To find the parricide, he invited the blind prophet Teiresias [a famous seer in Greek mythology].

Teiresias was cursed after killing mating snakes and became a woman.

He lived as a woman for seven years, then killed the snakes again and returned to being a man.

He, who had twice received the curse of gender transformation from snakes, was summoned by Zeus and Hera…

Because Zeus and Hera were quarreling.

“Teiresias, you’ve lived as both a man and a woman, so you can judge whose words are correct.”

“What would the two gods like to ask me?”

“You’ve lived both lives, so you can make a correct judgment. Who has a stronger orgasm, men or women?”

“That is…”

Teiresias pondered and answered.

“If a man’s orgasm is 1, then a woman’s orgasm can be said to be 9.”

“Kahaha! Hera! Am I not right?”

“Tsk…”

Teiresias was cursed by the enraged Hera and went blind,

but Zeus, feeling sorry for him, blessed him with the ability of prophecy and a long life.

Anyway, the blind prophet, facing Oedipus, understood everything at a glance.

The prophet sighed deeply and spoke with difficulty.

“That parricide… is the son of the late King Laius and His Majesty, who married his wife…”

“Wh.. What did you say?!”

If Oedipus were foolish, he would have become angry and chased the prophet away.

But he was a wise king who had won the wisdom contest with the Sphinx.

‘Teiresias, with his prophetic ability, is right. And he’s saying this even though I might kill him for it.’

King Oedipus’s expression, filled with confusion, grew increasingly distorted.

‘He’s saying this in front of me, the king of Thebes, risking death. It can’t be a lie!’

“Ugh.. Uaaaaaa!!!”

Kwaaaang!

“Y.. Your Majesty?! You were supposed to meet the prophet…?!!”

“No.. Your Majesty is…!”

The prophecy from the oracle of Delphi flashed through his mind.

‘You will kill your father and sleep with your mother.’

Oedipus immediately drove his horse out of Thebes.

Unbearable self-loathing, anger, resentment… all emotions overwhelmed him.

The wife he loved was his mother! He was a parricide who killed his own father!

Because of him, a plague was spreading in Thebes, and countless people were dying!

“Uaaaaaa!! Damn it! Damn it!!”

Oedipus rode to a deserted mountain and struck the ground.

After panting and raging, he moved his hands towards his eyes.

To fulfill his oath to blind the parricide.

At that moment,

“Oh dear… A mortal is suffering because of Ares’s curse…”

Oedipus, about to gouge out his eyes, paused at the sudden voice of an old woman.