King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 97

The King of the Underworld is Tired 97

The Hero of Prophecy, Heracles

“Is that true, Hermes?”

“Yes. Fortunately, Great Uncle Poseidon rejected Gaia’s offer, but…”

“Now she’s trying to appease the gods.”

Two days after returning to the Underworld, Hermes came to visit.

The news he, the messenger of the gods, brought was that Gaia had tried to appease Poseidon.

Hermes, having delivered this news, looks at me with slightly uneasy eyes.

“But, is there a chance that Great Uncle Poseidon might waver?”

“Hermes, you still don’t know Poseidon very well.”

He may be somewhat proud and have a violent temper, but he would never betray us.

After all, Cronus’s children, including me, are all…

“But this time, he had a big fight with Brother Ares… even a trial was held. If he’s upset…”

“Of course, he won’t be happy. The punishment given to Ares also took Poseidon’s position into account.”

For immortal gods, the concept of time is a little different from that of humans.

Even years are considered a short time for gods, so a two-month punishment is very light.

Poseidon couldn’t possibly not know this.

The reason he let it go was partly because he himself thought his son’s actions were wrong, and because I knew that he had sent his son to check on Athena.

Although it’s just nominal, I hope he thinks that his face has been saved to some extent since Ares was punished.

“But even if he glares at Ares, Poseidon is someone who would never join hands with an external enemy.”

“I see…”

“You must have told Zeus about this too. What did your father say?”

“…He just told me to send a message to Great Uncle Poseidon, thanking him for not giving in to Gaia’s appeasement. My father, who was so sensitive about the throne of the gods, didn’t even suspect…”

See? Zeus isn’t stupid either, so he knows that Poseidon won’t betray him.

Even if he does revolt, Poseidon is the type who wouldn’t bring in external enemies.

“Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

“Ah, there’s one more thing. He told me to tell you that Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, will be coming here soon…”

“Why is Iris coming here again?”

“Well? I’m not sure. Maybe they’re trying to invite Great Uncle Hades to Olympus again?”

I didn’t think so, but I nodded and sent him away.

Iris and Hermes are both coming to the Underworld? Usually, they only send one if they have something to say.

* * *

As Hermes said, after waiting a while, a messenger opened the door to the audience chamber and entered.

“Lord Hades, the goddess of the rainbow has arrived at the entrance to the Underworld.”

“Let her in.”

“But… she was holding a human baby.”

“…?”

The goddess of the rainbow, whom I saw after a long time, had a very troubled expression.

It must be because of the baby in her arms.

“Greetings, Lord Hades. Lord Zeus has sent me to deliver this letter.”

“Yes, but what is the baby you’re holding?”

“That is… first, the letter…”

Iris rummaged through her arms and took out a piece of parchment.

But the power contained in this parchment was extraordinary.

It was as if someone else had sealed it so that no one else could see it.

Crackle-

As I unfolded the parchment, the inherent lightning tickled my hand, but I ignored it and read the contents.

“To my brother Hades. This is Zeus. I didn’t want to ask for your help, but it turned out this way.”

Does he have a favor to ask of me?

“You must be wondering about the baby that the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, is carrying. Can you hide that child from Hera for just a month? I know what it means to have a living person stay in the Underworld, but Hera is trying to kill the child with poisonous snakes…”

So, it seems Zeus had another affair and had a son.

But if he’s asking me for a favor, Hera’s anger must be immense.

Indeed… according to this letter, he hid the child in mountains, caves, and other gods’ residences, but Hera somehow found him. The mortal realm cannot escape Hera’s eyes, so he’s thinking of hiding the child in another world, the Underworld…

One month… if he protects the child in the Underworld for just one month, he’s confident that he can find a place to avoid Hera’s eyes or change her mind a little.

Perhaps he’s thinking of hiding the child here and there until her anger subsides. But to ask me to hide his illegitimate child, what kind of child is it…

“That child is my son, and I named him Heracles (= Glory of Hera). Surely this child is the hero of prophecy who will win the battle against the Gigas [Giants in Greek mythology], so even if the laws of the Underworld are strict…”

Wait, this child’s name is… Heracles?

Heracles. Heracles. After pronouncing it a few times in my mouth, it was still familiar.

Somewhere… I’ve heard it a lot. I definitely know this name.

A memory that is more deeply ingrained than Eros’s arrow hitting me… that is…

“Tell the goddess Styx to dip this baby in the River Styx.”

“…Lord Hades?”

The most famous hero in Greek mythology, the hero of heroes.

The great hero Heracles, who will play an active role in the battle against the Gigas in the future.

We won.

* * *

“…Excuse me?! In the River Styx… are you saying?”

“Yes. If a weak human body falls into the Styx, it will be a little better.”

Iris looks at me with great embarrassment, but my determination remains unchanged. The law that the living should not come to the Underworld, whatever, this must be allowed.

The memory of my past life flashed through my mind. That is the fact that Heracles is the hero of prophecy.

If a living person can withstand the power of the River Styx… they will have a body so strong that even ordinary weapons cannot scratch it.

If he soaks his whole body, he can prevent the hero of prophecy from dying an unnatural death.

“But this child is a human who is hated by Hera…”

“Then why did you come all the way here at Zeus’s request… No, if Hera finds out, tell her that you couldn’t help it because of my request.”

Did Zeus persuade Iris because he thought Hera would be suspicious if he sent the child with Hermes?

To deliver his illegitimate child to the Underworld secretly through Hera’s confidante…

What did you use to appease the goddess of the rainbow, Zeus?

Did you swear on the River Styx that you would never covet Iris again?

“Yes… I understand.”

“Good. Tell the goddess Styx to make sure to soak the child’s entire body. Remember.”

I firmly instructed her in case she didn’t soak his heel or something.

Looking at Iris’s back as she headed to the goddess Styx with a sullen face, I couldn’t help but laugh.

It’s as if half of the worries that threatened our gods have been resolved.

Now, if we raise that Heracles well and make him a great hero… the Gigas are all dead.

Soon, the goddess Styx entered the audience chamber.

From the child in her hand, I could see the energy of the River Styx swirling and changing his body.

As expected of Zeus’s son, he endured the power of the River Styx well.

The goddess Styx, who entrusted Heracles to the hand of a nearby maid, says with a worried face.

“Hades. I dipped him in the river because he is Zeus’s son and a potential hero. But if you keep releasing heroes who have received the power of the river into the mortal realm…”

“Um. I know. If heroes who have received the power of the River Styx wander around, the balance of the mortal realm will be broken.”

Will this child, who will return to the mortal realm, enter Chiron’s tutelage [mentorship] when he grows up?

If Heracles comes to the Underworld’s training center, I should tell Chiron to give him a proper character education.

Since he will grow into a powerful hero who has soaked in the River Styx…

We must properly educate him so that he does not harm others recklessly.

“Of course, he will be properly educated in Chiron’s tutelage later. And of course, we will not train a large number of heroes who have soaked in the River Styx.”

“That’s a relief. By the way, why are you giving special treatment only to this child, even though you have seen so many heroes?”

Of course, based on my past life experience, I know the future where Heracles will defeat the Gigas.

I can’t say that…

“If you look at the letter Zeus sent here… he drank Hera’s milk and killed two poisonous snakes right after he was born.”

“Snakes..? How did that happen…”

“It is presumed that Hera sent them. It can’t be helped since he is an illegitimate child.”

“Ah…”

The black-haired goddess nodded and understood.

I added a little more explanation to her, who was clicking her tongue while looking at Heracles.

“The one who brought this child is Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, and Zeus asked me with a letter containing lightning.”

“Perhaps he secretly fed him milk while Hera was sleeping. Her anger must be piercing the sky.”

“That’s right. He may live a life that is not so smooth. Full of monster corpses and human jealousy…”

I turned my head towards the child in the maid’s hand.

Heracles was sleeping peacefully, unaware of what would happen in the future.

In fact… Heracles is the child that Zeus intentionally gave birth to for the victory of the gods.

It is certain that he is strong enough to drink Hera’s milk and kill poisonous snakes from birth…

I wonder if I have plunged you into a difficult fate.

Still, I hope that soaking in the River Styx will help you overcome that fate.

“Waa! Waaaa!”

“Oh no…!”

“Ah! Hades! Please look away for a moment. He’s crying because he can’t withstand the power contained in your gaze!”

At the goddess Styx’s flustered voice, I hurriedly looked away and looked elsewhere.

Did I stare too intently? I sometimes make these mistakes…

I can’t feed him Underworld food for a month, so I have to find a nanny or bring in food from the mortal realm.