King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 102

The King of the Underworld is Tired 102 (102/140)

The Story of Eros and Psyche – (1)

The Mount Athos expedition achieved half its goal despite Gaia’s trap. That’s my assessment.

It’s regrettable that Chrysaor of the Golden Sword escaped, but it’s still an achievement considering they fell into Gaia’s trap.

However, there was something suspicious about Orion’s death… Is Apollo’s sacred raven truly behaving like that?

That sacred creature is certainly intelligent. It should have been able to predict the path of the Golden Sword pursuing it.

“Lord Hades, about that hero who died after dealing with Orthrus…”

“You mean Orion, Poseidon’s son?”

Persephone, who was observing the mortal realm with me, spoke with a curious expression.

She requested permission to watch the expedition, and she’s been observing it intently.

The desperate struggles of mortals are mere entertainment for the gods… Hmm. It’s a matter of perspective, I suppose.

“When I visited the Olympus Divine Palace recently, I glanced down at the mortal realm and discovered…”

“Discovered what?”

“She was hunting with Artemis. He seemed to be a human she cherished greatly…”

Persephone, who hadn’t even attended banquets in the Olympus Divine Palace before meeting me, has been there since becoming known as my wife, so Demeter [Persephone’s mother and goddess of agriculture] must have allowed her to attend without worry.

But Orion was a human cherished by Artemis… I suspect I know why Apollo’s sacred creature acted strangely.

However, I can’t accuse the Sun God based solely on that. It would be excessive interference to scold my nephew with only circumstantial evidence, not concrete proof.

“So… I should remember the transgression and punish him appropriately later.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing.”

Apollo assisted me swiftly when I fought against Cronus who descended to this realm, but I’m quite disappointed with his actions this time.

He must have considered it just one human… Of course, Apollo has ample reason to think that way.

It’s in the nature of gods to look down on humans, and he also holds the position of one of the Twelve Olympians [the principal gods of the Greek pantheon].

He likely believed that mortals are creatures not equal to gods, and that he could attribute it to the sacred creature’s mistake if necessary.

How can I guide my nephew, the god of reason, who loses his reason when it comes to love and his sister?

But how will Poseidon, who cherishes his son, react?

Regardless, if Apollo hadn’t intervened, the expedition would have been annihilated, so he’ll feel uneasy but ultimately let it pass… Or will he?

I stroked the head of Persephone sitting next to me and gazed at the mortal realm.

The Macedonian kingdom’s army belatedly rushed in, joining forces with the heroes to defeat the monsters and clean up the battlefield.

“Hehe…”

Orion will soon arrive in the underworld,

and the countless brave warriors who perished there are probably being guided by Thanatos [the personification of death] right now…

“Lord Hades, the Goddess of the Moon has come to the underworld!”

“Artemis has come to the underworld? Let her in.”

Indeed, Artemis’s feelings for that human seem quite profound.

* * *

“Uncle Hades… Please… revive Orion…!”

I stared at my niece, who was kneeling before me and suddenly pleading, with a dubious expression.

My niece, with whom I wasn’t on bad terms, was pleading with me, her clear tears falling to the floor.

Were your feelings for that human, Orion, that strong?

For a noble goddess to come to the underworld and kneel and beg for a mortal, were they perhaps in love?

Even a goddess who swore purity couldn’t escape the emotion of love.

“You know very well that it’s an impossible request, don’t you?”

“But… we are in love with each other. I’m sure my brother Apollo killed him on purpose…”

“Haa…”

So Artemis had the same thought as me. But I still can’t revive him.

“Are you doing this because of the story of reviving Tantalus’s son?”

“Yes… Uncle revived humans who met unjust deaths… Please…”

“But that was such a terrible criminal act, and he was a complete victim, so I returned his soul to the mortal realm.”

The story of Tantalus was an incident that enraged most of the gods.

The perpetrator was suffering eternally in Tartarus [the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked], and the kingdom he ruled was ruined.

It was such a serious incident that I revived him…

“In Orion’s case, that exception cannot be applied. He embarked on an expedition of his own choice and died by Chrysaor’s golden sword as a great hero.”

“Not the golden sword… but Apollo…”

“…Even if Apollo killed that human, I cannot revive him.”

The Goddess of the Moon continues to shed tears from her beautiful face.

Even if Apollo committed indirect murder, the dead are dead. I can’t grant Artemis’s request.

But he is a great hero who killed Orthrus, the son of Typhon. If it’s a reward for his achievements…

“Go now. I regret the death of your lover. All I can do is…”

“…?”

“Tell Zeus [king of the gods] that I requested to make Orion a constellation. It wouldn’t be bad to eternally commemorate the great hero engraved in the sky.”

“Yes. Thank… sob. You…”

“If you wish, I can allow you to meet Orion once…”

After the conversation, the Goddess of the Moon bowed to me and left the audience chamber.

I’m glad that her sadness has subsided a little. She seems somewhat relieved that her lover will be engraved in the sky.

He’s a hero who killed the son of Typhon, so his achievement is enough to make him a constellation, and Zeus will put him in the sky without much complaint.

Then will Poseidon be able to gain some comfort? I hope he doesn’t get angry at Apollo and bury him in the deep sea.

I need to prepare for the worst, so should I tell Zeus to punish Apollo? I need to think about it a bit.

* * *

At the moment when Hades and Artemis were talking in the underworld, in one corner of the Olympus Divine Palace…

A conversation was taking place between a mother scolding her son and a son vehemently refusing something.

It was a quarrel between the winged young god, Eros [god of love], and his mother, Aphrodite [goddess of love and beauty].

“I don’t want to! I won’t do it no matter what you say, Mother!”

“Eros, Hades wouldn’t say anything if you shot a golden arrow in this case! Why don’t you listen to me!”

To briefly retrace why this happened…

A beautiful youngest princess named Psyche lived in a kingdom in the mortal realm.

She was so beautiful that humans revered Psyche as a goddess who had descended into the world.

Rumors even spread that she was more beautiful than Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love…

Those who believed such rumors even neglected the sacrifices offered to the goddess.

“I heard that Princess Psyche is the daughter of the goddess Aphrodite?”

“Well, I can’t explain her beauty unless she’s that level.”

“I’ve never seen a goddess in my life. Isn’t Psyche much more beautiful than the goddess Aphrodite?”

The rumor that Psyche was the daughter of the goddess Aphrodite didn’t end there.

Eventually, dust began to accumulate in the temple of the goddess of beauty in the kingdom where Psyche was, and people stopped visiting. Naturally, this incurred Aphrodite’s severe anger.

“Who is that impudent girl who is stealing my prestige?”

The anger intensified as Psyche didn’t correct the rumors she heard or show a humble attitude, but rather enjoyed the rumors.

Therefore, the goddess of beauty decided to inflict divine punishment through her son, Eros, but…

“Shoot that impudent girl with a golden arrow and make her fall in love with the most loathsome human.”

“…I don’t want to!”

“What?! You don’t want to shoot an arrow at a mere human?”

“Last time, I shot a golden arrow carelessly and was caught by Lord Hades and had to keep shooting arrows!”

That’s right. Eros was dragged to the underworld for accidentally hitting Persephone while practicing archery last time.

He shook his head at his mother’s words, afraid that he would be dragged to the underworld again and made to work.

Returning to the present, there was Aphrodite diligently appeasing her son and Eros with a tearful face.

The goddess of beauty was persuading her son to somehow make him shoot the golden arrow at Psyche.

“Eros. Hades pointed out the place where you were practicing archery, but he didn’t say anything about you shooting someone.”

“But…”

“Think about it. The reason Hades was angry was ultimately the irresponsibility of an arrow that even you couldn’t control. He wouldn’t say anything about you deliberately inflicting divine punishment on a human.”

“Ugh… What if he does! I don’t want to go to the underworld again and shoot arrows at those strange mortals!”

“Then, even though this mother’s temple is so ruined, you can’t shoot a single arrow? Even though my prestige is falling to the ground in that kingdom?”

Aphrodite approached Eros, who was covering his head and agonizing, and gently coaxed him.

If Hades saw this scene… he would say, ‘Why go so far for a human who won’t live long?’

At this moment, the angry goddess was filled with the will to inflict the divine punishment she wanted.

“So, Eros. If Hades questions you, you can just say that I ordered you to do it, right? Come on. Hurry up and go there, shoot the golden arrow, and come back.”

“Re. Really? Then you’ll take all the responsibility, Mother…?”

“Yes, you can say I ordered you to do it, so hurry!”

In the end, Eros was persuaded and headed to the mortal realm with the magic arrow.

He must have also wanted to see Psyche’s face, which was said to be as beautiful as the goddess of beauty.