King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 125

The King of the Underworld is Tired – (1)

Heracles felt the distinct shift in the gazes upon him.

The people who had once hailed him as a hero for capturing the Nemean Lion…

Now showed a variety of reactions.

“That’s him…”

“The lion skin… the golden sword at his waist. It’s Heracles.”

“Isn’t it possible he exaggerated his achievements? How could a human possibly…”

“Shh! There’s even a rumor that he’s a god incarnate on Earth.”

“Looking at his physique, he seems strong, but… did he really fight the Hydra, Chrysaor, and Lamia simultaneously and defeat them?”

Perhaps because he had accomplished such extraordinary feats, a wide range of opinions were now visible.

Some looked at the hero with envious eyes, even doubting his accomplishments. Others believed he was a god walking among mortals.

The public’s gaze was a mixture of awe and admiration, tinged with jealousy and doubt.

“Are you Heracles? Hmph. I can’t believe that thing you’re wearing… is actually from the Nemean Lion.”

Yes, there were often people like this, too.

Their eyes burned with fighting spirit, driven by the desire to defeat a hero whose name was already legend.

Heracles ignored the man who blocked his path and grabbed his shoulder, simply walking past him.

He was, after all, on his way to report to Hera’s temple, and he also had Chiron’s teachings to attend to.

“Heracles, you must not bully the weak indiscriminately.”

“Teacher Chiron, but if those guys attack me first, I have no choice…”

“Even so, try to keep your response within reasonable bounds.”

“Why should I?”

“If you only aim to be a hero, brute strength will suffice. But I heard from Lord Hades that your goal is to become a god, isn’t it? If you treat mortals harshly simply because they bother you, you will never receive sincere adoration, even after you become a god. In fact, you might not even become a god at all.”

In truth, the biggest reason was that he simply found it annoying to deal with such confrontations.

The man who was grabbing Heracles, who was simply ignoring him and passing by, was lightly pushed away by his strength,

And stared at his own hand and then at Heracles with a dumbfounded expression.

Heracles still couldn’t quite grasp the concept.

What connection was there between becoming a god and the sincere adoration of humans?

Anyway, praise was something he could easily obtain by catching a few monsters and performing simple tasks in front of other humans.

“Look… that guy who won the Pankration [an ancient Greek Olympic sport, a combination of boxing and wrestling] last time was pushed away in an instant…”

“Good heavens. He’s no match in terms of strength at all.”

From the moment he was born until now… praise and admiration had always been familiar to him.

Is this really necessary? It doesn’t really make me feel good or anything.

But he felt that simply accomplishing tasks wouldn’t be enough to achieve his ultimate goal.

Something more was needed… No, in the first place, wasn’t a god supposed to be the best in a particular field?

“To Zeus, who has given us clear skies today…”

“To Plutus [another name for Hades, god of the underworld], god of justice…”

Heracles, who had been briefly observing the praises directed at his father or uncle, continued on his way.

Yeah, I really don’t get it.

* * *

Pirithous.

The king of Thessaly was a close friend of Theseus, widely known as the hero of wisdom in Athens.

After Pirithous’s wife died giving birth to their son, he decided to marry again.

He sought help from his close friend, Theseus, who had slain the Minotaur, a half-human, half-bull monster of Crete,

And was now living a happy married life with Ariadne, the princess of Crete.

“Pirithous. You have something to ask of me?”

“Yes, Theseus. You’re already married, aren’t you? My wife just died, and I was hoping you could help me find a new one.”

“If it’s your request, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do. Tell me more about it.”

Theseus readily agreed.

The fact that he was close to the king of Thessaly was a great advantage in itself, and it was a request from a close friend.

But the woman Pirithous was aiming for was… a bit special.

“I want to marry the goddess of spring, who is said to be incredibly beautiful. Can you help me?”

“What…?”

“The beauty of the goddess born from Demeter and Zeus is legendary, even in this world.”

Theseus doubted his ears for a moment.

He was dumbfounded that his friend was aiming for a goddess, not even a human,

And even more shocked that the goddess was known as the wife of Plutus, the master of the underworld.

“…Just give up.”

“What are you saying? I am the king of Thessaly; there’s no reason I can’t have a connection with a goddess.”

“You’re aiming for the goddess known as the mistress of the underworld, are you out of your mind? Change your mind now.”

“I didn’t know you were such a coward.”

“No, it’s not that I’m scared, but… if you listen to me, you’ll understand too.”

Theseus sighed and began his story.

Theseus, after becoming an adult and leaving the underworld training camp,

Was killing all sorts of villains and monsters, including the Minotaur, and was fleeing to his homeland with Ariadne, the princess of Crete.

To be exact, he was on a ship heading to Athens when they stopped on an island…

“There. You lowly human.”

“Wh… Who are you…?”

“I am Dionysus [god of wine, fertility, theatre, and religious ecstasy]. The wine you drink every day is my gift.”

In the dead of night, a god appeared before Theseus, who was guarding the bonfire, leaving the sleeping Ariadne behind.

None other than Dionysus, one of the twelve Olympians, who presided over wine and madness.

“The beauty of Ariadne, the princess of Crete over there, is truly captivating.”

“Yes? But…”

“That woman has been chosen as my wife.”

“Yes…?! What do you mean…!”

“Can’t you understand? I’ve set my sights on that woman, so leave the island and be gone.”

No matter how great a hero Theseus was, having slain the Minotaur… his opponent was a god.

Moreover, one of the twelve gods who presided over madness.

He couldn’t possibly resist. Was he going to lose Ariadne like this?

Salvation arrived for the human who had fallen into despair.

Because a woman with a blindfold over her eyes, holding a sword and scales, walked out from behind Dionysus.

“You get lost.”

“What?! Who dares… Dike [goddess of justice and moral order]?!”

“…Lord Hades told me to tell you: if you covet a human with a lover again, he will drag you down to the underworld.”

“Eee! Damn it…” Dionysus gritted his teeth.

Theseus, who overheard the gods’ conversation, was able to grasp the situation.

He had almost had his wife stolen by Dionysus, but the goddess of justice, Dike, had appeared and saved him,

And the one who sent the goddess was the master of the underworld, known for his fairness and mercy.

The goddess of justice, who had chased Dionysus away, smiled at Theseus.

The hero, relieved by that merciful smile, bowed his head and asked.

“Did… Did Plutus really send the goddess?”

“The master of the underworld is busy. I simply borrowed his name.”

“That…! Really. Thank you so much, Goddess Dike!”

“But the reason I was able to send Lord Dionysus back was thanks to Lord Hades. If this happens again, seek help from Lord Hades’s temple.”

“I am also very grateful to Plutus…”

Indeed, that was right. No matter how much she was the goddess of justice, the opponent was one of the twelve Olympian gods.

If it weren’t for the protection of the master of the underworld, the god of madness wouldn’t have retreated so easily.

Theseus, who safely returned to his hometown of Athens with Ariadne, became king,

And immediately built statues to honor the god Plutus and the goddess Dike.

The city of Athens was a city that primarily worshiped the goddess of wisdom…

He told the goddess Athena about his situation and was able to ask for permission from her temple.

From then on, Theseus’s faith was directed not only to the goddess of wisdom but also to the master of the underworld and the goddess of justice.

* * *

Theseus, the king of Athens, explained all of this to Pirithous,

Hoping that his friend would no longer covet Plutus’s wife, who had shown such great grace to him.

But Pirithous didn’t care at all.

“Tsk… So you’re saying you can’t help me? I’m greatly disappointed that you’re such a coward.”

“No, it’s not that I’m a coward…! Haa…”

“It’s okay. Even if you don’t help me, there is a way to make Persephone [goddess of spring and queen of the underworld] my wife.”

Theseus pounded his chest in frustration.

How could a human covet a goddess, especially the mistress of the underworld?

And even if Pirithous were to somehow sleep with Persephone, her father is Zeus, and her mother is Demeter [goddess of the harvest and agriculture]…

Isn’t the master of the underworld, where Pirithous will go when he dies, her husband?

Despite Theseus’s continued persuasion, Pirithous remained unmoved.

His eyes were filled with the ambition to make Persephone his wife by any means.

Theseus, realizing that he could no longer dissuade him, rubbed his forehead and asked.

“No, then what method are you going to use to make Persephone your wife?”

“It’s simple.”

The king of Thessaly spoke with a confident voice.

Theseus stared at his friend, no, the madman lost in delusion, with a dumbfounded expression.

“I’ll go down to the underworld and say to Hades, ‘I’m thinking of holding a feast in my kingdom, and I’d like to invite Lady Persephone, who is famous for her beauty.’ Then, if I deceive Persephone with my words, bring her to this world, immediately overpower her, and hold a wedding ceremony…”

Swish-

“Have I ever seen such a crazy bastard!”

Theseus immediately drew the sword from his waist.