King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 134

King of the Underworld is Tired – 134

The Argonauts – (1)

“…Please, give me some advice.”

Heracles had already accomplished eight Labors [a series of legendary feats assigned to Heracles].

The monsters he had slain were countless, and his name was widely known throughout Greece.

‘Wouldn’t this be enough of a feat to become a god?’

‘But why can’t I become a god yet? What am I lacking?’

Triton, who had been watching Heracles with a slight bow and complex thoughts, burst into laughter after a moment of stunned silence.

“Ah… Ahahaha! A human asking for advice because becoming a god is difficult! Ahahaha! You are truly amusing, Heracles!”

“……?”

“An ordinary human would struggle to become a hero or a king, let alone a god. Keuheup!”

Heracles’ face showed bewilderment, and Triton’s laughter grew louder.

“…Isn’t it natural to look upward?”

“Hahahaha! Indeed, you seem to have already surpassed the category of a typical hero.”

Triton, who had been laughing for a while, suddenly stopped and looked at him.

“Are you curious about the difference between gods and humans, about why you cannot become a god?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Here are Antaios, the serpent Python who died to the sun god, and Drakon Ismenios, the son of the god of war.”

The names came from the mouth of the god who controlled the waves.

“Do you know what these people have in common?”

“…Are they all beings who, despite having gods as parents, do not possess divinity?”

“Correct. Godhood is not that simple.”

Heracles listened to him with more concentration than ever before.

His tone was strangely dizzying. The moment the secret of divinity was revealed, not a single word should be missed!

“Lower gods who don’t significantly impact the world can simply be appointed by the chief gods. But… you are a bit different.”

“I’m different? Why is that?”

The god opened his mouth.

The waves swirled in his eyes, shaking Heracles’ mind.

A voice… Is it even a voice? A sound that plunges and echoes in his head.

It’s not heard through the ears, but rather conveyed to the heart.

‘Because you, despite having a human body, can compete with gods.’

‘Because you have accomplished multiple feats that would be praised as great achievements even if you only did one.’

‘Because your standard for hardship is different from others.’

‘Because you…’

‘More. More… Something more is needed.’

‘If you don’t realize it yourself, you will never be able to become a god.’

“Ah…”

“It seems you need to associate with humans more. A human named Jason is forming an expedition… Why don’t you participate after this task is over?”

Jason’s expedition…

* * *

Jason.

The son of Aeson, who was the king of Iolcos. Because Aeson was ousted from the throne by his stepbrother Pelias,

he wandered the world before coming to the Thebes Hero Training Camp.

Having been taught by Chiron [a wise centaur known for mentoring heroes] along with Heracles, Asclepius, and others, he emerged into the world…

He intended to head to the city ruled by Pelias and demand the return of the throne.

But as he was heading to Iolcos…

He met a shabby old woman and carried her across the river, losing one of his leather sandals in the process.

“Huh? Wait… That person is missing a sandal?”

“If the prophecy is true, that person will take the throne…”

“Come on, do you think King Pelias will hand over the throne so easily?”

Just then, a prophecy of Hera [queen of the gods] was issued in Iolcos: A young man wearing only one sandal would seize the throne.

So, he went to the palace amidst the whispers of the people.

“Hmm. So, you’re Aeson’s son?”

“Yes. I am Jason, the prince of Iolcos. I have come to demand the rights that I rightfully deserve!”

“Ummm…”

Of course, Pelias didn’t want to hand over the throne to Jason.

But he was also concerned about Hera’s oracle [prophecy], and he feared the judgment he would receive in the underworld if he killed Jason here.

Moreover, he had been hearing rumors lately that his half-siblings, the children of Poseidon [god of the sea], were strangely becoming kinder…

‘Hera’s oracle, Pluto [god of the underworld] watching with fierce eyes in the underworld, and the strange news about my father Poseidon’s half-siblings…’

Pelias thought it might be better to just hand over the throne,

but he still found it difficult to give up his desire for power, so he came up with a plan.

‘Wouldn’t it be fine if he didn’t kill Jason himself?’

“Jason. I can hand over the throne, but you must prove what kind of person you are, your qualifications to rule this land.”

“Qualifications, you say…”

“I’ve heard that there is a treasure called the Golden Fleece in a place called Colchis in the East. They say that the Golden Fleece has the power to revitalize a country… If you bring it back, I will gladly hand over the throne.”

Jason thought that even if he immediately ascended to the throne, the people might not follow him.

As Pelias said, he was just a young man who had proven nothing.

He readily said that he would bring the Golden Fleece, left the palace, and cleared his throat.

Jason’s voice echoed in the open space, gathering people.

“I am Jason, the rightful heir to Iolcos! I need heroes to go with me to retrieve the Golden Fleece of Colchis, and I will be accepting applications until the next Thanatos Day [day of remembrance for the dead]!”

“The Golden Fleece of Colchis? That precious treasure?”

“If we bring that to our country, we might become king.”

“But there are rumors that it is guarded by a powerful dragon.”

“Isn’t that why he’s gathering heroes to form an expedition? Like Orion in the past.”

“The Mount Athos expedition was half a failure, I wonder if this one will succeed.”

The rumor of Jason’s Golden Fleece expedition spread throughout Greece.

It is the instinct of heroes to defeat monsters, achieve the feat of bringing back treasure, and raise their fame.

Soon, many people gathered in Iolcos with various desires.

* * *

This is Iolcos.

Numerous crowds flocked to the news that Jason was forming an expedition, but not all of these people could participate in the expedition.

“Everyone, pay attention! Not all of us can board the Argo [Jason’s ship]! So, we will select the members!”

“The Argo? Is that the name of this ship?”

“There’s a rumor that the goddess Athena [goddess of wisdom and crafts] designed it herself, and the craftsman Argos built it…”

“But there are hundreds of people gathered here, how will he form the expedition?”

“Won’t Jason select them himself? It’s widely known that the heroes from Thebes are outstanding, so he’ll probably pick them first, right?”

At Jason’s cry, the numerous crowds buzzed.

And Jason, clearing his throat, began to look at the people one by one, selecting the expedition members.

“I am Tri from Sparta…”

“You’re disqualified. There are rumors that you go around killing people…”

“Jason, long time no see.”

“Oh. Peleus! Welcome. I’ve heard you’ve been hunting diligently these days.”

“Orpheus? You’ve come too? It would be good to have someone to play music on the ship, but…”

“The sirens’ song in the sea is said to be so sweet, I’m curious if it’s better than my lyre.”

“Huh, anyone who has heard your lyre even once will surely put you above them.”

Jason’s expedition was filled one by one.

Atalanta, a woman but known as the best archer in Greece, Meleager, rumored to be the best spear thrower in Greece.

Along with the twin brothers Dioscuri, the sons of Zeus [king of the gods], all sorts of demigods and formidable heroes were chosen.

“It’s been a long time. It seems like it’s the first time I’ve seen you since Thebes.”

“Jason, I never imagined you would form an expedition.”

“I know, right? You’ve always had charisma, but an expedition…”

As Jason selected the expedition members according to his standards, they were all people who had trained in Thebes.

Whether this was the Thebes connection, or because they had memories of rolling together in the underworld, they all seemed to know each other.

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As they were about to set sail, offering sacrifices to the gods for a smooth voyage,

the densely packed crowd split in half. As if making way for someone.

Turbuk Turbuk.

“Wait… That person is…”

“It’s just like the rumors. Look at that size. They say he beats the Nemean lion [a fearsome beast] with his bare hands…”

“This expedition will be a success, right?”

The lion skin worn on his head, the golden sword at his waist, the iron club on his back.

And above all, that unmistakable massive muscular physique.

There was no one in Greece who didn’t know his name.

The great hero Heracles, who was carrying out Hera’s Labors.

“Oh, Heracles! I’m so grateful that you came. I thought you would be busy carrying out Hera’s Labors!”

“Jason. It’s been a while.”

At the appearance of the most famous great hero in Greece, some expressed joy, some relief,

and those who worried about their achievements being taken away showed jealousy.

“I wasn’t planning to come, but Triton advised me.”

“Triton who calls the waves? You met the son of the sea god.”

“He said that participating in this expedition would help me achieve my goal.”

There was no one here who didn’t know that Heracles’ goal was to become a god in the heavens.

It was something he used to say like a habit when they were training together in the underworld.

“Are you okay with this? Your achievements might be diminished if I participate here.”

A statement that could be mistaken for a provocation at first glance.

But if the speaker is Heracles, it’s a little different. He would have purely spoken the truth.

There is concern that the achievements of the expedition may be undervalued, overshadowed by Heracles’ fame.

Nevertheless, Jason rather smiled brightly and patted Heracles on the back.

“Hahaha! Are you worried about me? It doesn’t matter since we’re walking different paths anyway!”

“Different paths?”

“Yes, your goal is to become a god. But my goal is to become the king of Iolcos.”

Even in the underworld… Jason always showed a consistent appearance.

His goal was not to become a hero, but to regain the throne of Iolcos.

“Is that so? For the record, I won’t step forward much. I can’t take all of your achievements.”

“Oh, that’s music to the ears of the other heroes? Haha!”

Heracles looked at the seemingly frivolous man in front of him.

He didn’t know how the expedition would end, but meeting a friend was a joyful thing.

“Hahaha! Heracles, let’s compete again later!”

“I’ll give you a punch in this world before you become an Olympian god, so be prepared!”

“If you’ve come, don’t act all serious and get on board quickly!”

“Hey, Heracles! You’ve achieved a few feats and now you’re full of dignity, huh? Hehe!”

Following him, the other heroes also welcomed Heracles, and the great hero with a raised corner of his mouth boarded the Argo.

The Argonauts. Departure.