King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 23

King of the Underworld is Tired – Episode 23 (23/82)

The Aftermath of the Rebellion

After the rebellion in Olympus was suppressed, I spoke to Zeus.

“Zeus, the reason I noticed the rebellion and was able to ascend to Olympus is thanks to Thetis.”

“Thetis told you…?”

Thetis is a goddess said to be second only to Amphitrite, Poseidon’s official wife, in beauty.

Many gods courted her because of her beauty, but…

“The protagonist of the prophecy that the son she bears will surpass his father as a hero?”

“The Thetis you’re thinking of is correct.”

Zeus once courted her as well, but after hearing Prometheus’s prophecy, he gave up without hesitation.

So, he tried to marry her off to a suitable human, but she persistently refused.

“Hmm, I understand what you mean by bringing that up, brother. You want me to acknowledge her contribution and grant her favors?”

“Prophecies are absolute, but they can be interpreted in other ways as well. Just because he surpasses his father doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll threaten his authority…”

The king of the gods, more sensitive to his authority than anyone else, wore a serious expression.

It seemed Zeus himself, having overthrown his father Cronus, was wary even of his own children.

Therefore, he wouldn’t be able to marry Thetis off to a god.

If her son were to surpass a god, wouldn’t that ultimately mean surpassing the king of the gods?

That would be a direct threat to Zeus.

“I’ll have to think about that a bit. As you know, brother, the reason we’re in this position is also because of the rebellion against Cronus.”

“But things might have been different if Cronus had thought of us as his children.”

“Umm!”

A thought I occasionally have.

What if Cronus had regarded us as his children, not as potential challengers?

Would we still have overthrown Cronus and seized dominion over the world?

“Think of Athena, your cherished daughter. In the end, didn’t the prophecy go in a different direction?”

“…If anyone other than you, brother, had said such a thing, I would have taken it as a challenge to my rule.”

Zeus brought his hand to his temple, slightly furrowing his brow.

As if to emphasize his unease, faint lightning emanated from his body.

Athena is his cherished daughter now, but when he heard the prophecy that the son born between Metis and him would overthrow him, she was just an element to be wary of.

So, Zeus swallowed Metis, who was pregnant with Athena,

and Athena ended up being born from Zeus’s head.

It was fortunate that Athena was a daughter; if she had been a son…

There might have been one more god imprisoned in Tartarus [the deepest abyss of the Underworld] that day.

“Considering Thetis’s contribution, and since you, brother, who have no interest in this position, are saying so, I’ll think about it a bit.”

“Alright. Then next… was Cadmus properly rewarded?”

It’s better to be satisfied with this much regarding Thetis.

Zeus is sensitive to power, but since his brother, who helped him when the rebellion broke out, is speaking, he’s reacting this much.

But that’s that, and Cadmus, who made great contributions in the face of Typhon’s threat, deserves to be rewarded.

“I heard that he was searching for his lost sister, a woman named Europa, and ended up founding a country called Thebes.”

“Oh? Oh… that’s…”

He suddenly avoided my gaze.

Could this bastard have done it again…? Should I test him?

“But I’ve heard rumors that this human woman, Europa, is truly beautiful.”

“Ahem. Hmm.”

Oho…

“How beautiful, you ask…? Enough that the king of the gods, who cheats every day, would be so smitten as to kidnap her…?”

“Uhum! What do you want?”

I knew it; it was your fault again.

You touched Cadmus’s sister, who was a benefactor who helped us…

Maybe I should have just ‘Uranus’ed’ him [referencing how Cronus castrated his father, Uranus] or sided with Poseidon.

“What’s already done can’t be undone, but let him meet Europa or at least alleviate his worries a bit…”

“Alright, alright. You’re quite the nag sometimes, brother. I’ll take care of it myself.”

Wasn’t it your attitude that caused Apollo and Hera to betray you?

No matter how I look at it, the rebellion was self-inflicted…

Still, I think giving Poseidon only a year of punishment is a reasonable compromise that protects the pride of the second-in-command.

Looking at things like this, Zeus is rational in his own way.

After that, fortunately, Europa was able to contact Cadmus.

Zeus gave a divine revelation and allowed Europa and Cadmus to meet.

Cadmus had a strange expression after hearing Europa’s story for a while,

but somehow, it seems they managed to get through it without undermining the authority of the gods.

Putting aside the fact that Europa, who was kidnapped, somewhat liked Zeus who took her…

“Um… so you were taken by Lord Zeus…”

“I was really surprised when I first found out that the bull was Lord Zeus… but he was incredibly vigorous…”

“…?!

Whatever his stamina is like, it’s nothing I know about.

* * *

After descending from Olympus and returning to the underworld, I moved my feet again.

From now on, I’m going to meet some special gods who live underground.

I had a servant bring ambrosia [food of the gods], a bottle of nectar [drink of the gods], and some wine glasses to follow me.

The outskirts of the underworld.

A black, damp cave, not the fortress where souls reside.

An ominous energy emanates from the cave entrance, and a chilling cold is felt.

The soul who brought the nectar this far was trembling with fear, so I dismissed him and went inside.

“Hades.”

“You’ve come again.”

A voice was heard from inside the dark cave, where there was neither Hestia’s hearth, which is somewhat in the underworld, nor artificial light created using divine power.

Along with it, three goddesses were seen with bronze wings, snake hair, and blood flowing from their eyes.

“It’s been a while, Erinyes [the Furies].”

“Is that nectar in your hand?”

“It seems there’s ambrosia too.”

Erinyes.

The goddesses of vengeance, born from the blood that fell on the earth when Uranus’s genitals were cut off.

The war between the Titans and the gods to seize dominion over the world.

Having won the long war and gained control of the underworld, I was able to meet them for the first time.

The three Erinyes sisters were sitting on the cold floor of the underworld.

Snakes hissing as if guarding all sides, blood constantly flowing from sharp eyes.

Everyone shies away from their terrifying appearance, but the first thought that came to my mind was pity.

I felt sorry for them, constantly shedding blood from their eyes, and frankly, I pitied them.

“Are you… in pain?”

“What…?”

“I’m talking about the blood flowing from your eyes.”

“….Do you sincerely think so?”

A questioning look sent as if my question was perplexing.

“If it’s very painful, next time…”

“Pain always accompanies revenge. This much is nothing.”

The three Erinyes sisters shed red blood, not ichor [the golden blood of the gods], even though they were goddesses.

The blood flowing from their eyes evaporated as soon as it fell to the floor.

Since that first meeting, I often visited them to build a friendship.

Firstly, they were neighbors living nearby, and secondly, I felt sorry for them as they were shunned even by the same gods.

The goddesses, who initially showed a cold attitude, gradually became accustomed to my visits,

and eventually, to this day…

“Hades, sit down and drink too.”

“I will.”

It has become as natural as a close god often coming to visit.

“Isn’t the underworld a little less busy these days?”

“It must have changed a lot from before…”

Tisiphone, who judges adultery among the three sisters, subtly folded her bronze wings and approached this way.

Alecto, meaning endless rage, smiled as she drank nectar.

Megaera, the jealous one, also quietly nibbled on ambrosia.

The snakes that serve as their hair also wriggled as if they were in a good mood.

Shh…

A snake on Alecto’s head, drinking nectar, hissed and licked the back of my hand.

I stroked the snake’s head with my finger, and it rubbed its head as if it felt good.

Thud.

“Don’t… touch my hair.”

Alecto turned her head sharply and said softly. The goddess’s ears were bright red.

No, your hair licked me first…

Tisiphone looked this way, sighed, and opened her mouth.

“Hades, don’t come too often; being with you dulls the blade of revenge.”

“Umm…”

Megaera, who was mumbling ambrosia in her mouth, nodded as if agreeing.

What did I do…

“These days, unlike before the Great Flood, there are fewer humans who kill their own relatives.”

“As expected, it was right to wipe them out once.”

Once you’re marked by the goddesses of vengeance, the Erinyes, you’re thoroughly pursued day and night.

They even appear in dreams and constantly criticize you, eventually driving the target to madness with guilt.

Humans feared them, holding torches in one hand and flapping bronze wings, and even avoided calling their names.

Just like they don’t call me Hades and change it to the alias Pluto.

But their case was much worse than mine.

“There aren’t many cases where we have to visit in dreams for a long time.”

“That’s right; they’d rather become your subjects than be tormented by us.”

“Those who do so are all paying for their sins in my fortress.”

If they take their own lives, from then on, it’s not under the jurisdiction of the Erinyes,

but under the judgment of me, Hades.

Of course, just because you commit suicide doesn’t mean you’ll get less punishment.

“I was bored anyway, so thank you for bringing the nectar.”

“These days, young gods avoid us…”

Our gods are immortal even if they don’t eat ambrosia and nectar.

However, it must be quite lonely not being able to have a meal with someone because they are afraid of them.

Last time, I invited the Erinyes to a banquet held in the underworld, but they refused, saying they couldn’t ruin the pleasant atmosphere.

It was a suggestion I made because they sometimes secretly visit the fortress to avoid the souls, but it seems it was still too much.