King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 24

Pluto’s Temple Story – (1)

Time passes in Hades’ office.

The King of the Underworld was judging souls again today, selecting those destined for Elysium [the paradise in the Underworld where heroes and virtuous souls reside].

A servant approached him, seemingly with a report.

“Lord Hades, there is someone in the Underworld right now…”

“Let them in.”

The one who entered was an old soul, his once-golden hair faded with age.

I recognized him instantly.

“A distinguished guest has arrived in the Underworld.”

“Do… Do you know me…?”

The first human who deceived Typhon [a monstrous giant in Greek mythology], stole Zeus’ sinews, founded Thebes, and defeated Ares’ wicked son, Drakon Ismenios.

As punishment, he served for eight years before finally being forgiven by Ares and marrying his daughter Harmonia.

The great hero Cadmus knelt before me in fear.

“As expected, your memories have faded while crossing the River of Oblivion [the River Lethe, which causes forgetfulness]. Mnemosyne [the goddess of memory], please bring some water from the Pool of Memory.”

“Understood, Hades. I trust Cadmus is well.”

The goddess of memory, Mnemosyne.

When the dead pass through the River Lethe, drink its water, and cross into my fortress, they lose all memories of the living world.

However, drinking water from the Pool of Memory, the antithesis of the River Lethe, allows them to regain those memories.

Well… occasionally, souls who die with very strong grudges retain their memories even after drinking the water of the River of Oblivion…

In any case, the goddess who oversees the Pool of Memory is Mnemosyne, who just departed.

She is also the mother who spent nine nights with Zeus and gave birth to the Muses, goddesses of learning and art.

Cadmus’ memories gradually returned as he drank the water from the Pool of Memory.

The hazy and confused look in his eyes gradually cleared, revealing the aura of a great hero.

“Ah… Lord Hades. It has truly been a long time.”

“Yes, it has. I was too occupied to attend your wedding with Harmonia.”

Having regained all his memories, he smiled gently and bowed.

Just as he did when he first met me.

“It’s quite alright. Lord Hades, as master of the Underworld, you must be busy.”

“Were you not disappointed that I didn’t come to the wedding?”

“Haha… It would have been even more joyous if Lord Hades had been present.”

“Hmph. You’ve only become more skilled at flattery with age.”

The reason I restored Cadmus’ memories of the living world was simple.

What does the great hero, who was so confident even before Typhon, think about his life?

I wanted to hear it directly from his own mouth.

“What do you think about the life you lived in the living world?”

“What do you mean…?”

I continued, with a slightly bitter expression.

“The curse of misfortune you received as punishment for killing Ares’ son, Ismenios.”

“Ah…”

“I also feel sorry for the tragedy of the Theban royal family that you founded. Although Ares himself regretted it…”

Once a curse is cast, even a god cannot undo it.

I heard that Ares regretted cursing Cadmus quite a bit when he gave his daughter to Cadmus.

It was the first case of a human marrying a goddess, but the ending was not good.

The continuous tragedies of his descendants, caused by the curse of misfortune, led Cadmus and his wife to turn into snakes and close their eyes.

“I would rather have become a snake…”

“Father Ares… do not leave my husband alone. Change me… change me into a snake as well.”

Cadmus paused for a moment, lost in thought.

This hero, who achieved successive feats that everyone acknowledged, but was ultimately made unhappy by the gods…

Would he resent the gods who kidnapped his sister, cast a curse, and ultimately made him and his wife choose death because of the misfortune of their descendants?

“I am not one who does not know the grace given to me.”

Unlike then?

After a while, he opened his mouth again.

“Ares’ curse… I can understand him. Which parent can forgive the one who killed their son?”

“Hmm.”

“Rather, I am grateful for the short punishment of eight years and the generosity of giving me his daughter. And…”

Not a lie told out of fear of being punished, as when we first met, but the truth.

Noble even at the end of his life, even after experiencing death.

“Thanks to that, I was able to meet my wife, who followed me even in inevitable death.”

Harmonia is the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, and the goddess of harmony.

Unlike Drakon Ismenios, she possessed immortality, but she chose to face death with Cadmus.

“I blame no one for the tragedies of my descendants, as it is my fault. Ruling Thebes with my wife was enjoyable in its own way. The remnants of Typhon that I discovered in the middle were a bit of a concern, but…”

“Remnants of Typhon? Did they resemble Typhon in appearance?”

“Yes. They were much smaller, but like Typhon, their lower body was a snake, and their upper body was in the form of a human, a very powerful monster. I struggled quite a bit to kill that monster.”

A snake lower body and a human upper body.

And the evaluation that Cadmus, strong enough to kill Ismenios, struggled.

My face gradually hardened.

Could it really be the remnants of Typhon…? Or could it be another monster I know?

“But I haven’t found any remnants of Typhon since then, so I didn’t bother to tell the gods… Lord Hades?”

It could be a Gigantes [a race of giants who battled the Olympian gods].

* * *

“Where did you find that monster?”

“Ah… I was taking a walk near Thebes when I followed a strange sound that led to a cave. That’s where it was.”

Cadmus said he saw a giant half-human, half-snake monster eating people there.

And he drew his sword and fought, but… surprisingly, even Cadmus, who had defeated Drakon, struggled quite a bit.

Not all Gigantes have equal power.

Fortunately, the one Cadmus encountered was within his capabilities.

Could it be that it was hiding in a cave, out of the sight of the Olympian gods?

If our grandmother, the earth mother Gaia [the primordial goddess of the Earth], hides the locations of the Gigantes with all her might… Demeter might not know.

Demeter is the goddess of the earth, but her power is clearly below Gaia’s.

Unlike when we drove out the Titan gods, the right to strike first is on their side.

Perhaps they deliberately set a trap to lure the gods in, or it could be the independent actions of only some individuals.

But I need to confirm with the goddess of memory first whether it is definitely a Gigantes.

“Mnemosyne, please check Cadmus’ memories for a moment.”

“Alright. Close your eyes for a moment.”

The goddess of memory, Mnemosyne, puts her hand on Cadmus’ head and reads his memories.

Not long after, the goddess looks at me with a serious face and nods.

Damn it, it’s a Gigantes.

“Yes… I see. First of all, you have been granted the right to enter Elysium for your merits in life.”

“Ah… Elysium… Thank you! Lord Hades!”

“Your wife as well, may you live happily there.”

It was the moment when the first residents were born in the paradise, the Elysian Fields.

He and his beloved wife will live comfortably in Elysium forever.

I had a pleasant conversation with Cadmus, whom I met after a long time, but my heart was not at ease.

A Gigantes that the soldiers of the Underworld did not discover was found in Thebes…?

But I don’t have much time to go around looking for the Gigantes myself.

I can’t abandon the work of the Underworld and wander around the living world.

Then should I refer to the case of Apollo, who interferes with the lower world through his temple?

“Priestess of Delphi, I have come from a distant place…”

“Have you also come to receive the oracle of Apollo? Wait your turn.”

However, unlike Apollo, who is capable of all sorts of versatile divine powers and even prophecy, who would gladly welcome the Underworld?

In fact, Apollo is widely worshiped in the lower world, and his temple on the island of Delphi is famous, but…

My temple in the living world exists in only one place: Thebes.

A temple built in his country by Cadmus in his lifetime, thinking of his relationship with me.

“Contact Olympus and tell them that traces of the Gigantes have been discovered, and bring Morpheus to me.”

“Yes!”

Soon after, Morpheus was summoned after hearing the words of the soul soldier.

“What’s going on? Lord Hades? I didn’t do anything wrong…”

“I’m not trying to question you about occasionally giving humans nightmares as a hobby.”

He makes a dumbfounded expression.

Did you think I wouldn’t know? Let’s move on since I’m not going to make an issue of it for now…

“I need you to help me a little.”

* * *

Thebes, the nation founded by the great hero Cadmus.

The only temple of Hades in Thebes, no, the only one in the world.

Since it is a place that enshrines as many as three main gods, humans who want to be protected should be swarming, but…

“Haaah…”

Parona, the priestess of the Temple of Hades, was sitting in her seat with a bored expression.

No visitors; people avoid her because she is a priestess of the Underworld.

The only good thing about being a priestess of Hades is that no one ever picks a fight with her?

She is a maiden of marriageable age and one of the most beautiful women in the city,

But even the thugs who were quite strong in Pankration [an ancient Greek martial art] didn’t even try to flirt with her, let alone talk to her.

“Haa… I’m so bored…”

They were probably afraid of the consequences of touching the priestess of Hades and being dragged to the Underworld.

But the temple was also the object of aversion because of the name value of the god of the Underworld.

“Why am I so sleepy during the day…”

The Temple of Hades, built by the order of the founding king of Thebes, the great King Cadmus, was too deserted.

So much so that no one would notice even if the only priestess fell into an unnatural sleep.

* * *

When Parona opened her eyes again, it was not the temple.

A space filled with darkness where she couldn’t see an inch ahead.

As a priestess who had received higher education, she quickly grasped the situation and prostrated herself.

“I don’t know which god you are, but do you have anything to command of a humble human?”

She thought she had fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes, it was another world.

Her memories were clear and her body moved well, so it couldn’t be an ordinary dream.

Clearly, a god intervened.

But she didn’t think it was the god Hades she served.

Because her lord had been silent for far too long.

A low, cold male voice was heard from somewhere in the darkness.

“I am Pluto.”

….!

Pluto, another name for Hades, the master of the Underworld.

Then is it to judge her for not managing the temple properly?

She was about to make excuses in a hurry, but she had no choice but to close her mouth again.

“You are the only priestess of mine in the living world. I will give a small reward and task for that faithful heart.”

If it’s a reward and a task… then he must have something he wants her to do!

“From now on, revive my temple. I will give you a blessing that will help with that.”

A body that does not move due to fear.

The vision blacks out again.

With the knowledge that violently enters her head, she wakes up from her dream.