King of Underworld

Chapter 130: The Sea Monster Charybdis – (1)

Deep beneath the sea, in Poseidon’s palace.

I, Hades, was enjoying a banquet at Poseidon’s invitation in his palace.

While I had been resting peacefully in the Underworld with my head on Lady Styx’s lap, a message had arrived.

Thinking, “What could it be this time?” I came to the sea…

“Hades. Anyway, that’s why I’d like to send my children to the Underworld.”

“Do you think the gods with high pride will willingly listen to Chiron’s advice? And don’t you cherish your children greatly?”

To think he wanted his children—not demigods, but gods themselves—to be educated in the Underworld; what a strange whim.

Perhaps it was due to his recent clash with Ares. He’s looking quite different—like a new god.

As I stared at him intently, the master of the sea stroked his beard, then raised his glass of nectar and downed it in one gulp.

Poseidon’s gaze swept across the gods and divine beasts gathered in the banquet hall.

“Yes, but there’s a limit to everything. Didn’t I tell you before? Except for Triton, they’re all just…”

“Did someone die or get hurt this time, too?”

“Just listen to what I have to say for a moment.”

He slowly began to speak about his children.

Well… Apparently, he has a giant son named Antaeus, who loves to test his strength by challenging passersby…

After defeating them, he kills them all and offers their bodies as sacrifices to Poseidon.

“He’s incredibly devoted to me, but it’s a problem because the citizens around us complain bitterly.”

“If he’s a giant son, then who’s his mother?”

“Gaia.”

What? He had a child with Gaia?

This was entirely different from the case with Hephaestus.

Poseidon’s other child with Gaia, the great serpent Python, was born before we went to war with Gaia.

But if this giant was born recently…

Sssssss—

I glared at him, gathering my strength. The sea was Poseidon’s domain. It likely wasn’t a trap, but…

I thought of pulling out my Bident, but Poseidon quickly set his cup down with a clatter and frantically waved his hand.

“Wait. I swear on the River Styx that I haven’t aligned myself with Gaia. The children I had with Gaia were born a very long time ago.”

“A very long time ago?”

“Yes, which is why Gaia tried to sway me last time. Hmph… As if she thought I’d fall for her just because we had some intimacy.”

If it was a long time ago, could it be from the beginning of time? Or maybe they were born with Python.

Anyway, he swore on the River Styx, so it must be true.

“Hmm. Hmm. Anyway, I have more troublesome children than just Antaeus. There’s Charybdis…”

“Isn’t that the daughter Zeus was furious with? Is she also Gaia’s child?”

He nodded.

Charybdis.

Poseidon’s eldest daughter, but her insatiable appetite led her to consume nectar and ambrosia recklessly, causing Zeus to strike her with lightning in anger, casting her into the depths of the sea.

When I first heard the story, I thought she was just a gluttonous goddess, but it turns out she was the daughter of Gaia and Poseidon. So, being his eldest daughter, she was born around the same time as Triton, or even earlier?

Working endlessly in the dark, gloomy Underworld had its downsides.

At times, I didn’t know precise information or caught onto news popular among the gods quite late.

Though I hadn’t had the time to care about such things either…

“Haaa… Every time I think about that incident, the anger towards that bastard Zeus rises again…”

“She must’ve been a daughter you cherished very much.”

“Of course, she was my precious first daughter, one I could bear no pain from even if she was in my eyes, and Zeus… Tsk. How about you start paying a little attention to the affairs of the mortal world?”

“So what about Charybdis? Since she’s at the bottom of the sea, can’t you just look after her yourself?”

“…She’s causing trouble by swallowing entire ships and eating humans, that’s the problem.”

“Then how about educating her too…”

“Enough! I’ll take care of my daughter myself.”

Then why did you even bring up Charybdis in the first place?

* * *

Anyway, this is a good opportunity.

I could educate Poseidon’s unruly children and, since he’s asking for a favor, I could also get something in return.

Poseidon soon looked back at me and opened his mouth.

“Aside from my eldest daughter Charybdis, I’d like to give the rest of them a stern education.”

“Why not give your daughter a proper education too?”

“Aaah! I already feel guilty as a father for allowing her to get struck by lightning. Can’t I just let her eat a few humans?”

Then why are you treating the other children differently?

Poseidon’s affection for his eldest daughter was much deeper than I’d thought.

Humans who die at sea generally do not bear much resentment. The sea is the law of nature. It’s an inevitable death.

I rarely judged those who died at sea myself… I hadn’t known Charybdis was devouring entire ships.

“If only my other children could even halfway measure up to Triton. Why is it that so many of them can’t even reach his level?”

“Come to think of it, I don’t see Triton around.”

“I told Triton to teach his unworthy siblings a lesson. Those who still don’t come to their senses, I’ll send to the Underworld.”

“If you recommend me some appropriate items to use for proposals, I’d gladly accept them. Also, maybe share how you confessed to those many wives…”

As soon as I said this, Poseidon looked at me with interest.

“Are you planning on proposing to someone?”

“…Just for my knowledge. I think it’s time for the Underworld to have a mistress.”

“Hah, then I look forward to the day of your wedding. As far as I know, goddesses enjoy gifts like…”

We talked briefly about how to win a goddess’s heart.

For example, how he relentlessly pursued Amphitrite, how a dolphin revealed her location to him…

He shared stories of gifting goddesses with golden necklaces and pearls from the depths of the sea… They may or may not be helpful, but they were quite interesting.

As we were talking, the banquet doors opened, and one of Poseidon’s attendants, a mix of human and shark, entered.

He approached Poseidon directly, knelt down, and handed over a letter—likely a messenger.

“Hmm. It seems Triton is planning to use Zeus’s son to educate my son, Polyphemus.”

“Polyphemus?”

I listened as he explained about Polyphemus.

He was a one-eyed Cyclops who, after being rejected by a sea nymph, had begun eating humans.

“Could this be part of the tasks set by Hera?”

“But if it’s Hercules, isn’t he practically the prophesied hero? I hope Polyphemus doesn’t get too badly hurt. Even though my child is strong, compared to the Hydra or the Nemean Lion… Hmm. Surely he won’t lose an eye or something? If that happens, I’ll ensure he never sets foot in the sea…”

Poseidon stood up, holding his head with a worried expression.

“Don’t worry too much. Hercules would know he’s your son, so he wouldn’t kill him, would he?”

“It’s the humiliation of being beaten by Zeus’s son that bothers me! No, I must watch this for myself.”

As Poseidon and I moved to another room adorned with pearls, there was a large shell.

As Poseidon infused his divine power into the glowing white shell, a scene from the mortal world began to appear.

But then…

Crash!

“Gaaaah!!”

“Too weak for your size.”

“T-That bastard, how dare he hit my son!”

“Ah.”

There was Hercules, relentlessly beating a Cyclops.

Seeing Poseidon clench his teeth, it seemed that this Cyclops was indeed his son.

* * *

The scene showed a quiet, remote island in the mortal world.

However, it was filled with bloodshed, with iron clubs and boulders flying around.

As Hercules beat Polyphemus, he cried out for help, prompting other Cyclopes on the island to emerge.

“Aaaagh! Brothers of the Cyclopes! Help! There’s some human here!”

“No, Polyphemus!”

“Brothers! Polyphemus has been attacked!”

“Die!”

The one-eyed giants, several times the size of a human, rushed out, swinging their fists at Hercules, but their fists ended up breaking. Throwing boulders or swinging uprooted trees didn’t even scratch the great hero.

Hercules stormed in like a tempest, knocking out the giants one by one, and the island filled with groans and screams.

“Aaack! This insane human!”

“O Poseidon! Smite that bastard with divine punishment!”

“Who in the world are you!”

Naturally, Poseidon, watching all this, had a grimace stretched across his face.

Forget the education, just seeing his children get beaten up by Hercules in front of him must be twisting his insides.

“Mm, I should just…”

“Wait, Poseidon. If you intervene, Polyphemus will never learn.”

“But does that even make sense? Beating my son with an iron club—how is that supposed to be education…”

“Then shouldn’t the other children stay out of the Underworld too? If they won’t listen to words, sometimes beating them is the only way to correct their ways. You know that the habit of eating people isn’t something that’s easily broken.”

I stopped Poseidon, whose temples throbbed as he struggled to control his anger.

If he couldn’t restrain himself and handed down divine punishment in his rage, it would cause chaos for Olympus.

“Anyway, just send your children to the Underworld as planned.”

“Hmph… I’ll start by sending the younger gods.”

“Coddling your children too much only backfires when it comes to education. Just tell me where Charybdis lives. Since I’ve come all the way to the sea, I might as well have a word with her.”

It took quite a bit of effort to persuade the lord of the sea.

I reasoned with him that he was too soft-hearted to discipline his children properly, which was why they were becoming more unruly.

I reminded him that Polyphemus was acting out, his son was killed by Ares, and unless they were severely disciplined, they wouldn’t change.

I even mentioned how Chiron, the famous educator, used to discipline heroes with a rod. Despite all this, persuading him was difficult.

“You’re being too lenient with your children, so they keep acting out. Do you want me to scold them in your place?”

“Ugh…”

After a lengthy persuasion session, Poseidon finally sighed and revealed the location of the undersea gorge where his eldest daughter lived.

From how he kept asking me not to be too harsh with her, it was clear he genuinely cared for her.

“Please be gentle. I’d prefer if you tried to talk to her rather than using force.”

“…If she’ll actually listen to words.”

Since she was Gaia’s daughter, I’d have to settle for a mild scolding and return.

—

[New Character & Element Summary]

카리브디스 (Charybdis) = Female
– Poseidon’s eldest daughter, born from his union with Gaia. Known for her enormous appetite, she was struck by Zeus’s lightning and cast into the sea as punishment for devouring nectar and ambrosia.