King of Underworld

Chapter 131 The Sea Monster Charybdis – (2)

Charybdis, the daughter of Poseidon, was cursed with Zeus’s wrath because of her insatiable appetite.

She devoured nectar and ambrosia without restraint and even swallowed passing ships whole.

“Poseidon, how big is your daughter exactly?”

“Not very big. She’s actually quite petite—barely reaches Typhon’s waist.”

“And how exactly is that supposed to be petite?”

Typhon’s shoulders touched the sky, and his head brushed against the stars.

If you’re comparing her to him, then Charybdis must be enormous.

Well… with a body that size, it makes sense that she’d have a bottomless appetite.

It’s no wonder Zeus couldn’t control his temper and struck her with lightning.

“Can you send a messenger to Olympus to call for Demeter?”

“Why Demeter?”

“If I go and tell her directly to control her appetite, she obviously won’t listen. But if you regularly offer her Demeter’s blessed grains, maybe your daughter will stop harassing sailors.”

“That… hmm! I did consider that idea myself, but… would Demeter step up for my daughter?”

Poseidon subtly turned his head, stroking his beard.

Last time, when Persephone went missing, he tried to pull something on Demeter.

I suspected he may have tried to force her into a relationship… Anyway, it seems there’s been tension ever since.

How can I convince Demeter?

“Hah. Isn’t all of this because you were ogling Demeter with those lecherous eyes last time?”

“Lecherous? I was just trying to ‘console’ her…”

“Console? Who on earth sends lustful glances at a mother grieving her missing daughter!”

“Ahem! Ah, let’s leave it at that! Let’s forget about past events!”

Honestly, it’s exasperating. Should I just beat up Charybdis and tell her to stop eating humans?

No… she’s already been struck by Zeus’s lightning, and she is Gaia’s daughter…

“Just tell Demeter that you owe her a debt.”

“A debt is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“You don’t like that idea? Then fine, let Charybdis continue to devour ships and earn the curses of mortals. I’d be glad to discipline her for you, but if you’re that averse to owing Demeter one, then I guess there’s no other option.”

“…?”

“Mortals always offer you offerings for safe passage before heading out to sea, don’t they? But if you let Charybdis keep swallowing ships whole, what kind of reputation will you earn as the god of the sea? Some might say that’s why Athena took Athens from you. Even if I were Athenian, I’d choose Athena over you. Tsk.”

It seems my words were striking at his pride.

Poseidon’s expression grew darker and darker.

“A god who doesn’t care that his child is devouring intelligent beings left and right… that’s really…”

“Alright, enough! Fine, I’ll consider it a debt to Demeter, happy?”

“Good thinking. Humans will praise your mercy.”

Like a wave crashing in, a slight provocation gets him to come around.

But I’ll stop here; any more and he’ll get angry.

* * *

“So, you called me from Olympus when I was resting peacefully?”

Demeter looked back and forth between Poseidon and me after arriving in the sea.

Receiving a sudden summons from two of the Three Gods, her eyes were full of curiosity.

“Yes, it’s an opportunity to have Poseidon here owe you a favor, so I hope you’ll help us out.”

At my answer, she glanced Poseidon up and down.

What did that look in her eyes mean? It seemed… quite disdainful.

“Hmph. So you’ve finally decided to take some responsibility for your child? I hope that commitment lasts, Poseidon.”

“…I wanted to just let her live as she pleased, but Hades here had a point.”

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

Thank goodness. It seems Demeter is willing to cooperate.

Though she’s occasionally casting a few disdainful glances my way, probably out of tolerance for my relationship with Persephone and Charybdis’s actions.

Poseidon, understanding this, didn’t seem to be harboring any strange ideas either.

“Hmm. If you bless some food with your bounty…”

“Demeter, you are the goddess of abundance, in opposition to Limus, the goddess of famine. So…”

“I’ll instruct mortals to offer sacrifices in the sea when they pass near Charybdis’s domain.”

“With a small amount, she should be satisfied enough to stop her attacks.”

“Poseidon, can’t you just go and persuade her yourself?”

“To be honest, I still think it’s best to let her do as she wishes…”

“It’s obvious why Charybdis turned out this way.”

Thus, Poseidon, Demeter, and I brainstormed a way to persuade Charybdis.

Using force to beat her into submission would be too harsh, given her parentage.

Demeter would produce food in a shrine blessed with abundance from a fertile land.

Then Poseidon would issue an oracle in his temple, instructing that food blessed by Demeter should be offered near Charybdis’s domain when passing through the sea.

Additionally, ambrosia, nectar, and food from the sea would be delivered to Charybdis regularly.

And finally.

“I can’t swear on the River Styx… but I’ll swear on my trident.”

“Good. I’ll contact you next time I need a favor, Poseidon.”

Poseidon now owed Demeter a debt.

Of course, he wouldn’t agree to any excessive requests, but it was still a right to request the Sea God’s assistance.

“It’s finally done. Now, let’s go have a talk with your daughter.”

Poseidon sealed his lips with a bitter expression. He should have disciplined his child properly from the start.

Well, it seems he’s finally come to his senses a bit, so that’s a relief.

* * *

Riding on the back of the divine beast Poseidon provided, a dolphin, I headed to where Charybdis was.

The sea was calm, with gentle waves and a mild breeze. A little way off, a ship with humans aboard was passing by.

The dolphin carrying me stopped, and I stood on the surface of the sea, scanning my surroundings.

This must be the place, right? Down below, I felt a formidable energy that likely belonged to Charybdis.

In terms of power, she seemed stronger than Triton… well, she is Gaia’s daughter and a goddess herself.

“Hm?”

I was considering how to approach her underwater when I noticed the surrounding water flowing downward.

Most likely, Charybdis was surfacing, drawing the seawater toward herself.

As a vortex formed in the middle of the sea, part of her enormous body emerged.

No, Charybdis was the vortex itself.

At the center of the massive whirlpool filled with sharp teeth, everything was being sucked in.

Naturally, the ship a bit further away with humans aboard was no exception.

“Aaaaah! Th-there’s a sea monster!”

“The whirlpool—no, it’s a monster’s mouth; our ship is being sucked in…!”

“Lord Poseidon, please save us…!”

“Are we going to die here? Row faster!”

“This is as fast as I can row!”

The mortals aboard the ship, panicked, prayed desperately to the gods, clenching the oars hard enough to make their hands bleed.

Some had already given up, shedding tears, while others glared at the whirlpool with bloodshot eyes.

Whoooosh—

I am the god of the Underworld. Unlike Poseidon, I can’t command water or the sea.

I can’t swiftly fly through the skies like Hermes or open a rainbow path for escape like Iris.

But… I did have the power to stop Charybdis from sucking in the seawater.

Sorry, Poseidon.

I’m going to have to strike your daughter a little.

* * *

The captain of the unlucky ship that crossed Charybdis’s territory gritted his teeth.

He had heard that people were disappearing in these waters. But to think a sea monster was the cause.

If he’d known, he would have taken an entirely different route.

Whoooosh—

No, monster? Is that really just a monster?

A whirlpool with teeth, swallowing the sea itself, radiated the terrifying aura of a god.

“Heh… hic! Mother!”

“I shouldn’t have boarded the ship… am I to meet Thanatos here?”

“We definitely sacrificed cows to Lord Poseidon before setting sail, didn’t we? So why is this happening…”

“It must be that Poseidon wasn’t pleased with our offering!”

The sailors on board were in a state of panic.

Some had already stopped rowing and let go of the oars.

And rightly so, as there was no escaping that monstrous whirlpool.

In the face of the mythological creature devouring the surrounding seawater… ordinary mortals, not demigods or heroes, could only despair.

The captain closed his eyes and offered one last prayer to Poseidon.

He was seventy years old, a devoted servant of the sea god for his entire life, and now, more

than ever, he called upon the gods.

‘Olympian gods! My lord Poseidon! Please have mercy on us!’

Around him, he heard the desperate cries of his crew, their wails and sobs filling the air.

And then…

■■■■■■!!!!!

A deafening roar?

He quickly covered his ears and opened his eyes.

His mouth hung open, and tears streamed down his face.

The old captain quietly knelt and clasped his hands together.

The other sailors followed his lead.

“I will send you to a safe place.”

A black pillar, which seemed to destroy everything between the sea and sky, appeared,

And standing on the deck before them was a god.

“It is not yet your time to come to the Underworld.”

They were saved.