King of Underworld

Chapter 19: The Story After the Typhonomachy – (3)

Above the clouds revered by humans, the banquet of the Olympian gods was not much different from theirs.

“This time, the humans wished for wind, so I showed a bit of mercy…”

“Lady Artemis, you are beautiful as always!”

“I’ll have something to say to the nymphs after the banquet.”

“Was the monster Typhon really that strong?”

While eating ambrosia and drinking nectar, the food of the gods, they conversed,

“Hmm.. would you like to go somewhere quiet and continue talking?”

“Anytime you wish.”

When gods and goddesses met eyes, they would leave for a quiet place,

“I heard one of the nymphs under your command offered quite a useful weapon..”

“Hmm? Are you talking about my sword?”

“How about a match of pankration for it? I’ll bet one of the buffaloes I’ve been raising.”

“Are you two going to fight? In that case, I’ll… ”

They placed amusing bets through pankration, a form of wrestling,

“Hahaha! Terpsichore! You are truly remarkable.”

“You flatter me, Lord Poseidon.”

“Your dance skills are befitting one of the Muses, who preside over art and science!”

They enjoyed art by listening to the music played by Apollo or dancing.

At such banquets of the gods, I, Hades…

“Hmm.. will you really not play with me?”

“Oh, and loosen that girdle, it’s giving me a headache.”

“But without this, you wouldn’t even look at me..?”

I was resisting the temptations of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, whom everyone admired.

Of all times, she had to come wearing the Kestos Himas (a magical girdle that incites desire).

It was giving me a headache, and I wanted her to leave.

But I knew she was half-joking and not using her full power to allure.

“Tch.. how boring. Are you going to keep doing that?”

“Go to your husband, Hephaestus.”

It was somewhat annoying because it seemed she was half-serious.

I mean, why are you doing this when you have a husband?

“Stay as far away from me as the distance between the Underworld and Olympus…”

“Huh? Do I really have to go that far when the goddess of beauty is doing this?”

Aphrodite crossed her arms and struck a seductive pose that emphasized certain features.

The male gods around couldn’t take their eyes off her.

“One day, this will really cause a problem.”

“I want affection, not worries.. let’s leave it at this for today.”

From her perspective, as the goddess of love, seeing someone completely untouched by her realm among the three great gods must have been disturbing.

Seemingly insulted by her inability to affect me, Aphrodite left with a heavily furrowed brow.

“Wow.. what did I just witness. Did you just reject the goddess of beauty, Uncle Hades?”

Hermes, holding the Caduceus, approached, marveling with his mouth agape.

The snakes on his staff also turned their heads towards the direction Aphrodite had left.

“I wouldn’t have refused. Wouldn’t it be a fun night?”

“Sigh…”

Hermes whispered lewdly, but I had no interest.

Why would I have a tryst with a goddess who has a husband and children?

Besides, Hephaestus hadn’t done anything wrong to me.

“So, why are you here?”

“Hephaestus, who was working in the forge, wanted to see you, Lord Hades. I’m a messenger, after all.”

Zeus had ordered Hephaestus to make my weapon.

It seemed there was a part of the weapon-making process that needed my help.

“I guess I should go then.”

I put down the golden goblet filled with nectar and walked away.

Wasn’t Hephaestus’ dedicated forge this way?

* * *

After passing through the makeshift Milky Way that Iris presumably worked hard to create,

And walking through the dense white clouds for a while…

“Kyaahaha!”

“Hahaha! Slow down a bit!”

As lower gods, who seemed to be in love, passed by me, I finally saw Hephaestus’ forge.

Bang! Bang!

The sound of metal being hammered, heat so intense even a god could feel it, and flames shooting high into the sky.

The forge walls were filled with all kinds of divine weapons that would cause wars if they fell into human hands.

That sword emitted flames when wielded, and this armor of blue metal hardened more with every impact?

“Have you arrived, Uncle?”

“Mm.”

While admiring the weapons touched by Hephaestus, he came out to greet me.

Though he was lame, he was muscular and held a hammer in his hand.

“These are all failures, so I’m embarrassed to show them to you..”

No matter how I looked, they seemed like objects that would cause chaos in the mortal realm.

But from the perspective of the god of blacksmiths, who had made Aphrodite’s magical girdle and Hermes’ winged sandals, it was understandable.

When I asked him why he had called for me,

Hephaestus scratched his cheek with a naive look and spoke.

“I was making a bident for you, Uncle, and I needed some of your divine power infused into it..”

“A bident..?”

I had used a spear a lot in the war against the Titans.

Did Zeus order him to make a spear because of that?

“So, are you going to make my weapon a trident like Poseidon’s?”

“No, this one is a two-pronged spear.”

“But I already have this Styx sword, so I don’t really need a weapon..”

I unfastened the sheath at my waist and handed the Styx sword to him.

The god of blacksmiths briefly focused on examining the blade before smiling at me.

“This sword is quite excellent, but it’s not on par with the Trident or the Thunderbolt. However, the bident I’m about to show you can surely compare to those.”

“Oh..”

Hephaestus, speaking confidently, brought out the two-pronged spear from inside the forge with his iron-clad hands.

Reaching out to the still-hot, red-glowing spear, I felt its heat.

Sizzle…

As my dark, shadowy divine power touched the bident, its surface was finely carved.

But only for a moment, as the bident soon accepted the divine power and turned black.

Even at a glance, it was extraordinary, but it wasn’t the end.

“Please wait a moment, the finishing touches are still left.”

Hephaestus carefully took back the spear and re-entered the forge.

Soon, the sound of metal being hammered and the clash of different energies echoed.

Bang! Clang! Clang! Bang! Bang!

The only ones who could rival Hephaestus’ skills were the Cyclops brothers who had made my Kynee.

I waited patiently for the work to be finished.

When Helios’ sun chariot reached the end of the world and it was time for the moon goddess Selene,

Hephaestus, who was engrossed in his work, called me.

“It’s done! Please, give it a try!”

The black, gleaming spearhead emitted a chilling aura that felt familiar to the Underworld.

I grasped the bident with my right hand, as if enchanted.

The spear hummed with a faint resonance, recognizing its owner.

As I infused a bit of power into the spear, it emitted an aura several times stronger.

Enveloped in a dark, ominous divine power, I looked at the bident for a moment before fiercely thrusting it into the sky.

Boom-

A large hole was pierced through the clouds above Olympus, and the fierce spear thrust shot straight towards the beyond.

Truly, it’s the best.

I don’t envy Poseidon’s trident at all.

“Do you like it?”

“Like it? That’s an understatement.”

“And with the divine power inscribed, you should be able to summon it from afar anytime!”

It even had such a feature?

I’ll never lose it now.

It’s really not inferior to Poseidon’s trident at all.

Shouldn’t I give him some kind of reward for this?

I asked Hephaestus, who looked satisfied, if he wanted anything.

“I’m glad you like it. There is one request I have…”

“Tell me, if it’s something I can grant, I will.”

“Please use the bident often and widely spread that I made it!”

Isn’t that natural?

“I want it to be known that this bident, comparable to the three sacred treasures made by the Cyclops brothers, was crafted by the greatest blacksmith in the world, Hephaestus!”

I assured the god of blacksmiths, who spoke with sparkling eyes, that I would definitely do that.

Wanting the honor of having made an excellent weapon was not a difficult wish to grant.

But aren’t the Cyclops brothers a notch higher when it comes to being the greatest in the world..?

Ah! I guess I can compare it with the Kynee made by Arges!

* * *

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Back in the Underworld, I clashed the bident against an old, shabby-looking helmet in one hand.

The sparks flew as the two weapons of nearly equal strength collided.

“Kyaa! Hades! Not again, not with that precious helmet!”

Goddess Styx, who was passing by, saw me and cried out in horror.

But, just a few more times…

“The sword I made, and now this… who tests weapons like this?!”

“Ah, by the way, this bident was made by Hephaestus, the greatest blacksmith in Olympus..”

Goddess Styx approached and furiously scolded me.

If you keep fl

ailing your hands and stamping your feet like that, you’ll make a hole in the bottom of the Underworld.. no, I won’t say that.

“The bident and everything, why do you keep mistreating the Kynee which should be cherished in the treasure vault? I told you last time..”

I tried to change the subject naturally, but it didn’t work.