King of Underworld

Chapter 23 Aftermath of the Rebellion

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

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

“Thetis told you…?”

Thetis, a goddess considered the second most beautiful after Amphitrite, the rightful wife of Poseidon. Many male gods courted her for her beauty, but…

“The one from the prophecy about her son surpassing his father as a hero?”

“Yes, that’s the Thetis you’re thinking of.”

Zeus, too, once courted her, but gave up without hesitation upon hearing Prometheus’s prophecy. He tried to marry her off to a suitable mortal, but she persistently refused.

“Hmm, I see what you’re implying. You’re asking for acknowledgment and favors because of her help?”

“While the prophecy is absolute, it can be interpreted in different ways. Just because a son surpasses his father doesn’t necessarily mean he will threaten his authority…”

The king of the gods, more sensitive to his authority than anyone, made a serious expression. After all, Zeus himself overthrew his father, Cronus, so it was natural that he would be wary even of his own children.

So, there was no way he would allow Thetis to marry a god. If her son were to surpass a god, wouldn’t that make him the king of the gods?

That would be a direct threat to Zeus.

“I think I’ll have to give that some thought. As you know, the reason we’re in these positions is also because of our rebellion against Cronus.”

“But if Cronus had seen us as his children, things might have turned out differently.”

“Hmm!”

It was a thought I occasionally had. What if Cronus had viewed us as his children, rather than as potential challengers? Would we still have overthrown him and taken control of the world?

“Think of your beloved daughter, Athena. In the end, the prophecy took a different direction, didn’t it?”

“…If someone other than you had said this, I would have taken it as a challenge against me.”

Zeus rubbed his temple, frowning slightly. A faint bolt of lightning crackled around him, indicating his slight displeasure. Though Athena was now his cherished daughter, when Zeus first heard the prophecy that a son born between him and Metis would overthrow him, he saw it as a threat.

So, he swallowed Metis, who was pregnant with Athena, and in the end, Athena was born after splitting open Zeus’s head. It was fortunate she was a daughter; if she had been a son…

That day, another god might have ended up imprisoned in Tartarus.

“Considering Thetis’s contribution and your lack of interest in the throne, I’ll think about it a little more.”

“Good. Now, moving on… has Cadmus received a proper reward?”

It was better to leave the matter of Thetis at this point. Though Zeus was sensitive to power, since his brother, who had aided him during the rebellion, was asking, this was his reaction. However, that was that, and Cadmus, who made great contributions by protecting him from Typhon’s threat, deserved a proper reward.

“I heard that he founded a country called Thebes while searching for his missing sister, a woman named Europa.”

“Oh? Uh… that…”

Zeus suddenly avoided my gaze. Was it him again? Let’s test the waters.

“But rumor has it that this human woman, Europa, is very beautiful.”

“Ahem. Hmm.”

Oh…

“They say she’s so beautiful that the king of the gods, who usually just flirts around, lost his mind and kidnapped her.”

“Ahem! What do you want?”

Of course, it was your fault again. You messed with Cadmus’s sister, who helped us…

Maybe I should’ve taken Poseidon’s side or even ‘done a Uranus’ on you.

“What’s done is done, but at least let Cadmus meet Europa or ease his worries…”

“Alright, alright. You can be quite nagging at times. I’ll take care of it.”

Perhaps it was because of that attitude that Apollo and Hera betrayed you. The rebellion was deserved…

But I think sparing Poseidon with just a one-year punishment was a reasonable compromise to protect his pride as the second-in-command. This alone shows that Zeus is somewhat rational.

Later, fortunately, Europa was able to get in touch with Cadmus. Zeus granted an oracle that allowed them to meet.

Though Cadmus made a rather strange expression after hearing Europa’s story, it seemed they managed to resolve it without tarnishing the gods’ authority.

Europa, who had been kidnapped, seemed to take a liking to Zeus, who had taken her away, but…

“Hmm… So, you mean Zeus…”

“I was really shocked when I realized the bull was Zeus, but… he was incredibly potent…”

“…?!”

Whatever his stamina is like, I don’t want to know.

* * *

Descending from Olympus and returning to the Underworld, I continued my steps. I planned to meet some of the special gods living underground.

I had an attendant bring a bottle of ambrosia, a bottle of nectar, and some goblets along.

At the outskirts of the Underworld.

Not the fortress where the souls resided, but a dark, damp cave. From the entrance of the cave, an unusual aura emanated, and a cold chill could be felt.

The spirit who had brought the nectar to this point trembled in fear, so I sent them away and entered the cave alone.

“Hades.”

“You’ve come again.”

In the dark cave, where there was no hearth fire from Hestia, nor any artificial light created by divine power, a voice echoed.

What I saw with it were three goddesses with bronze wings, serpentine hair, and blood flowing from their eyes.

“It’s been a while, Erinyes.”

“You’re holding nectar.”

“It seems there’s ambrosia too.”

Erinyes.

Goddesses of vengeance, born from the blood that fell on the earth when Uranus’s genitals were severed.

The war between the Titans and the gods for world supremacy.

After winning that long war and gaining control of the Underworld, I was finally able to meet them.

The three Erinyes sisters were sitting on the cold floor of the underworld. The serpents in their hair hissed, guarding all around them, and blood constantly flowed from their sharp eyes.

Despite their terrifying appearance, what first came to my mind was pity. I felt sorry for them, endlessly shedding blood from their eyes, and honestly, I pitied them.

“That… doesn’t it hurt?”

“What…?”

“I mean, bleeding from your eyes.”

“…Are you serious?”

Their puzzled gaze suggested my question was unexpected.

“If it’s very painful, then next time…”

“Pain always accompanies vengeance. This is nothing.”

Despite being goddesses, the Erinyes bled red blood, not ichor. The blood from their eyes evaporated as soon as it hit the ground.

Since our first meeting, I’ve visited them from time to time to build rapport. They lived nearby, and I felt sorry for them since even other gods avoided them.

At first, the goddesses showed a cold attitude, but gradually they became accustomed to my visits, and eventually, today…

“Hades, sit down and drink with us.”

“Sure.”

It had become as natural as a close friend visiting often.

“Is the Underworld less busy these days?”

“It must be very different from before.”

Tisiphone, who judged the unfaithful, quietly folded her bronze wings and approached. Alecto, who symbolized endless anger, smiled as she drank the nectar. Megaera, the jealous one, quietly nibbled at the ambrosia.

The serpents that acted as their hair also writhed, as if pleased.

Hiss…

A serpent on Alecto’s head hissed as it licked the back of my hand while she drank the nectar. When I stroked the serpent’s head with my fingers, it rubbed its head against me as if content.

Slap.

“Don’t… touch my hair.”

Alecto snapped her head around and spoke softly, her ears turning bright red. Well, your hair licked me first…

Tisiphone, who had been watching, sighed and spoke.

“Hades, don’t come too often; being around you dulls the edge of our vengeance.”

“Mmm…”

Megaera, who was chewing on ambrosia, nodded in agreement.

What did I do…

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

“It seems wiping them out once was the right thing to do.”

The goddesses of vengeance, the Erinyes, once they marked someone, they would pursue them relentlessly, day and night. They even appeared in dreams, endlessly criticizing, eventually driving the person mad with guilt.

Humans feared them, holding a torch in one hand, flapping their bronze wings, and avoided even calling their names. Just as they avoided calling me Hades and instead referred to me as Pluto.

But their case was much worse than mine.

“There haven’t been many reasons to visit dreams for a long time.”

“That’s right, people would rather become your subjects than suffer at our hands.”

“Such people are all paying for their sins in my fortress.”

Once someone took their own life, they were no longer under the jurisdiction of the Erinyes. Instead, they would face judgment from me, Hades.

Of course, taking one’s own life never lightened one’s sentence.

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

“These days, the young gods avoid us…”

We gods are immortal beings, even without consuming ambrosia and nectar.

However, the fact that no one wanted to sit down and have a meal and a conversation with them because of fear must have been quite lonely.

Last time,

I invited the Erinyes to a banquet held in the Underworld, but they refused, saying they didn’t want to ruin the joyful atmosphere.

I made the suggestion because they sometimes sneak into my fortress to avoid the spirits, but it seems it was still too much for them.