The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 48: The Tragedy of Oedipus – (3)

"Next, we shall burn the temple of Hades! Follow me, all of you!"

The soldiers momentarily doubted their ears.

Not content with burning down Dionysus' temple, now they were to attack the temple of Hades as well?

Dionysus is one of the Twelve Olympians, the god of madness.

In the past, when King Pentheus of Thebes angered Dionysus, he met a gruesome death. 

Some people pitied King Pentheus and harbored resentment against the god of madness.

All Pentheus had done was imprison some intoxicated worshipers who were disturbing the peace, yet the consequence was that his own family, driven mad, stoned him to death.

In Thebes, the name of Dionysus is a mix of fear, reverence, and resentment.

A merciless god who kills kings and spreads the madness of wine simply for offending him.

"But Lord Pluto…"

"It was one thing to destroy Dionysus' temple…"

"Maybe we should run."

In Thebes, however, the name of Hades holds a different meaning from Dionysus.

He is the god of the underworld, mercy, and wealth.

To the living, he bestows the blessings of wealth and mint to ward off the stench of rotting corpses.

There were even rumors that he once descended into the body of a priest about to be killed by a monster, saving him—a benevolent god.

The fear surrounding him was unlike that of Dionysus, which stemmed from resentment and terror.

His fear was more primal, a dread of the punishment that awaits after death.

Known as the King of the underworld, Hades commands authority and power.

"If we burn down Pluto’s temple… won’t we be condemned to Tartarus?"

"How is this any different from desecrating Zeus’ temple?"

"Is King Oedipus unafraid of death?"

"What are you all doing? Move now!" 

King Oedipus pointed his sword at the soldiers.

But unlike before, the soldiers couldn’t move.

Even though Pluto is a god of mercy…

If his temple is desecrated, and he does nothing, he would no longer be a god of mercy but a god of fools.

Terrible punishments that he might inflict flooded the minds of all present.

"Your Majesty! Please rescind your order! Attacking his temple is like stirring a hornet’s nest!"

"There are statues of other gods in Pluto's temple as well!"

In fact, Pluto’s temple contained statues of other deities besides him.

The god of death, Thanatos, the goddess of oblivion, Lethe, and even the terrifying Furies—goddesses of vengeance whose names people feared to speak.

The soldiers begged King Oedipus to withdraw his command.

But all that came in return was the crazed king’s wrath.

"Hah! Even if Hades himself descends, my sword will send him fleeing back to the underworld! Move now! If you refuse, I will cut you all down!"

* * *

“…If you refuse, I will cut you all down!"

The now-mad King Oedipus sought to move his soldiers through sheer force.

Having slain his general and killed the sacred beast with his bare hands, he believed that if he used his power to intimidate them, they would follow.

However…

"If we desecrate Pluto's temple, aren't we as good as dead?"

"No, we might suffer eternal torment even after death."

"Damn it… if it’s come to this, we might as well…”

Though the sword before them was terrifying, it could not compare to the fear of the god of the underworld.

Eternal suffering in the afterlife is a punishment far worse than death.

Discontent, resentment, and even murderous intent began to brew in the soldiers' eyes as they gazed at Oedipus.

Though he may have transcended into the realm of heroes, wouldn’t they stand a chance if they all attacked him at once?

Sensing the rebellious stares, Oedipus turned around with a twisted grin.

“Oh… you dare to disobey the king’s orders?"

"Better to die by your hand than incur Pluto’s wrath!"

"We cannot follow your command! Cease this blasphemy now!"

"Are you out of your mind, desecrating a temple of mercy?"

Spears pointed at Oedipus as the soldiers defied his command.

But the hero, who had been blessed with Gaia’s strength, merely laughed at them.

"Heh… Haha! Very well, you shall all die!"

"Let’s kill this mad king and offer him to Dionysus as a plea for mercy!"

"Quickly, inform the priests at Pluto’s temple!"

"We will not suffer eternal torment because of you!"

Word of the burning of Dionysus' temple had spread, drawing the citizens to the scene.

And with it came the rumor that the wise king had gone mad and was now planning to burn down Pluto's temple as well.

"How could he? After all the blessings the god of mercy has bestowed upon the living…"

"Exactly! Look at his eyes! It’s as if he’s been possessed by Dionysus’ whispers…"

"Has the king gone mad with wine? Attacking the gods’ temples like this is lunacy!"

Soon, the area in front of Dionysus’ temple was filled with the cries of countless soldiers and citizens.

In the midst of this chaos, King Oedipus swung his sword wildly, committing acts of slaughter.

“Hahaha! Die! Die, all of you!"

'Slice.' 'Slick.'

"Oraaagh!"

"The power is overwhelming!"

No matter how many soldiers there were, they were helpless. 

Who could possibly stand against the power of a hero who had transcended humanity?

Blood spattered everywhere, and red flowers bloomed across the earth.

Amidst the blood and madness, the king's grotesque smile was no longer that of the hero who had saved Thebes.

Meanwhile, the news of Oedipus's massacre in Thebes had reached the temple of Hades.

A soldier who had long been a devotee of Hades rushed in to report everything.

"...Everyone must flee! The temple of Dionysus has already been burned down!"

"Soldier, we appreciate your concern, but as priests, we cannot abandon the temple."

"How could the wise king go mad and burn temples, massacring people... How could this happen?"

"Just yesterday, he was a benevolent king caring for his people suffering from the plague..."

The priests of Hades were flustered by the sudden turn of events.

But before they could fully grasp the situation, another soldier hurriedly arrived.

"Flee now! The mad king is killing everyone in his path and is heading straight for us!"

"Oh, dear... Hades, have mercy."

"The god of mercy is surely watching over this place."

The priests, biting their lips, began to pray one by one.

But before long, the sound of screams drew nearer, and a terrifying figure appeared.

The murderer drenched in blood from head to toe was Oedipus.

Having killed numerous soldiers and citizens in his path, he now stood panting before them.

"Heh... Heheh... Olympus... gods... die..."

As the fallen hero slowly approached, terror swept through everyone in the temple.

Though priests were endowed with some divine powers, they were essentially non-combatants.

"How did he get here so quickly...!"

"Oh, merciful god... please help us."

* * *

At that moment, in the underworld.

I, the ruler of the underworld and one of the three great gods, was handling my duties in my office.

What good is a high position among the gods when there's a mountain of work to do?

Even Charon, one of the primordial gods and a child of Nyx, the goddess of night, still works as a ferryman.

Yes... and right now, the same goes for Thanatos, the god of death, who was hurriedly entering through the door.

"Hades! Didn't you ask me to report when humans start dying in strange ways?"

"Yes. I certainly did. Has a Gigante attacked human lands?"

So they've finally begun to move.

Where did the attack happen? Athens? Delphi?

"There's a mad human rampaging in Thebes, slaughtering people. The death toll has already exceeded dozens."

"A human? Causing that much chaos in a city?"

I was taken aback by the news that it wasn't a Gigante attack but a human causing the mayhem.

Just then, the goddess Lethe, with her long silver hair flowing, rushed in frantically.

"Hades! The king of Thebes is killing everyone! And my powers aren't affecting him...?"

"Your power of oblivion isn't working?"

I hadn't descended to the mortal world, nor had I moved in my true form—just a casual use of my power.

But even that should have been enough to erase the memories of most humans...

"He must be under some divine blessing or curse. Or perhaps he's of a special bloodline..."

"He's gone mad with rage. Could it be the power of Dionysus?"

"I doubt it. Let me take a look at the mortal world."

No matter how much of a god of madness Dionysus was, he wouldn't incite the massacre of countless humans.

Especially in Thebes, where both my temple and his worshipers are abundant.

I briefly transferred my consciousness to the mortal realm.

Borrowing the eyes and ears of my worshipers, I could observe the mortal world without the need for a fervent prayer.

A madman was swinging his sword wildly, massacring people.

"Oh, merciful god... please help us."

"King Oedipus has gone mad. Please... I beg of you..."

"Lord Pluto... the streets are filled with corpses and blood..."

My trembling worshipers prayed desperately to me.

Some of them even believed that this was a punishment sent by the gods of Olympus.

And that madman...

"Hehehe! Die!!"

His eyes were bloodshot red, his expression was clearly deranged, and he laughed maniacally.

Lastly... I could sense the power of the earth goddess Gaia emanating from his entire body.

Gaia had cursed this human, driving him mad.

She must have chosen Thebes as the site for this calamity because of the presence of both my temple and that of Dionysus.

"No ordinary humans will be able to stop him. Thanatos, I will bring that human to the underworld myself. Please summon the goddess Mnemosyne."

"You'll go personally? The ruler of the underworld doesn't need to intervene. After all, you have worshipers praying to you..."

"I know you're planning to take a break in the mortal world once you get out, just like with Sisyphus."

"Well... ahem..."

I stopped Thanatos from making his escape to the mortal world again and closed my eyes.

The best body to descend into would be that of the female priestess who had once accepted me.

'My priestess, Penedia.'

"Ah...! Yes, your servant Penedia receives your command."

'As before, I will need to borrow your body for a while.'

"It is an honor...! Lord Hades!"

A poor soul ensnared by Gaia’s curse...

A swift death would be the most merciful thing I could grant him.