King of Underworld

Chapter 24 Story of Pluto’s Temple – (1)

A long time later, in Hades’ office.

The King of the Underworld was, as always, judging souls and selecting those destined for Elysium.

As he worked, an attendant approached him, seeming to have something to say.

“Hades, there is someone in the Underworld…”

“Let them in.”

The one who entered was the soul of an elderly man, his blonde hair now fading with age.

I immediately recognized who he was.

“A rare guest has come to the Underworld.”

“D-Do you know who I am…?”

The first mortal to deceive Typhon, steal Zeus’ sinews, found Thebes, and defeat Ismenios, the wicked son of Ares. He endured eight years of servitude as punishment and eventually earned Ares’ forgiveness, marrying his daughter Harmonia.

The great hero Cadmus trembled as he knelt before me.

“As expected, your memory has faded as you crossed the River of Forgetfulness. Mnemosyne, would you kindly bring some water from the Pool of Memory?”

“Understood, Hades. For Cadmus, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

The Goddess of Memory, Mnemosyne.

When the dead cross the River Lethe and drink its waters, they lose all memories of their past lives. However, drinking from the Pool of Memory, which contains the opposite water, restores those lost memories.

Well… occasionally, souls with exceptionally strong grudges retain their memories even after drinking from the River Lethe…

In any case, the goddess who manages that Pool of Memory is Mnemosyne, who just left. She is also the mother of the Muses, goddesses of arts and sciences, after spending nine nights with Zeus.

As Cadmus drank the water drawn from the Pool of Memory, his memories gradually returned. His once dull and confused eyes sharpened, revealing the majesty of the great hero.

“Ah… Hades, it’s been so long since we last met.”

“Indeed, it has been a long time. I was too busy to attend your wedding with Harmonia.”

With all his memories restored, he smiled softly and bowed, just as he did when we first met.

“It’s alright. As the Lord of the Underworld, you were bound to be busy.”

“Were you disappointed that I didn’t attend the wedding?”

“Haha… I would have been happier if you had come, Lord Hades.”

“Heh. You’ve only gotten wittier with age.”

The reason I returned Cadmus’ memories of the mortal world was simple.

I wanted to hear, directly from his mouth, how the great hero who had faced Typhon viewed his life.

“What do you think of the life you lived in the mortal world?”

“What do you mean…?”

I continued speaking with a slightly bitter expression.

“The curse of misfortune you received for killing Ares’ son, Ismenios.”

“Ah…”

“I also find it unfortunate, the tragedy of the royal house of Thebes that you founded. Even Ares himself regretted it…”

Once a curse is given, not even a god can undo it.

I heard that Ares deeply regretted the curse he placed on Cadmus, even as he gave his daughter to him.

Although Cadmus was the first mortal to marry a goddess, the ending was not a happy one.

Due to the curse of misfortune, the continuous tragedies among his descendants led Cadmus and his wife to choose to become serpents and close their eyes forever.

“If only I had become a serpent sooner…”

“Father Ares… Please don’t leave my husband alone. I… Please, turn me into a serpent as well.”

Cadmus fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.

A hero who achieved feats recognized by all but was ultimately made miserable by the gods…

Would he resent the gods who kidnapped his sister, cursed him, and in the end, caused the downfall of his descendants, leading him and his wife to choose death?

“I am not one to be ungrateful.”

Differently than before?

After a brief silence, he spoke again.

“The curse of Ares… I can understand him. What parent could forgive someone who killed their son?”

“Hmm.”

“Instead, I am grateful for the short punishment of eight years and for being given his daughter. And…”

Unlike when we first met… this was no lie, fearing retribution from me, but the truth.

Even at the end of his life, after suffering and dying, he remained noble.

“Thanks to that, I was able to meet my wife, who even followed me into death.”

Harmonia, the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, and the goddess of harmony.

Unlike Ismenios, who was mortal, Harmonia possessed divine immortality but chose to follow Cadmus into death.

“The tragedies among my descendants are also my fault, so who else can I blame? I even enjoyed ruling Thebes with my wife. Though, the remnants of Typhon we discovered along the way did concern me a bit…”

“Remnants of Typhon? Did they resemble Typhon in appearance?”

“Yes. Although much smaller, it was a very powerful monster with the lower body of a serpent and the upper body of a human, similar to Typhon. I had a hard time defeating it.”

A serpent’s lower body and a human’s upper body.

Moreover, Cadmus, who was strong enough to defeat Ismenios, had difficulty dealing with it.

My face gradually stiffened.

Could it really be the remnants of Typhon… or perhaps another monster I know of?

“However, after that encounter, I didn’t find any more remnants of Typhon, so I didn’t report it to the gods… Lord Hades?”

There’s a possibility that it’s a Gigas.

* * *

“Where did you find this monster?”

“Ah… I found it near Thebes while taking a walk. I followed some strange noises and found a cave. The creature was there.”

Cadmus said that inside that cave, he saw a gigantic half-man, half-serpent monster devouring people.

And though he drew his sword and fought… surprisingly, even Cadmus, who had defeated the dragon, had a hard time.

Not all Gigantes possess the same strength.

It was fortunate that the creature Cadmus encountered was one he could handle.

Did it hide in the cave, out of the sight of the Olympian gods?

If our grandmother, the Earth Mother Goddess Gaia, used all her power to hide the Gigantes’ whereabouts… even Demeter might not have known.

Though Demeter is the goddess of the earth, her power is clearly below Gaia’s.

Unlike when we overthrew the Titans, they have the advantage of striking first.

Perhaps it’s a trap to lure the gods, or maybe it was a rogue action by some individuals.

But first, I need to confirm if it is indeed a Gigas through the Goddess of Memory.

“Mnemosyne, please verify Cadmus’ memories for a moment.”

“Alright. Cadmus, close your eyes for a moment.”

The Goddess of Memory, Mnemosyne, touched Cadmus’ head and began reading his memories.

Not long after, she looked at me with a serious expression and nodded.

Damn, it’s definitely a Gigas.

“I see… very well. For your contributions in life, you have been granted entry into Elysium.”

“Ah… Elysium… Thank you! Lord Hades!”

“Your wife as well. May you both live happily there.”

This was the moment when the first residents of paradise, the Elysian Fields, were born.

He would live peacefully in Elysium with his beloved wife forever.

Although I had an enjoyable conversation with Cadmus after so long, my mind was uneasy.

A Gigas found near Thebes, undetected by the soldiers of the Underworld…?

However, I don’t have the time to go searching for the Gigantes myself.

I cannot neglect my duties in the Underworld to wander the mortal world.

So, should I perhaps take a page from Apollo’s book and interfere in the mortal world through my temple?

“Priest of Delphi, I come from a faraway place…”

“Are you here to receive an oracle from the god Apollo as well? Wait your turn.”

But unlike Apollo, who is widely worshiped in the mortal world and has the famous temple on the island of Delphi…

In the mortal world, I have only one temple, and it is in Thebes.

A temple built by Cadmus during his lifetime, out of respect for our relationship.

“Contact Olympus and report that traces of the Gigantes have been found, and bring Morpheus to me.”

“Yes!”

A short while later, Morpheus arrived after being summoned by the soul’s messenger.

“What is the matter, Lord Hades? Did I do something wrong…?”

“I’m not here to scold you for the nightmares you occasionally give humans as a hobby.”

He looked startled.

Did you think I wouldn’t know? I’m not here to make an issue of that, so let’s move on…

“I need your help with something.”

* * *

The great nation of Thebes, founded by the hero Cadmus.

In Thebes, there is only one temple of Hades in the entire world.

Considering that it honors one of the three major gods, it should be bustling with humans seeking protection…

“Yaaawn~”

The priestess of Hades’ temple, Parona, sat in her seat with a bored expression.

There were no visitors, people avoided her because she was a priestess of the Underworld, and the only good thing about being Hades’ priestess was that no one dared to pick a fight with her.

She was of marriageable age and one of the top ten beauties in the city…

But even the strongest bullies from pankration didn’t dare flirt with her

, let alone speak to her.

“Ha… I’m so bored…”

They were likely afraid of being dragged to the Underworld if they messed with Hades’ priestess.

But the temple itself had become a place people found ominous, thanks to the reputation of the god of the Underworld.

“Why am I so sleepy in the middle of the day….”

The temple of Hades, built by order of the great King Cadmus of Thebes, was so quiet.

It was so deserted that no one would notice even if the lone priestess fell into an unnatural sleep.

* * *

When Parona opened her eyes again, she was no longer in the temple.

She was in a space filled with darkness so deep she couldn’t see an inch ahead of her.

As a priestess who had received a high level of education, she quickly grasped the situation and knelt down.

“I… I don’t know which god you are, but do you have something to command this humble human?”

She had felt sleepy, and when she opened her eyes, she was in another world.

Her memory was clear, and her body moved well, so this couldn’t be an ordinary dream.

It was surely the work of a god.

But she didn’t think it was the god she served, Hades.

Her lord had been silent for far too long.

A low, cold male voice echoed from somewhere in the darkness.

“I am Pluto.”

….!

Pluto, another name for the god of the Underworld, Hades.

Could this be to judge her for not managing the temple properly?

She hastily tried to offer excuses, but found herself unable to speak.

“In the mortal world, you are the only one who serves me. As a reward for your devotion, I shall grant you a small boon and a task.”

A task and a reward… so there was something she needed to do!

“From now on, you will revive my temple. I will bestow a blessing to aid you in this.”

Her body froze with fear.

Her vision darkened again.

The last thing she felt was knowledge forcefully flooding into her mind before she awoke from the dream.