King of Underworld - Chapter 142



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The Story of Orpheus – (1)

Orpheus.

He was a demigod born from Calliope, the eldest daughter of the Muses, and Oeagrus, the king of Thrace.

He learned how to play the lyre directly from Apollo, who noticed his musical talent.

A person who was evaluated as having the qualities of a hero based solely on music and entered the hero training center of the underworld.

On the Argo, he used his lyre to ward off the Sirens’ song and calm the storms.

He was renowned as one of the greatest musicians in Greece and married Eurydice, one of the dryad nymphs.

But unfortunately, while Orpheus was away on the Argo expedition, his wife…

“Hey. Are you a nymph…”

“Eek?! Don’t come near me!”

“No, wait…”

Crunch.

“Gyaaaah!!”

Aristaeus, the god of farmers, the countryside, beekeeping, and also a beekeeper, approached her to speak to her…

He mistook it for someone with evil intentions and ran away, but was bitten by a poisonous snake and died.

How many cases have there been of beautiful nymphs being abused by male gods so far?

But for Aristaeus, who truly had no evil intentions, it was just a feeling of injustice.

Anyway, Orpheus returned from the Argo expedition and saw his wife’s body, and burst into tears right then and there.

“Kuuuuuuu! Eurydice! Eurydice! I will definitely save you!”

So Orpheus decided to go to the underworld, but the road through Thebes was blocked…

I had to go down to the afterlife by another means.

Eventually, Orpheus set out on his journey with only a lyre in his hand, and arrived at the entrance to the underworld, using his musical skills to ask for directions there.

At first glance, it looks like a dark path leading to the basement.

“Hoo…”

But there was no guarantee that going there would save his wife.

He had no confidence that the god of the underworld would appreciate his talent and spare his wife’s life.

If a living human being like that were to head to the underworld, the end would be death.

There was a very high chance that he himself would not be able to escape if he tried to bring Eurydice back.

But Orpheus thought it didn’t matter.

Before the path leading to the underworld, Orpheus checked the strings of his lyre one last time.

And he played music slowly, bringing up the emotions he felt when he witnessed Eurydice’s death.

♬♪~♩

More than when I calmed the storm, more than when I defeated the Sirens…

Unless it’s the best performance of your life.

I can never bring Eurydice back.

* * *

Orpheus closed his eyes and took a step forward.

It didn’t matter if he couldn’t see, the music was guiding him to his destination.

~ ♪♩

At the sound of his heartrending lyre, the stones blocking his path moved out of the way.

Even the energy of the underworld that causes the living to shiver and die could not penetrate his body, which was protected by music.

In the pitch-black darkness where you can’t see even an inch ahead.

Only the sound of Orpheus’ lyre resonates clearly…

The first river of the underworld, Acheron.

The boatman Charon snickered as he watched the madman come in, plucking at his lyre.

But the melodies he created soothed and healed his body and mind, which had suffered while working as a boatman.

The heartbreaking notes seemed to represent human pain, and Orpheus’ tears with his eyes closed added to the emotion.

Although it was Charon who carried souls for eons.

Just now, my heart wavered.

“Please take me to the other side… Charon.”

“…Just this once, human.”

Charon, who never lets the living pass, gestured for him to get on board.

~ ♪

“Oh… Mom… I’m sorry.”

“Ugh. Damn. What is that lyre?”

“Haaah…”

The sound of his lyre brought tears to Charon’s eyes and those of the other souls who had crossed the River Acheron with him.

In an instant, the ship became a sea of ​​tears, and the loud wailing of the tearless dead filled the river of sorrow.

The second river of the underworld, Cocytus.

The River of Sorrows was as cold as its reputation suggests. It was so cold that even the dead who had lost their bodies were reluctant to go there.

Cocytus’s river… where his past is reflected in the river…

“Hahahaha! You look so beautiful. Now, together forever…”

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“Yes. Even so, among the nymphs…”

There Orpheus saw the moment when he married Eurydice.

A sharp pain tore at his heart, and he crossed the Cocytus River without hesitation.

The third river of the underworld, Pyriphlegethon.

This river of fire that was said to burn and purify the soul looked really hot.

If I take a step, won’t it burn right away?

A flame that could burn up his entire body in an instant.

but…

Nothing could be hotter than his heart burning over the loss of his wife.

The fourth river of the underworld, Lethe.

The infamous river Lethe that is said to erase all memories of this world.

But Orpheus jumped in without hesitation, playing his lyre.

Memories are enough to leave behind memories of my wife. All I wish for is to save Eurydice.

Intense obsession. Unwavering purpose. Burning will. Lyre playing to support all of this.

The hero’s determination to enter the afterlife with the sole purpose of bringing his wife back was extremely strong.

Yes, so much so that the river of forgetfulness cannot erase his memories.

~♩

Finally, he crossed the fifth river, the River Styx, and headed toward the citadel of Hades.

He went forward with the souls shedding tears because of the sound of the lyre and discovered Cerberus, the divine beast guarding the gates of the underworld.

“Krrrr…”

Cerberus, who was about to bite a living human, stopped in place and growled.

The emotion of sadness that he felt for the first time calmed the ferocity of the god.

In addition… Cerberus was confused.

Because the soul of Orpheus, who passed through the river of the underworld alone, was very different from the first time.

Just as Hercules received the faith of humans and rose in rank by performing tasks.

He gradually grew by overcoming impossible obstacles with only the power of music.

As Orpheus, who was originally a demigod, rose to a higher level, Cerberus became even more confused and eventually gave way.

* * *

Orpheus arrived in front of Hades, who ruled the underworld.

At the sound of his lyre, the beautiful blonde goddess beside him shed tears, but the black-haired god on the throne remained unmoved.

Does this mean that even a performance with all one’s might would not impress the master of the underworld?

Orpheus stopped playing his lyre, knelt down in despair, and cried out:

“Lord of the Underworld! I am a lowly mortal named Orpheus. Please save my wife, Eurydice!”

There was a moment of silence, and then the god who ruled the underworld opened his mouth.

“You want me to revive the dead? Did you come to the afterlife only because of your musical talent?”

“…I beg you!”

“There is a precedent from the time of Tantalus, so if the process of death is unreasonable, I can listen. Just wait a moment.”

At Pluto’s beckoning, a nearby attendant approached and went out at his command.

After a brief wait that felt like an eternity, the attendant returned and whispered something in his ear.

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“Your wife, the nymph Eurydice, died accidentally, bitten by a poisonous snake. It’s a shame, but… there’s nothing wrong with that.”

“That… that kind of thing!”

“I will not take your life as a reward for the task of reaching the afterlife in the body of a living being without any help, and for meeting me. Go back now, hero of music.”

Orpheus’ heart sank at the cold words that could hardly be attributed to the god of mercy.

No, Pluto is also the lord of the underworld… But I can’t give up like this.

He was determined to take Eurydice with him.

What’s the use of trying to escape from the afterlife alone? If I can’t take her with me, then I’ll die myself…!

“Please. Please, I beg you!”

“I guess saving the life of a single nymph wouldn’t be difficult for me. I came to the underworld with that in mind.”

“……”

“It’s not difficult, as you say. But that’s exactly why I can’t let your wife live.”

“Why…?”

“If I were to revive the dead as I please, the boundary between this world and the afterlife would collapse. This is a problem directly related to the balance of the world. Unless it was an extremely unjust and horrible death like Tantalus’s… I cannot revive them even if Zeus himself asked me to do so.”

Orpheus looked up and saw the king of the underworld.

The blonde goddess next to the throne seemed to want to take his side, but she was unable to say anything.

Perhaps it is because they dare not encroach on the authority of Pluto, who rules over the underworld.

But still, he couldn’t give up…

Even if I incur Pluto’s wrath and fall into Tartarus, I will definitely take Eurydice…!

“Just once… please listen to me play.”

“hmm?”

“I will show you the best performance that will touch your heart! Please save Eurydice!”

The husband, who had lost his wife, gritted his teeth and picked up the lyre again.

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