The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 80: The Story of Bellerophon – (3)

After the brief but intense stroll in the sky,

Having already handed Pegasus over to Hermes, I glanced back.

"...Uh."

Lady Styx still had her head bowed, unable to meet my eyes.

Though she had approached me several times in the past, she seemed unsure of what to do when I took the initiative.

I almost smiled at her endearing behavior, but my expression hardened at her hesitant voice.

"Hades... about that accident in the sky today..."

"...It wasn't an accident."

"What? Th-Then..."

Once again, I decided to take a step forward.

I slowly moved closer to the beautiful goddess, and though she flinched, she did not pull away.

Like in the sky, I gently placed my right hand around her waist and wrapped my left hand around the back of her head.

This was my genuine expression to the goddess of oaths, who was now more beautiful than anyone.

Embarrassment, courage, hesitation—my mind was filled with all kinds of emotions,

But the smooth flow of my actions washed away all those thoughts.

Smooch.

This time, it wasn't the east wind pushed by Euros but my own will entirely.

* * *

Bellerophon.

Born with great strength, he originally sought to become a hero and was headed for Thebes...

But after accidentally killing his brother, he took refuge with Proetus, the king of Tiryns.

However... the queen, Anteia, tried to seduce him.

"Bellerophon, would you spend just one night with me?"

"...I'm sorry, my queen."

Unable to betray his benefactor, Proetus, he coldly refused.

But who could have predicted that the queen would lie in retaliation?

"Husband, Bellerophon tried to seduce me. He invited me into his room and made advances..."

"What? What?! That wretch...!"

The king believed her words, but, adhering to the custom of hospitality that required a host to treat a guest well, he could not kill Bellerophon.

"Bellerophon, take this letter to my father-in-law, King Iobates."

"Yes, I understand."

So King Proetus devised a plan: he wrote a letter to his father-in-law, Iobates, the king of Lycia, stating, "Please kill the one delivering this letter," and gave it to Bellerophon.

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His father-in-law would do the job of killing him.

"So, you’ve brought a letter from my son-in-law?"

"Yes, here it is."

However, upon reading the letter, King Iobates was also reluctant to kill Bellerophon directly.

Thus, King Iobates decided...

"Bellerophon, could you perhaps defeat the monster Chimera?"

"Chimera...?"

"It’s a troublesome beast that eats humans. This letter says you possess great strength and valor. If you succeed, I will give you my daughter Philonoe and pass on the throne of Lycia to you."

"Is that true? Then I will take up the challenge!"

He intended to have Bellerophon killed by the Chimera, a beast that was terrorizing the people in Lycia.

* * *

Leaving the palace of Lycia with great determination, Bellerophon faced uncertainty—he knew nothing about the whereabouts of the beast.

Thinking he might not be able to handle the monster with his own strength, he headed for a nearby temple of Athena.

Being naturally skilled in combat and strength,

He hunted several deer and offered them as sacrifices to the goddess of wisdom, seeking an oracle.

"Goddess Athena, I must slay the monster Chimera with my own strength. I pray for divine wisdom..."

The news of a mortal attempting to slay the Chimera, a powerful monster born from Typhon, reached Olympus through Athena.

The gods on Olympus were delighted at the prospect of a new hero rising.

"Typhon's offspring would be too much for an ordinary mortal."

"Only someone like Cadmus could stand a chance against Chimera, don’t you think?"

"Since it's a beast powerful enough to kill even most heroes, why not give him a bit of help? If we send Pegasus..."

"Pegasus, to a mere mortal? Besides, isn't Pegasus a creation of the goddess Medusa, belonging to the Underworld?"

"If we ask Lord Hades for permission, we could let the mortal attempt to tame Pegasus."

"So, we’re saying to test if he's worthy of handling the divine horse. I agree."

The conclusion of the gods' meeting was soon conveyed to the Underworld, reaching Hades.

Thus, Hermes received Pegasus from Hades, released him into the meadow, and Athena appeared in Bellerophon's dream as he rested.

"Take these reins and head to the nearest meadow. If you manage to put the reins on the winged horse Pegasus while he's asleep and hold on, the divine horse will become your strength."

"The winged horse... Pegasus...?"

"And as for the Chimera's location..."

When Bellerophon awoke, he found himself holding reins adorned with golden decorations.

Realizing that the dream was an oracle, he rushed to the nearest meadow and soon spotted Pegasus.

The horse, whose entire body was covered in pure white wings, was grazing in the meadow as instructed by Hermes and had fallen sound asleep.

Bellerophon carefully approached the divine beast from behind.

The sleeping horse did not sense the hero's approach, and soon he successfully put the reins on the horse.

Thud—

Snort! Neigh!

“Ugh, you’re quite the rebellious one!” 

With the reins on Pegasus, Bellerophon quickly climbed onto its back and attempted to tame it.

He knew that only by fully exhausting the divine horse's resistance, which flapped its white wings wildly, could he be accepted as its master.

Neigh!

Flap– Whoosh!

As the divine horse twisted its body in mid-air, Bellerophon held on with all his strength in his thighs and grip.

Realizing it couldn't easily throw him off, Pegasus began flapping its wings and ascended into the sky.

“What… the clouds are beneath my feet…! But do you think I’ll give up on you just because of this?!”

The fierce wind battered the mortal hero’s body. The sky’s view, unlike anything he had ever seen, weighed heavily on him.

His only reliance was the golden reins given to him by the goddess Athena and his own strength.

Once he had reached a certain altitude, Pegasus stopped flapping its wings and suddenly dove towards the ground.

The divine horse folded its wings, plummeting as if intending to end its own life and that of the hero riding on its back.

Whoooosh—

“Ughhhh!”

But Bellerophon did not let go of the reins until the end.

Despite the fierce wind, the steep dive from the height above the clouds, and the imminent threat of death approaching in an instant, he held on with gritted teeth.

Snort–

Just before hitting the ground… as if admitting defeat, Pegasus spread its wings and glided.

The hero, still gripping the reins behind the divine horse, sighed in relief and wiped his sweat.

Unable to throw Bellerophon off, Pegasus finally landed gently on the ground, acknowledging him as its master.

“You, now you don't run away even if I dismount. Thank you.”

With that, Bellerophon rode on the back of the divine horse and flew to the place where the Chimera lived, as the goddess Athena had informed him.

* * *

Flying to the place Athena had mentioned, he found the massive beast, composed of three animals with a lion's head.

Spotting the dreadful creature, Bellerophon, while still riding Pegasus, took out his bow and nocked an arrow.

Whoosh—

The fierce arrow, shot with all his might, flew towards the monster...

Thud.

“What…?!”

The arrow bounced off immediately upon hitting the Chimera’s body.

The Chimera, a descendant of Typhon, had skin and muscles too thick for human strength to penetrate.

Bellerophon then fired dozens of arrows, but none could even scratch the hide.

The Chimera roared as if mocking him and spewed an intense flame from its mouth...

The flames reached all the way to where Pegasus was hovering in the sky.

Whoosh—

“Damn. Retreat for now, Pegasus!”

Bellerophon had no choice but to turn around and return to the village.

This left only the furious Chimera alone.

Growl—

Alas... as Typhon's offspring, you are like a child to me, but you are fated to die by the hero's hands.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from the earth.

The Chimera, a monster with intelligence, was startled. What was this familiar feeling…?

Growl?!

Despite the Chimera’s confusion, the voice continued.

From all directions? No... it was a strange voice that pierced the monster's mind...

You are destined to die at the hands of a mortal hero, but a prophecy should allow for the choice of how.

Among its three heads, the goat head, which possessed twisted wisdom, whispered to the other heads.

It said that this voice definitely felt similar to its parent, Typhon!

I shall guide you.

With these last words, the Chimera's eyes turned red, and it started running somewhere.

Back at the nearby village, Bellerophon, pondering how to defeat the Chimera, thought of a clever plan and headed to a blacksmith.

He suddenly approached the blacksmith, who was hammering steel, and requested a peculiar spear to be made.

“Make me a spear with a lead tip.”

“Lead…? What are you planning to do with such a thing? You can take it if I make it, right?”

“Of course, I’ll use it to kill the monster.”

With the heavy lead-tipped spear in hand, Bellerophon grinned in satisfaction.

If he threw the spear into the monster's mouth while it breathed fire, the lead would melt, enter its stomach, and kill it.

However...

When he returned, the Chimera was nowhere to be found.

Could it be that the monster hid, scared of a human? Or did he come to the wrong place?

Bellerophon, panicking, searched everywhere but could not find the Chimera.

Then, a voice reached him. A voice from the sky…!

“Bellerophon, the Chimera ran in this direction. Hurry.”

Above a bit farther off, there was a goddess fully armored standing on a cloud.

She pointed in one direction with her spear, showing Bellerophon where the Chimera had fled.

“Thank you! O goddess whose name I do not know!”

“I am Athena, goddess of wisdom.”

After thanking her, Bellerophon quickly mounted Pegasus and pursued the Chimera.

Wait, but this direction… wasn't it towards Lycia?