The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 89: The Story of Tantalus (1)

After the god of blacksmiths finished his punishment in the underworld, only then would Zeus allow his marriage.

And so, Hephaestus and Aglaia's wedding was sadly postponed.

Once again dejected, Hephaestus returned to the underworld.

I was in the middle of warning Aphrodite.

"Let me remind you again, each time you seduce a god, it causes a crack in Olympus..."

"Yes, yes, I know. You already gave me an unwanted marriage, so I’ll try to deal with it in my own way, okay?"

The goddess of beauty grumbled with a slightly pouty expression.

Standing next to her, fiddling with his bow, was Eros.

The reason Eros, who was supposed to be in the underworld, was here...

//It was because I thought Hephaestus had reflected enough, so I had him switch places with Eros.

"I promise I won’t shoot arrows recklessly anymore..."

"I can't force the god of love not to spread love, but still, refrain from shooting at random."

He'll practice archery on a proper target from now on.

If he dares to shoot arrows wildly one more time...

"Eek!"

Eros hid behind Aphrodite.

If he does that one more time, I might have to give him a good spanking.

Aphrodite, who was patting Eros' head as he hid behind her, looked at me and smiled.

It wasn't her usual seductive, flirtatious smile, but rather...

"Thank you sincerely for convincing Zeus, Hades."

"...It was just a pity that the goddess of love couldn't love freely."

Her gaze and demeanor seemed genuinely heartfelt.

Did she truly dislike Hephaestus that much? Well, considering she was forced into the marriage, it made sense...

After making a vague comment and mentioning that Hera had been a big help in the matter, I turned away.

It's time to leave Olympus...

"Brother Hades."

"Zeus, is there something you need?"

As I was about to head back to the underworld, Zeus called out to me.

Judging by his expression, he probably wanted me to attend another meal, banquet, or maybe Hephaestus' wedding.

"There's a human who wishes to host a great feast for us gods, brother. Would you come along?"

"If I go to such a feast, won't it just dampen the mood?"

"The one wishing to honor us is my son. He's also the king of Lydia. He's a human who is very respectful towards the gods, and I’d like for you to meet him."

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Ah, so it was Zeus' son.

That explains why Zeus wants me to attend the feast.

Since it's his son, and he's a human who worships the gods devoutly, Zeus likely wants to ensure that he receives some favor in the afterlife.

If he's Zeus' son, that makes him my nephew too.

Since he's the king of Lydia, the banquet shouldn't be too dull... I suppose I could make a brief appearance.

"It’s hard to guarantee a comfortable place for him in the afterlife just for being polite to the gods, but... I’ll attend."

"Hmm. Good decision. I think you might grow quite fond of my son once you meet him."

Zeus suddenly turned serious, looking at me with a hardened expression.

"That's just the surface reason for inviting you, brother..."

Is there a deeper reason?

* * *

The gods heading to meet the king of Lydia, Zeus' son, were seven in total.

Me, Zeus, Hermes, Dionysus, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hera.

Apparently, all twelve Olympians were invited...

But Athena was busy pouring her strength into rebuilding her temple that had recently been destroyed by the Chimera.

Hephaestus was in the underworld, and Aphrodite and Ares didn't come since they were too busy enjoying their romance.

The twins Apollo and Artemis... they were probably out hunting somewhere.

Flying on clouds for a bit, we soon arrived at a royal palace on Earth.

A lavish outfit adorned with gold thread and a crown—was that Zeus' son, the king of Lydia?

"It’s a great honor that the exalted beings have graced us with their presence!"

"Tantalus, I trust today’s feast will be something to look forward to?"

"Of course, Lord Zeus. I shall present the finest dishes for the gods of Olympus!"

My nephew, named Tantalus, paid his respects to each god.

His demeanor was certainly refined, just as Zeus had said.

"Oh, praise to the queen of the gods. Thanks to Lady Hera, I have always lived harmoniously with Dione."

"Hmm..."

To think that Hera's reaction to Zeus' illegitimate child was just a displeased glance.

It seems that Zeus indeed favored him greatly.

"Oh great ruler of the seas, it is thanks to Lord Poseidon’s grace that Lydia's maritime trade has flourished."

"Indeed."

Next, Tantalus looked at me respectfully.

With his hands clasped and his body bowed, avoiding eye contact, he seemed quite accustomed to dealing with the gods.

"Might I inquire which god you are, that I may know your exalted name?"

"I am Pluto."

"...! It’s an honor to meet the father of the dead. Lord Pluto."

He went on with various praises.

Thanks to my blessing of wealth, the people of Lydia lived in prosperity, and my symbol, mint, was spreading widely across Lydia...

His praises were not overdone but just appropriately expressed. After finishing, he bowed and guided us.

"Please follow me this way. The food fit for gods is being prepared, so please wait for a moment!"

"Hmm, shall we enter?"

With Zeus leading the way, we followed him into the palace of Lydia.

Servants and handmaids led us into a spacious enough room.

"I shall wait outside the door. Call upon us whenever you need..."

Soon, the other attendants left, leaving the gods alone.

I briefly recalled Zeus's words.

"The man has always been respectful and polite to the gods, so I brought him to Olympus to taste ambrosia and nectar... and he dared to steal some of the food of the gods?"

"...Tantalus did that?"

"Yes. Perhaps the reason he invited us to this feast is to apologize for that. The reason I insisted you join us, brother, is..."

That much is obvious, isn’t it?

"You want me to reduce your son’s punishment in the underworld? For daring to steal ambrosia and nectar? You’re usually the first to show no mercy in situations like this, Zeus."

"True, but he’s served the gods well so far... His wife is also the daughter of Atlas, the Titan. I’ll make a decision based on how this reception goes. If he confesses everything and kneels to apologize, I may forgive him with a suitable punishment, but if not..."

So he married the daughter of the mighty Atlas...

Atlas, the Titan who resisted us to the very end during the Titanomachy.

He is now eternally condemned to hold up the sky, and the only reason he abides by this punishment is because we spared his beloved daughter and her children.

Zeus is concerned that if Tantalus is punished, it could lead to a rebellion through Atlas' daughter, involving Atlas himself.

With Gaia's threat still looming, we don’t need the risk of Atlas throwing aside the sky to fight us.

Just one act—stealing a little ambrosia and nectar—is not enough reason to severely punish Atlas' son-in-law. Especially since he’s also Zeus's own son, and there is some familial attachment.

Unless, of course, he commits an act that more clearly and grievously insults all three major gods...

After a short wait, Tantalus returned.

He instructed the servants to pour stew into a large bowl, bowing to us.

"Thank you for waiting, O gods. The stew with rare meat is now ready, please enjoy to your hearts' content."

Indeed, it wasn't an exaggeration; the stew gave off a delightful aroma.

Various herbs and spices mixed well, giving the stew a beautiful color.

However...

"You expect us to eat this?"

"......"

The meat in the stew is human flesh.

* * *

There wasn't a single god here who didn’t realize the stew contained human flesh.

Even a lesser deity would sense something was off and refuse to eat it. Let alone the gods here, who hold the highest rank.

Anyone who serves human flesh to the gods is not in their right mind.

I cast a suspicious glance at Dionysus, who appeared expressionless, his eyes nearly rolling back.

It was the expression he had just before succumbing to madness.

So it wasn't that Dionysus had succumbed to his own madness...

The other gods, too, refrained from touching the stew, holding back their anger.

As soon as Zeus, king of the gods, looked at the stew, he closed his eyes.

No one attempted to eat the food, and instead, they all glared coldly at Tantalus, who spoke with an innocent smile.

I’ve never seen a mortal as deranged as him in my thousands, tens of thousands of years of divine life.

"O gods, why do you not partake of the meal..."

"You insolent wretch! Tantalus! Have you truly lost your mind?!"

Flash—Boom! Crash!

Before Tantalus could finish his taunting words, Zeus let out a thunderous roar filled with rage.

In his fury, a lightning bolt struck from the sky, obliterating the entire palace.

Rumble... Thud.

The massive palace became ruins in an instant, and countless humans groaned beneath the debris.

It seemed many were caught in the aftermath, given the number of dead souls I could see.

"Ugh..."

"What... what is going on... gods?!"

"Your Majesty...?!"

Amid the groans of humans coming from all directions, Zeus, indifferent, levitated the stew.

The pieces of human flesh floated in the air and gathered, and he handed them over to Demeter.

Perhaps he intended to resurrect the person who had been turned into stew later.

The poor human, killed by his father and nearly eaten by his grandfather, would have to be revived. I'll have to erase only his memories of the underworld and bring him back to life.

Even though the laws of the underworld are strict, this will have to be an exception.

Zeus, who had barely managed to suppress his rage, gestured.

Bloodied and sprawled, Tantalus was dragged forward, clutching his throat as if something had grabbed him, struggling.

"Kh... Ugh!"

"You dared to make a human i

nto a meal and attempt to serve it to us? Who was the dead human, and why did you do this?"

"Ugh..."

"Answer me."

Lightning flashed in Zeus's eyes, radiating a powerful pressure.

In the face of the wrath of the king of the gods, the feeble mortal could do nothing but tell the truth.

And what came from his mouth was beyond imagination.

"To see if the gods... are truly wise... That was my son..."

To test whether the gods are wise...

He killed his own son, cooked him, and served him as a meal?