King of Underworld

Chapter 98 Expedition to Mount Athos – (1)

This place is the Underworld connected to Thebes, the training ground for heroes.

Today, as usual, Chiron and the deceased instructors were teaching aspiring heroes.

Suddenly, a bell echoed through the area.

Deng— Deng— Deng—

“Isn’t that the sound telling us to gather in the building?”

“Let’s put off the training for a bit.”

At the call of the wise centaur, the heroes began to set down their weapons and gather in the building within the gorge.

They all looked exhausted, panting and sweating from their intense training.

“Alright! Gather around, everyone. Today, a special guest is visiting!”

“Chiron, sir, a special guest…?”

“Who is it this time? There are already so many great heroes here…”

The aspiring heroes glanced at the deceased instructors around them at Chiron’s words.

It made sense, given that legendary heroes like Perseus, Cadmus, and Bellerophon were already their teachers.

A figure even more special than these great heroes… Could it be a god?!

But surely, a god wouldn’t visit here…

Just as the word “god” began to form in their minds, someone entered the gathering place.

A man of massive, muscular build, adorned in gleaming armor.

All eyes were on him as he confidently approached Chiron, who stood on the platform, and spoke.

“Are these the ones gathered here to become heroes, Chiron?”

“Indeed, Lord Ares. Lord Hades has informed me in advance. I hear you’ll be helping out for the next two months.”

…?! Who? Did Chiron just say Ares?

No way. Was it really a god? And not just any god, but the god of war, Ares?

One of the twelve Olympian gods, the son of Zeus himself?

Now that they thought about it, the overwhelming presence and the strength they sensed from him…

“Oh! Lord Ares! I am from Sparta, and—”

“Greetings to the god of war. Your blessings have always guided me in battle—”

“Golden-helmed Ares! It is an honor to meet you in person!”

The realization hit them, and they hurriedly prostrated themselves or bowed, reacting like any mortal would when faced with the god of war.

Anyone who saw the god of war in front of them would respond similarly.

However, Ares, without even glancing back, continued his conversation with Chiron.

It was as though Chiron was the only one here worthy of speaking to him.

“Well, somehow I’ve ended up working in the Underworld again. Even if it’s just for two months.”

“Have you worked in the Underworld before?”

“Hmm. During the great flood, I got caught up in one of Athena’s cruel schemes and… well…”

“Haha! That’s a story I’d like to hear someday.”

The aspiring heroes listened closely to the conversation between the wise centaur and the god of war.

Surely, within their casual dialogue, there would be secrets and stories of the gods?

“In any case, it must be tough educating mortals so they can at least slay a monster or two.”

“Still, they’re all excellent students. It’s a rewarding experience.”

“Now that I’m here, I might as well see their skill level one by one. So then…”

Ares, who had been speaking with Chiron, casually scanned the surroundings.

Under the gaze of the god, the mortals couldn’t dare to meet his eyes and lowered their heads…

Except for one boy who summoned the courage to look into the eyes of the god of war.

Gasp…!

“Oh… What’s your name?”

Though the boy couldn’t endure long and soon lowered his head, Ares, seeing the bravery he showed among the mortals, spoke to him.

“Y-You mean me? It’s an honor! I am a mortal named Peleus, Lord of War!”

“For a mortal, you’ve got quite a bit of spirit. Alright, you’ll go first.”

—

While Ares was conversing at the heroes’ training grounds,

In the fortress of Hades, lord of the Underworld, Hermes, the messenger god of Olympus, had arrived to deliver new news.

“Hermes, you’ve been coming to the Underworld quite often lately.”

“Haha. Father said that since the prophesied hero has been born, I should closely monitor the Gigantes’ movements…”

Hermes scratched his head awkwardly in response to my question.

So, the prophesied hero… While I was certain about Heracles, I wondered how the other gods felt.

“Do the other gods on Olympus believe Zeus?”

“Not really. Especially since Lady Hera has been furious, shouting all over Olympus. From what I’ve heard, she said, ‘Now the god of debauchery has fathered a bastard, and since he has no more excuses, he’s claiming it’s a prophesied hero!'”

“Given Zeus’s history, not many gods are inclined to believe him…”

“It’s said that Lady Hera is scouring the mortal world with fire in her eyes, intent on killing Heracles.”

Does she know I hid Heracles for a month?

She probably does. That’s why I can’t keep him hidden in the Underworld any longer. Hera’s anger is justified…

Especially since Zeus secretly had Heracles nurse from her breast, it would only fuel her rage more.

But Heracles is the prophesied hero—how do I convince them of that?

I made him bathe in the Styx to prepare for situations like this, but there’s still a risk.

Even if Heracles grows strong, having bathed in the Styx, if Hera directly unleashes divine punishment, he’ll die.

So, what I need to do is…

“Hermes. Deliver a message to Hera for me.”

“To Lady Hera?”

“Tell her that trying to kill a mere infant will only dirty the hands of the queen of the gods. Instead, why not let him grow a bit and then assign him a task?”

If the queen of the gods, enraged by her husband’s illegitimate child, could calm herself enough to listen to me…

Aside from an unexpected confrontation with the Gigantes or Gaia’s direct wrath, there would be no other threats to Heracles.

And if Hera assigns him tasks, fighting monsters could serve as valuable experience for the great hero.

“Understood. I’ll relay that to her when I return to Olympus.”

This might be cruel to my nephew…

It’s almost like tempering a person to create the great hero needed to defeat the Gigantes.

No matter how much mortals praise me as a god of mercy,

I am still the ruler of the Underworld.

—

Now that I’d heard Olympus’s opinion on Heracles, it was time to move on to the main topic.

The fact that Hermes was here again meant something had happened in the mortal world.

“You came to the Underworld to report on the Gigantes’ movements, didn’t you? Let’s hear it.”

“Yes. Recently, something strange has been happening. The monsters that the heroes were supposed to hunt after completing their training in Thebes have started disappearing.”

“Disappearing monsters?”

“Yes. Could it be that Lady Gaia is trying to ensure that the heroes fail in their tasks altogether? The Gigantes are still bound in the Phlegraean Fields, after all…”

So now Gaia is actively hindering the heroes? It seems her prophetic powers are starting to kick in.

Her suspicions that the human heroes are connected to the Gigantes may have solidified into certainty.

If this continues, raising Heracles into a great hero might become difficult.

The monsters he was destined to slay might be relocated, or killed by other heroes…

“So, after Lord Apollo and I scoured the mortal world, we found that the monsters were surprisingly close by.”

“Close by, you say?”

“In northern Greece, near the region of Macedonia, on Mount Athos. If the monsters are all gathered in one place, this could actually be an opportunity for many heroes to achieve great feats, wouldn’t you agree?”

Gaia must have relocated the monsters to prevent the heroes from achieving any great deeds.

It wouldn’t have been difficult for the Earth Mother to manipulate the creatures that were born and raised on her land.

“So, Lady Athena is planning to issue an oracle and gather an expeditionary force. She’s going to summon heroes to the region of Macedonia and provide various forms of support.”

“But that could be exactly what Gaia wants. The heroes could be annihilated instead.”

An expedition led by heroes…

But if the monsters gathered from all over were to annihilate the heroes instead, it would be Gaia’s victory.

That’s Gaia’s aim. Still, there’s no way Olympus hasn’t considered this…

Hermes smiled slightly and spoke.

“But only those who can overcome such trials can become true heroes, don’t you think?”

In other words, only those who break through Gaia’s trap will prove themselves to be truly exceptional heroes.

If Athena issues an oracle, heroes from all over Greece will flock to join the expedition.

A lot of mortals will likely die…

“That’s true enough. So, who will lead the expedition?”

“The hero who will lead the expedition to conquer Mount Athos is quite an interesting choice. He’s a mortal who has piqued Lady Artemis’s interest… Ah! I remember now.”

Olympus must have already decided who would lead this task.

Supporting a potential great hero is all about selecting and focusing on the right candidate.

“It’s Orion, the son of Uncle Poseidon.”