The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 75: A Slightly Different Story of Thebes – (1)

A few months after the oracle about Thebes spread widely across the mortal realm, a sturdy man entered Thebes.

This man was Pilatos, who was famous for his great strength in Sparta.

'So, this is Thebes. It’s a much larger city than I thought.'

As soon as he crossed the city walls, he heard merchants calling out to customers and children laughing from all directions.

The people walking by had glossy, healthy-looking faces, and a pleasant, subtle scent emanated from those passing by him.

A little away from the main road, there were rows of simple houses made of well-baked bricks, packed closely together.

He could also spot the homes of wealthy noble families with gardens, as well as the largest royal palace in Thebes.

"High-quality olives blessed by the goddess Demeter for sale!"

"How much is this?"

"We even have fish left over from offerings to the gods of Olympus! Just for a single piece..."

"It’s clear that Phoebus has blessed you, haha!"

'As expected from Pluto's city, there’s a strong scent of mint... Hmm?'

Thunk.

Someone bumped into Pilatos, who was idly staring at his surroundings in the middle of the road.

The main road was wide, but it seemed he had become a bit of an obstacle due to the number of people around.

"Hey, what are you doing blocking the road? You look like an outsider who came to Thebes wanting to be a hero… Try going to the Agora."

"...Sorry."

"Geez... Tsk. There are way too many clueless outsiders these days."

The merchant, wearing a chiton made of animal fur and cowhide sandals, grumbled as he passed by.

Seeing the line of servants following him, it was obvious that he had made quite a fortune through trade.

As Pilatos continued to wander around, a group of children ran past him, heading somewhere.

"Kyaa, haha! So yesterday's thunder was because of Lord Zeus..."

"Today, let’s sneak up the mountain again! Let’s pick lots of wild berries!"

"If you guys do that again, you’ll get scolded! Besides, the guard will probably stop you."

"Go to the Hypnos statue in Pluto's temple and pray, if you're scared of falling asleep lately!"

‘Why would there be a statue of Hypnos, the god of sleep, in Pluto’s temple?’

Curious about what the children had said as they ran by, he decided to visit Pluto’s temple.

The temple, located on the outskirts of the city, was grand enough to resemble a royal palace, and it was packed with people.

As if to prove that the other aspect of the god of wealth and mercy was the underworld,

all of Pluto’s priests and servants were dressed in dark, gloomy attire.

"Hngh… It’s especially crowded today."

"I’ve brought a few eggs laid by our chicken as offerings."

"Do you think the god will be displeased with just that?"

"You don’t know anything, do you? Lord Pluto is the god of wealth and mercy, indifferent to offerings."

"Yeah, it’s the heart that matters."

After managing to get inside, Pilatos saw Pluto's priests and servants managing the crowd.

People carrying offerings like honey, grains, and animal hides were lined up in large numbers.

After waiting in line for a while, a beautiful priestess in a black robe approached him.

She looked to be in her early thirties, and she clasped her hands toward Pilatos before speaking.

"May Pluto's grace be with you. I am Philona, a lower priestess. What brings you here?"

"I just stopped by out of curiosity. I heard there are statues of other gods here."

"Oh! If you’d like to see the statues of other gods of the underworld, please proceed over there."

The priestess stretched out her finger, pointing in one direction.

* * *

Following the direction pointed out by the priestess, Pilatos walked around the temple until he came across a line of statues and a long queue in front of them.

In front of each marble statue stood heavily armed guards.

Judging by their attire, they were clearly royal guards.

"Next person!"

"Hey, you already prayed once. It’s one person per prayer. This measure is because of the increasing crowd..."

"O ruler of the River of Forgetfulness, my son hasn’t been able to sleep since returning from war..."

"I swear in front of the Styx statue that..."

"Today, I also intend to show my integrity before Lord Pluto, who is fair and just..."

"Ahem! To the goddess of mint..."

The worshippers murmured softly in front of the statues of the gods they revered, eyes closed and hands clasped.

Puzzled by the scene, Pilatos asked one of the guards a question.

"Excuse me. I’m an outsider, so I don’t know much, but why are there statues of other gods in Pluto’s temple?"

"Ah, that question again..."

The guard sighed heavily, as if many others had asked the same question.

He then began to explain, clearly exasperated.

"I'll only explain it once, so listen carefully."

"Got it."

"Lord Pluto, being a merciful god, ordered that statues of most of the gods residing in the underworld be placed within his temple. As you can see, there are statues of the goddesses of vengeance, Tanat... ahem, and even the god of death, aren’t there?"

"Yes, but..."

Come to think of it, statues of gods that people usually shunned were also placed there.

At least in Sparta, they didn’t even mention the names of the god of death, Thanatos, or the three goddesses of vengeance.

“They are gods who, despite being shunned by mortals, accepted the faith of those who avoided them or didn’t even know their names. Thanks to that, we were able to let go of more prejudices than expected.”

“I see…”

After waiting for a while in a suitable line, Pilatos clasped his hands together and prayed before the statue of an unknown goddess.

As for his prayer… it was something about being thankful for grace.

Flash!

“Hmm?! What is this?”

“Another one has been chosen.”

“He looks like an outsider… Quite enviable.”

“Is it the statue of the goddess Styx?”

A faint light suddenly radiated and enveloped his body.

However, not many people were surprised at the divine sign, and the guard who had spoken to him earlier approached him.

“Congratulations. If you came to Thebes to become a hero, would you follow me?”

“What was that just now…”

“The goddess Styx recognized the latent power within you. Occasionally, people are chosen here.”

“It’s true that I came here to become a hero…”

“You’ve passed the first trial, so come this way.”

With a slightly reluctant face, Pilatos followed the guard somewhere inside the temple.

* * *

Pilatos was guided into a large room resembling a banquet hall, where he was told by the guard to sit and wait.

There were many kinds of food around, and about ten others were passing the time like him.

“Feel free to do whatever you want; just wait until the evening.”

“So, are all the others here chosen by the statues as well?”

“Of course not. If you go to the Agora at the city center and wait, you can be trained by an instructor. There are various trials you have to pass… Anyway, most people who make a name for themselves there end up coming here.”

Those wanting to become heroes were gathered at the Agora in the city center.

They were selected by having them carry stones, demonstrate swordsmanship, or show any unusual skills.

Sometimes, those chosen by the gods or marked by an oracle were also selected.

“Many who do not become heroes end up joining the military. Recently, one person was even chosen as a royal guard.”

‘It’s no wonder the Theban royal family follows the words of the gods. It’s all because it benefits them.’

The distinguished individuals were gathered in the room where Pilatos was.

After Pilatos nodded in understanding, the guard returned to his original position.

After waiting until evening, a man in a black robe, who seemed to be a priest of Pluto, entered the room.

The middle-aged man was followed by soldiers and other priests.

“Hmm. So this is everyone for today? Come out one by one and touch this!”

Thud.

The middle-aged priest placed a small, glowing stone on the table.

One by one, the people approached the mystical-looking object and began touching it.

Flash.

“Hmm, it glows. Stand over here.”

…

“No reaction at all. Unfortunately, you are disqualified.”

“What? Disqualified by just this little stone…”

It seemed that those whose touch made the stone glow could become heroes.

Though the disqualified man fumed, Pilatos could feel it.

That stone seemed to carry a divinity, as if the gods themselves had imbued it with power.

“What’s so special about this stupid stone? I didn’t come all the way to Thebes for some trickery…”

“…It seems we have no other choice.”

Thunk!

“This is what happens to those who cause trouble. Remember that.”

The disqualified man, who had grabbed a soldier by the collar in defiance, was soon struck down by a guard’s spear handle.

The reason for bringing so many soldiers and a priest into the room was now clear.

The middle-aged priest continued his assessment without even glancing at the unconscious man being dragged away by two soldiers.

“Next, come forward.”

“Is it my turn?”

The next person in line was a scholar who looked as if he couldn’t even catch a chicken.

However, he passed.

Flash—

“That makes two. Stand over here.”

Did that mean even a frail-looking person like him could be chosen as a hero by the gods?

“Next.”

Now, only a muscular, bald man and Pilatos were left.

The muscular man brushed past him and placed his hand on the stone, which soon reacted.

Flash—

But… something was off.

Instead of the white light the stone had emitted until now, it radiated a bright red glow.

The bald man tilted his head, puzzled as to why this was happening to him, then suddenly drew a sword from his belt.

Drool dripped from his mouth, and his eyes gradually turned red.

“Ugh… Ugh…!”

“He’s a spy consumed by madness! Kill him!”

At the unknown words that came from the middle-aged priest, the soldiers rushed toward the man.