The King of the Underworld is Tired - Chapter 3 (3/82)
The Story of the Underworld - (2)
Rumble...
I've pretty much finished it.
The Underworld, which was once nothing, has been twisted and expanded by my will to the point where its former appearance is hard to recognize.
According to the hipster vibe, or rather the vibe of the Underworld, a castle as dark as pitch black reflected in my eyes.
A steel fortress made of metal overflowing from underground.
Isn't this steel? The metal, infused with my power, seemed to turn pale and emit a cold chill.
The castle walls, emitting a strange luster that clearly isn't ordinary metal, should perhaps be called an obsidian fortress.
Creak...
A slight nod of my chin, and the castle gates open naturally.
Actually, it wasn't natural at all. I just made it, so why is it so stiff?
And the sound of the gate opening sounds like a ghost.
As I entered the vast fortress, I made adjustments wherever I saw fit.
Like the sand spread on the floor or the parts that were twisted due to poor control of my strength.
While I was making adjustments, a guest arrived in the Underworld.
"Hades."
Approaching me with heavy steps was a one-eyed, muscular god with a stern expression.
No, it's a Cyclops.
Arges (Thunder), one of the three Cyclops brothers who made weapons for me, Zeus, and Poseidon.
What brings him to this dark Underworld to see me?
"Fortunately, I found it well. Thanks to Demeter for telling me the location..."
The Cyclops are the children of Gaia, the goddess of the earth, and Uranus, the god of the sky.
In the genealogy of the gods, they rank higher than us.
But didn't the three brothers say they would live leisurely on an island from now on?
There's no need for them to come to this dark underground... Could they have died and come to the Underworld?
Strangely, the Cyclops, though powerful and high-ranking gods, have the concept of death, unlike us.
So there's a possibility that the first resident of my kingdom of the Underworld could be a Cyclops.
"Then who killed you? Was it that reckless Zeus?"
Just as I was about to start a brotherly war for the throne of the gods, he chuckled and replied.
"Joking, we are blacksmiths but we also have some expertise in building structures. When Poseidon and Zeus started building their palaces, our brothers joined in one by one."
Oh... You generous Cyclops, who give everything they have.
I silently revered him in my heart.
"Still, don't expect too much. I don't have the divine power of architecture."
The three Cyclops brothers inherited part of the divine power of the sky from their father.
It's strange how they developed such excellent skills in thunder, lightning, and storms, which are unrelated to blacksmithing.
He looked around the palace I had just made and pointed out various things.
Indeed, with the advice of an expert in making things, the palace changed rapidly.
"And I'm glad you're using the KynĂȘ well, but it would be nice if you took good care of it. Despite appearances, it's a clean kid..."
The Cyclops, fiddling with my transparent helmet, the KynĂȘ, which was hung in a corner.
By the way, Arges was the one who made my helmet.
When I asked why he made a transparent helmet, the answer was quite amusing.
He said he made a weapon that matched my personality, something that looked sinister...
"...Tsk. Are you listening to me? And he likes it when you stroke from the top of the helmet to the bridge of the nose..."
That's not an ego sword, it's an ego helmet?
You, who made it, should know better, so why do you keep saying this?
It might be the unique sentiment of a blacksmith that I can't understand.
By the way, I've always wondered. Why do Poseidon and Zeus get weapons, but I only get armor?
I wanted to wield a cool weapon, but just a helmet for invisibility is a bit...
"Phew! Just a helmet! What's wrong with my masterpiece, the KynĂȘ, which can hide from the whole world?"
Oops, did I say that out loud again?
I calmed down the Cyclops, who was huffing and puffing.
Of course, I felt the power of the helmet during the war. Even our father, Cronus, couldn't find me.
"Who made it, of course. I spent so much time on it..."
But still, the weapon is good.
"Hey! Now that you're a god, stop whining! If I make you a weapon, I have to make one for Poseidon and Zeus too!"
* * *
I wanted to get a weapon too, but there was nothing I could do.
From his perspective, if he made me a weapon, he would have to make one for Poseidon and Zeus too, so it couldn't be helped.
After touring the Underworld I created a few times, Arges left with a satisfied smile.
Despite saying not to expect too much, he completely transformed my palace before leaving.
"Hades. Do you envy Zeus's thunder or Poseidon's trident?"
As I saw Arges off, Styx whispered.
Of course, I envy them, but there's nothing I can do.
Maybe I could secretly visit the island where the Cyclops brothers live and see if they would make one for me.
"If you sink it to the bottom of the Styx River, the river of oaths, and infuse it with your power, a weapon worthy of you might be born. What do you think?"
This suggestion was quite surprising.
Are you willing to go to such lengths? Why, when you're not a blacksmith who finds satisfaction in making weapons?
When I asked Styx for the reason, she turned her head and said shyly.
"W... Well, then there won't be any debt, right?"
Come to think of it, there was one thing she considered a debt. During the war, I saved her when she was surrounded by many Titans and was about to be dragged away.
"Give me a bronze sword made by the Cyclops and infuse it with your power. I'll bring it to you when it's done."
I gave Styx the bronze sword I used to remember. She took my beloved sword and disappeared into the deep river.
The Cyclops didn't just make thunder, tridents, and helmets.
They also made weapons and armor for other gods and produced many 'failed works'.
None of us agreed that these were failures, but the skilled Cyclops pointed out flaws with a hawk's eye.
"This is a fine weapon, isn't it?"
"What are you talking about? This weapon is too weak to hold the power of the gods. It would break after a few days of fighting Cronus's scythe."
"Then why is this armor a failure?"
"Try falling from the sky to the ground while wearing it. There will be a scratch."
Our father, Cronus's scythe, is the world's best weapon made by our grandmother Gaia from adamantine (diamond).
To think it would break after a few days of fighting such a weapon seems too high a standard, but they eventually succeeded.
They made three weapons that could rival or slightly fall short of Cronus's great scythe.
This turned the tide of the war, which had been a seesaw, and led to our victory.
And one of the 'failed works' they made was the bronze sword I just gave to Styx.
* * *
When the horses of Helios, the sun god, had pulled the sun chariot from one end of the world to the other dozens of times,
Finally, Styx brought my sword to the Underworld fortress.
"Would you like to try it out?"
A one-handed sword, black as the Underworld, fitting for the god of the Underworld.
The bronze sword, infused with my power and forged at the bottom of the Styx River, seemed to be reborn.
When I swiped my hand over the blade, which had no hilt, the sword trembled as if recognizing its master.
"Oh? It seems to be better than I thought."
The unique texture of the handle, made from a special oak tree that grows near the summit of Mount Olympus, held my hand.
The weight was neither too light nor too heavy, and it fit perfectly.
Swish-
From left to right, the blade slicing through the air of the Underworld was truly satisfying.
I tried it out on the KynĂȘ, a masterpiece among masterpieces, and sparks flew from the rebound.
Clang!
"Hades! Y... You're using a sword on that precious helmet! Why are you testing it there!"
But the KynĂȘ is the strongest thing I have, so I had to test it there...
"Ha... Indeed, all the Olympian gods have some strange quirks..."
I put the KynĂȘ aside and carefully inspected the blade.
No scratches or damage.
The connection between the blade and the handle, excellent.
The powerful divine energy penetration, perfect.
How long would this blade withstand the full power of a god?
Just as I was about to strike the side of the blade with concentrated force, Styx stopped me.
"Aaah! Don't do that! Our child will break!"
Child?
"Hot...?! This... This is the same meaning as the Cyclops calling their masterpieces 'children'..."
"Great. Then let's name it the Styx Sword."
"Ugh... To use my name directly like that..."
Styx, covering her face with both hands and muttering, I put the sword on my belt.