King of Underworld

Chapter 142

The Story of Orpheus - (1)

Orpheus.

Born to Calliope, the eldest of the Muses, and Oeagrus, king of Thrace, he was a demigod with exceptional talent.

Recognized for his musical gifts, he learned to play the lyre directly from Apollo himself. His prowess was deemed heroic enough to gain him entry into the training grounds of heroes in the underworld.

Aboard the Argo, he used his lyre to fend off the Sirens’ song and even calmed storms.

Renowned as Greece's greatest musician, he wed Eurydice, a dryad nymph. Yet, fate was unkind. While Orpheus was away on the Argonaut expedition, his wife...

"Excuse me, miss... might you be a nymph?"

"Eek! Don’t come any closer!"

"Wait, just a moment..."

Crunch.

"Aaah!"

Aristaeus, the god of farming, rustic life, and beekeeping, approached her merely to speak. Yet she, mistaking his intentions as impure, fled—and met her end by a venomous snakebite.

How many times had beautiful nymphs fallen victim to male gods?

Though, for once, Aristaeus was entirely innocent in his intentions.

Returning home from his voyage on the Argo, Orpheus found his wife’s lifeless body and broke into wretched sobs.

"Ah... Eurydice! Eurydice! I swear, I will bring you back!"

Determined to enter the underworld, Orpheus found the road through Thebes blocked and had to seek another way down.

Armed only with his lyre, he set out, asking directions along the way with his music until he reached the underworld’s entrance.

A path leading into the pitch-black depths lay before him.

“Haa...”

Yet there was no guarantee he could save his wife by venturing here. No certainty the god of the underworld would value his talents enough to return her life.

If a living man dared to step into the underworld, his end would most likely be death.

The chances were high that he’d never escape, even if he did find Eurydice.

Orpheus, however, was unperturbed.

Standing before the path leading downward, he gave his lyre one last check. Drawing on the grief from witnessing Eurydice’s death, he began to play.@@@@

♬ ♪~ ♩

More than the storm he had calmed, more than the Sirens he had subdued...

Only a performance of his life could hope to bring back Eurydice.

Eyes closed, Orpheus moved forward.

Sight no longer mattered; his music guided him to his goal.

~ ♪♩

Finally crossing the fifth river, Styx, he pressed on toward Hades’s citadel.

With tearful souls surrounding him, Orpheus encountered Cerberus, the guardian of the underworld’s gate.

“Grrr...”

Cerberus, poised to tear apart the living man, halted. For the first time, the fierce beast felt the sensation of sorrow.

Beyond that... Cerberus hesitated.

Orpheus’s spirit had changed from his passage through the rivers.

Just as Heracles had raised his status by performing great labors, Orpheus, solely by the power of his music, had grown.

Confused, Cerberus, unsure of what to make of this half-god, allowed him to pass.

At last, Orpheus stood before Hades.

The beautiful, golden-haired goddess beside the throne wept openly at the sound of his lyre, but the black-haired god seated on the throne remained unmoved.

Was the lord of the underworld truly unaffected by such a heartfelt performance?

Orpheus stopped playing and fell to his knees, crying out.

“Lord of the underworld! I am but a humble mortal named Orpheus. Please, I beg you, return my wife, Eurydice, to life!”

A moment of silence passed before the god of the underworld spoke.

“Revive the dead? You came to the underworld relying on nothing but your musical skill?”

“...Please, I implore you!”

“There is precedent with Tantalus. If her death was truly unjust, I may grant your wish. Wait here.”

At Hades’ gesture, an attendant approached and, at his command, left the hall.

An agonizing wait passed, and the attendant returned, whispering into Hades’s ear.

“Your wife, the nymph Eurydice, perished from a venomous snakebite—a tragic accident, but... there is nothing to be done.”

“No... this can’t be!”

“As a reward for the feat of reaching me unaided, I will spare your life. Now, go, hero of music.”

The god’s icy words shattered Orpheus’s spirit.

No... he wasn’t a god of mercy; he was the ruler of the dead. Yet, Orpheus refused to abandon his goal.

He had come to bring back Eurydice, and returning alone meant nothing. If he could not bring her back, he’d rather die by her side.

“Please... I beg you!”

“I’m sure you thought it a simple thing, reviving a nymph. That’s why you ventured here.”

“...”

“Yes, it would be simple. Yet for that very reason, I cannot grant it.”

“Why...?”

“If I resurrect the dead on a whim, the boundary between life and death would collapse. It is a matter that threatens the world’s balance. Unless her death were as grievous as Tantalus’s, even a plea from Zeus would not sway me.”

Orpheus raised his head to look at the king of the underworld.

The golden-haired goddess beside the throne seemed to wish to speak on his behalf, yet she dared not defy Hades’ authority.

But Orpheus could not abandon hope...

Even if it meant incurring Hades’ wrath and being cast into Tartarus, he would not leave without Eurydice.

“Just once... hear my music.”

“Hm?”

“I will play a song worthy of your heart’s delight! Please, bring back Eurydice!”

The grieving husband gripped his lyre once more, determination in his eyes.