The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 131: Sea Monster Charybdis – (2)

Charybdis, daughter of Poseidon, incurred Zeus's wrath due to her enormous gluttony.

She ravenously consumed nectar and ambrosia and even swallowed passing ships whole…

"Poseidon, just how big is your daughter?"

"Not that big, really. At best, she's not even as tall as Typhon's waist—a tiny thing."

"And what part of that sounds tiny to you?"

Typhon, whose shoulders touched the sky and head brushed the stars—a true giant god.

Just comparing her to him shows how massive Charybdis really is.

Well… with a body that size, it’s no wonder she has such a voracious appetite.

It's only natural that Zeus lost his temper and threw a lightning bolt at her.

"Could you send a messenger to Olympus to summon Demeter?"

"Why Demeter?"

"If I went and told her to curb her gluttony outright, of course, she wouldn’t listen. But if we regularly provide her with the blessed grain from Demeter, your daughter might stop bothering the sailors."

"Hmm… I did think of that, but… would Demeter help my daughter?"

Poseidon scratches his beard and turns away slightly.

Last time Persephone went missing, he tried to do something with Demeter.

I suspect he attempted to force a relationship… and since then, their relationship has been chilly.

How do I persuade Demeter?

"Hah. All this because last time you looked at Demeter with those lecherous eyes?"

"Lecherous? I was merely trying to ‘comfort’ her…”

"Comfort? Who on earth stares lecherously at a grieving mother who’s lost her daughter!"

"Ahem! Alright, let’s drop it! The past is the past!"

Really… should I just go and beat Charybdis up and tell her not to eat humans?

Sigh… no, no. She’s already been struck by Zeus’s lightning, and being Gaia's daughter…

"Just think of it as a debt to Demeter."

"A debt? That’s a bit much, isn’t it?"

"You don’t like that? Well, then, I guess we’ll let Charybdis keep getting cursed by humans. Since your heart softens for your daughter, I’ll discipline her instead. If you really hate owing Demeter… guess we have no choice."

"…?"

"Don’t mortals always offer sacrifices to pray for safety at sea? But if you let Charybdis keep swallowing entire ships, rumors might spread that the god of the sea isn’t upholding his end. No wonder you lost the city to Athena. If I were an Athenian, I’d choose Athena too. Tsk."

The more I dig into his pride, the more Poseidon's face sours.

"To have the lord of the sea disregard his daughter devouring sentient beings—now that’s really…”

"Alright, alright! I’ll just consider it a debt to Demeter!"

"Good idea. Humanity will praise your compassion."

Just like a sudden wave, he gives in with just a bit of provocation.

But that’s enough—any more, and he’ll start to get angry.

* * *

"So, you called me all the way from Olympus while I was relaxing?"

Demeter, who came underwater, looks back and forth between Poseidon and me.

Receiving an unexpected summons from two of the three Olympian gods, Demeter’s eyes are filled with curiosity.

"Yes, it's a rare chance to have Poseidon here owe you a favor. So, I’d appreciate it if you’d help."

In response, she looked Poseidon up and down.

What could that gaze mean? It’s very… disapproving.

"Hmph. Only now have you decided to be a bit more responsible with your child? I hope your resolve lasts, Poseidon."

"I always preferred to let her do as she wished, but even Hades here had a point."

"So, exactly what do you want me to do?"

Good. At least Demeter is willing to cooperate.

Though she’s sending some unpleasant looks my way—probably suppressing her feelings due to my relationship with Persephone and Charybdis’s misdeeds.

Poseidon knows this, so he seems focused and isn’t letting his mind wander.

"Well, if you bless her with the abundance of your harvest…”

"Demeter, you are the goddess of abundance, opposing the goddess of starvation, Limos. So…”

"I will command humans to offer sacrifices in the sea near Charybdis’s dwelling."

"Even a small amount that could fill her belly should satisfy her."

"Poseidon, couldn’t you just go and talk her down yourself?"

"Honestly, even now, I feel it might be better to let her do as she pleases."

"It's obvious why Charybdis turned out this way."

And so, Poseidon, Demeter, and I devised a plan to persuade Charybdis.

Using brute force and intimidation would be out of the question, considering her powerful parents.

Demeter would bless her fields with abundant harvest and store the food in her temple.

Poseidon would then proclaim an oracle, instructing people to offer Demeter's blessed food as they pass near Charybdis’s territory.

In addition, ambrosia and nectar, as well as food from the sea, would be given to Charybdis regularly.

And finally—

"I can’t swear on the River Styx, but I’ll promise on my trident."

"Good. Contact me if you need help next time, Poseidon."

Poseidon ends up indebted to Demeter.

Of course, he won’t grant her every request, but she now holds a right to ask favors from the lord of the sea.

"Finally, it's settled. Now, let’s go speak with your daughter."

Poseidon’s face hardens in resignation. He should have disciplined her better from the start.

Well, at least he seems to be coming to his senses now.

* * *

Riding on the divine beast, a dolphin sent by Poseidon, I traveled to where Charybdis was.

The sea was calm, and a gentle breeze blew across the tranquil ocean. A short distance away, a ship carrying humans sailed by.

The dolphin, which had been carrying me, came to a stop, so I stepped onto the surface of the water and looked around.

This must be the place. Down below, I sensed a powerful aura—that must be Charybdis.

In terms of power, she seemed even stronger than Triton… Well, her mother is Gaia, and she’s a goddess herself.

“Hm?”

As I was contemplating how to approach her in the depths, the surrounding water began to flow downward.

To be precise, Charybdis was likely surfacing, creating a suction as she drew in seawater.

A whirlpool formed in the middle of the sea, revealing part of her massive body.

No, the whirlpool itself was Charybdis.

Everything was being sucked into the center of the whirlpool, filled with enormous teeth.

Of course, this included the nearby ship with humans onboard.

“Aah! It’s… it’s a sea monster!”

“Our ship is being sucked into the creature’s mouth!”

“Poseidon, please, save us…!”

“Are we going to die like this? Row faster!”

“This is as fast as we can go!”

The mortals on the ship were panicking, praying desperately to the gods. They gripped the oars so hard their hands bled, trying to escape.

Some had already given up, shedding tears, while others glared with bloodshot eyes at the whirlpool.

Whooooosh—

I am the god of the Underworld. I cannot command the sea and waters like Poseidon.

I cannot fly swiftly like Hermes to rescue them, nor open a rainbow path like Iris to guide them to safety.

But… I do have enough power to stop Charybdis from her actions.

Sorry, Poseidon.

I’ll have to give your daughter a little beating.

* * *

The ship’s captain clenched his teeth, unlucky enough to have crossed into Charybdis’s domain.

He’d heard of disappearances in this area, but who would’ve thought the cause was a sea monster?

If he’d known, he would’ve chosen a different route.

Whooooosh—

No, a monster? Could that really just be a monster?

The whirlpool, lined with teeth and swallowing all the seawater, displayed the grandeur of a god.

“H-heugh… Mother!”

“I never should have boarded this ship… Am I to meet Thanatos here?”

“Didn’t we offer sacrifices of cows to Poseidon before setting out to sea? Then why is this happening…”

“It must be that Poseidon was displeased with our offerings!”

The crew on the ship was in a state of panic.

Some had even stopped rowing, letting go of the oars.

After all, it was impossible to escape the dreadful whirlpool monster.

Before this mythical beast that devoured the surrounding seawater, ordinary humans, neither demigods nor heroes, could only feel despair.

The captain closed his eyes, offering one final prayer to Poseidon.

At seventy years old, he’d spent his life serving the god of the sea, but now, he prayed to him with more earnestness than ever.

“Olympian gods! My lord Poseidon! Please, have mercy on us!”

The cries of the sailors, the sounds of sobbing and lamentation, filled the air.

And then—

■■■■■■!!!!!

An ear-splitting roar…?

Quickly covering his 

ears, he opened his eyes.

His mouth hung open in shock, and tears fell from his eyes.

The old captain knelt in place, hands clasped in prayer.

The other sailors did the same, following his lead.

“I’ll send you to a safe place.”

A black pillar, as if it would annihilate everything between sea and sky, formed before them.

At some point, a god had appeared on the deck.

“It’s not yet your time to come to the Underworld.”

They were saved.