King of Underworld

Chapter 46: The Tragedy of Oedipus (1)

The only nation in this world where a temple of Hades exists is Thebes.

However, a dark cloud loomed over this seemingly peaceful place…

This was because a prophecy had been delivered to King Laius of Thebes and Queen Jocasta.

According to the oracle from the Temple of Delphi:

*Your son will kill his father and sleep with his mother.*

King Laius was horrified upon hearing this prophecy.

The oracle foretold that his own son would kill him and then be with his wife.

King Laius quietly summoned a shepherd.

“Take this newborn to a place where no one will find him and kill him quietly.”

“What…? But… this is Your Majesty’s son…”

“Son or not, I cannot let him live when he is destined to kill me and be with my wife.”

So, the shepherd took the newborn and left Thebes.

He went to a secluded place with the child.

But as he was struggling with the guilt of killing a newborn baby…

A couple passing by noticed his distress.

“Hey, what are you planning to do with that child?”

“Uh… well…”

“If it’s because you can’t raise the child, leave him with us. His feet are swollen, so let’s name him Oedipus (Swollen Foot)…”

The couple happened to be the King and Queen of Corinth, who were troubled by their lack of a child.

Thus, Oedipus became the son of King Polybus of Corinth.

Later, as Oedipus grew up, he heard a shocking revelation from the brother of Polybus during a royal banquet.

Even though the man was heavily intoxicated…

“Ugh… You are not my brother’s biological child, Oedipus.”

“What are you saying, Uncle…?”

“The child my brother and his wife received from a shepherd is you… Hiccup!”

The shocking revelation prompted Oedipus to go to Delphi to hear the oracle.

If it was the oracle of the god of prophecy, Apollo, he could learn about his birth.

*You will kill your father and sleep with your mother.*

However, the prophecy did not reveal whether he was the biological child.

It only foretold the tragedy of Oedipus.

Believing that his adoptive parents were his real parents, Oedipus left Corinth in the middle of the night.

His adoptive parents were the King and Queen of Corinth, so if he left this place, he thought he could avoid the prophecy.

But then…

He got into a quarrel with a group of people approaching him in a narrow alley.

The driver of a chariot, seeing him dressed in rags, picked a fight, demanding that he make way.

“How can you expect me to make way in such a narrow alley?”

“Ha! Do you know who is riding inside?”

“It seems they’re some noble, but relying solely on your status is not a good look.”

“You insolent fool! The person inside the chariot is a king of a nation!”

Oedipus laughed at the driver.

What kind of insane king wanders outside the city instead of staying in his palace?

In the age of myths, the areas beyond the city walls were almost lawless zones.

Centaurs, nymphs, various monsters, and all sorts of non-human species roamed around…

It was a wild land where encountering bandits and thieves was not uncommon.

“If the person inside that chariot is a king, then I am the prince of Corinth!”

“What?!”

At that moment, someone inside the chariot, having heard the exchange, extended an arm and lashed out with a whip.

The long whip struck Oedipus on the head, knocking him to the ground.

“Ugh!”

“How dare a commoner act so insolently? If you don’t want to die, step aside.”

“Fine, let’s see what you’ve got!”

Enraged, Oedipus drew the sword from his waist and killed the guards as well as the owner of the chariot, leaving only the driver barely alive to flee.

However, the owner of that chariot…

Was none other than King Laius, who was on his way to urgently seek an oracle to deal with the monster known as the Sphinx that had appeared in Thebes.

Oedipus had just unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy by killing his own father.

* * *

Continuing his journey, Oedipus eventually arrived in Thebes, where he heard a story.

“They say that monster, the Sphinx, is still blocking the road and wreaking havoc.”

“Ah, the one that devours anyone who can’t answer its four riddles?”

“I’ve heard that Queen Jocasta, who’s now a widow, will marry whoever can rid us of the Sphinx.”

“If I solve the Sphinx’s riddles, I can become the king of Thebes?”

“Dozens have already gone to Pluto’s embrace trying…”

Oedipus asked them for directions to where the Sphinx was said to appear and headed there.

Indeed, upon arriving, he found a large monster with the body of a lion and the head of a human.

He immediately challenged the creature.

“Oh ho… A challenger, are you? If you fail to answer my four riddles, I will devour you.”

“Hurry up and give me your riddles, monster.”

“There are two sisters who give birth to each other. What are they?”

“Day and night.”

“What gets larger in the morning, smaller at noon, and then grows larger again in the afternoon, disappearing at night?”

“A shadow.”

“What creature walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?”

“Man.”

Oedipus quickly solved the first three riddles.

The giant creature, the Sphinx, with the body of a lion and the head of a human, growled and bared its teeth.

But it believed that the final riddle could not be solved!

“Which god do all mortals fear the most while also longing for their blessing?”

Oedipus pondered for a moment.

There were so many gods that inspired both fear and desire.

The thunderbolts of Zeus were terrifying, but everyone desired the blessings of the sky.

The goddess Hera was the protector of marriage and the household, yet she would rage against infidelity…

The goddess Artemis was the deity of the hunt, but she also held the aspect of bringing plagues…

Many gods embodied conflicting traits.

But this monster appeared near Thebes.

The gods widely worshipped in Thebes included Dionysus, the god of wine and madness…

“The god of the underworld and mercy, Pluto.”

“Grrrr!!!”

The correct answer to the final question was…

Pluto, the lord of the underworld whom everyone feared, but who also showed a merciful side to the living.

Even from the mint that grew abundantly throughout Thebes, one could have guessed.

“Grrr! To be bested by a wretch like you!”

Unable to overcome its shame, the Sphinx leaped off a cliff and committed suicide.

Thus, Oedipus married his biological mother, Queen Jocasta, and became the king of Thebes.

The prophecy was completely fulfilled.

* * *

As the king of Thebes, Oedipus ruled wisely and brought prosperity to the city.

He had children with Jocasta, who maintained her youthful appearance thanks to the Necklace of Harmonia, a treasure passed down through the royal family of Thebes.

However… one day, a plague began to spread in Thebes.

“Oedipus, Your Majesty! Dozens more have died today due to the plague!”

“Gather the dead and cremate them with mint leaves. Separate the sick from the healthy citizens…”

“The plague is becoming more severe. Perhaps we should seek an oracle from Delphi?”

“Haa…”

Wise Oedipus took every possible measure, but for some reason, the plague only worsened.

In the end, he sent Jocasta’s brother, Creon, to receive an oracle.

According to the priest at Delphi…

The plague would not cease until the parricide who had married his mother was punished.

At this, King Oedipus was furious and declared:

“To think such a wretch exists! When I find him, I will blind him!”

And so, to find the culprit, he summoned the blind prophet, Teiresias.

Teiresias was a human who had been cursed by killing mating snakes, turning him into a woman.

He lived as a woman for seven years before killing another snake and returning to being a man.

Twice cursed by the snakes to change genders, he was called upon by Zeus and Hera…

All because of an argument between Zeus and Hera.

“Teiresias, having lived as both a man and a woman, you can judge who is right.”

“What do the two gods wish to ask of me?”

“You have lived as both a man and a woman, so you can make a fair judgment. Whose orgasm is stronger, a man’s or a woman’s?”

“That is…”

After a brief hesitation, Teiresias answered.

“If a man’s orgasm is 1, a woman’s orgasm is 9.”

“Kuhaha! Hera! See, I was right!”

“Ugh…”

Teiresias was cursed with blindness by the enraged Hera, but Zeus, feeling pity, granted him the power of prophecy and a long life.

Anyway, when the blind prophet faced Oedipus alone, he grasped the entire situation at once.

After a long sigh, the prophet finally spoke with difficulty.

“That parricide… is Your Majesty, who is the son of the late King Laius and who married his wife…”

“What… What did you say?!”

Had Oedipus been a foolish man, he would have raged and driven the prophet away.

But he was a wise king, one who had defeated the Sphinx in a battle of wits.

‘Teiresias possesses the power of prophecy. And he tells me this knowing that I could kill him for saying it.’

Oedipus’ face twisted more and more as confusion filled his mind.

‘He says this, risking his life before the king of Thebes. How could it be a lie?!’

“Ugh… Uwaaah!!!”

Boom!

“Y-Your Majesty?! You went to meet the prophet, and now…?!”

“No… Your Majesty…!”

At that moment, the prophecy from the priestess at Delphi flashed through his mind.

*You will kill your father and sleep with your mother.*

Oedipus immediately mounted his horse and raced out of Thebes.

A whirlwind of self-loathing, rage, and resentment consumed him.

The wife he loved was his mother! He was the parricide who had killed his own father!

Because of him, a plague had swept through Thebes, killing countless citizens!

“Uwaah!! Damn it! Damn it all!!”

Oedipus rode until he reached a mountain where no one could be found, then struck the ground in fury.

Breathing heavily in anger, he slowly moved his hands towards his eyes.

To fulfill his vow to blind the parricide.

At that moment,

“Alas… A mortal suffering due to Ares’ curse…”

Oedipus, who was about to gouge out his own eyes, suddenly paused at the sound of an old woman’s voice.