Sisyphus...
The Tale of Thanatos - (1)
A peaceful world of the living.
Born from the wind god Aeolus and a human woman named Enarete, the demigod Sisyphus.
The king of Corinth, Sisyphus was known for his cunning and cleverness.
There are many anecdotes that showcase Sisyphus's wisdom, one of which is illustrated through his encounter with Autolycus, the demigod son of Hermes, the god of messengers and thieves.
Autolycus, who had been gifted with the ability to steal without being caught by Hermes, had stolen Sisyphus's cattle.
Sisyphus confronted him, saying, "Look here, my name is engraved under the hooves of the cattle. This is indeed my cattle, and you have stolen them."
"Shut up! Perhaps one of your men secretly engraved it!"
By engraving his name on the hooves beforehand, Sisyphus successfully uncovered Autolycus's theft.
Although Autolycus had used his powers to change the gender and color of the stolen cattle, he had no way to counter the clear evidence.
Confident in his own cunning and wisdom, King Sisyphus made one grave mistake...
"Is it true that the river god Asopus is here?"
"What business does the king of Corinth have with me?"
"I know where your daughter, Aegina, has gone missing."
"What? You know where my daughter has gone?"
"I will tell you if you provide clear spring water for Corinth."
Sisyphus, convinced of his own cleverness, persuaded the river god Asopus.
To find his missing daughter, Asopus waved his hand lightly, causing clear spring water to flow into the city.
"Your daughter has been abducted by Zeus."
"What... what the hell! Is that true?"
"It is true. If you follow this mountain path, you will see Zeus and your daughter."
Thus, the river god hurriedly moved along the path Sisyphus had indicated.
Soon...
"Ah... Father... hic..."
"Lord Zeus! How could you do this! Aaaah!!!"
"Ahem. I shall take my leave now."
He witnessed Zeus forcibly violating his daughter, Aegina, while she wept sorrowfully.
Sisyphus, upon seeing Zeus fleeing, felt anger rise within him, but it was already too late.
However, this was not the end.
Zeus had noticed Sisyphus's actions.
Naturally, Zeus, in a fit of rage, shouted, "How dare a mere mortal interfere in the affairs of the gods! Tell Thanatos to send my brother Hades a message that a great sinner exists!"
With the king of the gods in such a state, the future of Olympus looked very bleak...
This place is the dark underworld.
It is where Thanatos, the god of death, tirelessly sends numerous avatars to control the world of the living.
With his black wings and the form of an old man, the god was pleased by an unexpected summons.
"Thanatos. I received a message from Zeus, asking you to bring a great sinner to the underworld."
"Is there really a human who has committed such a grave sin? Hades."
"Well...? For now, they want you to be dispatched to Olympus for a while... Please go."
"To Olympus? How long has it been since I last visited? I truly appreciate it."
"However, you must return quickly. We need to confirm if that human really committed a crime..."
Thanatos rarely went to Olympus.
Always busy, he was never invited to the feasts of the gods who lived there, as they were immortal beings who did not experience death, and thus he had no reason to visit.
This was a short vacation granted by Hades, who felt pity for his hard labor, allowing him to go to Olympus and capture a great sinner while taking a moment to rest.
Thanatos silently expressed his gratitude to Hades, the lord of the underworld, who occasionally looked at him with pity.
He moved not as an avatar, but as his true self, ascending to Olympus.
"Thanatos! You have finally arrived! That is the one! How dare a mere human meddle in the affairs of the gods!"
He soon spotted Zeus, who was furiously pointing at the underworld.
If a human had interfered in the matters of the gods...
Perhaps he had stolen a sacrifice or meddled in the gods' decisions.
For now, Thanatos observed the human as per the words of the supreme god Zeus.
There stood Sisyphus, the founder of Corinth, leisurely drinking in his palace.
"But what is this grave sin..."
"Ah, I know that human well. Thanatos."
Thanatos's question was interrupted by the words of Hermes, the messenger of the gods, who held a caduceus.
Always cheerful, Hermes wore a sulky expression today as he spoke to Thanatos.
"He overestimates his own abilities and has outsmarted my son. The power of thievery I bestowed upon him... Tsk. He must have offended Father again."
Thanatos understood Hermes's sulky attitude towards the human.
Well, he must have done something.
And a human who offended Zeus was certainly deserving of punishment.
After all, once he took the human to the underworld, Hades and the three judges would decide his fate.
Thus, Thanatos spread his black wings and gracefully flew towards the palace of Corinth.
This is the palace of Corinth.
Sisyphus revealed a secret to his wife and queen, Merope.
"Surely, Zeus harbors resentment against me and will send Thanatos."
"Y-Yes...? What should we do then?"
"Listen well, my wife. If I die, do not hold a funeral for me. Do you understand?"
He was preparing in advance for Thanatos's arrival.
First, he spoke to his wife to prepare for any eventuality...
Holding a large club made of ash wood, Sisyphus hid behind the curtains in his bedroom, waiting for Thanatos.
Soon, the god of death, Thanatos, entered the bedroom to take Sisyphus to the underworld.
As Thanatos approached, Sisyphus gripped the club tightly, ready to strike.
However...
'Does he think he can evade my senses? To think he believes he can knock me down with just a club? Has he lost his mind?'
Thanatos was well aware of this.
Though Sisyphus was a demigod, without his wisdom and cunning, he was an ordinary being with no real strength.
In contrast, Thanatos was not just any minor god; he was the offspring of Nyx, the goddess of night.
An ancient god, older than Hades, and the master of the underworld, he was a respected elder god.
As the personification of death with immense strength, Thanatos laughed at the foolish human.
With heavy steps, Thanatos naturally entered the foolish human's bedroom.
At that moment, Sisyphus, thinking it was now or never, jumped out and swung the ash wood club.
"Thanatos! You have finally appeared! Take this—"
Whoosh—
To the high divine senses that harvest souls, the club flew far too slowly.
Thanatos, seeing the foolish human gritting his teeth and swinging the club at him, couldn't help but smirk...
'Wait, if I just let this fool hit me and pretend to fall, I could rest a bit longer, couldn't I?'
Suddenly, he began to think in a different direction.
As the god of death, Thanatos had never been able to rest since his birth as Nyx's offspring.
Death always occurred in the world of the living, so he had to bring souls every day.
Here, he was not an avatar but his true self.
If he pretended to be knocked down by this foolish human, he could take a break.
But he pondered whether it was truly possible to take a break from his duties.
If he neglected his work of harvesting souls, the burden would fall back on the other gods who shared the toil.
*Sigh...
Yes, if I rest, who will do this work? As an elder god of the underworld, I must set an example...*
In his mind, he recalled the many fellow gods who toiled alongside him.
No matter how hard his work was, the other gods...
"Tsk tsk, Thanatos. You are working hard to harvest souls again today. Tsk tsk..."
At least... they had helped him a bit before the great flood that wiped out humanity began.
But once the flood started, they mocked him while pretending to comfort him, like Hypnos...
"We're so glad we're not Thanatos, Moros."
"Of course, Keres."
Even though they were gods of death, Keres and Moros had relatively easier duties than his.
"Thank you, Thanatos. I always appreciate it. If I were the god of death..."
Finally, there was that cheeky Morpheus, who approached with a grin!
Now that he thought about it, these wretched beings not only failed to help him but also mocked him for being overworked!
Thanatos's face began to twist in anger.
And then came the self-justification.
He could say that the fool was also a demigod, so he was caught off guard.
If he rested for just a moment and then resumed his work, no one would say anything.
Yes, just for one day... just one day of rest! Just one day!
"Ugh. Ack!"
Before the club even touched Thanatos's head...
He dramatically fell to the ground, pretending to be struck.
Naturally, the poor human, who had suddenly gained the infamous reputation of having knocked down a god,
Sisyphus froze in the position he had been swinging the club.
"... What is this?"
Sisyphus stood frozen for a moment, alternating his gaze between his club and the fallen Thanatos.
Eventually, with a troubled expression, he bound Thanatos and locked him in the basement.
However, King Sisyphus had no idea what consequences this act would lead to.
The act of 'imprisoning' the very embodiment of death, Thanatos's 'true self,' would affect the laws of the world.
And starting the very next day,
An emergency began in the underworld's management of the dead souls.