The Story of the Underworld - (2)
Crash - Crackle!
The sound of Charon's ferry breaking under the weight.
No, it was the sound of it shattering.
Our gods, unlike humans, are transcendents with quick reflexes.
They moved with a speed beyond imagination.
Charon hurriedly pushed the souls of Autus and Epialtes away and threw himself toward the riverbank.
The Acheron River is the realm of the underworld, and I manipulate the waters to pull up the sunken wreck.
Boom.
Bang.
"Ugh... this is insane!"
"A ferry that has never broken in thousands of years..."
"...?!"
This was the reason why the souls of Autus and Epialtes had not fallen into the river.
Old man Charon opened his mouth in shock.
Aphrodite seemed surprised to see Charon's ferry, which she had only heard about, breaking apart.
"Wasn't that a divine object...?"
"No, I never thought it would shatter like this..."
"Do you have any idea? Did you make a mistake last time...?"
Even if those two souls were heavy, Charon's ferry was a divine object.
Charon's powers reduced the weight of the ferry and assisted in its movement across the river.
Normally, no matter how many souls boarded, there should be no reason for it to break...
"It started creaking a bit since the last great flood, and it finally came to this."
"Since the great flood? If you had told me earlier, I could have taken measures..."
"...? How could I go all the way to the fortress to tell you when I'm busy dying?"
Well, it is indeed surprising that the ferry has remained intact all this time after being used for so long.
No matter how divine the powers are, perhaps it has been overworked for too long.
"Since the underworld was created, countless souls have boarded the ferry. It's no wonder it broke..."
"Tsk... it's because mortals keep dying over trivial matters."
Charon spoke while looking at the remnants of the completely shattered ferry and his own oar.
A sense of despair was evident on his face.
"Damn it! What is going on! Hades!"
"As you can see, Charon's ferry has ended up like this. Thanatos."
Thanatos, who had been dispatching numerous avatars to control the living world, appeared.
He seemed to have come to protest due to the situation where countless souls were stuck in the Acheron River.
The souls who could not cross the Acheron River were also collectively expressing their confusion.
Upon seeing us, the whispers among the deceased grew louder.
"What on earth is happening...?"
"Ugh... Pl... Pluto?!"
"Could it be... the statue in the temple looks just like... Aphrodite?"
"Why is Charon's ferry...?"
After dying and being guided by Thanatos to the underworld.
The ferry I was supposed to ride was broken, and the ferryman Charon stood there blankly with his oar.
The souls, including Thanatos and me, faced Aphrodite, began to show dazed expressions.
"Oh my Zeus..."
We must quickly resolve this.
If this continues, the cycle of the world will break again like last time.
"Aphrodite, charm all the arriving souls and line them up in an orderly fashion."
"Yes...? Ah, yes..."
"Thanatos! There should be a small boat nearby to rescue the souls fallen near the Styx River, please bring it."
"Damn it! Got it!"
"When Thanatos brings the boat, we can transport the souls across the Acheron River, right, Charon?"
"I can do that, but the speed and durability of that boat will be far from my ferry..."
"Just do it for now. I will quickly create a new ferry and send it here!"
Damn, this underworld has accidents happening almost every day.
"Hades! Why are the souls suddenly not coming...?"
"Lady Styx! Charon's ferry has broken!"
Lady Styx rushed in, flustered by the sudden halt of souls.
When I hurriedly explained the situation to her, she wore a similar expression to Thanatos.
"That can't be! That ferry had never even had a scratch in all these years..."
"Well, after all this time, it was bound to break!"
"...?!"
Soon, I saw Lady Styx's attendants busily moving, carrying the boat along with Thanatos's avatars.
I hurried back to the underworld's office to sort things out.
"Hades! Is it possible that Thanatos..."
"That's not it; this time, it's because Charon's ferry broke, so hurry up and get back to work."
"Yes...?! Ah... understood!"
"And contact Olympus to let them know I'm urgently looking for Hephaestus!"
I might as well remodel Charon's ferry.
I need to make it bigger and sturdier so that such an incident never happens again.
If Hephaestus, the greatest blacksmith in the world, who surpasses the Cyclopes, makes it himself, such things won't happen.
But if there are others who can assist the blacksmith god...
If I'm going to make it, I should make it properly, right?
"Call Daedalus and Pygmalion as well. Visit the goddess Mnemosyne to restore their memories and bring them back."
"Understood!"
Those who lived tumultuous lives in the mortal realm eventually all come to the underworld.
Daedalus was the greatest architect and inventor who lived in the same era as Minos, the judge of the underworld.
And Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he created.
Remarkably, he even married the statue he fell in love with...
Aphrodite turned the statue Pygmalion made into a real person.
"So, Aphrodite turned the statue you made into a person?"
"Yes, when I offered sacrifices and prayed, she responded!"
"No wonder the statue was on the list of the deceased..."
I was quite surprised when the statue turned into a person and arrived in the underworld.
Thus, the greatest architect, sculptor, and blacksmith of Greece all gathered in the fortress of the underworld.
The reason was to create a new ferry for Charon.
"Ugh... to be able to work with the god Hephaestus is truly an honor!"
"Daedalus, huh? I've heard your name many times."
"I'm a sculptor... are you planning to make a figurehead?"
Pygmalion was right.
Since the ferry had broken, I intended to make a proper one for Charon.
Of course, there should be a figurehead of Charon at the bow.
"Hades, what do you think about making the ferry out of metal?"
"Metal? Is that even possible?"
"Yes, since movement is possible through divine power, we can ensure durability..."
"What about the internal design..."
Unless it was from my previous life, where I ventured into the heavens and the cosmos,
Even if he is a blacksmith god, there are limits to his skills, so I doubt a metal ferry would move well...
But since it's the age of myths, we can compensate for the shortcomings with supernatural powers.
And since trees don't grow in the underworld, but metal is abundant, it might work out fine?
"Let's give it a try. I will provide as many materials as you need."
"Then, uncle! Just trust the greatest blacksmith in this world, Hephaestus!"
The blacksmith god laughed heartily and pounded his muscular chest.
Daedalus beside him also looked thoughtful, as if he found it doable.
Thus, an unexpected ferry construction project began in the underworld.
Clang! Clang!
"Is this the metal that only comes from deep underground?"
"So, this will be roaming the Acheron River from now on?"
"Just turn that a bit to the side."
"A metal ferry, I never thought something like this would exist in the underworld..."
Numerous craftsmen, blacksmiths, and workers of the underworld rushed in, moving materials according to orders.
On one side, those who had sinned and were laboring were moving heavy metals,
While Hephaestus and Daedalus were busily giving instructions.
"Tsk. How can I express Charon's baldness grandly... if I just make it lush..."
The greatest sculptor of Greece, Pygmalion, was seen creating a figurehead resembling Charon.
Pygmalion planned to sculpt Charon's likeness and infuse it with divine power to place at the bow.
The work of making Charon's ferry was completed quickly.
Thanks to the blacksmith god's command, Daedalus's design, and the tireless efforts of the soul workers.
"With this, Charon should be satisfied, right?"
"As you said, various devices are placed at the bottom of the ferry to push the water aside..."
I looked at the massive ferry that seemed fine even if dozens of souls boarded it.
It was made of all sorts of metals, equipped with devices to naturally push the water aside as I requested from Hephaestus,
And it even had a figurehead resembling Charon infused with divine power.
"Poseidon might envy this."
It was incomparable to Charon's shabby ferry.
Near the entrance of the underworld, the Acheron River.
Charon, who was hurriedly ferrying souls,
And Aphrodite, who was controlling the unruly souls, welcomed us.
"No... are we really going to use this to ferry souls from now on?!"
"Hades, how long must I continue this work?"
Aphrodite seemed unsure... but I could see old man Charon gazing at the grand ferry.
He climbed aboard and began to touch and marvel at various parts.
"Oh! It even has the power to cut through the water, with this, I won't have to row anymore..."
"Ah, due to the laws of the Acheron River... you still need to continue the 'act of rowing.'"
Charon's face, which had brightened for a moment, turned dark again.