King of Underworld-Chapter 174

"Hector, sir! Queen Penthesilea has been gravely injured and has been carried inside the walls! It’s believed she was struck by the sword of the hero Nestor."

"Prince Democoon was impaled through the chest by a spear and has fallen. It seems Achilles was responsible."

"The soldiers’ morale is low. Even with the Spartans gone, we’ve already lost two princes to Pluto’s domain…"

"There are rumors spreading that Pluto himself descended into the body of a soldier to drive away the Greek heroes."

The situation for Troy was dire.

Prince Paris and Prince Democoon were dead, the Amazon queen Penthesilea was gravely injured,

and the terrifying might of the Greek heroes was on full display.

If Hector had fallen in this battle…

"For now, avoid any direct confrontation with the Greek army. Deiphobus! Keep a close watch on the soldiers and weed out any spies. When the Greeks entered the walls earlier, some infiltrators must have slipped in. Beyond that…"

Hector, calmly issuing orders to the Trojan commanders, wore an expression that betrayed the deep anxiety he felt.

The weight of losing two beloved brothers was etched into the furrow of his brow.

In silence, his cousin Aeneas stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Hector’s back.

Meanwhile, the Greek coalition, despite their victory in the battle, was not in great shape either.

The first reason was their failure to breach Troy, even with their most powerful heroes.

The second reason was the heroes’ growing desire to return home.

Agamemnon, the coalition’s supreme commander, confronted Nestor with visible frustration, his face red with anger.

"Why did you retreat?! I saw with my own eyes that you were just about to breach the walls!"

"There were reasons. Calm yourself. You’re aware of the excessive divine interference on this battlefield, aren’t you?"

"And what of it? We Greeks are under the protection of Hera, Athena, and even Poseidon…"

"Pluto descended there."

At Nestor’s calm declaration, Agamemnon fell silent.

The other Greek generals watching the exchange froze, their expressions stiffening.

"...You’re lying."

"Ajax. I speak the truth. Even Agamemnon received an oracle from Poseidon, yet Pluto…"

"That’s a completely different matter! Why would the lord of the Underworld involve himself in a mortal war?"

The king of the gods, Zeus, was out of the question.

Poseidon, lord of the seas, though one of the three great gods, was firmly tied to the mortal world and a recipient of Greek offerings for safe voyages. His support made sense.

But for Pluto, the god of the Underworld, to involve himself in a mortal war?

Though it was known that he favored Troy, the idea of him physically descending to intervene was almost incomprehensible.

"When I was about to set foot on the wall, I locked eyes with Pluto himself. That was unquestionably the power of the Underworld."

"Couldn’t you have been mistaken? What if it was another god…"

"Absolutely not. Thanks to my, uh… training… Well, suffice it to say, my adventures in my youth left me with no doubt about what I saw."

"..."

That was it.

Nestor and Polydeuces were among the most experienced heroes on the battlefield.

If Nestor was so certain, then it was likely true that Pluto had descended into the mortal realm.

And if that was the case, wasn’t victory itself a problem?

Inside Troy’s walls stood not only the temple of Apollo but also the temple of Pluto.

If, in the course of conquering the city, they so much as touched the temple, their afterlives could be in jeopardy.

"In any case, we’ll be on our way now."

"Hmm. If the god of fairness has intervened, something has clearly gone awry. Farewell for now."

While the other generals fretted over the implications of Pluto’s descent and debated the odds of success,

Nestor and Polydeuces each left the Greek camp with a brief farewell.

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Agamemnon stared at the now-empty space where the heroes had been, then raised a hand to his temple.

His voice echoed quietly through the tent.

"...If anyone has an idea, speak up. How can we bring down the walls of Troy?"

"Our forces have been significantly depleted."

"Exactly. With the Spartan army and King Nestor’s Pylos contingent gone…"

"The losses are too great. Should we consider retreating instead?"

"The Trojans are under the protection of Pluto. I fear that if I die here…"

At this final comment, everyone recalled the oracle they had received before setting out for Troy.

The oracle that had foretold the war’s outcome.

Victory or defeat was no longer in mortal hands.

"The gods."

"Indeed. Troy has both the sun god and Pluto on their side…"

"True, though Athena is with us…"

The situation had already spiraled beyond what mortal strength could overcome.

Yet, to retreat now without achieving anything? What would their people think upon their return?

They would be scorned for starting a futile war and leaving empty-handed.

Amid the tense silence, one of the Greek commanders finally spoke up.

"If Pluto stands with Troy, then we must seek aid from Poseidon. Wouldn’t that even the scales?"

"Poseidon’s help?"

"The god has always been favorable to us Greeks. If we offer abundant sacrifices and plead for his aid, wouldn’t he answer?"

Their minds worked furiously, calculating the risks and possibilities.

Would Poseidon respond? And if so, what scale of offerings would be required to gain his favor?

"If this attempt fails as well… we must truly withdraw from Troy."

"I agree. To die here and meet the lord of the Underworld… I shudder to think of the punishment awaiting us."

"What mortal can ignore the reality of death? Perhaps it’s best to end this now."

"...Very well. I believe we’re all in agreement. Let us offer lavish sacrifices to Poseidon and make one final assault!

If the gods protect Troy, then we shall seek the aid of a god ourselves!"

Agamemnon’s words brought the discussion to a conclusion.

With Poseidon’s help, they might finally find a way to breach Troy.

They had come too far to return empty-handed.

The following day, the Greek army felled the nearby trees and constructed a massive altar on the beach.

The altar was piled high with dazzling spoils of war and livestock of the finest quality, a testament to their desperation.

Fwoosh!

The altar was set ablaze, and Agamemnon turned toward the sea, shouting loudly.

"Great Poseidon! These are offerings to the lord of the seas!"

Crash!

Suddenly, a massive wave rose and greedily engulfed the altar.

In an instant, everything was gone, leaving behind no trace. Taking this as a good omen, Agamemnon raised his voice again.

"I, Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, beseech your aid!"

"...!"

"Ah… Oh… Look over there!"

"Poseidon has answered! Kneel before him!"

The sea swirled and shifted, forming a colossal figure of a giant.

Holding a trident, the watery titan gazed down at them, emanating the majesty of a true god.

The sheer pressure of his presence overwhelmed the mortals, leaving no doubt—it was Poseidon himself!

Surely they had called for my aid to help bring down Troy.

"Indeed! Pluto has been deceived by the vile Trojans and sides with them. Please, aid us in this endeavor!"

The watery giant mimed stroking a beard that did not exist before speaking again.

"Very well. I will speak to Hades on your behalf."

"...!!! Thank you, lord of the seas! If Troy falls, we shall offer abundant tributes to you!"

The watery giant soon dissolved into the waves, and the Greek coalition was visibly buoyed by hope.

If the Trojans had the god of the Underworld on their side, the Greeks now had Poseidon to aid them!

Meanwhile, in the Underworld,

the realm remained busy due to the ongoing Trojan War.

In one corner, a hapless husband was being scolded by his wives.

The charge against him was clear and indisputable—he had dared to abandon his work and leave for the mortal realm, leaving all the responsibilities to his beloved wives.

The goddess Styx glared, her face flushed red with anger, while the goddess Lethe stood with her arms crossed, nodding in agreement.

From a distance, Persephone offered silent support, and Minthe, lowering her eyes, quietly observed the scene.

"Hades! You went to the mortal realm again? I had to handle all the work by myself… You’re the god of the Underworld, so why do you keep running off to the living world? Why?!"

"Now, Styx, please calm down—"

"Silence! Just handle all of this paperwork immediately. I’m heading to the Styx to fetch more souls…"

Thud!

A mountain of paperwork slammed onto the desk. Truly, it was an overwhelming sight.

Hades sighed, feeling both guilty and grateful. While he had been away, his wives had borne the burden of managing the Underworld.

Though there were four of them, Persephone was still inexperienced, and Minthe, being a concubine and a lower deity, had limited authority.

It was clear that the bulk of the work had fallen on Styx and Lethe.

"Hades, my lord. Poseidon’s emissary has arrived at the gates of the Underworld…"

"Bring him in immediately."

Deep sigh.