The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 146: The Calydonian Boar Hunt

While the wedding of Heracles and Hebe was being celebrated on Olympus, humans on Earth were preparing for a decisive battle against a divine beast.

The calamity began when King Oeneus of Calydon forgot to hold a sacrificial offering to Artemis, the goddess of the moon.

Outraged, the goddess sent her sacred beast, a boar, to utterly ruin the farmland of Calydon.

SCREEEEECH!

“Argh! That damn monster is destroying my vineyard!”  

“Whose wrath have we incurred? Did His Majesty offend a god somehow?”  

“Ugh… The soldiers’ spears and swords don’t work—there’s no way to stop it.”

This boar was the offspring of Phaea, a sow that had once roamed between the regions of Megara and Corinth.  

After Phaea was slain by the hero Theseus, the goddess Artemis took the boar’s offspring under her protection and made it a divine beast.  

The beast was as massive as a bull, and its tusks were as huge as an elephant’s ivory.  

When it rampaged, people were helpless, as Artemis’s divine protection made mortal weapons ineffective.  

Spears thrown by ordinary soldiers missed their mark, and arrows couldn’t pierce its hide.

In response, King Oeneus summoned heroes from across Greece to slay the boar, just as heroes had gathered for the Argonaut expedition.

Among those who answered the call were Meleager, Atalanta, Nestor, Iolaus (the nephew of Heracles), Idas, and many others.  

“Why are so many familiar faces here? Nestor, you too?”  

“Meleager, it’s been a while since our last expedition, hasn’t it?”  

“Jason! Aren’t you a king now? Shouldn’t you sit this one out?”  

“Ahem! Defeating monsters is also a king’s duty! Besides, it’s a good chance to catch up with old friends! Haha!”  

“What nonsense are you on about…”

Indeed, many of the heroes present were veterans who had trained in the underworld, fought alongside Jason in the quest for the Golden Fleece, and knew each other well.  

Aside from Meleager’s uncles, most were already acquainted.

“Meleager, who are those people over there?”

  

“…They’re my uncles.”  

“Never saw them at the hero training grounds or the Golden Fleece expedition… hmm.”

The heroes headed to the area where the boar frequently appeared.  

As they hid in the bushes and waited, they soon saw the monstrous boar charging toward them.

Thud, thud, thud…

Screeeeech!

The divine beast of Artemis, with the body of a bull and enormous tusks.

But then…

“Why does it look so weak?”  

"Could it be a child? Perhaps the mother is around somewhere?"

“Let’s just kill it quickly.”

Most of the heroes gathered here were battle-hardened veterans.  

They had survived countless battles, including training in the underworld, where they faced monsters like the giant serpent Python, the Sphinx, and the Chimera.  

During the Argonaut expedition, they had even fought dragons and lived to tell the tale.

To such seasoned warriors, the Calydonian boar…

It was smaller than the Sphinx.  

Its charge was slower than Python’s tail whip, which had sent warriors flying.  

Its tusks? Nothing compared to the flames of a dragon that could incinerate everything.

“Just kill it already!”  

“Die, beast!”

Swoosh—Thwack—Pierce!

Atalanta’s arrows flew in quick succession, piercing the boar’s left eye.  

Meleager’s Spear followed, striking its right eye.  

The heroes then rushed in, breaking its legs and hacking its body relentlessly.

The divine beast roared in agony, its body pierced by countless spears and arrows, blood spurting everywhere.  

But the seasoned heroes showed no mercy.

Screeeeeeech!!!

Thus, the divine beast of Artemis, the offspring of the Phaea, and the calamity that had plagued Calydon, was not subdued in a heroic battle, but mercilessly hunted down.  

* * *

The heroes clicked their tongues at the sight of the Calydonian Boar, now lying dead in an almost anticlimactic manner.  

Is this... supposed to be a great feat? Against something like this?

“It’s way too weak. Didn’t they say it could deflect spears and blades?”  

“I thought it’d have scales like the dragon I saw in Colchis.”  

“They said it was as big as a house, but this is just… a slightly oversized animal, isn’t it?”  

“Why did they gather all of us for this? Even one or two of us would’ve been enough…”  

While many complained that the monster was far too weak, there were others who couldn’t understand the sentiment—among them were the two uncles of Meleager and a few wannabe heroes.  

“…The boar that just appeared seemed like quite the monster, though.”  

“It’s got five arrows stuck in it. When did she even shoot them all?”  

“Did I fall asleep for a moment, under Hypnos' touch? How is the boar already dead?”  

Those who lacked the potential to be true heroes, who hadn’t even managed to reach the Underworld or participate in the quest for the Golden Fleece, could only gape and stare in dumbfounded silence at the boar’s sudden death.  

Thunk. Scratch.

“Hah! How on earth could anyone pierce this hide…”  

“See? They say heroes from Thebes are on a different level…”  

Some tried stabbing the boar’s carcass with their spears, but even without Artemis’s protection, the boar’s hide remained impenetrable to their weapons.  

With the hunt over, it was now time to distribute the spoils, including the boar’s hide.  

“Meleager! Hand over the boar’s hide to us.”  

“That’s right. We also fired arrows, so we deserve a share.”  

Though most of the participants, who had done nothing during the short hunt, forfeited their claims without hesitation, Meleager’s two uncles, greedy as they were, demanded their portion.  

Strangely, however, neither Meleager nor the other heroes showed much anger in response.  

“Heh. Go ahead, uncles. No, why don’t you just take all of it?”  

“…?”  

“Take it or don’t. Do as you please. I don’t care.”  

Neither Meleager, who had speared the boar through its right eye, nor Atalanta, who had pierced its left eye with an arrow, showed any interest in the boar. They, along with the other heroes, merely grumbled in annoyance as they prepared to leave.  

“Hah. One freakish boar? Keep it if you want. I couldn’t care less.”  

"Hey! Is there anyone here desperate enough to eat that thing?"

"As if! The venison I caught a few days ago is way better..."

“Well, since we’re all here, let’s eat that instead. Jason! Come join us.”  

“Of course! Even as a king, dining with friends is the best!”  

“Ugh… I thought I might achieve some glory today…”  

Meleager’s uncles, watching this bizarre scene, were left in a daze.  

What's wrong with them? 

Normally, after slaying a monster, wouldn’t everyone clamor to claim the spoils? And what’s with their reaction—acting as if this isn’t even worthy of being called a monster?  

As they stood dumbstruck, Ancaeus sneered as he passed by.  

“Hmph. If you’re that desperate for a boar hide, take it.”  

Then Nestor, speaking as though genuinely puzzled, remarked,  

“Pathetic, really, to want something like that and still show your face. Is it even worth anything?”  

Meanwhile, Meleager and Atalanta had already moved on, paying no attention to the matter.  

“Hm. Well, Atalanta, it’s been a while since we last met. Doesn’t it feel underwhelming to only take down one beast? Care to join me for a hunt in the nearby mountains?”  

“Not a bad idea. Lead the way.”  

Having fought all manner of monsters, the heroes’ standards had grown absurdly high, and none of them cared for the boar’s hide. Instead, Meleager’s uncles were left feeling humiliated.  

Taking the boar hide would be like accepting alms—a beggar’s reward. Was this even an achievement worth boasting about? Wouldn’t they be mocked if they showed it off?  

“Bah! Fine! We don’t need that stupid hide either!”  

“Hah! What a trivial beast it turned out to be. Meleager! We’re leaving!”  

“…? Oh. Alright, uncles. As you wish.”  

And so, Meleager’s two uncles stormed off in a huff, leaving Meleager scratching his head in confusion.  

“Well, now who’s going to skin it? What a bother…”  

“I hit its eye, so I’ll help.”  

“Atalanta! Thanks. Let’s grab a meal together later… Wait, where’s all this mist coming from?”  

* * *

Of course, as the gods of Olympus watched the scene unfold from the clouds, they were struck with astonishment.  

With so many heroes gathered, the defeat of a sacred beast was inevitable. But to see a boar under Artemis’s protection die so effortlessly?  

“No… That… that can’t be!”  

No one was more flustered than Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and the moon.  

She had sent the boar as a fitting punishment, intending to forgive the mortals if they managed to defeat it. But to see it slain so easily…  

“It was one of my favorites! And to die so pitifully…”  

She wouldn’t have minded if the heroes had struggled valiantly, but to witness such a quick death twisted her expression in frustration. Without a word, she stormed off somewhere.  

“Hah. Still, it was a sacred beast.”  

“Humans these days are quite impressive. Then again, look at the god of strength—He was a mortal once too.”  

“That Atalanta… Her archery is exceptional.”  

The gods then turned their attention to the lord of the Underworld.  

“Hades, how exactly have you been training the mortals in your realm?”  

“I heard Chiron has been teaching them, but…”  

“Did you lend them some of the Underworld’s power?”  

Sipping his nectar, Hades replied calmly.  

“It's nothing special. I had them fight monsters like the serpent Python, the Sphinx, and the Chimera. Occasionally, they sparred with dead Giants or Cerberus.”  

“Ah…” n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Ares also helped from time to time, and the wise Chiron trained them well.”  

No wonder... the heroes' abilities are quite impressive.