Chapter 47: The Tragedy of Oedipus - (2)

"Oh my... A mortal suffering because of Ares' curse..."

An old woman's voice, seemingly coming from inside his head, no, from the earth itself.

Could it be a god?! Is a god speaking to punish him?

"Who are you! Are you a god who has appeared to mock and punish me?"

Oedipus cried out with a voice that seemed to boil up from deep within.

After a moment of silence, a gentle whisper reached him.

"You're misunderstanding something. I'm not one of those Olympian gods who ruined your life. Rather, I'm their enemy."

"Their enemy...?"

A voice heard from a being so high above that it's unfathomable to humans.

As Oedipus calmed down and caught his breath, the god's voice rushed into his ears.

"Do you know that Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, was cursed with misfortune for killing Drakon, Ares' child?"

"A curse... you say? Surely not one passed down through generations...?"

"You are not at fault for anything. It's all because of the Olympian gods."

Oedipus's eyes began to become strangely bloodshot.

A strange energy flowed from the earth, filling him with madness and making it difficult to think clearly.

"If it weren't for them, you wouldn't have killed your father and married your mother."

"Ugh... uuugh..."

A single phrase that seemed to give revelation to him as he writhed in unbearable self-loathing.

Gradually, his aching head became comfortable and his thoughts simplified.

Yes... that's right.

If it weren't for those accursed gods...

All of this is not Oedipus's fault, but because of the gods!

Then what he should do is...

"Now you've found the right path. I, Gaia, bestow my blessing upon you."

To remove all the hateful Olympian temples in Thebes.

***

The first thing King Oedipus did upon returning to the palace was to drive out the prophet.

Only Oedipus had heard the prophet's words, so if he exiled him and killed him later, the secret would be kept.

"I'll exile you for the crime of speaking falsehoods to the king. Leave Thebes at once!"

"...I understand."

"Your Majesty, but the prophet Tiresias is..."

"I don't want to hear it! Guards! Take this man out!"

Unlike when he had asked to respectfully bring in the prophet,

Everyone was bewildered by King Oedipus's completely changed attitude as he drove him out.

But it didn't end there.

"Summon the troops, I will lead them myself."

"Your Majesty, what do you need the soldiers for..."

"The reason for the plague in Thebes is because of the temples of the god of madness and the god of the underworld, so I intend to destroy the temples built on the outskirts of the city!"

All the courtiers were flustered and tried to stop Oedipus.

No one had forgotten how King Pentheus had died for offending the god Dionysus.

Moreover, this time he was even going to touch the temple of Pluto, who rules the underworld.

Had the wise king who saved Thebes from the Sphinx gone mad?

"Your Majesty, please calm down and reconsider. If we attack the temples, the gods' wrath will be directed at Thebes!"

"Although Pluto rules the underworld, he is also a god of mercy. Please make the right decision again..."

"I don't know what you heard from the prophet, but..."

The change in the benevolent king who had been caring for the people suffering from the plague just yesterday.

Everyone desperately tried to persuade him, as attacking the temples as he said could lead to the destruction of Thebes.

But for some reason, he was excessively stubborn.

As if possessed by something.

"Silence, all of you! The plague in Thebes is the fault of the gods, so if we destroy their temples, the disease will retreat!"

The courtiers fell silent at the king's outburst.

Dismay showed on their faces, but there was nothing they could do.

Soon, as the ordered troops were summoned to the palace, Oedipus himself drew his sword and shouted.

His bloodshot eyes and strangely excited appearance were clearly abnormal to anyone who saw.

"From now on, we march to Dionysus's temple! Let's destroy the temples of the gods who spread the plague!"

The soldiers of Thebes were stunned by the king's sudden change of orders.

Murmurs gradually spread among them.

"What is His Majesty saying?"

"Is King Pentheus's tragedy happening again..."

"He's going to fight the god Dionysus?!"

"Why is the plague Dionysus's fault...?"

Naturally, the general leading the soldiers also moved to appeal to the king.

The commander's eyes met the king's as he walked to offer sincere advice.

"Your Majesty, do you really intend to attack the temple? If we incur the wrath of the gods..."

"Silence! The Olympian gods may be up in the clouds, but I am here before you!"

"Gack!"

Slash-

King Oedipus beheaded the general in one stroke.

Red blood sprayed, and fear gripped the crowd.

Aside from killing someone he had favored...

The king's casually swung sword had vertically split a person's body.

"Is there anyone else who dares to oppose my words?"

Clearly superhuman strength.

Everyone realized that the once wise king had changed into something else.

***

Dionysus's temple faced unexpected visitors.

Soldiers with ominous weapons surrounded the temple with uneasy eyes.

"What on earth is going on?"

"Drag out everyone in the temple and imprison them! You may cut down anyone who resists!"

King Oedipus led the threat against the god's priests.

His subordinate soldiers also pointed their spears at the believers with very uncomfortable faces.

"I'm not sure if this is right.."

"Be quiet..! Do you want to die by His Majesty's blade?"

"Ugh... We're going to be punished by the gods."

However, the soldiers' morale was low.

No human could recklessly attack a temple without hesitation.

"Bind the believers immediately! I'll cut down anyone who retreats!"

The god Dionysus might be invisible, but the king's blade was close.

At the king's fierce command, soldiers with gloomy faces began to capture the believers.

Until a giant leopard appeared from somewhere and started mauling the soldiers,

Growl!

"Aaaaah!"

"Divine punishment, it's divine punishment!"

As the divine beast, several times larger than a normal leopard, appeared and started aiming for human necks, King Oedipus stepped forward.

"Step aside! This kind of divine beast is nothing!"

As he walked forward with feet much larger than other people's...

The leopard, as if recognizing the culprit who threatened Dionysus's followers, fiercely charged at him.

Growl! Roar!

Clang-

Oedipus's sword flashed, deflecting the leopard's claws.

The battle between the hero and the divine beast was enough to mesmerize ordinary people.

"Hah!"

The sword befitting the hero and king who saved Thebes cuts and slices the air.

The divine beast also nimbly avoided the attack, but...

"Hehe.. Got you, beast."

Growl!

Oedipus threw away his sword and grabbed the leopard's neck with his bare hands.

An impossible feat for an ordinary human.

However, the power received from Gaia had elevated his body to the rank of a hero,

And he eventually managed to strangle the divine beast to death.

Thud!

"He's... insane..!"

"His Majesty defeated the divine beast with his bare hands...?!"

"Did you all see clearly! Dionysus's divine beast is nothing! Set fire to the temple!"

King Oedipus roared with bulging veins on his muscular arms.

All the soldiers, fearing him, set fire to the temple.

"Is this... right..."

"I said be quiet...! Do you want to die by His Majesty's hand right now?"

Behind King Oedipus, who was laughing at the burning temple,

Light slowly returned to the eyes of the leopard corpse he had thrown aside.

"Uh.. oh! Over there!"

"Wasn't it definitely dead...?"

The fallen leopard slowly rose, glared at King Oedipus, and opened its mouth.

What came from the beast's mouth, red with blood, was human speech.

"Are you the current king of Thebes?"

Was it the roar of a beast, or the whisper of madness?

Humans trembled in fear at the low voice resonating from the leopard.

"You dare to do this to my temple? You will never die in peace..."

After Dionysus's vengeful words, briefly possessing the divine beast, the leopard stopped moving again.

Oedipus's fate was now all but sealed, but he felt no fear.

"Pah! Even a god only sends a mere beast!"

In his appearance, spitting on the dead divine beast and blaspheming without hesitation,

There was no trace of the wise king who had cleverly defeated the Sphinx.

"Is threatening with a curse all you can do after your trusted divine beast died?! But what can you do! My life itself is already a curse!"

Oedipus roars towards the sky.

His reddened eyes and face create an eerie atmosphere, causing the soldiers to step back.

The burned temple of Dionysus was noticeable,

But the soldiers were slightly relieved that they didn't have to commit any more sacrilege.

The soldiers thought they would offer prayers for forgiveness to Dionysus once they returned.

However...

Soon, they heard a sound like a bolt from the blue.

"Next, we'll burn down Hades's temple! Everyone, follow me!"

What? Whose temple...?!