The Tragedy of Oedipus - (2)

“Ah... a mortal suffering due to the curse of Ares...”

The voice of an old woman, seemingly emerging from the earth itself or from deep within Oedipus's mind, echoed around him. Could it be a god? Had a deity appeared to punish and mock him?

“Who are you?! Are you a god come to mock and punish me?!”

Oedipus bellowed in a voice that seemed to rise from the depths of his being. After a moment of silence, a soft whisper reached his ears.

“You misunderstand. I am not one of the Olympian gods who have ruined your life. In fact, I am their enemy.”

“An enemy... of the gods?”

The voice, so distant yet so clear, seemed to come from a being far beyond human comprehension. Oedipus, struggling to calm himself, took deep breaths as the divine voice continued to fill his ears.

“Did you know that Thebes’s founder, Cadmus, was cursed with misfortune because he killed the dragon, a child of Ares?”

“A curse... you mean the curse that has been passed down through the generations...?”

“You bear no guilt. All of this is because of the Olympian gods.”

Oedipus’s eyes began to redden in a strange, unnatural way. An ominous energy seemed to flow from the earth into him, filling him with madness and clouding his judgment.

“If not for them, you would never have killed your father and married your mother.”

“Hu... huuuuuh...”

A voice, like a divine revelation, spoke to Oedipus as he writhed in self-loathing and agony.

His throbbing head suddenly felt clearer, and his thoughts became simpler.

Yes... that’s right. If not for those cursed gods... None of this is Oedipus’s fault—it’s all because of the gods!

And if that’s true, then his duty is clear...

“Finally, you’ve found the right path. I, Gaia, grant you my blessing.”

He must destroy the accursed temples of the Olympian gods in Thebes.

The first thing King Oedipus did upon returning to the palace was to exile the prophet. Since only Oedipus had heard the prophet’s words, he believed that if he banished and later killed the prophet, the secret would be kept safe.

“I condemn you to exile for daring to speak falsehoods to the king. Leave Thebes at once!”

“I understand.”

“But, Your Majesty, the prophet Tiresias...”

“I don’t want to hear it! Guards! Take him away!”

Oedipus’s drastically changed attitude—contrasting with the respect he had shown when the prophet was first summoned—left everyone in the palace shocked.

But this was only the beginning.

“Gather the troops. I will lead them myself.”

“Your Majesty, what are the soldiers for...?”

“The plague in Thebes is caused by the temples of the god of madness and the god of the underworld. I intend to destroy those temples built outside the city!”@@novelbin@@

All the courtiers were alarmed and tried to dissuade Oedipus. No one had forgotten how King Pentheus had met his end for angering Dionysus, the god of madness.

Moreover, Oedipus was now planning to destroy the temple of Pluto, the god of the underworld. Had the wise king who saved Thebes from the Sphinx gone mad?

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself and reconsider. If you attack the temples, the gods’ wrath will descend upon Thebes!”

“Pluto may rule the underworld, but he is also a god of mercy. Please, make the right decision...”

“We don’t know what the prophet told you, but...”

Just yesterday, Oedipus had been a wise and benevolent king, concerned for his people suffering from the plague. Now, seeing him plan an attack that could lead to the destruction of Thebes, everyone desperately tried to change his mind.

But for some reason, he was unyielding, as if possessed by something.

“Silence, all of you! The plague in Thebes is the gods’ fault. If we destroy their temples, the plague will be driven away!”

At the king’s shout, the courtiers fell silent. Though their faces were filled with dismay, they had no choice but to obey.

Soon, the soldiers gathered at the palace. Oedipus, his eyes bloodshot and his demeanor unnervingly excited, drew his sword and declared:

“Now we march to the temple of Dionysus! We will destroy the temples of the gods who have brought this plague upon us!”

The soldiers of Thebes, bewildered by the sudden orders, murmured among themselves as they tried to grasp the situation.

“What is the king talking about?” “Is the tragedy of King Pentheus happening all over again...?” “He’s planning to fight the god Dionysus?!” “Why is the plague Dionysus’s fault...?”

Naturally, the general leading the soldiers moved to petition the king. As he approached to offer his counsel, his eyes met the king’s.

“Your Majesty, do you truly intend to attack the temples? If you provoke the gods’ wrath...”

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

“Guh!”

Swish—

In a single stroke, Oedipus decapitated the general. Blood sprayed everywhere, and fear gripped the onlookers.

Killing a man he had once favored was shocking enough, but the way the king’s blade had sliced the general’s body in two with such ease was even more terrifying.

“Is there anyone else who dares to oppose me?”

It was clear to all that Oedipus had gained strength beyond that of a normal human. Everyone realized that something had changed about their wise king.

The temple of Dionysus received an unexpected visit. Soldiers, armed and anxious, surrounded the temple.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Drag everyone out of the temple and throw them into prison! Kill anyone who resists!”

King Oedipus himself led the charge, threatening the priests of the temple. His soldiers, though uneasy, pointed their weapons at the worshippers.

“Is this really the right thing to do...?” “Shut up! Do you want to die at the king’s hand?” “We’re going to be cursed by the gods...”

The soldiers’ morale was low. Attacking a temple was not something any sane person would do.

“Capture the worshippers now! Anyone who retreats will be cut down!”

Dionysus may have been unseen, but the king’s sword was close. Faced with Oedipus’s harsh command, the soldiers reluctantly began arresting the worshippers.

Until a massive leopard appeared and began tearing the soldiers apart.

Roar!

“Aaaagh!” “The gods’ wrath! It’s the gods’ wrath!”

A creature, several times larger than a normal leopard, attacked, aiming for the soldiers’ throats. Oedipus stepped forward to face it.

“Stand aside! This mere beast is nothing!”

The creature, recognizing the one who had threatened Dionysus’s followers, charged at Oedipus with savage ferocity.

Snarl! Hiss!

Clang!

Oedipus’s sword flashed, deflecting the leopard’s claws. The battle between the hero-king and the divine beast was enough to terrify the onlookers.

“Haaa!”

The sword of the hero who had saved Thebes cut through the air. The creature, quick and agile, dodged the attack but...

“Heh... Got you.”

Snarl!

Oedipus abandoned his sword and grabbed the leopard’s neck with his bare hands. An impossible feat for any ordinary human.

But with the power granted by Gaia, his strength had risen to that of a hero, and he choked the life out of the divine beast.

Thud!

“He... he’s insane...!” “The king defeated a divine beast with his bare hands?!”

“Did you all see that?! This so-called beast of Dionysus is nothing! Burn down the temple!”

As King Oedipus, veins bulging in his muscular arms, roared, the soldiers, now terrified of him, set fire to the temple.

“Is this... right...?” “Shut up! Do you want to die right now?”

As the temple of Dionysus went up in flames, Oedipus watched with a grin. But behind him, the eyes of the leopard’s corpse began to glow once more.

“Wha... what is that?” “It was definitely dead...”

The fallen leopard slowly rose to its feet and stared at King Oedipus, speaking with a voice that chilled everyone to the bone. The bloodstained mouth of the beast spoke human words.

“Are you the king of Thebes?”

Whether it was the beast’s howl or a whisper of madness, the deep voice from the leopard filled the humans with terror.

“How dare you defile my temple? You will never die peacefully...”

The voice of Dionysus, filled with vengeful wrath, spoke through the creature before it fell silent once more. Oedipus’s fate was now sealed, yet he felt no fear.

“Pah! Even a god can only send a mere beast!”

As Oedipus spat on the corpse of the divine beast and mocked it without hesitation, there was no sign of the wise king who had once defeated the Sphinx with his intelligence.

“You threaten me with curses because your beast is dead?! But what does it matter? My whole life is a curse!”

Oedipus roared at the sky. His bloodshot eyes and twisted face created a terrifying atmosphere, causing the soldiers to retreat in fear. The burning temple of Dionysus stood out in the background, but the soldiers felt a small sense of relief that, for now, they wouldn’t have to commit any further acts of desecration.

The soldiers, thinking they would offer prayers to Dionysus for forgiveness once they returned, were soon shaken by a voice like a bolt from the blue.

“Next, we will burn down the temple of Hades! Follow me, all of you!”

What? Whose temple did he say?!