He is the elder brother of the gods, yet he becomes the King of the Underworld. In comparison to his youngest brother Zeus, the King of the Gods, he always seems somewhat downcast. His mythological role often casts him as a villain, a figure associated with death, which normal people naturally dislike. Seeing him is equivalent to seeing death.
"Is this... the Underworld?" Cyd asked, wrinkling his nose at the foul air. "It's not easy breath it feels like I could just lay down and die..."
In many ways, it had been a difficult journey. Escaping Atalanta's relentless hunting took all his cunning. He deceived her "sense of smell," eliminated his tracks, and even altered the terrain of a dense forest with Demeter's blessing to slow her down. Finally, after untold hardships, he arrived at the Underworld.
Yet, why did this place feel somewhat cheerful, almost as if he was going insane?
Cyd wiped away non-existent tears and gazed at the dense fog that obscured the riverbank. "Where's the boatman...?"
The air around him was thick with the stench of decay, just as the rumors said. No wonder Demeter had sworn that Persephone did not originally want to be here. Any living being would detest this place.
However, Hades deserves some sympathy. After all, he is the eldest brother...
A noise interrupted his thoughts.
"A special guest today~"
A small wooden boat appeared in Cyd's vision, piloted by a shadowy figure in a black robe.
"Why does everyone like wearing black robes?" Cyd whispered, holding Medusa's hand.
"He's not a person. I'm not either," Medusa corrected earnestly.
"I heard that!" the boatman snapped, slapping the water with his oar.
"Please take us across," Cyd said, searching his pockets. He remembered that Hephaestus had given him travel expenses for this journey.
"Are you alive? I can't take living people across. Come back when you're dead," the boatman said, waving dismissively.
"This is the travel expense..." Cyd pulled out a small leather bag. The sparkling gold coins inside seemed to light up the entire Underworld.
Naturally, this was impossible, but it did light up the boatman's greed.
"Come on aboard, sir!"
The boatman jumped off the boat and placed a plank to serve as a bridge between the riverbank and the boat.
"..."
"Wasn't there a rule against taking living people across?" Cyd said, tossing two gleaming gold coins into the boatman's bony hand.
"Times are tough, and paupers are everywhere these days. Giving heroes a ride is a bit of extra income," the boatman said, scratching the gold coin in his hand.
"Are gold coins useful in the Underworld?" Cyd rolled his eyes, holding Medusa as they jumped into the boat.
"Though I'm not sure if I'm truly alive," the boatman said, stuffing the gold coin into his robe, "I really do want the gold coins."
"Does everyone here have to be so greedy?" Cyd said, holding Medusa as they sat on the boat.
"It's tradition," the boatman said, stepping onto the boat. "It looks like today we only have paupers. Luckily, I only need to make one trip."
Cyd's eyebrow twitched. "So many?"
"Can't you see?" The boatman lifted his hood, revealing a skull with a flickering blue flame in its eye sockets. "You stood among them just a moment ago."
Cyd's expression stiffened. He turned slowly towards the riverbank, which was now receding from view. The white fog parted, revealing countless human forms creeping and grasping toward them.
He had unknowingly pushed through these things...
Cyd covered his mouth, feeling nauseous. Medusa tilted her head and gently patted his head.
"Your expression is strange, sir. The only difference between you and them is birth and death," the boatman teased. "A short while ago, a hero coolly said, 'No wonder, I also saw several familiar faces.'"
"Your tone doesn't show much respect for a 'sir,'" Cyd said, rolling his eyes.
"Well, this is my boat. Who's 'sir' depends on my mood," the boatman said, slapping the water with his oar. "There's always someone wanting to take your place."
"Ding——"
With a clear sound, a gold coin flew and landed precisely on the boatman's skull.
"Would you like me to massage your shoulders, sir?"
"Just row the boat peacefully," Cyd said, covering his face with his hand. "Otherwise, I might think the vague sounds I'm hearing are you."
Probably because they were in the Underworld, Cyd could always hear some miserable weeping.
"That's not an illusion," the boatman said, his blue flame eyes flickering fiercely. "This is the river of souls. Once submerged, they can never rise again. The dead cannot die again; they are forever sinking."
"So..." Cyd narrowed his eyes. "Why do they sink?"
"They didn't have enough passage fare," the boatman shrugged. "The money they gave only got them this far. So, I left them here. No money, no crossing."
"If they don't have enough money, don't take them in the first place," Cyd sighed. He wasn't a softy, but he disliked the boatman's deceitful methods.
"The result is the same," the boatman said indifferently. "Empty hands sink to the riverbank, forever waiting. I didn't force them to embark. They happily fantasized about boarding."
"But you didn't warn them," Cyd said, glancing at the river. As the boatman had said, countless faces with fierce expressions clawed towards the surface but were continuously submerged.
"I'm just a boatman. Besides," the boatman smiled, "do you think they would have believed me? Why are rich people among the paupers on the shore?"
"Listening to you makes me relieved. After I die, I'll be sure to bring plenty of gold coins," Cyd said, holding his chin. "Just to avoid being thrown into the river halfway."
"Don't worry, sir. Your payment was adequate. Next time, I'll give you a discount," the boatman said, giving a thumbs-up. "But my memory isn't very good, so be quick about it."
"..."
"How many gold coins do you want to make you jump into the river?" Cyd asked.
"I, Walk in Infinite, Select Royal Crown," the boatman replied, grinning widely.