The Hero and the Boatman

The night wiped away the last traces of the setting sun, the darkness descending like a velvet curtain in a theater.

The night had arrived.

Nyx arrived early tonight, though it was unclear if she was responding to someone's request or if Apollo simply couldn't stand the boredom of his solar duties any longer.

The Golden Bracelet lit up, casting a black halo around Thaumas and Orpheus.

Then, after a brief exchange of glances, the two jumped into the volcanic crater together.

Under the protection of the night, they traversed an indescribable space and arrived safely on the soil of the Underworld.

In Ancient Greece legends, The Underworld is surrounded by five rivers, Among them, The souls of the dead first arrive at the Styx River, the boundary line between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

The Styx River is not merely a river, but a barrier, symbolizing the divide between death and eternity.

However, Truth be told, the Underworld is indeed a place of desolation and void; no living thing from the surface could survive here. Even the pomegranate seeds in the Underworld are black.

Thaumas didn't particularly appreciate this interior design style; it was no wonder so many Underworld gods wanted to run off to the surface.

Orpheus remained very obedient along the way, not saying much. After all, Thaumas had managed to bring him to the Underworld, even if it wasn't quite like how Hermes would have brought him directly through the gates of hell.

Still, this was enough to surprise Orpheus; their once-fragile little junior brother had finally grown up!

In the past, they even had to "remind" Jason just so Thaumas wouldn't end up in last place.

He should be able to take on several Jasons by now!

He wondered how Jason was doing? Orpheus had been busy with other matters and hadn't paid attention to news from the outside world for a long time.

If even Thaumas had become this outstanding, Jason surely wouldn't be doing too poorly!

Just as he was wondering about Jason, Orpheus saw Thaumas come to a halt.

"Whoa! What a massive river!" Thaumas exclaimed, then shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Lord Charon, are you there? Come pick up your passengers!"

The shout was deafening, startling the nearby souls who were stranded for lack of fare, causing them to point and whisper at Thaumas and his companion.

And so, after a while, just as the two were about to sit down and wait, "You rude little brat! Do you have any idea how much you scared this old man? How were you raised?"

On the tranquil Styx River, a small wooden boat could be seen in the distance, though it looked incredibly dilapidated.

The hull was worn, the paint peeling, and upon closer inspection, it was riddled with cracks and holes.

An old man was rowing hard with his oars, heading toward them.

Legend has it, On the banks of the Styx River, souls encounter the ferryman Charon. He is a mysterious boatman responsible for transporting souls from the world of the living to the realm of the dead.

Charon only accepts souls who can pay the fare (usually a coin carried with them). Those who cannot pay are forced to wander the riverbank for a hundred years until they are permitted to cross.

This was the very same filthy old man before them, looking every bit like a yaksha.

"You stinking brat, if you don't have the money, don't make me come over here. If you're just messing with this old man, you can spend the next hundred years waiting right there!"

Charon widened his eyes, pointing at his own nose as he spoke.

One had to wonder, could Charon's eyes really spit fire? That was what the legends claimed.

"Greetings, respected ferryman Charon. Here are two gold coins; could you please take us across the river?" Thaumas handed two gold coins to Charon and asked with a smile.

Thaumas found it impossible to show any real respect to such a comical old man.

"No way, you are living souls, my boat only carries the dead!" Charon waved his hand in refusal.

"How about two coins each?"

"Hmm... well... that's not quite right."

"Then ten coins, surely that's enough!"

"My lord, please take your seat! Let me wipe it down for you first. So many people have sat on this boat, it's bound to be a bit dirty—I wouldn't want to soil your clothes, my lord!"

And so, Thaumas and Orpheus were invited onto the boat by a grinning Charon.

This was a big order, a VIP client; he had to provide the best service for this gentleman!

On the boat, Charon swatted away a few souls trying to climb aboard, then gently paddled the oars.

"Mr. Charon, why did you choose to ferry people on the Styx River? Surely you had better options?" Thaumas asked curiously.

"What kind of 'why' is that? I wanted to, so I did. What about you, my lord? Why come to this godforsaken Underworld?"

"Hmm, I also came because I wanted to," Thaumas replied, then continued:

"By the way, Goddess Nyx asked me to persuade you, but since you enjoy it, never mind. After all, I won't force others to do what they don't want to."

"The Night? No wonder you could come here and are so familiar with the place. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in a long time," Charon said calmly; just listening to his words, one couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"But since you love this job, why did you set that rule?"

"What rule?"

"A single gold coin."

"That is, of course, because this old man loves money."

"Mr. Charon, you are being dishonest. No wonder Goddess Nyx is so worried about you. If you were truly greedy, you wouldn't be staying in the Underworld," Thaumas exposed his lie.

"Hmm, fine, fine. Actually, it's because of Thanatos." Perhaps it was for the sake of the money, but Charon rarely spoke the truth.

"Thanatos? Why? What does this have to do with the God of Death?" Thaumas found it hard to connect the two, but they were brothers, after all; perhaps there was some hidden story?

"People usually place a coin in the eyes or mouth of the deceased as payment for my services. As for those who have no family, if they were good people, Thanatos would secretly slip one in, though no one knows about it."

So, it's about filtering out the wicked first, right?

Thaumas understood in his heart.

"Then, what about those whose families are unwilling to pay?"

"If they aren't even willing to place a single gold coin for them, what kind of people do you think they are?" Charon countered.

"What if their children are simply unfilial? Such cases must exist, right?"

This time, Charon did not answer; he remained silent for a long time.

The boat came to a stop.

"Then this old man will personally investigate," Charon said.

"Then I have no more questions. It seems those lingering on the shore are indeed damned ghosts. Thank you for your help, Mr. Charon. Here are twenty gold coins, please accept them," Thaumas paid.

Mr. Charon really is a good person.

Otherwise, Thaumas might have done something unpleasant for the sake of those souls stuck on the opposite bank, had Charon been motivated solely by this wealth.

After bidding farewell to Charon, he turned and left with Orpheus. They still had a journey ahead and could not linger here.

Charon watched them go.

Looking at the twenty gold coins in his hand, Charon remained expressionless; it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

What an annoying brat!

He only knows how to add burdens to this old man!

If I hadn't agreed, who knows what this brat might have done? In the end, I might have even lost my job!

I never want to see him again! Who knows what loopholes he might find next time to increase my workload!