Almost at the very moment the gods of Olympus were discussing the matter of Lady Thetis,
and Hestia first proposed marrying the beautiful and virtuous Thetis to Jason…
In this regard, Hestia truly harbored no ill intent.
To her, Jason was practically a child she had watched grow up.
Moreover, Jason was no longer young. Several years had passed; he was now nineteen or twenty years old.
Yet he still had no spouse.
This was actually quite astonishing. After all, one must not forget that this was the age of Greek mythology.
An era of such simple folkways that knocking someone unconscious and carrying them home caused no trouble.
Hestia had met Thetis and knew she was an extraordinarily beautiful and outstanding goddess.
That was why Hestia's eyes had lit up and she made the suggestion.
Since no mortal woman was worthy of that child Jason, then let a goddess be with him.
Hestia's starting point was undoubtedly for Jason's own good.
It was just that… Hermes beside her was grinning from ear to ear.
If he had melon seeds, he would be eating them by the handful.
After all, he knew Jason far too well.
Yet Hermes had not expected that before the melon-eating even began, before the main show could officially start,
the other side had already exploded into liveliness…
At the same moment, aboard the Argo.
Inside Jason's room.
The beautiful goddess Athena, wearing an ancient-style dress with silver hair flowing behind her, widened her golden eyes that symbolized absolute wisdom. She pointed at the ocean goddess Thetis sitting on Jason's bed.
Why was Athena here?
She had come for the Aegis.
After fiercely declaring her feelings to Medusa on the Invisible Island and being judged by those two little goddesses as "having her head broken by a pig, and probably badly at that," the Goddess of Wisdom Athena had recovered.
She immediately returned here to present the long-prepared divine shield Aegis to Jason.
Because Jason had offered his tribute.
And that tribute was precisely what Athena most desired… Yes, it was the answer Jason gave that day in the temple of Athena.
Jason had faced Athena's love head-on. He had neither fled nor dodged. Instead, he gave Athena the most sincere and earnest response.
Athena naturally understood Jason; otherwise, the lofty Goddess of Wisdom would not have concealed her own feelings for half a year after realizing them.
Thus she knew exactly how much resolve Jason had mustered to take that step.
And if Jason did not have her in his heart, he would never have done so.
Therefore Athena was overjoyed. She felt she had already witnessed Jason at his most "beautiful," and thus she had received the tribute she wanted.
If there were a moment even more "beautiful" than when Jason had held her hand… it would probably be the instant he confessed his love to her.
So Athena had come to see Jason full of expectation and excitement.
Therefore…
"Jason, why is there a goddess in your room?!"
Athena pointed at Thetis, completely abandoning decorum. "It has only been a few days, Jason!"
Jason, who had just returned from the abyss after spending an entire day and night there, had not yet recovered enough to respond.
A chill gripped his heart. He knew he was utterly doomed.
Because in this room right now were not just Athena and Thetis, these two goddesses.
"Hm?"
Underworld butterflies emitting faint light fluttered about the room.
A black-clad goddess who formed a striking contrast with the white-dressed Athena, Jason's teacher Hecate,
was also present.
Not only Hecate, but little Cerberus had come along too.
To compensate Cerberus, Jason had allowed her to follow and play in the mortal world.
On the condition of ten honey cakes per day.
Of course, Cerberus was secondary. The main issue right now was…
"Athena?"
Hecate's brow furrowed as her gaze met Athena's.
"Why are you here?!"
The instant their eyes collided, a trace of guilt flashed across Athena's heart.
But she quickly composed herself and said to Hecate, "Why can I not be here… Hecate, who is she?!
And why did you deliberately set up a magic circle to conceal her presence and keep her in Jason's room?!"
When Jason had gone to the underworld to find Hecate, it was to ask her to hide Thetis. He had not expected Hecate to simply lock her in his own room…
Jason could not help looking at Hecate.
"Your room already had similar arrays. To modify them fastest, it was naturally best to do it there. I was also in a hurry to accompany you to the abyss. But…"
After explaining to Jason, Hecate looked at Athena and said calmly, "As for whom I allow to stay in my student's, my child's room, what business is that of yours, Athena?"
Under normal circumstances, Hecate would be too lazy to bother with Athena's nonsense.
But because of yesterday's conversation with Jason, she was already irritated just looking at Athena!
Faced with Hecate's provocation, Athena froze for a moment.
"What do you mean it is none of my business? How could it possibly be none of my business? Hecate, you know full well how I feel about Jason…"
Before Athena could finish, Thetis could no longer hold back.
Though she did not understand the situation, seeing Jason's troubled expression, she stood and softly explained, "Um, Lady Athena, the reason I am here is actually because the great God-King he…"
Jason cast Thetis a grateful glance just as her words reached the halfway point.
"No need to say more. I already guessed!"
Unexpectedly, Athena cut Thetis off. Ignoring her reaction entirely, she stepped forward and said to Hecate, "Hecate, it seems you already heard everything from Jason. Then let us speak plainly…"
"Heard? …Heard what?!" The mere mention of this topic made Hecate irritated.
She even glared fiercely at Jason before continuing, "That wretched disciple told me nothing!"
Seeing this, Athena paused briefly. After glancing at the awkward Jason beside them, the corners of her mouth curved upward. She smiled.
She smiled with exceptional delight.
And the happier Athena smiled, the worse Hecate's mood became.
Hecate was not even trying to hide her emotions.
Thus, after smiling for a moment, Athena frowned and said to Hecate, "Hecate, do you not think your desire to control Jason has grown far too strong lately?
Did you not once say you would never interfere with him?"
"I did say I would not interfere with his choices, but that does not mean I will not interfere in matters like this… especially where you are concerned, Athena. You are too dangerous.
And what do you even know about him?!"
Hecate met Athena's gaze without backing down. "Athena, you know nothing! Do you have any idea how much effort I spent correcting him?!
Do you know why I agreed to become his teacher in the first place?
Because the first time I saw him, I could not find even a trace of desire to live in his eyes!"
Hecate's sudden outburst stunned not only Athena but Jason as well.
And the moment the words left her mouth, Hecate regretted them. She realized she had spoken out of turn.
When she looked at Jason, for once she revealed a rare panicked expression.
Yet seeing Hecate like this, Jason quickly understood what she meant.
What Hecate referred to was undoubtedly Jason right after he had first arrived in this world.
As she said, the Jason of that time truly had no desire to live.
It was not that Jason wanted to die. After all, Jason always claimed he was a coward.
Back then, Jason wanted to live; it was simply the instinct of a living creature, the base fear of death and desire to survive.
Because the Jason who had just transmigrated had no past, no future, no family, no friends.
The very name "Jason" was a curse.
It had cast a shadow over the heart of the newly arrived transmigrator, leaving the sky of his future dark and overcast.
And without question, the one who ultimately appeared and dispersed that shadow and gloom was none other than Hecate.
So on what grounds?
On what grounds, now that he shone so brilliantly, now that he was so beautiful, did you all come running to steal him from me?
On what grounds!
This was why Hecate's mood had been so terrible these past two days.
Because she believed Jason had already been taken from her… by Athena…
The room fell silent.
Cerberus did not dare speak and cowered trembling in the corner.
Thetis looked utterly bewildered, having no idea what was happening.
After a long silence, it was Athena who finally broke it.
"I truly did not know what you just told me, Hecate.
But I believe you may have misunderstood one thing."
Facing Hecate's frowning gaze, Athena let out a soft sigh. She cast Jason a resentful look and said quietly, "Actually, he did not accept me. On the contrary… he rejected me."
Both Hecate and Jason froze at these words.
Then Jason suddenly understood. He realized the true reason for Teacher Hecate's abnormal behavior today and yesterday.
He turned his head, eyes wide, and said to Hecate, "Teacher, could it be you thought I accepted Lady Athena? You thought I was going to leave you, so you got angry and threw a little tantrum…"
He did not finish the sentence.
"Shut up!"
Hecate's ears turned slightly red.
Having realized what she had done, she flung a silencing spell at Jason in embarrassed fury.
And refusing to admit anything even under pain of death, Hecate calmed herself for a moment before looking at Athena again.
"Athena, what… exactly is going on here?"
Hecate genuinely could not comprehend the situation.
And this was not surprising. Anyone would assume Jason had accepted Athena given how vaguely he had spoken and the fact that Athena seemed completely fine.
After all, back in Hecate's temple when Medea fired the golden arrow, Athena had been anxious enough to fight her!
"He rejected me, but… at the same time, he gave me a future."
After a brief hesitation, Athena answered Hecate honestly.
No matter how unwilling she felt, the wise Athena understood one thing clearly.
If she wanted Jason now, she absolutely could not bypass Hecate.
Offending her would be the most foolish choice!