The bright moon hung high in the sky.
Under the moonlight, Jason's hand trembled slightly as he held the silver bow.
Because the bow's weight was a bit heavy.
"Jason, do you see the fruit on that mountain ahead? Come on, pull the bowstring with me, using force together..."
Artemis gently wrapped her hands around Jason's, pressing her body close to his as she taught him to draw the silver bow.
As the bowstring stretched, a sharp arrow appeared on the bow.
Then the arrow shot out with a bursting sound, flying from the foot of the mountain straight to the fruit on the tree at the top, easily shooting it down.
At this moment, not far away, Artemis's mother Leto sat under the shade of a tree.
Seeing the scene before her, especially Artemis who showed no concern. To be precise, she was instead very proactive in getting close to Jason.
"Artemis seems to like this child even more than I imagined. Though that is not hard to understand.
When she came to me with that light of time, even I could not help but envy her. I envied the tribute that child offered her: romance.
However..."
A light smile appeared on the Goddess Leto's face. As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Hecate nearby.
"What I did not expect is that you actually agreed.
You agreed to let that child come along, and you even agreed to Artemis's willful request to be that child's teacher for a week..."
"Aunt Leto, you are overthinking it. I do not care about him that much at all..."
"Oh?" Leto smiled and said to Hecate, "So that means it would be fine for me to have him stay and play with my daughter?"
"I have no problem with it, but Athena cares about him very much..." Hecate, who pouted, unhesitatingly used Athena as a shield.
Seeing Hecate's furrowed brows, Leto laughed for a while before saying nothing more.
After all, next, she still needed Hecate's help.
At this moment, two or three days had passed since the incident at the sacred grove on Mount Cithaeron.
With Leto voicing her troubles, Jason naturally could not stand idly by.
Not to mention Artemis, Leto was the sister of Hecate's mother. Just this connection alone meant Jason had to choose to help.
As for the one week as a teacher...
In truth, it was not one week from the beginning.
"Jason, can I also be your teacher?"
That day, Artemis, who had long harbored this idea, said, "Because it seems that becoming your teacher allows one to see you every day. That is how it is with Hecate.
So Jason, can I also be your teacher?"
Faced with Artemis's request, Jason naturally felt an immense headache and tactfully expressed his refusal...
"This... Goddess Artemis, I need to seriously consult with Teacher Hecate, Teacher Hephaestus, and Teacher Chiron for their opinions.
I cannot make a decision without respecting them."
Not to mention anything else, Hecate had been present at the time.
Only a goddess like Artemis would say such things in that kind of setting.
Moreover, after being tactfully refused, Artemis still could not read between the lines of Jason's subconscious. She kept pressing Jason, wanting him to agree.
Later, it was Leto who noticed Hecate's displeasure and spoke up to stop Artemis.
However, Artemis was not a goddess who gave up easily. She clamored that no, no, she just had to become Jason's teacher.
Mainly, she envied Hecate, who could see Jason every few days.
Faced with the clamoring Artemis, Leto, who naturally sided with her daughter, tentatively asked Hecate.
Who would have thought that this time, Hecate was unusually firm and directly refused the matter. Her reason was very simple: Jason had not yet graduated from her.
Of course, the main reason was still Hephaestus's precedent, which made Hecate a bit sensitive about it.
However, despite Hecate's refusal, Artemis still did not give up.
The two even gradually became at odds over it, amusing the surprised Leto to no end.
"I heard that Hera has always claimed outwardly that you are her child, but Hephaestus has been refuting it, and even Athena opposes it, saying you are her child instead... Everyone really likes you."
Faced with Leto's words, what could Jason do besides smile in response.
Thus, in the end, it evolved into the situation of one week as a teacher.
After all, there was a precedent: Sea Queen Amphitrite.
Back then, she had become Jason's brief teacher, teaching him how to play music that could move all living beings.
Artemis was still very dissatisfied with this, but after Leto persuaded her kindly, Artemis reluctantly accepted.
However, what slightly surprised everyone next was that after becoming Jason's teacher, Artemis truly put her heart into teaching him archery.
She was not doing it with a playful mindset.
At this time, Hecate looked at the lightly smiling Leto before her, then at Artemis and Jason not far away, and naturally felt some irritation.
And just then, an underworld butterfly flew out from the shadows and landed on Hecate's shoulder, conveying information to her.
Upon hearing the underworld butterfly's words, Hecate's brows relaxed slightly. She said to Leto, "Aunt Leto, I have already found that human Niobe who dared to offend you.
I will go punish her for you right now!"
As she spoke, without waiting for Leto's reply, Hecate turned and went to Jason and Artemis. She grabbed Jason and took him away.
Seeing this, Artemis clamored a couple of times before following along.
Leto watched the scene before her and could not help but find it somewhat amusing, but she said nothing more.
At most, she thought about whether to try building a good relationship with Jason or go out to see her sister and mention what she had seen these past two days.
Soon, the four arrived on a high mountain not far from Thebes via a magic circle under a burst of crimson light, teleporting directly there.
Looking down, they could overlook the entire kingdom.
Upon arriving here and mentioning Niobe, Artemis's originally good mood instantly vanished without a trace.
She even had an impulse to loose an arrow and destroy the entire kingdom.
After all, her mother had been humiliated by a mortal!
Moreover, even the originally gentle and kind Leto, upon seeing the kingdom below, had her smile disappear and her brows furrow.
"This is the place, right? Hecate, you have already found them. Quickly tell me their location. I want to kill them with my own hands!"
As Artemis spoke, she already raised her silver bow and looked at Hecate.
But Hecate ignored Artemis and instead looked at Jason.
"Goddess Artemis, Goddess Leto, I think killing them is not the best solution."
Then Jason stepped forward and came before the two goddesses.
Seeing this, Artemis could not help but feel unhappy. She said, "Jason, are you trying to stop me? They humiliated my mother!"
"No, Goddess Artemis, I naturally have no intention of stopping you. That queen named Niobe has indeed committed an unforgivable error, and she must receive a punishment of despair!"
Hearing Jason's words, Leto, who had furrowed her brows when Jason jumped out, now had her expression ease.
"However, although Niobe has indeed committed an unforgivable error, her children are innocent. If we kill them, I think it would instead affect your reputation, Goddess Leto.
A mere Niobe is not worth you paying such a price, Goddess Leto!"
Leto listened to Jason's words and felt they made some sense.
"Then Jason, what do you think we should do about this?"
As she spoke, Leto could not help but feel interested and looked at Jason.
Because regarding Jason's matters, Leto evidently knew some things.
And so far, Jason had never done anything to disappoint them.
"Goddess Leto, from what I know, this queen named Niobe is most proud of her status and her fourteen children, right?"
Leto nodded.
"Then it is simple. To give her the most despairing punishment, we only need to shatter her pride with one hand.
For example... after tonight, no one will know her or who she is, while only she retains her original memories."
Artemis and Leto were slightly stunned upon hearing this.
Jason then looked at Hecate and asked, "Teacher, can you do it?"
"Of course." As Hecate nodded, she waved her hand gently toward the city below.
Underworld butterflies appeared within the kingdom, flapping their wings and flying into every person's mind. After erasing the memories named Niobe, they flew out again.
Evidently, preparations had been made in advance.
"Does doing this have any meaning?"
Artemis tilted her head slightly, somewhat puzzled.
"Would it not be simpler to just kill them directly?"
"If we do that, Niobe would actually never realize her error. But after today, I believe Niobe will regret it immensely.
And from now on, Niobe will become your most faithful believer, Goddess Leto!"
Leto listened to Jason's words and could not help but blink.
Although she vaguely sensed the meaning behind Jason's actions, the most faithful believer... how would that come about?
With such doubts, merely the next day, Leto and Artemis witnessed a fine spectacle.
First thing in the morning, Niobe was seized by the palace soldiers and thrown out from within.
Then, because Niobe told everyone she met that she was the queen of Thebes and the mother of the princes and princesses, she earned the name of madwoman. She was spat upon by all and no one dared approach her.
Especially after Leto and Artemis watched her encounter her own children, excitedly running up to recognize them, only to be met with disgust from her children.
Leto's eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth curved upward. Evidently, she was immensely satisfied with such a punishment.
Her pride had vanished and been utterly crushed in less than a day.
As for why from today onward, she would become the Goddess Leto's most faithful believer...
"When all the gods in the world refuse to help her, and in her most despairing and helpless moment, you appear before her, Goddess Leto, helping her restore her status and everything she had. She will inevitably thank you from the bottom of her heart."
Faced with Leto's later inquiry, Jason answered thus: "Moreover, because of her past irreverence toward you, from today on, her heart will be plagued by lifelong shame. She will spend her entire life making amends for her disrespect toward you."
Hearing Jason's words, and thinking of how Niobe, who had been so arrogant just a few days ago, would from now on harbor endless guilt toward her and become her most faithful believer.
Leto naturally felt immensely satisfied with how Jason had handled this matter. At the same time, she dispelled her original thought of killing her and her children.
However, what Leto and Artemis did not notice was that Jason, who had taken the initiative to do all this, was not happy.
Although Jason's expression appeared very calm, with no sign of anything amiss, Hecate knew that his mood at present was not good.
Thus, that very night, in the temple of Goddess Leto, Hecate found him alone.
And upon seeing Hecate, Jason understood her purpose.
"Teacher, rest assured. I am not some overly sentimental person. Moreover... I have never considered myself a good person."
"Mm... But you have already done more than enough. It is because of your suggestion that they were able to keep their lives." Hecate replied softly.
"...No, Teacher."
Jason shook his head and replied to Hecate, "That queen named Niobe, the arrogant queen who faced the gods, has already died."
"But if she died, then she died. That is the price she must pay for her arrogance. It is just..."
It is just that I still feel unusually irritated by it.
Jason did not say the latter words, and Hecate did not continue to press. Moreover...
"You have one more teacher now, and the other party is the purest goddess in the world, one of the virgin goddesses, Artemis. How does it feel?"
Hecate suddenly asked such a question, under Jason's stunned gaze.
"Adding Athena... now you are just missing Hestia. And if you were to take her as your teacher, I think she would absolutely not refuse."
Hecate stated plainly, her words light, but Jason could not help swallowing and shivering.
So the point of tonight was not consolation but settling scores!