The monster that blocks the road and asks questions, the sphinx, its name is Sphinx.
It originally comes from Egyptian mythology and is also common in West Asian mythology and Greek mythology.
In Greek mythology, the Sphinx became a female evil being, representing the gods' punishment.
And placing the Sphinx here is no one else but Jason's 'old acquaintance', the noble Olympian goddess Queen Hera!
And among these, it involves the story of a tragic hero, Oedipus.
He is the son of the king of Thebes in Greek mythology, Laius, and Queen Jocasta. Because of a curse, the hero named Oedipus, without knowing, killed his own father and married his own mother.
But these have nothing to do with Jason.
He now listened to Atalanta explain her intention to leave and, knowing where Atalanta was going, could not help but be stunned for a moment.
"No wonder. No wonder Lady Artemis had to grab me over."
Jason understood that Atalanta had encountered the trouble of the sphinx monster indirectly because of him.
Adding the matter of the Heavenly Bow, it would be strange if Artemis did not grab him over.
Atalanta saw Jason show a look of realization and could not help but tilt her head.
"You also know that rumor? Could it be that this time, the oracle the gods gave you is to make you go there to complete an impossible great deed?"
"Ah, that is not it." Jason shook his head.
Of course not. After all, this 'leaderboard' was originally something Jason had stirred up. He naturally could not go play that game.
"Actually, that trial, well. It is the result produced ultimately because of an oracle from a great goddess to me."
Jason hesitated for a while. Glancing at the silver wooden stick that was still floating beside him, he could only briefly explain the circumstances to the slightly surprised Atalanta.
"So to say. That impossible trial that is now spreading across the entire continent, drawing numerous heroes eager to try and head there, is actually something you created?"
And after listening to Jason's words, Atalanta's gaze toward Jason became extremely strange.
But she believed Jason's words.
If asked why...
"If I am not mistaken, the great hero Hercules who descended from the heavens circulating in King Carian's place is you, and the great hero Hercules who killed the serpent demon Lamia circulating in the Kingdom of Libya is also you."
Atalanta sized up the Jason before her and said flatly, "Clad in white clothes, riding a pegasus, bearing the gods' oracles, like a hero fallen from the stars to the mortal world..."
"No!" Before Atalanta could finish speaking, Jason directly interrupted and looked at Atalanta with an extremely sincere gaze, saying, "Really not me. That is Hercules. I am Jason. It has absolutely nothing to do with me!"
Hearing this, Atalanta's lips moved slightly. She did not speak but just stared straight at Jason.
Those beautiful emerald eyes emitted a look of 'do you think I am stupid?'.
In this era, who else besides you wears white clothes, bears the gods' oracles, and rides a pegasus everywhere!
But Atalanta was too lazy to argue this matter with Jason. After all, this was clearly a fact.
Thinking of this, Atalanta could not help but secretly click her tongue again.
On this guy's body. Exactly how many secrets are there!
Because of the fateful connection with Jason, Atalanta vaguely sensed that even adding those just mentioned, it was probably only the tip of the iceberg regarding Jason!
Just like that night under the moonlight, when Jason shot an arrow to kill the Calydonian boar, no one knew except Atalanta. And similarly, the matter with Persephone and Demeter from back then is still unknown to this day.
Atalanta understood that behind Jason, there must be more, much more that she did not know.
And each one should. Be quite extraordinary!
If it were anyone else, Jason's name and deeds should have resounded across the entire continent long ago. Oh, right, speaking of which, this guy does not want to become a hero and even has an aversion to heroes.
Does not want to become a hero, yet is favored by the gods and keeps doing heroic things. As expected, just as Goddess Artemis said, regarding him. I fundamentally do not understand at all.
As Atalanta was thinking these things, Jason, who had been calling her and saw no reaction, could not help but wave his hand in front of her and say, "Atalanta. Atalanta, hey, Atalanta, are you okay!"
Atalanta came back to her senses and looked at the Jason before her who was looking at her puzzledly.
Looking at the golden-haired, green-eyed Jason, whose facial childishness was gradually fading and becoming more heroic, she could not help but turn her head and take two steps back. She straightened the hair by her ear and said, "I am fine. The Heavenly Bow is fine. This time, I forgive you.
But remember, no next time!"
After saying this, Atalanta glared fiercely at Jason.
But Jason felt very puzzled, because he felt that Atalanta now resembled extremely a wild cat that had panicked but was still baring its teeth and claws.
She did not have the fierce feeling from before at all.
One must know that whenever they met before, Atalanta's gaze toward Jason was truly like that of a lioness about to hunt prey...
"Rest assured. Because the bow to shoot Goddess Artemis's arrow, I already have. But this matter was indeed wrong. I should make amends to you, so..."
Then, as Jason spoke, he took out the remaining half of the golden apple from the silver bag.
Atalanta looked at the golden apple Jason pulled out, stunned for a moment, and pointed at it, saying, "This is...?"
"This is a golden apple. I obtained it from Goddess Athena. Originally, I prepared to give the whole thing to you as atonement, but midway, my senior brother needed it as material, so I used a part of it. I hope you do not mind."
Jason somewhat embarrassedly handed the golden apple to Atalanta.
Atalanta looked at Jason for a while, thought about it, and in the end, still took this half golden apple.
And seeing Atalanta accept it, Jason finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Because this indicated that Atalanta would not continue to pursue the matter of Jason taking the Heavenly Bow. Jason could completely relax.
Although at the beginning, Jason extremely did not want to deal with Atalanta, but because of Artemis's sake, Jason naturally did not want to become enemies with Atalanta.
"Hee hee, little Atalanta, do not underestimate this half apple oh. This was the gift that Earth Mother Goddess Gaia gave to God King Zeus and Queen Hera for their wedding back then. It is a very rare thing oh.
Little Jason knows you like apples and is sincerely apologizing to you!"