"They are back..."
Outside the palace of Inachus's kingdom.
The noble goddess Hestia, holding the little white cat in her arms... Io, transformed by Jason using a transformation potion, gazed distantly at the returning hero.
She said softly.
And beside Hestia stood Io's father, King Inachus, along with Io's brothers and sisters, all of whom had come here.
"Great goddess Hestia, I wonder if they..."
The king, standing respectfully beside Hestia, hesitated to speak.
Hestia naturally knew what he wanted to ask. Gently stroking the little white cat in her arms, she smiled at him and said, "Rest assured, King Inachus. The hundred-eyed giant Argus has already been eliminated by that child... That arrow which brought light to the world, you must have seen it as well.
Therefore, you all need only welcome their victorious return now."
Hearing the reply from the noble goddess beside him, excitement appeared on the face of the elderly King Inachus.
And in the eyes of those around who stood respectfully, not even daring to look at Hestia, surprise naturally showed.
Then, not much time passed.
The sacred heavenly horse, under the illumination of the bright sunlight, flapped its pure white wings and came to a stop before the crowd present.
Subsequently, the golden-haired, green-eyed hero in white robes, along with his beautiful attendant, entered the eyes of everyone present.
Looking at Jason, the hero doted upon by the sunlight, as he dismounted from the heavenly horse.
The many sisters of Io present could not help but turn their gazes toward him.
The Io in Hestia's arms also stood up excitedly, letting out a soft call, while at the same time, a faint white light suddenly emanated from her body, startling the people around her.
Then Hestia set her down, only to see Io transform once again from a little cat into a pure white little cow.
The duration of the transformation potion had ended.
"Noble goddess Hestia, this..." Io's father Inachus, seeing this, could not help but look toward Hestia in some panic.
But at this moment, Hestia had no time to attend to him.
Because Jason stepped forward, came before Hestia, and bowed to her. The beautiful Hestia also returned a smile, praising Jason's bravery.
"Child, you have done very well. I feel immensely proud and honored for everything you have done!"
"Thank you for your praise, goddess Hestia. However, none of this is actually anything remarkable. I was merely doing what I should."
Looking at the exchange between the goddess and the handsome hero before them, the people around could not help but sigh in admiration. Everything was so beautiful.
If there were a bard on site, he would surely engrave this moment deeply in his mind and extol it grandly.
But after Atalanta came over subsequently, bowed to Hestia, she subtly glanced at Jason, who was smiling beside her.
Because besides Atalanta, no one knew that just now, when Jason saw the scene below from the sky, his reaction was...
"Brother Horse, can we just leave directly? ...I do not want to go!"
It was an expression of self-abandonment, wanting to flee... Because at a glance at the current setup, Jason knew it was definitely trouble!
And now, Atalanta looked at Jason before her, who had the standard appearance of a hero... The corners of Atalanta's mouth could not help but curve up slightly.
After a brief conversation, Jason's gaze turned toward Io.
Now, only lifting the curse on Io remained.
And to lift that curse, although Jason could not do it himself, he naturally had many methods.
Whether seeking the help of the gods or asking his teacher, it would work.
At first, Jason had originally planned to seek Teacher Hecate, but now it was clearly unnecessary...
Hestia's appearance here was obviously for this purpose.
Therefore, Jason looked toward Io, then toward her father Inachus, nodded to Inachus, and finally looked toward Hestia.
"Noble Hestia, Princess Io she..."
"I cannot break the curse on her." Hestia evidently knew what Jason wanted to say and interrupted him.
And Hestia's statement could not help but stun Jason; everyone around was stunned by it.
Then, just as despair gradually appeared in the eyes of Io, who had become a little cow.
"However, although I cannot lift the curse on her... Child, you can." Hestia, with an unchanged smile on her face, said softly to Jason.
"Me?" Jason was stunned upon hearing this.
"Yes, child... It seems Apollo truly did not tell you." As Hestia spoke, she gently raised her hand.
Then, under the guidance of Hestia's divine power, the second weapon Apollo had given to Jason... the golden seven-stringed lyre.
The seven-stringed lyre whose music, when played by Jason, had once resounded throughout the underworld.
Emerged from the light and slowly fell into Jason's hand.
"The sound of the seven-stringed lyre can dispel all darkness in the world and purify filth... Child, play it. Under its sound, you can dispel the curse on this poor child."
As Hestia's voice fell, Jason was momentarily unresponsive.
Clearly, he truly did not know.
But thinking about it, it made sense. This was one of the signature weapons of the god of light Apollo; how could it have no use at all.
Purification, driving away darkness... This was the power of this seven-stringed lyre.
Thus, soon after, the responsive Jason nodded to Hestia, then held the seven-stringed lyre and sat down to the side.
And at Jason's indication, the little cow Io came to sit beside him.
Subsequently, under the gaze of the crowd, Jason gently plucked the strings.
And the instant he played the music, light converged upon Jason's body.
That elegant music was, for the listeners around, an enjoyment beyond words.
Under this beautiful music, even ferocious demons and raging beasts would instantly become gentle and docile, bowing their heads in submission.
And it was also amid this beautiful music that the phantoms of the nine Muse goddesses emerged from the light.
Each holding their own instruments, they came to Jason's side, greeted the noble goddess Hestia, and then accompanied Jason's playing.
And under the accompaniment of the nine Muse goddesses, golden sunlight illuminated this land, making the people around feel warm and cozy.
The Io, bathed in the golden sunlight, only felt her entire body begin to itch.
The itchy sensation made Io unable to resist scratching her body, but the more she scratched, the itchier it became.
Thus, Io could not help but exert force, extending her pure white hands, parting the 'outer garment' of her little cow form, and drilling out from the 'outer garment.'
Only then did Io feel the itch subside.
She happily came before Jason and squatted down, her face bearing a beautiful smile, her flawless eyes sparkling as they gazed at Jason before her.
And under Io's such gaze.
Jason, who had a full view of her body, could not help but awkwardly turn his head away.
"I... Io!"
Subsequently, Inachus's voice rang in Io's ear.
Io instinctively turned her head, looking puzzled at Inachus, and said, "Father, is there something..."
A pleasant voice rang in her ear.
Hearing this familiar voice, Io could not help but be slightly stunned.
Then, the stunned Io, looking at the excited Inachus, seemed to think of something and lowered her head... seeing her own beautiful body without a single flaw.
Yes, Io had drilled out from the little cow.
The curse, just as Hestia had said, had been dispelled amid this beautiful music and golden sunlight.
"Father, I... I... I!"
Io stood up, looking at her body, excited to say something when.
She turned her head to the side, toward Jason, who was awkwardly looking away into the distance.
Subsequently, her face quickly flushed red.
The excessive excitement combined with shame and other emotions made Io feel her vision go black, and then she fainted.
And in the instant she fully fainted and fell, what she saw was Jason reaching out to catch her, shining as dazzlingly as the god of light Apollo...
At the same time, it was also in the instant Jason dispelled this curse.
In the distance, on the sacred Mount Olympus.
...
...
While Zeus, who was bearing the black pot, was headache-inducingly dealing with Hera...
The two of them suddenly paused at the same time.
Then, they both turned their heads toward the mortal world.
Athena and the others noticed something off with the two and followed suit, thus naturally discovering that Jason had broken the curse on Io.
And now, he was even covering Io's body with clothes, holding her and handing her over to her father Inachus.
However, while Zeus and the other gods could see Jason, Hera could not... because Jason was still wearing the silver bracelet on his hand.
That was the artifact crafted by Hephaestus for Jason, specifically to block Hera's divine power.
Thus, just as Hera was slightly stunned, feeling the scene before her blur, preparing to look carefully.
Hestia beside Jason, sensing the gaze, reacted.
She raised her head toward the sacred Mount Olympus, then waved her hand, using her divine power to shield everything.
"...Zeus!"
Subsequently, after a brief silence, Hera angrily looked toward Zeus.
And looking at Hera before him, who was fuming with anger, Zeus hurriedly said, "Wait, Hera, this was not done by me. You saw it too; it was done by big sister Hestia. It has nothing to do with me!"
"...Hmph!" Hera snorted in resentment and said nothing.
Then, scanning all the gods present and seeing them all guiltily avert their heads, Hera, feeling a bellyful of grievances, finally stormed out of the temple.
She was going to see her mother, the previous queen of the gods, goddess Rhea, to complain!
At the same time, Hera actually felt a bit puzzled in her heart. She always felt that Athena and these gods were a bit off and wanted to ask Rhea if she knew anything...
However, even if it killed Hera, she probably would not think that going to Rhea would only make her even less able to find the truth of the matter.
Because even her mother, the goddess Rhea, had betrayed her...
...
...
"Goddess Hestia...?"
After handing Io to Inachus, Jason saw Hestia looking up distantly and could not help but ask softly in doubt.
Hestia looked at Jason, then at Io, who had fainted and was now surrounded by the crowd to the side.
"Hera just discovered the situation here... Rest assured, you have the artifact given by your teacher Hephaestus on your hand; she did not see you."
After Hestia finished, she paused slightly before continuing to Jason, "However, she did see me just now, so I must return now... Child, next you plan to go see Hephaestus, correct?"
"Yes." Jason nodded. "I have an agreement with Teacher Hephaestus. I have not yet offered her the first tool I crafted, so..."
"Offering a tribute, ah..." Hestia said, her gaze resentful as she looked at Jason.
Clearly, besides Athena, she was the earliest to demand a tribute, but now she still had no share...
And Jason felt awkward, able only to silently shift his gaze away.
Hestia walked before Jason, gently touched Jason's cheek, then smiled at him and said, "Forget it. I know little Jason that you will one day offer a tribute for me. Until then, I will wait patiently.
In the blink of an eye, you have grown so much more... But your eyes are as beautiful as they were three years ago, without a trace of change.
Child, stay here for a day. The people of Inachus's kingdom will surely receive and thank you with the highest rites."
Jason could not help but be stunned upon hearing this.
"No, goddess Hestia, I think that is unnecessary..."
"Any matter must be attempted once, and... I feel this is what you deserve. You are more qualified than anyone to enjoy this glory."
Hestia said softly to Jason, "So be obedient."
Hearing this, although Jason did not feel at all that it was enjoyment, seeing Hestia's somewhat firm attitude, Jason ultimately agreed.
Only then did Hestia happily leave.
Hestia was so slightly forceful in making Jason stay because Hestia had always been watching Jason and knew how many remarkable things he had done.
Yet at the end of every matter, only a scant few knew, and the world did not sing his praises at all.
Hestia felt heartbroken over this.
However, what Hestia did not expect was that by evening, Jason... still ran away!
Because just as Jason was in the palace of this kingdom, enduring until nightfall.
King Inachus held a grand banquet for him, inviting the surrounding nobles to come together, preparing to extol Jason when.
An offhand remark from Atalanta scared Jason into directly fleeing.
The remark Atalanta made was that she had just inadvertently overheard King Inachus planning to betroth his daughter, that is, Io, to Jason this very evening.
And Io had agreed...