Sailing the Argo, embarking on the quest for the Golden Fleece.
In a distant land, encountering that fated beautiful woman.
And in the end, dying upon the Argo, the ship that represented the glory of his entire life.
This was the brilliant existence of the great hero named Jason.
Regarding such magnificent feats, this boy who had traversed worlds would not deny them.
But that did not mean he was willing to become such a person.
Thus, upon inheriting the name of Jason and learning of his future, the boy had been struggling ever since, exerting all his efforts to desperately escape this destiny.
Therefore, Jason was somewhat angry now... He was truly quite angry.
To offer a tribute beloved by the great and wise Goddess Athena.
With this resolve in mind, Jason set foot upon the path of the Golden Fleece, the very one he least wished to tread.
And this was the fate Jason most wanted to avoid!
"...I originally thought you could understand me a little."
After Chiron relayed everything that had just occurred, Jason, in a long silence, could not help but smile.
"It seems I was overthinking it after all... No, you should understand me. After all, nothing can escape your eyes.
You simply believe there is no need to concern yourself with it, do you not, O Goddess of Wisdom."
Jason murmured softly in his heart.
Chiron stood by, watching as Jason's emotions gradually settled into calm. His brows furrowed slightly.
O Goddess of Wisdom, this time... you have truly hurt this child.
No matter your intentions, whether they are for his own good or not... have you not considered his heart?
The one who had come in Athena's stead to deliver the message was Hecate, Jason's teacher.
In truth, this explained many things.
After all, if it were truly all bad for Jason, Hecate would never have acted as Athena's proxy to reveal Jason's fate to Hera.
Jason was no fool; he had naturally considered this point as well.
But...
"Jason..."
Chiron looked at Jason with concern.
Hearing this, Jason turned his head. Seeing the worry in Chiron's eyes for him, a warmth bloomed in his heart. He revealed a gentle smile and shook his head at him. "Teacher Chiron, rest assured. I am fine... I will not say anything, nor will I resist anything.
I will walk the path to the Golden Fleece properly.
I will resolve the conflict with Queen Hera in accordance with the expectations of the Goddess of Wisdom. I will overcome the difficulties along the way. I will journey to Medea's homeland and retrieve the Golden Fleece.
And I will sincerely offer my tribute to the Goddess of Wisdom.
Because... these are things I must do."
Jason's voice was exceptionally steady.
Jason would grow angry and upset, but he would not simply choose to walk away.
He would still follow the guidance of wisdom, forever treading the correct path.
He would absorb all of it as "nourishment," taking it in completely.
Continuing to grow, until he became an existence with absolute power, unbound by anyone, needing to heed no one's commands!
Everything was the same as before... Yes, exactly the same as before.
Chiron watched as Jason gradually calmed, his gaze growing resolute. After hesitating several times, he finally let out a soft sigh and said nothing.
O Goddess of Wisdom, is this what you desired?
Yes, difficulties could not crush him. He possessed a resilience beyond ordinary people. He was a hero born for this!
But... do you realize what you have missed?
This child was prepared to entrust everything to you, to trust you fully.
Yet now, that trust... has developed cracks.
...
The next day,
After laboring through the night, Jason meticulously completed every letter.
Now, all that remained was to deliver them into the hands of his senior brothers across the lands.
Chiron had originally intended to handle it himself, but Jason declined Chiron's kind offer and informed him that he had a better method.
Then, after learning the locations of his fellow disciples from Chiron, Jason stepped outside the cave.
He called out to the creatures of the world.
As the son of a god... as the son of the Goddess Demeter of Agriculture.
To listen to the voices of all things: this was Demeter's return gift to Jason.
And under Jason's call, in Chiron's slightly surprised gaze, the creatures of the world soon responded to his summons.
Small birds flew in one by one, alighting before Jason.
Jason took out food he had prepared in advance and fed it to them.
Then, after turning to confirm with Chiron that Hera was absent, he felt at ease. From the descending rays of light, he retrieved the golden seven-stringed lyre.
The creatures of the world immersed themselves in this wondrous music.
In this melody, even the fiercest beasts of the earth would sheath their savage ferocity.
The small birds listened to the beautiful strains Jason played on the lyre, pecking at the food he had specially prepared for them.
After chirping their thanks to Jason, and at his instruction, they took up the letters he had prepared in their beaks. They flapped their wings and flew off toward the horizon.
Gazing at their departing figures, Jason began to pray to the great gods.
"May your journey forever soar beneath the beautiful blue sky and the dazzling stars.
May the great God of Light, Lord Apollo, protect you amid the bright daylight.
May the great Goddess of the Moon, Artemis, safeguard you beneath the silvery night moon.
May you, under the watchful eyes of the great gods, always remain safe."
With the prayer complete, Jason turned and looked at Chiron behind him.
"Teacher Chiron, I must depart again... The next time I return, it may be for quite a while."
"Yes, go, child." Chiron smiled at Jason and said, "I will await your return and forever bless you."
The brief farewell ended, and the beautiful golden-horned deer slowly emerged from the forest.
Carrying Jason once more, it set off in the direction of progress.
And under the gaze of the gods, just as Jason had hoped, the small birds flew the entire way beneath the bright daylight and the dense canopy of stars.
They encountered not a single danger.
They met no adverse weather.
When thirsty, gathered nectar would appear before them.
When weary, sweet fruits would materialize to restore their spirits.
They flew and flew, ultimately "fortunately" arriving before the recipients.
They landed in front of them and delivered the exquisite envelopes Jason had crafted into their hands.
Heroes from various lands, those princes and warriors who had departed from the mountain of the centaur sage Chiron, all received letters personally penned by their most cherished little junior brother.
And these youths, whether they had accomplished great deeds or none at all, upon opening the letters and realizing who the invitation was from, without exception set aside their pressing matters.
Meleager, prince of the Kingdom of Calydon, upon receiving the letter that very day, ignored his parents' objections and scaled the walls that night to slip away.
The hero Heracles, with Iolaus now fully healed, hurriedly embarked on his journey upon receiving the letter to attend the gathering.
In distant Athens, Theseus had been mired in deep remorse since the incident in the Underworld.
Thus, when the small bird arrived and he received the envelope that day, he could not contain his excitement and cried out loudly. He promptly cast aside everything and set off.
At the same time, this letter naturally also fell into the hands of that beautiful huntress clad in emerald green attire.
Atalanta opened the letter and, upon seeing the invitation within, could not help but let the corners of her mouth curve upward slightly.
"This time, it is not I seeking you out, but you who has invited me of your own accord!"
The small birds, blessed by the gods, one by one fulfilled their missions.
Then, those heroes who received the envelopes immediately took up their finest swords and mounted their noblest steeds.
They packed their belongings and embarked on the journey to the assembly.
And curiously, the messenger birds did not depart after delivering the letters. Instead, they followed these heroes who had received the envelopes.
Perching on their shoulders or heads.
Or fluttering and hovering at their sides.
In response to the heroes' questions, the birds chirped animatedly in reply.
But evidently, without the ability to hear the voices of all things, they had no idea what the birds were saying.
Only a few could obtain a more accurate translation from a seer or a passing god.
The birds were saying that they would supervise them, ensuring they reached the presence of that great son of the gods.
Along the way, they would occasionally punish brigands who blocked the path.
Accomplishing heroic deeds.
And at such times, those who encountered them, seeing these heroes press on day after day, would invariably ask curiously about their destination.
"Where are you heroes hastening to, esteemed warriors?"
"We are heading to the seaside of the Kingdom of Iolcus, to answer our junior brother's invitation."
The heroes replied to their inquiries.
"My junior brother is preparing to undertake a great endeavor. He is journeying to Colchis to retrieve that peerless treasure: the Golden Fleece."
"The road ahead will surely be fraught with peril, so I go to aid him."
One hero after another answered the questions of the passersby they met.
And as the number of such replies grew, the tale spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred. In a short time, it circulated throughout the entire Greek world!
Soon, everyone knew that in the kingdom called Iolcus, a prince had invited heroes to assemble.
That prince's name was Jason.
The great gods were aiding him in crafting the world's greatest ship.
The heroes sharpened their resolve, gathering together to follow him to distant Colchis.
They sought to obtain that peerless treasure: the Golden Fleece!