A small test had come to an end.
Regarding Jason's sophistry, Chiron could only shake his head. He had no other recourse.
"If it makes you happy... By the way, have you resolved that initial worry of yours?"
As if recalling something, Chiron sheathed his weapon and smiled lightly at Jason.
"My initial worry?"
Jason tilted his head.
Which one are you referring to?
Worries, Jason thought, he had plenty of them.
"Your teachers, Hecate and Hephaestus, and their fondness for you."
Chiron chuckled. "Oh, right, and Athena, the Goddess Artemis, and the others..."
"Teacher Chiron, please do not mention it."
Upon hearing this, Jason's expression stiffened instantly. He complained in a rather depressed tone, "I finally managed to forget about those matters... Besides, what good does bringing it up do? You are my teacher, yet you refuse to teach me!"
"Well... I truly cannot teach you that. If you wish to learn, you could consult your other two teachers..."
Chiron had not finished speaking.
"Yes, now that you mention it, I do seem to lack a master's wife... Teacher Chiron, perhaps I should help you find one?"
Chiron restrained the smile on his face and glanced at Jason.
Good grief, now he was teasing me!
In response, Jason met Chiron's gaze without flinching.
You are the one who has been teasing me all along!
The two fell into a brief silence. Then Chiron could not help but laugh.
He patted Jason's head and said with a touch of emotion, "Jason, you... have truly grown up."
"After all, so many years have passed." Jason rolled his eyes.
"Yes, so many years... That little rascal who once clamored to drop out and gave me and all the other students endless headaches has now become the most renowned hero on this continent."
Chiron said with a smile, "The girl who admires you, that child named Io, even came all the way here to seek you out."
"Teacher, do not speak nonsense. That was the white-clad hero Heracles. It has absolutely nothing to do with me, Jason! ...In any case, I refuse to acknowledge it. I will never admit to any such connection!"
Jason declared firmly, even gesturing to his current black attire.
Chiron was speechless, but he knew Jason was exceptionally stubborn on this matter.
In the past, Chiron might have worried about it and tried to talk some sense into him.
But now, there was no need for that.
"You returned this time hoping to obtain the whereabouts of your fellow disciples from me, correct?" Thus, Chiron took the initiative to change the subject and asked Jason.
Jason nodded. Although he possessed the guide bestowed by Athena.
Wisdom would lead him in the right direction.
But he could not possibly search for them one by one.
"No problem. I will return shortly and write letters to each of them."
Chiron said with a smile, "I believe that once they learn this request comes from you, Jason, they will surely not refuse."
As Chiron spoke these words, he could not help but recall the days when Jason had still been studying under him.
Among the gods, Jason was undoubtedly the most outstanding social butterfly.
And among the heroes of Greece, it was much the same.
After all, who could refuse a charming little junior brother who spoke so sweetly and could cook a fine meal?
Back then, Jason had gone to great lengths to curry favor with his senior brothers.
Thus, when Jason first set out on his journey, Chiron received inquiries from numerous disciples about Jason's well-being at regular intervals.
Many disciples even expressed willingness to take Jason under their wing and care for him properly...
Such situations continued until the name of the white-clad Heracles began to spread far and wide across the land of Greece, at which point they gradually tapered off.
After all, the white-clad hero blessed by the Goddess of Wisdom Athena, with his sacred heavenly steed at his side and a handsome visage rivaling the God of Light Apollo himself.
His recognizability was truly unparalleled.
"Teacher, regarding this matter... there is something I wish to discuss with you. I am uncertain whether I should call upon our fellow disciples for assistance."
However, upon receiving Chiron's reply, Jason felt no joy. Instead, he appeared quite hesitant.
Thus, under Chiron's curious gaze, Jason explained the reason to him.
The cause was simple: it stemmed from Queen Hera and Athena.
He informed Chiron that the path to the Golden Fleece would be fraught with peril because of them!
This was precisely why Jason had returned to Chiron.
He hesitated, unsure if he should drag his senior brothers into this murky water.
Upon learning the source of Jason's concern, Chiron felt a surge of relief. He patted Jason's head once more and smiled, assuring him there was no need to worry.
After all, aside from himself, his fellow disciples were all great heroes who pursued thrills to the very end...
Thus, with Chiron's guarantee, Jason finally steeled his resolve.
"In that case, Teacher, leave the matter of the letters to me. After all, this is my affair. I will request their aid myself and explain the reasons."
After Jason finished speaking, he noticed Chiron staring at him intently.
Just as Jason felt somewhat puzzled by this.
"What a pity... It is truly such a pity." Chiron sighed deeply and said to the bewildered Jason, "If only you could adjust your personality just a little, you would undoubtedly become the most flawless great hero in history!"
...
That very night, Chiron sensed something and made his way outside the cave.
He did not have to wait long.
From the gaze of the bright moon emerged a woman of incomparable splendor and nobility.
Queen Hera...
"Great Queen Hera, it is my utmost honor to behold you... May I ask what brings the esteemed one here today?"
The centaur Chiron bowed respectfully to Hera as she arrived.
Hera glanced at Chiron and said, "There is no need for such formality. Others may not know your lineage, but how could I not? You are the son of the nymph Philyra!"
The nymph Philyra was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, a renowned water nymph.
She was the goddess of perfumes, writing, healing, beauty, and paper, and the one who taught humanity to make paper.
The god who united with this nymph to sire Chiron was none other than the father of Hera and Zeus: the second-generation king of the gods!
Thus, to be precise, Chiron and Hera were actually cousins once removed.
Philyra was beloved by Cronus. When the two consummated their union on Mount Pelion, the second-generation queen Rhea happened upon the scene.
In his panic, Cronus transformed into a stallion to evade his wife's scrutiny.
As a result, Philyra gave birth to a son who was half-man, half-horse: Chiron.
Philyra, mortified by this, transformed on the spot into a linden tree.
This was the origin of the centaur sage Chiron.
Therefore, Chiron, who shared the same noble blood as Hera and the others, had no need to show them such deference.
"As for why I have come here... As a sage, do you truly not know?"
In response to Hera's question, Chiron smiled gently.
He naturally knew the reason.
But before Chiron could reply.
"Speaking of this matter... It suddenly occurs to me that we still have an account to settle!"
As Hera spoke, her gaze sharpened.
She fixed it unyieldingly on the momentarily stunned Chiron and said, "Jason may not know, but surely you do?
I personally brought that child to you back then and instructed you to care for him diligently.
Can you explain to me how he came to know Hecate, and how he became her apprentice?!"
At the mention of this, Hera grew furious.
Her anger caused the very earth to tremble!
No, what does this have to do with me?!
Chiron naturally looked at Hera in bewilderment.
It was not my doing that he chose Hecate over you; it was the child's own decision!
Chiron felt helpless, realizing he was being unfairly targeted.
Seeing Hera's uncontrollable rage, Chiron knew that without a satisfactory answer today, this would not end.
Thus, after a brief hesitation, Chiron replied, "The truth of the matter is this: after you brought Jason to me, he constantly sought to drop out..."
"Drop out?" Hera looked at Chiron in confusion.
"Yes... Somehow, he had learned of his fate from one of the gods and wished to alter it."
"Alter his own fate?" Hera was even more puzzled. "What does that have to do with him apprenticing under Hecate... And what fate? Why am I unaware of it?"
Faced with Hera's further probing, Chiron fell silent once more.
He was unsure if he should tell her.
Chiron had long heard of the rift between Jason and Hera.
Moreover, when Jason arrived here, he had confided in Chiron as well.
Hera would undoubtedly place obstacles on the road to the Golden Fleece.
In such circumstances, revealing Jason's original fate to Hera would only invite trouble for him.
With this in mind, and seeing Hera's furrowed brow, clearly unwilling to let it go.
Chiron sighed and said, "I am sorry, but I cannot say..."
"Because the quest for the Golden Fleece was meant to be the pinnacle of his life, yet also the beginning of his descent into the abyss."
A voice suddenly interjected between the two.
Under the incredulous gazes of Chiron and Hera, from the dancing shadow butterflies nearby, the beautiful Goddess Hecate manifested before them.
She stepped forward slowly and looked at Hera, saying indifferently, "Greetings, noble Queen Hera... It is fine. Speak freely."
Turning to Chiron, Hecate said flatly, "This is no secret worth concealing... However, rather than merely telling, I believe it would be better for the noble Queen Hera to witness it firsthand."
As Hecate spoke, she traced intricate runes in the air before her.
Her lips moved, chanting incantations, and the shadow butterflies transformed into a sea of darkness that washed over Chiron and Hera's vision.
The three arrived on the path of the River of Fate.
Hecate led them into Jason's original destiny.
She presented Jason's original fate to Hera.
Then, as Hera learned of Jason's fate, Hecate produced a flower of time in her hand.
She gently shook this flower of temporal light.
Time rewound to the day Hecate first met Jason.
Hera saw Medea, saw Jason, and witnessed the agreement between Hecate and Jason.
She learned the truth behind Jason's apprenticeship.
The moment ended as the sea of darkness receded, and the three gods returned.
Hera now knew everything.
"...I see."
After a long silence, Hera composed herself and said indifferently, "No wonder he chose you back then. He hoped to leverage your identity as the Goddess of Roads to change his fate. However...
A man who cannot accept his own destiny and only seeks to cower and survive is unworthy to be my child, Hera's.
He is even less worthy of soiling the hands of the white-clad Heracles!"
The first two sentences were tolerable, but when Hera uttered the last one.
Seeing Hera raise her head in that haughty manner.
In that instant, even the impassive Hecate could not help but let the corners of her mouth curve upward slightly.
Chiron stared at Hera in stunned silence.
"Indeed, he is fit only to be a clown... A lifetime of rebelling against his fate, only to ultimately fail to resist it. Is this not the most exquisite script?!"
As Hera spoke, she even bowed slightly to Hecate at that moment, sneering, "Thank you, Hecate, for revealing all this to me.
And to repay you, I shall ensure your student Jason meets his predestined end!
Seeking to escape fate through you? ...A fool's delusion!"
With that, Hera departed.
Watching Hera leave, the recovered Chiron could not help but say to Hecate, "You should not have let Hera know these things. Her resentment toward that child has built up for years. Now that you have shown her this, what will become of Jason?!"
"Her hatred for Jason has indeed reached its zenith."
Hecate replied flatly, "But at the same time, her affection for the white-clad Heracles has also reached its peak... And the child's upcoming journey will be the moment he confesses to Hera."
"Confesses?" Chiron paused, then said, "Is this not too soon? Can she bear it? ...Or rather, can that child Jason bear it?"
"I do not know... In any case, I am not handling this. Athena claims she has it under control." Hecate shrugged irresponsibly.
She turned to leave, adding, "I must go... Oh, and tell Jason directly about today's events. Let him prepare himself mentally."
Watching Hecate dissolve into shadow butterflies and vanish beneath the moonlight.
Recalling everything that had transpired today, Chiron could not help but give a wry smile.
"I suppose I truly should not have dredged up that child's pain. Jason... he has it quite hard indeed."
Though Chiron had heard Jason vent many grievances in the past, hearing was not the same as seeing.
As the saying goes, one who has not endured another's pain should not presume to advise them on virtue.
Ordinarily, Chiron had thought Jason's favor from so many goddesses was an unimaginable blessing.
But now...
Chiron shook his head and returned to his dwelling, where he found Jason laboring over letters late into the night.
He recounted the evening's events to Jason.
After hearing it all, Jason slammed the table and shot to his feet with a sharp crack.
"Athena...!"
Seeing through the culprit at a glance, Jason muttered lowly, "Just you wait... This is far from over!"
...
"Ah... Ah-choo!"
Far from Chiron's location, by the distant seaside.
Athena suddenly sneezed.
She then looked at the returning Hecate, blinked her eyes, and smiled. "Oh my, it seems little Jason is missing me. He must be thinking of me."
"You have gone a bit too far."
The God of Craftsmen Hephaestus regarded her expressionlessly and said, "This matter has weighed on that child long enough, and now you have added fuel to the fire... Are you truly unafraid that he will harbor a grudge against you from here on?
Or is it that provoking his hatred is precisely your goal?"
"Of course not!" Athena replied. "I have no such cruel taste... Why are you all looking at me like you do not believe me?!"
Athena rolled her eyes and said, "It is true. After all, being liked by little Jason is far preferable to being hated by him.
However... This is, at the very least, an offering to me. I have waited so long, so I merely raised the difficulty a touch.
Moreover, I am actually helping that child!"
"Helping?" Hephaestus looked utterly unconvinced.
Hecate's expression remained unchanged.
She must have discerned it long ago; otherwise, she would not have followed Athena's instructions and exposed Jason's original fate to Hera.
"Hera's hatred for that child has reached a peak, but correspondingly, her love for him has also reached a peak.
Transforming hatred into love, or love into hatred, is evidently the key moving forward... Since you all wish for that child to become one favored by the gods, rather than a god-slayer, then surely love is preferable, is it not?"
Upon hearing this, Hephaestus's expression soured slightly.
The idea of Hera loving Jason made her uncomfortable.
But she did not argue.
"Are you so certain that Hera's interactions with Jason will lead her to gradually fall for him?" Hecate looked at Athena and pressed.
"Of course, because she already loves Jason deep down; she simply does not realize it... In truth, her attitude toward Jason has already been influenced and changed greatly, has it not?"
Athena's lips curved upward, revealing a picture of everything proceeding according to plan.
"Furthermore, no matter what trials Hera devises for Jason, they will never truly stump that child, for he is your student.
He is Jason, the one beloved by the gods!"
Hephaestus listened in silence for a time.
Then she glanced at Hecate.
Seeing Hecate nod, she turned back to Athena and said, "Though your words hold merit, I believe that even if things conclude as you hope, you will still suffer greatly."
"You know my student's temperament well... And even if he navigates this, once Hera comes to her senses, she will never let you off easily!"
"Ah, it does not matter. In any case, no matter what, little Jason will surely present me with a splendid offering."
After replying indifferently, Athena paused briefly, then smiled again. "Moreover, I am actually quite looking forward to it: how my angry little Jason will punish me~~"
This goddess... is utterly beyond saving!
Looking at the Goddess of Wisdom before them, who had fully awakened her mischievous side toward Jason.
Hecate and Hephaestus exchanged a glance, then shook their heads in unison.