"Because once, you swore an oath to him."
Under the starry night sky, within the chariot of the goddess Nyx of the Night.
Hecate says this to Jason.
She, who had seized Jason under the moonlight, has already informed him of the matters concerning Chiron and Prometheus.
At the same time, amid Jason's doubts, she provides the reason.
"At that time, I did not interrupt you because I already knew Prometheus would be saved... But now, you intend to stop all of this."
Hecate's red eyes quietly gaze at Jason as she says: "But I know you absolutely will not give up, especially since you swore an oath.
Thus, I came to you tonight to prevent you from doing something foolish later."
Jason listens quietly to Hecate's words. Once she finishes, with her stunning visage reflected in his eyes, he quietly asks: "Then, Teacher, have you come this time to stop me from saving Teacher Chiron?"
"I said, I came mainly to prevent you from doing something foolish later... Actually, it is just to ask you how you plan to proceed."
At this, Hecate tilts her head slightly and smiles lightly at Jason: "In your words, this is called striking first, not sitting idly by!"
Hearing this, Jason finally breathes a sigh of relief.
He then scoots closer, naturally resting his head on Hecate's shoulder, and says: "I knew it; Teacher, you are the best to me!"
"You are so grown up, yet still acting spoiled..."
Just as Hecate smiles helplessly, her slender white hand gently poking Jason's cheek, Nyx returns, having retrieved the god-slaying sword.
She pauses upon seeing the two in such intimate companionship, then turns away: "You two continue; pretend I saw nothing."
"Goddess Nyx..."
"Ah, do not call me yet!" Nyx interrupts Hecate, then looks at Jason and winks at him: "Not bad, Jason. I was always quite puzzled; Thetis is a fine girl, so why do you not like her?
Turns out...
Jason, how about in a few days when you have time, I take you to meet Asteria? I think she would be delighted to see you.
After all, she often nags me that Hecate is so grown up and still without a companion."
The goddess Asteria of the falling stars, Hecate's mother.
"Sure, sure!"
"Sure your head!"
Hecate sheds her earlier gentleness and smacks Jason hard on the head with a punch.
Then, with a dark expression, she says to Nyx: "Goddess Nyx, what are you thinking? He is my student!"
"So what if he is a student? Goddesses falling for mortals are not few; what surprises me is that Hecate, you like the nurturing type, no wonder you have always looked down on any gods..."
As Nyx speaks, seeing Hecate's face grow darker, she finally stops.
She then tosses the god-slaying sword to Jason.
"To avoid detection by any god, I kept it soaked in my divine authority almost constantly, but precisely because of that, be careful when using it later."
The goddess Nyx of the night, changing the subject, says: "Best to use it when I am out; you can use it in the daytime too, but there is a chance of exposure...
Oh, right, you want to meet Asteria, yes?"
"Go! Hiss... Teacher, it hurts, really hurts. Can you not infuse divine power when stepping on me?"
"Alright, I will remember that." Nyx laughs: "When there is time, I will take you to see Asteria and help cover for you with Hecate."
With those words, Nyx can no longer hear Hecate's complaints.
Because as she spoke, she vanished and slipped away directly, leaving Jason alone to face the currently irritable Hecate after being teased.
It could be called a time of both joy and pain.
After all, Hecate like this in daily life is actually quite rare; though Hecate appears unconcerned, she values her image as a teacher quite a bit.
But occasionally, she will act a little.
The chariot of the goddess Nyx of the night is, naturally, exceedingly fast.
Before sunrise, it brings Jason and Hecate before the wise centaur Chiron and the returning Heracles.
Then, before the anxious Heracles in the wooden hut can react, the arriving Jason hurries to Chiron's side and pours the antidote into his mouth.
After pouring it in, he turns to look at Hecate, who followed.
"It is fine now."
Hecate glances at Chiron twice, then says to Jason: "If it were two days later, the poison would have entered his divine blood; you arrived very early."
"But next, he needs to recuperate for a while... I will tell Persephone later; Asclepius should be able to come care for him."
Heracles, who was still somewhat confused about the situation, relaxes his taut nerves immediately upon hearing this.
He has no doubts about how Jason knew the news, since Goddess Hecate is here.
He only feels deep self-reproach, his face full of regret as he apologizes to Jason.
"No, this is not your fault."
And at this moment, Chiron, who drank the antidote not long ago and whose furrowed brow gradually relaxes, opens his eyes and shows a weak smile to Heracles: "This is actually a calamity fated for me... Goddess Hecate, I thank you for your trouble."
"I did it for Jason... Since you know your own fate, that makes it easier. Lend me this student by your side for a bit."
Hecate says: "Jason swore an oath to Prometheus that he would surely rescue him.
Now that you are saved, the original fate has been altered.
To fulfill this promise, we will need to use this student of yours."
"Prometheus, alteration?"
Heracles, hearing Hecate's words and unaware of the situation, is naturally bewildered.
Chiron, upon hearing about Jason's oath, grows serious in expression.
"Then, in that case, you should not have saved me..."
"Teacher Chiron, do not overthink it; I will handle it!" Jason interrupts Teacher Chiron's words and says earnestly: "I will find a way to resolve the matter of the oath, but you cannot have anything happen to you!"
Chiron cannot help but look up upon hearing this, gazing into Jason's clear eyes.
After a moment, a smile appears on his face as he nods to Jason: "Mm, in that case, I suppose I will continue living."
Hecate watches this scene, her brow twitching lightly.
In her heart, she feels a slight displeasure...
Hephaestus, Chiron, and she are Jason's three sole teachers.
Jason has offered tribute to Hephaestus and now saved Chiron, showing respect and affection toward them.
But only she, up to now, has received nothing.
Not only that, Jason often vexes her every few days.
Truly the type that needs a beating every three days or he climbs onto the bed... Thinking of it makes her annoyed!
But at present, Hecate naturally says nothing more.
She merely silently notes this matter down!
After resolving Teacher Chiron's issue and checking to confirm Teacher Chiron is fine, Jason turns his gaze to Heracles.
With Hecate and Athena appearing successively, it is clear their eyes have scarcely ever left Jason.
And Hecate's worry is not entirely unfounded; though Jason always says he is timid and values his life.
He dares to do anything!
Now, he even holds the god-slaying sword.
Hecate truly feels uneasy about this.
Evidently, in Hecate's heart, Jason has been equated with a troublesome child.
With Chiron now safe, the matter of Prometheus must still be resolved.
After discussing with Goddess Nyx, Hecate ultimately decides to have Jason bring Heracles to Prometheus.
Using Heracles's hand, with the god-slaying sword in grasp, sever the chains binding Prometheus!
Anyway, having Heracles take the blame is not the first time.
"Senior Brother Heracles, I have something I would like to ask your help with..."
"Junior Brother Jason, just say it; if you need me, I will not refuse!"
Before the hesitating Jason can finish, Heracles pats his chest in assurance to Jason, while also looking guilty as he says: "Actually, Junior Brother Jason, I have long wanted to find you and apologize.
I am sorry; at that time, when the voyage was at its most critical, I left."
Heracles initially traveled with Jason and the others to Medea's homeland to seize the Golden Fleece, but midway, due to a new oracle, he departed.
That oracle was one of Heracles's twelve labors, the myth of the Amazons.
Heracles actually cares deeply about this and fears Jason might be angry, causing a rift in their relationship.
But Jason naturally could not care about such a small matter, and moreover, Jason understands Heracles well regarding oracles.
Thus, in perfect accord, soon after Hecate returns to the underworld and finds Persephone, Asclepius once again descends to the mortal world.
"I feel like I was never actually imprisoned in the underworld."
Asclepius, returning to the mortal world and seeing Jason and Heracles again, says with a touch of speechlessness: "The matter of the Golden Fleece just ended; how long has it been, and I am back..."
He says this, but seeing Chiron in trouble, Asclepius naturally tends to him dutifully.
And tells Jason and Heracles not to worry, to hurry and attend to their own matters.
After Jason and Heracles depart, gazing at their receding backs, the somewhat weak Chiron cannot help but say: "I... seem to have truly taken on a remarkable student."
"Who says otherwise."
Asclepius replies: "Going to the underworld is like returning home... Though it is not hard to understand why he is so likable.
Speaking of which, the conflict between him and Queen Hera has been resolved, yes?
It seems that along this path, Heracles's matters might also see a turning point."
At this, Asclepius suddenly recalls the joint marriage incident that occurred that day in the palace of Iolcus.
"Oh, right, Teacher, you said Jason did not accept the marriage to the sea goddess Thetis granted by god-king Zeus that day; it was surely because of...
Goddess Hecate, right?"
Chiron tilts his head to glance at Asclepius and smiles: "You saw it too, eh."
"On the way here, I heard Goddess Persephone nagging about it..."
"It seems everyone familiar with him has vaguely noticed." Chiron chuckles wryly. "It is just... a bit tricky."
"Hm? Why? I feel like Goddess Hecate would not refuse Junior Brother Jason."
Being in the underworld, Asclepius naturally knows better than most how indulgently Hecate dotes on Jason.
"It is not a matter of refusal; it is this golden apple... that is hard to divide."
"Golden apple?" Asclepius pauses, then says subconsciously: "I recall that half of the golden apple, Junior Brother Jason gave to Atalanta, did he not?
Eh, come to think of it, Atalanta and Junior Brother Jason have always had a good relationship.
And Medea too..."
Once this train of thought unravels... Asclepius cannot help but click his tongue.
"I am not talking about the golden apple you used to make the resurrection medicine back then; what I mean is, that child Jason.
He is the golden apple.
It all depends on who can divide and share him."