Within the sacred grove was a sea of flowers blooming with pure white lilies.
Thus, Jason quickly realized where this sense of déjà vu came from.
This so-called sacred grove was not precisely the tribute he had offered to Artemis back then?
To you who are forever noble, pure, elegant, and beautiful, I offer a modest blessing from myself...
That ocean of flowers blooming with pure white lilies!
Back then, Jason had personally arranged it, with Atalanta assisting at his side. It was the first tribute offered to the divine—romance.
Now, under the illumination of the full moon's light, it appeared before Jason once more.
Come to think of it, it seemed that was indeed the case.
The morning after, the flower sea Jason had arranged was directly taken away by the Moon Goddess Artemis, along with the terrain itself.
Jason had woken up then and been stunned for quite a while because of it.
However, he had not expected that after several years, this flower sea was still preserved... Though that made sense. If Artemis wished for them to endure eternally and never wilt, she could certainly achieve it.
Once he realized this, after Artemis released her hands, Jason turned around and saw Artemis, who could not suppress her joy amid this sea of flowers.
She had a tall and slender figure, an innocent and flawless smile that was breathtakingly beautiful, and silver hair like a waterfall swaying gently.
Under the moonlight's glow, as she stood within this sea of blooming lilies, she exuded incomparable allure.
Eternal purity, unparalleled beauty...
These pure white lilies truly suited her exceptionally well.
Such a thought involuntarily arose in Jason's mind.
"Long time no see, Goddess Artemis."
After a brief daze, Jason came back to his senses.
"Hee hee, Jason, do you know where this is?"
She grabbed Jason's slender hand... with considerable strength.
"This is the tribute you offered me back then. I brought it here! Actually, I have long wanted to bring you here to play, but Athena and the others always stopped me. They said you were very busy..."
As Artemis spoke, her smile gradually faded, and she pouted.
However, her little tantrum came quickly and left just as fast.
Before Jason could say anything, she restored her smile.
Evidently, her mood at this moment was undoubtedly quite good.
She reached out to pinch Jason's cheek, and Artemis continued smiling as she said, "But tonight, you cannot escape... Jason, play the lyre for me. I have something I have wanted to show you very, very long ago!"
Something to show me?
With a trace of doubt, Jason agreed to Artemis's request.
In truth, Jason had long sensed that Artemis seemed to have something for him, but... her words truly made him feel a bit afraid.
She wanted to seize him and lock him away in some secluded place.
If one had to say it, she actually had a precedent for such a thing.
In the mythological tales, Artemis in the future did indeed take a liking to a human, captured him, and imprisoned him.
Though in the end, he seemed to have died...
Incidentally, Jason's prompt agreement to come here this time, besides understanding that if he refused Artemis, she might do something unpredictable,
Naturally, he had also left a backup plan.
With a hint of doubt, Jason then took out the lyre and began to play it gently as per Artemis's request.
And just as the soft notes arose, a gentle breeze came, stirring the lilies in the flower sea.
As the petals danced accordingly, Artemis walked forward with her hands behind her back. Her jade-like feet advanced, and a gleam of moonlight bloomed from beneath them, stepping into the white flower sea.
Under Jason's slightly surprised gaze, amid the melodious lyre music, he saw Artemis smiling as she extended her supple limbs and willow waist, beginning to dance lightly within it.
Jason truly had not expected that Artemis's long desire to bring him here was actually to have him accompany her dance with music!
Artemis knew how to dance, and she liked it very much.
This was clearly recorded in the myths.
Thus, Artemis had always felt regretful that when Jason offered her the tribute that day, she had not left her figure dancing within it.
Mainly because at the time, she had been completely stunned.
Later, after preserving this area, Artemis had invited her good friends to play there together.
But all along, Artemis always felt that something was missing.
Later, she went to ask her mother, the Titaness Leto, who was also the sister of Hecate's mother, the Asteria, Goddess of Falling Stars.
After listening, Leto smiled and replied to Artemis.
The thing she felt was lacking was a pair of eyes.
A pair of eyes that could gaze upon her in this flower sea, appreciating her dance.
And most importantly, Artemis had already decided on the owner of those eyes... That was right, it was Jason.
Thus, Artemis had always been inviting Jason, but she had never succeeded.
However, this could not be blamed on others.
After all, her invitations were genuine, but so too was her desire to seize Jason and imprison him.
This was the dance of a goddess, and moreover, it was the Moon Goddess Artemis, the beloved pearl in the palm of the God King Zeus, his most favored daughter's dance.
Jason was probably the first person to see her dance.
Gazing at that figure dancing lightly under the moonlight, amid the pure white lilies and flower sea.
Unbeknownst to himself, Jason had long forgotten to play the lyre in his hands.
Only until the figure stilled, and their eyes met, amid Artemis's beautiful smile, did Jason come back to his senses.
"Sorry."
Jason was somewhat flustered, uncharacteristically averting his gaze as he said to Artemis, "Artemis, I, I..."
"Hee hee, it's fine, it's fine." Artemis was very happy. The more flustered Jason became, the happier Artemis felt, though she did not know why.
"Was it beautiful?"
As the divine power dispersed, the risen petals fell accordingly.
Artemis returned before Jason, her beautiful eyes blinking as she gazed at him.
For some reason, she felt a bit nervous now.
"Very beautiful."
And Jason, who could usually speak thousands of words, suddenly found himself at a loss for them at this moment.
He did not know what words to use to describe it.
However, these three words were enough.
From Jason's reaction, Artemis had already obtained the answer she wanted.
"Do you want to see it again?" Artemis's face overflowed with immense joy as she asked Jason.
In response, after a moment of silence, Jason shook his head at Artemis.
"No, Goddess Artemis, because that would be too extravagant."
"Extravagant?" Artemis tilted her head slightly.
"Because it is truly too beautiful. If I see it too much, I will feel overly happy, become carried away, and eventually cause trouble."
Jason said to Artemis, "That scene just now has already been deeply etched into my mind. Next... how about I play the unfinished piece for you, Goddess Artemis? What do you think?"
Artemis did not quite understand what Jason meant, but she knew this was praise and admiration for her, so she happily accepted it.
The night was still long... Though that was not entirely true.
Whether it was Artemis's misfortune or Jason's excessive luck.
Even though Artemis had instructed her subordinates around to keep watch and not allow anyone in.
Tonight, there was still a god they could not stop who came here.
"What a beautiful dance. As expected of my precious daughter. And such pleasant lyre music..." With light steps, a goddess's voice suddenly rang in the ears of the two.
From beneath a tree blooming with lilies, a beautiful woman whose features inexplicably resembled Artemis somewhat emerged. She was a black-clad goddess, smiling as she walked out.
It was unknown how long she had been there, yet neither Jason nor Artemis had noticed.
At the same time, Jason did not recognize her.
Just as Jason was slightly stunned and wondering who she was.
"Mother?" Artemis's eyes widened as she exclaimed in surprise.
Artemis's mother?
Jason was slightly stunned.
And in his slight daze and Artemis's surprise, Artemis's mother, the Goddess of Childbirth and Midwifery Leto, also approached the two.
As she drew near, Jason realized she truly resembled Artemis.
However, her hair was not silver or gold, but black like the night, and her eyes were blue like Artemis's.
"Mother, why are you here?"
After her surprise, Artemis threw herself into Leto's embrace.
She coquettishly asked Leto.
"I came of course because I have something for you... You must be the child Jason that my daughter often mentions, right?"
As she spoke, Leto turned her head to look at Jason and sized him up.
Before Jason could reply, Artemis, who poked her head out from Leto's side, nodded happily and said, "Yes, yes, this is Jason. How is he? Very cute, right!"
"Indeed very cute. No wonder my niece cares so much about you... I have come out, so why have you not?"
As Leto's light laugh fell, under Artemis's puzzled gaze, several underworld butterflies fluttered from the moonlit woods nearby.
Then, Jason's teacher Hecate slowly walked out from among them.
Looking at Leto, her expression appeared somewhat awkward.
"Aunt Leto, long time no see..."
"Indeed, it has been quite a while. My sister often comes to complain about you to me." Leto smiled at Hecate and said, "She says that after you went to the underworld, you basically never return home. If not for the Goddess Nyx, she would not even know you took on a disciple.
She even told me you are an unfilial daughter... Hecate, it is not that your aunt is lecturing you, but no matter what, you should occasionally go home to see your sister, right?"
"Yes, yes..." Maintaining an awkward yet polite smile, Hecate replied to Leto through gritted teeth.
Jason blinked at the side, then suddenly realized.
Come to think of it, that was indeed the case.
Artemis and Hecate were cousins.
Moreover, their relationship was much closer than that with Hermes or Athena and the others.
Because when Hera ordered the pursuit of Leto back then, only Hecate's mother Asteria came to help, transforming into an island, which allowed Artemis and Apollo to be born successfully.
As he was suddenly enlightened, Jason noticed Hecate glaring at him.
Evidently, she was unhappy about running into her aunt on this outing and being thoroughly scolded for it.
In response, Jason felt innocent and blinked at Hecate.
"Hecate, why are you here?"
Then, Artemis came to the rescue. She asked Hecate with doubt.
"He asked me to come."
Hecate, who was originally displeased in her heart, turned around and promptly sold Jason out.
"It is like this, Goddess Artemis. Actaeon is my senior brother, so I called Teacher Hecate over, hoping she could help..."
"Actaeon?" Artemis tilted her head again and asked in confusion, "Who is he?"
"Um, he is the one hanging outside..."
"Oh, you mean him." Artemis reacted. "What does he have to do with Hecate?"
"Teacher Hecate can erase his memories from this time..."
With Jason's plea, and Hecate being able to erase memories, and most importantly, since Artemis herself did not care much about this matter.
After all, Actaeon had seen nothing, and capturing him was just to use him as a hostage. Now that Jason was here.
Thus, Actaeon escaped this calamity.
After casually resolving this matter, Artemis asked Leto why she had suddenly come here.
"I came to see my good daughter. Is that not allowed?"
Leto feigned a pitiful expression as she asked, then lightly smiled at Artemis and said, "I am not teasing you. I actually came here for something concerning you and Apollo..."
Then, Leto stated her purpose.
She did not hold back anything, directly informing them in front of Jason and Hecate.
It turned out that recently, she had been constantly harassed by a giant named Tityos.
That giant had a savage temperament and sought to violate her.
Even invoking Zeus's name could not make him retreat.
Incidentally, what Leto did not know was that this giant's father was precisely Zeus, born to Zeus and a woman named Elara.
And not only that, there was another matter that irritated her: a woman named Niobe.
Niobe was the wife of Thebes' King Amphion and had given birth to fourteen vigorous children, half sons and half daughters.
People said Niobe was the happiest mother in the mortal world, if only she had not been arrogant about it.
One day, as the women of Thebes were paying homage to Leto and her twin children Apollo and Artemis, Niobe appeared suddenly, clad in a robe woven with golden thread and surrounded by attendants.
Out of arrogance, she mocked the goddess Leto for having only one son and one daughter, and even prevented the Thebans from offering sacrifices to Leto. All of this was seen by Leto.
These two were famous mythological stories.
The giant named Tityos, failing to win her affection, attempted force and was ultimately killed by the arriving Apollo and Artemis.
After death, Tityos was imprisoned in the underworld, subjected to endless punishment.
As for that queen named Niobe, she paid an immensely tragic price for it.
All her children were killed by Apollo and Artemis.
Moreover, regarding Queen Niobe, there would even be a quite famous painting in the future.
In it, Niobe desperately shielded her youngest daughter, hiding her behind her back and praying to the gods, only for her last daughter to fall to the ground and die.
Finally, witnessing all this before her eyes, Niobe, overwhelmed by grief, turned into a marble statue. Her heart and life thus became desolate.
Only her tears, even after petrification, continued to flow eternally.
...
And as Leto finished recounting these matters, her expression was calm.
But even Jason could sense her anger.
Artemis's face darkened completely in response... Come to think of it, this was the first time Jason had seen Artemis so angry.
The wrath of a goddess was not something easy to bear.
"Mother, I will go right now and kill them all!"
As Artemis spoke, she prepared to rush out.
But Leto pulled her back.
If that giant named Tityos were so easy to kill, Leto would not have tolerated his insolence before her.
She had come to have Artemis find Apollo and deal with him together.
"No need, Mother. We do not need to find Apollo at all right now."
But Artemis refused Leto. Instead, she turned, grabbed Jason's hand, showed it to Leto, and said with great confidence, "Because Jason is right here.
Mother, rest assured. With me and Jason here, we will certainly be able to deal with that damned giant!"