Several days had passed since then in the blink of an eye.
On this day, Jason encountered Hermes, the messenger of the gods, in a forest. Hermes was lounging on a patch of grass with a blade of grass in his mouth, having waited for Jason for quite some time.
"Sea Emperor Poseidon has already forgiven the people of Troy. Their king has also offered appropriate compensation."
As the two met, Hermes immediately informed Jason of the subsequent events.
He then chuckled and said to Jason, "It's just that their princess hoped I could bring her to see you again, but I did not agree."
"Thank you, merciful god Hermes..."
"Enough, enough." Hermes waved his hand to interrupt Jason. He even hugged his body and pretended to shiver as he said to Jason, "Don't be like that. I'm not used to it. Could it be that you have done something wrong again?"
"I killed Sea Emperor Poseidon's messenger."
Jason did not hide anything and stated the facts to Hermes.
At the same time, the Golden-Horned Deer beside him helped by calling out twice, indicating to Hermes that it was the monster who had tried to swallow Jason first, which led to its death.
"Messenger? Oh, you mean that water snake?
No problem at all. Poseidon and I both saw it. Poseidon was so pleased with the tribute that he even handed the snake's body entirely to the people of Troy to handle.
That very night, everyone held a banquet around the corpse. Poseidon ate it with great delight."
Upon hearing this, Jason was stunned for a long while.
For this matter, he truly did not know what to say for a moment.
"Anyway, there are plenty more of those things in the water. To be precise, based on that princess's description, Poseidon was actually quite worried at the time that it had scared you."
"This... Thank you for the mercy of the great Sea Emperor Poseidon."
After hearing Hermes' words, Jason hesitated for a moment. He realized that at present, he seemed to have no choice but to praise and extol Poseidon.
And so, the matter passed just like that.
"By the way, Jason, this time you actually did not leave Heracles' name behind."
Jason glanced at the smiling Hermes and said nothing more. He stood up, spread his hands, and gestured to the snow-white sacred robe on his body.
Now, even if he wanted to conceal it, he could not.
This snow-white sacred robe, personally woven by the Goddess of Wisdom Athena, had already become the mark of his identity.
Moreover, wherever he appeared, the people who saw him would become unusually excited. They would praise the gods and feel that the day was one of immense fortune.
"Hermes, I am immensely grateful for your assistance at this moment. However, if something similar to what happened in that kingdom's hall occurs next time, I do not ask that you do anything, Hermes.
At the very least, please refrain from eating on the side."
Jason looked at Hermes before him and said this with 'sincerity.'
"Of course, of course. Cough, cough. Who are we to each other? Oh, right, Jason. I remember you have a senior brother named Actaeon, don't you?
He seems to have gone on the journey for the Golden Fleece with you as well."
Hermes, who was lying on the grass with his hands behind his head and legs crossed, cleared his throat twice. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said this to Jason.
"Yes, what about it?" Although Jason knew Hermes was changing the subject, he still followed along with the topic.
"As expected. Then you should hurry to Mount Cithaeron. The spell I left can only help him for a moment, not for a lifetime.
If you go too late, he might end up being shot into a porcupine by Artemis!"
As Hermes said this, a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Goddess Artemis?"
Jason was stunned for a moment. He blinked at Hermes and asked in confusion, "What happened? Is there some misunderstanding here?
I remember that Senior Brother Actaeon has always respected you all."
"It's not a matter of respect or lack thereof. One could say he was lucky, or perhaps unlucky. In any case, he happened to encounter it."
Hermes smiled mischievously at Jason and said, "He happened to stumble upon the scene of Artemis and a group of woodland nymphs bathing.
If I had not passed by on my way to find you, recognized his face, and casually removed the mark on him to let him hide, he might already have..."
As Hermes spoke, Jason's brows gradually furrowed.
He knew this matter was troublesome.
Because the Moon Goddess Artemis was a virgin goddess, and Jason also knew Artemis's temperament.
This incident was actually a quite famous story in ancient Greek mythology.
Actaeon was a renowned hunter in Greek mythology and indeed a student of Chiron.
One day, while hunting on Mount Cithaeron, he heard the sound of women playing in the woods and instinctively followed the noise.
As a result, he saw Artemis, who was bathing with a group of woodland nymphs.
The dazed Actaeon actually did not manage to see Artemis's sacred body. When he appeared and the numerous nymphs panicked, as servants of the Moon Goddess, they hurriedly gathered together to block the goddess's body.
In the story's conclusion, Artemis scooped up a handful of water from the lake with her hand and sprayed it on the young man's head and face, cursing him.
In the end, as Actaeon fled, a pair of antlers grew from his head, his neck became slender, and his ears became long and pointed.
His arms turned into legs, his hands into hooves, and spotted fur grew on his body, transforming him into a wild deer.
He then died at the hands of his hunting dogs and the arrows of his friends who were searching for him.
However, this time, Actaeon did not fall under Artemis's curse. Just as he approached the woodland pool to drink and sensed someone was there, realizing the situation was off in that first instant, he turned and ran.
He did not, as in the story, stare dazedly at everything before him until he received Artemis's curse and came to his senses.
He ran very quickly, so fast that Artemis and the others did not react for a moment.
At the same time, in his hasty glance, he naturally did not see what he should not have seen.
But even so, he was pursued and hunted by Artemis.
"Are you going?"
Hermes asked Jason with a smile.
Jason looked at him and thought for a moment.
"I feel this matter has a few coincidences. Senior Brother Actaeon has no reason to survive in the hands of the angry Goddess Artemis.
Hermes, you were actually there from the beginning, weren't you?"
Hermes was stunned for a moment.
In the myths about Artemis, there is actually another very famous story.
That is Artemis's 'aim.'
It also involves a hero, Orion, the son of Sea Emperor Poseidon.
The God of Light Apollo, disliking Orion and feeling he could not be with Artemis, used a scheme to make Artemis personally shoot and kill Orion from a very distant place.
Although Jason did not remember this myth, he knew that he was often watched by Artemis from afar.
After all, when he was with Atalanta, he had collected quite a few moonstones...
"You truly cannot hide anything from you, Jason."
Hermes was at a loss for words, but he was not annoyed at being exposed by Jason. He still smiled and said, "However, it was not me who instigated that fellow to peep. I really passed by coincidentally on my way to find you.
I happened to see him and felt the situation was off, preparing to warn him when it was already too late.
But he ran truly fast. Instead, it was I who was caught by Artemis afterward and shot with several arrows in succession."
As he said this, a trace of helplessness appeared on Hermes's face.
For this matter, he truly felt somewhat depressed.
At that time, he had nearly been shot through by the furious Artemis, because as soon as she saw him, she assumed he was there to peep.
Hermes talked persuasively, even swearing by the River Styx, before Artemis half-believed him and let him go.
However, that came with conditions!
"So, my senior brother and you being able to come here unharmed is because you sold me out again, isn't it, Hermes?"
Jason narrowed his eyes and said to Hermes, "If I am not mistaken, you immediately told Goddess Artemis afterward that you were looking for me.
And you assured her that you would bring me over. That is how it is, right, Hermes?"
As Jason said this, a smile appeared on his face.
A smile that made Hermes feel a bit chilling.
"Ah, you child are getting smarter and less fun to play with."
Hermes sighed. He did not refute it, and he could not refute it anyway.
The matter was indeed as such.
His ability to come here safely was truly because he had agreed to the condition of bringing Jason to Artemis.
It was also because of this that Actaeon had not been dealt with by Artemis yet.
Now, he was a hostage!
"I can go see Goddess Artemis, but before that, Hermes, I need the great you to promise me one thing."
Although Jason felt anger in his heart, and he even secretly resolved to beat Hermes up someday!
But at present, after some calm reflection, Jason still decided to go.
Helping his senior brother was one thing. Another was that Jason knew if he let Goddess Artemis know of her invitation and he did not accept it.
She would absolutely throw a tantrum!
If Athena was the most rational existence among the Olympian goddesses, then Artemis was undoubtedly the most capricious existence among the Olympian goddesses.
Dealing with her required indulgence...
"What is it?"
Hermes gave Jason a straightforward answer, clearly having anticipated it. He said, "Is it that you want me to go to Father God and handle things by his side regarding the matter of the prophet Prometheus?"
Jason was stunned upon hearing this.
"Surprised at how I know? I can tell. I am not like those fools such as Artemis."
Hermes continued, "When you swore to Prometheus that you would save him, quite a few of us actually knew about it.
I even specifically looked into this matter and know that the key lies with your centaur teacher Chiron.
This time, you helped Heracles complete his trial, and everyone was watching.
So I guessed you are probably planning to borrow Heracles's hand to save Prometheus, right?"
Jason pondered for a while.
"You... thought of a way to help me?"
"With Athena helping you, where would you need me? I was just curious and asked around back then.
I even planned to use this matter to blackmail you into cooking for me for a while."
Upon hearing this, how could Jason not understand the situation?
Looking at Hermes, he smiled and said, "Thanks, Hermes."
"What thanks? I did nothing."
Faced with Hermes's response, Jason said nothing more.
He stood up, sat on the Golden-Horned Deer, and then headed with the deer toward Mount Cithaeron.
Hermes watched Jason's departing figure on the Golden-Horned Deer, lying on the grass. He reached up and flicked the green feathered cap on his head.
"You brat...
Become a god soon. If you cannot become a god, that would be too regrettable.
After all, over these many years, I have finally made a friend."
Hermes's murmur was scattered by the gentle breeze that blew.
Meanwhile, Jason, who was riding far away on the Golden-Horned Deer, suddenly revealed a smile on his face, as if he had heard Hermes's words.
"Mm."
He even responded.
The power given to Jason by his godmother, the Goddess of Agriculture Demeter, allowed him to listen to the voices of all things...
Not long after, not even a full day had passed.
The Golden-Horned Deer brought Jason to Mount Cithaeron as the moonlight descended.
As Artemis's messenger, the Golden-Horned Deer naturally knew Artemis's location.
Thus, she led Jason all the way to Artemis's sacred grove.
And outside the sacred grove, Jason saw his senior brother Actaeon.
He was completely stripped of his clothes, his mouth covered, and bound to a large tree.
Around him, woodland nymphs with faces covered but eyes exposed pointed at Actaeon from a distance, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
When Jason approached and saw Actaeon with a face full of despair, he could not help but be amused.
As soon as he saw Jason, a spark of hope ignited in Actaeon's eyes. He made muffled sounds toward Jason.
But before Jason could respond, the Golden-Horned Deer carried him directly into the sacred grove.
Thus, Jason could only give Actaeon an apologetic smile.
The curious nymphs who were sizing up Jason naturally did not block him.
Even as he entered, Jason could vaguely hear their excited discussions from behind.
"He's here, he's really here!"
"So cute, just like the rumors say!"
"I hear that encountering him is a blessing. It seems our luck today is certainly very good!"
A trace of helplessness appeared on Jason's face, but he also did not jump down from the Golden-Horned Deer. After all, it was clear that the deer had received a divine oracle.
Along the way, they arrived at a field blooming with sacred pure white lilies.
Only then did the Golden-Horned Deer lightly neigh and crouch down, allowing Jason to dismount.
And after Jason got down, she turned and ran away without looking back.
Before he could even survey the surroundings, Jason, who inexplicably felt that this area looked somewhat familiar, suddenly found darkness before his eyes.
Soft little hands covered his eyes.
The goddess, who pressed her body against his with a bell-like laugh, playfully whispered in Jason's ear, "Guess who I am, little Jason~~"