Of course it was predictable, but King [Aietes] didn't simply hand over the [Golden Fleece]. To be precise, he told us to come and take it ourselves.
The Golden Fleece is currently guarded by the sleepless dragon of [Colchis]. He meant for us to go up against that dragon directly. When Jason heard that, he bit his lip.
After the trials wrapped up and evening fell, I approached Jason—who was cursing in front of the [Argo]—and made a proposal.
"How about I go recover the Golden Fleece?"
"What?!"
[Aietes] would probably love to wipe us out at the first opportunity. But we've got around sixty heroes aboard, including Heracles. If he so much as tried to pick a fight, he'd be the one in pieces.
As ruler of a kingdom, he wouldn't choose a path that shed his own blood. Yet Jason had already yoked the fire-breathing bulls, plowed the fields, defeated the dragon's hatchlings—and thus fulfilled his end of the bargain. If [Aietes] refused to honor his contract, then we'd enforce it by force.
"Is that even possible, Iskios? You're facing a sleepless dragon!?"
"Of course. I could recover it without trouble. You remember who I am, don't you?"
A sleepless dragon never closes its eyes, so there are no blind spots. But compared to that dragon Apollo stalked me as an obsessed divinity for over two years—it's nothing. No matter how keen its senses, if I erase my presence and melt into the shadows, I'll vanish.
And tonight's a full moon. Thanks to my mother's blessing, I can slip into the shadows even more easily. It'll be nearly impossible to find me.
"Have the ship ready to sail at first light. Don't look back—row with everything you've got. That's all I need."
Even masked, Jason was grinning like an idiot. Frankly, seeing that cheerful face annoyed me. He might be handsome, but that grin didn't suit him. "What?" you ask. This isn't some comedy show—the moment I stepped off the ship, Jason's excited shout echoed across the deck:
"Alright, everyone! You heard him, right?! While Iskios goes and finishes the job, let's prepare to set sail! We depart the instant the sun hits the sea!"
"WOOOOOOOOAH!!!!!"
They all roared, arms raised. Even Heracles joined in—he's over 2.5 meters tall, so when he lifted his arm, you couldn't miss it.
Truth is, Jason could have reclaimed the fleece with [Medea]'s help anyway. But I insisted on taking the task because I want out of here as fast as possible. This morning, I accidentally showed my face to the Colchian child-prince, [Absyrtus]. The kid blushed bright red and now avoids my gaze. It's a disaster.
I swore I'd recover the Golden Fleece tonight, sever all ties with Colchis, and get out of here. With that vow in mind, I sprinted into the forest where the fleece and its dragon guard waited.
***
—Being chased by monstrous pursuers makes a dragon seem trivial.—
The sleepless dragon guarding the Golden Fleece is no mere lizard. Besides never sleeping, it possesses a core of pure magical energy.
Each breath produces vast mana. Most magi couldn't even scratch its hide, let alone harm it.
To protect the fleece, the dragon has incinerated intruders with its fire, crushed them with its tail, or torn them apart with its jaws.
"...Grrr...?"
At that moment, it caught a flicker of movement in the underbrush and turned its head. Coiled around the tree bearing the fleece, it prepared to strike.
But the rustling was just a rabbit. The dragon relaxed and settled back into its groove. Then it saw something impossible.
The Golden Fleece floated in midair and slowly drifted toward a branch—as if being sucked upward. Startled, the dragon lunged at the branch.
"...!?"
By the time it reached the spot, the fleece was gone. It sniffed the air—no scent remained.
Confounded, it roared in bewilderment. Moments ago, the fleece had been right there—and there was no sign of an intruder. Yet now it was vanished.
"That was too easy."
While the dragon prowled around the tree, a shadow outside the forest writhed, rose like a column, and took human form.
The figure wore a cloak that hid his entire body and a strange stone mask shaped like a man's face. He held the Golden Fleece in his hands.
The masked man—Iskios—smiled as he watched the dragon roar in confusion. Retrieving the fleece was nothing to him. And with tonight's full moon, his mother's power made it even easier to remain unseen.
"So... this is the Golden Fleece?"
Like a child seeing a marvelous beast, Iskios gazed at the wool in his hands. It gleamed with golden light, and its texture was supremely soft and cozy.
Holding the fleece that promises a kingdom's prosperity to its bearer, Iskios—a serene smile hidden behind his mask—allowed a brief daydream to pass through his mind.
"Ah... if I used this as a pillow, I'd finally sleep soundly every night..."
But ten seconds later he snapped back to reality and turned his gaze seaward. He mustn't lose sight of his goal. Dawn was about to break—no more delays.
Iskios ran. He ran and ran, heading straight for the [Argo].
—No matter how careful you are, you can't cover every angle.—
At the moment the sun's rays skimmed the horizon, Jason signaled the crew to row. The oars dipped in unison, propelling the ship forward.
Jason glanced back toward the harbor for Iskios—but saw nothing. Anxiety gnawed at him, and he bit his nails.
[Medea] fretted beside him, but Jason's focus was fixed solely on Iskios's return with the Golden Fleece.
When the ship reached the open sea, Jason suddenly laughed and called out:
"Iskios! I think it's safe to show yourself now—!?"
[…You could see me here?]
At that, a voice—Iskios's voice—whispered from somewhere on the ship. The oarsmen and Medea froze, glancing around.
Iskios wasn't far off. He emerged from Jason's shadow, rising up onto the deck. Arms crossed, he held the Golden Fleece in one arm—drawing every eye.
With casual ease, he called out, "Hey~!" and waved with his free hand. Then he turned to Jason and asked,
"Since when did you know?"
"Hmph! I knew you'd keep your word!"
At first Jason thought Iskios was merely late—but his impatience let him grasp the meaning.
"I did recover the Golden Fleece, but just in case I snuck aboard every Colchian warship and sank them. Then I hid in your shadow and waited for dawn."
"Iskios has secured the Golden Fleece!!! The expedition is a total success!!!"
Jason raised Iskios's arm triumphantly, and the oarsmen cheered again.
The [Argo] expedition to seize the [Golden Fleece] of [Colchis] was finally drawing to a close. Behind his mask, Iskios smiled with quiet joy.
All that remained was the return to Iolcus, Jason's promise fulfilled, and Iskios's quiet life restored. As he savored that thought, [Pollux] shouted:
"Hey!!! Someone's hiding in the storage hold!!!"
"What?!"
There was a noise from the hold. Pollux went to check and saw a human shadow. At first Iskios assumed it was a petty thief—until his mask-concealed expression soured.
It wasn't a thief: it was a child. A boy with pale purple hair like Medea's—her younger brother and Colchis's prince, [Absyrtus].
"Ah, Absyrtus!?"
"Ah, sister... ehehe..."
"Damn..."
Iskios felt a headache coming on. He'd reclaimed the Golden Fleece, there were no pursuers, and the wind was favorable. Everything should have been perfect. But—
—His ill-fated connection with [Absyrtus] was far from over.