Nestor, king and hero of Pylos, after the Argo expedition ended, returned to his country and fulfilled his duties as king. He actively listened to his people's voices, ruthlessly drove back any invaders who plundered the land and the people's property, and continued to strive for his subjects day after day.
A year after returning to his busy life, Nestor heard a rumor about Jason's homeland, Iolcos. That story was about how Jason had ascended to the throne.
"Oh ho, that's interesting."
The process by which Jason had come to power, as Nestor heard it, could hardly fail to be fascinating. Despite bringing back the Golden Fleece, Pelias tried to avoid handing over the throne, so Jason, together with Iskios, won the people's support.
Winning the people's hearts wasn't easy; it took considerable time and effort. What Jason and Iskios did was lead communal singing of songs everyone could join in, and establish small schools where they could study together.
All of this drew on what Iskios and Jason had learned under Chiron's tutelage. Through that process, Jason gradually won over the people's sentiment, and finally, under Jason's leadership, the entire populace of Iolcos rose up against Pelias.
What was truly astonishing about this uprising was that they didn't fight. They simply made their will heard and compelled Pelias to abdicate. King Pelias and his followers tried to resist, but once they lost the people's support, they couldn't hold onto power and were driven out of Iolcos.
"Oh, so this is Iolcos."
Though it was his first time visiting Iolcos, Nestor grew curious after hearing rumors about Jason while conducting his official duties there. The rumor was that Jason had successfully taken the throne about half a year ago. Upon ascending, he had wed Medea, the witch of Colchis.
Since Jason had become king, Iolcos had undergone tremendous changes—enough to pique Nestor's interest. Though curiosity drew him, he was also here to foster relations with another realm. He had already dispatched an envoy to Iolcos to lay the groundwork. When Nestor's carriage arrived, the soldiers guarding the gate recognized him and opened the doors.
"Oh ho... what's this..."
As the carriage passed through the gate and entered Iolcos, Nestor couldn't help but marvel at the city inside.
In the past, when Pelias had been king, Iolcos was a dog-eat-dog world where the strong oppressed the weak. Only a handful of those in power filled their bellies, while the poor and powerless went hungry.
But what about now? On the streets of Iolcos, people smiled brightly as they greeted each other, tended to fields, or chatted merrily. Yet as Nestor scanned the crowd, he realized he hadn't spotted any children.
"I don't see any children around..."
"My lord Nestor, we'll reach the palace soon."
"Hmm, so it would seem."
As the driver announced they would soon arrive at the Iolcos palace, Nestor looked out at the streets and, as if seeing something remarkable, focused on the market. The marketplace was as noisy as the street outside the gate but brimming with vitality.
There was a cheerful man selling fish, a kindly old woman selling vegetables, a man playing a lyre to the folk songs Jason had popularized, and women dancing to his music. The street was alive with an energy unseen in the old Iolcos.
—And when the carriage arrived at the palace, Nestor saw children wandering about inside.
"Ah, children...?"
"Hey you, over there!"
Uncertain what was going on, Nestor, the moment he alighted from the carriage, called out to a girl passing nearby and asked her. The girl only tilted her head, but Nestor pressed on with his question.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Is this the palace of Iolcos? It seems there are quite a few children around..."
"Oh, that's by King Jason's decree. He said children have an obligation to receive education, so they've made this place a center of learning and are studying here."
"Education...?"
Nestor was taken aback by the girl's reply. As far as he could recall, there was no nation that mandated education. Her offhand remark hit him like a jolt.
He thought other kings would be just as stunned at such a notion. While he was still reeling, the girl excused herself with a polite bow, saying she might be late for class, and hurried off. Though Nestor had been surprised three times already that day, he continued to walk nearby, being guided by a guard toward the palace.
"You are the captain of the guard?"
"Yes, I'm Pel."
The young guard captain who introduced himself as Pel explained what had happened six months ago. As soon as Jason became king, he overhauled the entire structure of Iolcos.
Among his reforms, Jason focused on education. He made schooling compulsory for children, dividing them into classes of thirty and rolling out instruction accordingly.
Regardless of gender, the curriculum covered everything Jason had learned from Chiron. But apart from that, there was one more compulsory subject. That subject was—
"Morality...?"
"Yes, it's personally taught by Teacher Iskios."
"Iskios...!"
Nestor had wondered what was going on since Iskios's name hadn't come up yet, but it turned out he too was involved in Jason's reforms. Nestor recalled hearing that after the end of the Argo expedition, Iskios had stayed behind to help Jason rebuild the kingdom.
Through Pel, Nestor heard that while Jason guided the people, Iskios had acted as his shadow, eliminating threats. He had also contributed ideas toward Jason's vision. And now Iskios was here, teaching the children.
Hearing that, Nestor recalled the time aboard the Argo. Though Iskios had a prickly personality and was highly vigilant because of his face, in terms of good and evil, he was unquestionably a force for good.
He never abandoned the weak, standing up to oppressors or serving as a shield for the powerless—a true heroic figure. Of course, apart from that, he's also infamous for his aversion to male homosexuality, perhaps because of his ordeals with Apollo and other men.
"Your Highness Jason, I have brought King Nestor with me."
Pel, speaking in a stiff formal tone, followed protocol as he guided Nestor into the audience chamber, where Nestor reunited with Jason for the first time in about a year.
Jason was dressed appropriately for a king now, but deep dark circles lay under his eyes. Still, Jason greeted Nestor warmly.
"Ohhh... Nestor! It's been a while!"
"It seems you've been quite occupied with your duties as well, King Jason."
"Well, yes. There's a mountain of things to fix after that lunatic uncle made such a mess."
Jason greeted Nestor warmly, grasping his hands, and they talked about everything that had transpired since a year ago. As they spoke, Jason began showing Nestor around the palace.
They say 'little by little you build great things,' but the reality was...
As Jason toured the palace, Nestor realized that most of it was now being used as a massive school.
Medea taught Magecraft and herbalism, while his brother Absyrtus taught literature and music. And one of the officers instructed students in weapon use and physical training.
Those who completed the course here successfully could take up official positions, and the higher their total score, the better the treatment they received. Even if they were women, this learning center offered equal opportunities.
"Here we have Iskios's classroom."
"Ah, there he is..."
In the classroom where Iskios taught, the children sat attentively. His subject was Morality—a class he had strongly championed to teach people how to live as human beings.
Born in end-times Greece, Iskios had long pondered why, in this era, homosexuality was regarded as the highest form of love. It stemmed from the belief that men were perfect beings, while women were inherently imperfect.
Moreover, the Greeks dismissed foreigners as barbarians, yet they knew they were far more barbaric than those they scorned. No matter how much effort was made, he believed that unless this fundamental ideology was uprooted, nothing would change, so Iskios seized this as an opportunity.
To instill the morals he knew—the standards that make one human, the sense of humanity that allows people to see each other as equals—Iskios personally stepped up to teach.
"Hmm...? All right, that's enough for today. Everyone, make sure you remember what we've learned!"
"Yesss~!"
Iskios taught the lesson until he noticed Nestor, whom he hadn't seen in about a year, and Jason standing at his side—then concluded the class. The children dispersed and filed out of the room.
Watching the children leave, Iskios didn't believe his teaching would make a dramatic difference. Above all, this was end-times Greece—but even so, Iskios wanted to wager on that 1% of a chance.
"It's been a while, King Nestor."
"Hahaha, you can call me Nestor as before—no need for formalities!"
Nestor burst out laughing at how unchanged Iskios looked. While Jason had visibly changed over the year, Iskios hadn't altered much.
He remained hypervigilant and desperate to stay unnoticed, yet at his core was a benevolent person who never abandoned the weak—a true hero who threw himself in front of danger for them. Though it seemed contradictory, it was so typically Iskios that Nestor felt reassured.
Jason's position remained precarious, but with Iskios by his side, he believed Jason would stand firm... After confirming that Jason and Iskios were gathered here and that all the children had left, Nestor broached a somewhat serious matter.