The moment Hippolyta mentioned "revenge," Jason felt his head swell with dread.
Revenge? Revenge for what? And how exactly were they supposed to take it?
There were so many Amazon warriors in front of them, at least ten times their number, and every one of them looked like an elite fighter.
Add to that such a formidable leader, and with less than fifty men on their side, what did they have to fight back with?
Wasn't staying alive a good enough option?
What kind of fool needed to risk a heroic death just to seize something? What hatred was worth throwing one's life away for?
To cling to life until the very end, that was what it meant to be human, wasn't it?
Jason's greatest wish was for the Argo to reach Colchis safely, obtain the Golden Fleece without incident, and return home in peace.
Yes, he longed for glory and renown, but he would never risk his neck for them.
Unfortunately, without even realizing it, he had become entangled in the conflict between two colossal forces, the Olympian pantheon and the magical pantheon, and somehow found himself caught in the center of their struggle.
Danger, which he hated more than anything, had become his constant companion, sometimes from the gods he worshiped, sometimes from their enemies. Either way, peril and death were always right beside him.
It was, in every sense, ironic.
Now, facing Hippolyta's questioning gaze, Jason inwardly cursed his companions' recklessness, yet still tried his best to prevent a full-blown war.
But after all that had been said, backpedaling wasn't easy.
"Just now… just now…" Jason racked his brains for the right words.
"It was just a misunderstanding. My men spoke rashly without understanding the situation.
We didn't know this was Amazon territory, we thought we were being attacked by bandits.
Naturally, if they'd been bandits, we would've sought revenge.
But now that we know who rules this land, we realize trespassing was our mistake. We have no intention of fighting."
"But Ye, "
A sailor beside him tried to remind Jason that Alaric had already deduced the presence of Amazons before they even arrived, but Jason immediately cut him off.
"So it was a misunderstanding?" Hippolyta nodded thoughtfully, but before she could speak again, another voice rang out, a silver-haired girl.
"Tch, what misunderstanding?" Her voice was sharp, her words fierce, belying her noble beauty.
"We Amazons raid plenty of outsiders. If you call us bandits, that's not wrong. So? You want revenge? You've got some strong ones among you. I can't wait to fight!"
She was stunning, and yet unmistakably a battle maniac.
As she spoke, she impatiently swung her massive flail, a half-ton meteor hammer that whistled through the air with terrifying force.
Anyone watching could feel their scalp tighten. One careless swing could easily carve a crater in the ground.
At that moment, Hippolyta's calm yet commanding voice rang out.
"Penthesilea, wait."
"Got it, Sister Hippolyta."
The whirling flail stopped midair.
Despite her ferocity, Penthesilea was obedient and docile in front of her elder sister.
Jason managed a strained smile, thinking that perhaps Queen Hippolyta had chosen not to start a war after all.
But the next words that left her mouth chilled him to the bone.
"Penthesilea, my dear sister, don't rush. I still have a few questions for them. You'll have your turn to fight soon enough."
She turned to Jason, her gaze sharp.
"You, blond man, from Greece, right? Tell me, do you know Heracles?"
"Of course! He's my senior, and he was with us at the start of this voyage, though he left the ship early. May I ask if you, "
Jason grasped at the name like a drowning man clutching driftwood, hoping this woman might be an acquaintance of Heracles, someone who might spare them for his sake.
But halfway through his sentence, realization struck him like lightning.
Hippolyta… Heracles… That name, he finally remembered where he'd heard it.
The connection between them came from one of Heracles' Twelve Labors.
Hippolyta, daughter of Ares, possessed a divine artifact, the Belt of Ares, bestowed upon her by the god himself as a symbol of her queenly authority.
King Eurystheus had ordered Heracles to retrieve that belt and present it to Admeta.
Heracles had come to the Amazons, challenged Hippolyta, defeated her in combat, and taken the belt, an act that had forever shamed her.
And now, standing before her, Jason had just proudly declared himself a friend of Heracles.
He had never hated his loose tongue more than at that moment.
Too late now.
Hippolyta's face darkened instantly.
"Her! A! Cle! s!" She spat the name, each syllable heavy with venom. Her voice trembled with wrath.
"That thief who stole the belt I took pride in! I've searched for him for so long. So he left the ship early, did he?
How lucky for him, he escapes death this time… but that's fine. If I can't find him, I'll settle for his friends."
Her gaze turned murderous as she swept her eyes over the Argonauts.
"Companions of Heracles! Welcome to Amazonia! As his comrades, offer your blood to quench the rage that man awakened! Amazons, crush them all!"
Raising her spear high, Hippolyta charged forward, leading the assault.
"Ah, Sister Hippolyta, I've been waiting for this!"
Penthesilea roared with excitement, swinging her twin meteor hammers as she lunged into the fray.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Jason cursed, stumbling backward as the Amazon warriors surged toward them, Hippolyta herself aiming straight for him.
From the killing intent locked onto him, he knew at once, he didn't stand a chance.
Around him, the other Argonauts stepped forward bravely, shielding their captain as they met the Amazons head-on. To them, Jason's cowardice was nothing new.
Alaric and Circe also joined the fight.
As mages, they naturally stayed in the rear, layering themselves with protective wards before unleashing a barrage of magic missiles and lesser spells from a safe distance, technically "participating," though anyone could see they were barely putting in the effort.
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