The Argonauts finally left the palace.
Yet King Aeetes still felt a deep and persistent anxiety about himself and the fate of his kingdom.
He absolutely refused to allow the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece.
Even if the Golden Fleece was not directly tied to his own life, he would not simply allow outsiders to take it away.
Otherwise, as a king, if he agreed to any request made by strangers at will, he would appear far too weak, losing the majesty required of a monarch, something disastrous for his rule.
However, refusing to let the Argonauts take the Golden Fleece would offend the Olympian gods, and that was equally unacceptable.
After much deliberation, Aeetes finally thought of a sensible solution, one that appeared frequently in myths and fairy tales: a trial.
To be exact, he gained inspiration from Jason's uncle, Pelias.
Pelias did not want Jason to take the throne, but rejecting him outright would make him appear unjust. So he invoked the excuse of a trial and assigned Jason an impossible task.
In this way, Pelias could keep his throne without seeming unreasonable or heartless.
Pelias had pushed the critical conflict over the throne far away, onto someone he had never even met, and Aeetes had always felt aggrieved by that.
But suddenly, Aeetes realized, he could do the exact same thing.
Of course, he would not give Jason a task that required traveling thousands of miles again.
After Pelias had already used such an excuse once, it would seem far too deliberate if he tried it again.
And it would also be susceptible to interference, who knew what the Olympian gods might do somewhere far out of his sight? They might meddle recklessly, after all.
As a descendant of the overthrown regime, he had always assumed the worst when it came to the intentions of the Olympian gods.
Thus, the trial would have to be completed right here on the island of Colchis.
Now the question was: what should the trial include?
The dragon guarding the Golden Fleece was naturally one component. As for the rest… he would need to consult both his divine father and the Mistral Academy.
With that decided, he first went to the Temple of Helios within the palace.
As the son of Helios, he naturally ensured that the kingdom of Colchis worshiped his father, and thus a temple to Helios existed within the palace grounds.
Unlike Helios's priests, Aeetes, as his son, could receive a direct response simply by praying.
Soon, he left the temple quite satisfied.
Helios was naturally furious about the trouble the Olympian gods had caused his son.
He supported Aeetes's decision entirely and promised he would personally watch over the entire trial to prevent the Olympians from interfering, such as stepping in directly to help the Argonauts and disrupting the proceedings.
Helios also mentioned that Aeetes should seek assistance from the Mistral Academy.
When battling the schemes of the Olympians, it was best to involve the magic pantheon, and the academy's powerful mages would be perfect for opposing those supernaturally skilled demigods.
As for the Mistral Academy, they readily agreed to Aeetes's request.
After all, Hecate had known about the Argonaut expedition far earlier than Aeetes, and Alaric's plans already involved her participation.
The academy ultimately stated that they would design the trial's contents themselves, and would ensure the Argonauts received a deep and unforgettable lesson.
…
Night soon fell.
The banquet was about to begin, and the heroes aboard the Argo were busy grooming and dressing themselves.
Aeetes's banquet would be their formal introduction to the people and nobility of Colchis.
"Let's hope King Aeetes gives us a favorable answer tonight."
Jason took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror.
His golden hair gleamed brilliantly, his face strikingly handsome. Paired with his glittering, luxurious outfit, he projected an aura of noble elegance and effortless charm.
His actual abilities might be limited, but on looks alone, he was exceptional.
He touched his face and smiled with satisfaction, remembering what had happened that afternoon.
Aboard the Argo, he had told his teammates about his conversation with Aeetes. Although the king had said he would consider the matter before answering, most of the heroes remained pessimistic.
After all, who would risk their own life for the sake of a foreigner?
None of them had any idea how to truly persuade Aeetes.
Then, at that moment, an omen appeared: a dove, chased by a vulture, flew straight into Jason's arms. The diving vulture, however, suddenly dropped to the deck like a stone.
Seeing this, one of the heroes recalled an old prophecy from the aged Phineus, that the goddess of Cyprus would help them return home.
The goddess of Cyprus was Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty.
Although no one understood why she would help them, the prophecy and divine intervention gave Jason a measure of confidence.
The fame of the Argonauts, he thought, would begin tonight.
Thinking this, he glanced at his companions.
Yes, compared to him, not one of them could compete.
In terms of skill, Jason ranked near the bottom among the Argonauts, only slightly ahead of the cousins who had joined midway.
But in appearance, in presentation, Jason outshone every one of them.
The others had prepared sturdy armor, sharp weapons, and practical adventuring gear.
Only Jason had prepared armor that was purely ornamental. Beneath its dazzling golden exterior, it was light, fragile, and offered virtually no protection.
Compared to the heroes' scarred, soot-stained armor, his gleaming decorative suit was extravagant to the extreme, so flamboyant it was almost comical.
Unfortunately, it was completely useless in combat. Even a small knife could pierce it easily.
Aside from showing off, this armor served absolutely no purpose.
For tonight's banquet, the other heroes had made some effort to tidy up and don formal clothing.
But who else had prepared an entire suit of armor solely for the purpose of looking impressive?
Thus, he was certain that at this banquet he would be the most eye-catching person present, no one could compare.
"So, leave the showing off to me. You all just focus on solving the real problems. Hahaha…"
Jason laughed inwardly, until he saw someone dressed every bit as splendidly as he was.
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