Several days later in the royal capital of Iolcos, two luxurious carriages—engraved with olive branches, laurels, and other delicate patterns—pulled over to the side of the stone-paved road as a golden-haired youth ahead waved them down with enthusiastic vigor.
"Heracles! And Theseus! My dear friends, my dear brothers—thank you for coming!"
The moment the carriages stopped, Jason rushed forward with a beaming, sycophantic smile. He immediately latched onto each familiar face—hugging, shaking hands, and even busying himself with leading horses, guiding guests, and calling servants to attend to them. In short, he couldn't have been more eager to please.
Such overzealous warmth was barely tolerable among men.
But when aimed at the heroines, it sent goosebumps prickling over Caenis, Atalanta, Artemis, and the others. They instinctively backed away, keeping a safe—and wary—distance.
Noticing that this "Prince Theseus" seemed to be the leader of the Athenian group, Jason became even more enthusiastic. He slung an arm around Samael's shoulder, steering him into the estate while glancing back at the women and making exaggerated winks.
"See that? I knew it! Brother, I'm honestly jealous of how well you get along with all those heroines."
Faced with such an overly familiar host, Samael endured it out of consideration for Jason's past goodwill. His gaze drifted to Artemis at the rear of the party before he patted Jason's shoulder and murmured with a teasing smile:
"Who knows? On this journey, you might meet a heroine who throws herself at you—loves you to death, even…"
Such fortune?
Jason's eyes glazed over, his thoughts immediately derailed into frivolous fantasies.
At that exact moment, a small furry shape darted past him, pouncing after a group of maidservants and howling with perverse excitement.
"Oooh-hoo! Slightly tanned skin, hot figure—clearly trained from singing and dancing. A Thracian girl! I like!"
"And this one—smells like sea breeze, wheat-colored skin. Definitely from a coastal city-state!"
"Oh, this one, this one! Milky skin, no calluses on the hands, tall and slender, and fragrant as a flower—definitely a noble girl!"
Ahead of them, a life-imbued toy brown bear skated smoothly across the floor, blue light swirling beneath its paws. Though its appearance was harmless and cuddly, its voice exposed the sleazy instincts of a seasoned lecher.
A true connoisseur.
Hearing such precise analysis, Jason slapped his thigh, eyes sparkling with excitement. He felt a sudden, powerful urge to bond deeply with this kindred spirit.
But as he took a single eager step forward, a wave of danger swept down his spine. Razor-sharp whistling sounds tore through the air—so fast and dense that his soul nearly fled his body.
In the nick of time, a hand yanked him backward. Several arrows streaked past his cheek, close enough to graze the skin.
Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!
The toy bear that had been circling the maids was instantly turned into a hedgehog, skewered to the floor.
Artemis—having emptied an entire quiver in a single breath—stood with a chilling smile, wrapped in a dark, murderous aura as she asked sweetly:
"Darling, what are you doing? Moving on this quickly?"
Thunk.
The bear's perforated head fell to the ground, rolling pitifully across the dust.
"Be good, alright? Otherwise, I'll get angry."
The silver-haired huntress walked over with a gentle smile, bent down, and lovingly scooped up the decapitated plush. Cradling it against her chest, she began stuffing cotton and long fibers back inside with practiced familiarity before taking out a needle and thread to sew it up patiently.
Even more horrifying—the toy's fur was already covered in layers of stitching. This clearly wasn't its first dismemberment.
Heh… heh…
Jason, pale as a ghost and drenched in cold sweat, trembled uncontrollably. After several deep breaths, he managed to regain a sliver of composure and turned to Samael with a shaky, grateful smile.
"Th-thanks, brother. You saved me again… and this is…?"
"Diana. She's from Areopagus. That toy is her lover—cursed long ago. His body has rotted away, and his consciousness can only reside in objects.
They want to travel overseas in hopes of finding a way to lift the curse."
Samael delivered the explanation with half-truths and no hint of hesitation—centuries of practice made lying effortless, nearly convincing even himself.
Jason struggled upright, legs wobbling.
"This… this is what you meant by 'loving you to death'?"
"More or less. Want to try?"
"Spare me! Living like this with my heart in my throat—it's awful! I'm definitely not meant to be with any heroine!"
Jason's eyelids twitched wildly as he waved his hands in panic.
Samael rubbed his chin, tone laced with hidden meaning.
"You really won't reconsider?"
A fresh wave of terror surged up. Jason shook his head violently—whether convincing himself or others was unclear. Grabbing several maidservants, he confessed with wide, frightened eyes:
"What's so great about heroines?! Any woman who can stand out among men is trouble! If even I can't handle that kind of thing, how am I supposed to control her?
Greece has plenty of beauties—normal women who are easy to please and easy to satisfy. That's more my style.
I just want an easy life! Living every day scared for my life—how am I supposed to survive?!"
The blond youth, completely unabashed in admitting defeat, grew more agitated by the second. Then, spotting someone nearby, he suddenly remembered something and grabbed Samael's arm, wailing with snot and tears:
"Brother! If some terrifying woman really comes after me, you HAVE to help! I can't lose my wonderful future just because some tigress takes a liking to me! Wait—does one really exist?!"
"Ahem… surely not…"
Samael coughed nervously, realizing he had triggered Jason's paranoia a bit too effectively.
"What do you mean 'not'?! I heard the rumors! To reach the Kingdom of Colchis and get the Golden Fleece, we have to cross the Oceanus—those islands are full of crazy things! Sirens whose songs warp your mind, giantesses looking for mates, sea-serpent Naga in heat for months, witches with freaky faces—if any of them catch me, I'm dead! Brother, you're great with women—please, I'm begging you…"
"Uh… I'll do my best."
"Good! It's settled!"
Having secured that vague promise, Jason immediately latched onto it as divine truth. He resolved that once they set sail, all "dangerous woman" situations would be entirely Theseus's responsibility.
And strangely—the very moment he made that decision, all the anxiety and dread clouding his heart suddenly evaporated. He felt lighter, happier, almost reborn.
Yes! This is it!
Theseus handles the women, I handle the men—this voyage is going to be flawless!
With an invisible weight lifted, Jason's spirits soared. Grinning from ear to ear, he pulled Samael and the others toward the banquet hall, officially commencing the feast.