Due to the influence of interwoven myths, people held conflicting beliefs about Castor: some saw him as a mortal without Zeus's blood, others as a god with divine lineage.
There was no concept of "demigod" in these beliefs, and thus, he would become as they perceived.
At the very least, this would grant him the immortality he once had. Immortality was all he sought... enough to stay by his sister's side forever.
With that, the young god, who once harbored resentment toward humans, bowed deeply to Morpheus in gratitude.
"Thank you, Mr. Morpheus. I'll never forget your kindness!"
Morpheus shook his head with a smile. "Alright, I'm going back to listening to their stories. You should think about how to craft your own tale. Perhaps this Argo voyage could be a starting point for spreading it."
Castor pondered for a moment and nodded slightly. "I understand. I won't just create a story... I'll establish facts and spread them as truth!"
"That's the best approach," Morpheus said, nodding, though inwardly he mused, It's the Nasuverse... what's the difference between truth and fiction? Just make people believe it.
He let Castor go and continued listening to the crew's boastful tales.
…
"You're both Morpheus's lovers?"
Atalanta looked at Medea and Artemis with surprise. When they nodded, she smiled and said, "That's not bad. He seems young and handsome, at least. I just don't know about his strength. If it were me, I'd never marry someone weaker than myself."
Medea laughed. "Morpheus is strong... very strong. Stronger than me, at least."
"Really? I can sense a god's blessing on you, though it's hard to pinpoint which one," Atalanta said, shaking her head. "But I don't sense any power from him. From what you're saying, is he hiding it on purpose?"
Medea stuck out her tongue playfully. Artemis chimed in, "It's not so much hiding as it is his training method... suppressing his power to face challenges. But no matter what, we're nowhere near as impressive as you all. We're just ordinary people."
"Ordinary?" Atalanta said. "With diligent training, anyone can grow stronger. You both have great potential... I'm sure you can become powerful."
Pollux, listening to the conversation, struggled to keep a straight face, suppressing her urge to laugh. She feared any smile would come off as awkward.
This is too ridiculous!
Artemis is having way too much fun! Calling herself an ordinary human? And Atalanta... your follower, raised by a bear you sent... doesn't that make this a goddess teasing her devotee?
Forget Artemis... Medea looks human but has immense magical power, among the best of humanity. She fought in the Gigantomachy! If she's ordinary, then what are all the demigods on this ship?
Maybe only Heracles could compare!
Pollux kept these thoughts to herself, recalling Atalanta's comments about Morpheus. She barely resisted mocking her outright but knew she had to hold back.
Today, her human side was definitely overpowering her divinity.
Curious, Atalanta added, "If you say he's that impressive, I'm really looking forward to seeing him in action."
"There'll be a chance," Artemis said, though she privately thought, Us acting? That's unlikely.
…
The next day, after a night of sailing, the Argo reached a port.
The island was Lemnos. If a modern otaku were here, they might jokingly ask if there was also a "Ramnos" nearby.
Morpheus, uninterested in certain anime, had no such thoughts.
As they approached the port, they saw a group of women... no men among them.
The women lined the shore, armed and ready for battle.
"Is this the Amazons' territory? No, the map says this is Lemnos," Jason said, puzzled, studying the map.
Heracles stood at the prow, watching for danger, while the other crew members shared Jason's confusion. Jason spoke up, "Here's the plan. They look scared. Let's send one person down... not too many, so we don't alarm them. We'll ask what's going on and explain we're just passing through to rest."
No one objected to the suggestion. After looking around, they chose someone eloquent to go ashore. Morpheus, meanwhile, stayed back, observing.
"This place is strange... all women, and not Amazons. Did all the men die?" Artemis whispered to Morpheus and Medea.
Medea nodded. "It's unnatural. They're terrified. The moment our ship appeared, they mobilized like they're always ready for a fight."
"Exactly. Always prepared for battle, yet clearly not skilled at it. That's the oddest part," Artemis said, smiling at Morpheus. "So, what's the answer?"
"You'd have to ask your friend, Aphrodite," Morpheus replied, not elaborating.
Artemis caught on. It seemed Aphrodite had stirred trouble, making all the men on this island disappear.
Morpheus knew the full story. After a war, the men of Lemnos brought back concubines, nearly one for each. Enraged, their wives, manipulated by Aphrodite, slaughtered them.
The only survivor was the father of the current queen, Hypsipyle. Having no wife, he took a concubine, which wasn't an issue. The virgin queen hid him in a wooden chest and sent him adrift, leaving his fate to Poseidon.
Under so many watchful eyes, that was all she could do.
Due to the war with another land, the women lived in fear of retaliation, explaining their swift mobilization when the Argo approached.
Morpheus smirked and whispered, "The opportunity I mentioned to Jason? This is it."
Both women's eyes lit up with curiosity, eager to see what would unfold on this island.
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL