"Teacher Hecate, you're here."
Medea did not notice Jason's rapidly changing expression because she turned her head the moment Hecate opened the door.
"Yes."
Hecate nodded and slowly walked in.
Seeing Jason's face contort wildly, as if she could guess how violently his mind was reeling, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Her previously gloomy mood instantly brightened.
"Teacher Hecate, may I ask about her…"
Hecate met Jason's gaze, which contained both despair and a faint glimmer of hope.
"She is my student Medea, princess of Colchis… Oh? Haven't I told you?"
Hecate tilted her head.
She revealed a smile that, to Jason, looked exactly like a little devil's.
In that instant, the world in Jason's eyes turned from color to black and white!
Thump…
He collapsed limply.
It's over… it's completely over.
Medea… One of Hecate's students is actually Medea!
Heavens, does this count as the sheep walking straight into the tiger's mouth?!
And Hecate… she's actually wearing that gleeful, spectator expression!
Teacher Chiron, I misjudged you. You definitely knew, didn't you? You never told me. Have you betrayed me too?!
"Didn't you always wonder why I suddenly sought you out…? Well, my cute little student Jason, do you understand the answer now?"
So satisfying. So delightful!
That was exactly how Hecate felt at this moment.
She normally had no such mischievous streak, but Jason had made her suffer all day. Now it was his turn to suffer a little!
Moreover, Hecate discovered that bullying Jason and watching his face twist into an expression of utter despair as if the sky had fallen was actually… extremely entertaining!
No wonder Athena wanted to play games with him so badly. That look of unwillingness yet having no choice but to obey was indeed fascinating.
Truly… heartwarmingly pleasurable!
At this moment, Hecate felt as though some strange new trait was awakening within her…
"Teacher Hecate, you… you can't play with me like this."
Jason looked at the beaming Hecate, whose smile was brighter than ever before, and felt like crying.
He really felt like crying!
"Huh? How am I playing with you? Wasn't it you who begged me over and over again? I only accepted you as my student because I had no choice." Hecate spread her hands innocently. "I refused at first, little Jason."
"I… I…!"
Jason was so frustrated he almost wanted to swear, but he didn't dare.
"Teacher, Jason, what are you two talking about?"
Medea watched their interaction in confusion, unable to follow, and adorably puffed out her cheeks.
It was a very cute scene, but to the current Jason…
At this moment, I, Jason, solemnly declare!
Atalanta smells amazing. Atalanta really smells amazing!
Jason stared at Medea before him and couldn't help shouting inwardly.
Atalanta, I miss you! Yes, you're troublesome too, but I was wrong. I was truly wrong!
I really, really miss you right now!
After teasing him enough and feeling much better, Hecate quietly observed Jason for a while and let out a small sigh of relief.
Good… it seems he doesn't know.
What worried Hecate most was the possibility that Jason had also seen his own paths. If that were the case, she would have had to consider erasing his memories through special means.
A mere mortal Jason would be far too easy for the gods to read.
Yes, after calming down and thinking it over, Hecate had decided to keep everything she saw today buried forever.
She had already gone this far and brought Jason here. She had no better option.
If previously she had accepted Jason only because of Medea and her experiments, now she had only one desire.
To guide him!
Hecate was the Triple Goddess of Crossroads. She represented chance and randomness in fate. That was precisely why she could glimpse the countless possibilities upon Jason.
Most gods who observed Jason could still only see his original future.
The future where he married Medea and died aboard his own ship, betrayed by a witch.
Thus, the paths Hecate had seen were, more accurately, miracles achieved in defiance of fate!
There were many paths, countless branches.
Ordinary life, divine favor, and destruction were merely the three most possible miracles!
Therefore, Hecate resolved to bury forever what she had witnessed today. As a goddess belonging to neither sky, sea, nor underworld, and as the Goddess of Magic in the Type-Moon world,
as long as Hecate herself refused, not even God-King Zeus could read her thoughts!
Now, Hecate's only remaining worry was one thing.
After quickly composing herself, she looked at Medea before her and at Jason, whose face screamed silent suffering.
She turned her gaze outward the window.
Toward distant Mount Olympus…
Hecate knew that tampering with fate while peering into it was not an ability unique to her.
In that regard, no one could compare to those three goddesses.
The Moirai, the three Fates!
Yet Hecate was not overly concerned.
What she had seen was itself a miracle, an insignificant thread in the river of fate that might never even come to pass.
Moreover, it was a path derived from a mere mortal!
Zeus had sensed danger earlier only because he sat upon the throne of the God-King and felt threatened the instant the path emerged.
Thus, even if the three Fates saw the destruction of Olympus, it would be drowned out by far greater possibilities!
...
...
At this moment, within the palace atop Mount Olympus,
the stern and solemn Zeus sat high upon his throne.
Below him stood Hermes, who had fetched the three Fates at the fastest possible speed!
Each was breathtakingly beautiful, clad in long gowns, graceful and elegant in form.
Their names were Atropos, Clotho, and Lachesis.
There were two legends concerning their parentage.
One claimed they were daughters of Chaos or Ananke, among the five primordial deities.
The other claimed they were daughters of Zeus and Themis, goddess of justice and law.
"O great God-King Zeus, why have you summoned us so urgently?"
The eldest, Atropos, stepped forward and inquired.
Zeus was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly. "Just now… I beheld a future in which Olympus is destroyed."
At those words, Hermes beside him froze.
He looked up at Zeus in shock!
The three Fates were equally astonished and exchanged glances.
"That is why I summoned you. I want you to investigate exactly what is happening… You must use your full power. Do you understand?!"
In that instant, thunder roared around Zeus. An unspoken pressure descended upon the four gods below!
"Yes, great God-King! We shall exert ourselves fully!"
With that, the three Fates wasted no time. They immediately channeled their full divine power to examine the fate of Olympus.
Soon, they saw it. They saw the scene of Olympus's destruction!
Upon awakening, they looked at one another in alarm.
"What did you see!" Zeus rose to his feet. Sensing they had discovered something, he demanded urgently.
"Yes, most noble and great God-King Zeus, we have indeed seen… we have seen the fate of sacred Mount Olympus facing destruction!"
After exchanging glances and daring not to conceal anything, the three Fates spoke in turn.
"Within the hell of Tartarus, the Titans imprisoned by your great self have never abandoned their desire to destroy your domain."
"In the near future, a Titan giant bearing a hundred dragon heads, a black tongue, eyes of flame, a body taller than the heavens, covered in feathers and possessing wings, will lead them in escape from Tartarus and challenge you!"
"That giant is the child of the primordial god Tartarus. His name is… Typhon!"