Three months had passed.
Aside from the transformation potions he learned at the very beginning, Jason had not managed to acquire many impressive potions afterward.
It was not that he did not want to learn. It was simply that his little senior sister, who was also his junior sister, Medea, now only knew how to make potions that were primarily for healing.
The magic she studied was also of the healing variety. She almost never touched attack magic.
After all, even though Medea was a genius, she had only been studying under Hecate for less than a year.
And it was precisely because only one year had passed that Medea had been so excited when she learned a junior brother would come to keep her company. That was why she had been so enthusiastic toward Jason.
If a few more years had gone by, once she had grown completely numb to life in the Underworld, she probably would not have been the same.
Whether this was Jason's fortune or misfortune was hard to say.
"Here, here, Brother Horse. Today's potion... ahem, no, today's fresh, tender grass."
Inside the stables, Jason held out grass that had been sprinkled with a newly brewed potion and offered it to Pegasus, who still had not left.
Pegasus flattened its lips, neighed twice, and turned away, clearly refusing to eat.
"Don't worry, Brother Horse. This batch is absolutely fine."
Pegasus flicked its tail at Jason, indicating it would not fall for the trick again!
Last time it ate the grass, it had been paralyzed for three whole days and nights. If it had not been unable to leave yet, it would have flown away long ago.
"Be good, Brother Horse. After you eat this grass, in a couple of days I'll take you out to find some wild mares. I heard there's a herd on the neighboring mountain... Oh, right, I also know Lady Artemis's golden-horned deer sister. Do you know Deer Sister? She's really beautiful!"
Just as Jason was racking his brains to coax Pegasus into willingly becoming his test subject,
"Hey, isn't this Poseidon's horse? He actually entrusted it to you?"
A voice that was not entirely unfamiliar suddenly sounded beside his ear.
Hermes, wearing a winged cap, a short-sleeved tunic cinched at the waist, and holding his caduceus, stepped out from the side and walked up to Jason.
After curiously examining Pegasus for a few moments, Hermes smiled at Jason and said, "By the way, kid, you actually have designs on Artemis's golden-horned deer? If Artemis ever found out..."
"I was just joking! Really, just joking!"
Jason hurriedly tossed the grass aside to prove his innocence. "Deer Sister cares for me and protects me so much. How could I ever have designs on her?! ...By the way, Lord Hermes, why are you here? Are you looking for Goddess Demeter?"
"No, I came to find you."
"Me?" Jason blinked, then added, "Oh, right. Lord Hermes, I still haven't thanked you for last time. If not for you, I wouldn't have been able to bring Lady Persephone out."
"...You really are as clever as ever, kid."
Hermes ruffled Jason's hair. "But there's no need to remind me of that. Demeter has no time to bother with me right now. Ares has already taken her to Mount Olympus."
Ares...? The God of War among the Twelve Olympians?
"Don't worry. The reason I came this time isn't to make you do anything. I'm just here to deliver a message... Great Goddess Hera has words for me to pass on to you."
Hera...
Hearing that name, Jason's eyes widened slightly.
But they quickly returned to calm.
He only sighed softly in his heart: What must come... has finally come.
The two of them soon found a secluded spot to sit. Only then did Hermes speak. "Hera told me to tell you that she can forgive everything you have done up to this point and will not pursue any of it.
But the condition is that, starting today, you must voluntarily sever all ties with Hecate and the others.
Furthermore, you must swear before all the gods of Olympus to believe in her forever and only her!"
Once Hermes finished relaying Hera's terms, he watched Jason with great interest, clearly anticipating his reaction.
Yet he was disappointed. Jason's expression did not change much.
In fact, he even looked a little surprised.
"...That's all?"
Jason looked at Hermes in confusion.
He was genuinely surprised. He had thought Hera would at least demand that he walk barefoot to Olympus and apologize to her in front of all the gods.
After all, he had caused her to lose tremendous face!
"Kid, your reaction is a little off."
Hermes felt somewhat speechless. "I expected you to be shocked, angry, or excited, but this... what's going on?"
"Well... because I already heard about this from Lord Poseidon last time, so I've been mentally prepared for a while."
Jason thought for a moment and answered Hermes honestly. "That's why I originally assumed Goddess Hera would at least make me apologize to her in person."
"Normally... that would probably be the case."
Hermes chuckled. "But you're special. Even Hera doesn't dare to openly do anything to you. Plus, I think she actually hopes you'll return to her side, so she's being more lenient with you."
Doesn't dare to do anything to me?
Jason treated that as a joke.
How did Heracles's Twelve Labors come about? Others might not know, but Jason, a transmigrator, certainly did.
"So, what's your answer?"
"This..."
"Don't worry, you have three days."
Hermes stood up, adjusted his hat, and said to Jason, "Although Hera originally wanted you to decide immediately, you did help me out big time last time. Bringing Persephone out was supposed to be my task.
So this time I secretly bought you three days. I'll come find you again in three days.
Oh, right. If you choose Hera, you don't have to worry about retaliation from Hecate and the others. Hera has already said that once you return to her embrace, she will swear before all the gods to protect you for life."
With that, Hermes left.
After seeing him off, Jason turned toward the doorway and said softly, "You heard everything?"
After a brief silence, Medea cautiously stepped out from the shadows, looking anxious. "Big Brother Jason, it's not like that. I didn't mean to eavesdrop..."
"I'm not blaming you. It's obvious Lord Hermes deliberately let you hear... no, more accurately, he wanted Teacher to hear."
Jason was right. If Hermes had not intended it, Medea would never have had the chance to listen in.
Thus, at this very moment, Hecate, far away in the Underworld, had learned that someone was trying to poach her student... though technically she had poached from Hera first.
Then again, that was not quite accurate either, since Jason had been the one to approach her.
"A choice, huh..."
In the Underworld, Hecate fell silent. She looked at the ruined experiment in front of her, the result of a momentary lapse in concentration, and helplessly set down the potion in her hand.
"I had always wondered. If the love of the gods and the destruction of the gods are separated by a single line, then why did that 'ordinary' path appear on you, Jason?
At first I thought it was because you had chosen to withdraw yourself. So in the end... it was still because of the gods."
At this point, Hecate shook her head. "Jason, oh Jason... The three miracles I saw on you all turned out to be so inextricably tied to the gods.
Yet you... you actually never wanted to get involved with any god at all."
After a long silence, Hecate let out a wordless sigh.
...
...
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During those three days, Jason stayed alone in his room and never left.
Medea was extremely anxious, but she did not dare barge in. She could only pray to Hecate for guidance.
And so, late on the final night,
"Teacher, I thought you wouldn't come."
Jason, who had been sitting by the window staring outside for three full days, finally showed a small smile.
Behind him, Hecate stepped out of the moonlight.
"I didn't want to come... If that child Medea hadn't prayed to me over and over, even crying, I wouldn't have bothered with this at all."
Hecate sat on the edge of the bed and grumbled.
After her words, the two fell silent for a while.
"If I hadn't come, you would have chosen Hera, wouldn't you?"
Jason looked at Hecate in surprise.
"Because it's a good opportunity. Since Queen Hera would swear before all the gods to protect you for life, she would never break that oath. That way, even if you did nothing from now on, your goal would still be achieved... to survive.
To live peacefully in this world."
Exactly. Jason's goal had always been simply to survive in this world. That was why he had tried so hard.
The name "Jason" truly brought him immense pressure.
At first, Jason had planned to run away, to hide in some desolate place, but this world was far too dangerous. Just look at how Demeter's anger had withered the earth and killed countless lives.
Without strength, he could be killed by any random accident.
But if he gained strength, would that not bring him ever closer to the original Jason's fate?
Yet if he chose Hera now, everything would be solved.
He could leave and live quietly in some small corner for the rest of his life, because Hera, the Queen of the Gods, would swear to protect him forever.
And the moment he chose to run, Athena and the other gods would naturally become disappointed in him and stop paying attention to him.
Running away might be shameful, but it was effective... As someone who had suddenly transmigrated into this dangerous world, and as an ordinary person at that, Jason had truly only ever wanted to survive.
"Yes."
So Jason nodded readily and smiled at Hecate. "As expected, Teacher Hecate understands me... In this whole world, probably only you and Teacher Chiron truly understand me.
That's right. If you hadn't come, tomorrow I would have gone to Lord Hermes and chosen Goddess Hera. Because I know you're different from Hera. You wouldn't hold a grudge against me.
If I left, you'd probably even feel relieved. But... Teacher Hecate, you came."
"Yes, I would have been relieved if you left."
Hecate was equally helpless. "But I still came... Tell me, whose fault is that?"
As she spoke, Hecate beckoned Jason over.
Seeing this, Jason immediately covered his face and looked at her pitifully. "Teacher, can you go easy on me...?"
At those words, a dazzling smile bloomed on Hecate's face.
Jason deflated. When he walked over, as expected, Hecate grabbed him and thoroughly ravaged his cheeks to vent her frustration.
Once she had vented, Hecate pulled Jason into her arms, sighed, and said, "You... I actually knew you were waiting for me to come. I also knew you were deliberately using this chance to make me answer you. But before that, let me ask you one thing. Do you know why I came?
Because my heart is too soft!
If you ran away tomorrow, I wouldn't care at all. But you are my student now... you wicked disciple!
Your teacher knows you have always wanted to escape your fate and avoid entangling yourself with the gods. So when I thought about how hard you have struggled, only for the final outcome to still be decided by the gods... I came."
"Fine, you wicked disciple. Since you want the answer so badly, your teacher will tell you... With the power the Lord of the Underworld left on you, I think even the three Fates would have difficulty easily glimpsing the traces of your destiny."
Before Jason could reply, Hecate turned him around to face her directly. She leaned down and pressed her forehead against his.
"Look into Teacher's eyes. They... will tell you the answer you want to know!"
This time, through Hecate's eyes, Jason saw... three paths, completely different from the fate of the Jason in his memories.
Three brand-new roads!
Soon, because it was a memory-synchronization spell, once Jason saw through Hecate's vision the three paths she had seen that day, his current expression... could only be described as spectacular!
"Teacher Hecate..."
Immediately afterward, Jason looked as if he were about to cry and said to Hecate, "Why did you have to come...! Can time please rewind? Can I take it back?!"
"No, my dear student."
Hecate pinched Jason's cheeks. All the gloom on her face had vanished, replaced by a smile as bright as a flower.
She said to him with great delight, "Ah, little Jason, you really are considerate of your teacher. Originally, I was planning to silently bear it for your sake, but now... you wicked, ahem, my good disciple, all the love I've shown you over the days truly wasn't wasted!"