At the same time, aboard the Argo.
"Achoo!"
A sudden chill ran through his heart. Samael, standing on the deck, sneezed hard. As if sensing something, he rubbed his itchy nose, then turned to look at the two petite purple-haired girls behind him, who had spread out a picnic cloth and occupied a huge stretch of space. Rolling his eyes, he snorted irritably.
"You two little pests. Why didn't you move to the Land of Bliss with the Mother of Serpents? Why are you still out here causing trouble?"
"What fun is there in the Land of Bliss compared to the surface? Those heroes are all on guard around us, like we're about to do something evil. It's so boring."
Kneeling on the cloth, Euryale shot Samael a sidelong glance and waved a hand in complaint.
But the instant the purple-haired girl let go and turned away, a figure lying on the floor rolled its eyes wildly, overjoyed. It quietly slid its limbs, stuck its rear up, and tried to sneak off toward the corner.
"Hm?"
But just as a side door opened, a pair of purplish-red snake-like slit pupils looked down from the darkness, casually sweeping over the scene with a cool little hum.
"Arf..."
The three huge dog heads looked at the nightmarish figure in the doorway and all shuddered at once. Whimpering, tails tucked tight, they hurried back and lay down trembling beside Euryale.
"I told you not to move around. Behave yourself!"
Seeing Cerberus trying to sneak off while she was not looking, Euryale slapped all three ferocious heads in annoyance, then went back to trimming its fur and fixing up its appearance.
Soon, little bunches of braid tied off with bands took shape under her pale, nimble fingers, and even its tail had a rather girlish bow tied to it.
Seeing Cerberus bare its fangs but not dare entertain any rebellious thoughts, sitting there with a thoroughly miserable dog face as it resigned itself to becoming an oversized doll, Stheno nodded in satisfaction. Leaning against the doorway, she turned toward the pitch-black room behind her and gave a cheerful little wave.
"Medusa, come here. Don't make me say it twice, Medusa."
The goddess's seemingly gentle smile and soft voice still carried an unmistakable note of command.
Then, amid a rustling and clumsy stumbling sound, little Medusa slowly shuffled out, cheeks flushed red, arms crossed over her chest, looking terribly shy.
"What kind of behavior is it to hide in your nest all the time?"
But before little Medusa could fully steel herself to appear, Stheno caught her by the wrist and firmly drew her out of the shadows to stand at her side.
"Little Medusa, don't be afraid. Nobody's blaming you. Hmm, you're absolutely gorgeous. Don't fidget, let me have a proper look at your face."
As she spoke, Stheno pried apart little Medusa's arms, which had been nervously twisting at the hem of her clothes with nowhere to go, and pressed them down. Then, full of interest, she looked her up and down again and again, admiring the exquisitely delicate little toy before her, one she wanted nothing more than to cuddle close and shower with affection.
Likewise, Samael was momentarily stunned by how dazzling Ana looked after being forcibly changed into new clothes.
The long Greek dress, white with touches of violet, fell straight down and softened Ana's gloomy, shy temperament, bringing out instead the elegance and sacred purity of a goddess. The intricate black embroidered inner lining revealed the pale, delicate line of her collarbones at the top, while her smooth purple hair was bound beneath a woven wreath, giving her a soft, natural charm that made her look all the more youthful and lovely.
It had to be said, Stheno really did have excellent taste and fashion sense. Modeled after the outfits she and Euryale wore themselves, the dress she had prepared for little Medusa suited her subdued inner temperament perfectly.
"See? I told you this outfit would be perfect. Even our teacher is staring in a daze. As goddesses, we were born to captivate every hero, so dressing ourselves up properly is only natural. Being loved is part of our duty."
Stheno cast a teasing glance at Samael, who was standing behind her looking slightly stunned, then smiled as she kneaded little Medusa's cheeks, full of self-satisfaction.
"I'm asking, even if you two didn't want to go to the Land of Bliss, why not just loaf around on the Shapeless Isle? Why come aboard the Argo just to join the commotion?"
Snapped out of it after that bit of teasing, Samael asked irritably.
"You said it yourself, it's lively here. With something this fun going on, of course we couldn't miss it."
Stheno answered offhandedly while continuing to make little adjustments to little Medusa's outfit.
As beings with a Goddess Core and innate immortality, finding entertainment to pass the endless years was naturally how they stayed interested in the world.
"Professor Samael, we did come to help, you know. With such a beautiful and adorable goddess descending in person, shouldn't you at least show a little joy and gratitude?"
After stuffing a pastry into her mouth and chewing, Euryale waved a little fist and protested at the ever-questioning Samael.
"If you want to help, can I make one request?"
The Ancient Serpent seemed genuinely tempted. He leaned closer, eyes fixed on Euryale, something flickering in them.
That heated gaze falling on her skin gave Euryale the pleasant feeling of being the center of attention, and she proudly lifted her chin.
If she could score a point before little Medusa did, she could definitely bully her to tears afterward.
Euryale shot a malicious glance at her younger sister, who was being posed around by Stheno like a puppet, then rolled her eyes, leaned in against Samael, lifted a hand to her lips, and smiled brightly.
"Mhm, say it. This goddess grants permission in advance. Dear Professor, if you've admitted defeat before our charm, then don't be shy. Say it openly. Anything is fine."
"If you agree, that makes this easy."
Samael put on a deeply enamored look, clasped Euryale's hand tightly, and spoke with heartfelt tenderness.
"I only have one request. Could you maybe... return this?"
"..."
The teasing smile on Euryale's face froze instantly. Realizing she had been played, she ground her teeth audibly.
"That's too much! We came here to help! It's one thing that you're not grateful, but how can you be so heartless you want to drive us away?"
"You two? You're not even worth a five on the combat scale. Every single time we meet, you cause more trouble than help. Please just jump ship back to the Shapeless Isle and hole up there. Go wash up and sleep early tonight!"
Samael's face shifted into a cold smirk as he took on the tone of a fed-up elder, listing off the many disgraceful things the two troublemakers had done.
Euryale, furious and humiliated, unconsciously clenched her little fist.
Clenched tight. Hardened.
"If you're going to chase me away, then I'll..."
"Hah. You'll what?"
"I'll..."
"Say it. Whatever little schoolyard tricks you used to play, you think I'm scared of that..."
"Arf!"
As her hand shot upward, the goddess suddenly found herself holding a tuft of dog fur.
"If I can't beat you, I can still bully it!"
With perfect self-righteousness, Euryale redirected all her hostility. Cerberus, the innocent victim caught in the crossfire, first looked blankly confused on all three faces, then bared its teeth and let out a miserable cry, eyes brimming with tears as it looked toward Samael.
"Alright, alright. If you want to stay, then stay. That dog has suffered enough bad luck already. Stop tormenting it."
Samael twitched at the mouth, raised a hand to his forehead, and gave in helplessly.
Only then did Euryale, satisfied, let go. The battered dog looked as if it had received a royal pardon and immediately scampered over to Samael's feet, wagging and panting ingratiatingly.
"You've had your fun. Let Ana come back with me."
Samael soothed Cerberus for a moment, then pointed at little Medusa and raised a brow.
"We still have lots to say to Medusa. If you want her, come back tonight and get her."
But Stheno's enthusiasm for dressing up her younger sister showed no sign of fading. Smiling, she brushed him off casually.
"Samael, it's fine. Go do what you need to do. I'm happy being with my sisters, and I want to stay with them a little longer."
After hesitating a moment, Ana gently shook her head at the Ancient Serpent.
Hearing that, Samael nodded helplessly and had no choice but to leave with the dog first, catch up with his old companions aboard the Argo, and discuss ways to break through the Persians' naval blockade.
"Mhm, good. We haven't pampered you for nothing. In that case, brace yourself. It's time for something even more fun."
Watching the only teacher capable of keeping them in line disappear into the distance, Stheno stroked little Medusa's head, her lips curling up happily, then shot Euryale a meaningful look.
"Exactly. Very fun, in any case."
Euryale instantly understood. Tossing away the dog fur in her hand, she clapped off her palms, grinned, stepped forward, and together with Stheno hoisted little Medusa up from both sides. Then they dragged the bewildered little lamb into the room and closed the door behind them with a furtive air.