Hera… cles?
The two Lycian warriors exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes. When they turned back to ask Jason again,
they discovered that Jason had quietly vanished. The white-clad figure was nowhere to be seen.
They hurriedly searched the surroundings, but finding nothing, they realized Jason had already departed. Helplessly, they committed his name to memory
and returned to the kingdom of Lycia, determined to sing the praises of the hero who had fallen from the stars: Heracles.
They would spread word of his great deeds, slaying the monster Chimera and defeating Antaeus, son of Poseidon, to every corner of the Greek world.
They would let all of Greece know that there existed a great hero beloved by the gods, clad in white and riding a holy Pegasus!
At that moment, Jason, who had used invisibility magic to slip away with Pegasus, soon arrived at a grassy field.
There awaited a handsome golden-haired god wearing a winged cap and a short-sleeved chiton: Hermes, Messenger of the Gods.
"I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart, most honored Lord Hermes."
As Jason spoke, he moved to bow.
It had been Hermes who moments ago revealed Antaeus's weakness, allowing Jason to avoid offending Poseidon, God of the Sea.
He had merely taught Antaeus a lesson instead of killing him.
"Hey, what are you saying, little Jason?"
Hermes interrupted, slinging an arm around Jason's shoulders with unusual familiarity and grinning. "What kind of relationship do we have… By the way, kid, it feels like I blinked and you grew this big. Not bad, not bad at all."
Hermes examined the now sixteen-year-old youth carefully, patting his shoulders and nodding repeatedly with clear satisfaction.
Seeing this, Jason blinked. Finding Hermes a little too enthusiastic, he thought for a moment before cautiously asking, "Lord Hermes, could it be… that you have something you need me to do?"
Before the delighted Hermes, whose face practically screamed "you really get it," could speak, Jason hurriedly continued, "But I'm sorry, Lord Hermes. Lady Athena has ordered me to reach Calydon as quickly as possible…"
"No problem, no problem." Hermes waved his hand quickly and said with a beaming smile, "My matter isn't urgent. Deal with the Calydonian Boar first, then go to Hephaestus to have your tool made. After that, helping me won't be too late!"
…Damn it.
I knew it. Nothing good ever comes from running into you!
Every single time Jason had encountered Hermes until now, it had meant trouble.
At this moment, Jason truly felt the urge to turn and walk away.
Unfortunately, Hermes already had a firm grip on him.
"Don't be so quick to refuse, little Jason."
Hermes was quite familiar with Jason by now and hurriedly added, "I won't make you work for free… Listen to me."
After glancing around to ensure no other gods were watching, Hermes leaned in and whispered, "Since you want to become immortal, you'll have to put on a little show for Father Zeus, right? This is a perfect opportunity!"
Dear heavens, now Zeus is involved too?
The moment Jason heard this, he prepared to refuse outright.
But the cunning Hermes immediately sweetened the deal. "And if you help me this time, I'll completely write off the offering you owe me!
Plus, I can tell you exactly what kind of tribute will make Artemis, whom you're about to meet, happy!"
…Lord Hermes, the more chips you add, the more terrified I become!
At the same time, judging by the mountain of incentives Hermes was piling on, Jason realized this was probably unavoidable. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "Lord Hermes, could you at least give me a small hint about what it is?
Also… did Lady Athena come to you?"
"She did, and right now she's probably with Artemis, showing off your tribute… Though if I'm not wrong, she actually swiped that tribute from you herself, didn't she?"
Hermes winked at Jason.
Hermes was the Messenger of the Gods and Zeus's personal herald.
But he was also the inventor of deception, clever and cunning. Even as a child he had dared to trick Apollo, God of Light.
Among the Olympians, aside from Athena, he was undoubtedly the cleverest. That was why Zeus entrusted him with so many matters.
Jason smiled, looked away, and said, "No, that was the offering I gave to Lady Athena."
"You little… No wonder Athena likes you so much."
Hermes laughed, patted Jason's shoulder, and continued, "Don't worry. Athena isn't deliberately making things hard for you. Just focus on finding those tributes.
As for my task… Have you ever heard of a princess named Io?"
…
…
Afternoon.
After bidding farewell to Hermes and continuing the flight toward Calydon,
"Brother horse, my life is too hard."
Jason lay sprawled on Pegasus, utterly exhausted. "I've only been away from the mountain for four days… just four days!"
With that, Jason let out a long, dramatic sigh.
Four days. Three gods. And soon he would have to meet Artemis… At the thought, Jason buried his face in Pegasus's back and let out a pained groan!
"Neigh neigh—"
Pegasus turned its head, gazing at Jason with deep pity. Even it, as a mere observer, felt Jason's life was far too difficult.
"Oh well. Thinking about it won't help."
Soon Jason lifted his head again, rallied his spirits, and said, "Whatever will be, will be. Things have already reached this point anyway."
With another sigh, Jason pulled a small notebook from the silver pouch at his waist, took out a pen, and began writing thoughtfully.
Jason's Survival Manual for the Greek Age of Gods – Latest Edition 2.0!
Though this world rarely offers chances for a hero to save a beauty or perform righteous deeds, and though divine favor and affection are luxuries few can enjoy,
life is long and full of dangers. When traveling, one must remain low-key. If you can hide, hide. If you can run, run.
But—
Life is always full of surprises. Nothing ever goes completely smoothly!
Therefore, if you are forced into a situation of righteous heroism that you cannot avoid, you must uphold the fine tradition of doing good deeds without leaving your name. And if you must leave a name, never leave your real one!
Divine favor and affection, though beyond our reach (those are privileges reserved for protagonists),
if they come your way, never refuse or disappoint the giver.
And never resist, for experience shows: the more you resist, the more excited they become!
Thus we must learn to go with the flow, showing an "ordinary" side so they gradually lose interest,
believing us to be nothing more than common mortals!
Of course, this does not mean we never resist. As long as it stays within tolerable limits, resistance is permitted.
Finally, regarding the gods:
If avoidance is truly impossible, fall back on the old reliable: act!
Act obedient, act cute, act dumb!
Flatter them in every way possible. Never offend a single god!
When dealing with enemies, the best solution is naturally permanent removal.
But remember: this is a chaotic world. You cannot even be sure the random cow you kill on the roadside isn't some god's child.
Therefore, before dealing with an enemy, always investigate their background. If peaceful resolution is possible, resolve it peacefully.
If peaceful resolution is impossible, turn invisible and wait for a moonless, windy night!
At this point, Jason let out a breath of relief.
After brief contemplation, the ever-cautious Jason began carefully planning the priority levels for his recent encounters and future events.
Currently, there were two matters of highest priority.
First: Cooperate with Goddess of Wisdom Athena to become immortal as quickly as possible!
Second: Collect offerings for the gods!
Among the offerings, the highest-priority ones at the moment were clearly for the soon-to-be-met Goddess of the Moon and Hunt, Artemis; for Hephaestus, God of the Forge; and for Lady Hestia, who could pop up at any time…
Now, how do I ensure the offerings I choose will actually please them?
Jason thought for a moment and continued writing.
[As Hermes himself suggested: only gods truly understand gods!]
Therefore, only through gods can I guarantee my offerings will satisfy the recipients!
Since Athena will not give direct answers, whose advice (besides Hermes) would be the most reliable?
Who would patiently listen to a mortal's questions?
[The foreknowing god, Prometheus!]
With this, Jason gradually mapped out a relatively clear path for himself.
Only after confirming he would not fight battles without certainty did Jason finally relax a little.
He put away the notebook, looked at the setting sun, and silently thought, "Though the situation these past few days has been chaotic, it hasn't exceeded my control… At least for now, everything seems to be heading in a good direction!"
"The task Hermes gave me is troublesome and involves Queen Hera… but it is also an opportunity!
No matter what, I must leave a good impression on Zeus so he will allow me to ignite the divine fire.
A script where I can please Zeus without having to face him directly is perfect for me… Perhaps Hermes approaching me was no accident, but the result of Athena's guidance."
"Seen this way, after settling the Calydon affair, my next destination should be the foreknowing Prometheus. Only afterward should I visit Hephaestus, God of the Forge.
Finally, I will resolve the trouble with the woman Io for Hermes…"
As Jason pondered and planned, Pegasus suddenly stopped and let out a soft neigh, interrupting his thoughts.
Jason came back to reality and looked down in the direction Pegasus indicated.
The kingdom of Calydon had finally come into view!