Hate?
What was there to hate about?
Jason was truly a bit confused and did not understand why Hephaestus Teacher would say such a thing.
Hephaestus blinked and looked at the head-tilting Jason before her. Her beautiful eyes could not help but reveal a hint of surprise as she said: "It is actually the truth... Then what was that about when Goddess Hestia came to find you back then?"
"Oh, that matter." Jason came to a sudden realization and explained: "Teacher, you misunderstood. You all truly misunderstood. At that time, I simply had not thought things through yet.
It was far from hatred.
To be precise, in my heart, I have always been grateful to her and held her in respect... Wait, do not tell me you all thought that way too?"
At this point, Jason's face paled involuntarily. He widened his eyes at Hephaestus and said: "Goddess Athena does not think that way too, does she?!
This is bad, this is really bad. No wonder I have not seen her for so long.
So that is what happened. She must be angry now!"
"Wait, let me sort this out... You truly do not hate Athena?" After holding her right hand to her forehead for a moment, Hephaestus could not help but ask again: "But did you not always find her troublesome? She brought you a lot of trouble..."
"Teacher, it is true that I fear trouble greatly, but Teacher's student is not an ungrateful person!"
Jason's expression turned serious as he said to Hephaestus: "I am very clear that without Goddess Athena's help along the way, I would not have made it this far so smoothly, nor would I have achieved what I have now!
Um... Though, let me whisper something to you, Teacher: Goddess Athena is actually sometimes... truly too playful.
She always thinks of teasing me for amusement. If only she could change that about herself."
Hephaestus stared intently at Jason, gazing into those clear and sincere eyes of his, before saying: "Then how do you explain the incident not long ago?
Hecate said you were very angry... And I heard that afterward, you even said some angry words to Athena, leaving her so dejected that she shut down!"
"Where did you hear that from, Teacher!"
Jason widened his eyes and said: "When have I ever said angry words to Athena! Last time, I was clearly expressing my determination to Goddess Athena!"
"Teacher, where exactly did you hear this? How could I ever be disrespectful to Goddess Athena! ...However..."
As he spoke, Jason's expression suddenly became hesitant.
"However, however what?" Hephaestus leaned her face closer, asking Jason with a face full of gossip.
"It is just that, that..."
Jason hesitated, looking at the Hephaestus before him, his respected teacher. In the end, he leaned his ear close to hers and whispered softly: "It is a bit embarrassing to say... Teacher, I feel that Goddess Athena treats me very well, almost like the mischievous big sister next door who loves pranks. So subconsciously, I wanted to rely on her.
Because of that, I nearly forgot that she is a goddess.
Therefore, when she did not help me, I felt a bit of petty emotion... Ah, but I have changed now. I clearly realize how childish I was back then!
That is why I expressed my determination to Goddess Athena at that time.
I will become a great hero and offer tributes to her!"
Hate?
In fact, both Hestia and Athena had asked Jason this before, and Jason had answered at the time: he did not hate her at all.
Jason truly did not hate her; he merely hated his past self a little.
He hated how naive and cowardly he had been then.
The whole matter was not complicated.
Jason had simply used this to recognize once more the difference between gods and humans.
A god is a god, and a human is a human.
No matter how favored by the gods one might be, that would not change.
And favor would eventually shift one day.
In this world, the only thing one could rely on was oneself!
Jason held no hatred toward Athena; more accurately, what he felt was gratitude and respect.
Just as Jason had said, without Athena, without the guidance of wisdom, he would not have reached this point today. Thus, he naturally would not, and could not, hate her.
This, Jason had seen in his eyes and kept in his heart.
However...
For the current Athena, such respect might truly be less preferable than anger or hatred.
Hephaestus reacted.
From Jason's words, she heard Jason's respect for Athena and his gratitude toward her.
But at the same time, she also heard that thick layer of distance...
"Jason, you this..."
In response, Hephaestus instinctively wanted to say something, but the words reached her lips, and she thought better of it.
Hey, what does this have to do with me? And is it not rather entertaining to watch?!
Thus, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
"Um, Hephaestus Teacher, what is it?"
"Nothing, nothing... It is just... I cannot hold it in anymore. Jason, let me laugh for a bit; I cannot contain it."
Jason blinked his eyes, looking at Hephaestus, who was laughing so hard her mouth could not close and her body trembled lightly, completely at a loss.
After Hephaestus laughed heartily for quite a while, she finally stopped and said to Jason: "Alright, alright, let us drop this topic... Rest assured, in a bit, Teacher will personally go find Athena and convey your thoughts to her.
I will tell her that you were never angry at all, and certainly do not hate her. She is still the Athena you respect... Hahaha, I cannot hold it; Athena Goddess, oh Athena Goddess!"
At this point, the corners of Hephaestus' mouth could not help but curve upward again.
In response, Jason indicated that he could not grasp the humor.
However, because Hephaestus was in high spirits, the subsequent matters proceeded smoothly.
After communicating with Hephaestus, she readily agreed to Jason's request. Moreover, she handed over several dolls to him, instructing him to bring them to the sacred mountain of Olympus to meet Queen Hera, who had shut herself away in her temple.
"If any danger arises, I can appear immediately through the dolls."
As for why the dolls absolutely had to be worn along the way, Hephaestus provided this reason.
Subsequently, although Jason found it extremely awkward, he still placed the doll sisters into his storage pouch.
He mounted the celestial horse once more and headed toward the higher reaches of Mount Olympus.
And what Jason did not notice, and even Hephaestus did not notice, was that as Jason rode away on the celestial horse.
Inside the temple, a doll dressed in white robes was watching Jason's departing figure from afar with an extremely complex gaze...
A certain goddess knew that Jason would definitely come here.
Moreover, he would arrive here at the fastest possible speed.
Because Jason was not one to sit idly by; he was proactive in taking action.
Faced with the situation involving Hera, he certainly would not just wait around doing nothing; instead, he would find ways to resolve it.
Therefore, since he had refused her in the underworld, the simplest way to be the first to see Jason was to come to Hephaestus' temple.
Here, waiting for his arrival...
"Respect and gratitude toward a god, huh... That is not as good as hatred."
A soft, sorrowful grievance lightly echoed.
The beautiful goddess gazed resentfully at the back of the youth riding away on the celestial horse.