The goddess had fallen in love with the mortal.
Irredeemably.
With no possibility of turning back.
That goddess would inevitably go mad for this love.
And because she was a goddess, she was endlessly greedy and had no concept of giving up. She would use every means at her disposal to possess him completely.
Thus did Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, give Jason her answer.
Was this the answer Jason had wanted to hear?
No one could say.
But now it was Jason's turn.
It was time for Jason to give Athena his reply.
A very long silence passed inside the quiet temple of the Goddess of Wisdom.
At last Jason spoke, breaking the stillness.
"I never once imagined that I would receive the love of a goddess… especially not your love, Lady Athena."
He had heard and felt her resolve. He knew he could no longer stay silent.
He had to give this goddess an answer.
"But rest assured, Lady Athena. I will not run from your feelings.
If it were anyone else, I might pretend not to notice.
But you, Lady Athena, are the goddess I respect most, and aside from my teachers, the goddess I trust most deeply."
Jason spoke softly, his eyes fixed upon hers.
They gazed at each other in silence.
There was no wavering in Jason's eyes, nor did he look away.
If he had wanted to flee, he would never have come here today.
"Then… can you give me your answer, Jason?"
After a long moment, Athena asked softly, biting her lip.
Jason fell silent once more.
While waiting for her earlier, he had, as always, thought long and hard about how to handle this.
He had even prepared certain words.
But now, after hearing everything Athena had poured out,
Jason…
"That mortal, faced with the sudden love of a goddess, feels only shock, bewilderment, and… profound fear."
He chose to tell her his truest thoughts without reservation.
His answer made Athena's body tremble faintly.
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
She was not surprised in the least.
As she had once confessed to Medusa, the moment that child learned of her love, he would never leap for joy.
He might even try to run and hide where she could never find him.
"That mortal very much wants to pretend he knows nothing and hide everything… but he cannot. And he knows he must not."
Jason continued, "Because she is the wisest goddess in the world. He knows any attempt at concealment would be seen through in an instant.
And that would… deeply wound that goddess's heart."
Athena froze for a moment, then lifted her head.
Shock and a trace of delight shone in her eyes as she looked at Jason.
"Jason…"
She started to speak.
"That mortal does not want to hurt that goddess. To him, she is anything but ordinary.
Though he fears the gods, he has also basked in their favor, especially… the favor of the goddess who has fallen in love with him."
Jason did not let her interrupt. He went on, "Therefore, to him, that goddess has always been special.
He does not want her to be hurt because of this.
But…
at the same time, he cannot accept her love."
With Jason's final words, Athena's entire body went rigid.
"Because that mortal clearly understands that he—"
"Enough, Jason!"
Athena tried to cut him off.
But Jason had already made up his mind.
"Clearly understands that toward that goddess, he harbors not the slightest—"
"I said enough!"
Athena's anger flared. She glared furiously at Jason.
She was angry that he would not listen and kept speaking.
Angry that he… refused to accept her!
She was a goddess! Athena, Goddess of Wisdom!
Her fury brought terrifying pressure down upon Jason.
For a moment, even speaking became difficult.
He felt exactly as he had on that island long ago, facing the enraged Queen Hera after she discovered his true identity.
The pressure Athena exerted now was no less than Hera's had been then. If anything, it was even greater.
Yet Jason still spoke.
He spoke with unwavering resolve.
"He simply… does not love that goddess!"
That was Jason's answer to Athena.
In truth, he had already given this answer outside the temple earlier.
But Athena had silenced him then, dragging him inside and forcefully declaring her feelings, hoping to change the outcome.
Yet as Jason had said, everything he had ever felt toward her was gratitude and reverence. He had never once harbored romantic feelings.
Therefore, it was impossible for him to love her.
Whether Athena's confession was the answer Jason had wanted to hear was unknown.
But it was perfectly clear that Jason's reply was not the one Athena wished to hear.
"…Are you truly not afraid at all?"
Athena, whose reason was now almost completely shattered by rage, forced the words through gritted teeth.
"Do not forget: this is my temple. My domain!
If I decide to take you away right now, no one, not even Father Zeus, could take you from me. Your teachers certainly could not!"
She was not exaggerating.
Even inside Hecate's own temple, Hecate would be no match for Athena.
After all, Athena was the most radiant goddess of Olympus, the brightest jewel among its divinities.
Jason looked at the furious goddess before him.
Far from panicking, he actually smiled.
He could not help it.
"Lady Athena, from the day we met until now, this is the first time… you have ever lost your composure like this."
Jason sighed in wonder.
Whether it was the refined, noble Athena of their first meeting, or the Athena who gradually revealed her true playful nature and loved to tease him,
she had never once, in all the time since her birth, lost control the way she had today.
She had always been so confident, so beautiful, as though she held the entire world in the palm of her hand.
So dazzling. So breathtaking.
Watching Jason smile, even daring to tease her now, Athena's brows furrowed.
For a brief instant, she genuinely could not understand what he was thinking.
Was he… truly unafraid?
Under normal circumstances, she would have pondered it. But right now, anger had completely overwhelmed her reason.
As she herself had said, she was a goddess: endlessly possessive and utterly incapable of letting go.
Therefore, she would never give up on Jason just because of his answer.
At this very moment, Athena had already made up her mind.
Today, she would take Jason away.
She would steal him for herself.
The instant her resolve solidified and her thoughts wavered for a split second,
Athena suddenly realized Jason had somehow stepped right in front of her.
He reached out and seized her hand.
"Eh?!"
She blinked, staring at the smiling Jason before her.
All the menacing aura she had gathered, all her determination, vanished in an instant.
"Lady Athena, you were just thinking something wicked, weren't you?"
Jason chuckled as he looked at the stunned goddess.
Before she could reply, he lifted the hand that held hers, gently intertwining their fingers.
"I've caught you, Lady Athena…"
He gazed at their joined hands and spoke with a strangely wistful tone.
"I never imagined… you were actually this close to me. All I had to do was reach out, and I could touch you."
…W-What is going on?
Athena's mind went blank.
She stared dumbly at the hand Jason held so firmly, her head spinning.
What is happening?!
Her heart screamed.
"Lady Athena, I'm sorry. I have not fallen in love with you."
At that moment, Jason spoke again.
His words made Athena instinctively look up at him.
The instant she did, her gaze was completely captured by those beautiful emerald eyes.
"Therefore, I cannot return your love… at least, not now."
"Now?"
Even though her mind was reeling, Athena instantly caught the key word.
"Yes."
Jason nodded.
"Because until today, I have only ever felt respect and gratitude toward you. I regarded you as someone close, but never once considered romance.
And you know, Lady Athena, I have never had the time to think about love… I simply never had the leisure.
But now that I know how you feel, I will not ignore it.
Therefore… Lady Athena, will you give me a little more time?"
Jason looked at the stunned goddess with faint apology in his eyes.
"Time for me to try… to fall in love with you?"
As he spoke, his grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly.
Truthfully, Jason was incredibly nervous right now.
How arrogant these words were!
He was asking a goddess to wait for him, to wait while he tried to fall in love with her.
Yet what else could he do?
As he had said, he had never once imagined Athena might love him.
Ever since Hephaestus told him the truth, his mind had been in turmoil. He had no idea how to handle it.
He only knew he could not let it fester.
Especially after judging Circe and Scylla, he had gritted his teeth and come here.
Even now, Jason thought he must be insane.
After hearing Athena's almost yandere-like confession, he had still dared to tell her to her face that he did not love her, that he had never even seen her as a woman!
He really was courting death!
While Jason's thoughts grew increasingly chaotic and he anxiously awaited Athena's final verdict,
Athena gradually came back to her senses. She quickly noticed the trace of fear in his eyes.
She froze.
Then…
With a sudden tug, she pulled Jason into her arms and hugged him tightly.
"Then… will you fall in love with me?" she whispered softly into his ear before he could struggle.
Ah, this…
Jason hesitated.
"Aren't you usually so smooth-tongued?" Athena laughed. "You always take such good care of everyone. How did you suddenly become this clumsy today?"
As she spoke, she gently blew into his ear.
The ticklish sensation made Jason squirm. Only then did Athena finally release him.
"You really should be grateful, Jason… that you came to me while my reason still holds against the desire brought by this forbidden fruit."
She stepped back twice and voluntarily loosened her grip on his hand.
"Therefore… I will give you time."
Athena continued retreating, her eyes fixed on Jason.
But the look in those eyes was different from any time before.
It was the gaze of a hunter who had decided to seize her prey no matter what.
"Ascension to godhood…"
She declared, "That is the final deadline.
On the day you become a god, you must give me your answer.
Though honestly, it hardly matters."
Athena smiled.
"Because I will never give up. No matter what happens, I will never give up on this one thing.
You cannot escape, Jason…
No matter what, I will not let you escape!
I really am the most troublesome goddess, aren't I?
Congratulations, Jason. You are stuck with me now!"
"I am willing to wait, because I want everything that is you. All of you.
So wait for it, Jason. Before you ascend to godhood…
You will definitely fall in love with me!"
With those words, Athena turned and left.
She fled the temple as though escaping, giving Jason no chance to speak again.
Moments later, at incredible speed, she arrived on the barren, invisible island.
She burst into the ancient temple there.
Under the bewildered gazes of the two loli goddesses, she threw herself onto the beautiful woman who was yawning while sweeping the floor.
Medusa.
"Athena, what the hell are you doing?! Let go of me! Let go!"
Medusa, completely caught off guard, began struggling the moment she realized it was Athena pinning her down.
But Athena paid no attention.
She used brute force to keep Medusa beneath her.
"He finally knows how I feel!"
A blissful smile spread across her face. Under the stunned stares of the two loli goddesses and Medusa, Athena giggled foolishly.
"And he said he'll fall in love with me… He'll fall in love with me!"
"…What is going on here?"
One loli goddess looked at the other and pointed at Athena.
"Is that really the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena?"
The second loli goddess was silent for a long moment before finally nodding.
"I think so… but after all these years, did a pig finally root around in her brain and break it?"