Night fell, and the starry curtain of the sky veiled the heavens.
Moonlight poured down onto the Argo, which was on its return voyage and temporarily resting upon the sea.
Inside the Argo—forged by Hephaestus and illuminated by the sun god's flame-glass lamps—Jason stood on deck, golden seven-stringed lyre in hand.
He offered to everyone aboard the Argo a piece of music so beautiful it seemed to still the very waves.
With it, he silently conveyed the apology in his heart.
After all, as captain, he had truly been somewhat derelict in his duties.
During this voyage, he had vanished several times, each absence lasting one or two months.
Yet the heroes aboard the Argo had shown him nothing but understanding; not once had they blamed Jason for it… because almost every time a god had just left, another god would immediately appear to inform the crew.
Jason had received a divine oracle and thus had to depart.
Thanks to the tutelage of the Queen of the Sea Amphitrite and the blessing of the seven-stringed lyre of Apollo, god of light, Jason's skill with the lyre had reached extraordinary heights.
Not only was the music breathtakingly beautiful—it drew countless sea creatures to listen, dolphins among them gathering in delight—but it also purified the heart and banished weariness.
Thus, whenever Jason was willing to play, the heroes naturally had no reason to refuse.
Jason continued to play the seven-stringed lyre, gazing at the lively and harmonious scene aboard the ship, a faint smile unconsciously touching his lips.
Now that the Argo was sailing home, it meant this incomparably arduous quest for the Golden Fleece was finally drawing to a close.
Moreover, many knots in Jason's heart had been untied during this journey, so he truly had reason to be happy.
Of all that had happened, the two greatest matters were undoubtedly the resolution of his situations with Queen of Heaven Hera and with Medea.
Queen Hera had essentially set aside her prejudice against him. Although she seemed still unwilling to let him off completely, Jason no longer needed to fear her vengeance.
As for Medea, after being influenced day after day by Jason, she had finally changed. She had earned the favor of Clotho, the Fate who spins the thread of life, and received praise for breaking free from destiny.
Especially afterward, with the aid of the Goddess of Crossroads Hecate and the Goddess of Wisdom Athena, Jason and Medea had completely and utterly escaped the shackles of fate.
Were these things not worth celebrating?
Of course, not everything was good news.
While many troubles had been resolved, Jason had simultaneously acquired a whole new set of headaches that made his temples throb just thinking about them.
The god-slaying sword Mistilteinn, the imminent battle between Typhon and Zeus, and… the love of the Goddess of Wisdom Athena…
All in all, apart from continuing to take things one step at a time and dealing with whatever came his way, Jason had no other choice.
He gently shook his head, temporarily pressing these worries to the bottom of his heart.
Just as Jason was about to devote himself fully to the lyre and enjoy this rare moment of peace and beauty…
"Jason, hero in white… child, child, can you hear my voice?"
A slightly anxious female voice suddenly rang urgently in Jason's ear.
Hearing it, Jason's body paused for a moment.
A helpless feeling inevitably rose in his heart.
He knew that this brief period of peace was, once again, about to slip away from him.
"The child… Sister Amphitrite told me to find you. She said you would surely be able to help me. Can you hear my voice?"
Sister Amphitrite?
At that title, Jason's expression flickered. He was just about to respond when…
"Ah! He's here, he's here!"
"Child, you must help me, you absolutely must help me!"
He's here?
Who?
Jason was still bewildered when…
"Strange, where did she hide? I can't find her anywhere."
Along with that somehow familiar male voice ringing in his ear, Jason instantly realized who had arrived. His entire body stiffened.
There really weren't that many men whose identity Jason could recognize in an instant just from their voice.
And very quickly, the mystery was solved.
As Jason turned his slightly rigid neck to look…
A stranger suddenly appeared among the crowd on the Argo.
He wore a white robe and a white beard.
Lightning occasionally flashed across his eyes…
Indeed, who else could it be but Zeus, King of the Gods of Olympus!
The moment Jason saw Zeus, the female voice that had been echoing in his mind vanished.
Having quickly pieced everything together, Jason could not help swallowing hard.
Lady Amphitrite… are you deliberately making things difficult for me, Jason?!
A bitter smile appeared on Jason's face.
A goddess seeking help, and Zeus searching…
There was literally no need for deduction; the situation was instantly clear!
As expected of you, Your Majesty Zeus.
The effects of the god-slaying sword haven't even fully faded yet, and you've already set your sights on Lady Amphitrite's younger sister?!
While countless thoughts raced through Jason's mind and he swallowed with difficulty, Zeus seemed to notice Jason's gaze and turned to look at him.
Their eyes met. Jason immediately stopped playing and reflexively stood up to greet Zeus.
But Zeus hurriedly waved his hand to stop him and even gestured for Jason to pretend he hadn't seen him.
"Hm? Brother, is something the matter?"
The music suddenly ceased. Medea, who had been standing beside Jason feeding the many sea creatures drawn by his playing, tilted her head in puzzlement and looked at him.
"Uh… n-no, it's nothing."
Seeing Zeus's gesture, Jason hesitated for a moment before sitting back down.
He began playing the lyre once more.
Thus the people on board thought nothing of it and continued enjoying this beautiful night.
Seeing Jason play along so cooperatively, Zeus let out a breath of relief, gave Jason a satisfied smile, and nodded.
The Argo was often watched by gods; Zeus, who had sneaked aboard, clearly did not wish to be discovered.
Especially by Queen Hera…
To Zeus's smile, Jason could only respond with a slightly stiff one of his own.
Even with a heart as bold as Jason's, he could not help feeling a certain guilt at this moment.
Whether because of the god-slaying sword or because of Athena.
Thus, when he saw Zeus not only showing no intention of leaving soon but even walking around the ship, clearly searching for something, Jason felt his head grow three sizes larger.
This is troublesome…
Jason muttered to himself.
Naturally he did not wish to provoke Zeus, yet… under these circumstances, Jason could not help thinking of a few people.
First, the serpent demon Lamia; second, the princess Io.
Although the punishments they suffered came from Queen Hera, remembering their wretched appearances from back then, Jason found it impossible to remain unmoved by the current situation.
Moreover, the Queen of the Sea Amphitrite had shown him kindness.
Therefore, Jason's gaze quietly began searching the surroundings.
Searching for the source of that goddess's voice.
At the same time, using the ability to hear the voices of all things granted by the Goddess of Agriculture Demeter, and listening to the conversations of every living creature nearby, Jason very quickly gained a rough idea of the goddess's current location.
His gaze drifted, as if by chance, toward Medea, who was happily feeding the sea creatures beside him.
He also glanced at the marine life illuminated by the moonlight.
And among that group of sea creatures, Jason immediately spotted a beautiful white dolphin that stood out from the rest.
The instant he saw it, Jason knew without a doubt that this was the unknown goddess.
Because unlike the other sea creatures, it did not try to catch the food Medea threw, but instead swam aimlessly while frequently looking up at the ship with distinctly human-like expressions of worry and sorrow.
Jason expressionlessly withdrew his gaze.
He even felt the urge to slap his own forehead.
Is this really how you disguise yourself?
You're practically screaming "I'm over here" so no one misses you!
While Jason was inwardly speechless, Zeus—who had searched the ship fruitlessly—noticed Medea feeding the creatures.
And began walking toward her…
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Jason's mind.
Then, using his ability to hear all things, a seagull that had received his command suddenly took flight and headed toward a certain spot on the Argo.
At the same moment, with a thought, faint golden particles gathered, and the spirit of the Argo warship—a blue-haired doll-like lady in maid attire—immediately appeared before Jason.
"Master Jason, do you have any orders?"
The ship spirit looked at Jason with slight confusion.
At the same time, Zeus's gaze also turned toward the ship spirit.
He showed a flash of surprise at the way she had appeared.
Then, after examining the ship spirit, he quickly looked down at the sacred Argo beneath his feet, realization dawning in his eyes.
Clearly, he understood what was going on.
"Argo, fire a few fireworks into the sky right now."
Jason ordered in a low voice.
"…Understood, as you command."
Though puzzled, the ship spirit who obeyed Jason completely immediately controlled the Argo and launched fireworks high into the air.
Brilliant fireworks blossomed beneath the starry night sky.
They instantly drew the attention of everyone aboard the Argo, including Zeus.
And at that very moment, the message carried by the seagull brought the one person most likely to stabilize the situation.
That person was none other than Jason's very first teacher, the centaur sage Chiron.
A being who, if one traced the bloodline strictly, was practically a half-brother to Zeus himself, sharing the same father!
Chiron had arrived still somewhat puzzled.
But the moment he scanned the surroundings and spotted Zeus, he froze for a second before instantly understanding why Jason had summoned him.
Yet the other party was, after all, the King of the Gods Zeus, so Chiron instinctively hesitated.
While he hesitated, he noticed the pleading look Jason sent his way.
With a helpless, bitter smile, he could only step forward and approach Zeus.
"It has been a long time, most revered and mighty King of the Gods of Olympus, Lord Zeus."
Chiron came to Zeus's side and spoke respectfully, only to see Zeus—who had just recovered from the fireworks—change expression slightly and hurriedly gesture for Chiron to lower his voice.
Then, under Jason's watchful eyes, the understanding Chiron led Zeus away, inviting him into the ship's cabin.
"Master Jason… that person, could he be…?!"
The ship spirit stared wide-eyed at Zeus being led away by Chiron, having clearly heard what was just said.
"Go attend to him immediately. Do not be remiss in any way, understood?"
Jason ordered the ship spirit with complete seriousness. Though her body stiffened for a moment, faced with her master's command, she could only nod.
Seeing this, Jason could not help comforting her. "Don't worry, Teacher Chiron is there too. Everything will be fine."
"Alright, Master, I'm going." The ship spirit gave Jason a pitiful, aggrieved blink before vanishing.
Once they were gone, Jason finally let out a small breath of relief.
He stopped playing the lyre and walked over to Medea's side, smiling as he said, "What is it, little sister? You seem distracted… is there some creature down there you like?"
"Oh, that white dolphin is so cute!"
Jason spoke as though he had only just noticed the white dolphin in surprise.
"Big brother noticed it too?"
Medea answered, "Yes, it really is adorable. It's just a shame… I wonder if it's sick. I've been trying to feed it, but it won't eat anything…"
"I see… Then let me go ask it."
Saying so, Jason walked down.
He came to the side of the ship and waved to the white dolphin, beckoning it over.
The white dolphin looked at Jason clad in white and immediately realized that this was the hero Lady Amphitrite had told her to find, the one who could help her.
Thus, after a brief hesitation, she swam over to Jason.
Just as the goddess was wondering whether she should reveal her identity to Jason…
Jason leaned forward, smiled, reached out to touch her, gently stroked her head, then lowered his body and whispered, "You must be the esteemed goddess, correct?"
The white dolphin froze, then looked at Jason in shock.
After recovering, she nodded frantically.
"How did you know it was me…?"
Before the goddess could finish, Jason interrupted her and said, "Lady goddess, listen to me. From now on, please do not make any sound at all.
I will take you to a safe place…
Will you trust me?"
Jason asked her.
Hearing this, the white dolphin raised her head and looked into Jason's eyes.
After meeting his gaze, she could not help but be stunned for a moment.
And then…
"I will trust you, hero who wears the sacred white garments, because your eyes are so beautiful!"
At those words, Jason inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned his head to Medea, who had followed him over, and said, "Little sister, it really does seem to be sick… Here's what we'll do. I've talked to it. You use magic to bring it to your room first, and then we'll treat it together, alright?"
"Is it really sick?"
Medea exclaimed in alarm and came over.
Looking at the beautiful dolphin, she could not resist reaching out to touch her and said, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll heal you… Big brother, talk to it.
Rest assured, I will definitely cure it!"
"Mm." Jason gave a soft smile, then pretended to speak a few more words to the dolphin. As if suddenly remembering something, he added, "Oh, right, I still don't know your name…"
"Thetis!"
The goddess disguised as a white dolphin answered Jason. "My name is Thetis!"
By the time Thetis replied, Medea had finished her spell, and Thetis in dolphin form suddenly rose from the sea into the air.
Seeing that the dolphin showed no sign of struggling, Medea could not help exclaiming in surprise to Jason, "Big brother, this dolphin is so smart!"
"Mm."
Jason answered with a smile. After she carried the dolphin away, he let out a breath of relief, but then turned his aching gaze…
Toward the direction where Chiron had taken Zeus…