Though he didn't always seem reliable, Alaric had to admit, when it came to making friends, Jason truly had a talent for it.
After confirming Alaric and Circe's participation, Jason immediately gathered his Argonauts and, with great enthusiasm, introduced the two newcomers.
He bragged about their abilities and achievements, painting them in glowing colors.
And when it came time to introduce his own crew, Jason's tone was even more spirited.
Every one of his companions was described as someone of unmatched valor and brilliance, as though they were the rarest beings under heaven.
Needless to say, everyone was quite pleased to be praised so extravagantly.
Indeed, this was the kind of man who, though not powerful himself, could still unite heroes under the banner of the Argo.
During this lively gathering, Alaric naturally met many of Greece's legendary heroes.
There was Caeneus, whose pale hair and tanned skin made him look like a charmingly curvy girl, though in truth he was a man who had once been a woman.
His beauty had caught the attention of Poseidon, who had forced himself upon her; afterward, she wished to become a man, and so it was granted.
Then there were the twin brothers Castor and Polydeuces, masters of fist and foot, who in myth would later become the constellation Gemini.
He also met the towering, scarred figure of Heracles, the mightiest hero of Greece, along with his beloved ward, the beautiful young Hylas.
Among them, too, was Peleus, brother of Telamon and father of another famous hero, Achilles.
And of course, as Alaric had expected, there was the green-haired huntress, the lovely yet perpetually irritable Atalanta.
Having grown up in the wild, her eyes were as sharp as a beast's, her hair unkempt and untouched by artifice, her manner stripped of any noblewoman's refinement.
Her speech was archaic, her personality forthright, and she possessed a strange, captivating charm.
Perhaps noticing Alaric's particular interest in her, Jason leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Don't be fooled by that delicate face, she's a fearsome one. She joined the expedition on her own, and she's… not exactly fond of men.
The only one she tolerates enough to exchange a few words with is Peleus, but even he once got publicly flattened by her in a duel.
So, my friend, it'd be wise to approach that violent lady with care."
Jason's warning was well-intentioned, but he failed to account for Atalanta's beastlike hearing.
The moment she caught his teasing words, Atalanta didn't even speak, she simply drew her longbow and aimed it straight at Jason, making him yelp and sprint away in terror.
She let out a cold snort and loosed two arrows in quick succession, each one striking the ground precisely at Jason's heels.
That was enough of a warning; Jason fled far away, while the others broke into laughter.
Perhaps, for them, Atalanta punishing Jason was just another part of the daily entertainment.
Only after Atalanta's irritation had cooled did Jason sneak back to Alaric's side.
"See? See? That grumpy woman's a real handful. Someone as refined as you would have nothing but headaches if you got tangled up with her."
"Not necessarily," Alaric replied with a confident smile. "If it were me, Tamao would never act like that."
"Tamao?" Jason and Circe both blinked in confusion.
"Is that some kind of nickname for her?"
"Of course," Alaric said matter-of-factly. "That girl's so petite and soft, it's like she's a cute little cat, don't you think?"
"So that's why you call her Tamao?" Jason rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Impressive. Even your nicknames are works of art."
Circe, however, was starting to pout.
"Uuu… that's so unfair! You just met her, and she already gets such a cute nickname… Where's mine then?"
Ignoring the sulking witch, Alaric strode confidently toward the green-haired huntress.
And immediately found himself with the tip of an arrow aimed at his throat.
"Man," she said coldly, "keep your distance, or you'll get an arrow through your heart."
"So you're lumping me in with the others?" Alaric crossed his arms, an odd smile curling on his lips. "Well, I suppose I can't blame you, given your past…"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you know?"
Like a startled wildcat, Atalanta suddenly moved, her figure blurring out of sight.
In the blink of an eye, she was standing right before Alaric.
No one else had even seen her move; in just an instant, she had crossed several meters.
It was speed beyond human limits.
Now, the arrow she'd nocked was pressed right against Alaric's throat.
"Why," she whispered, voice low and cold, "did you bring that up?"
All around them, the gathered heroes stared in shock.
None of them had seen what happened.
They all knew Atalanta was fiery-tempered, but even Jason, who annoyed her daily, had never been truly attacked.
Why, then, was this new man suddenly being threatened at arrowpoint after merely speaking to her?
Several heroes stepped forward to intervene, and Jason called out anxiously.
"Hey, hey, hey! You two, calm down! No need for weapons! Ye, my friend, didn't you say you could handle this? And you, Miss Circe, your companion's being threatened; aren't you the least bit worried?"
"Ha! That womanizer?" Circe huffed, clearly enjoying the scene. "Serves him right. But don't worry, he's strong. A little wildcat like her isn't his match."
That reassurance made Jason relax a little.
Meanwhile, Alaric raised a hand, motioning for the others to stay back. Then, in a calm voice that only Atalanta could hear, he said:
"So what if you were abandoned by your parents? That doesn't mean you were unloved. You were raised in affection, weren't you? Otherwise, you'd have died in the forest long ago."
Atalanta hesitated, then muttered softly, "…That's true. Mother Bear loved me dearly. But… how do you know that?"
Her voice turned cold again as she spoke the last words.
"How do I know?" Alaric's smile deepened, a faint trace of nostalgia glinting in his eyes.
"Maybe you've long forgotten, but that doesn't matter. What does is this: the shoes you're wearing… I'm the one who gave them to you."
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