Finally arrived.
Looking down at the Kingdom of Calydon, which he had visited three years ago, Jason withdrew his thoughts and let out a sigh of relief.
The experiences along this journey had truly left Jason a little terrified.
It was clearly not a long distance, yet no matter where he went, he encountered gods.
He had gotten himself covered in trouble.
Weren't gods supposed to be beings that were extremely difficult to meet, that ordinary people could never see even if they spent their entire lives trying?
Even if his name was Jason, this probability was still a bit ridiculous!
Thinking of this, Jason couldn't help but sigh.
Whatever, he was already used to it…
"Brother Horse, let's go down."
Jason said as he stroked Pegasus's head. Then his lips moved slightly as he chanted the magic he was currently most proficient in and took out the staff bestowed by Goddess Hecate.
Using the invisibility spell engraved on the staff, a copy of the Helmet of Hades, Jason and Pegasus secretly slipped into Calydon.
Three years ago, Jason had come here following his senior brother, Meleager, Prince of the Kingdom of Calydon.
And when they parted, Meleager had even given Jason a large amount of traveling money and a treasured sword.
It was clear that under Chiron, Jason was truly very favored.
After all, Jason aspired to become the social butterfly among Greek heroes, so he had spared no effort in currying favor with these senior and junior brothers.
And at the thought that he would soon see Meleager, Heracles, and the other senior brothers, Jason's mood couldn't help but lift a little.
Soon, when the invisible Jason and Pegasus arrived inside the Kingdom of Calydon, it was already night.
As for why he was using invisibility, of course it was because Jason did not want to attract too much attention.
And if possible, Jason hoped in the end to participate in the grand feat of slaying the Calydonian Boar as one of Meleager's followers or something similar.
Not as a hero.
Just as Jason was leading Pegasus and quietly sneaking into the kingdom, using the extremely convenient positioning guide given by Athena to find Meleager, he discovered the prince was in the training grounds.
Moreover, by sheer coincidence, he was sparring with Heracles, and there were only the two of them in the training field.
And when the invisible Jason saw the two-meter-tall, muscular Heracles, he was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but feel the urge to back out.
After all, how should he put it… he had just done something bad that very morning, and now in the evening he had run into the person in question.
Just as Jason was hesitating.
"…You're saying that junior brother Jason is coming?"
Meleager's voice came from over there, and the topic of conversation was none other than Jason himself.
"Mm." Heracles nodded, hesitated for a moment, then said in a rather uncertain tone, "He'll probably… come, right? After all, Teacher Chiron replied to me and said that junior brother Jason has already set off this way riding Pegasus."
"And Teacher Chiron also instructed me to take good care of our junior brother."
"Mm, if junior brother Jason really is coming, we do indeed need to take good care of him." Meleager said seriously.
After all, in his impression, Jason was still that little junior brother who lazed around every day, never seriously trained in martial arts, and made people especially worried about him.
Even though during this period Heracles had told Meleager more than once that Jason was no longer the same.
Meleager still subconsciously chose to look after Jason.
"I think it's probably not the kind of 'taking care' you're imagining." Heracles gave a wry smile and said, "Teacher Chiron told us to take junior brother Jason around more… and if necessary, tie him up and make sure he gets out and does things this time!"
"What do you mean?" Meleager looked at Heracles in confusion.
"For example, this matter with the boar. Teacher said we shouldn't hold back. Even if we have to kick junior brother Jason in the butt, we should throw him in front of the boar."
"…For real?" Meleager was shocked.
Jason, who happened to overhear this conversation, was also shocked.
"His exact words. If you don't believe me, look for yourself." Heracles said helplessly, stopping the training with Meleager, walking to the side, and taking out the letter.
"Let me see, let me see…"
Meleager, who found it hard to believe that these words could come from the gentle and refined Teacher Chiron, took the letter and skimmed through it, then couldn't help but laugh.
Because what Heracles said really was the original wording.
And not only that, Chiron also said that they didn't need to be too polite with Jason, and that throwing him in front of the boar was fine because he definitely wouldn't die anyway.
He further instructed Heracles and Meleager not to take such good care of Jason, not to let him have time to slack off, and to make him do more things.
Finally, he solemnly declared that this was an order from the teacher!
"Teacher Chiron's instructions are just too strange…"
Meleager covered his mouth and laughed. He had not yet finished speaking to Heracles, who was also amused by the contents of the letter.
"Teacher Chiron is going way too far!" A third voice that couldn't hold back suddenly rang out beside the two of them.
"Too far, absolutely too far! What is the meaning of this, what does he mean by this! Is this really Teacher Chiron? It can't be fake, right!"
The indignant, teeth-gnashing shout naturally stunned both of them.
"Who's there!" Meleager instantly drew the treasured sword at his waist.
"Wait!" Heracles, who had only been away from the mountain for a year and had thus spent two more years on the mountain with Jason, stopped Meleager.
"This voice, and this magic…"
Heracles smiled. "Junior brother Jason, when did you arrive?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, under Meleager's first confused and then astonished gaze, Jason dispelled the invisibility magic and appeared in front of the two.
And when Meleager saw the Jason before him after three years, he couldn't help but be stunned.
Although the Jason of three years ago was already quite good-looking, a cute shota, now…
He was dressed all in white, with the holy Pegasus quietly standing by his side.
The childishness had faded from his face, replaced by handsome features that were no less brilliant than those of Apollo, God of Light, and a pair of clear emerald eyes.
And very comfortable to look at… Unlike most Greek heroes, Jason gave off an extremely pleasant feeling.
Because he completely lacked the untamed arrogance that most Greek heroes possessed.
Instead, because of his increasingly close relationship with Goddess Hecate and the little witch Medea, Jason's unique refined elegance and intellectual beauty were displayed to exquisite perfection.
This was also the reason why, when Athena, Hestia, and Hermes saw Jason three years later, they all nodded in approval and praise.
After all, these Greek gods were all complete looks-first types…
Therefore…
"Jason?" Meleager looked at the Jason before him in shock, carefully examining him and saying in disbelief, "You… you're really Jason?"
As he spoke, Meleager couldn't help turning to look at Heracles.
Heracles nodded.
"What's wrong, senior brother Meleager." Jason said to Meleager with a smile, "It's only been three years. You don't recognize your junior brother anymore?"
"N-No, it's just that you've… you've changed too much!" Meleager exclaimed in wonder, "If you told me you weren't Jason but Lord Apollo, God of Light, I'd believe it!"
Even Meleager reacted like this, which shows that when the King of Lycia and those Lycian warriors had treated Jason as a god descended from the heavens, it was not entirely without reason.
"No, no, no, how would I dare compare myself to Lord Apollo." Hearing this, Jason hurriedly shook his head and replied, "Lord Apollo is a hundred… no, millions of times more handsome and beautiful than I am!"
One of Jason's survival rules: never compare anything about yourself to a god, because no matter how small the matter, a god might take offense!
Seeing Jason react so strongly, the stunned Meleager couldn't help but recall a past event.
About Hecate.
Back when Meleager had tried to help Hecate, who had transformed into an old woman, Jason had reacted in almost exactly the same way. And afterward, Meleager naturally learned that Jason had long known the old woman was a god, which was why his reaction had been so extreme.
So at this moment, looking at the Jason before him who felt both unfamiliar and familiar, Meleager, who had come back to his senses, couldn't help but laugh.
"You little rascal…"
Meleager couldn't resist rubbing Jason's head and said with a smile, "You really surprised your senior brother… Among all the heroes gathering here, I think aside from her, you will definitely be the most dazzling one!"
"Her?" Jason asked, slightly curious.
"Yes, she is a female hero as beautiful as the great Moon Goddess Artemis herself. Whoever can marry her will surely be incredibly happy!" Meleager said with longing.
Jason blinked, then looked at Heracles and pointed at him. "Senior brother Meleager… has fallen in love?"
"No, I'm simply amazed by her beauty."
Meleager smiled and said, "But if I really could marry her, that would naturally be the greatest honor of my life!"
"Senior brother Meleager, you are the prince of the Kingdom of Calydon." Jason couldn't help laughing when he heard this. "And you're Teacher Chiron's outstanding student. How many women in the world could reject you?"
"But he was rejected."
Heracles delivered the fatal blow. "He invited that lady to the banquet today, but she turned him down, so he dragged me here to train."
"Eh, he was actually rejected?" Jason couldn't help but feel amused. "Who is she? To reject senior brother like that, she has no eye for quality. What kind of uncivilized woman is she?"
"Don't say that. She seems to be the princess of Arcadia, not some uncivilized woman." Meleager said with slight embarrassment, scratching his head. "As for her name, she is called Atalanta."
"…Wait, who did you say?"
Jason, who had been smiling, suddenly froze, his smile becoming stiff.
Looking doubtfully at Jason, who seemed a bit off, Meleager said, "Her name is Atalanta. What's wrong?"
Just as he finished speaking.
A soft cry of a deer suddenly rang in the ears of the three.
Then, under the gazes of the three who instinctively turned their heads, a beautiful golden-horned deer walked toward Jason beneath the moonlight.
And it brought with it the oracle of Moon Goddess Artemis.