"Ahem…"
That night,
in Hephaestus's temple, inside her room.
Jason looked at Hephaestus sitting on the bed illuminated by divine fire. Her arms were as white as lilies, her beautiful golden curls cascaded over her shoulders.
She gently patted her legs, motioning for Jason to lie down. She wore only a simple white robe, yet she was still breathtakingly beautiful… After all, Hephaestus was the child of Queen of Heaven Hera and King of Gods Zeus.
If one set aside the black mask covering half her face, she was clearly a beautiful goddess who would not pale in comparison to any other.
"Goddess Hephaestus…"
"It's Teacher." Hephaestus gently corrected, emphasizing the word.
"Then, Teacher Hephaestus, um… I will definitely sleep. I promise you, I will sleep obediently!"
Hephaestus's amber eyes stared straight at Jason. Only after a moment did she speak softly, "Athena, Hestia, and Moon Goddess Artemis…"
"No, Lady Artemis really didn't—Lady Artemis truly didn't!" Jason hurriedly denied.
Hephaestus paused for a moment, her expression unchanged as she continued, "But you gave Artemis her tribute, while you still haven't given me mine."
Hearing this, Jason's eyes widened as he looked at Hephaestus in disbelief.
Under Jason's gaze, Hephaestus slightly lowered her head and looked away…
"And Hecate… I am your teacher now too. Or do you actually not acknowledge…"
"No, Teacher Hephaestus, stop! I was wrong, I understand, I really was wrong!" Jason raised his hands and helplessly walked over, lying down on Hephaestus's lap.
At this, the corners of Hephaestus's mouth curved upward slightly. Her pale, slender fingers gently combed through Jason's golden hair, stroking him.
In the end, as expected, the goddess's soft lullaby followed.
Thus, the golden-haired, blue-eyed Jason dressed in pure white robes fell asleep once more in the goddess's embrace.
Only this time, when Jason woke the next day,
Goddess Hephaestus did not leave as the others had. Instead, she stayed by his side until he awoke.
When Jason opened his eyes and saw Hephaestus bathed in the morning sunlight, her golden hair falling over her shoulders,
the image of Queen of Heaven Hera, buried deep in Jason's memories, suddenly surfaced in his mind…
Immediately afterward, Jason quickly got up from Hephaestus's lap. When he did, unmistakable regret flashed across Hephaestus's face.
"Ahem, um… Teacher Hephaestus, can you teach me forging today?"
Jason hurriedly changed the subject.
Hephaestus lightly shook her head. "Probably not… But if you really want to learn, I can make him leave."
Hearing this, Jason showed a puzzled expression.
But soon, that puzzlement was answered.
"Yo!"
In the main hall, the golden-haired god wearing a winged cap, Hermes, greeted the expressionless Jason with a beaming smile. "Long time no see… Well, actually just a few days.
But I really never expected you to take Hephaestus as your teacher. If Queen of Heaven Hera finds out… pfft."
As Hermes spoke, looking at Jason and Hephaestus before him, the image of the dignified and gorgeous Queen of Heaven Hera furiously stomping her foot in the divine palace involuntarily appeared in his mind…
Because before Hephaestus ascended to Olympus, she had once done something that nearly infuriated Hera to death.
And ever since, Hera had both hated and feared Hephaestus…
Long ago, Hephaestus had crafted an extraordinarily beautiful throne perfectly befitting Queen Hera's status.
She had then placed it on a path Hera frequently took.
Naturally, Hera fell in love with it at first sight and eagerly sat down, only for hidden mechanisms in the throne to lock all her joints.
The throne even sealed Hera's divine power, rendering her completely immobile.
Not even King of Gods Zeus could do anything, for forcibly destroying it might injure Hera while her power was suppressed.
In the end, the gods could only beg Hephaestus to come to Olympus.
This was also the reason the abandoned Hephaestus was ultimately able to return to Olympus and become one of the Twelve.
That feeling of powerlessness while her divine power was imprisoned had naturally left a deep trauma on Queen Hera.
Ever since, she would almost instinctively avoid Hephaestus whenever they crossed paths.
Of course, Jason knew nothing of this.
After all, though the gods might privately tease Hera about this great embarrassment, few dared to speak of it openly.
Looking at Hermes before him, Jason's eyelid twitched, and an expression of annoyance at impending trouble involuntarily appeared on his face…
"Oh, little Jason, that look really hurts my feelings!"
Hermes, seeing this, dramatically clutched his chest and said to Jason, "And here I thought we were best friends!"
"Lord Hermes, please do not speak of best friends. It makes me far too anxious and uneasy. You are the great Lord Hermes, after all."
Hearing this, Jason smiled and replied word by word.
"Ah, so cold, little Jason, so cold…"
Before Hermes could finish, Jason cut in very decisively with a full smile. "Lord Hermes, may I ask what brings you here?… Could it be there is news about Io?"
"No, I've been pressed hard lately."
Hermes could not help sighing. "Hiding from Queen Hera on one side while being rushed by King Zeus on the other… But now, I can finally hand this whole matter over to you completely."
Hermes spoke with visible relief.
Jason carried the divine artifact Athena had given him for guidance.
And now he also wore the divine artifact Athena had commissioned Hephaestus to forge that shielded him from Hera's perception.
Therefore, Hermes could now truly entrust the entire affair to Jason without worrying about Hera discovering it.
Jason quickly understood why Hermes had come and why Hermes had entrusted this task to him from the very beginning.
Clearly, Hermes had been waiting for this exact moment from the start. That was why, the moment Jason offered Hermes his tribute, Hermes had eagerly come looking for him.
"I also know a little about the matter of Io…" At that moment, Hephaestus, who had been silent until now, spoke calmly. "She is currently guarded by the hundred-eyed giant Argus. And the hundred-eyed giant Argus is not an enemy the current Jason can handle.
After all, even under Hera's orders, he is the giant who slew the monster Echidna!"
The name Echidna alone might not ring a bell, but mention another name and understanding would dawn.
Typhon, ancestor of all monsters.
Yes, the monster Echidna was Typhon's wife!
The invulnerable Nemean Lion, the three-headed hellhound Cerberus, and the fire-breathing chimera with the head of a lion, body of a goat, and tail of a serpent were all her children!
Thus, even though Argus slew Echidna while she slept, it was still enough to show his terrifying strength.
"In the past, I probably would not have interfered."
Hephaestus looked at Hermes and said calmly, "But now, he is my student, Hephaestus's student.
And since you have treated this matter as the tribute he offers you, then where is your gift… You didn't come empty-handed, did you?"
Her calm words carried an invisible pressure that made Hermes, under her gaze, feel weighed down.
"Relax, of course I prepared a gift long ago… Even if I hadn't, Athena definitely wouldn't let the child go to his death empty-handed!"
Hermes hurriedly explained and could not help glancing at Jason.
Good grief. First the Goddess of Roads Hecate, a special existence belonging to neither sky, earth, nor underworld, but unique within the entire pantheon.
Now added to that was Hephaestus, the God of Craftsmanship who could create devices capable of easily imprisoning even Queen Hera.
Even Chiron carried the blood of the previous generation's god-king and was the mentor of numerous great Greek heroes.
Three teachers, and not one of them ordinary…
And he had only just begun his journey. If he kept growing like this, even if Hera eventually discovered he had left the mountain, she would probably have no choice but to grit her teeth and accept it!
Hearing Hermes say this, Hephaestus gave a light nod.
"Then where is the gift? Bring it out."
"Well…"
Hermes showed an embarrassed expression. Under Hephaestus's raised eyebrow, he hurriedly explained, "No, I really did prepare one, and it is absolutely worthy of this child.
It is a magic flute capable of putting even the hundred-eyed giant Argus to sleep. It is nearly on the level of my own companion divine artifact!
Moreover, that flute was actually given to me by King of Gods Zeus… It's just that on the way here, there was a small accident. It was stolen by someone else!"
"And now…"
As Hermes spoke, Jason felt an ominous premonition. Hermes tilted his head toward Jason and said, "The other party specifically named Jason to come retrieve it. Only then will he hand the flute over to Jason…"
"Who?" Hephaestus asked with a frown.
"…The God of Light, Apollo."