章 12: The More You Know, The Quicker You Die!
'He is someone who can bring glory to Hera, but also to you!'
Facing Clotho and the prophecy given by the goddess of fate, even Athena was silent for a moment.
She then once more turned her gaze to the distant figure, the boy admired and supported by the people of Iolcos.
With his soft black hair and bright green eyes, Promise stood out even though he seemed frail compared to most heroes of this era.
But his artistic and scholarly appearance still made him stand out in the crowd.
"Is that so." After a long while, Athena smiled lightly again, not saying much more, as if she didn't mind, yet seemed to take it deeply to heart.
Following the sacrificial ceremony, Jason, Promise, and Hera went to a temple.
Fearful worshipers led the way, and the three walked in silence.
Jason, though bewildered and curious about all that had happened, dared not ask many questions, given that Hera was the revered queen.
In truth, he was now terrified, thinking back to how he had dared to speak so loudly to Hera on that stage!
Promise naturally kept his mouth shut, knowing the true cause of the whole farce.
Though the impromptu performance on stage had averted the worst outcome and restored things to their proper course fairly well, Hera had still faced a deeply embarrassing situation.
As Promise was thinking this, he suddenly noticed Hera's gaze.
Instinctively, he turned his head, and when their eyes met, the goddess immediately looked away in a fluster, avoiding his gaze.
In response, Promise could only offer a bitter smile.
It seems becoming Hera's devotee was a bit unlikely... he thought to himself.
The voyage of the Argo and the quest for the Golden Fleece were undoubtedly the main reasons he had followed Jason down the mountain.
And as mentioned before, Hera was his second goal.
After all, this was the Age of Gods in ancient Greece, a time when gods and humans coexisted.
In this era, any hero would inevitably cross paths with these gods.
Having a god on his side would make it easier to participate in various legendary tales.
So, finding a god to serve was a natural course of action.
As for why he chose Hera, the reason was simple.
Promise sought a god with one key condition: they must not have any romantic interest in him!
These gods, if infatuated, could follow a Heroic Spirit into a summoning, after all.
First, considering the portrayal of Artemis and Orion in the Nasuverse, he could decisively exclude the three virgin goddesses of Olympus.
Who knew if these goddesses, who swore eternal purity, had the same romantic inclinations as Artemis!
As for the male gods... Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo—no need to elaborate.
These bisexual gods were too much for Promise to handle!
Aphrodite and Hades were also out of the question—one flirted with Ares, and the other resided in the underworld, which Promise wasn't ready to visit yet.
So, narrowing down the candidates within the Olympian pantheon left him with very few options.
And Hera was the one he felt he could trust completely!
Hera valued her marriage deeply, being the goddess of marriage and childbirth and a was staunch defender of monogamy.
Despite the chaotic nature of ancient Greece and her husband, Zeus, being one of the main culprits, she never had any extramarital affairs.
In Greek mythology, she symbolized absolute fidelity!
As Promise' thoughts wandered, the fearful worshippers led them into the temple.
Arriving at the foot of the grand statue of the queen, Hera gave a single glance, and the worshippers quickly departed, leaving only the three of them—two men and a goddess.
Composing herself and trying to ignore Promise, Hera finally turned, directing her gaze at Jason as she spoke in a neutral, authoritative tone, "Do you know why I chose to help you?"
"Because Pelias took my father's throne by treacherous means, ignored your great presence, and desecrated the temple," Jason replied with a textbook answer, casting a quick glance at Promise.
And perhaps because there's something fishy between you and Promise!
Jason wasn't stupid.
He had noticed the odd dynamic between Hera and Promises, but he was smart enough not to mention it on the spot.
"That is part of it, but primarily it is due to the prophecy of the goddess of fate," Hera continued, disregarding Jason's sly look.
Her voice remained calm yet commanding. "She said that in the future, you will bring me glory. Therefore, I have high expectations for you, Jason. I will help you reclaim your rightful throne."
"Yes, great goddess Hera!" Jason responded quickly, his face lighting up with joy at Hera's promise. "I will not fail, nor will I betray your trust, goddess Hera!"
The latter nodded lightly, her expression still indifferent.
Jason's promise didn't seem to impress Hera much.
Her gaze 'inadvertently' shifted back to Promise.
Seeing him with his head bowed, silent, her expression clearly showed a mix of emotions.
She opened her mouth slightly, but in the end, said nothing.
By now, Hera had already understood everything.
She realized that Promises had acted for her benefit, preserving her dignity and even gaining her new followers and attention.
Hera was naturally pleased, especially since she knew the incident wasn't Promise' fault—she had acted on her own assumption and chosen the wrong person.
Yet, despite this understanding, as the queen of the gods, she couldn't bring herself to face him without embarrassment, remembering the awkwardness she felt on that stage.
So, after a moment of silence, Hera remained quiet.
Promise, who had mentally prepared for this, wasn't too disappointed.
Everything seemed to be back on track, and he would still be able to join the voyage of the Argo.
Thinking it unnecessary to strain relations with Hera further, Promise was prepared to leave with Jason, playing the role of a supportive companion.
"Honorable queen, I apologize for disturbing you."
When, a soft, gentle voice suddenly interrupted, as the petite goddess of fate, Clotho, dressed in a white robe, emerged from behind the statue of the queen.
"Clotho?" Hera looked at the unexpected visitor, her confusion evident. "What are you doing here?"
Clotho?
While Jason was still puzzled about who she was, Promise, having spent three years under Chiron's tutelage, quickly recognized her.
He stared in surprise at the goddess who controlled the fates of all living beings.
"I am here to apologize to you, great queen, and to correct an error made by my sister Atropos on that day..."
As she spoke, Clotho gently extended her hand, capturing three threads from the air.
The threads connected Hera, Jason, and Promise.
Thanks to Clotho's powers, they clearly saw that their threads of fate were intertwined.
Before the astonished Promise and Hera could fully grasp the situation, Clotho continued.
"While my sister Atropos's vision of the future wasn't wrong, and this future hero Jason will indeed bring you glory, there's more to it..."
As Clotho spoke, she gently pulled out Jason's thread.
With only the threads of Promise and Hera left intertwined, they remained connected rather than separated.
"Promise... he is also someone who can bring you glory, great queen!"
...
...
In the afternoon,
After Hera and the other gods had left, they had also met with Jason's uncle, Pelias.
Despite Pelias's ironclad expression and clear unwillingness to see them, he was forced to put on an ugly smile to greet them due to Hera's presence, making Jason feel immensely satisfied.
As everything returned to normal in the corridors of the Iolcos palace,
"So..."
With his arm around Promise' shoulder, Jason winked and asked, "Promises, what exactly is going on between you and that great goddess?"
The latter glanced at him and replied, "Do you want to stay alive?"
"Of course, my future is bright."
"The great queen has promised that I will regain my throne, and the goddess of fate has predicted that I will achieve great things. How could I not want to stay alive?"
Seeing Jason's proud and smug expression,
"Then stop prying. The more you know, the faster you die!"
After saying this, Promise ignored Jason's frozen expression, shook him off, and reached into the air, retrieving the golden Heroic Spirit Class Card.
He had a feeling that his Heroic Spirit rank... had definitely improved!
.
.
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