44 The choice given by Hera, the ordinary road

[T/N: A nearly triple-sized chapter.]

Three months have passed since Jason began living in the temple of Demeter.

But except for the transformation potion that Jason has initially learned, he did not get to learn any other very good potion later on.

It's not that Jason doesn't want to learn, but it's just that his younger sister, Medea, who is also his senior, has only learned some auxiliary potions, with most of them being mainly used for healing.

Even the spells that she has learned are also mostly related to healing magic and almost no offensive magic.

After all, even if Medea is a genius, she has studied under Hecate only for little less than a year.

Simultaneously, it was precisely because it had only been a year of studying in loneliness that when Medea learned about a junior coming to speak with her, she seemed so excited and enthusiastic about meeting her junior, Jason, as well as became clingy to him.

If it had been a few years later, she would have become quite numb and used to living alone due to the life in the underworld.

As for if this is Jason's fortune or misfortune...

"Come here, Handsome Brother Pegasus, this is today's potion... ahem, no, this is today's fresh green grass."

In the stable, Jason took the fresh grass sprinkled with a newly made potion and handed it to Pegasus, who is still here due to Hestia's orders.

Pegasus turned his body sideways while softly neighing twice with a face that in human terms would be a blank expression, indicating that he would not eat.

"Don't worry, Brother Pegasus, this time grass is absolutely fresh and fine."

Pegasus flicked his tail at Jason, indicating that he wouldn't be fooled this time!

'After eating it last time, I had been paralyzed for whole four days and three nights. If it wasn't for the fact that I couldn't leave because of the Goddess's orders, I would have run away long ago.'

"Brother Pegasus, after you eat this green grass, I will take you out to find a wild female horse within two days. I have heard that there are horse herds in the mountain nearby... By the way, I also know the deer of Goddess Artemis. Do you know Sister Deer? She is so beautiful!"

Just when Jason was racking his brains to please Pegasus and make it willing to become his experimental...horse?...

"Hey, isn't this Poseidon's Pegasus, he has actually given it to you for safekeeping?"

Suddenly, a slightly familiar voice reached Jason's ears.

Then, Hermes, who is wearing a feather hat on his head and a short-sleeved tunic, with a staff in his hand, stepped aside and came in front of Jason.

After looking at Pegasus with interest for a while, Hermes smiled at Jason and said: "Speaking of which, you actually dared to target Artemis's golden-horned deer, if Artemis knows about…"

"I was joking, really just joking!"

When Jason heard this, he hurriedly threw away the grass to prove his innocence and then began explaining while completely ignoring the feelings of Pegasus, who he has just been trying to fool.

"Sister Deer cares and loves me so much, how could I possibly plan anything bad about her! …Speaking of which, why are you here, God Hermes? Are you here for the goddess Demeter?"

"No, I'm here for you."

"For me?" Jason was stunned for a moment, then immediately said after short thinking: "By the way, God Hermes, I haven't thanked you for your help last time. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to successfully take away sister Persephone."

If it was any other God then they may have thought that Jason is really expressing gratitude, after all, his gratitude isn't really fake.

However, Hermes is the God of Lies and Thieves, so how could he not discover that the real reason why Jason has expressed this 'sincere' gratitude is to inform Demeter through the plants around him that one of the Gods who has helped him in taking away Persephone is here so that she can come here and protect him.

"...Kid, you are as smart as ever."

Hermes touched Jason's head: "But such a reminder is unnecessary, Demeter has no time to take care of me or you now, she has been taken to Mount Olympus by Ares."

'Ares? ...the God of War, one of the twelve main gods of Olympus?'

"And don't worry, I came to you this time not to tell you to do something, but to send a message... Goddess Hera has told me to pass on a few words to you."

'Hera...'

Hearing this name, Jason's eyes widened in surprise.

But he soon calmed himself down.

Then just sighed in his heart while thinking: 'What should come... has, after all, arrived.'

Immediately, both found an independent place to sit down, then Hermes said: "Hera asked me to tell you that she can forgive you for your actions so far, and will not hold you accountable."

"But the condition is that from today, you must take the initiative to cut off all relations with Hecate and other Gods."

"And also swear to the gods of Olympus that you will always and only believe in her!"

When Hermes finished speaking about Hera's conditions, he began observing Jason with a clear interest in his eyes, obviously expecting an interesting reaction.

However, to his disappointment, Jason's expression did not show such a reaction.

And only seemed a little surprised.

"...That's all?"

Jason questioningly looked at Hermes.

After all, Jason is really surprised, he had originally thought that Hera would at least tell him to complete a few tasks and then walk to Mount Olympus and apologize to her in front of all the other gods.

Because Jason also knows that the story of him humiliating Hera has been spread far and wide!

"Little fellow, your reaction is a bit wrong."

While feeling a little speechless, Hermes said: "I had thought you would be sad, angry, or excited, but you... what's wrong with your situation?"

"Well... because I have learned about it from God Poseidon last time, so I have actually been mentally prepared since a long time ago."

Jason thought for a while, and replied truthfully to Hermes: "So I have originally thought that Goddess Hera would at least tell me to complete a few tasks then go to her and apologize in the presence of other gods."

"Generally speaking...that indeed seems to be the case."

Hermes smiled and said: "But you are a bit special, even Hera doesn't dare to directly target you, and I think she seems to hope that you can return to her, so she is comparatively tolerant to you."

'Doesn't dare to target me?'

Jason obviously took this as a joke.

Others don't yet know about the Twelve Labors of Heracles as well as its origin, but how could Jason, who is a transmigrator, won't know about it?

"What is your answer?"

"This..."

"Don't worry, you have three days."

Hermes got up and pressed his hat, and said to Jason: "Although Hera's original words were to make you choose immediately, you have helped me a lot last time and brought Persephone out of the temple, which was originally my job."

"So, this time, I will secretly spend some efforts to get the time of three days for you, and I will come to you after three days."

"By the way, if you choose Hera, you don't have to worry about the revenge from Hecate and other Gods, because Hera has already said that when you return to her arms, she will pledge to Styx to protect you for the rest of your life. "

After speaking this. Hermes left.

After watching Hermes leave, Jason turned his head to look at the door and asked softly: "Did you hear all of it?"

A short silence after the words fell, Medea carefully walked out of the shadows, and anxiously explained to Jason: "Brother Jason, it is not like this, I did not intend to eavesdrop on your conversation. …"

"I am not blaming you, because obviously, God Hermes, has deliberately let you hear him... no, to be precise, let teacher Hecate hear his words."

*****

Jason's guess is indeed right, after all, if Hermes hadn't done it on purpose, Medea really wouldn't have had a chance to eavesdrop.

Therefore, at this time, Hecate, who is far away in Underworld, naturally has learned that Hera is trying to snatch her believer... even though, it is originally Hera's believer that she has unknowingly snatched first.

After all, the truth is that Jason has taken the initiative to become her believer.

'Choice of Paths...'

In the underworld, in silence, Hecate looked at the experiment that has already been scrapped because of the distraction just now, and could only helplessly put down the potions in her hand.

'I have always wondered, if the path of being favored by the gods and the path of destruction of the gods exist because of having a thin line between them, then why did that ordinary path appear on you, Jason.'

'I have thought at first that it was the result of you giving up on yourself, but it turns out... in the end, this path is also due to the interference of gods.'

Thinking like this, Hecate couldn't help shaking her head, then thought in her heart: 'Jason... The three miracles I have seen in you turned out to have such an inseparable relation with the gods.'

'And you... actually don't at all want to have a relationship with any of the gods.'

After being in a long silence, Hecate sighed while feeling speechless.

*****

Soon, the three days time given to Jason is about to be over.

And during these three days, Jason has stayed alone in his room without leaving even once.

Although Medea is feeling very impatient, she did not dare to rashly go in, so she could only pray to Hecate and ask her for advice.

So at late night on the last day.

"Teacher, I thought you wouldn't come."

Sitting by the window while looking out of it for three days, Jason finally showed a smile on his face.

And behind him, Hecate walked out of the moonlight.

"I didn't want to come... If it wasn't for that child Medea, who prayed to me over and over again, then even cried more than once, I wouldn't have cared about this."

Hecate walked to the side of the bed on which Jason is sitting, then sat down while complaining.

After her words fell, both remained silent for a while.

"If I hadn't come, you would have chosen Hera."

When Jason heard this, he couldn't help looking at Hecate in surprise.

"Because this is a good opportunity; since Hera has said she will pledge to Styx to protect you for the rest of your life, she would never be able to go back on it, so even if you didn't do anything in the future, your goal would have been achieved... to live."

"To live a tranquil life."

That's right, Jason's goal has always been to work hard so that he can survive in this world.

After all, the name Jason has really brought him a lot of pressure.

Once, Jason has even planned to run and hide in an uninhabited place, but this world is too dangerous to even do that; just like in the case of Demeter's anger, the earth was dried and countless creatures died.

Jason has recognized the fact that without enough strength, he will very likely be killed by various accidents.

But with enough strength, many Gods will start interfering in his life and he might just get closer and closer to the fate of the original Jason.

That's why Jason has decided to work hard for becoming a God, but he also knows that it is a long way ahead with a small probability of success.

But at this moment, he has been given another path, if he chooses Hera, then everything will be solved.

He can decide to leave and escape to some small and unknown places to spend the rest of his life peacefully, because Hera, the Queen of Gods, would have pledged to Styx to protect him in this life.

Moreover, as long as he chooses to run away, then Gods and Goddesses such as Athena will naturally be disappointed in him and ignore him.

It would indeed be very shameful for Jason to run away, but he just can't deny that it would have been very easy and effective... And as a person who has suddenly crossed into this dangerous world, and that too as a person who has lived an ordinary life till now, all this time, Jason's only wish had been to survive and live.

"Yes."

Therefore, Jason nodded happily and smiled at Hecate, then said: "Sure enough, Teacher Hecate, you know me... I think, in this world, only you and Teacher Chiron can understand me."

"You are right, if you hadn't come, tomorrow I would have gone to Hermes and chosen Goddess Hera because I know that you are different from Goddess Hera, you will not hate me, Teacher Hecate."

"And if I have to guess, then if I really leave, you will probably only breathe a sigh of relief, but... Teacher Hecate, finally, you are here."

"Yeah, I would have been really relieved that you're gone."

Hecate continued in a helpless tone: "But I'm here... You tell me, who should I blame?"

After saying this, Hecate waved to Jason and motioned him to come over.

Upon seeing this, Jason immediately covered his face and said pitifully to Hecate: "Teacher, can you be gentle this time?..."

Hearing this, a dazzling smile appeared on Hecate's face.

Jason was immediately discouraged, and after he walked over, as expected, he was caught by Hecate, then she fiercely ravaged him to vent out her anger and annoyance.

After venting out, Hecate again held Jason in her arms and said to him after releasing a sigh: "You... I actually knew you are waiting for me to come, and I also know that you are deliberately taking advantage of this opportunity to ask me something, but before that, I ask you one thing, do you know why I came here?"

"I am... I just got too soft-hearted!"

"If you run away tomorrow, then I'm too lazy to care about you, but you're my student now... you rascal!"

"And as your teacher, I know that you have always wanted to change your own destiny and do not want to have any entanglement with gods, so when I thought of all your struggles till now but the final result is still going to be directed by the gods, I... had to come here."

"Forget it, you scoundrel, since you want to know the answer so much, I'll tell you... Anyway, with the divine power Hades has used to temper your soul, I think even the three Goddesses of Fate will find it difficult to even directly spy on the traces of your destiny."

After she finished speaking, without waiting for Jason to reply, Hecate turned him around, to make him sit face to face with her, then lowered herself to rest her forehead on Jason's forehead.

"Look into my eyes... it will tell you what you want to know!"

So, from Hecate's eyes, Jason saw... three fates, completely different from the original fate of Jason in his memory.

'Not one, but three, new paths!'

Soon, because of the spell of memory synchronization, when Jason completely saw the three roads she has seen that day, through Hecate's vision, Jason's expression at this moment... It can be described as quite wonderful!

"Teacher Hecate..."

Immediately, Jason said to Hecate with an expression looking like he was about to cry: "Why did you come here?!... Can you turn back the time? Can I regret it?"

"No, my lovely student."

Hecate pinched Jason's cheek, and at this moment the depression on her face has completely disappeared and even her smile has turned as bright as the early morning sunlight.

Then, Hecate happily said to him: "Oh, little Jason, you are so considerate of your teacher's feelings. Originally, I was prepared to eternally endure this silently for your sake, but now you scoundrel... ahem, my good student, I really haven't taken care of you in vain till now!"