Twelve Gods' Tributes, Twelve Gods' Gifts

'Hopeless.'

If Pegasus could speak, it would surely sigh while describing Jason's case like this.

Pegasus has been with Jason for more than three years and although it can't be said it was a very long time, it is not too short either to not even understand each other.

Therefore, in the past three years, Pegasus has seen too many similar situations with Jason, and the level of cautiousness shown by Jason has long ago made him feel speechless.

After Jason confirmed Chimera's death, he expressed deep gratitude to every God who took action in Underworld to help him, then he expressed his willingness to sacrifice Chimera on the ground as a tribute.

But no one responded, so after waiting for a short while, Jason removed the magic circle.

Since the battle has ended, Jason's eyes naturally turned to the crowd of onlooking warriors not far away, but only after a little thought, he turned around and patted Pegasus.

"Brother Pegasus, let's go."

With a neigh, Pegasus squatted down, and Jason rode on him.

But just when both of them were about to leave like this and Pegasus has risen slightly above the ground...

"Wait, please wait, great god!"

A middle-aged bearded robust-looking man in silver armor hurried over to them on a horse, and after arriving below Jason, he saluted while saying: "Great God, I, king of Lycia, on behalf of the people of Lycia, thank you for killing the monster Chimera, please allow me to know your honorable name!"

Pegasus turned his head to look at Jason, apparently asking him about what to do next.

"Well...the noble King of Lycia, please, you don't need to do this, I'm not a great god, I am just a mortal."

Jason thought for a while, then to the surprised King of Lycia and the equally stunned warriors, who are also surprised upon hearing his words from a distance, he said: "I have arrived here this time just because I have received the oracle of the great Goddess of Hearth, Goddess Hestia."

"And now that Chimera is dead, I have completed the task given by Goddess Hestia, so if you want to thank someone, then please thank the great Goddess Hestia."

After speaking this, without even giving a chance to the King of Lycia for saying anything in reply, Jason gently patted Pegasus's head, and understanding Jason's hint, Pegasus immediately flapped its wings and began speedily rising higher under the moonlit night.

But, still, in the eyes of many people on the ground, Jason looked like the hero, who has saved them, is riding a winged horse and returning to the dazzling stars in the sky, just so that following the oracle of Gods he can come down again to save mortals.

"Isn't a god, but a hero who followed the oracle of the great Goddess Hestia... Then, great hero, please let us know your name!"

The king of Lycia shouted loudly.

And a few moments after his voice fell, the king of Lycia felt like he is having a misconception the speed of the hero returning to the stars seemed to have gotten a little faster...

"What are you still doing, hurry up and chase!"

But after being stunned only for a short while, the king of Lycia angrily said to the entourage beside him.

Hearing this, retinues around him immediately woke up from their stunned state and rode horses to begin chasing Jason from the ground below.

And while riding they were also loudly shouting their offers to Jason.

Like asking Jason to give his name so that his name can be celebrated throughout the kingdom, or hoping that Jason would come to the Lycian Kingdom as a guest so that they would get a chance to treat him with their highest courtesy!

But such chasing and shouting did not bring the hero back to them.

On the contrary, it only made Pegasus fly higher and faster.

After all, due to the altitude, although Jason doesn't exactly know what they have been shouting, he was indeed able to see them tirelessly chasing after him.

So, finally, Jason only left behind a strong impression on the warriors, that will soon be spread as a legend of a new hero.

'A hero, who fell from the stars, followed the guidance of God to kill the monster Chimera, then flying on a pegasus, again returned to the embrace of the stars under the night sky.'

'And turned into one of the dazzling stars in the sky.'

Simultaneously, under the moonlit night, Hestia, who has quietly followed Jason, naturally saw this scene.

So, while hiding in the shadows, watching Jason fleeing amid the loud calls of everyone below, Hestia couldn't help covering her mouth to let out a small chuckle, then sighed while blinking her eyes: 'Ah, sure enough, little Jason is really a special one and, handsome and so cute!'

*****

A short while later, Jason, who was constantly making Pegasus fly higher and faster, finally confirmed that he has left behind the people chasing him on the ground and couldn't see them anymore, so he patted his chest while releasing a sigh of relief.

"Hah, does someone really chase the one who has just helped them as if their life depends on it? I have even left Chimera's body with them, shouldn't they just let me go...you also think so too, right? Brother Pegasus?"

Pegasus turned his head to the side, just to squint at Jason.

After all, Pegasus also knows that with the level of cautiousness Jason has, there is no way Jason doesn't know that at least the King of Lycia does believe that, in a way, the life of his kingdom does depend on honoring Jason with their highest courtesy.

Because, although something like this won't happen in this case, in most of the other cases, if the kingdom doesn't respectfully and handsomely reward and honor the hero who has saved them following the God's oracle, then there is a very small chance of that God only abandoning the kingdom and a very high chance of that God punishing the kingdom.

So, for Jason being like this: 'I really... really don't know what to say!'

Jason ignored Pegasus's speechlessness and thought in his heart: 'Yeah, I really didn't expect to use the underworld domain here, now it has gone to a month-long cooldown... Forget it, no matter what, it has at least helped me in slaying Chimera.'

After thinking like this, he took out the direction compass from the silver bag, and after confirming the direction of Calydon, he gently patted the Pegasus,

"Brother Pegasus, let's not rest tonight. Goddess Athena has given me only one week, and I will compensate you after reaching Calydon!"

'What?'

'I need to work overtime again?'

'I won't do it!'

Hearing this, Pegasus immediately wanted to express his opposition.

But just like Pegasus has learned about Jason's nature in the last three years, Jason has also learned about Pegasus's nature, so already knowing that Pegasus won't directly agree, Jason took out the already prepared bribe.

A cake made using the Pegasus's favorite grass and various fruits.

After all, Jason has used Pegasus in his experiments for more than three years, so if he hasn't found a decent bribe soon enough, then even with Gods' orders, Pegasus might have left him long ago.

Moreover, Jason doesn't feel that making cakes for Pegasus using grass and fruits is difficult in itself, after all, in order to develop friendships with other heroes studying under Chiron, Jason had worked as a chef for a while.

As for why exactly Jason has chosen cakes as a bribe among all of the possible foods...

Jason has made a human version of cake for the first time naturally to please Medea and Hecate.

But Jason didn't expect Medea and Hecate to give just a general response to this dessert, rather he noticed that Pegasus fell in love with the horse version of the cake he has randomly made.

"Well...I will give you five cakes after reaching Calydon!"

So, hearing the word cake, Pegasus, who was planning on opposing at all cost, immediately stopped and reflexively swallowed, then neighed softly while shaking his head.

Obviously, Jason understood that Pegasus is trying to bargain.

"Ten, not even one more!"

Hearing this, Pegasus immediately cheered up and began flying a little faster.

Looking at this, Jason snickered in his heart.

'Although I don't have the golden bridle to control him, I do have 'carrot' in my hand!'

So, after reaching a favorable agreement with Pegasus, just when Jason thought that he could finally take a rest on flying Pegasus's back.

The Pegasus suddenly stopped flying forward.

"Well, Brother Pegasus, what's wrong?"

Pegasus turned his head to look back at Jason with a gaze as if he is looking at Jason with pity, then he swiftly turned around and began flying in the opposite direction.

"...Wait, Brother Pegasus, wait!"

Then understanding the situation, Jason widened his eyes: "No, no, haven't we seen each other just a while ago?!"

Pegasus only neighed softly in response.

'Accept your fate, young man!'

*****

So, a short while later...

"Little Jason!"

After pegasus stopped beside a clear spring, Hestia, who seems to have been waiting for Jason, immediately rushed toward Jason in high spirits and again hugged him.

Jason, who is feeling helpless, could only allow Hestia to do so.

"Goddess Hestia, is there anything else you need to me do?... As for Chimera, I have already solved it smoothly."

"Well, I saw it."

Hestia, who is still hugging Jason, touched Jason's head with a smile and said: "And as expected of little Jason, it was done beautifully."

"Then, Goddess Hestia, you are... Goddess Hestia, I need to reach Calydon as soon as possible..."

Jason spoke cautiously, hoping that Hestia can understand.

"I know, it's because of Athena, right? ... Little Jason is being a bad boy." Hestia pinched Jason's face.

Then, under Jason's puzzled eyes, Hestia slightly puffed up her mouth and said: "I already know all about it, you have given a tribute to Athena, right?"

"... Tribute?" Jason was stunned.

But immediately, Jason remembered the harp that Athena has secretly taken from him, after all, he has seen Athena just last night.

"Yes, Athena came to me just to show it off!"

After saying this, Hestia again pinched Jason's face and expectantly said to Jason: "What about mine... Little Jason, since you have prepared a tribute for Athena, then you must have prepared one for me too!"

Hearing this, looking at Hestia, who is clearly expectantly waiting for her tribute while gazing at him, Jason opened his mouth but was speechless due to not knowing what to say at this time.

'Athena... it doesn't matter if you stole my harp, it's also alright if you take it as my tribute to you, but now, why are you showing it off to others?!'

'If I make expectations of a god fall through, I will definitely face a scary result!'

While thinking like this, Jason remembered the various myths in which gods have given punishment due to not getting anticipation fulfilled.

'Cretan Bull incident, trials of Psyche, end of Theseus, even the end of original Jason, have played out like that because they have knowingly or unknowingly disappointed Gods.'

But now, Jason is naturally not stupid enough to say that the harp was stolen by Athena and not given as a tribute.

However, if Jason acquiesced to Athena's words, then he knows that he must now offer a tribute to Hestia...

'No, it should not be just...'

Jason immediately sensed that something is wrong here.

Because Jason believes that Athena doesn't have any reason for showing off in front of Hestia; or, to be more precise, Athena doesn't have any reason for stopping after showing off in front of just Hestia'

'My goodness, Athena, you wouldn't have also gone to Demeter, Artemis, and Apollo, right?!'

*****

As for where is Athena...

At this moment, in the ancient forest not too far from Calydon, Athena is sitting in front of the Goddess of Moon, Artemis.

And playing a beautiful melody using the silver harp in her hand.

"You can only envy." Athena said to Artemis with a smile: "This is a gift that little Jason has carefully prepared and given to me!"

"Little Jason's gift?" Artemis was stunned, then while putting her index finger on her lips, she said with clear envy in her voice: "It is really nice...I want one too."

"Don't worry." Athena smiled: "Little Jason will definitely prepare a gift for you, because if I have guessed correctly, now, Hestia should have gone to meet him."

"Hestia has gone to meet little Jason? ... Does that have anything to do with my gift?" Artemis tilted her head in confusion.

Regarding this, Athena just smiled and did not give any explanation.

And continued plucking the strings of the silver harp to play delightful notes.

'Twelve tributes to the gods, and... twelve gifts from the gods.'

'Little Jason, our 'game' has begun.'

'How many satisfactory tributes you can prepare for them?'

'How much you can earn from the gifts of gods?'

'Equivalent trials have equivalent rewards'

Finally, whispering this softly in her heart, Athena couldn't help tilting her head to cast her eyes in the direction of Jason, then the corners of her mouth slowly rose.