Hecate's Choice

[T/N: Since I have taken a leave yesterday, I will try to compensate for it on Saturday or Sunday, but still, no promises.]

[T/N: 2xChapter.]

After Hermes passed the news, he immediately ran away because he knows that if he stayed here any longer, he will once again be used as an unwilling piece like just now...

"Teacher, I want to learn smithing from you, teacher, no, I must start learning smithing from you today! I'm not leaving, I don't want to leave you, Teacher Hephaestus, I really don't want to!"

Looking in front of her at Jason, who is holding her arm and looking at her with eyes that are almost about to tear up, Hephaestus couldn't help feeling amused.

"What's wrong?" Hephaestus touched Jason's head and asked softly: "Isn't your relationship with Apollo pretty good?"

While asking this, Hephaestus also pointed to the Golden Sword lent to Jason by Apollo which is still hanging at his waist.

Hephaestus has already learned from Athena that Apollo had lent this sword to Jason more than three years ago and has still not told Jason to return it.

"Well, this..."

Jason felt speechless while thinking: 'Can I still say that my relationship with Apollo is not good?'

'Moreover, later on, if Apollo learned of this, it will definitely become troublesome.'

'But the problem is that it's also troublesome to go and directly meet Apollo...'

'After all, in his myths and legends, Apollo really has the habit of... favoring both male and female favorites, irrespective of their willingness!'

'And this time, Apollo is specifically asking me to go and meet him...'

"It will be alright, I don't know what you're afraid of." While feeling amused, Hephaestus said with a smile: "But since Hermes has come to you so soon, it should probably be due to Zeus or Athena... or even both wanting you to complete this as soon as possible."

"Teacher Hephaestus, I don't want to leave you." Jason desperately tried to squeeze out a few drops of tears, hoping to gain sympathy, but no tears came out and he obviously failed in convincing Hephaestus.

"I too don't want you to leave, but... If I don't let you go, I believe they will start coming directly to my temple."

Hephaestus sighed, then pinched Jason's face while saying: "Who told you to be so provocative?"

"I didn't..."

Jason's expression was full of grievances while once again feeling speechless and thinking: 'I really didn't provoke them!'

'The only god I have ever provoked on my own initiative is Teacher Hecate, and even then, it was her who has come to me first!'

'Every other time, I have even tried hard to stay away, I can't be blamed for it.'

"Before leaving, is there anything you want?"

Hephaestus amusingly patted Jason's head and asked: "And if you are really feeling lonely, I think you have developed a good relationship with those dolls..."

"No, it is not needed." Jason gave an instant reply, then thought for a while and said in a visibly depressed tone: "But, Teacher Hephaestus, can you give me a shield?"

Although Jason has a body that is invulnerable to most weapons, he doesn't believe that it will help him while fighting the hundred-eyed giant Argos and since he doesn't think that there are many armors that could provide better protection compared to the clothes personally woven by Athena, he concluded that a shield is one of the only weapons he is currently lacking as well as will come in handy.

"A shield? ... If it is a shield, then it is the only weapon I can't give to you."

To Jason's surprise, Hephaestus shook her head at him.

Then, under Jason's puzzled gaze, Hephaestus added: "Because someone has told me that I can give you anything I want, except for a shield... because she will personally give it to you, after you offer her a tribute."

"As for who that person is... Little Jason, you are very smart, so you should have guessed it."

While saying this, Hephaestus winked at Jason, after all, although that goddess has told Hephaestus to not mention this, Hephaestus has never agreed to it and doesn't feel like hiding it from Jason.

And obviously, with such a clear hint, Jason had already guessed it.

After all, Hephaestus had already stated that during this period of time and after a long while, only two gods have come to meet her.

'One is Hermes, Messenger of Gods, who has recently left.'

'And the other one is, of course, Athena, Goddess of Wisdom...'

'Damn it, you have already taken my harp, declared it as my tribute to you, and created such a big mess, and now, you are actually asking me to give you one more tribute?!'

Although Jason knows that the shield Athena has prepared for him absolutely isn't going to be an ordinary one, still after knowing that Athena had already planned to make him prepare a tribute for her, this was the first thought that instantly emerged in Jason's mind.

After all, although now even Jason himself is trying to prepare perfect tributes for Gods in hope of obtaining better return gifts and he doesn't really blame Athena for creating this situation, rather he is grateful towards her, it is still impossible for him to not have even a little bit of resentment.

Because, at the end of the day, it was indeed Athena who had started all this on her own.

******

So that afternoon, before Jason left on Pegasus, he took only the silver-white reins and hooves from Hephaestus.

Actually, while putting it on Pegasus, Jason was worried that Pegasus would get angry, but he was surprised to find that Pegasus loved these two artifacts.

And when Jason was about to leave, Hephaestus personally came out of the temple in a wheelchair, for the first time in a long while.

"Sorry teacher, I have to leave now, without even..."

"It's alright." Hephaestus interrupted Jason and said softly: "When you come back next time... you can start learning blacksmithing from me."

"Yes." Jason nodded earnestly and said: "Teacher when I come back next time, I will keep in mind to prepare beforehand to not get disturbed in between."

"So that, I can offer the best tribute for you!"

After speaking this, Jason left while riding on the pure white Pegasus.

Even after Jason left, Hephaestus didn't leave while staring blankly at Jason's back, but after Jason was far enough, she said: "I expected you to come out before he left."

As soon as Hephaestus finished speaking, from the shadow of the trees outside the temple, Hecate, who is wearing a long black dress, and Athena, who is wearing a white embroidered dress, walked out together.

So, the amber eyes of Hephaestus collided with the scarlet eyes of Hecate.

And Athena blinked her golden eyes and interestingly watched the meeting of the two with a gaze that is clearly saying that she is here to watch the play.

'The historic meeting of two teachers!'

'Unfortunately, the real protagonist is not there.'

Athena felt it is a little regretful that Jason had left first while thinking: 'Otherwise, how interesting it would have been to watch him being...'

"...It seems that you really care about that child."

After maintaining the speechless silence for a short while, Hephaestus said softly to Hecate, "It has only been a day, and you are already here.'

"And if I have guessed correctly, the magic flute on Hermes was not directly taken by Apollo on the way...because he was trying to deceive Jason at that time."

"You have forced Hermes to give it to Apollo, right? "

"Um, that's right." Hecate admitted frankly, and even the corners of her mouth rose slightly while saying: "And this is the love from his teacher to Jason."

Hephaestus obviously detected that Hecate had done this to take small revenge on Jason, after all, Hephaestus already knows just how much Jason doesn't want to meet Apollo, but she also sensed that Hecate had done this because she really does care about Jason, although, Hephaestus still doesn't know the reason behind it.

That is actually because Apollo has the weapon that is the best complementary part of Artemis's arrow.

"...Then, why have you come to me, and specifically come out after he left?"

So, after a brief silence, Hephaestus asked curiously.

Because Hephaestus still hasn't felt any anger from Hecate towards her and Hecate had obviously waited for Jason to leave before appearing.

Therefore, she concluded that Hecate is not here to find trouble or have a conflict with her.

"Can there anything else? Of course, it's because of my scoundrelous student." After sighing, Hecate said to Hephaestus while again emphasizing that Jason is hers: "Because if the choice given by Hera has a direct impact on his future..."

"Then, Hephaestus... as the Goddess of Smithing, who has apparently even forged a weapon that can eternally imprison Hera..."

"There is a possibility that you can easily make Jason walk on the path of no return!"

Athena, who was listening on the side with the intent of watching a play, blinked in doubt and looked at Hecate.

And after saying this, Hecate also turned her head to look at Athena.

"Athena, thanks for leading the way till here, next... can you let me have a proper chat with Hephaestus?"

After speaking this, which is almost directly asking Athena to leave, Hecate pushed the wheelchair of puzzled Hephaestus and entered the temple.

'...What is this situation?'

Athena, who is left outside the now-closed door of the temple, frowned and thought in her heart while feeling puzzled: 'Is there a secret about Jason that I still don't know? ... And why did Hecate deliberately tell only half of it to me...No, is she reminding me?'

'She is reminding me to find a way to reconcile the relationship between Jason and Hera?... But why...Does it mean, as the Goddess of Paths, she has seen a path where Hera will kill Jason?'

'No, she mentioned the path no return... but why no return?'

At this moment, even Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, couldn't help but feel some doubts regarding the intention behind Hecate's reminder.

Because, even Athena can never guess on her own that the path seen by Hecate is that a mortal boy, who Athena is trying to turn into the brightest hero, would actually dare to raise his sword and use it against the gods of Olympus.

After all, even after personally seeing such a path, in the beginning, even Hecate was questioning it while feeling that it is ridiculous.

But now, less than a month after Jason has left the mountain, Hecate has seen an increasing number of shadows that Jason is walking on...

'The silver arrow of Goddess of Moon Artemis, the magic flute of Hermes, that he will be receiving soon, the shield that Athena has already planned to give Jason, and even Hephaestus, who has the capability of recreating even Zeus's thunderbolt...'

'And this is the result of Jason coming out of the mountain only for less than a month!'

'Do you all Gods have any idea what kind of existence you are trying to build together...'

Sometimes, Hecate really wants to ask this to the gods favoring and helping Jason, but Hecate obviously knows that she couldn't take any chances regarding this.

After all, as Jason has heard from Hecate, it is true that even if the world outside her temple is being destroyed, Hecate wouldn't necessarily take a look at it.

And now, Hecate is so active and has left her temple so many times, it is naturally not because she cares about the gods of Olympus, but because Jason is her Student.

After all, in the Myths too, even after Medea and Circe had done many, many immoral and evil things, none of the Gods have come out or sent her heroes to punish them, rather, even after committing those acts, they were still helped by a few other Gods, which due to Hecate working behind the scene.

Therefore, from the moment Jason has chosen Hecate when Hera had told Hermes to give an oracle to Jason for letting him choose between Hera and Hecate, she knew that she will be dealing with all these.

And, this is why Hecate is trying to intervene in Jason's affairs and direct his path.

Also, obviously, the path Hetcate wants Jason to walk on is not the Ordinary path or the Godslaying Path.

Hecate wants Jason to walk on the path of being favored by the Gods.

And the reason for Hecate doing this is also very simple.

Because while watching the three paths that have appeared on Jason, naturally, Hecate has also seen what Jason will become like in these three paths.

'On the ordinary path, Jason will give up on himself.'

'On the path of godslaying, Jason will become indifferent to everything.'

'But on the path of being favored, Jason will only face various troubles.'

'Therefore...I will let Jason, always be favored by the gods, while always dealing with troubles.'

This is the path chosen by Hecate for Jason, and she is working on it while silently hoping to help Jason.