chapter 26

Today marks the fourth day of our arrival in the "Kingdom of Women." The revelry continues, with Cyd, Atalanta, and Hercules watching the city from different vantage points.

Naturally, Hercules is most concerned about Jason and his group. "We..." Atalanta began, then looked at Cyd again.

"I'll only compete with you once more," Cyd said softly. "I'm not an oracle, so I won't tell you how you'll end up. I'll let fate decide."

"I accept the challenge!" Atalanta clenched her fist tightly.

"So, I'll only compete with you once more, with the gods as witnesses," Cyd declared, meeting her gaze.

"I understand," Atalanta closed her eyes.

Hercules blinked.

As the fourth day passed, the fifth day dawned upon the Kingdom of Women, bringing about a change. A Greek hero appeared before them, seeming rather dejected. Initially, Hercules thought he had returned to the fold, but it turned out he was just complaining about having to do manual labor...

Cyd intervened when Hercules almost struck him dead with a fan, but Hercules refrained from hitting him when he heard something else.

The women began to make demands of the Greek heroes, hoping they would work the fields. Cyd didn't see a problem with this; after all, they had been enjoying themselves without contributing anything.

"What? I'm a hero! Why should I have to farm?" The disdainful hero turned away from the city.

"They're just a bunch of parasites," Cyd raised his middle finger towards the city. "Eating and carousing with women, unwilling to do anything else. Why are they heroes? They're nothing but a scourge on the world."

Hercules didn't know what to say, but Atalanta had never thought highly of them to begin with.

"A harem, no, perhaps the gods mistook them for decent people."

As Cyd sat alone on the ship, exposed to the sun and moon, Athena appeared beside him once again.

"Let's put an end to this absurd journey," Cyd sighed. "O great gods, this quest for the Golden Fleece began with ugly desires and can only end with an equally ugly conclusion."

"This is also one of the gods' gambling games. Can Jason obtain the Golden Fleece?" Athena chuckled softly, her jade-like laugh echoing. "Whose side do you think I'm on?"

"You didn't help build this ship, did you?" Cyd sighed helplessly. "But rest assured, Jason and the others will definitely leave this country."

"Why?" Athena cocked her head.

"Because they, no, they're just trash," Cyd yawned. "Even if they had a shred of responsibility, they wouldn't be able to leave this country. But unfortunately, they lack any sense of responsibility. So, they easily left The Argo and will quickly return to the ship from this country."

"Perhaps I misjudged them," Athena blinked, then smiled.

"You misjudged a group."

"No, I misjudged one person."

Today is the sixth day in the Kingdom of Women.

"You... finally came back," Hercules addressed the Greek heroes around him, though only half of them were present, and Jason was absent.

"Yes! Because we have unfinished business!" one hero complained loudly, his loyalty wavering.

After casting a disdainful glance at him, Atalanta moved towards the jungle. She didn't want to spend another moment with these stinking fellows before the ship set sail.

Cyd boasted to Hercules about how he had convinced some of the Greek heroes to return to the ship, then hesitated before following Atalanta.

Observing Cyd's departure, Hercules sighed. Though he wished he could give these annoying fellows a piece of his mind, he couldn't sail the ship alone.

On the seventh day...

"Two... basically everyone's out except for Jason," Cyd informed Hercules as they sat by a tree trunk, surrounded by the Greek heroes.

"This farce should come to an end," Atalanta said as she jumped down from a tree. "As long as Jason doesn't come out, this ship won't set sail."

"He'll come out soon," Cyd predicted confidently. "Either tonight or by noon tomorrow, Jason will come running back."

"You know him well," Atalanta tossed a fruit to Cyd.

"He's just that predictable," Cyd caught the fruit and took a bite. "He'll return to the ship first. Our journey must continue."

"You'll see."

Sure enough, as Cyd expected, Jason ran back that night.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Jason was panting, his pants barely holding up as he urged the others to move, as if fleeing from a natural disaster. The other heroes, understanding his urgency, quickly boarded The Argo.

Cyd, leaning against the ship's mast, shrugged. "Told you."

"He looks like a piglet fleeing from its natural predator, squealing all the way," Atalanta remarked, looking down at Jason gasping for breath on the gangplank.

"It's quite the satire," Cyd said, watching as the islands gradually disappeared from view. "A clever man can turn into a beast overnight, and heroes turn into bandits, fleeing from their beds to the wilderness. Truly an extraordinary drama. Is this what the gods wanted to see?"

"I don't know," Atalanta looked up at the moon.

Hercules, listening to Jason's complaints as he fled, couldn't help but clench his fist. He wasn't someone who had to stand guard before the Argo; he too had to venture into the city during hunting trips. Grievances? They'd have to stay with him for the rest of his life.

The surrounding heroes sympathized with Jason's complaints.

"Are all men this spineless?" Atalanta raised an eyebrow.

"I can only say that you've encountered just such a man," Cyd shrugged. "Hercules is an exception."

"You're also an exception," Atalanta nodded slightly.

"Men like him probably won't last long here."

"After all, while he may not be the official leader, he's the one Jason defers to," Cyd stretched. "Hercules doesn't belong here, and neither do you. Find an opportunity to disembark."

"Even if I do, I'll still find you," Atalanta narrowed her eyes.

"Relax," Cyd looked away.

"I'd rather disembark than stay with anyone else."