Onboard the Argo,
With the goddess's arrival, the heroes respectfully kept their distance, leaving only the young man who was being watched by the goddess.
"Oh yes, just a little disagreent!" Athena said, with an unusually bright smile on her face. "So minor, I seriously considered fulfilling our oath by making it official."
"After all, defeating soone as perfect as would surely shock the gods and ensure your legend lives on forever."
Indeed, after all, the person in front of him, was Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, second only to Zeus, the king of gods himself.
In fact, this achievent was more enough to fulfill their oath.
A finale that shocked the world and the gods.
However, the real subtext of this statent was that Athena couldn't wait to turn Promise into a god, so that he could be immortal and withstand more attacks.
"Oh, Goddess Athena, you are so narcissistic."
"But this is the fact." Athena said, flicking her silver hair over her shoulder.
Promise looked at the goddess in front of him and had to acknowledge that despite his banter, he actually agreed with her words in his heart.
After all, in terms of beauty, strength, and wisdom, she was undoubtedly at the top.
"So...if that's the case, doesn't that an I'm the blemish on your otherwise perfect life?" he joked, only to realize his mistake the mont he spoke.
Hearing this, Athena's smile towards the boy beca a little brighter.
However, after looking at the person in front of her who was obviously famous all over the world, but still soone she could send to the underworld with a re puff of air, she still endure it.
Instead, after thinking about it for a while, she pulled out Promise's little "grudge book" and jotted down the offense, marking it as one that could never be erased.
Looking at the goddess, who was mimic his own grudge-keeping habit, Promise couldn't help but say, "Uh...Goddess Athena, I think I can actually explain..."
"Go ahead. I'm listening," Athena replied, still writing as she spoke.
"Well, you know... maybe you bear a little bit of responsibility too. I an, after all, you were the one who ran into ..."
His voice trailed off, becoming quieter and quieter as he watched the goddess in front of him, narrow her eyes, smiling in a way that made him increasingly nervous.
Realizing his explanation would be useless, Promise thought for a while, only to give up this fruitless thinking with a sigh, and decided to be blunt.
"Forget it, I admit that I was just unhappy with your plan at the ti, so I wanted to ss with it, and in the end succeeded. I am the stain on your life, and nothing can change that now, so, there is no point in you being angry!"
When Promise raised his head and said these words very firmly, the whole world suddenly beca quiet.
Whether it were the gods who were spying on this place, or Heracles and the others on the boat, who heard it even though they didn't want to, were all changed.
What was even more shocking was that after hearing this, Athena's expression did not change at all, and she didn't even seem angry.
After silently writing down the matter in the little notebook of vengeance, she returned it to the boy and pinched his cheek just as she always did.
"You're right, Promise. On second thought, I suppose I do share so responsibility. After all, you aren't even my follower; you belong to Hera. And I foolishly took that arrow you aid at ... Yes, this is indeed my fault."
Seeing Athena smile as she spoke so gently, Promise, who had been defiant only monts before, swallowed hard and imdiately backed down. "Um... Lady Athena, how about I atone with my life right now?"
"Why would you do that?" Athena asked, blinking in surprise as she looked at the young man in front of her. "You're innocent. I'm the one at fault, after all. Besides, you're a follower of Hera, not Athena. You've refused multiple tis..."
She sighed, adding with a wry smile, "Ah, so it seems, you've always been a stain on my life, and since I'm not even your goddess, what right do I have to decide your fate?"
As Athena finished speaking, even Hers, who had been watching in amusent, couldn't help it anymore as he turned to Hera and said, "Maybe you should just let Promise follow both you and Athena; otherwise, I think soone is bound to go crazy sooner or later!"
Hera rolled her eyes and replied, "This is the only ti you'll hear Athena saying that Promise isn't her follower."
"Goddess Athena, I was wrong. I admit it. Can we act normal again...?"
"Wrong? What did you do wrong? Wasn't it my mistake?" Athena tilted her head, and asked in
surprise. "And I have always been normal. What's wrong with ?"
Seeing Athena's gentle expression and her rising smile, Promise, who was feeling a bit helpless, suddenly
rembered an incident from two days ago, and got a sudden idea.
Even though he knew that so of his friends on the ship could hear and even though he knew that those unscrupulous gods might be hiding in the clouds and in the dark and
eavesdropping,
He made up his mind and said, "Goddess Athena, can you please stop doing this? If you do this again, I will cry. Believe it or not, I will cry right in front of you!"
When he said this, Athena's smile finally faded, and she looked at him in exasperation.
Rolling her eyes, she finally replied, "Cry? You're now a hero famous across the entire world, and you're saying sothing like that?"
"But it's all thanks to you, Lady Athena, and to Queen Hera, Lady Artemis, and Lord Apollo. So in front of you all, I'm still just that boy just ca down from the mountains. Isn't that
right?"
When Promise blinked at Athena and spoke this words, even though she felt very amused in her heart, her eyes couldn't help but soften... Even though she knew that these were words he said in a hurry, using them as a clever escape, she was still very happy.
If Hecate or Goddess Thetis had been present, they would no doubt feel a bit emotional. Well...they would definitely marvel at how skilled this young man was at handling goddesses.
"Alright, enough," she said, a gentle smile in her tone. "The wisdom I gave you wasn't ant for tricks like this... Anyway, I've made note of this matter, and I'll settle the score with you sooner or later!"
After saying this, without waiting for the boy to reply, Athena waved her hand, blocking the watchful eyes of gods and heroes alike.
"Now, let's look at the journey that is about to reach its end." As she spoke, her golden eyes reflected the grown young man before her.
With a soft smile, she turned around and stood on the deck of the Argo, gazing into the distance, speaking slowly. "Toward the adventure for the Golden Fleece, the legacy of the Olympian gods, and... our vow."
With these words, Athena, as she had always done throughout the journey, pointed the way forward for her chosen hero.
This was the path that would guide him to his ultimate destination-a prophecy left by the
goddess of wisdom.
The first challenge awaited: Ares, the god of war.
There was no need to say much about him.
As the embodint of war, strength, and power in Greek mythology, and the personification
of human conflict, he was not one to be easily conquered.
To defeat him, one would need to offer a fierce battle. Therefore, the oracle given by Athena to this simple-minded god of war was also very simple, even very straightforward, and she did not even bother to be a riddler, saying: "When you reach the end of the Golden Fleece adventure, abandon the power of the gods and defeat the
inevitable dragon alone."
"When you overco that dragon and seize the Golden Fleece-a symbol of adventure and relentless will, that will be the mont you paint the picture of Ares, the god of war."
Then, it was Hestia.
Hestia, the goddess of hearth and ho, also symbolized the sacred fla.
As the oldest of the Olympian deities, she was a chaste and unblemished goddess.
"Fla embodies her presence, representing the eternal promise of ho, stability,
harmony, and prosperity," Athena explained.
Hestia may appear very low-key in Greek mythology, with only a few records of her, yet this
did not not an that the power she controlled was not great.
In ancient Greece, the extinguishing of a fla symbolized the end of a lineage, and every household maintained its own hearth, while every town had its own altar.
The sacred fla on these altars symbolized the life of the town and its people.
"In the past, both Poseidon, god of the sea, and Apollo, god of light, sought Hestia's hand,
but she refused both of them because she devoted all her love to the world, passing on the
fla."
"That is why she requested a grand banquet from you. What she truly longs to feel is the fire that you will ignite in her honor..."
This was Hestia's oracle and when Athena's voice faded, her expression grew uncharacteristically serious.
For next was the prophecy concerning Zeus, the king of gods, himself. Zeus, the third king of the gods in Greek mythology, was the god of the sky and thunder. "He overthrew his father's brutal rule, saved his kin, and established the glorious Olympian court. But he has always harbored a nightmare-born from the curse his father laid upon
him."
"This curse will fall upon a goddess dear to him, and that goddess is the wise ocean nymph who led you to Olympus-Thetis!"
With these words, Athena fell silent, her gaze thoughtful as she looked at the young man
before her.
After so ti to digest her words, Promise looked up at her in confusion.
Ares, the god of war; Hestia, goddess of the sacred fla; and Zeus, king of the gods, were the
challenges ahead on his journey that he needed to complete.
But there was also soone else, the goddess of wisdom, standing before him: Athena
herself.
As if sensing his question, Athena smiled and said softly, "Promise, when that final mont
cos, I'll take your hand and stand beside you as we face the brilliant end together."
Thus, her "painting" had no prophecy.
Because at that ti, she would step onto the stage and beco part of the story herself.
So the final painting would be of her, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and it would also be the
last painting Promise would create for himself.
Leaving this last prophecy, Athena left, leaving only a single golden apple behind, a quiet trace of her presence. Promise accepted the golden apple, then returned to his room on the ship.
Just as he thought the night would finally night would be quiet, he returned to the room and
imdiately froze there.
Because at this mont, an another goddess was sitting by the window.
With amber eyes gazing thoughtfully into the distance, she seed lost in her own
reflections.
Golden curls cascaded from beneath her crown, her expression stately and serene.
But as she turned her head and saw Promise, that air of majesty softened instantly, and the gaze she gave him was as tender as that of a mother toward her lovely child.
"Hera, my goddess... What brings you here?"
Promise blinked, and said with a surprised look on his face.
"Oh? Athena can co see you, but I cannot?" Hera, who would only put down her queen
status in front of Promise, said to the boy with a smile.
Before Promise could respond, a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "And my dear child,
aren't you going to introduce to that girl nad Helen?"
Promise imdiately recalled that day when Helen made a vow before the goddess of beauty and Hera herself.
Realizing the implications, he couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
"The most beautiful woman in the mortal world... Really worthy of my child. That child is
really good, you have excellent taste," Hera said, nodding with satisfaction. "My child, when you reach the end of your journey, should I fulfill our promise and host a grand wedding?"
"Uh, Lady Hera, no need to rush! Really, there's no need!" Promise replied, wiping away imaginary sweat in an attempt to keep his cool.
Hearing this, Hera tilted her head thoughtfully, then an understanding expression crossed her face. "Could it be... you're more interested in that follower of Artemis, the moon goddess?
She's quite charming too. But compared to Helen... Well, nevermind, as long as you're happy,
I suppose." "Goddess Hera, there's really no need to rush this!"
Promise spoke desperately but seeing Hera's growing displeasure due to his words, he quickly tried to explain, "Actually, Lady Hera, I've been aning to tell you sothing important. Ever since the day I ca down from the mountains, t you, and beca your follower, I
had already made a decision.
"Just as Atalanta devoted herself entirely to Artemis, the moon goddess, I had already resolved to dedicate my life to you. Under your watchful gaze, I will see this grand adventure
through to its glorious end..."
Hera clearly hadn't expected him to say this so, her eyes widened, and her face filled with unconcealed joy and excitent.
Seeing this, Promise breathed a sigh of relief, thinking this would end Hera's talk of marriage.
But just as he relaxed...
"Then... what about Athena?"
Promise looked at her after a pause, and found that Hera seed a little cautious at the mont as she asked, "Haven't you already given a part of your life to her too?" After saying this, and seeing Promise's silence, Hera didn't seem angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "Child, I'm not unreasonable, and and it's not that I can't see
how special she is to you.
In fact, we have never stipulated that one person can only follow one deity, so in theory, you
could believe in both and Athena at the sa ti... To be exact, if it were anyone else,
that would have been fine, and none of us would argue over it."
"But you are different."
Hera looked at Promise calmly and continued, "Because whether it's , Athena, or even
Artemis and Deter, we all know the truth in our hearts.
"Once one of us has you, sharing will never be an option."
"So, my child, for you alone... you can only choose one goddess."
Promise said nothing.
He recalled the first eting between Hera and Athena, when they clashed precisely over this
issue, their rivalry escalating continuously ever since.
At the sa ti, he looked at Hera with confusion and puzzlent, wondering why she was
bringing this up now.
After all, the matter was over already, he had already chosen Hera, hadn't he?
As if she saw the trouble in his heart, Hera smiled, but this ti the smile was very
complicated, and Promise found that he couldn't understand it.
She opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, closing it again, as though trying several
tis to find the right words.
Finally, she bit her lip and forced out the words, as if summoning all her strength.
Words not only for Promise but for all the gods who were listening.
"Promise, from this mont onward... you are free."
...What?
At this mont, Promise, who was suddenly unable to understand, could not help but open
his eyes wide and look at Hera.
"I will only give you this chance," as she said, forcing herself to smile, though it looked as if
she was holding back tears. "Rember, this is your one and only chance. So... go and choose
your goddess."
..
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