"Ah, it's Goddess Clotho!"
Finally putting the pieces together, Jason scrambled out of bed, stumbling clumsily in his haste to stand before her.
Seeing his panic-stricken and embarrassed appearance, Clotho didn't seem the least bit bothered.
In fact, she looked pleased, swinging her bare feet slightly in satisfaction.
After all, finally, after being "humiliated" by Promise so many tis, Clotho felt the respect and awe a goddess of her stature deserved.
"Um... Goddess of fate, was everything I just saw... really my..." After a while, Jason ca in front of Clotho and couldn't help but ask cautiously.
"As I said, that was indeed your future."
Hearing her words, Jason's face went pale.
Now fully aware of her identity, he had no reason to doubt her words.
"My future... my future is really that miserable?" Jason seed to have lost his soul at this mont, and there was despair on his face.
Though Clotho couldn't see his face, she could easily imagine his expression at this mont, which made her nod inwardly with satisfaction.
Yes, this was exactly right! This was a normal reaction!
As expected, it has always been that guy Promise' problem!
Thinking of this, Cloto couldn't help but gently stroke the crystal ball in her arms twice, cherishing it as though it were a precious treasure.
Then, she spoke to the now ghostly pale Jason. "But, as I also said, that was only your original future."
"Hm?" Jason, who was still looking like he was mourning his own demise, asked faintly, "What do you an?"
"I an, your fate has already changed," Clotho replied. "Whether it is your greatest triumphs or your eventual downfall, both were closely intertwined with the student of the great goddess Hecate, dea.
"However, Goddess Hecate, unwilling to see her student suffer such a tragic fate, entrusted this matter to Promise. And so, your destiny has already been altered."
If Clotho's earlier words had sounded like a death knell from the underworld for Jason, then at this mont, these words were like the most beautiful lody in the world, more enchanting and pleasant than even Helen's voice.
In that instant, Jason beca absolutely convinced that Clotho, the goddess of fate, was the most adorable of all goddesses, without a doubt!
"Really?!"
A newfound hope for his future rekindled within him and Jason was suddenly resurrected at the mont.
But soon, Jason felt sothing was wrong again and asked in confusion: "Wait, didn't Teacher Chiron once tell that fate is sothing that can never be altered?"
He continued, "When we were going down his mountain, he specifically warned us not to try to glimpse our own futures in any way..."
Clotho nodded slightly, explaining, "Ordinarily, that's indeed the case. Fate is sothing even the gods cannot alter once it's set."
Hearing this, Jason was stunned for a mont, then grasped the key point and asked. "Ordinarily?"
In that mont, Jason, who was sharper than he might seem, had already guessed the answer in his heart.
After all, Clotho had already hinted at it in the conversation just now.
"There is one exception-my follower, Promise."
Clotho then confird Jason's guess.
Wait... your follower?
Jason looked at Clotho, a bit bewildered.
Hey, Isn't Promise, like himself, also a follower of Queen Hera?
He rembered that clearly—it was Clotho herself who had once declared that both he and Promise would bring glory to Hera.
Clotho didn't care about Jason's thoughts.
Even if she knew, she would definitely ignore it.
She just said sothing that surprised Jason once more. "At the sa ti, you're not the only one whose fate has been rewritten by Promise..."
That sa night, in the kingdom of Colchis...
Promise wandered through one of the courtyards of the castle and found dea and her mother, Idyia, sitting closely together, engaged in conversation.
When dea learned from her servant that Promise had co to find her, the surprise and joy on her face were visible to the naked eye.
When Idyia, her mother noticed her daughter's expression, she quickly understood her
feelings.
With a knowing smile, she teased dea for a few tis before excusing herself, allowing them so ti alone.
After that, dea quickly smoothed her hair and adjusted her dress, sitting quietly and waiting for Promise's arrival.
When the boy finally in front of her, she greeted him with a bright smile. "Promise, what brings you to so late? Is there sothing you need?"
"Yes." The latter nodded.
After all, he knew that dea already understood much of the situation, he did not hide anything and spoke frankly. "In fact, brfore we arrived, the goddess Athena had already gave
a prophecy.
The three trials required to claim the Golden Fleece are tests set by Ares, god of war. And during these trials, I am forbidden from using any power from the gods. So, dea, I need
your help."
"My help?" dea blinked, looking at Promise and asked.
What the boy didn't know, was that when she said this, there was a hint of nervousness in her
eyes, even a bit of panic.
Could it be... Promise knows?
As this thought flitted through her mind, Promise continued.
"That's precisely your specialty, isn't it, dea?" he said with a smile. "You're one of the most skilled students of Goddess Hecate. I think, if anyone could do it, you'd be able to create sothing to shield from the flas of the divine bulls and strengthen up to the point where I can match warriors like Theseus and Heracles."
In fact, in the original myth, it was indeed dea who assisted Jason in this way.
She concocted a magical potion that not only made Jason immune to the flas of the divine bulls, she even granted him strength comparable to Heracles, along with a body as tough as
iron.
In this way, Jason was able to overco the first two trials.
As for the third trial, dea personally led Jason to confront the sleepless dragon, which guarded the Golden Fleece.
This is why Clotho had said that Jason's greatest glory was inseparably linked to dea... and his downfall as well.
At this point, Promise still showed a pitiful expression, and said to dea, who had already understood and now looked a bit dazed: "dea, you would never refuse to help , right? You're definitely more reliable than your... unpredictable teacher, right?"
dea couldn't help but burst into laughter at his pitiful expression as she replied, "Of course! I'm definitely not like my teacher. But... I'll need a little ti, so Promise, could you
wait for a bit?"
Having said this, dea stood up and left.
Her quick, sowhat flustered manner made it seem as though she was dashing off to prepare
a potion for Promise, yet at the sa ti...
"Hmm, why do I feel like she seems a little guilty, like she's hiding sothing?" Promise wondered, feeling a hint of suspicion.
But after thinking it over, he imdiately dismissed the thought.
After all, he knew that while dea might have her dark side, she'd never harm him.
Once out of sight, dea heaved a sigh of relief and glanced back to ensure Promise hadn't
followed.
Then she retrieved two vials of potion from her pocket-the very ones Promise needed.
In fact, she'd actually prepared them in advance, with her teacher Hecate's help.
"If my teacher heard what he said, she'd probably storm over and throw these potions away,
refusing to give them to Promise at all," dea whispered with a mischievous smile,
carefully tucking the potions away again.
"No, I can't delay any longer. I thought we could wait a couple of days, but he's too perceptive... As I thought, I need to tell everyone my plan tonight!"
Resolving herself, dea headed toward the quarters where the heroes of the Argo were
staying.
However, she hadn't anticipated that tonight would be so lively.
Along the way, she unexpectedly ran into several familiar faces.
Heracles, Atalanta, Jason, and Orpheus all bumped into each other on the road and looked at
each other in bewildernt.
Orpheus was the first to break the silence, smiling as he strumd a tune on his lyre, which he had seemingly produced out of nowhere. "If I'm not mistaken, it seems we've all gathered here for the sa reason, haven't we?"
Atalanta folded her hands over her chest, looked at everyone thoughtfully and said, "Or maybe... we're not the only ones who were approached by a god. Or perhaps... everyone on the
Argo besides Promise has been given so kind of ssage by a god?"
"Then why don't we just speak openly?" dea tilted her head, puzzled.
Until today, she'd thought she was the only one.
"It's almost like we're competing for sothing," Jason muttered as he recalled Clotho's
words, especially the part about Promise being her follower.
As soon as he finished speaking, Heracles quickly coughed, giving Jason a look that said he'd better keep certain thoughts to himself-
Lest they invite the wrath of so embarrassed gods seeking retribution later.
The group fell into silence again.
"So, here's the question: who's going to keep an eye on Promise?" Jason suddenly asked.
As everyone's eyes turned to him, his expression changed, and he quickly backed away, shaking his head frantically. "Don't look at ! That guy's resilience is terrifying. Even I wouldn't dare try to restrain him! If he got injured sohow... it'd be over!"
Of course, by "over," he ant it would be over for him, not Promise. "Hmm... maybe we could go back to the ship and ask that maid for help. She probably has
chains." dea recalled the maid automaton that Hephaestus, the god of smiths, had sent to look after Promise. "Then we could lock Promise up!"
After dea suggested this, even Atalanta gave her a strange look.
Are you serious?
"Don't look at like that! Promise was already locked up once by Hephaestus; I would never
have actually thought of imprisoning him... really!" Realizing how bold and dangerous her suggestion had sounded, dea hurriedly tried to explain.
But her words only made Jason recoil, looking at her like she was so kind of plague, and
take refuge behind Heracles, trembling in fear.
After learning the truth from Clotho, Jason finally understood why he always felt a surge of
dread whenever he encountered dea.
It was a fear embedded deep in his bones!
With a sigh of resignation, Atalanta finally offered, "If there's no other choice, I'll take
responsibility for watching over Promise..."
"I'll look after him."
Before she could finish, a calm, gentle voice interrupted.
As everyone, including Heracles, Jason, and Orpheus, turned in utter surprise to see a figure
they hadn't expected, yet who seed perfectly suited to the task, standing before them.
It was none other than...
....
"Master Chiron?!"
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