That's right, it was Athena.
The pure white long dress, the waist-length hair draped behind her, and those eyes representing absolute wisdom... At the end of Jason's journey this time, Athena appeared before Jason once again.
Just as when Jason emerged from the mountains, she was the first to come before him.
"What is it?"
Athena blinked her eyes, looking at the surprised Jason before her, and said with a light chuckle, "I came to see you, and you are not happy?"
"Ah, no, I dare not!"
Coming back to his senses, Jason stood up and said to Athena with slight panic, "It has been several days; I thought goddess Athena you..."
"Thought I would not come? ...Hee hee, actually, I knew you were waiting for me, so I deliberately delayed until now."
Athena covered her mouth, revealing a smile like a prank had succeeded.
In fact, it was indeed as Athena had said; Jason had guessed that at the end of this brief journey, Athena would come to find him.
There was no reason, just a feeling... A kind of inexplicable tacit understanding.
So in these recent days, Jason had prepared himself mentally.
Then, just when Jason estimated that tomorrow he would arrive at Hephaestus's temple and thus thought Athena would not appear, relaxing his guard.
He did not expect her to come.
Moreover, she directly stated that it was deliberate to delay until now...
Jason looked at Athena, who was chuckling lightly before him, and for a moment did not know how to respond.
He could only say, as long as you are happy!
"Hee hee, alright, little Jason, do not be angry... And I did this for a reason... I think little Jason has not forgotten, right?"
As she spoke, Athena came before Jason, reached out to pinch his cheek, and said with slightly puffed cheeks, "Little Jason, you remember those times a few years ago when you made me wait in vain, right? ...Hmph, this is revenge for those matters back then!"
As she spoke, Athena pinched Jason's cheek again.
Sister, these are all things from several years ago; you still remember... And it has nothing to do with me; it was not like I deliberately stood you up!
Jason felt speechless in his heart, but he naturally would not show it.
And after teasing Jason a little, Athena let him go.
Then, under Jason's gaze, from the stars in the sky, she took out a white sacred garment... The sacred garment that Athena had woven day and night during this period.
Finally completed on this last day.
"Goddess Athena, this..."
Jason looked at the sacred garment Athena took from the stars and handed over; besides surprise, he naturally appeared somewhat hesitant.
The sacred garment Athena had woven for Jason last time had long been damaged in the matter with the hundred-headed giant dragon Ladon, that is, when offering tribute to the war god Ares.
Since then, the white robes Jason wore on his body had been changed many times; they were defective products.
And now, Athena had once again delivered a sacred garment to Jason.
On the last day of Jason's emergence from the mountains and journey this time.
And unlike back then, the reason Athena wove the sacred garment for Jason initially was largely due to the agreement with the goddess Hecate.
Moreover, it had only used the unquenchable fire of the underworld as material.
But this sacred garment not only had the unquenchable fire of the underworld that Athena had Hecate bring, but also the power of the stars!
"This is what you deserve, Jason."
Athena said to the hesitant Jason... And unusually, she did not call Jason little Jason.
By the campfire, Athena's beautiful golden eyes gazed straight at Jason before her and said, "Everything you have done until now, even if not known by the world, with no one in the world singing your name.
But I will.
Because I have always been watching you, observing everything about you, and witnessing every story you write.
I know everything about you.
So I will use my wisdom to point out the direction for your progress, clear the thorns and brambles for you, and... forever watch over you."
Jason was stunned.
Looking at the goddess Athena before him, who spoke softly to him.
After hesitating for a while...
"Um, goddess Athena, actually, you do not need to watch me forever... Um, you see, you are actually quite busy, right!"
Looking carefully at Athena, Jason said softly.
Goddess Athena sister, please let me go! ...This was Jason's current heartfelt thought.
Evidently, Athena's words had indeed touched Jason's nerves... It was just unfortunate that it was the nerve of fear.
Always watching... My god!
"No, I am not busy." Athena gave her answer.
And although Athena did not know what Jason was thinking... After all, Jason's soul had been strengthened.
Now, none of the gods could know what Jason was thinking.
But through Jason's expression, Athena still vaguely guessed.
Thus, she secretly kicked Jason.
"Take it." Then Athena said to Jason in a somewhat displeased tone.
"...Alright." Jason, who wanted to cry but had to show a joyful expression, uncomfortably took the sacred garment Athena handed over.
Then, after some time, Jason changed into the clothes and returned before Athena... Athena did not peek; after all, she was a virgin goddess.
Even if not completely uninterested... But to maintain her image, she could not look!
Thus, when Jason, wearing the new sacred garment, came before Athena, looking at Jason before her, Athena could not help but nod in satisfaction.
The white sacred garment fit perfectly on Jason's body, and on the dark borders of the white garment, there were imprints bearing the stars.
And unlike back then, now Jason was almost seventeen years old.
The childishness on that face had almost completely disappeared, turning into a handsome countenance as striking as the god of light Apollo.
Moreover, this Jason was not the original Jason; even now, there was a trace of arrogance and untamed wildness on him.
"How is it?" Gauging Jason before her, Athena asked with a smile; at the same time, in Athena's heart now, she actually felt some regret.
Because evidently, he no longer had that cuteness from childhood... Athena even somewhat regretted that back then, regardless of her status, she should have held little Jason in her arms and hugged him tightly.
Now, there was no such opportunity!
"Yes, it fits very well." Jason replied honestly.
"Of course it fits; this is a garment I wove with my own hands... Just like the one back then, but compared to then, this time I added some power of the stars inside."
As Athena spoke, she came before Jason and helped him adjust the white garment he was wearing.
"The power of the stars...?" Jason looked at Athena in confusion.
"Extracting the power of the stars in the sky, replacing divine power, allowing you to shoot that arrow! ...However, only once."
As Athena's words fell, surprise naturally appeared on the stunned Jason's face.
"And the reason I came to find you this time is similarly because of that arrow... That power is too great, so we need to impose a shackle on you!"
Subsequently, Athena spoke of the matter of the twelve gods' permissions and indicated that the gods had prepared the corresponding shackles.
Athena would accompany Jason this time to Hephaestus, to have her impose 'chains' on the bow of the god of light and the arrow of the moon goddess.
And after Athena finished saying everything, there was no anger on Jason's face; instead, looking at Athena's expression, it became very complex.
"...Thank you, goddess Athena." Then Jason said softly to Athena.
Evidently, Jason had noticed Athena's intention... After all, Jason was very clear about the flaws of that arrow.
"Why thank me?" And regarding Jason's thanks, after accepting it candidly, Athena smiled and said, "Should you not be angry? After all, I restricted your power!
However... If you really want to thank me, then how about leaving Hecate's side and coming to me?"
As Athena spoke, she winked at Jason.
"Um... Goddess Athena, you are joking." Hearing this, Jason's expression could not help but become awkward.
"I am not joking..."
Athena pouted, looking at Jason with a gaze slightly resentful, and said, "I admit Hecate treats you very well, but I do not treat you any worse than her, right?"
"Um, um... Sorry, goddess Athena." After hesitating for a while, Jason ultimately rejected Athena's proposal resolutely.
Then, after hesitating a bit more, he said to Athena, "Goddess Athena, if I had not met Teacher Hecate, then the goddess I respect most in my heart... Would certainly be you!"
"Hmph..."
Athena looked at Jason, who rarely did not evade her gaze and said this to her; after humming proudly, she reached out to pinch Jason's cheek and said, "Consider you passed... Fine, I will not mention this matter again."
Hearing this, Jason could not help but breathe a sigh of relief in his heart.
Every time he saw Athena, she had to try to lure him away like this; anyone else would not be able to withstand it!
And just as Jason had breathed a sigh of relief, his body immediately tensed up again.
He saw Athena then come to sit on a nearby stone and gesture to Jason, a very familiar action...
Signaling Jason to come lie on her lap.
"Jason, tonight... There is no moon anymore!"
And taking out the lyre with several cracks on her body, Athena even blinked at Jason with a beaming smile.
"...Yes, goddess Athena." After a helpless sigh, the resigned Jason lay down.
Then, lying on Athena's lap, Jason looked at Athena's beautiful goddess features so close at hand, the silver long hair slightly swaying in the gentle breeze.
For some reason, he felt his heartbeat quicken a bit.
Then he felt like closing his eyes, his whole body stiff and tense.
Athena stroked Jason's head, feeling his rigid body, and found it amusing in her heart.
Clearly, he had slept with more than just her, yet he still had not gotten used to it...
Then Athena gently plucked the strings of the silver lyre in her hand, humming a ballad; that sound was like a clear spring flowing gently through Athena's body and mind, gradually relaxing the tense Jason.
He slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep under this moonless night without moonlight.
After Jason fell asleep, Athena set down the lyre in her hand.
She gently combed Jason's golden hair with her hand, gazing indulgently at the youth before her, silently watching for a very long time.
Then, placing the lyre to the side, Athena gently raised her hand, and the silver storage pouch on Jason's body came to her hand.
Holding this pouch she had given Jason initially, Athena's expression gradually became serious.
And from this pouch, she took out one item...
The magic spear granted to Jason by the ancestor of myriad demons, Typhon.
The magic spear made with the power of the abyss and Typhon's own blood of 'destruction' power!
And just at the instant Athena touched this magic spear, the nether butterflies attached to the magic spear—the power of the goddess Hecate that concealed the spear's aura of destruction—manifested.
One after another, ethereal nether butterflies flew out, prohibiting Athena from further exploration.
"Hecate..."
Looking at the nether butterflies that floated out, Athena said softly, "Tell me, why does this child... Know the ancestor of myriad demons, Typhon!"
The nether butterflies danced around the nether spear but did not answer Athena's question.
Seeing this, Athena's brows could not help but furrow slightly.
She did not believe at all that Hecate did not know she was asking her.
Thus, Athena immediately increased her divine power output; her divine power broke through the restraints of Hecate's power, and just as it was about to touch Typhon's power.
"Mm..." Jason's brows furrowed slightly, letting out a low groan... Only to see a nether butterfly land on Jason's face.
It kept flapping its wings, slapping him...
"Hecate, you...!"
Seeing that Jason was about to be woken up, even though unwilling, Athena could only withdraw her divine power.
And as soon as Athena withdrew her divine power, the nether butterfly stopped troubling Jason and returned to the magic spear, turning into patterns and lurking within.
"...I will see how long you can hide it from me!"
Athena gritted her teeth lightly and said, "If I am not mistaken, Hephaestus knows as well, right... This magic spear will definitely be reforged by Hephaestus once; at that time, I want to see how you will hide it from me!"
...Sigh.
In the underworld, within Hecate's temple.
The goddess Hecate, dressed in a black long dress with black hair reaching her waist, could not help but let out a soft sigh at this moment.
Hecate had long understood that she could not hide it from the goddess of wisdom Athena for long, because her contact with Jason was too frequent.
But Hecate truly had not expected that all this would come so quickly.
The only consolation for Hecate now was that Athena truly cared very much about Jason... If it were not for her, Athena would undoubtedly become the most important goddess in Jason's heart.
However... After Athena learned the truth of the matter, between the Olympian gods and Jason, which side would she stand on?
Regarding this, Hecate did not know... She had no certainty.
Because Athena was actually the most troublesome god among the Olympian gods...