The night had dragged on so late that a trace of darkness still lingered on the horizon.
Nyx, Goddess of Night, was more than willing to stay and watch this interesting mortal world. Helios, the sun god, was likewise willing to dim the brilliance of his Sun Chariot and remain to enjoy the sight with her.
King Pelias looked grim. He had never expected his foolish nephew's companion to possess such brilliant methods.
Hmph! But he, Pelias, was the King of Iolcus. That was his natural advantage! This was his home ground!
No matter how silver-tongued they were or how extravagantly they spoke, they could forget about making him surrender the throne!
Still, he would not be stingy with the proper attitude. After all, it cost him nothing.
Thus,
"Oh, is that so? So you truly are my dear nephew, Jason! Your uncle has finally found you! Ever since I took the throne, I have spent every day thinking about how to govern the kingdom, and every night missing my parents and brothers!" Pelias looked lovingly at Jason, then spoke with feigned sorrow.
"Then, King Pelias, are you now willing to return the throne that originally belonged to Jason? Or do you simply not care about your brother Aeson, and were your earlier words nothing but hypocrisy?" Thaumas immediately followed up with a sharp interrogation.
After all, Thaumas had won debate championships before! And one should not underestimate the wisdom of someone from an ancient land, either! Politics and such...
Hmph! He had received some instruction in it too!
He called himself the "Grand Debater"!
Heroes could appreciate one another. Naturally, "villain and villain," or "good and evil," could feel the same way.
Though they were opponents, their brief exchange had genuinely surprised Pelias. Whose disciple was this?
But surprise was surprise. Pelias still said coldly, "Of course I am willing to return the throne. It is simply that my dear nephew appears to be so timid.
How could someone like that govern such a vast kingdom? How could I feel at ease handing the throne over to him?"
This was Pelias's answer: stall!
As long as he dragged things out until the sacrifice was over, the two of them would be at his mercy.
And even if he failed to get rid of them, once he had a child, he would have the means to confront Jason head-on.
For now, he would avoid their edge and endure!
More importantly, he had only seized the throne with Zeus's help. Though it was nothing to boast about, it was also what gave him the confidence to profane Hera before the Temple of Hera.
Come to think of it, ever since Pelias killed his brother Sidero in the Temple of Hera, that act of blasphemy had made him Hera's mortal enemy. Zeus had intervened afterward, however, and the matter had passed.
As for Pelias, he was one of the figures of Ancient Greek mythology and the King of Iolcus. He was the son of Poseidon and Tyro, and the twin brother of Neleus.
Pelias and Neleus were abandoned by their mother at birth. Their mother, Tyro, had been abused by her step-grandmother Sidero. Once the brothers grew up, they drove Sidero away and rescued their mother.
However, Pelias later killed Sidero in the Temple of Hera, and this blasphemous act made him Hera's mortal enemy.
Later, the brothers clashed over the throne of Thessaly. Pelias exiled Neleus, who moved to Messenia and became the ancestor of the kings of Pylos. Pelias became King of Thessaly, married Anaxibia, daughter of Bias, and fathered Acastus and the Peliades sisters.
Pelias's mother Tyro remarried Cretheus, the founder of Iolcus, and bore him three sons, including Aeson. Aeson later inherited the throne.
But Pelias, his half-brother through their mother, seized the throne of Iolcus with Zeus's assistance. When Aeson's son Jason came of age, he demanded that Pelias return the throne that should have been his. That had been the original story...
Now, the fish had taken the bait!
A smile curled across Thaumas's lips, and he confidently said, "Then that means all Jason has to do is prove that he is capable, right?"
"Mm. If he can prove that he is capable, I will consider it. But he does not look like a qualified man." Pelias slowly nodded.
"Then, before Hera's temple, give Jason a test. Let him prove that he has the ability to lead the Kingdom of Iolcus toward prosperity!" Thaumas shouted.
"Y-Yes! Exactly!" Jason, trembling with fear, finally found the nerve to speak under Thaumas's hint.
After all, Thaumas had pinched him hard.
Then he arrogantly declared, "I am not afraid of some trivial test! Bring it on!"
That was right! This was the spirit!
"This..." Pelias hesitated.
"What? Is the king afraid? Did you never intend to return the throne that should belong to Jason?
If that is the case, then I must ask: do you truly act for the people, or do you merely want to be king? Answer me, Pelias!" Thaumas said before the crowd.
Faced with Thaumas's interrogation, Pelias was truly put in a difficult position. Yet, amid the doubts of the surrounding people and Thaumas's watchful gaze, he considered it before answering:
"Fine, I can agree to my brave nephew's request, but..."
After a pause, Pelias slyly added, "Since my nephew is so brave, then surely he can obtain even the legendary Golden Fleece!"
The Golden Fleece was a rare treasure in Ancient Greek mythology. For a long time, the Greeks had circulated countless tales about it. Many heroes and kings wished to obtain it. It symbolized not only wealth, but also adventure, indomitable will, ideals, and the pursuit of happiness.
After King Aeetes unexpectedly obtained the Golden Fleece, he presented it to the war god Ares. He ordered it nailed within Ares's Sacred Grove and assigned a fire-breathing dragon to guard it.
For an oracle had told him that his life was closely bound to the Golden Fleece. If the fleece remained, so would he; if the fleece perished, so would he.
If that was the case, then Jason could never possibly complete such a task.
Pelias was brimming with confidence. Thaumas was even more confident. Although Pelias had no idea what Thaumas was so confident about, Pelias was still very confident in himself...
As long as he achieved his goal, Thaumas was sincerely delighted.
Then,
"Of course there is no problem! Only an impossible task like this is worthy of our Jason!" Thaumas grabbed Jason's hand and shouted, "I swear to the gods that Jason is truly an indomitable hero!"
Thaumas's words were deafening! That sentence echoed through Jason's mind. No one had ever acknowledged him as a hero before...
So Jason raised his head and said firmly, "That's right! The Golden Fleece is nothing. I, Jason, can take it with ease! I am a hero!"
As soon as he finished speaking, waves of cheers erupted! The people offered their blessings to Jason, the protagonist!
This was the Age of Gods. Not only the gods, but even mortals wished to see someone dare challenge the impossible.
This was Ancient Greece, an era filled with heroes and epics!
Thus, at this very moment, not only the people, but even Pelias, that schemer, acknowledged him!
At the same time, as though the sun had heard them, clouds gathered overhead and focused its rays upon the altar, illuminating the two children!
This divine sign drew another wave of cheers. It meant that a god was watching!
However, the matter was far from over.
"Then, King of Iolcus, are you willing to swear before the great Olympian Gods that once Jason retrieves the Golden Fleece, you will willingly return the throne and cease openly and secretly targeting Jason?" At the height of the fervor, Thaumas ruthlessly interrupted.
"Fine, I agree!" Pelias readily said. Refusing now would be courting death, but he once again made things difficult for them.
"However, since this is an oath to the gods, surely it requires a god to witness it. That is, if you can make a god answer you."
What a schemer.
This put Thaumas in a difficult spot. But just as he was about to strike back, Hera, who had been watching in a daze, finally reacted.
The old woman stepped out lightly and slowly floated into the air, revealing her usual Mimetic Divine Body. She looked so noble and elegant.
Though things had seemingly gone a little beyond expectations, this child truly was outstanding. He had accomplished this much without needing divine aid.
And from the looks of it, he could continue.
But that would not do. If this continued, he would have no way to receive the Queen of Heaven's affection.
Mm, it was time for her to make an appearance. Though she could not fill it completely, she at least had to stuff some of this "affection" into his heart.
The moment the Queen of Heaven appeared, cheers rang out one after another. It also declared Pelias's plan a failure. No matter what he did today, he could not restore his image. After all, the matter of murdering his brother and sister-in-law had come from this goddess's own lips!
"I am Hera, Queen of Heaven. People of Iolcus, and all those who believe in me, I shall witness this oath!
At the same time, I shall personally bestow upon the hero a great trial! Go, heroes. Gather the bravest heroes in all Ancient Greece, and under the gods' witness, retrieve the Golden Fleece.
Go and complete that utterly impossible task!"
This was a gift from Hera, Queen of Heaven.
Treasures such as wealth and valuables were not truly precious, for after people died, they could not use them in the Underworld.
But humanity's deeds and heroes' epics would be passed from bard to bard, sung to the ends of heaven and earth, sung through the skies and into the Underworld.
They would be forever inscribed in the history of mankind, even the history of the world. Heroes would be remembered forever!
Such a gift was precious indeed!
Thus, beneath divine witness, this impossible task was celebrated amid the people's cries and eagerly sung by bards. What magnificent epic would this great trial bring to the world?
How exciting. No, not only for mortals!
After the prelude to this grand epic ended, the lingering veil of darkness finally vanished completely. Nyx yawned and returned to the Underworld in satisfaction. Helios, the sun god who had slacked off for quite a while, finally began today's work in earnest.
Elsewhere,
A certain goddess who had been watching all along,
"Hahaha, interesting! How incredibly interesting!" Athena, with purple hair and golden eyes, laughed maniacally.
A human abandoned by fate had personally shattered the destiny the Goddess of Wisdom had woven for him!
For the first time, she had encountered a hero who could refuse to follow the script she had written!
And he could do even better! He did not even need the gods' help!
Interesting! Interesting! Then let her see just how many "Miracles" he could create!
How many people's fates could he change?
Just as he had said himself, prove it to her! Thaumas! You made the Goddess of Fate feel ashamed, and you made Queen of Heaven Hera run about for you. So could you bring joy to the Goddess of Wisdom as well?!
She, Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, admitted one thing: Hera truly had a good eye. This was an outstanding child, though Athena had not been sure at first.
But now, she truly intended to snatch him away!
Before you continue