Heroes Shouldn't Be Like This!

"Tell me, is it really necessary to be this cautious?"

In the unfamiliar mountain forest, Nyx, the Goddess of Night, had long since emerged from the Underworld, spilling her darkness across the sky.

The beautiful youth with black hair and blue eyes swatted at mosquitoes while carefully observing his surroundings. Only after confirming the coast was clear did he emerge from the bushes, grumbling with a look of deep displeasure.

"Who do you think I'm doing this for? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have to be sneaking you out in the middle of the night." Jason glared directly at Thaumas, retorting without mercy.

"And another thing, you are not to tell Heracles and the others that I was the one who brought you down the mountain."

"If they find out I brought a sixteen-year-old like you down here, they'll surely skin me alive!"

"No! That's mostly your own problem," Thaumas replied.

"Everyone knows I wanted to leave the mountain; I begged everyone, and you were the only one I managed to trick. Even if I get caught, or even dragged back by Chiron, the worst I'll get is a beating or a few extra days of standing in the corner. As for you, hmph!"

Hold it together, Jason! You must hold it together!

Looking at the arrogant Thaumas, Jason felt his teeth itch with rage and clenched his fists. Although he had no way to refute the point, damn it, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. That cursed Thaumas was even more insufferable than him.

"I'm twenty years old this year, and you won't even call me 'older brother' or 'Lord Jason'." Jason fumed in impotent rage.

Thaumas cast a look of disdain at him, clearly having no intention of answering that question.

That's right, Jason had ultimately taken him to skip school.

This happened after Thaumas swore an oath to the Olympian Gods, promising to help him reclaim his throne.

Even with the immense risks, and even with the potential of facing a brutal beating from the group, Jason still chose to take the risk and descend the mountain with him.

This was, after all, the temptation of a throne.

"So, do you have a plan?"

At this moment, Jason finally couldn't hold back anymore. He stopped in his tracks and asked uneasily.

He was already prepared to be swindled, but he still wanted to face reality.

"Relax, I've already sworn an oath, what more do you want from me? As for the plan, it's a secret for now, but there's definitely a way. Don't you trust the great gods?"

Faced with this reversal of roles, Jason ignored the question and stared at him intently.

His smooth, silky black hair and clear, alluring blue eyes certainly fit the aesthetic of the ancient Greeks.

At sixteen, he was already a beautiful youth in every sense of the word.

At the same time, dressed in white and holding a lyre, with that alluring fragrance he emitted from time to time, he was a total heartbreaker; there was no telling how many people he would ruin in the future.

"Sigh—" In the end, with a sigh, Jason gave up on questioning him. After all, he had no choice but to trust him now.

Thus, the two allies set off on their journey once more, heading toward Jason's homeland—the Kingdom of Iolcus.

Time passed in the blink of an eye. A week later, under the scorching sun, in a small village.

"Listen well! Standing before you now is the student of the great centaur sage Chiron, the unerring archer, the dazzling musician—Thaumas!"

Under the glare of the sun, Thaumas, holding a longbow, was in high spirits, speaking proudly to the band of thieves.

The ancient Greece of the Age of Gods was no paradise; it was filled with mystery and danger, dense forests, ferocious beasts, and thieves were a common occurrence.

Unfortunately, this group of thieves was unlucky. If they were Heroic Spirits, their Luck stat would definitely be E. This time, they had kicked a steel plate.

Even though they were facing the two lowest-ranked students under Chiron, it was more than enough to deal with a bunch of rabble.

And so, "Go! I choose you! Jason! Take them down for me!" Thaumas shielded himself behind Jason, pointing his finger at the thieves.

"Huh?! How can a great commander go to the front lines? That should be your job!" Jason was shocked.

"Don't forget, you're the bottom-ranked student, so you have to listen to me. Besides, I'm an archer." Thaumas prepared himself, nocking an arrow.

That's right, he had his eyes set on the Archer and Caster classes.

After all, as the old saying goes—archers are always overpowered.

Plus, the strongest archer hero in all of ancient Greece, Heracles, was studying under Chiron, so how could he not learn a trick or two from him?

Although, in reality, he didn't have much skill—archers were elite ancient soldiers, all of them sturdy and strong.

And even if he couldn't become an Archer, he had to at least become a Caster, which was the reason he studied music.

With the musical mastery inherited from Chiron, combined with the selfless teachings of his senior, Orpheus, his technique was nothing short of superb. After all, Orpheus was the son of Apollo, the God of Music.

"You still dare to talk? If it weren't for Heracles and the others protecting you, would I have lost to a brat four years younger than me? Do you think I dare to win against you? I..."

The more Jason thought about it, the angrier he became. He picked up his sword and vented his frustration on the thieves, not forgetting to kick them a few times as he spoke.

And so, the following scene unfolded.

The thieves, beaten until they were crying for their parents and bruised all over, were tied to trees and the villagers were summoned.

"Everyone, don't worry! The great hero Jason has defeated the thieves, you can cheer to your heart's content!" Jason shouted.

"As expected, a great commander is quite suited for the front lines after all."

Hearing this, the villagers trembled with fear, not daring to say a word. After staring blankly for a long while, an elderly man finally stepped forward.

"Great heroes, thank you for defeating these bandits for us. If it weren't for you two, we wouldn't have known what to do." The old man was moved to tears.

"That's right, that's right! Go ahead and shower me with praise!" Jason said, looking proud.

Next came the moment of judgment. Thaumas stepped forward and spoke sternly to the bandits:

"Now, you must swear to the great Olympian Gods that you will never engage in such looting and pillaging again. Otherwise, while I won't kill you, well~"

As he spoke, he drew his dagger and let it pass, intentionally or otherwise, over the leader's lower regions.

"I can't guarantee what will happen down here, you know~~"

Hearing this, the bandits' faces turned ashen, their legs turning to jelly from fright.

Hm? Why is there a pungent smell?

Looking down, the bandit in front of Thaumas had wet his pants, his legs shaking violently.

Jason was also shocked, subconsciously crossing his legs as if he were meeting Thaumas for the first time.

Is this even a thing? I didn't realize this kid was so ruthless!

After a moment, the bandits spoke in unison: "Heroes, we won't do it again! Heroes, we swear to the great Olympian Gods that we will live honestly and work diligently from now on, and never again..."

Once they finished, Thaumas spoke again.

"Seeing as you're so obedient, I'll let you off this time."

"But there is one more condition."

The bandits hurriedly agreed, knowing they had to follow his lead.

"You must help the villagers rebuild the homes you destroyed and work for free for the families of those who died until their children are grown. And you are to spread the word of our heroic deeds!" Thaumas continued.

As his words fell, the bandits looked at each other, stunned.

But just then, Jason tapped the bandit's thigh with his sword at the perfect moment.

They jumped in fright and immediately swore the oath, at least saving their lives and their manhood.

"Very good!" Thaumas nodded in satisfaction and cut their ropes with his dagger, adding, "Don't forget your oaths. The gods are watching the world."

Although the gods were usually busy, that didn't stop him from using them as a threat.

Afterward, they confiscated the bandits' property and the stolen goods. Just as Thaumas was about to return the items to the villagers, Jason stopped him in dissatisfaction.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? This is our loot!"

"There's no reason to give it back," Jason insisted.

"That's right, heroes. This is what you two deserve. Besides, please accept these as well."

The old man who had spoken earlier stepped forward again, having had the villagers pool some items together.

Thaumas was confused. He didn't quite understand what was going on. Although Jason was flighty, he was usually a reasonable person.

Moreover, looking at the villagers' reactions, they seemed perfectly normal—even thinking it was only natural.

After some communication, Thaumas realized one thing: this was Age of Gods Greece!

The ancient Greeks were inherently a brutal, lecherous, and discriminatory people, and their gods were not much better.

After all, in Type-Moon, the Greek gods were a group of alien fleets, likely having become just like humans after absorbing the "humanity" of this place.

Having figured this out, he spoke seriously to Jason.

"Jason, we can take the bandits' own property, but as for the villagers', we must return it. It doesn't belong to us!"

"A hero shouldn't be like a bandit. The heroes you told me about, in my eyes, were just powerful bandits. A hero shouldn't be like that!"

Looking at the treasure in his hands and then at his friend, Jason hesitated. He spoke weakly, "But..."

"No buts!" Thaumas interrupted directly. "I cannot force you; whether you return it or not is your freedom—it is your right. But I will certainly return my share!"

"If you choose to keep it, then after I help you reclaim your throne, I can only choose to end this friendship."

Jason was silent for a long time. He stroked the treasure in his hands as if looking at a lover. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said:

"Damn it! You bastard! Do you have any idea what I'm giving up for you!"

Thaumas smiled. He knew, of course, as this meant he was giving up future wealth as well.

"Now, if you can't help me reclaim my throne, I'll definitely kill you!"

Jason said viciously.

That's it. The hero who didn't exist before now does!

He had found the first meaning in his own path to becoming a hero—at the very least, to bring a little change to this filthy era!

Even if it was only changing Jason!