Oracle for the Hero

The morning sun was always so gentle and warm, and the air was permeated with "True Ether." The abundant magical energy made Thaumas, a former modern man, feel refreshed to his very marrow.

The morning air was quite humid. Thaumas and Jason rose early, and after a simple wash, they were just about to set off when, unexpectedly, an "uninvited guest" arrived.

"Child, did you sleep well last night? I specifically blessed you, you know~"

Thaumas gazed at the Goddess of Wisdom who had suddenly appeared before him. Her golden eyes swirled slightly, shimmering with ripples of golden light, and at this moment, she was observing him with curiosity.

Thaumas was no longer surprised by Athena's sudden appearance; after all, it seemed perfectly reasonable for this famous mischief-loving goddess to do anything, didn't it?

So, are all these gods this bored?

"Hmm~? That's not it at all. I was specifically watching over you, especially you, little follower of Hera," Athena said quite enthusiastically.

Sigh, when will I ever stop being eavesdropped on? And what is this goddess up to now? Hey! And you, Jason, you coward, stop playing dead! This is Lady Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, who is actually willing to cast her gaze upon you!

Sometimes, being with someone makes you feel helpless. Damn it! I really hope one day Jason gets beaten up by the whole world!

"Hmm~ Right! I remembered!" Athena acted as if it had just occurred to her, shifting her gaze from Thaumas to Jason behind him.

The smile on her face vanished, her golden eyes flickering. After staring for a moment, she spoke coldly:

"You are Jason? The purpose of your journey is to return to the Kingdom of Iolcus to reclaim the throne and take back what was lost. Is that correct?"

Upon hearing this, Jason looked at the purple-haired, golden-eyed goddess before him. His face was devoid of any expression, a complete change from his usual arrogant demeanor. His legs could not stop trembling; after all, this was a true deity, and none other than Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Victory!

"Yes! Respected Goddess!"

I didn't expect that, Jason!

You actually didn't stutter, and you haven't wet yourself yet. Tsk~ what a pity.

However, I'll watch how you die. I've finally seen this scene...

"Haha~" Athena, who was eavesdropping, couldn't help but laugh. She ignored Thaumas on the side and continued:

"Jason, I have come for you on this journey."

"I bring you an oracle, and it will be able to help you reclaim your throne, take back everything that belongs to you, and allow you to reap countless glories!"

Hearing this, Jason could no longer remain calm. He looked at Athena with a fanatical expression, then turned his head excitedly toward Thaumas, who was bowing his head in thought.

Finally, he trembled in disbelief: "Praise the great Goddess of Wisdom, Athena! Thank you, respected Goddess, I should..."

Athena reached out a hand, her powerful authority stopping Jason from saying anything further, and said:

"Remember, on this journey, you must never bully the elderly, and you must never ignore the old, the weak, the women, and the children who seek your help! If you can truly do this, I, Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, will personally help you reclaim the throne."

After listening, before Jason could even react, Thaumas had already understood most of it. But with the Goddess of Wisdom present, he dared not think further and simply watched in silence.

After leaving the oracle, the goddess did not depart. Instead, she looked at Thaumas and parted her lips slightly: "Child, you as well. If you want to help him, you must also abide by the oracle. You must abide by it!"

Having said that, she left immediately without giving Thaumas time to respond. If he didn't already know everything, he would have been tortured by curiosity. What a mischief-loving goddess.

He also understood this oracle. He had known about this matter from the beginning and had planned for it, but he hadn't expected Athena to be such a major "interruption"—literally.

Well, after all, it's Type-Moon, a company that started with adult games. Those who know, know; those who don't, don't need to. Heh~

Returning to the topic, the identity of the "elderly, women, and children" in Athena's words was self-evident: it was the great Queen of the Heavens, the wife of the King of Gods, Zeus, who was often cheated on...

Of course, she was also one of the twelve Olympian gods, the deity in charge of marriage and childbirth.

This Queen Hera was, in fact, Thaumas's second target for this journey. As for who the first target was?

That goes without saying, of course, it was the Argo, the ship laden with glory.

In the Greek mythology stories he knew, as well as his understanding of the Type-Moon world, if he wanted to leave a significant mark in this world and participate in those magnificent legends and epics, he could not avoid those gods. It was inescapable.

He did not intend to sit and wait for death; instead, he decided to strike hard. As for who he would strike? That goes without saying—it had to be Jason.

After all, Jason is the "protagonist." Jason will just have to suffer a little. Let me take a share of your legend! Don't worry, I'll only help you carry the burden.

Thaumas thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Jason had just emerged from his surprise, excited like a silly roe deer.

It was no wonder; after all, Athena's oracle had clearly stated that she would personally help him reclaim the throne that belonged to him—everything that was his!

So, "The great Goddess of Wisdom, Lady Athena, she really did come for me! In this way, the day I reclaim the throne is practically just around the corner!" Jason was ecstatic, and then he teased Thaumas, "Now it seems I don't need you at all, Thaumas! I alone can fulfill the oracle and, with the help of the Goddess of Wisdom, personally reclaim the throne!"

"Ah, Thaumas, in the future, you must address me as the respected King Jason! I will reluctantly permit you to be my personal military advisor!"

Thaumas, who was walking, did not want to pay attention to Jason, who was being his usual insufferable self. But seeing that Thaumas ignored him, Jason pushed his luck even further.

"I knew I shouldn't have brought you down the mountain; you've caused me nothing but trouble. If Heracles and the others find out, I'll really be in for it!" Seeing Thaumas's face growing darker, Jason immediately changed his tune:

"However, as the brother of King Jason, I won't hold it against you too much."

"When I ascend the throne, I will surely find you a position, make you my military advisor, and let you reap wealth and glory!"

Looking at the smug, rambling Jason, Thaumas truly couldn't take it anymore. Jason had babbled on about a bunch of unrealistic empty promises. You bastard, you'll definitely be a king who knows how to draw big cakes in the future!

"So, have you grasped the meaning of Goddess Athena's oracle, respected King Jason?"

"Hmm... well... ah, that's not the point! Anyway, it's all just a matter of time!" Jason replied, looking instantly distressed. But as he looked at Thaumas, he seemed to remember something and immediately continued, full of anticipation:

"Right, This Lonely One just remembered, didn't you say you wanted to help me reclaim my throne? Now the opportunity to assist your great King has arrived; my wise and handsome strategist can surely handle this, right!"

Knowing how to cling to power now, you really are yourself, Jason!

Hearing this, Thaumas was truly amused to the point of laughter, though, in truth, the three virgin goddesses of Greece were all troublesome. If he could, he wouldn't want to encounter any of them. Goddess Hera was better; she was like a normal person—keep her happy, and everything would go smoothly.

The mere thought of that love-struck Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt, Artemis, made him shudder with lingering fear. After all, her lover, Orion, had it miserable.

Ever since Orion became a Heroic Spirit, whenever he was summoned, the Moon Goddess would inevitably lower her own Spirit Origin rank, descending from "God" to a Heroic Spirit just to appear and strangle Orion by the neck.

How tragic; he couldn't even find peace after death.

As for that oracle, it was the second treasure.

The first, of course, was Master Chiron!

Jason was the son of Aeson and the grandson of Cretheus.

Cretheus founded a city and the Kingdom of Iolcus on the shores of Thessaly, eventually passing the kingdom to his son, Aeson.

Aeson, like his father, was an upright king, but his character was too indecisive, making him ill-suited to rule the formidable Thessaly.

When the lords of Thessaly rebelled, he welcomed the help of his half-brother, Pelias.

After suppressing the rebellion, Pelias was appointed captain of Aeson's guard, but his brother conspired to overthrow Aeson's rule, imprisoning his parents—though rumors also suggested they had been secretly murdered.

When Jason came of age and prepared to return to his homeland to reclaim everything that was once his, his uncle Pelias provoked the Queen of Heaven, Hera. To take revenge on him, Hera appeared before Jason.

She disguised herself as a frail old woman, standing before a rushing river, and when Jason arrived, she begged him to help her cross.

Jason agreed. While he was carrying her across the river, Hera suddenly caused the turbulent waters to surge, washing away all the wealth and weapons Jason carried, and even causing him to lose one of his sandals in the river mud.

Yet, even so, Jason did not abandon her to chase after the wealth and weapons swept away by the current; he successfully passed Hera's test.

From that day on, he became a devotee of Hera, the child favored by the Queen of Heaven.

Without a doubt, this was a legend, and so, even if only considering that participating in it could improve a Heroic Spirit's quality, Thaumas had no reason to let it pass!

Thaumas's plan was to follow by Jason's side and help support her when they crossed the river.

He would first make his presence known before Hera and reveal his faith in her, allowing Hera to gain two believers at once.

This was his plan—simple, yet precisely effective.

After all, from the moment he arrived in this world, he had been venerating Hera, praying to her sincerely every single day, all for the arrival of this very day!

Years of constant, daily prayer would finally bear fruit! This was the result of his hard work!

In Ancient Greece, "bootlicking" the gods was nothing to be ashamed of; after all, if you kept the gods happy, they truly rewarded you!

With such thoughts and schemes in mind, Thaumas and Jason remained diligent and conscientious along the way, constantly mindful of their words and actions.

Until one evening, several days later...

PS: I wanted to keep writing, but I realized I've already hit eight thousand words today, so let's leave it at this. I'll split it into two chapters and post the rest tomorrow.