Chapter 25

Jason hurriedly asked reverently, "Y-You, which god are you?"

"I am the Guiding Star, the god who protects your journey. I sent forth my messengers, and they guard you in the form of twins. Do not forget your mission. If you forget your mission in pursuit of pleasure, you will meet the most miserable fate!"

The voice gradually faded away. Jason suddenly opened his eyes and saw candlelight around him. Beside him, Hypsipyle was sleeping sweetly. Even in her dreams, she clutched his arm, looking so adorable.

Seeing this, the fear in his heart gradually calmed. Jason let out a breath and gently touched his chest. "So it was only a dream..."

But as soon as he said that, Jason still frowned.

Although it was only a dream, I can't casually assume it meant nothing. Rather, this dream really did come to give me a revelation...

But it said it was the Guiding Star. I've never heard of such a god. It said twin messengers were protecting me, but among my people, I know everyone who could be considered twins, and I know where they all came from...

Forget it. I'll ask Castor and Pollux tomorrow and see whether they know anything about the Guiding Star.

Thinking that, Jason sighed in relief and lay back down. Breathing in the scent of the person beside him, he slowly drifted back to sleep.

Meanwhile, the brother and sister who had been hiding in the distance and causing those strange dreams were exchanging their thoughts.

"I think it might have scared him more if we'd turned into his father and, in Aeson's voice, said, 'The gods told me that you've actually become lost in a place like this and forgotten your adventure,'" Pollux said.

Castor nodded as well. "I think so too. That level of fright definitely wouldn't make him leave immediately. If we had used Aeson's appearance, he probably would've dragged everyone away first thing tomorrow morning."

"But what you did wasn't wrong either, Brother. After all, if he left too quickly, the things you need to do afterward would become troublesome, right?" Pollux said, looking at the stone tablet in Castor's hands.

Castor was writing—or rather, carving—something into the tablet.

"This place is fairly prosperous. Travelers will come here to rest, so we'll let our story spread from here. The messengers of the God of Guidance are not other people, but the God of Guidance himself. And the God of Guidance is not one person, but two. That story will spread!

"And not only here. We can spread the story elsewhere as well. As long as it spreads far enough and widely enough, it will definitely affect our condition!"

Pollux nodded happily. "Mm. Then you'll be able to return to your original appearance, Brother. Even if it's not exactly as before, you'll at least regain your divinity!"

She revealed an expectant expression. "That way, Brother and I can stay together forever!"

Because her hearing was too good, Atalanta found it difficult to suppress her desires and chose to come to the stern. It was much farther from where Mephistopheles and the others were staying, which finally made her feel a little better.

Feeling the sea breeze and silently remaining there, Atalanta seemed unexpectedly quiet and gentle at that moment.

Just then, someone's voice suddenly sounded beside her.

"It's so late. Aren't you going to get some rest?"

Atalanta was startled. She was a hunter—the greatest kind of hunter—with extremely high alertness, yet she had not noticed anyone approaching until the person behind her spoke!

She hurriedly turned around, instinctively gripping her weapon, only to see the person who had approached her casually sit down beside her.

It was Mephistopheles, one of the culprits who had made her feel so uncomfortable and nearly lose control!

Why is he here? Did he notice something about me and come to take a look? Is he plotting something too?! Atalanta thought, unable to stop herself from becoming irritated.

When Mephistopheles saw that she did not speak, he continued, "You don't need to keep watch. Go back and rest. There won't be any danger here. Save your energy. Once we continue onward in a few days, there will be times when you need to stand watch."

Seeing that he had only come to urge her to rest, Atalanta finally relaxed, and some of her irritation faded. Still, she said stubbornly, "Don't worry. I'm not that delicate!"

"But you're not a stone either. People of flesh and blood need to rest. Even stone will undergo undesirable changes if it remains under pressure for too long."

Mephistopheles spoke, then suddenly asked, "Come to think of it, you're a hunter. You're excellent at both running and archery. Have you ever considered learning something new?"

"Something new?" Atalanta did not quite understand what he meant, so much so that she even forgot to snap back at him.

Mephistopheles nodded lightly. "Yes, something new. For example, some rather special magic."

"Special magic?" Atalanta thought about it, then shook her head. "I have the blessing of Lady Artemis, so I can use magic related to Lady Artemis. I don't need to learn any other magic."

She sounded rather proud when she said that, which was only natural. With a god's blessing, she could directly use magic connected to divine authority. Ordinary magicians could never reach that level!

But Mephistopheles merely smiled. "It's still good to learn more magic unrelated to the moon goddess. For example, magic that can keep you calm at all times. For a hunter, staying calm is extremely important. I think you understand that better than I do."

Atalanta almost rejected him without a second thought. Although Mephistopheles was polite and handsome, unlike the others she had met, she still did not want too much contact with him.

Besides, as a hunter, she was already calm by nature. Why would she need to specifically learn magic to keep herself calm?

But before she could refuse, Mephistopheles said, "Don't be so quick to turn me down. Perhaps you could ask the Artemis you worship and see what she says. Maybe she'll think you should learn it too."

"The great Lady Artemis!"

Emphasizing the honorific, Atalanta finally did not reject him outright. Although she felt strange about asking Artemis such a thing, she often liked telling Artemis about all sorts of matters anyway. Thinking about it, asking the moon goddess did not seem like a problem.

"All right, I won't disturb you any longer. Get some rest early. Rest well, eat well, and think carefully about what I said." Mephistopheles stood up as he spoke and gave Atalanta a slight bow. "Then, good night, Lady Atalanta."

After saying that, he simply headed back in the direction he had come from, without the slightest reluctance.

That reaction instead made Atalanta frown slightly.

Why does it look as though I hold no attraction for him at all?!

Thinking that, Atalanta could not help becoming irritated again.

After a while, she saw Heracles. Knowing his identity, Atalanta greeted him. Heracles walked over and said, "Still not resting? Are you praying to a god?"

"I've already finished praying to Lady Artemis."

Heracles smiled. "You really are devout."

"Lady Artemis has been exceptionally kind to me, and I am willing to serve her by never marrying for the rest of my life!" As she spoke, she smiled proudly. "After all, Lady Artemis is a virgin goddess. Naturally, I must follow in her footsteps!"

Heracles nearly failed to control his expression upon hearing that. He glanced toward the cabin near the bow and forcefully suppressed the urge to make a remark.

Watching Atalanta continue praising Artemis, Heracles suddenly did not know how to respond. If he said anything wrong, he might offend several people at once!

For the first time, Heracles felt that this was such a hassle. He even regretted coming over to speak with Atalanta. As the girl kept talking about the moon goddess's greatness, all he could do was answer with things like "Is that so?" and "Yes."

Finally, after Atalanta finished speaking, Heracles felt as if he had been pardoned. He immediately slipped back into his little cabin, deciding not to go outside unless something important happened!

Lying on his bed, Heracles thought of Atalanta's words and shook his head. "Virgin goddess? Ha..."

Reward

Atalanta woke from her sleep. Although several people who did not know how to restrain themselves had made it difficult for her to sleep during the first half of the night, she had slept rather comfortably during the latter half.

After waking up and coming onto the deck, Atalanta looked at the risen sun, stretched, and yawned.

After last night's rest, she felt as though her entire body was filled with strength!

"Atalanta's awake. Come eat!" A somewhat familiar voice came from nearby. She looked over and found Mephistopheles and his group there, with Heracles beside them as well.

"Since we're on the ship, Jason had someone bring the food over," Heracles explained, waving the large piece of roasted meat in his hand.

Artemis greeted Atalanta as well, smiling as she called out, "Come eat!"

"O-Okay!" Atalanta hurriedly replied. Looking at the face of the woman named Diana, she inexplicably felt that Diana was very close to her, making her instinctively lower her guard.

This is strange. Is it because Diana is so beautiful that I relaxed my guard? That shouldn't be it. Or is it because we're both women, and she seems so lively, that I let down my guard?

Atalanta felt puzzled, but she did not dwell on it. After quickly washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she went over to join them and sat down to eat.

As she ate, she glanced at Mephistopheles and recalled what he had said the previous night, which made Atalanta feel puzzled again.

I didn't think about it carefully last night. Was I really that tired? My head felt all muddled. But now that I think about it, why does he want me to learn magic? What does that have to do with him?

And we didn't know each other before. He suddenly wants to teach me something. Did he take an interest in something I have? But what do I have that he could want? Could it be my body? Plenty of people want my body, but judging by how he acted last night, he doesn't seem like that kind of person...

Thinking about it, Atalanta found that she could not make sense of it no matter how hard she tried. She could only stop looking at Mephistopheles and force herself to focus on the food before her.

Although it was breakfast, it was an extremely hearty meal, with vegetables, meat, and grain-based staples. It could replenish all sorts of things the body needed, and as a hunter, Atalanta successfully focused all her attention on the food.

Yet after she finished eating and relaxed from the fullness in her stomach, she could not help recalling Mephistopheles's words again.

So what exactly is he trying to do?! Atalanta could not help wanting to go directly to Mephistopheles, block his path, and ask what he wanted. Someone suddenly wanting to teach her something without mentioning any reward at all was simply too difficult for her to understand.

"So, is there something troubling you?" A voice suddenly sounded. Atalanta was startled again. She had failed to notice Mephistopheles approaching last night, and today she had once again failed to notice someone approaching. From the voice, she remembered that its owner was Diana.

Is this woman really that strong? When she introduced herself, she said she wasn't particularly powerful, but she can silently approach from behind me. And from the way she moves, she's obviously an exceptional hunter!

Atalanta was greatly surprised, but she still smiled. "Nothing is troubling me."

Then she glanced at Mephistopheles, who was fishing with a rod nearby, while Medea copied him with a fishing rod of her own. Atalanta turned back to Diana and asked, "Aren't you going fishing?"

"Compared to fishing, I prefer jumping into the sea and catching fish directly." Artemis said this, making Atalanta laugh. "Then all your clothes will get wet."

"It's fine. They'll dry quickly." Artemis did not seem concerned. Then she asked again, "You looked as though you were troubled by something just now. Did something happen?"

Atalanta hesitated for a moment before saying, "Someone said he wants to teach me magic, magic that can help me remain calm. I'm considering whether I should accept that suggestion."

The moment Artemis heard it, she knew it had to be related to Mephistopheles. After all, Mephistopheles had told her the previous night that he would resolve the crisis Atalanta would face in the future.

So Artemis directly said, "I think you should learn it. Learning more is better for you, right? You're certainly an incredible hunter, and calmness is practically instinctive for you, but what if something happens that suppresses your calm and leaves you unable to control your feelings?"

Atalanta froze. "Something that suppresses my calm and makes me unable to control my emotions?"

"Yes. Magic exists in this world, after all. Magic can accomplish that kind of thing. Take the power of the goddess of beauty, for instance. It can alter people's emotions and make them uncontrollably feel things like love or hatred.

"For example, if someone feels jealous because they see another person who is more beautiful than them, even if it is only a tiny bit, the goddess of beauty can completely magnify it until it becomes the greatest emotion in their heart. In the end, it could make the affected person kill the other."

Atalanta naturally knew that terrifying magic existed in this world, but she had never imagined such magic would be used on her. The magic Diana described was already the sort of magic only gods could wield.

What had she done to deserve a god using such magic on her?

"You can't let your guard down. Don't forget that this adventure was also guided by gods. If you encounter something along the way that you cannot resolve, then surely the gods will step in to help.

"Besides, Atalanta, you're so beautiful. If I were a man, I might pray to the goddess of beauty and ask her to grant me a treasure that could win your heart!"

"N-No way..." Atalanta sounded somewhat uncertain as she said that. She knew very well just how crazed the men who desired her could become. Some had even been willing to gamble their lives against hers.

Their desire to conquer everything made her seem, in their eyes, like an existence that absolutely had to be conquered. For that, they could cast everything aside!

At once, Atalanta became vigilant. Yet she still hesitated.

"But although that person said he can teach me, he hasn't asked for anything at all. I don't believe anyone would simply give me something for free. Even if he wanted my body, I think I could consider it or refuse if he just said so. But asking for nothing is even more frightening."

"Then why don't you just ask him directly?" Artemis's words immediately woke Atalanta up. Atalanta thought about it and felt that the words made perfect sense.

"That's right. Why not just ask him directly? No matter what his purpose is, as long as I know what price I need to pay, that's enough!"

Then Artemis said, "You can ask him clearly, then seek guidance from the god you believe in. You're so devout. Your god will surely answer you!"

"Thank you, Diana. You've helped me a great deal!" Atalanta said happily. "If you ever need my help in the future, just tell me!"

"Mm. If I do, I'll tell you." Artemis smiled and remained seated beside her. This was the first time she had sat beside one of her believers without being in the identity of a god.

"You want to teach me magic, so what do you want? You can't possibly be teaching me for free, can you?" Atalanta asked Mephistopheles on the beach.

Although Mephistopheles had expected her to come ask him about the details, he had not expected this to be the first question she asked.

Although Mephistopheles was not a believer in Christianity, and could even be considered a rather heretical Golden Dawn magician, he was still devout. He often went to church to check in, sing hymns, and enjoy the weekend communion.

He also worked as a volunteer, handing out food to ordinary people. He exchanged ideas with priests and discussed doctrine with them. Of course, all of that had happened in the world of A Certain Magical Index.

A priest had once suggested that he simply join the Anglican Church. Mephistopheles was well suited to becoming a priest.

However, Mephistopheles had politely declined the suggestion—or rather, the invitation. He was used to wandering around and did not like staying in one church.

It was also because of those experiences that he had developed the habit of believing that helping someone when they were in trouble was perfectly normal and did not require consideration of payment.

After all, when he encountered difficulties sometimes, such as "It's too hot and I don't feel like cooking," he would directly go to church and seek help.

So after hearing Atalanta's words, Mephistopheles suddenly understood. So that was what she had been confused about!

Mephistopheles rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and gave an answer that left Atalanta completely stunned.

"Give whatever you think it's worth. Just give me a little something. It doesn't need to be much. I think something like a meal would be enough."

Atalanta was stunned for a long while before she finally said, "You're teaching me magic, and the reward you want is only a meal?!"

"That's right. It's just an example. Something like a meal is fine. You could also give me money, or dance or sing for me. I think any of that would work."

As Mephistopheles spoke, he saw the girl's stunned expression and frowned.

"Right. Suddenly asking you to sing or dance is indeed a little abrupt. That kind of value exceeds a meal no matter how you look at it. In that case, I think you can just go into town and bring back some vegetables or fruit."

Mephistopheles's Changes

Atalanta felt that she truly could not understand Mephistopheles at all. The reward for a meal, or merely having her sing or dance—did that even count as payment?!

If magic could be learned so easily, this world would already be full of people seeking opportunities to learn it!

Even if one had no talent, there was no harm in trying, given how small the cost was.

Still, even after Mephistopheles said that, Atalanta felt it would not do. She frowned and said, "If you can't increase the reward, I really don't dare learn magic from you."