It was clear that Jason had no desire to be involved with the gods.
Because in his heart, he understood one thing: no matter which god it was, as long as they were a god, they represented… trouble!
Especially the Greek gods.
If one were to summarize all of Greek mythology in a single sentence, it would be: Is Greece in chaos? That depends on the gods!
Nearly every major event in the world had the shadow of the gods lurking behind it.
Jason's own tragic fate was no exception.
One theory about why Medea had fallen hopelessly in love with him so suddenly was that Eros' arrows had struck them both.
And the reason his love life had been so turbulent? It had a lot to do with Eros' mother, one of the twelve Olympian gods, the goddess of beauty—Aphrodite—who had once casually thrown out a curse that seemed more like a joke.
So when he realized he was that Jason, the young boy made up his mind—for the sake of his own future, he wanted nothing to do with the gods!
But… misfortune always comes in threes.
After leaving the little girl and cautiously making his way back, Jason took a long detour, walking for one or two hours.
Yet in the end, on the only path that led home, he once again encountered Hecate.
This time, however, she had not taken the form of an old woman, a young maiden, or a child.
Instead, she sat gracefully in a pavilion that had suddenly appeared in the middle of the forest, clad in a flowing black gown. Her slender figure was accentuated by the dress, and her long, waist-length black hair cascaded loosely down her back.
Gazing at the goddess, who sat there quietly, exuding an air of nobility and elegance as she patiently awaited him, Jason couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.
He stepped forward and decisively entered the pavilion.
"You're quite clever, little one."
Hecate's beautiful red eyes locked onto Jason as he approached, bowed, and respectfully addressed her as "Esteemed Goddess."
With a smile, she said, "I was just wondering… if you tried to run again this time, should I punish you a little?"
"Then again… since you've been avoiding me so deliberately, I assume you already know who I am?"
She glanced at his attire and remarked, "Hmm… it's clear that Chiron has been taking good care of you. That outfit of yours—he must have put a lot of effort into it."
Jason was momentarily stunned by her words.
Over the past month, Chiron had assigned Jason various tasks outside the cave, mostly to accompany Hercules and the others. The centaur had hoped that Jason, seeing the gap between himself and the other heroes, would develop a competitive spirit and change his mind.
At the same time, Chiron had been worried about Jason's safety. That was why the student uniform he now wore was specially crafted—something that could save his life in a critical moment.
"Uh… Esteemed Goddess, may I ask who you are…?"
"Hmm?"
Hecate's gaze flickered with a hint of surprise. "You don't know who I am? …Then why were you avoiding me so much?"
Because you're a god!
That was the first thought that popped into Jason's mind.
"Because I'm a god?"
Hecate raised an eyebrow in genuine astonishment. "Little one, do you have any idea how many people spend their entire lives praying just for a chance to meet a god? And yet, you don't want to?"
Now that surprised her.
She had thought Jason was avoiding her because he had heard something about her from Chiron.
Wait… She can read my thoughts?!
Jason was startled, and he hurriedly emptied his mind, trying to stop his thoughts from running wild.
Hecate observed him with mild amusement for a moment but quickly lost interest. She casually waved her hand and said, "Forget it. Since you weren't specifically avoiding me, I suppose I won't be mad. I was just considering turning you into a little pig for a while."
Jason felt a cold sweat trickle down his back. He knew all too well that when gods said things like this, they meant it.
Still, he felt a small sense of relief—this goddess at least seemed somewhat reasonable.
Among all the gods, she might be one of the more… conscientious ones.
"I am Hecate, the Goddess of Opportunity."
Goddess of Opportunity… Hecate?
Jason's eyes widened in shock.
He hadn't expected that the "special" goddess Chiron had recently mentioned would appear before him so soon!
Damn it, Chiron, you liar! Didn't you say this goddess was incredibly difficult to meet?!
"Then… Lady Hecate, may I ask why you've sought me out?" Jason suppressed his inner shock and cautiously asked.
"Hmm. I need you to swear an oath—to the gods of Olympus—that you will unconditionally agree to fulfill one request from me."
Hecate spoke in an indifferent tone, as if she were merely stating a fact.
"And in return, I will grant you one request as well.
Wealth, power, strength… whatever you desire, I can make it happen."
"Including restoring your parents to their former throne!"
Hearing this, Jason froze.
He certainly wouldn't doubt Hecate's words.
Not to mention that she was a goddess, but even Teacher Chiron had mentioned that even Zeus, the reigning king of the gods, would show her some respect.
But precisely because of this, Jason was quite worried about what she might ask of him.
Especially after thinking it through carefully, he realized that he had no real connection with her.
Even the gods his parents worshipped weren't her.
Then, Jason suddenly recalled how Chiron had looked at him with a strange expression when mentioning her… as if he had brought her up specifically because of him.
After just a few seconds of thought, Jason made up his mind and answered Hecate decisively, "No problem, Lady Hecate! I, Jason, hereby swear to the gods of Olympus that I will unconditionally agree to fulfill one request from the esteemed Lady Hecate!"
Jason's decisiveness caught Hecate by surprise once again.
She couldn't help but take a closer look at this boy who seemed to be only around twelve years old.
But in truth, Jason didn't have a choice… though he didn't need one, either. Because he knew very well that if this powerful goddess truly meant him harm, she wouldn't have to go through any trouble—one word from her, and he'd be dead.
"Very well… You don't need to complete this task now. When the time is right, I will come find you. Now, Jason, what is your wish?"
Having achieved her goal so easily, Hecate's mood improved, and even her gaze toward Jason became more favorable.
"…Lady Hecate, may I take some time to think about my wish?" Jason hesitated briefly before tentatively asking, "I'd like to go back and think it over…"
Hecate wasn't angered by Jason's request. After all, it was a sign of respect toward her… though, truth be told, she would have preferred to settle things immediately and go home to continue her experiments.
In the end, she handed Jason a feather as dark as the underworld itself and told him that once he had made his decision, he only needed to place it under the moonlight and speak her name.
And so, after an exhausting day filled with encounters with gods at every turn, Jason finally returned to the cave on Mount Pelion as the evening glow faded.
"Why are you back so late?"
As soon as he arrived, Jason was met with a worried Chiron.
Seeing the concern in Chiron's eyes, Jason couldn't help but feel guilty… Chiron had always been so good to him.
Even though Jason insisted on refusing any lessons, Chiron never scolded him but instead patiently tried to guide him.
"Teacher Chiron, I met a goddess today… Lady Hecate!"
"Hecate?!" Chiron was stunned. "Jason, what exactly happened?!"
The two of them moved into Chiron's wooden cabin, and as night fell, Jason recounted everything that had transpired.
"One request… So, she knows as well, huh?"
After hearing Jason's story, Chiron let out a relieved sigh—he now fully understood the situation.
"Teacher Chiron, do you know what Lady Hecate wants me to do?" Jason asked curiously.
"Well… more or less."
Chiron gave a wry smile but didn't elaborate.
Seeing this, Jason didn't press further, as he had something even more important to ask.
With a serious expression, he said, "Teacher Chiron, I remember you once told me that Lady Hecate is truly unique!
She doesn't strictly belong to the sky, the earth, the sea, or the underworld, yet she holds a high position in all of them, correct?"
"Yes, that's right," Chiron nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"You also said that Lady Hecate represents chance, randomness… the unpredictability of fate, correct?"
"That's right," Chiron nodded again. "Even within the timeline foreseen by the gods, if she chooses to intervene, she can introduce an element of luck.
That's why she is the most special among the gods—her authority is unrestricted!"
"Which means… she has the power to change fate, doesn't she?" Jason looked at Chiron with increasing seriousness.
"You could say that," Chiron replied. "Otherwise, she wouldn't be known as the Goddess of Opportunity."
"I see… Teacher Chiron, I think I finally know what I should wish for from Lady Hecate."
With that, Jason stood up.
He bowed deeply to Chiron and said, "Teacher Chiron… I'm sorry! Your unworthy student, Jason, formally requests your permission… to withdraw from your tutelage!"
Not again!
That was Chiron's first thought.
But he quickly realized that Jason was different this time…
His eyes, which had always carried hesitation and aimlessness, were now filled with determination.
For the first time, he was truly serious.
"…Can I hear your reason?"
After a long silence, Chiron didn't get angry or upset. Instead, he simply smiled and asked Jason in an exceptionally gentle voice.
And that only made Jason feel even worse.
Chiron had never given up on him. He had cared so much about him—because deep down, he had always known that Jason was a good child.
Jason's eyes couldn't deceive Chiron.
Chiron had seen the occasional flicker of guilt in them whenever Jason looked at him.
"Because the wish I plan to make to Lady Hecate… is for her to take me as her disciple!"
Jason took a deep breath.
"…I'm sorry, Teacher Chiron. I… I want to change my fate!"