Athena.
One of the most noble of the Twelve Olympian Gods, the Goddess of Wisdom and War, as well as the Goddess of Craftsmanship and Art. Many praise her as the "Founder of the Arts."
Athena was born from Zeus and the goddess of wisdom, Metis, in a rather extraordinary manner.
It was foretold by Gaia and Uranus that after Metis gave birth to a bright-eyed daughter, she would bear a son destined to overthrow Zeus.
Fearing the prophecy, Zeus swallowed Metis whole. However, he later suffered from unbearable headaches, and even Apollo could not cure him. In desperation, Zeus ordered Hephaestus to cleave his skull open.
From within his head, Athena was born—possessing the wisdom of Metis and the power of Zeus.
For several days, Athena had been playing various scripted scenarios with young Jason, some involving heroic rescues, acts of justice, and even the discovery of treasures glowing with multicolored light.
Yet to Athena's exasperation, no matter the script, Jason never took the bait!
And so, here she was now—dressed in a pure white gown, with silver hair and golden eyes, pinching the cheek of the sleeping Jason, who had dozed off at the table.
Unbeknownst to Athena, Hecate had been keeping an eye on Jason all along, having secretly left a trace of her divine consciousness on him.
Thus, in the form of moonlight, Hecate appeared at the scene.
She wasn't surprised by Athena's presence; she had already anticipated it.
What she didn't expect, however, was that Athena would spend several days playing with Jason.
Watching Jason repeatedly escape Athena's scripted scenarios, forcing Athena to resort to direct action, even Hecate found the situation amusing.
With a soft step forward, Hecate gently lifted the completely asleep Jason from Athena's grasp and placed him on a nearby bed.
"You know, Hecate, your new student is quite interesting. How about giving him to me instead?" Athena suddenly suggested, gazing at the peacefully sleeping golden-haired boy.
Hecate glanced at her with a smirk—Athena, always stirring things up…
Stirring things up? Yes, that was the perfect way to describe Athena!
Throughout Greek mythology, her presence could be found in countless heroic tales. Wherever something major happened, Athena was often involved.
It was clear—Athena had a deep interest in heroes, especially their stories.
"Keep your hands off him, Athena!"
Hecate's tone suddenly became firmer.
Athena looked slightly surprised at Hecate's seriousness. Glancing between her and Jason, she said nothing more, but her blinking eyes betrayed her growing curiosity.
"Alright, then let's get to the real business—Persephone."
"…So, she has made her decision." Hecate fell silent for a moment before speaking. "She has chosen to go to the Underworld, hasn't she?"
"Yes." Athena nodded. "Persephone has decided—she will become the Queen of the Underworld!"
Hecate didn't seem shocked by this revelation. She merely sighed and said, "I should have known. I never should have invited her to my place."
"Why? Isn't this a good thing?" Athena smiled. "She and Uncle Hades clearly like each other. And since she's your friend, this means you'll get to see each other often."
"But Demeter will never approve. If she were willing, she would have agreed long ago."
"That's exactly why I'm here to help."
Athena turned her gaze back to Jason. "But I alone won't be enough to keep Aunt Demeter distracted. This boy's journey… will have to continue a bit longer."
Hecate's expression remained unchanged as she silently watched Athena.
Feeling a headache coming on, Athena sighed. "Come on, Hecate. The favor from Persephone and Uncle Hades isn't enough of a reward?"
"Not enough." Hecate replied flatly.
"Then what do you want from me?"
"His clothes… and a promise that you will do one thing for him in the future."
Athena raised an eyebrow. "I don't see why I should pay such a high price."
"Don't worry. It won't be anything major." Hecate continued, "It's related to him… and my other student, Medea."
After finishing her sentence, Hecate waved her hand over Jason.
With her divine protection lifted for a moment, a single underworld butterfly fluttered up from Jason's body.
At that moment, Athena's eyes—embodying absolute wisdom—saw Jason.
And not just him, but his future.
"I see… So that's how it is." Athena murmured in realization.
Glancing at Hecate, who had once again placed her protection over Jason, she chuckled. "No wonder you're so invested in him—this involves both of your students."
"Hmm… Interesting. I'll accept the deal. But in return, this boy must agree to help me with something in the future."
Hecate hesitated. She initially wanted to refuse—she didn't want to make decisions on Jason's behalf. But then, as if remembering something, she wavered.
Looking at Athena, she said, "Fine. But only if Jason agrees of his own will. You can't force him, and you can't make him do something beyond his capabilities."
"And…"
Hecate extended her hand toward Jason's belongings.
From within his pack, she retrieved twelve fiery lotus petals—gifts from the Fire Spirit.
"You must incorporate these into the clothes you make for him."
"Flames of the Underworld's River Styx?" Athena was momentarily stunned. "Hecate, aren't you being a little too nice to this boy? Are you sure you only took him in for an experiment?"
"I did take him as a student for my research, but my student is my student." Hecate stated matter-of-factly.
In Jason's original fate, his end had been tragic.
Even though he was a hero who achieved the Golden Fleece, when Medea ultimately destroyed him, not a single god intervened or punished her.
Clearly, having Hecate as a patron made all the difference.
"…Alright."
Athena studied Jason for a moment longer before finally agreeing. "But in that case, I'll need three more days… This boy will have to sleep for a little while longer."
Three days later.
After slumbering for three full days, Jason slowly awoke.
His first reaction was alarm—instinctively, he jumped up from the bed.
"Awake already, little one?"
The first thing he saw was a breathtaking goddess sitting before a golden loom, her long silver hair cascading down her back, clothed in a pristine white gown.
"Just a little longer, and your clothes will be finished… Ahh, I wanted to play with you some more, but I'm getting sleepy. I'll let you off the hook this time."
With that, Athena reached out and placed the final fiery lotus petal into the weaving machine.
…???
What's going on?
Jason stared at her, utterly bewildered.
Big sister, who the heck are you?!