"Big... cough... I mean, sister, may I ask what you're doing?"
"Don't talk." Athena, who was skillfully weaving a garment for Jason, didn't even turn her head as she spoke. "Sit still... and don't even think about running away. It'll be done soon."
Hearing that, Jason, who had been rolling his eyes and contemplating whether he should try slipping away unnoticed, could only resign himself to staying put.
He sat up properly and obediently remained silent.
His emerald-green eyes began to study the unfamiliar goddess before him, dressed in a pure white gown, her silver hair cascading down her back, swaying slightly in the breeze from the window.
Even though he could only see her profile, it was enough for Jason to recognize that this goddess possessed an otherworldly beauty.
However, despite her stunning appearance, Jason's gaze remained clear and composed.
Come on, I'm a transmigrator.
Haven't I seen enough?
I've seen influencer faces, hot babes, and all sorts of beauties.
Moreover, in Greek mythology, the more beautiful someone was, the more dangerous they tended to be—especially when they were a goddess.
So forget about "love at first sight." Even if Athena herself took the initiative, Jason would likely be crying, begging to be spared.
Right now, he was simply trying to figure out who exactly she was.
And he didn't look for too long—he still vaguely remembered stories of people being punished by capricious goddesses for merely glancing at them too much.
Time passed, and after about an hour, Athena finally set down her work. She examined the finished garment and nodded in satisfaction.
"Come here."
Jason hesitated for a moment before stepping forward.
"Take it off."
"Huh?"
"Take off your clothes and pants."
The moment those words left Athena's lips, Jason's expression changed.
The way he looked at her—filled with a mixture of fear and disbelief.
What are you trying to do?! It's broad daylight! And I'm only twelve years old!
"What are you thinking?" Athena asked, knocking him on the head when she noticed the ridiculous ideas forming in his mind. Though she couldn't peer into Jason's thoughts due to Hecate's protection, his expression alone was enough to tell her he wasn't thinking anything good.
She couldn't help but chuckle. "Relax. Your teacher came to see me three days ago. I promised her I wouldn't bully you. Now stop overthinking and just put it on—I'm feeling a bit tired."
Hearing that Hecate had been here, Jason's tension eased significantly.
After Athena left the room, he hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and quickly changing into the clothes she had given him.
No fear!
Even if that woman outside is some kind of pervy old goddess who won't even spare a twelve-year-old kid, I'm still a man! If anyone should be embarrassed, it's her, not me!
Jason comforted himself with such thoughts.
Of course, Athena had no intention of peeking.
She was still a virgin goddess—if any man dared to expose that part of himself in front of her, she'd probably just kill him on the spot.
She had only teased Jason because his reactions were amusingly different from what she usually encountered.
Unlike many heroes—like Meleager, for example—who often displayed foolish bravado when faced with goddesses, Jason refused to fall into any of her conversational traps. She had to use divine power just to maneuver him into this situation.
But what truly surprised her was his decisiveness.
During the earlier encounter with bandits, Jason had killed without hesitation. Though it was his first time taking a life, and he later broke down and vomited from the shock, in the moment of battle, he showed no fear.
That decisiveness was, in fact, his defining trait.
Bowing to Hecate, bathing in the River Styx, enduring the tempering of his soul by the Underworld's inextinguishable flames—he made these choices without prolonged hesitation.
Before long, Jason emerged from the room.
The moment she saw him, Athena's eyes flashed with approval.
The white robe fit his golden-haired, blue-eyed appearance perfectly. The fabric bore faint traces of dark hues along the edges—imbued with the essence of undying flames.
And because Jason himself lacked the inherent arrogance of his original counterpart, this outfit only served to enhance his natural elegance and scholarly air.
His looks had already been praised in mythology, even likened to the radiant Apollo.
Though he was only twelve, meaning he lacked the heroic presence of an adult, his youthful appearance carried a different kind of charm—one that even made Athena, for a brief moment, feel the urge to embrace him.
But considering her status as a goddess, she restrained herself in the name of maintaining dignity.
Little did she know that, in Jason's mind, her image had already fallen to rock bottom.
"So? How does it feel?" Athena asked with a smile.
"It fits well..." Jason was carefully considering his words.
"Of course it does. I made it myself. This garment will adjust to your body as you grow—it will always fit you perfectly."
"Not only that—because it was crafted using the Underworld's Eternal Netherfire as a material, it will automatically repair itself even if it gets damaged! And now, you can also actively summon and use that Eternal Netherfire!"
Jason was momentarily stunned after hearing this. He hadn't expected the clothing to have such abilities… Well, it made sense considering it was personally crafted by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and craftsmanship, over several days of meticulous effort.
What felt even stranger to Jason, though, was the sight of the unknown goddess before him proudly showing off her creation.
After hesitating for a moment, he put on an exaggeratedly shocked expression and said, "That's incredible!"
"Of course! After all, I, the goddess of wisd— I made it."
Athena paused mid-sentence before changing the subject. "I've already heard everything from Hecate. You don't need to go to Prometheus anymore."
As she spoke, two items suddenly appeared in her hands—a golden object resembling a compass and a small pouch.
"This compass will guide you to wherever your heart desires, and this pouch can store a large amount of food. Both will be useful to you—take them."
Simply put, one was a compass that could point to any destination Jason wished for, and the other was a spatial storage bag.
"Lady Goddess, this…"
He couldn't accept rewards without merit!
Even at a glance, Jason could tell these items were extraordinary, but he didn't want to accept them.
"This is a request from Hecate. She asked me to give them to you so that you can complete your task sooner."
With that single sentence, Athena completely blocked Jason's attempt to refuse. Left with no choice, he reluctantly took the items.
Then, he bowed deeply to Athena in gratitude.
"You really are…"
Although Athena couldn't read Jason's thoughts due to Hecate's protection, she could still tell whether his gratitude was sincere.
Unable to resist, she stepped forward, pinched his cheeks, and only then did she smile in satisfaction. "Now that everything is ready, set off on your journey! …Jason, your story has only just begun!"
A story… Even if my journey does become just another tale, I hope my ending will be different.
Jason thought to himself with a hint of resignation. After hesitating for a moment, he asked Athena, "Lady Goddess, may I ask… who exactly are you?"
"You want to know who I am?"
Athena smiled, as if she had been waiting for him to ask this question. "Then the next time we play together, seek out the truth for yourself… Until next time, Jason."
"…Mm. Goodbye."
Jason nodded expressionlessly.
Hopefully never again, goddess!