She is the triple-faced goddess of opportunity, the goddess of magic, and the goddess of the underworld.
She is the renowned and irresistible reaper of souls, the undefeated and unparalleled queen.
She is a being beyond classification—neither of the sky nor the sea, nor even the underworld—yet her status is revered everywhere.
She is Hecate!
As Jason's first journey neared its conclusion, Hecate appeared.
Though the trial she had bestowed upon Jason had yet to reach its final outcome, in her heart, she had already acknowledged him.
Acknowledged him as her student.
For she had been watching all along, silently observing from the shadows.
From the very start, in the underworld, from the moment the River of the Dead was tempered by the unquenchable flames of the underworld—
Everything Jason had endured, Hecate had witnessed it all.
Thus, even though in the beginning she had only kept Jason around as part of an experiment, even though she had sought him out merely because of Medea—
Now, she admitted it.
She acknowledged Jason!
"Teacher Hecate, are you leaving?"
As Hecate finished speaking and rose to depart, Jason, sensing her movement, instinctively looked up and asked.
Hecate had been about to nod, but as she met Jason's gaze—his young face still so tender, so full of youth—she hesitated briefly, then sighed softly. "Never mind. I won't leave tonight. I'll stay with you."
Saying this, she reached out and gently ruffled Jason's hair.
Jason, meanwhile, was left utterly bewildered.
Wait—why did she suddenly decide not to leave?!
Though this thought flashed through his mind, he naturally wouldn't dare voice it aloud.
And so, that night, Hecate held Jason in her arms, leaning against the golden-horned deer by the fire, resting with her eyes half-closed until dawn.
The next morning, as the sunlight warmed Jason's face, he finally opened his eyes after having fallen asleep late into the night. Naturally, Hecate was already gone.
Leaning against the golden-horned deer, Jason sat there in a daze for a moment.
"Deer sis, tell me… why do I suddenly feel like Teacher is becoming… a bit more reliable? Am I imagining things?"
The golden-horned deer shot Jason a glance, saying nothing.
It simply let out a soft grunt, stretched out its tongue, and licked his face, urging him to get moving.
"Alright, alright! Stop licking me! I'll get up and wash my face right now so we can go!"
Jason quickly got to his feet. After a moment of thought, he shook his head and cast aside all the tangled musings in his mind.
He had no idea what had come over Hecate, but whatever it was, it didn't seem like a bad thing.
"The future, immortality, and all that… those things are still far beyond my reach. For now, my priority is finding Persephone and continuing my studies in magic under Hecate!"
With this resolve, Jason and the golden-horned deer, which had been temporarily lent to him by Artemis, set off on the final leg of their journey.
Now, under the protection of Hecate, the guidance of Athena, the divine sword of Apollo, and the mount of Artemis—
Jason's journey became exceptionally smooth.
Riding the golden-horned deer, Jason encountered no further obstructions.
After all, no one would be foolish enough to intercept a rider of the great golden-horned deer. Many in this world—especially the hunters who roamed the forests—knew exactly what that meant.
For the golden-horned deer was none other than the cherished companion of Artemis, the great goddess of the hunt and the moon!
And so, news quickly spread among the hunters—of a golden-haired, blue-eyed youth dressed in white, riding the golden-horned deer.
Several days later, Atalanta, having returned home, found herself bombarded with questions from her uncle and her fellow hunters, who had gathered just to hear the tale firsthand.
A youth in white, with golden hair and emerald eyes—there was no way they could have forgotten Jason in just a few days.
Naturally, they were all intensely curious—why had Artemis entrusted the golden-horned deer to him?
At first, Atalanta didn't want to answer. But upon hearing all the exaggerated claims about how Jason had won Artemis' favor, she couldn't hold back any longer.
"That wasn't a gift! It was just a temporary loan! Godess Artemis only lent it to him for now, and that was my suggestion!"
"He wasn't 'favored' by Lady Artemis! He's not even worthy of that! So stop spreading nonsense about him winning Artemis' favor, or you might just end up facing her wrath!"
"What is he doing now? ...I suppose he's carrying out a divine mandate. I can't say much about the details, but it wasn't Artemis who gave it to him… Though, well, I suppose it has a little bit to do with her. But it's mostly related to Lady Hecate!"
"Huh? Are there others besides Artemis? Well, Lord Apollo seems to be involved… and also Lady Athena…"
Atalanta had originally intended to clarify Jason's relationship with Artemis, but under the relentless barrage of questions, she accidentally ended up revealing a bit too much.
By the time she realized it, it was already too late.
And so, the first tale of Jason began to spread among the hunters.
A young boy, dressed in white, as pure as freshly fallen snow.
With golden hair and sacred green eyes.
A child who carried the divine mandate of the gods, destined to fulfill a great mission on their behalf.
Though still young, his beauty was said to rival even that of the great Apollo himself—so much so that even Apollo regarded him fondly!
The great god of light, Apollo, had even bestowed upon him a golden sword, an unparalleled weapon against both beast and man alike.
The wisest of all, Athena, had illuminated his path.
And the goddess of the hunt, Artemis, had granted him the golden-horned deer.
That boy's name—was Jason!
Once the tale had spread beyond control, Atalanta, realizing she could no longer contain the situation, nearly wept as she prayed to Artemis for forgiveness.
Artemis, however, was unfazed. Since Atalanta was one of her most cherished followers, she forgave her easily.
What left Atalanta utterly speechless, however, was the reaction of her uncle and the hunters who had once led Jason on his journey.
For a long time after, they would proudly boast to anyone who would listen:
"We led Jason once, you know!"
Was that something to be proud of?
On second thought… perhaps it was.
Still, whenever Atalanta recalled Jason's utterly unimpressed expression towards her when they first met—She couldn't help but grit her teeth in frustration!
'You'll meet him again one day,' Artemis had told her with a knowing smile before she left.
And so, Atalanta made a silent vow in her heart.
Just you wait, Jason. Our battle is far from over.
The next time we meet, I'll show you—I'm faster, I'm stronger, and I'll prove it to you!
Meanwhile, Jason remained completely unaware of all this.
With the golden-horned deer by his side, he had largely avoided marketplaces to prevent unnecessary trouble.
And so, roughly a week after leaving Artemis and Atalanta behind, Jason finally arrived at the end of his journey.