The appearance of the mages from Mystra Academy, the existence of the never heard of magic goddess Hecate, the fact that the "divine bull" didn't belong to the Kingdom of Colchis but was merely rented from Mystra Academy, and the mages' disdainful attitude toward the gods...
Each of these bizarre occurrences piled up, making Jason realize one undeniable truth: behind the Kingdom of Colchis lurked an enormous hidden curtain of secrets.
He had originally thought Colchis was nothing more than the domain of a descendant from outdated deities.
But now, he discovered that this nation's concealed power might be far greater than he had ever imagined.
In that moment, avenging his comrades paled in importance.
Jason understood that if they couldn't uncover the true intelligence on Colchis, the second trial they faced tomorrow might end even more disastrously than the first.
Thus, despite the "wife-stealing enmity" between him and Alaric, he sought out Alaric upon returning to their camp.
...
"Goddess Hecate? Why are you asking about her? Of course I know of her."
Facing Jason's question, Alaric answered straightforwardly and with ease.
"Goddess Hecate is the goddess of the Weave, controlling the world's magical network and the flow of mana.
She's the ruler of magic, the guardian deity of all mages and beings who wield magical power.
Though she's not one of the Twelve Olympians, she's a divinity who can stand toe-to-toe with the great god Zeus."
In truth, Alaric's understanding of Hecate went far deeper than what he revealed to Jason, many private details about the goddess Hecate herself weren't even known to her, yet Alaric grasped them all with crystal clarity.
But naturally, Alaric wouldn't divulge that much to Jason.
Even the information Alaric had just shared was part of what he intentionally let slip, right down to Jason coming to question him now, which was all within his expectations.
After all, Hermione had deliberately, in a seemingly casual manner, exposed Jason to numerous unfamiliar pieces of information, sparking his curiosity.
As an outsider, the best source Jason could turn to for answers among the Argonaut heroes was Alaric, one of the only two mages in their group, and the one who had already developed an ambiguous relationship with Colchis's princess.
"Goddess Hecate... is she really such a powerful divinity? So what that bartender said was actually true..."
Suddenly learning of an unfamiliar deity who could rival the legendary king of gods, Zeus, left Jason utterly astonished.
"No wonder... no wonder they were so arrogantly dismissive."
The last sentence was muttered under his breath, not intended for Alaric's ears.
Then, he addressed Alaric's curiosity.
"I heard about Goddess Hecate from the mages who took away the 'divine bull.' Since I'd never heard her divine name before, I came to ask you.
But if Goddess Hecate is so mighty, why haven't I ever heard of her existence?"
Of course, he didn't mention that during his first visit to the royal city, while gathering intelligence in a tavern, the bartender had mentioned her in passing.
Back then, he hadn't believed the bartender's words, but now, with everything confirmed by Alaric, he was starting to trust it all.
"That's perfectly normal," Alaric shrugged nonchalantly. "Most people who don't deal with magic have never heard of Goddess Hecate.
As the goddess of magic, she only shelters those who wield magical power. To those outside that realm, she's always kept a low profile."
"I see," Jason nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Such a being who can stand alongside the great god Zeus, yet remains so obscure...
Indeed, a deity of mages being as mysterious as mages themselves fits perfectly... Ah, I didn't mean you."
Realizing he'd accidentally insulted mages, Jason quickly apologized to Alaric.
"It's fine," Alaric waved it off indifferently. "After all, most mages pursue things quite different from ordinary folk, it's normal not to connect on the same level."
Seeing that Alaric took no offense, Jason breathed a sigh of relief and continued his questions: "Then, do you know what Mystra Academy is?"
"Mystra Academy?" At the mention of the name, Alaric deliberately raised his voice an octave, then immediately lowered it, leaning in mysteriously toward Jason.
"How do you know that name?"
Alaric's reaction instantly told Jason that this held an immense secret.
His interest piqued even further, he whispered back: "Naturally, it was revealed by those Colchis mages."
"I see," Alaric nodded, then continued, "I won't mind if you laugh, but Mystra Academy has always been the greatest secret among mage circles.
It's said to hold the highest mysteries of magic, yet no one knows its exact location... I only recently learned where Mystra Academy truly is."
"Mystra Academy is on this island?" Jason's eyes lit up with realization.
"Yes, Medea told me so," Alaric confirmed with a nod. "But how did you come to know this? Was it those mages again?"
"Exactly," Jason affirmed.
"Then, do you know that Medea is actually a student of the magic goddess Hecate?" Alaric casually dropped an even bigger bombshell on Jason.
"This... it can't be..." Yet another shocking revelation left Jason dumbfounded.
He had never imagined that princess held such a profound background.
But now that he knew, regret flooded him like a tidal wave.
As the granddaughter of Helios, princess of Colchis, Medea's status was already exceedingly noble, and her command of magic surpassed any royal or noble lady Jason had ever encountered.
Learning now that Medea also had a master as powerful as the great god Zeus elevated her value in Jason's eyes to new heights.
Such a woman, and he had let her slip away.
If only he had found a way back then to replace the man before him and win over that princess, then even without the Golden Fleece, it wouldn't have mattered to Jason.
With a backing from a deity rivaling the king of gods, Pelias would have no choice but to meekly hand over the throne of Thessaly.
With Jason's seasoned eye in the art of romance, he could tell at a glance that the princess was a pure, innocent girl just beginning to awaken to love, easy prey for a veteran like him.
Alas, a single moment of hesitation, and the throne within his grasp had been forfeited in vain.
Now it was all too late. Amid the jealousy and regret churning within him, Jason finally began to ponder the deeper implications of this news.
Recalling the bartender's words from before, dismissed as fanciful nonsense, Jason had a sudden epiphany.
"You mean, this nation is under the protection of not just Helios, but Goddess Hecate as well?"
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