This... what is going on?
Persephone stared in bewilderment at her mother, who was hugging Jason and Medea while looking at her with obvious distaste.
She wondered if she had walked into the wrong home. Was this really her mother?
The Goddess of Harvest Demeter, who had once caused the entire earth to wither just because she had left?
Persephone had imagined many ways their reunion might go, but this scene was definitely not among them!
Many of the surrounding nymphs could not help covering their mouths and letting out quiet giggles.
While Persephone was completely lost, Jason, who had finally escaped Demeter's embrace, walked over to her.
"Lady Persephone, it has been a while."
"Um..."
Persephone stiffly responded as she looked at Jason, who had grown taller in the past six months. The childishness was slowly fading from his face, making him even more handsome.
After unconsciously gazing at him a little longer, Persephone turned to Demeter, who was feeding Medea divine fruit and acting as if she did not exist.
She could not help pulling Jason aside and whispering, "Little Brother Jason, what... what is all this?"
"Lady Persephone, don't worry. Goddess Demeter does not truly dislike seeing you. In fact, last night when she learned you were returning today, she was so excited she could not sleep at all..."
At this point, Jason's face was filled with helplessness.
Demeter could not sleep, so he and Medea suffered for it.
As mentioned before, Medea had once slept with Demeter. Did you think Jason could keep avoiding it forever?
Even though Jason's mind was mature, he was still a shota in appearance, and how could he resist a mother goddess overflowing with maternal love?
She could not sleep?
Persephone looked doubtfully at Demeter, who was completely focused on pampering Medea and ignoring her. She clearly doubted the truth of Jason's words.
"Ahem." Jason gave a light cough and quietly reminded Persephone, "Lady Persephone, is there not something you should do first when you return? For example... apologize to Goddess Demeter?"
"Lady Persephone, Goddess Demeter actually regretted it a lot after you left. Do you know why she kept me here? Because I am Hecate's student. Through me she could learn how you were doing in the Underworld."
"Now that things have reached this point, Goddess Demeter will no longer stop you. And you don't want your relationship with her to remain strained forever, do you?"
Hearing Jason say this, Persephone fell silent.
Although she had been truly furious with Demeter at first, after half a year of calm reflection, Persephone understood that Demeter had confined her mainly out of love.
Even if that love had been overly heavy, it was still love.
"Then what about you two..."
"Ahem, well..." Jason sneaked a glance at Demeter, then whispered to Persephone, "Goddess Demeter... has a bit of a temper, you know."
As soon as Jason said this, Persephone, who had been stunned for a moment, instantly understood. So this whole scene was being put on deliberately for her to see!
Feeling amused now that she understood, Persephone hesitated briefly before steeling herself and walking toward Demeter.
In truth, although Demeter appeared calm while doting on Medea, she was actually panicking inside.
If I do what little Jason said, will my daughter really make up with me...? Demeter wondered anxiously.
At that moment, Persephone approached.
After curtsying to Demeter, Persephone softly said, "Mother... your daughter Persephone has returned."
The issue with her mother had to be resolved eventually. And could she truly say she did not care about her mother? Even now, she clearly remembered the question Jason had asked her half a year ago when he left.
Persephone had thought about it for six whole months, so today she made her decision quickly.
With such an opening, everything that followed became much smoother.
Soon, Medea returned to Jason's side.
Jason looked at the mother and daughter in the distance, their faces once again glowing with happy smiles, and whispered to Medea, "Alright, Medea, we should head back too."
"Yes." Medea nodded obediently.
They left the temple together and went to the stables.
Jason walked up to Pegasus, stroked its pure white mane, and smiled. "Brother Horse, it is time for us to go... Sorry for making you wait half a year."
Pegasus neighed softly twice and motioned for Jason to look to the side.
Jason turned curiously and saw the familiar golden-horned deer. Delight spread across his face as he hurried over. "Deer Sister... it really is you! Deer Sister, why are you here too?"
The golden-horned deer affectionately nuzzled Jason and let out a gentle cry.
Pegasus watched the deer in puzzlement.
It still remembered that this little rascal who had used it as a test subject once promised to introduce a beautiful deer sister to it!
After a brief reunion, Jason and Medea led Pegasus and the golden-horned deer out of the temple.
The moment they stepped outside, they found Persephone and Demeter already waiting for them.
"You are leaving just like that? Without even saying goodbye to Mommy?" Demeter complained.
Before Jason could reply,
"Big Brother Jason told me to follow him," Medea, who had spent half a year with Jason, had learned to answer first.
"Um, Goddess Demeter, Lady Persephone, I just thought we would definitely see each other again in the future..."
Jason glared at Medea, then helplessly endured the direct stares of the two goddesses and defended himself.
"And Goddess Demeter, this is your long-awaited reunion with Lady Persephone after half a year. We did not want to disturb you."
"Just call Persephone 'big sister,'" Demeter said faintly while looking at Jason. "Yet after I looked after you for half a year, you still refuse to drop the honorific for me."
Jason looked very embarrassed. Persephone smiled and said, "Alright, Mother, stop teasing him. Let us give them the gifts."
With that, Persephone handed two golden ears of wheat to Jason and Medea.
"I am sorry the meeting gifts are so late. These wheat ears contain mine and Mother's power. With them, you can make any plant grow.
You can also sow seeds anywhere... Little Brother Jason, Medea, see you in another half year."
After giving them the gifts, Persephone crouched down and kissed both of them on the cheek. Demeter came over, gave a few instructions, and kissed them as well.
Thus, Jason and Medea officially bid farewell to the two goddesses. One rode Pegasus, the other the golden-horned deer, and they departed.
"I suddenly find myself looking forward to it," Persephone said abruptly while watching their retreating backs, especially Jason's.
"Looking forward to what?"
"To the day my little brother truly grows up."
"That child..." Demeter smiled. "You are not the only one. Everyone is waiting."
...
...
On the first night of their journey home,
Jason and Medea met Artemis and Hecate, who had been waiting for them for a long time in a forest pavilion under the full moon.
After a brief conversation, Medea followed Hecate back to the Underworld, and the golden-horned deer left with the Moon Goddess Artemis.
The next day, Jason rode Pegasus to the seashore and called out to the Sea God Poseidon, but Poseidon did not respond.
Jason had intended to leave Pegasus behind to return to Poseidon, but Pegasus refused to leave. It even bit Jason's clothes and followed him.
This made Jason realize something. He thanked Poseidon several times... though he was secretly a little nervous.
In the end, Jason rode away on Pegasus.
On the third day, under the bright afternoon sun, Jason once again heard those enchanting lyre strings.
Although he still felt the urge to turn and run, he obviously could not escape this time... especially since he had failed the first time.
So Jason once more came before the luxuriously dressed, handsome Sun God Apollo with his long golden hair cascading over his shoulders.
Jason had thought Apollo came this time to reclaim the sword he always carried.
Although that sword had helped Jason immensely, he was more than happy to return it because it contained Apollo's tracking mark...
Yet after sitting down before Apollo, who was playing his seven-string lyre (this time with no small animals around), and listening quietly for a while, Apollo never mentioned the sword.
"Next time we meet, I hope to hear a melody you play for me." Smiling, Apollo left only this sentence before walking into the light and vanishing from Jason's sight.
Helpless, Jason could only continue flying away on Pegasus.
On the fourth day, Jason had thought he would meet the goddess who first found him, but she did not appear... because it was not yet time for Athena to show herself.
What Jason did not know was that on that very night, Athena still came to him while he slept. She silenced Pegasus and gently stroked Jason's head, staying with him for half the night.
With them watching over him, even though Hera now knew Jason had left the temple, she had no way to act.
Thus, on the fifth day, Jason, riding Pegasus, returned to the place he knew so well.
Mount Pelion, the cave of the centaur sage Chiron.
He met his teacher... Chiron, who remained his teacher even after he had taken Hecate as master!
"What brings you back this time?"
Under the sun-dappled shade, Chiron smiled and asked Jason.
Jason bowed to Chiron and answered seriously, "I have come first to apologize to you, Teacher.
I hope you can forgive my immaturity until now.
Second, I have come to train.
I wish for you to teach me powerful martial skills!"
"I see. So you finally want to become a hero?" Chiron's eyes lit up.
"No!" Jason immediately replied. "It is for self-protection. And right now, I must become stronger. Only by becoming stronger can I eventually obtain divine fire and achieve immortality!
As for becoming a hero... I am sorry, Teacher, but that is absolutely impossible!"
With Chiron, Jason almost never hid anything.
Chiron looked speechlessly at Jason, then said helplessly, "Could you not just lie a little to make your teacher happy? Fine, I accept.
But what about Goddess Hecate? Are you not studying magic with her?"
"Of course I will continue that too, so..."
From that day onward, every single night, a white-clad youth would pass through the gates of the Underworld, cross the River Styx, and arrive at Hecate's temple.
He would study magic and potion-making alongside Hecate and Medea.
During the day, he would leave the temple alone and return to Mount Pelion.
He trained in martial arts under Chiron.
Three years passed in this endless cycle.
Time flew by!
Jason was now sixteen years old.