"Little Jason, hurry and undress."
"...Hm?" Jason's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Demeter, who suddenly whispered this to him.
"This is the gift I am giving you. Go in."
Seeing Demeter gesture toward the small pool formed by the morning dew before them, Jason finally reacted.
Just now, for a brief moment, Jason had thought of some improper things and was truly a bit at a loss...
Then, Jason looked at Demeter, who was watching him intently. After hesitating for a while, his face slightly flushed as he ran to the side and hid behind some grass.
Seeing this, Demeter could not help but smile.
After some rustling sounds, Jason poked his head out from inside and looked at Demeter.
"What are you standing there stunned for? Come out." Demeter said to Jason, who was blinking his eyes.
"Um... Godmother Demeter, could you turn away for a moment?"
Jason finally could not hold back and spoke out.
Demeter was momentarily speechless, then glanced at the slightly brightening sky. With a soft sigh of regret in her heart, she turned around.
Only then did Jason breathe a sigh of relief and jump into the water at an extremely fast speed.
But not long after jumping into the water, Jason was dumbfounded.
Because this small pool formed by morning dew was truly extremely clear, without a trace of impurities, it provided absolutely no cover at all...
"...Little Jason, you have truly grown up." Just as Jason was feeling a bit panicked, Demeter suddenly said this.
Jason looked up and saw Demeter, who was appreciatively surveying him with a nod here and there...
Just as Jason was somewhat at a loss about this, he saw Demeter bend down and set down the lantern in her hand... Eh?
Jason's eyes widened once more. Looking at Demeter, who had stood up and placed her hand on the embroidered skirt on her body, his heartbeat instantly quickened. He did not know if it was from fear or something else... In short, the things Jason was imagining ultimately did not happen.
Demeter did not remove her dress and enter the water. She merely took out a small golden knife, then aimed it at her left wrist and gently made a cut.
Instantly, divine blood flowed from her hand and merged into the pool.
"Godmother Demeter!" Jason, who had just relaxed in his heart, called out in surprise and worry at the same time.
"It is fine." Demeter felt Jason's concern and smiled at him.
At the same time, as Demeter smiled, the bright red blood immediately transformed into gold.
And as the golden blood flowed out, a trace of fatigue appeared on Demeter's face.
Then, after Demeter's blood flowed into the small pool, the crystal-clear pool immediately took on a faint golden hue and began to boil.
Afterward, Jason felt heat... Accompanying the pool turning golden, Jason only felt it growing increasingly hot!
It must be known that Jason's heat resistance was very strong, after all, his body had been tempered by the unquenchable fire of the underworld.
"Although Athena said that helping you obtain the power to listen to all things would suffice... but if it were merely that, would the gift from me as your godmother to you, my child, not be too meager?
Moreover..."
Muttering to herself, Demeter looked at Jason, who was frowning in the pool, and the corners of her mouth curved up slightly again. She said, "This way, you will truly be my child!"
As she spoke, Demeter bent down and placed her cut hand into the pool. Gradually, the pool was dyed a true gold.
At the same time, just as the pool turned golden, the plants and grasses around the pool began to grow wildly.
Meanwhile, the increasingly hot sensation assaulted Jason.
At this moment, Jason felt as if he were burning in flames, and his body gradually became unbearably itchy, as if it were molting, making Jason feel exceptionally uncomfortable.
Then, he did not know how much time passed, but Jason lost consciousness just like that. When he woke up again, he found himself lying on Demeter's lap.
And at this moment, the sky had already brightened; the midday sunlight filtered through the dense leaves and shone on Jason's body.
Demeter, who was stroking his head, noticed Jason's movement. She lowered her head, met his pair of golden eyes, and after a moment, lightly laughed, "Awake?"
"Mm... Mm." Jason nodded somewhat dazedly.
After a short while, as Jason's mind gradually cleared and he hurriedly propped himself up from Demeter's lap in a fluster.
"Oh, this guy is awake."
"Yes, yes, he has been lying on the great goddess's body for a whole morning. How fortunate."
Jason suddenly heard unfamiliar voices coming from above his head.
He instinctively looked up but did not see anyone, only two small birds...
"Did you hear that... It seems you did."
Demeter noticed Jason's reaction. After looking up with him, she revealed a gentle smile to Jason.
"Come down."
Then, Demeter stood up and extended her hand toward the two small birds.
The two small birds obediently flew down from above, landed in Demeter's hand, and even respectfully said to Demeter, "Respected Goddess!"
"...Eh?"
"This is my return gift to you."
Noticing Jason's current bewilderment, Demeter lightly laughed and said to him, "From now on, you can hear the voices of all things in the world... Lend your ears and listen, child. They are all greeting you."
Hearing Demeter's words, Jason instinctively turned his head and looked in the direction Demeter was gazing.
Soon, the sounds from all around entered Jason's ears.
"Hello, child." Now, even the great tree providing shade for Jason greeted him.
And just as Jason was somewhat dazed processing the information before him, a light chirp sounded. With a flap of its holy wings, the heavenly horse arrived before Jason.
"Little master, are you alright! ... It seems you are fine. That is great."
Then, a somewhat gentle male voice entered Jason's ears.
Seeing Jason stare dazedly, after sizing him up, the heavenly horse finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That is good, it seems nothing is wrong... If something happened to you again, I would be in trouble.
Just the day before yesterday, I informed Athena, Goddess Hestia, and the others about how exhausted you were. They even specifically instructed me to keep a close watch on you recently..."
"...Wait, you were tattling on me?!" Jason, coming back to his senses, looked at the heavenly horse and said, "You told Athena and the others about my matters?"
"I told them a part of it, but some things Goddess Hecate told me to keep my mouth shut and not speak randomly, so I did not say them.
It was just that Goddess Athena said, if it does not work, then pretend it is a chance encounter and have me bring you to her... Hm? ... Hm?!"
The heavenly horse replied subconsciously, then paused. After realizing what he had said, he abruptly raised his head to look at Jason.
"That is why I told you to rest more."
Demeter spoke at just the right moment, saying, "This heavenly horse already told me everything about how you have not been sleeping or resting lately and are very tired."
"Goddess Demeter?!" The heavenly horse's eyes widened.
"I bestowed upon this child the ability to listen to all things as a gift." Demeter gently stroked the head of the small bird in her hand and said, "So the words you just said... he heard them all."
"...Brother Horse." Jason's eyes narrowed slightly as he revealed a kind smile to the heavenly horse and said, "It seems we have many things to talk about... Actually, I have always been puzzled why every time Goddess Hestia and the others can accurately appear on our unavoidable path.
Now it seems... as I have always guessed, it is indeed so."
Looking at the heavenly horse's gentle smile, the heavenly horse's entire body could not help but tremble at this moment...
"Child, do you like the gift I gave you?"
"Of course I like it."
Jason glared at the heavenly horse, then turned his head to look at Demeter and said, "Thank you for the gift, Godmother Demeter. But... is it really just this?"
Demeter looked at Jason, who seemed about to say something, and lightly smiled, "Of course not only that... Place your hand on this great tree, then fully activate and demonstrate the power I gave you!"
Hearing Demeter's words, Jason came under this lush great tree, pondered for a while, and placed his hand on it.
Then, faint divine power surged from Jason's hand into the great tree.
In a short time, the great tree began to grow rapidly, visibly becoming larger and larger to the naked eye.
At the same time, as the great tree grew, a trace of fatigue gradually appeared on Jason's face...
"Thank you, child of the gods!"
Then, in the heavenly horse's very dazed gaze, the great tree's excited voice of thanks entered Jason's ears.
"Thank you for the blessing you have bestowed upon me. Please allow me the honor of knowing your great name!"
"...Heracles."
As Jason perfunctorily replied to the great tree, he withdrew his hand, stared at his palm, and finally abruptly turned back to look at Demeter, who was gently watching him...
"Demigod..."
Jason softly voiced the answer in his heart.
That is right, demigod!
Demeter had given her divine blood to Jason, bestowed her power upon Jason.
From this moment on, Jason had formally stepped into the realm of demigods.
The only advantage the heroes of the current world had over Jason no longer existed!
Although Demeter was not one of the existence like the Lord of the Underworld, the Sea Emperor, or the God King, she too carried the blood of the previous god king and was the sister of those three.
And most importantly, she was a goddess possessing boundless divine power; she could make the land fertile, plants lush, and the five grains abundant, or make the earth wither, all things decay, and not a blade of grass grow.
And now, Jason had undoubtedly inherited this power!
"Child, come here."
Demeter beckoned to Jason.
Thus, after Jason somewhat dazedly came before her, Demeter immediately pulled him into her embrace, happily stroking his face and saying, "Now you are truly my child, Persephone's little brother!"