"No... Teacher Hephaestus, I cannot agree to that."
It had not been long since Hephaestus revealed that astonishing piece of information to Jason.
After fully digesting the news, Jason finally gave his reply.
His expression remained complicated, but he had gradually calmed down.
"You don't believe what I said?" Hephaestus asked softly when she saw his reaction.
Jason was silent for a moment, then shook his head and answered, "No, Teacher, of course I believe you. But precisely because I do, I cannot agree."
"I cannot bring myself to take her away from him, and I absolutely cannot use this matter to threaten her... Let alone whether I am even capable of it, even if I were, I would never do such a thing!"
At this point, Jason could not help giving a wry smile. He cast a faintly resentful glance at Hephaestus and continued, "I would rather you had never told me anything just now, Teacher Hephaestus...
Teacher, why don't you just erase this portion of my memory instead?!"
"That... I cannot do."
Hearing Jason's words, Hephaestus did not get angry. Instead, she smiled and said, "Go find Hecate. She can do something like that. However... she will most likely refuse to erase your memory.
After all, right now, knowing this is absolutely not a bad thing for you."
Jason fell silent again for a while...
"So you teachers really did it on purpose?"
"Mm." Hephaestus nodded. "Actually, this was something Hecate and I discussed beforehand... If one day something extraordinary were to happen, we would tell you about it.
We both knew full well that, given your personality, you would never act the way Father Zeus did.
Yet in a true crisis, knowing this would only benefit you; there is no downside."
That Jason would refuse was naturally within Hephaestus's expectations.
Although it truly was a usable strategy, Jason had practically grown up under their watchful eyes. How could Hephaestus and Hecate not understand his character?
Jason was not completely incapable of using others to achieve his own goals.
But if it meant resorting to any means necessary, even toying with someone's feelings and committing such a despicable act toward someone who had shown him kindness, Jason would never do it.
After all, even to this day, Jason's eyes remained clear and beautiful, untouched by any stain.
At the same time, as Hephaestus had said, even though they knew Jason would never use it, in the current situation, him knowing the truth could only help him, never harm him.
In fact, it would not harm Athena either.
Because once Jason knew, he would definitely think about it seriously and find a way to resolve the problem instead of sitting back and waiting for death!
That was why Hephaestus and Hecate had secretly reached the conclusion long ago: if anything ever happened, they would tell Jason about Athena's feelings.
Yet precisely because they understood Jason far too well...
"Jason, you do understand the meaning of the True Name you bestowed, don't you?"
Hephaestus, who had been smiling for a while, watched the troubled Jason and gradually turned serious.
Seeing this, Jason froze slightly.
He looked at Hephaestus, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Yes. When Jason granted that "True Name," he had pondered for a very long time before finally deciding on it.
"Why?" Hephaestus, inwardly startled, quickly asked in confusion, "Since you understood its meaning, why did you still bestow that name upon it?"
As she spoke, Hephaestus looked toward the god-slaying sword hanging at Jason's waist.
Hearing this, a helpless expression appeared on Jason's face. "To be honest with you, Teacher, first of all... I truly did not know.
I never imagined that simply giving it a name would cause such enormous trouble.
As for the second reason... Teacher, it was not I who bestowed that name upon it.
Rather, because it is inherently that kind of existence, the name came to me, and so I gave it to it."
Because it is inherently that kind of existence...
Hephaestus was briefly stunned.
She quickly understood what Jason meant, for the moment she heard those words, the scene Jason had pictured when he named it instantly surfaced in her mind.
The "miracle" sealed by the Goddess of Crossroads, Hecate, and suppressed by the left eye of the Foreseeing God Prometheus.
In a darkened world that seemed as though the heavens themselves had collapsed, Jason stood atop the ruined Mount Olympus, holding a black sword, staring directly at Olympian God-King Zeus.
Jason did not grant it that True Name because he wished for it to become such an existence.
Rather, because it already represented that very existence, the name had come to him.
The demonic sword that brings the twilight of the gods: Mistilteinn!
Even if Jason had chosen a different name, the meaning would remain unchanged.
It was, from the very beginning, Greece's god-slaying sword.
The demonic sword that should never have been born in Greece: Mistilteinn!
"To be completely honest, Teacher, when I was thinking of a True Name, I actually considered many options: Little Black Sword, Little White Sword, or even The Completely Ordinary Sword.
But... something that should never have been born has already been born."
Jason slowly said to Hephaestus, "Therefore, what harm is there in granting it the True Name that truly suits it?"
Hephaestus fell silent for a while after hearing this.
"Then... if time were rewound."
Hephaestus looked at Jason. "Would you change that True Name?"
The Hourglass of Time...
"I would probably choose, for the time being, not to grant it that True Name." After a brief silence, Jason gave his answer.
This demonic sword was something that should never have come into existence.
Granting it a True Name while fully aware of its implications seemed inconsistent with Jason's usual caution, but that was not the case.
The curse upon Jason had actually vanished long ago.
The night Athena took the demonic spear from him after he dealt with Hera's matter, when she dripped her heart's blood into it, Typhon's curse on him had already lost its effect.
Later, that demonic spear was refined into blood.
Jason could have completely severed his connection with Typhon from that point onward and preserved the two drops of blood forever, never forging this black sword.
Yet... not even Hecate had tried to stop him.
"He appears extraordinarily timid and afraid of trouble, but that is not the case at all. His courage surpasses anyone else's!"
"A mere mortal, yet he tries to grasp everything in his own hands!"
That was Hecate's evaluation of Jason after seeing through his true nature.
Thus, Jason had forged it without the slightest hesitation.
Because it was a god-slaying sword.
In the current world of Greek mythology, it was a god-slaying sword capable of threatening the gods who sat high above!
With it, Jason possessed the right to face them directly, the right to control his own fate.
Becoming a god was for the exact same purpose.
Hearing this, Hephaestus also understood what Jason meant.
The very act of giving birth to a god-slaying sword was already the greatest, most audacious deed.
Compared to forging it in the first place, bestowing upon it the True Name that suited it was truly nothing worth mentioning.
"Then Jason, shall we use the Hourglass of Time right now...?"
"If it could be used, Teacher Hecate and Goddess Athena would have called me long ago."
Jason shook his head and said to Hephaestus, "That was my first thought too, but I quickly realized it would be meaningless.
Doing so would instead expose it directly.
After all, there are only a handful of existences capable of turning back time.
Moreover, not long ago when I met Medea, I already rewound time once."
After he finished speaking, Jason saw that Hephaestus had completely understood and could not help sighing. He smiled instead and comforted her, "Don't worry, Teacher. I already promised you; nothing will happen.
The future Teacher Hecate saw is merely a possibility.
And I will absolutely never allow myself to be manipulated by so-called 'fate'... Teacher, I have already broken fate once, haven't I?"
Jason said lightly yet firmly, "Since I have done it once, naturally I can do it a second time!
I have shattered a destiny that was set in stone, so how could I possibly be controlled by a mere divine artifact's future?
How could my own fate be dictated by a single weapon!"
Jason feared trouble, yet he did not fear danger itself.
Jason was steady and prudent, yet he was never a coward.
Even after giving up the glory of the white-clothed hero Heracles, the name of the hero Jason still spread throughout the current world.
He stood out among countless heroes.
It was indeed troublesome, that was true.
But was the matter with Queen Hera not troublesome?
Was the fate Hecate foresaw, once discovered by Zeus, not troublesome?
Yet even now, it was clear that Jason had handled everything very well.
Almost the instant Jason's words fell...
"Hecate, I suddenly feel... I might not have needed to come after all."
A familiar, pleasant voice rang beside Jason's ear.
Jason subconsciously turned his head and saw the Goddess of the Night, Nyx, stepping out of a magic circle. She wore a beautiful long black dress embroidered with countless stars.
And Hecate, who had left earlier but returned, now looking at him with a somewhat complicated gaze.
"Teacher!"
Jason was briefly stunned, then hurriedly ran to Hecate.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Hecate."
He lowered his head and obediently admitted his mistake.
Hecate looked at the youth bowing before her for a long while, then sighed softly. "Since you have done no wrong, why apologize to me?"
"No, Teacher, I was wrong. I clearly understood its meaning yet still gave it that name, and that is something you did not wish to see..."
Before Jason could finish, Hecate reached out and covered his mouth.
"There's no need to say more... I lost my composure earlier."
To the slightly surprised Jason, Hecate continued, "As your teacher, I have no right to interfere with your choices. And just now...
I heard your resolve.
That is enough."
Hecate's gaze softened. "If I truly wanted to stop you, I would not have helped you forge it in the first place... You are right.
Its very birth already determined the outcome.
The name itself does not matter.
It is not that it can bear this name; this name simply suits it.
And the one who wields it... Since you have said this much, how could I not believe in you?"
The Goddess of the Night, Nyx, said nothing and merely watched from the side, covering her mouth as she secretly laughed at the master and disciple.
"My, that naughty little Hecate has really grown up. If her mother saw this, she would surely be overjoyed."
Nyx then sighed wistfully.
"Naughty?" Jason looked curiously at Nyx.
"Yes," Nyx nodded. "You probably didn't know, but even though she looks like this now, she was extremely mischievous back then.
Especially after she discovered what you call 'magic.' Every day she wanted to knock people unconscious with a club, bundle them up, and drag them back to study the divine authority they controlled.
In the end, her mother had no idea what to do with her and begged me to discipline her.
Only after I had her study my own divine authority did she finally calm down. Later she followed me to the Underworld..."
"Goddess Nyx!" Hecate raised her voice and glared at her, clearly somewhat annoyed.
Seeing this, Nyx quickly shut her mouth and even stuck her tongue out at Jason.
Looking first at Nyx, then at the displeased Hecate, Jason suddenly understood exactly where Hecate had picked up her occasional wicked sense of humor...
Ahem. "So Teacher, you're really not angry anymore?"
"Are you annoying or what?" Hecate rolled her eyes. "And honestly speaking, how could I not be..."
"Mm, Teacher, let's stick to pleasant lies instead."
The moment Jason interrupted, Hecate kicked him.
Soon after, while Hephaestus wheeled herself over, Nyx had somehow taken the god-slaying sword from Jason without him noticing.
"Oh, so this is the weapon?
Hey, you're still trying to resist? Interesting!"
Nyx examined it curiously, the corners of her mouth rising. She wrapped it in her divine power and tossed it into the starry sky.
"Done." Nyx clapped her hands and said to everyone, "One week should be enough. By then my power will have completely permeated this weapon. There will be absolutely no way in the world to locate it.
Unless, of course, you release its True Name."
"Thank you, Goddess Nyx, but..."
"But you're wondering why I don't seem to care about it at all, right?"
Nyx finished Jason's sentence for him and smiled. "Truthfully, I am a little interested, but... honestly, that's about it.
Child, you are overthinking things. Everyone isn't nearly as concerned about this as you imagine.
They may be surprised, but that is all.
We have lived through endless ages; what haven't we seen... Well, actually, we really haven't seen this before.
Anyway, don't worry so much. In the end, the only one who will truly be extremely bothered by this is that fellow... or rather, that one person."
At this point Nyx paused, then could not help sighing again. "Speaking of him, I really don't know what to say.
He was so adorable when he was little; everyone was happy to help and support him.
Otherwise Hecate and I wouldn't have put in so much effort. Yet the moment he sat on that throne, he suddenly became almost indistinguishable from his father..."
"Ah, never mind, never mind. I'm leaving. I won't disturb you all any longer. And little Jason, whatever you do, do not learn from him, understand?"
Nyx shook her head as she spoke and promptly departed.
Watching Nyx leave, Jason could not help turning to look at Hecate.
"Why are you looking at me? Are you planning to imitate that guy?" Hecate raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not... But Teacher, what Goddess Nyx said..."
"The truth," Hephaestus answered from the side. "I think aside from him, there probably aren't many who would lose sleep over this, terrified of losing their authority or being replaced."
"Exactly. So everything remains the same... Since we have already come this far, let us continue forward."
Hecate said to Jason, "Become a god. Seize control of your own fate. Grow stronger, strong enough that no one... dares to lay a hand on you!"
"Yes." Jason nodded seriously. "I will, Teacher. I will become stronger than anyone, even stronger than you!"
"...Why do I suddenly feel like that might actually be possible?" Thinking of that sword, Hecate frowned slightly.
"I feel the same. If it's Jason, it really might happen."
Hephaestus thought for a moment, then nodded as well.
"You unfilial disciple, how dare you!" Hecate's eyes widened as she glared at Jason.
Being surpassed by her own student was not funny at all!
He was already itching to turn the heavens upside down now; if he truly became stronger than her, he would really flip the sky itself!
While Jason stared speechlessly at the suddenly unreasonable Hecate...
"By the way, Hecate, I told him about Athena."
Hephaestus suddenly said.
Hecate blinked, then quickly understood. She nodded slightly, cast Jason a strange look, and could not help smiling. "Well then, my good disciple, what do you think about this matter? Come, tell your teacher."
"This matter...
Plop!
Teacher, I'll kneel down and beg you: please erase my memory!"
"Keep dreaming! No way!"
After a round of playful roughhousing, they never mentioned the god-slaying sword again.
Although it had caused quite a stir, thanks to that stone and the immediate intervention of the Goddess of the Night Nyx, the matter ultimately faded away without further consequence.
However, it was not entirely without impact.
Because it could no longer be detected, God-King Zeus naturally suspected the most likely culprit: Typhon, the Ancestor of All Demons.
As a result, Zeus became twelve times more vigilant toward Typhon.
The great war was thus brought forward.
Yet even though it was moved up, there was still some time before the war actually arrived.
More than a month passed. It was time for Jason to return to the island of Colchis.
At the same time, his long journey was finally approaching its end.
He was only one final step away from presenting his tribute to the Pearl of Olympus, the Goddess of Wisdom.
Yet...
"The Goddess of Wisdom... has fallen in love with me?"
"This is... way too melodramatic!"
Faced with this revelation, Jason genuinely felt that it was dozens of times more difficult than the god-slaying sword Mistilteinn!