Rin Tohsaka slipped into the study and pulled out a thick book, its cover revealing it as an English edition of Greek Mythology.
To ensure her memories weren't skewed, she set them aside, turning to the book for evidence.
But, predictably, there was no record of Morpheus participating in the famed Gigantomachy of Greek mythology.
Not only was Morpheus absent, but the mysterious woman from his memories was nowhere to be found either.
"You're wasting your time. You won't find anything. At most, you'll see mentions of another participant," Morpheus said, lounging on the sofa, relaxed but not crossing his legs... a habit from his time in England.
He was, after all, a gentleman!
"Who was that girl with you?" Rin asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. As a high school girl, despite playing the refined lady at school, her curiosity burned, especially after discovering her Servant's many secrets.
"Medea."
"Huh?!"
The simple answer left Rin stunned, as if a mythical creature were charging at her.
It was so straightforward that she couldn't process it at first.
After a moment, she asked, "Medea? No way! She… she was in the Gigantomachy?!"
"Yup, she was. What's so strange about that?" Morpheus said with a grin. "I'm sure she was there... I dragged her along."
"You dragged her along?"
"I'm a magician. I wanted to test some new magic, so I joined the Gigantomachy. Since Medea was always with me, we went together!"
"Wait, hold on. You were always with Medea? Wasn't she a priestess of Hecate, staying at her temple?
"And wasn't she supposed to appear later, during the Argonauts' voyage?"
"It's not your world's history. Don't bother looking," Morpheus said casually, standing to browse the bookshelf.
"Not my world? You're saying you're from another world?"
"Besides your family's magecraft, you go to a regular school. Do you like sci-fi novels?"
Rin shook her head.
Morpheus continued, "What about sci-fi movies? Or video games?"
Before Rin could answer, he answered himself.
"Right, I should've guessed. People like you probably don't indulge in ordinary hobbies. It's your choice, but it makes you out of touch with modern society…"
Rin's cheeks flushed. She glared, her breathing quickening.
"Me, out of touch? An Age of Gods relic is calling me outdated?!"
The thought gnawed at her, impossible to suppress.
Taking a deep breath, she said stiffly, "Hmph! I do watch TV, you know!"
"Your TV's ancient. Why not buy a new one tomorrow? Modern ones have recording features, so you can save shows while you're out."
"No…" Rin almost blurted "no money" To refuse, but Morpheus's sly grin stopped her. "What, scared you can't handle the latest tech?"
The taunt made Rin swallow her words, her neck stiffening. "Fine, I'll buy one tomorrow and show you I can handle it!"
Seeing Rin's pride, Morpheus shook his head, deciding not to tease further.
"Buy it or not, your call. Let me explain."
He snapped his fingers, conjuring a translucent image with a single dot.
"Everyone faces choices that shape their future. Different choices create different timelines, which we call parallel worlds."
As he spoke, countless thin lines branched from the dot, extending outward.
"And each choice leads to more choices, creating even more timelines."
The lines sprouted further branches, like a tree spreading.
"I come from one of those timelines. In it, I joined the Gigantomachy, along with Medea, altering history and its course.
"If I'm right, in this world, Medea met Jason early and didn't stick with him."
Rin disagreed. "Impossible. Even if Medea didn't like Jason, the gods would make her love him. It was Aphrodite's doing, all for Jason's quest!"
"No, the gods wouldn't agree this time," Morpheus said with a smile.
Rin paused, noting his confidence in the gods' changed decisions, recalling his Noble Phantasms. "You're close with the Greek gods, so they made a different choice?"
"Not that close. Aphrodite's gift was just a charm boost... useless for someone as handsome as me."
Rin rolled her eyes but couldn't deny it.
Morpheus was strikingly handsome, the kind who could star in a movie and drive women wild.
But saying it himself felt infuriatingly smug.
"Still, I believe Artemis would protect her. Medea's no naive girl... she knows the gods' motives and would find ways to avoid being a pawn."
Hearing these ancient secrets, Rin felt a new world opening. "The gods' motives weren't just to help Jason complete his quest?"
"Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece was unjustified. Why would the gods support it? And if they did, why not act directly instead of aiding covertly?" Morpheus asked. "Haven't you thought about it?"
Rin shook her head, raising her hand to stop him from answering, thinking for herself.
"You're right. The Golden Fleece quest stemmed from Jason's greed, sparked by his uncle's ambition. But Jason could've refused... he had every right to reclaim his throne.
"Myth says Jason coveted the Fleece, thinking it a glorious feat, so he took the task.
"While myths aren't fully reliable, Jason's greed seems plausible.
"Pelias received an oracle from Poseidon to beware, but Medea's father, who offered the Fleece to Ares, got no oracle. That's odd…"
Rin's mind raced, landing on a new realization.
"The gods' true goal was to remove the Golden Fleece from its original place!"
"You could say that."
"But why?" Rin demanded, wide-eyed. "It's redundant... the Fleece was already in human hands."
She stopped, flipping open the book to the Golden Fleece story.
Studying the pages, her breathing quickened, a joyful smile spreading as if she'd solved a puzzle.
"I get it! I know what's going on!"
She shouted excitedly, looking up at Morpheus's amused grin. Coughing, she adopted a serious tone.
"It's because the Golden Fleece, in Medea's father's hands, symbolized immortality. Removing it nullified the gods' gift of eternal life!"
Morpheus nodded slightly. "Not bad. Very clever!"
Rin's lips curled upward, clearly thrilled.
She continued, "So, when the Fleece was taken, Ares didn't punish anyone... it was the gods' choice. The mortals weren't at fault!"
"Exactly. I didn't witness it, but I discussed it with the gods. That's the answer."
"You discussed it with gods?!"
"Guess who else was on the Argo with me, besides Medea?"
Like a child solving a riddle, Rin's mind whirred... this was more fun than the Holy Grail War!
"You said Medea was there, so it's not her. And from your earlier words, can I assume this 'someone' is a god?"
Morpheus nodded lightly.
"Not someone who'd become a god later, nor one who lost divinity," he clarified, glancing at her book. "Not listed in the Argo's tale, but famous in Greek mythology."
Rin pondered deeply.
After a long time, unable to find an answer, she was about to ask when Morpheus said, "Guess right, and I'll teach you how to use that stone."
That stone?
Rin froze, lifting her left hand. The transparent jewel on her wrist gleamed. "You know how to use this?"
"I know a bit. I can teach you... if you guess correctly."
Rin focused instantly. Learning to use the jewel was beyond her wildest dreams. Her father hadn't succeeded, and despite Morpheus's hints, she'd made no progress.
Now, she had a chance to learn its true use!
But no matter how she racked her brain, no answer came.
"Damn it, is it Apollo? He gave you that bow. Or another god, given your blessings? Not Zeus... his presence would've caused chaos for the women.
"Hera? Yes, Hera! She wanted Jason to be king, so she might've acted. But as queen of the gods, direct intervention seems unlikely…"
"I already... "
"I've given you enough hints," Morpheus cut off her plea, leaving her pouting as she recalled his every word.
Thinking through each sentence, Rin suddenly remembered his comment about Medea and the Argo.
"It's Artemis!"
Her eyes lit up, shouting.
"Is it? Did I guess right? The god on the Argo with you was Artemis!" she asked Morpheus.
"Such a pity," Morpheus sighed, making Rin's face fall. Then he added, "You actually got it right! Now I have to teach you magic!"
Rin glared at his teasing expression, grinding her teeth. "So you're reluctant to teach me?!"
"I'm lazy, after all," Morpheus replied flawlessly. As Rin opened her mouth, he extended his right hand, beckoning.
The jewel on Rin's wrist detached, flying to his hand.
Seeing it in Morpheus's grasp, Rin felt an inexplicable loss, as if something precious had been taken.
But her melancholy didn't last long... Morpheus gave her no time to dwell.
***
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