Seeing the strange look on Jason's face, Heracles asked, "Did something happen?"
Jason covered his face, sighed deeply, and then told Heracles what had happened.
It turned out that ever since Heracles gave up rowing and went fishing, a strange wind had suddenly risen on the previously calm sea. This strange wind was extremely peculiar. At first, the Heroes found that after rowing, the ship made no progress. Jason then ordered the sails to be taken down, but even after the sails were down, it still had no effect. This strange wind directly stirred up ocean currents, causing the Argo to circle in the surrounding waters, unable to move forward.
No matter how hard the other Argo Heroes rowed, the ship still could not escape these strange ocean currents. Therefore, after some observation, Jason directly concluded that only by having Heracles continue rowing could the Argo move forward against such strong currents.
Upon hearing this, Heracles understood. With Ares' reminder, he also knew that this was likely the work of the Gods, preparing to make him and Jason part ways, preventing him from boarding the Argo again.
He walked to the bow of the Argo and saw the sky covered with dark clouds. As he reached the bow, a strange wind blew directly at him, filled with a sense of provocation.
Heracles squinted his eyes and suddenly remembered the God who had manipulated the storm outside Athens, blocking his path, only to be kicked down from the clouds by Ares and then severely beaten by himself. He remembered that the other party seemed to call himself Notos, God of the South Wind.
Thinking of this, Heracles raised his bow and arrow and shot an arrow threateningly into the storm ahead.
The bronze arrow forged by Hephaestus, paired with the golden bow gifted by Apollo, drew an arc that flashed and vanished in the wind. Strangely, after Heracles shot an arrow, the storm indeed became somewhat smaller, as if it feared him.
However, after cowering for a few seconds, the wind seemed to realize something and became even more aggressive, even stirring up a vortex in the sea, trapping the Argo in place.
Upon seeing this situation, Jason said helplessly:
"There's nothing we can do. We'll temporarily dock and then find a place to make a paddle for you."
With that, he turned and returned to the cabin to direct the Heroes to row backward, first to the shore for a rest.
When the Argo turned around and headed towards the shore, the current did not entangle them, as if intentionally letting them go. The Argo quickly found a suitable coast in the nearby Mysian territory and docked. After the Argo docked, Jason, as the captain, immediately delivered a righteous speech as the captain of the Argo, stating that although the wind and waves were terrifying, by facing them with a smile, one could overcome their fear. He then rallied the Heroes to disembark together to find suitable wood for Heracles to make a paddle.
He was very good at stirring up the atmosphere. Under Jason's influence, most of the Heroes on board enthusiastically disembarked and vowed to find the best paddle for Heracles.
Heracles originally didn't want to disembark, but seeing his companions so enthusiastic, he couldn't shamelessly stay on the ship without losing face. He couldn't help it; his thick skin was still too far from Ares'. If it were Ares, he would probably tie himself directly to the mast of the Argo and refuse to get off no matter what.
The group of Heroes gradually separated and scattered into the forest by the coast. After leaving the sight of others, Heracles himself became vigilant. He didn't know what methods the Gods would use to keep him here, so he had to remain extremely alert at all times.
Just as Heracles was actively searching for wood and being cautious, he suddenly heard the call of his friend Polyphemus.
Polyphemus called out to him:
"By the way, Heracles, the fresh water on the ship is running out. Go find some nearby and see if there's a fresh water source. You're strong, so fetch some spring water and put it on the ship."
"Oh."
Heracles instinctively responded and walked towards a nearby spring.
But halfway there, he suddenly realized something was wrong, so he shouted loudly:
"Wait, are you really Polyphemus?"
"Why would you ask such a question? If I'm not Polyphemus, who else could I be?"
Polyphemus's voice came, with a hint of surprise.
"I heard there's a kind of monster that loves to lurk in forests like this," Heracles said. "It's better to be cautious, Polyphemus. Do you remember what you told me when you were drunk before?"
"Oh, you mean that thing."
Polyphemus said.
"Yes, that's it," Heracles asked, "How many moles do you have on your butt?"
How would I know that!
Athena, in her disguised form hiding outside the forest, had a face full of black lines after hearing this question.
Meanwhile, her true form in the clouds urgently turned to the Gods and asked:
"Does anyone know how many moles Polyphemus has on his butt? Waiting , it's urgent."
"How many moles does Polyphemus have on his butt?"
The Gods looked at each other and answered in unison:
"How would we know such a thing?"
"Stop talking nonsense!" Athena snapped, "Whose son is this Polyphemus? Who's going to claim him?"
Someone among the Gods shouted, "I remember Poseidon has a son named Polyphemus!"
Upon hearing this, Zeus immediately connected with Poseidon in the Golden Palace. After hearing Zeus's question, the God of the Sea sneered and said,
"How would I know how many moles Polyphemus has on his butt?"
"Aren't you his father?" Zeus saw Poseidon's expression and became furious, questioning him with a dark face.
"I am his father, so what?" Poseidon laughed heartily and retorted, "You have so many sons, so tell me, does Heracles have moles on his butt? If so, how many?"
This line of questioning left Zeus speechless. These two brothers were of the same ilk, only coveting beauty, not offspring; only entering the body, not the life. Heracles was raised by Amphitryon to adulthood. After Zeus had his fun, he left directly, never fulfilling his responsibility as a father.
And from Poseidon's tone, he was the same. It was very likely that the God of the Sea had already abandoned the woman who bore him a child before Polyphemus was born.
The Gods were in a predicament, and on the ground, Heracles was already approaching Athena's location. He walked and asked,
"Polyphemus, why aren't you speaking? Are you really a demon in disguise?"
Athena, in a flash of inspiration, responded loudly, "Wait a moment, I blacked out that day. I'm taking off my pants to check right now."
"Oh, alright," Heracles replied, his feet not stopping. He walked and said, "I'm quite curious too. Let me see."
As Heracles was about to see her disguised form, Athena, standing in the clouds, directly turned her head and shouted to Apollo, "Apollo! Quick, help me out!"
Swish!
Shortly after Athena's words fell, Heracles pushed aside the bushes blocking his way and saw the open space ahead.
In the open space, Polyphemus had his pants down and was bending over, trying to look at his butt. Upon seeing Heracles, he was startled and quickly pulled up his pants. However, at that instant, the sharp-eyed Heracles still saw three black moles on his left buttock, arranged in a "three stars arching the moon" pattern.
Seeing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Heracles' eyes, and he muttered, "Strange, could it really be Polyphemus?"