One week later,
Following the direction indicated by the compass Athena had bestowed upon him, Jason, seated atop the golden-horned deer, arrived once more at the foot of a mountain range. Just as he prepared to cross it,
"You have finally arrived. I have been waiting for you for quite some time." A god who had long been waiting stepped out from the shade of a nearby tree.
He wore a winged hat, a short-sleeved tunic cinched at the waist, and carried a caduceus in his hand. He appeared as a handsome young man with golden hair.
Seeing him emerge, Jason froze briefly, looked around, and then pointed at himself.
The man smiled and said, "Clad in the divine raiment personally woven for you by Athena, bearing Apollo's sword at your side, and riding Artemis's golden-horned deer… You must be Hecate's child, Jason, correct?"
At those words, Jason's expression shifted slightly.
He quickly signaled the golden-horned deer to stop, dismounted, and respectfully saluted the man while inwardly grumbling in resignation.
Didn't they say I wouldn't meet any more gods!
"There is no need to be so formal… Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hermes."
Hermes… the messenger of the gods, Zeus's herald, Hermes!
Jason instantly realized who he was.
"I appear before you to congratulate you, child. You have reached the end of your journey."
Hermes smiled at Jason, turned to gaze at the mountain range ahead, and said, "Within the temple atop this high mountain, Persephone is confined!"
The end?
Jason was slightly stunned and looked up at the towering mountain.
"However, child, although you have arrived at the destination, you cannot simply walk straight in."
Hermes immediately continued, "Although Athena, Apollo, and Artemis have currently lured Demeter away from this place, Demeter has long since planted spies all over the mountain… More precisely, every plant on the entire mountain serves as her eyes!
If you rashly charge in, child, not only will you fail to bring Persephone out, you yourself will fall into grave danger!"
Hearing this, Jason's expression grew serious.
"But since I am here, naturally I have come to resolve these troubles for you."
As Hermes spoke, he lightly tapped his caduceus against the ground. A black helmet materialized in his hand out of thin air.
"This is the Helmet of Invisibility entrusted to me by the King of the Underworld. Once you wear it, no one in this world will be able to detect your presence… When you are finished with it, return it to Lord Hades yourself."
With that, Hermes tossed the Helmet of Invisibility to Jason.
Jason caught it and immediately felt that the helmet was extraordinarily heavy… even though it actually weighed nothing, lighter than a feather.
But this belonged to the King of the Underworld. This was Hades's Helmet of Invisibility!
"And one more thing. The temple where Persephone is held lies amidst perilous terrain, therefore…"
Hermes tapped the ground lightly once more. A pair of winged shoes appeared in his hand.
"These are my Talaria. With them, you can fly over any dangerous area in the mountains."
"At the same time, two fearsome magical beasts guard the entrance to the temple, watching over Persephone. Take this caduceus as well. Remember that the sleep it induces has a time limit, for you are not me and cannot wield its full power.
You must only use it to put the guardian beasts to sleep after you have found Persephone and are bringing her out."
Winged shoes that grant flight, a caduceus that induces sleep; these were Hermes's famous divine tools… more accurately, his very own signature divine artifacts!
Thus, when Jason accepted both items while already holding Hades's helmet, he swallowed hard and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead.
"Lord Hermes, this…"
Jason looked at Hermes with an expression close to tears.
"Do your best, child."
Hermes smiled and patted Jason's shoulder. "The great God-King Zeus is watching you… Oh, right."
As though suddenly remembering something, Hermes leaned down and whispered to Jason, "If you succeed in this matter, the matter of the divine flame is not entirely out of the question! …Though of course, it will not be that simple."
Having said that, Hermes straightened up and patted Jason's shoulder again with a smile.
Um… actually, I never said I absolutely had to become immortal. All I want is to live a safe and peaceful life…
Jason's lips twitched. He felt the gods had completely misunderstood him. He really did not have to become immortal!
Yet after a moment of hesitation, Jason ultimately said nothing.
At that moment, perhaps sensing Jason's mental exhaustion, the golden-horned deer let out a soft cry and gently nudged him.
Its gaze toward Jason was filled with concern.
"I'm fine… I'm really fine, Sister Deer."
Feeling the golden-horned deer's worry, a warm current rose in Jason's heart. He smiled and stroked the deer.
Then he turned to Hermes, took a deep breath, and declared, "I understand, Lord Hermes. Rest assured, I will definitely bring Lady Persephone out safely!"
I have no choice but to bring her out! The God-King Zeus is watching, and even Lord Hades sent his helmet of invisibility. What other option do I have!
"Yes, that's the spirit!" Hermes clapped Jason on the back and laughed. "Go forth, young one. The gods shall bless you!"
No thanks, I'd really rather you didn't… Great gods, please, I beg you, just treat me like an invisible nobody!
After inwardly complaining, Jason turned to the golden-horned deer and said, "Then please wait here for me for a while, Sister Deer… Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"
With those words, Jason placed the Helmet of Invisibility upon his head.
The instant he donned it, even Hermes, messenger of the gods, could no longer detect Jason's presence!
Hermes could only vaguely sense his location through the signature divine artifacts he had placed upon Jason.
Thus, bearing Hermes's caduceus, wearing Hermes's Talaria, and concealed beneath the Helmet of Invisibility secretly provided by Lord Hades, Jason stepped toward his final destination!
Guided by the compass Athena had given him, after spending an entire day traversing the landscape, when the black night fell and all things grew silent,
Jason finally reached the temple.
Just as Hermes had said, the temple was built amidst perilous terrain to prevent Persephone from escaping on her own.
Using the Talaria, Jason flew over various swamps and treacherous areas until he arrived before the temple gates.
At the entrance crouched two terrifying giant beasts several meters tall.
When Jason lightly landed, they seemed to sense something and looked toward his direction.
But under the power of the Helmet of Invisibility, after sniffing the air for a long while and concluding it was merely an illusion, they lay back down.
Seeing this, Jason's violently pounding heart gradually calmed.
He licked his dry lips, cautiously took one step forward, and when they showed no reaction, he finally began walking into the temple.
Continuing through the magnificent interior, still holding the compass Athena had provided, and passing numerous nymphs who moved about serving the divine, Jason finally arrived at a chamber within the temple.
There, sitting alone, was the goddess Persephone!