Following the beautiful Queen Hera to the pavilion, Jason covertly glanced with some suspicion toward the direction in which Athena and Goddess Rhea had departed.
Although he did not know what they intended to do, Jason knew they would absolutely not obediently leave... Not to mention anything else, given the personalities of these gods.
How could they possibly pass up something so entertaining!
"Child, sit... No need to be so restrained." After signaling the numerous nymph goddesses to depart, Hera smiled and gestured for Jason to sit.
Evidently, Hera was completely unaware of this matter; she was even madly giving thumbs up to her mother goddess Rhea in her heart right now.
She inwardly thanked her for taking away the troublesome Athena, giving her the opportunity to sway this white-clothed Heracles!
"No, no need, Goddess Hera."
Jason put on an expression of being both startled and flattered, saying to Hera: "I will stand just fine... How could a mere mortal like me possibly sit together with the great Queen Hera!"
Hearing Jason's words, Athena, who was hiding in the shadows, could not help but roll her eyes at him.
"It is fine; I grant you the right to sit with me."
Hera said softly to Jason, even reaching out her hand to grasp his and pull him to sit beside her.
Immediately after, Hera's beautiful eyes fixed upon the white-clothed Heracles before her, who appeared utterly terrified by her bestowed grace.
And the more she observed, the more satisfaction was written across Hera's face.
This caused Hera's heart at this moment to secretly resolve that she must definitely lure this white-clothed Heracles to her side!
"Ah, ah, ah, it seems Hera has taken a liking to little Jason."
As the saying goes, no one knows a daughter better than her mother; watching Hera's expression, Rhea could not help but laugh and say to Athena.
The two of them, thanks to using Hades's helm of invisibility, were not at all afraid of being discovered by Hera.
Hades's helm of invisibility was far from just simple invisibility; this was a divine artifact on the same level as the thunderbolt scepter in Zeus's hand or Sea Emperor Poseidon's trident of the sea god.
It concealed everything about the wearer!
Not just aura and voice; as long as one wore this helm, even the river of time's reversal could not trace their whereabouts!
If not for this, back then Hades could not possibly have used this divine artifact to successfully approach the god of creation and destruction of space-time, Cronus, and heavily wound him.
Only then could the three brothers ultimately join forces to defeat the second-generation king of the gods, ending the era ruled by the Titan divine clan.
Such a divine artifact, even if forged by Hephaestus, would require considerable effort, and without taking a century as the unit of time, it would be difficult to complete.
Although Jason had worn it back then, he, unable to use divine power, naturally could not activate the helm's full effects.
Thus, now, hearing Rhea's giggling remark beside her, Athena watched as Hera gazed joyfully at Jason, and could not help but purse her lips.
Like? ...What if she does like him; if she truly likes him, then go and snatch him!
And when it came to snatching, Hera was not even in the running, after all, the one who led the charge first was no other than the Athena who was watching the show right now!
"Um... Goddess Hera."
Sitting alone with Hera, to say Jason's heart was not panicking would be false; after all, the moment he thought that if he were not careful and Hera saw through his identity.
Then, no matter how merciful Hera appeared now, she could flip her face in an instant!
After all, these were the Greek gods...
Just take the myth about Heracles as an example; shortly after Heracles was born.
Under Athena's covert guidance, Hera picked up Heracles, who had been abandoned in the fields, and seeing how adorable the child was, fed him her own breast milk.
But because she was bitten and it hurt in the end, an enraged Hera directly flung Heracles away; it was only because Athena was quick-eyed and quick-handed to catch Heracles that he avoided being smashed to death.
And later, upon learning the truth of the matter, Hera immediately dispatched venomous serpents to bite the still-infant Heracles.
Speaking of which, because of these events, people in the world even say that Athena raised Heracles, and call Athena his virgin mother goddess.
In short, because of these matters, Jason now dared not relax his mood in the slightest; he saw him carefully say to Hera: "May I ask, Goddess Hera, did you summon me this time because I did something wrong?
If that is the case, I hope the great goddess will quell your anger, and I will exhaust all my power to fulfill every demand you have!"
"Rest assured, child; as I said, I have no intention of blaming you. You did very well." At this point, Hera paused slightly, then continued: "In any case, it was all under Athena's guidance, right? I understand that."
"And it is I who should thank you; the name Heracles you left behind has brought me great renown."
"Is that so?" The white-clothed Heracles appeared greatly surprised as he looked at Hera, then let out a breath of relief, saying: "That is excellent... I thought I had caused trouble for you, Goddess Hera."
"How could that be? I cannot thank you enough." With that, Hera raised her hand and gently stroked the head of the white-clothed Heracles, as a reward.
"Then may I ask, great Goddess Hera, may I continue to use the name Heracles from now on?" The white-clothed Heracles said with utmost seriousness: "Because bringing glory to you, Goddess Hera, is my greatest honor!"
Watching Jason's performance, Athena and Rhea beside him could not help but fall silent for a moment...
"Athena, from today onward, you must make sure that fellow Hermes stays far away from this child!" Rhea said with utmost seriousness.
"Mm." Athena also nodded seriously in reply: "That is exactly what I think!"
As for Jason? ...He is still just a child; what ill intentions could he have? Thus, this must definitely be because of Hermes.
It is all that bastard's fault, leading the adorable Jason astray!
No matter how much Rhea and Athena wanted to complain right now, in any case, hearing Jason's words, the smile on Hera's face truly bloomed like a flower.
In just a few short sentences, Hera's originally quite favorable impression of him became exceedingly good!
At the same time, her heart grew even more resolute in her determination to snatch this white-clothed Heracles from Hephaestus!
"Right, child, speaking of which, your name is...?"
Here it comes, the crucial moment has arrived.
Rhea and Athena instantly looked toward Jason, waiting for his response, extremely curious as to what answer he would give.
One must know that deceiving the gods is absolutely forbidden!
Yet, to Hera's question, Jason showed not the slightest panic; he merely pretended to be stunned for a moment.
Then, he smiled at Hera, softly requesting: "Um, great Goddess Hera, may I ask... could you just call me Heracles?
Because I feel that for you to address me that way would be my greatest honor... Ah, of course I know this is rather presumptuous, but..."
Hearing this, Hera was stunned.
Athena and Rhea were also stunned, both looking at Jason in shock!
"You taught him?" Rhea immediately turned her head, glaring fiercely at Athena.
"No." Athena shook her head frantically.
Such words... she truly could not teach them!
"Child, you, you... you are just too adorable!" And when Hera came back to her senses, looking at the Jason before her who was gazing at her so carefully.
She could not hold back in that instant, pulling Jason into her embrace and doting on him fiercely!
"Yes, of course! The name Heracles, from now on, you may use it for as long as you wish!"
Athena and Rhea watched Hera's joyful appearance, and the two silently exchanged a glance, momentarily... not knowing what to say.
This Hera... is far too easy to handle.
The same thought arose in both their minds, and then looking at Hera, they felt like laughing.
As for Jason at this moment, he naturally covertly wiped his forehead.
Relieved that he had dodged another crisis once more.
Jason's survival principles, chapter on dealing with gods.
If one finds that no matter what, they cannot avoid it, then just act!
Act cute, act innocent, act foolish!
Flatter them in every way possible, striving not to offend a single god!
Acknowledge sisters, acknowledge brothers; if truly necessary, even acknowledge a godfather or godmother!
Of course, if in the end one finds it truly impossible to please them, and the hostile relationship continues to deteriorate, then naturally...
Thus, what is there to laugh at, what is there to be surprised about.
Athena, you and Rhea have no right to be surprised at all, because you benefit from it just as much usually; your reactions are not necessarily any better than Hera's at this moment!
It is merely the pot calling the kettle black.
"Ah, what a pity."
Athena, coming back to her senses, looked at the scene before her where Hera was holding Jason and doting on him, and it was clear she would not bring up the matter of Jason's name again; Jason's greatest crisis had temporarily been averted.
Athena looked left and right, expressing profound regret.
"Hm? Pity what?"
Rhea looked at Athena in confusion.
"What a pity I did not bring the flower of time, otherwise recording down the conversation just now between Jason and Hera, and then showing it to Hecate and Hephaestus... Mm, next time I must prepare some!"
Athena said with utmost seriousness.
And Rhea, this goddess, after thinking it over upon hearing this, actually nodded in agreement, indicating that it was indeed a great pity...