No matter the reason, you must act and protect that child once completely!
Hearing Athena's statement and looking at Athena's serious expression, Rhea could not help but be momentarily stunned.
If one were to say who on Mount Olympus could still exert a certain constraining force on the current king of the gods, Zeus.
Then without a doubt, the one before her was among them.
After all, she was Rhea, the second-generation queen of the heavens, the mother of the noble gods including King of the Gods Zeus, Sea Emperor Poseidon, Lord Hades, and the others!
Rhea was silent for a period of time, then looked toward Jason; doubt naturally arose in her eyes, for she evidently could not imagine it.
What could this child Jason possibly do to anger King of the Gods Zeus to the point of using thunder to kill him?
Could it be... that he stole Zeus's woman?
But after a brief moment of contemplation, looking at Hera... at this white-clothed Heracles before her, at Hera who liked him immensely.
Unwilling to see Hera continue to suffer blows, Rhea sighed softly in her heart, then looked toward Athena and nodded to her.
Swearing upon the river of oaths: if one day Zeus wished to kill Jason, then no matter the circumstances.
She would inevitably act and protect Jason once completely!
Not long after the two established their oath, feeling that the time was about right, they quietly departed.
Immediately after, they removed the helm of invisibility and returned here, pretending as if nothing had happened.
"Eh... It seems that in the short while we left, your relationship has already become quite close."
The returning Rhea put on a very surprised appearance, smiling as she said to Hera.
"Mother Goddess, why did you and Athena return so quickly?"
Hera frowned slightly, looking toward Rhea with a touch of resentment; she had still been planning to get properly close to this white-clothed Heracles child for a while, and prepare to promise numerous benefits at the right moment to lure him away from Hephaestus!
And with Rhea and Athena returning so quickly, was this not interrupting her plan?
"Because I heard this child Athena say that Hera, this child of mine, is my granddaughter, and Hephaestus's child, right?... Are you planning to compete with your own daughter for him?"
Rhea's slightly teasing words caused Hera's expression to become somewhat awkward.
And while the two conversed, Jason covertly cast a puzzled gaze toward Athena.
What are you two doing? ... Jason was very puzzled.
Athena, regarding the gaze Jason cast toward her, blinked her eyes and gave him a slightly mischievous smile before echoing Rhea's words, saying: "Yes, Goddess Rhea, this child belongs to the Hephaestus household; Hephaestus cherishes him greatly.
When we set out today, she even specially instructed me to make sure to bring him back intact."
"This... Humph, Mother Goddess, listen to this; where does Hephaestus treat me as a mother at all!"
Hera puffed her cheeks slightly, saying: "She even put a mask on this child; I tried for half a day just now and could not remove it. Tell me, is she not going too far!"
"But you do want this child, right?"
"This... Who could resist such an obedient and adorable child!"
After a brief hesitation, Hera, under Rhea and Athena's gazes, simply stopped hiding it; she pulled Jason straight into her embrace, saying: "Mother Goddess, Mother, I truly like this child very much!
Moreover, this child also has the intention of becoming mine, so my good mother, go speak to Hephaestus and have her yield this child to me!"
Wait, I do not; you must not speak recklessly!
Jason cried out inwardly, and although he was enveloped in the gentle embrace of a goddess... moreover, the gentle embrace of a queen of the heavens goddess.
Jason felt not the slightest enjoyment from it.
After all, judging from the hatred Hera had just displayed, if he were even slightly careless and his identity were exposed.
The goodwill Hera was showing at this moment would likely instantly transform into the most terrifying malice in the world...
Goodness, women are already a frightening species to begin with.
But once they become goddesses, it is simply a hundred times more terrifying and beyond!
At the same time, originally, when Athena saw Hera holding Jason, her first reaction was to reach out and pull him free, making Hera stay far away from Jason.
But when she saw Jason in Hera's embrace, that restless and pitiful gaze of seeking help directed toward her, Athena instantly lost the desire to move.
With the corners of her mouth curving upward in amusement at the spectacle, she even winked at Jason, who had made eye contact with her.
In any case, this Athena, ever since meeting Jason back then, did not know if something had awakened in her or what, but she had become exceedingly mischievous.
And this mischievousness was targeted solely at Jason...
"This will not do." Rhea looked amusedly at Hera, who was pleading with her, and said softly: "Hephaestus is also my adorable granddaughter, and... What kind of logic is it for a daughter to compete with her granddaughter for a child, and for me to help out?"
"Hee hee, if they cannot settle the competition, then in my opinion, Goddess Rhea, you should just take this child for yourself."
"Mm..." Rhea pretended to ponder for a moment, then her eyes brightened as she said: "This seems like quite a good choice indeed!
Child, how about from today onward, you follow me instead?"
"Wait, wait, Mother Goddess, what are you trying to do as well!"
Hera cried out loudly.
And Jason, watching all this, only felt his heart truly weary.
After all, Rhea and Athena were completely adding fuel to the fire for the sake of entertainment; they knew the full truth and were aware that he was Jason.
Fine, you are goddesses; I cannot afford to provoke you.
You all can be happy!
Despairing of life yet unwilling to die... That was probably the most accurate portrayal of Jason's mood at this moment.
But no matter what, today, Jason had ultimately passed Hera's hurdle, and moreover, he had obtained an identity endorsed by Hera.
The white-clothed Heracles.
However, speaking of which, it would actually be difficult not to pass, right? After all, aside from Hera, the other gods basically knew the truth.
And when everyone around you is going along with the lie, then the lie you hear becomes the truth.
Immediately after, under Hera's gaze of reluctance, Athena took Jason... ah, no, took the white-clothed Heracles away.
With Rhea and Athena... mainly Athena present, Hera could not possibly directly force the white-clothed Heracles to stay.
Although her heart very much wanted to do so.
"You like that child that much?"
And after Athena had taken the white-clothed Heracles away for quite some time, Rhea looked at Hera, who was still gazing after their departure, and could not help but find it amusing.
"Mm." Hera nodded, and after a brief hesitation, she softly said to Rhea: "To not hide it from you, Mother Goddess, from the first moment I saw that child, I felt an unusual closeness, as if... he was meant to belong to me!"
Hearing this, Rhea could not help but be slightly stunned.
Although the mask would conceal the other's appearance, it could not alter the other's essence, so in the instant she saw the white-clothed Heracles.
Hera felt as if she had seen him somewhere before, and felt an unusual closeness toward him, thus...
"Mother, I will not give up on him."
Turning her head, Hera said to Rhea with utmost determination: "Even if he is Hephaestus's child now, but... I have set my heart on him!"
"You... Ah."
Rhea hesitated for a while and sighed softly.
Closeness?
Yes, how could she not feel close, because that child was meant to belong to Hera to begin with.
Because the other was none other than Jason...
But all of this, Rhea could not tell Hera; at least not now, absolutely not.
Rhea thought to herself, likewise turning her head to look in the direction Jason and Athena had departed, except Hera was looking at Jason, while Rhea was looking at Athena.
As the second-generation queen of the heavens, Rhea this goddess was naturally not foolish.
Although she did not know Athena's intentions, since she, as the goddess of wisdom, had made her swear such an oath, and sworn it upon the river of oaths.
Then that indicated that the possibility of that day occurring was quite high!
But...
If one were to say in this world who else could revive this chess game that seemed as good as dead, changing the relationship between Hera and Jason.
Then evidently, it could only be the goddess of wisdom Athena.
Thus, what of Athena at this moment?
She was sitting with Jason on the sacred heavenly steed, reaching out to pinch Jason's cheeks, venting her frustration...
"You this naughty child, it is all because of you that I have stirred up a whole body of trouble again!"
Recalling her agreement with Rhea, Athena felt a massive headache, because this matter was evidently not easy to resolve.
Although Jason did not understand why Athena had suddenly become puffed up with anger, it was not the first time interacting with Athena, so Jason wisely kept his mouth shut, allowing Athena to vent on him.
And just as Jason thought, after Athena roughed up Jason for a bit and saw that Jason did not resist at all, she lost interest and let him go.
"Hey, speaking of which, little Jason, what do you think of meeting Goddess Hera this time?"
Then, with her eyes turning, Athena covered her mouth and chuckled lightly as she said to Jason: "Are you already starting to regret it, thinking that back then you should have chosen Hera instead of your teacher? After all, Hera is evidently even more doting toward you than your teacher."
And at the same time, just as Jason had analyzed back then.
If he had chosen Hera, Hecate back then would not have been angry, let alone any retaliation against Jason.
Whereas the outcome of choosing Hecate... was already laid out here.
The white-clothed Heracles had obtained the golden dagger from Hera and had sworn to Goddess Hera that on the day he met Jason.
He would plunge this dagger toward the other's heart!
"No, I do not regret it."
But even so, Jason's response remained without the slightest hesitation. "Even if it were to happen again, I would still choose Teacher Hecate."
"Hey... Then, what if it were me?"
Athena was not surprised by Jason's answer.
Immediately after, she led into the question she truly wanted to ask: "If back then it was not a choice between Hecate and Hera, but... a choice between me and Hecate?"
Athena reached out, twirling a lock of silver hair by her ear, and said in an indifferent tone: "Then, would you choose me, or your Teacher Hecate?"
Hearing this, Jason's body instantly stiffened.
Because evidently, this was a life-or-death question!
"Um... Esteemed Goddess Athena, back then... this situation would absolutely not have occurred, right?"
Jason looked at Athena, replying carefully.
Evidently trying to evade this life-or-death question.
And what replied to Jason was Athena's absolutely beautiful smile.
Instantly, beads of cold sweat appeared on Jason's forehead.
Lowering his head and looking at the heavenly steed with a gaze of seeking help, he saw Brother Horse startle greatly before abruptly lowering its head, pretending as if it had heard nothing!
"...Pfft, hee hee hee."
Then, just as Jason's mind raced frantically in search of a path to survival, Athena, who had been staring fixedly at Jason, suddenly burst out laughing with a "pfft."
She did not bring up this matter to Jason again.
Because Athena had already obtained her answer.
Regarding this question from Jason... he hesitated.
Originally, when responding to any god, Jason would always choose Hecate without hesitation, yet solely in the choice between her and Hecate, he hesitated.
Thus, even though Jason had not answered, Athena had already obtained the response she wanted.
"It was not in vain that I doted on you... It seems that if I put in a bit more effort, you will become mine, little Jason."
Athena leaned close to Jason's ear and chuckled as she said this.
And at this very moment, the distant temple of Hephaestus appeared before the two.
Amidst her light chuckle, Athena stuffed the helm of Lord Hades from her hand into Jason's, saying: "Alright, little Jason, remember to return this thing to Lord Hades... This is something Goddess Rhea asked you to pass on, so you must remember."
"The helm of invisibility?" Looking at this familiar helm, which he had worn once back then, Jason was momentarily stunned.
Then, he abruptly raised his head, widening his eyes as if realizing something, and said to Athena: "Wait, this helm of invisibility... Could it be that just now, Goddess Athena and Goddess Rhea actually...!"
"Oh dear, little Jason, what are you saying? I do not understand."
Athena chuckled lightly, and even expressed regret: "What a pity; if only I had brought the flower of time back then, otherwise recording that scene and then showing it to your Teacher Hecate and Teacher Hephaestus... Hee hee, it would certainly be very amusing!"
Just as Athena's words fell, a mass of white clouds suddenly drifted toward the heavenly steed.
And as the heavenly steed passed through the white clouds, Athena had already departed.
Thus, Jason, holding the helm of invisibility in his hand, returned to Hephaestus's temple under the heavenly steed's soft neigh, with a face full of helplessness.
At this point, the matter of Goddess Hephaestus, as well as the matter of Queen Hera, had finally come to a temporary close for now.
What awaited Jason next was, just as the helm of invisibility he held in his hand indicated, Lord Hades... who was waiting for him.