"Teacher Hecate, save me!"
When Jason's voice fell, everyone present except the labyrinth's monster Asterios was a bit dumbfounded.
They cast puzzled and slightly speechless glances at Jason.
The fight had just started. You unleashing your ultimate was one thing, but calling for backup... What the hell?
To this, Jason was quite nonchalant and did not think there was anything wrong with it.
"...What is it?"
Soon, Hecate's voice rang in Jason's ears.
"It's like this, Teacher..."
Jason quickly conveyed his idea to Hecate.
The reason he had used the Underworld Domain and called his teacher Hecate was simple: He wanted to take Asterios into the Underworld and have the goddess Hecate watch over him for a bit!
As for Asterios, this monster possibly tied to Sea Emperor Poseidon, Jason was not Theseus, Poseidon's son, so he naturally did not want to kill him and risk antagonizing Poseidon.
But leaving him unchecked was obviously not an option.
Thus, after a moment of thought, Jason recalled the two-headed dog Orthrus from before and made the above decision.
This way, he solved the labyrinth without killing Asterios.
After hearing Jason out, Hecate fell silent for a moment. Then, more and more underworld butterflies appeared, gathering within the labyrinth.
The ethereal blue swarm of underworld butterflies illuminated the dark labyrinth of the night. They approached the eye-covered Asterios, enveloped him, and carried him into the Underworld.
As the butterflies departed, Jason stowed his caduceus.
"...Was that just now the legendary Path of No Return to the Underworld?"
Watching all this unfold, Atalanta murmured softly.
"Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?"
Atalanta glanced at the smiling Jason but did not reply.
A human who could call the Path of No Return beautiful... Probably only this Jason before her.
As for Jason's decision, Cerberus was actually a bit unhappy, since she had not had her fill of fun.
But making her happy was not difficult.
Thus, after some time passed...
"You say she's the three-headed hellhound of the Underworld... Cerberus?"
On the way back, Atalanta, hearing Jason's words, looked at the black-haired, red-eyed little loli clutching Jason's clothes and happily munching on honey cakes beside him.
A sense of absurdity welled up in Atalanta's heart.
But she quickly accepted it.
Because two images surfaced in her mind... The most profound impressions Jason had left on her.
One was that day, slaying the Calydonian Boar under the full moon, when Jason drew her bow and loosed that silver arrow.
The other was during the Hundred-Eyed Giant Argus incident, when the great God of Light Apollo and Moon Goddess Artemis appeared behind Jason, unleashing that earth-shaking shot.
Compared to those events, these little things were hardly worth surprise.
Thus, gazing at the honey cake-munching Cerberus, then at Jason, recalling the past with him, Atalanta... Frowned slightly.
"Why do I still feel like something's off?"
"Hm?" Jason looked puzzled at Atalanta, who had suddenly said that.
"The purpose of you coming to find me." Atalanta turned to him and narrowed her eyes slightly. She said, "You really came because you were worried about me?... No, there must be another reason, right?
And if I'm not mistaken... It has something to do with Goddess Artemis, doesn't it?"
Atalanta was not so easily fooled. Her senses were exceptionally keen.
Moreover, unlike the gods, she could not detect lies, so she was better at catching the "gaps" in Jason's seemingly sincere words.
In other words, telling the truth while concealing certain details.
"Ah... Ah haha, what are you talking about, Atalanta?"
"Sniff sniff... The smell of lies."
Jason gently patted the loose-tongued Cerberus's little head.
Atalanta rolled her eyes at Jason, but she did not press further... At least not today. She decided to let Jason off the hook this time.
Because today, the joy in her heart was somewhat hard to hide.
Of course, she would never show it or admit it.
...
...
Soon, Jason brought Atalanta to the crossroads where the underworld butterflies were.
With the butterflies guiding the way, Jason easily exited the labyrinth.
...But to think, this so-called Labyrinth of Minos, even in legendary tales, seemed to have no one who ever walked out from the exit.
Because even Theseus in the stories left a thread behind and retraced his steps after slaying the bull-headed monster.
Thus, the true solution to this labyrinth... Might be known to no one.
And as Jason and the others left the labyrinth and found their pegasus, a nymph fairy had been waiting for Jason for quite some time.
Who she was did not matter, but she brought Jason a new oracle.
It was from Rhea, the goddess who was once the second queen of the heavens and helped her child escape nightmares.
The oracle's content was simple: Inviting Jason to the Kingdom of Corinth.
That place where, as punishment from the gods, the human Sisyphus could never push the boulder up the hill.
Back then, Jason had given Rhea an "answer," though it was one without results for the time being.
Now, after half a year, Rhea invited Jason there once more.....
Thus, Atalanta followed by Jason's side again... But this time, everything felt much more natural.
"Goddess Rhea wants me to go to Sisyphus... You just came back from there not long ago. Do you want to come along?"
"Sisyphus... The one pushing the boulder, right? Sure."
On the journey ahead, Jason occasionally took Cerberus and Atalanta soaring through the skies on pegasus, but most of the time, he walked with them through the dense forests and swampy wilds of ancient Greece.
At first, Atalanta did not notice anything unusual.
But after a few days...
"What's wrong with you?"
That night, in an ancient forest, shortly after the three had finished dinner and Cerberus had run off again to hunt woodland creatures for fun, leaving just the two of them, Atalanta suddenly asked Jason.
"Hm?"
The sudden question left Jason a bit dazed. He looked up at Atalanta and asked in confusion, "What's up?"
"...You're acting a bit strange." Atalanta furrowed her brows.
"Strange?" Jason looked utterly baffled.
"If it were the usual you, you would have rushed off by now."
In Atalanta's eyes, Jason had always been very busy.
Busy handling all sorts of oracles from the gods.
Accomplishing one heroic feat after another.
Though few knew it was him, only knowing of a snow-white-robed hero named Heracles.
Hearing this, Jason paused slightly. Realizing what Atalanta meant, he chuckled and said, "What's this? Me slacking off a bit is such a strange thing?"
"...This isn't about slacking or not."
Atalanta looked at Jason and said, "Besides, you're usually lazy anyway. Last time we were together, I handled everything for you.
Now, you've dumped it all on Lady Cerberus."
Jason cleared his throat, unable to refute for the moment.
"Did something happen?... If you want to talk about it." Atalanta stared straight at Jason.
"...Is it that obvious?"
Jason was helpless.
"Yeah, very obvious." Atalanta said flatly.
It was hard to say it wasn't when even she had noticed.
Jason fell silent for a while. "Actually... It's nothing."
"But since you asked, I'll say it... In the end, I'm just a bit tired, that's all."
"Tired?" Atalanta looked at Jason in puzzlement.
"Yeah... Tired. I want to rest for a bit... I know time is tight ahead. If I keep slacking, big problems might arise, but... For some reason."
Jason gave a wry smile and said, "The more this happens, the more I want to rest. I even think...
Yeah, even if I'm found out, it might not be a big deal."
Atalanta watched the softly speaking Jason, her brows deeply furrowed.
Though Jason's expression was calm now, showing no abnormality, and though she did not know what exactly he was referring to.
But his state was clearly off. Atalanta understood that much.
Thus, Atalanta unwittingly fell silent.
Should she keep pressing?
Jason had been vague, so Atalanta knew that even if she pressed, he would not tell her.
Should she pretend nothing was amiss and stay silent?
If she could do that, she would not have asked in the first place.
Therefore... If Goddess Artemis were here right now, what would she do?
Atalanta had this thought and soon found an answer.
Thus, Atalanta's body stiffened slightly.
"It's fine, don't worry." Seeing Atalanta go quiet, Jason instead comforted her. "I really am okay. I'll accept your concern, but you don't need to worry..."
"You want to rest, right?"
Atalanta suddenly interrupted Jason, biting her lip lightly as if she had made a great decision. She looked at Jason and said.
"Yeah... Yeah..."
Seeing Atalanta before him, who seemed to have steeled herself with immense resolve, Jason, taken aback by her intensity, nodded subconsciously.
"Then... Come here."
Atalanta sat down properly and gestured for Jason to lie down...
"...Eh?"
"Aren't you tired? This is how you usually rest, right?!"
Atalanta raised her voice at Jason. "So why hesitate... I'm not the great Goddess Artemis or the others, but don't be picky right now. Just make do with this!"
Hearing the fierce Atalanta's words, Jason looked at her face by the firelight, where the blush was not very noticeable...
"Then, I'll humbly accept your offer?"
Coming back to his senses, Jason finally could not help but smile.