Several days passed...
"The underworld was originally a very quiet place."
Within the temple of the goddess of crossroads, Hecate.
The goddess dressed in a black long gown, Hecate, who was seated on the long chair, suddenly said softly to Jason beside her: "But do you not feel that lately... it has become somewhat too noisy?"
"Mm, has it?"
Jason, who was holding the tin staff in his hand and performing magic for Hecate to inspect, raised his head in puzzlement toward her, then thought for a moment before smiling: "But being a bit more lively, is that not a good thing?"
"You idiot!" Cerberus, who was lying at the side, interjected into the conversation, puffing her cheeks: "The underworld is a place of rest; how could it possibly need to become lively!"
Jason glanced at Cerberus, then took out a honey cake from his bosom and tossed it out.
And as the honey cake flew through the air, Cerberus directly pounced upon it.
The ancient Greeks had the custom of placing a honey cake in the deceased's coffin, said to be to appease Cerberus.
And facts proved that this hellish hound did indeed seem to like this food very much.
No, to be precise, she actually very much liked eating sweet things.
After dealing with Cerberus, before Jason could turn back and continue responding.
He saw Hecate, who had risen, pat his head with the magic book in her hand and say indifferently: "Over half a year's time has passed, and your magic has not improved in the slightest... Your ability to stir up trouble has increased quite a bit, though.
If you continue like this, when will you ever graduate from me?"
"Um, well."
Jason smiled brilliantly: "Teacher, you also know that ever since I emerged from the mountains half a year ago, I have been very busy and fundamentally have no time to settle down and study magic..."
"Mm, I know." Hecate said indifferently: "That is why I said your ability to stir up trouble has increased... The underworld has become lively because of you."
Hearing this, Jason fell silent.
"Exactly; not the slightest bit peaceful; after emerging, you come running to the underworld every few days!" Cerberus called out from the side.
"You are still eating, yet your mouth cannot be stopped!"
After Jason irritably finished speaking, he said to Cerberus again: "And why are you still staying here? Should you not go back to guard the gates?"
"No way... That guy Orthrus dares to beat me; this is the perfect excuse not to go back!" Cerberus said smugly.
"Moreover, you promised to take me out to play; when are we leaving, Jason? Take me out to play quickly!"
"You want me to take you out?"
Cerberus nodded toward Jason.
"Then go persuade Lord Hades, my brother-in-law, yourself."
Hearing the words "Lord Hades," Cerberus instantly deflated.
"Speaking of which, Lord Hades... Persephone should be returning before long, right?"
Hecate looked toward Jason, saying: "I see you have not had much action lately; is there really no problem?
Right, take this."
With that, Hecate handed a thick stack of magic formulas to Jason.
"Copy each one a hundred times... Do not think of slacking off; back then you had Medea to help you, but she is not here now."
"I have already come to the underworld, yet I still have to copy formulas..." Looking at the magic formulas Hecate handed over, Jason felt like crying.
"Who made you so foolish; things that Medea understands at a glance and can even extrapolate from, you can only barely remember after copying them a hundred times."
Regarding this, Hecate struck mercilessly.
Then, after a slight pause in speaking, Hecate suddenly smiled again: "Moreover, I advise you to learn this magic quickly; if you learn slowly, one day if Medea truly cannot hold back and acts against you, I estimate you will not even have the ability to resist..."
"Teacher, can you not say such terrifying things?!... And, do you truly have nothing for quick success?"
Jason looked expectantly with a pained face: "For example, something like a divine artifact that breaks all spells..."
"None... However, if I cooperate with your other teacher, perhaps we could create such a thing."
Hearing this, as Jason's eyes lit up slightly.
"But why would I do that?"
Hecate looked at Jason irritably: "You yourself are not striving, yet you want your teacher to cover for you; on this point alone, absolutely impossible!"
"Stingy..."
"This is not a matter of being stingy or not." Hecate gently tugged at Jason's cheek: "You are learning magic from me, not here to demand divine artifacts... If you sever the master-disciple relationship with me..."
"I will still obediently learn magic."
Jason said resolutely.
If not resolute, if he showed even the slightest hint of being tempted, he would probably be struck by lightning again.
"Right, regarding the matter of Persephone..."
"Actually, it is almost all prepared, but... there is one place stuck now, so I plan to go find Goddess Athena in a while."
Jason replied honestly.
Hearing Athena's name, Hecate's brows could not help but raise slightly.
"It seems you truly trust her quite a bit... Tell me, what is it."
"Actually, this matter Lord Hades, my brother-in-law, has also asked me about; he asked if I could make the underworld bloom full of fresh flowers..."
"The flowers of the underworld are only one kind..."
Hecate, as if understanding something, said: "The red spider lily."
"Yes, I also know; later I secretly tried using the golden ear of wheat that Persephone sister and Goddess Demeter gave me to use, but it fundamentally could not grow... Actually, that makes sense; if it could grow, the palace of Lord Hades would long have been blooming full of fresh flowers outside."
"Then what do you plan to do?"
"Mm... If there truly is no way, I will make woven fresh flowers and have them cover the entire palace of Lord Hades, my brother-in-law."
Jason said honestly: "But if possible, I still want to ask Goddess Athena if there is a way to make the underworld bloom... Best if it is roses."
Hecate originally prepared to shake her head and tell Jason there was no way.
However, after hearing "red roses," the slightly stunned Hecate blinked her eyes toward Jason, saying: "Why roses?"
"Because the wedding gown I had Athena design for Persephone sister is pure white; in that case, using roses as the color scheme would be better... Eh, Teacher, could it be you have a way?"
Jason looked at Hecate curiously, then added: "Actually, I have not not thought of you, Teacher, but for the wedding, whether using imitation fresh flowers or illusion spells would fall somewhat short; real things are naturally best."
"...I have no ability to make the underworld bloom with fresh flowers; no god in this world can achieve that."
Hecate shook her head slightly; just as Jason, hearing this, felt a headache coming on.
"But if it is roses... There is one god who has that ability, to make the underworld bloom with them briefly."
"Oh?" Jason could not help but be pleased: "Teacher, who!"
"Your other teacher's wife." Hecate's gaze turned slightly peculiar toward Jason: "The wife of Hephaestus... Goddess Aphrodite."
Hearing Hecate's words, the slightly stunned Jason could not help but pat his own head.
Right, there was also Goddess Aphrodite!
Goddess Aphrodite, she was the goddess of love and beauty in ancient Greek mythology; she was born from the foam of the sea, possessing porcelain-like skin, a perfect figure, and appearance.
If one were to say the god of light, Apollo, was the representative of ancient Greece's perfect male.
Then Goddess Aphrodite was the representative of ancient Greece's perfect female.
Her beauty was like the flickering light of daylight; her pink cheeks were like peach blossoms; her eyes seemed to contain the deep blue of the sea.
Thus, she became the most beloved goddess among the gods, pursued by King of the Gods Zeus, but Goddess Aphrodite had no interest in him.
Therefore, facing King of the Gods Zeus's pursuit, Aphrodite transformed into a female swan to evade, but who knew Zeus would turn into a male swan to chase.
Aphrodite became a female serpent, and Zeus became a male serpent wanting to entwine with her.
But in the end, Zeus still did not succeed, because midway, the jealous Hera intervened in the situation.
However, also because of this, the enraged Zeus ultimately betrothed Goddess Aphrodite to the lame god of craftsmanship, Hephaestus.
And the reason Hecate would mention Goddess Aphrodite was very simple: because Aphrodite was the goddess of love; her beauty even conquered nature.
Wherever she went, fresh flowers would bloom, and among them, roses were the most.
It was precisely because of this that in ancient Greek mythology, roses were also a symbol of love.
"Congratulations."
And just as Jason had a realization, Hecate suddenly said lightly to him: "You have finally decided to make a move on the last principal goddess of Olympus... Not a single goddess on all of Olympus has been spared!"
"Teacher, what are you saying; I have not made a move on them..."
"Spare me." Hecate said irritably to Jason: "Tell me, among the goddesses of Olympus now, aside from Goddess Aphrodite, who else have you not slept with!"
"Mm... Queen Hera!"
Hecate looked speechlessly at Jason, who had truly answered her; even Cerberus at the side cast a contemptuous gaze toward Jason at this moment.
Seeing this, Jason also felt somewhat awkward.
"Cough cough... Um, Teacher, you cannot say it like that; the goddesses were also well-intentioned, letting me sleep, and if we are saying that, I have slept with you, Teacher, and not just once..."