As Jason's words fell, the entire temple instantly fell silent.
Cerberus, who was biting into the honey cake at the side, widened her eyes even more, looking at Jason with an expression of a dog utterly stunned.
However, what shocked Cerberus even more was yet to come.
That was, regarding Jason's astonishing statement, Hecate did not react much; she merely rolled her eyes at Jason.
After irritably pinching Jason's cheek, she let him go.
This was also the reason Jason dared to joke with Hecate like this... To be precise, he would only say such things to Hecate.
Facing Hecate, there was truly no need to put on an overly respectful demeanor, nor to worry whether his inadvertent words would cause this goddess displeasure.
Because toward the tedious rituals when facing gods, and the cautious offerings, Hecate would instead feel pleased, as she would find it very troublesome.
One must know that at their initial meeting, Hecate had once given Jason the impression that she was an unreliable goddess.
Well, but on top of that, there was naturally the special condition that she acknowledged one's existence, that one was her student.
If you replaced him with someone else who dared to speak to Hecate like this, showing such irreverence toward this goddess, then even if King of the Gods Zeus came, he could not protect them.
"The goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite... If it is truly as you say, Teacher, then I probably really do need to meet her."
"It is not as simple as merely meeting her once."
Hecate said indifferently to Jason: "If you truly plan to bring Aphrodite down here, then you will have plenty to be busy with later."
"Mm?" Jason looked at Hecate in puzzlement.
"Aphrodite does indeed have the power to make the underworld briefly bloom with roses symbolizing love, but she must be present... In other words, you must grant her the qualification to enter and exit the underworld."
"Is that so... Eh, speaking of which, Teacher, what are the conditions for entering and exiting the underworld?" Jason asked Hecate somewhat curiously.
He had only just realized this point.
Gods could not easily enter and exit the underworld; even King of the Gods Zeus could not.
The agricultural goddess Demeter had been furious because of this; she originally thought she would never see Persephone again, fortunately Jason had mediated in the middle.
And King of the Gods Zeus's side had long been prepared.
But the gods' messenger Hermes could; sometimes he would even bring some shades into the underworld.
And not just Hermes; Hecate could as well...
Was this not somewhat strange?
"As a deity, to freely enter and exit the underworld, at minimum one needs the responses of two great gods, as well as numerous underworld gods."
Hecate did not hide this, saying: "Lord Hades, the primordial god representing darkness—Erebus... Among them, the most important is precisely the agreement of God Erebus, after all, Lord Hades will definitely not refuse you.
And God Erebus is precisely the one separating the underworld and the mortal world.
Raise your head and look toward the sky above the underworld; that endless darkness is the body of God Erebus.
Thus, no matter who enters the underworld, they must first pass through his body!"
The five primordial deities, They were the ancient gods with the most powerful divine power in Greek mythological stories, aside from the chaos god Chaos who created the world.
They were respectively: the god of the abyss representing the endless abyss—Tartarus.
The earth goddess, mother of all things, the body of the earth itself—Gaia.
The god of darkness, the incarnation and body of darkness—Erebus.
The night goddess, the incarnation and body of night—Nyx.
The incarnation of all love—Eros.
And among the five primordial deities, three occupied the underworld: the god of the abyss, the night goddess, and the god of darkness.
This was also why the gods dared not act recklessly in the underworld; even King of the Gods Zeus must abide by the rules of the underworld. Even knowing that Typhon hid in the underworld, in that endless abyss, he could only let Him be.
Hearing his teacher Hecate's statement, as Jason nodded thoughtfully, he heard Hecate say again: "You handle the approval of Lord Hades and the other underworld gods yourself; as for God Erebus, I can take you to meet him.
The night goddess Nyx is his sister, and the night goddess Nyx has a very good relationship with me; I think looking at my face, he should help."
The night goddess Nyx actually not only had a very good relationship with Hecate; it would not be excessive to say she was Hecate's backer.
Back then, because of the divine thunder matter, after Hecate was summoned to Mount Olympus, that very night the night goddess Nyx had appeared before Zeus.
And as Hecate's words fell, Jason could not help but be stunned for a moment, appearing somewhat surprised as he looked at Hecate.
"What, unwilling?" Hecate raised her brows slightly.
"No, it is not that... It is just, Teacher Hecate, usually when encountering such matters, should you not throw me out to handle it yourself?"
Jason asked carefully.
In fact, that was indeed the case; the trouble-averse Hecate would generally throw Jason out to let him handle things himself, not to bother her.
However, although she said that, for Jason's big and small matters, Hecate had basically stepped in to help resolve them all.
Think about the time offering tribute to moon goddess Artemis, and later the matter with Hephaestus, the snake demon Lamia, as well as Typhon, war god Ares, god of light Apollo.
In which of those had Hecate not appeared.
Hecate was a goddess who would emerge to look twice more even if the world were destroyed, but for Jason, she appeared time and again.
If not for this, Jason would not have gradually come to trust Hecate unconditionally, even viewing her as the closest person to him in this world.
"If I do not go, you plan to go find Athena, right?"
Hecate looked at Jason and said lightly.
Hearing this, Jason's expression could not help but stiffen.
Just as he thought Hecate was jealous again because of his closeness to another goddess, like the matter with Hephaestus...
"Actually, whom you go to for help, I do not care, but... If I do not manage you a bit, you will truly be deceived away by Athena, foolish disciple!"
With that, Hecate fiercely pinched Jason's cheeks twice; this time, she truly made Jason feel it hurt a bit.
"Teacher, the way you say it, although my relationship with Goddess Athena is good, I definitely will not leave you..."
Jason covered his face, protesting while expressing his unwavering loyalty!
"I do not think so." Hecate rolled her eyes: "Ask yourself; when you encountered the problem just now, was your first thought Athena?... Yes, right?"
Jason opened his mouth; he found he truly had no way to refute.
He had indeed just been thinking of how to go find Athena and have her help...
Mm?
As Jason thought and thought, he suddenly tilted his head.
Then, blinking his eyes, Jason abruptly startled!
Because who was he? He was Jason.
The one who, aside from Hecate, and now additionally Hephaestus, actually fundamentally did not want to encounter any other god, that Jason!
Although Athena's relationship with him was good, one must know that Athena was simultaneously a goddess even more troublesome than ordinary gods by a hundredfold!
How could he possibly first think of having Athena help!
"Three years ago, I told you, my cute disciple."
Hecate looked at Jason's current panicked appearance and smiled with pursed lips: "You have been targeted by the most troublesome god among the Olympian deities... Now, do you understand what I mean?"
"This, this... Teacher, save me!"
With that, Jason prepared to hug Hecate's thigh.
But Hecate deftly dodged.
"Cannot save; await death."
Hecate rolled her eyes at the pouncing Jason: "Because this is the result of your own choices; now... you already cannot leave her!"
Conspiracies were not frightening; what was frightening were open schemes!
Athena's action here was a typical open scheme.
Because if Jason wanted to become an immortal deity, he must have Athena's wisdom to help; that was the fastest path.
And in actuality, it had also proven that choosing Athena's help was not wrong; with her wisdom, she had made Jason the focal point in the gods' eyes in merely half a year's time, even with stories about him circulating throughout the entire Greek continent.
The stories of the white-clothed Heracles.
At the same time, Jason had harvested divine artifacts from numerous gods; even weapons that existed only in legends among the gods, Jason had obtained.
However, also because of this, looking back, originally Athena who only occasionally appeared beside Jason, in the recent half year, how familiar she had become with Jason, how many times she had appeared.
Because Jason now... fundamentally could not resist!
"This, then..." Jason also understood this point, thus he could not help but grow anxious and said to Hecate: "Teacher, you cannot ignore me; you do not wish for me to become Athena's thing either, right!"
"I am unwilling to let Athena succeed easily, so is this not me directly pointing it out?"
Hecate spread her hands and chuckled: "Now that you know Athena's scheme, then struggle hard to resist."
"...Goddess Hecate, are you not the slightest bit worried?"
At this moment, even Cerberus, who had been spectating for a long time at the side, could not help but speak up, looking at Hecate in doubt.
"Worried? Why should I be worried." Hecate's lips curved upward: "I said Athena is a very clever goddess, so even if she truly lures away this wicked disciple, in name I will still be Jason's teacher, and he will still be my child; that point will not change in the slightest.
The only change is what Athena will do to this wicked disciple after successfully luring him away, how she will treat him... As a teacher, one only teaches.
As for how the path is walked, what does it have to do with the teacher.
So... wicked disciple, you still not letting go of me!"
"No, I will not let go!" Jason hugged Hecate's thigh and said loudly: "I get it now; Teacher, you knew Athena's plan from the start, but you found it amusing, so you have been spectating, right!"
"Then I ask you, do you need Athena's wisdom? Do you want to become immortal, or do you want to guard the gate for me?"
Jason thought for a moment and nodded.
"Then that is that; whether I tell you or not, the result is not the same?"
Hearing this, Jason, who had opened his mouth, said exceedingly depressedly after a while: "Then Teacher, why are you telling me now!"
"Did I not just say? Unwilling to see Athena succeed easily... Now that you know the reason, with your temper, you will definitely struggle, right?"
Seeing Jason still not letting go, Hecate simply let him hold on, even smiling as she reached out to pat his head, chuckling: "Then my wicked disciple, how long do you think you can struggle in Athena's hands?
As your teacher, I am truly a bit curious about that."
Jason widened his eyes looking at the smiling Hecate.
After a long while...
"Teacher Hecate, you are not... still angry because I gave Teacher Hephaestus that matter, and the tribute matter, right?"
Jason stared fixedly at Hecate, saying: "This is completely revenge, right!"
Hecate was stunned for a moment, then... frankly nodded, admitting: "Mm, it seems my foolish disciple is not yet foolish to the point of no return.
Yes, correct; I simply felt unhappy in my heart, so I intentionally pointed out this matter to you... How, not allowed?"
Hecate smiled at Jason.
With an expression of I am right here, what can you do about it.
Looking at her, Jason momentarily felt his teeth itch, suddenly wanting to fiercely bite the thigh he was now hugging...
But he dared not.
I knew it...
Then, Jason painfully closed his eyes.
A face full of despair.
Gods were all troublesome creatures.
Especially when the other was also a goddess!
That was trouble among troubles!
"Teacher, to think I thought you were an exception; you have chilled my heart too much!"
Jason revealed an expression of utter disappointment, looking at Hecate.
"That is truly sorry." Hecate shrugged, asking: "Then do you want me to take you to meet the god of darkness Erebus, to help you obtain the qualification for love goddess Aphrodite to come here?"
"Yes!" With that, Jason's expression abruptly changed, returning to normal as he released Hecate's thigh and flipped over to stand up.
"Teacher, shall we go now?"
"Mm, let us go; resolve it early, and I can come back to do an experiment."
"Good, then I will go call the heavenly steed."
Afterward, Jason and Hecate left the temple; the two sat on the heavenly steed and flew toward the sky above the underworld.
Leaving behind Cerberus, who now had not reacted at all, staring blankly at their departure, her little head full of question marks...