LRAB Page 67
Page 67
Atalanta joined the Agor seeking fame, hoping to make her name known to the world through this adventure. However, she didn't want a follower suddenly appearing by her side, so she immediately rejected Jason's friendly tone. But Jason seemed oblivious to Atalanta's attitude and continued to speak with a smile.
"Hercules is my good brother, and he is your junior brother, so naturally you are my elder sister."
Jason's words caught Atalanta's attention. She had heard that Hercules was a descendant of Perseus, but she did not expect that he was also related to her teacher. She looked at Hercules, wanting him to give her an answer.
“Jason wasn’t lying; the teacher also intends to travel with the Argo,” Hercules stated truthfully.
"Is the teacher on the ship?" Atalanta's eyes lit up immediately. "Take me to see him quickly."
Just moments later, Quinn, who was in the captain's cabin, saw Hercules and Atalanta appear before him together.
Quinn was looking at Atalanta, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and was still thinking about how to greet her when Atalanta suddenly moved, snuggling into Quinn's arms like a cat. This unexpected act of intimacy stunned Hercules, who was standing outside the door, for a long time. Then, he realized that he shouldn't be here, but should be outside. So, he considerately closed the door, saying, "Teacher, I won't disturb you and my senior sister any longer."
Looking at the closed door, Quinn couldn't help but sigh that Hercules' emotional intelligence was no less than his own. In comparison, his mentor's emotional intelligence was somewhat questionable.
“Long time no see, Atalanta. It seems you haven’t been doing so well lately.” With no one else around, Quinn didn’t bother to kick Atalanta off him. Instead, he let her hug his waist and bury her face in his chest. “I haven’t heard much about you. It’s not easy to become a hero as a woman, is it?”
“Actually, it’s alright…” Atalanta raised her head, a bright smile appearing in her eyes. “I was prepared to put in more effort than others to achieve the same results. But you, I didn’t expect to be here. Did you come here specifically for me?”
Quinn nodded. Although Atalanta's words weren't entirely correct, they weren't wrong either.
Seeing Quinn nod, Atalanta's surprise and delight intensified, a charming blush rising on her cheeks. Her question had originally been a joke, but now that she had heard the answer she wanted, the huntress felt a little shy and unsure how to respond.
As you watch your student nestled in your arms, captivated by your answers, you know it's time to initiate the conversation. Otherwise, this precious reunion will end awkwardly. So, you begin by inquiring about Atalanta's adventures over the years—a topic that appeals to Atalanta and will make the reunion feel warm.
Thus, in Atalanta's excited tale, the Argo set sail, this ship carrying most of Greece's heroes, sailing with the ocean currents toward its destination—Colchis.
I need to take a day off; I'll make it up tomorrow.
As the title suggests, I'm looking up some information and will update this tomorrow.
Chapter 146 Jason: Women are truly terrifying
Colchis, from a historical perspective, is just an obscure little country, lacking both historical depth and sufficient historical narrative. However, from a mythological perspective, Colchis is a place that many heroic epics of the Greek continent cannot surpass, for the simple reason that the princess of Colchis was named Medea.
In the original mythology, Medea caused nearly half of the problems that many heroes encountered, making her the Greek version of the world's scapegoat. However, in the Type-Moon universe, you know that Medea's personality is not particularly bad; in some ways, she can even be considered to have a good personality. If she hadn't been unlucky enough to meet Jason, she would most likely have become a stable and virtuous wife and mother.
But now, you think Medea's future will definitely be quite bright, because Jason seems to have lost interest in women, all because of Atalanta, and of course, your influence may also be involved.
Since the Agor set sail, Atalanta, as the only female hero on board, has attracted much attention from the other crew members. As a result, everyone on the ship noticed the intimate behavior between Atalanta and you that could not clearly be described as a master-disciple relationship.
Perhaps because Medusa wasn't on the ship, and there was no longer any worry about competing with other women, Atalanta was practically glued to your side every day. She would stare at anyone who tried to befriend you with the eyes of a predator eyeing its prey. This behavior, so unabashedly displaying her strong possessiveness like that of a proud lioness, was deeply imprinted in the minds of all the heroes on the ship.
Jason, in particular, was the one Atalanta was watching most closely on the entire ship; clearly, his previous frivolous behavior had already put him on Atalanta's watchful list.
As a key target of surveillance, Jason endured Atalanta's greatest hostility. He was well aware that this hostility stemmed from the poor first impression he had made on her, and therefore he did not feel resentful of Atalanta's hostility. He marveled at Atalanta's possessiveness and felt a deep fear of female desire.
Women are like wild beasts; though they may appear beautiful and alluring, they are actually vicious creatures that will devour people until not even bones remain.
Chapter 155
This impression was already imprinted in Jason's mind, so whenever he chatted with his crew and someone asked him if he had a crush on anyone, he would say, "I'm more suited to being with men than with women."
At first, everyone thought it was just an excuse Jason made up to avoid Atalanta's gaze, but soon you realize that Jason probably really meant it.
[Because the journey of the Agor to Colchis was not without its challenges.]
In the original story, before the heroes of the Agor arrived at Colchis, they first reached the island of Lemnos. Because the women there did not worship Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, the goddess punished them, causing their husbands to leave them and seek other women. Enraged, the rejected women nearly killed all the men on the island, with only their king surviving thanks to the help of his daughter.
When the Argo arrived, the women initially wanted to keep the Argo's heroes outside the city walls to prevent their foolish actions from becoming public knowledge. However, after some discussion, they all agreed to welcome the heroes into the city. The heroes were warmly received and mingled happily with the women. It goes without saying what would happen when a group of people who rarely saw men met sailors who were sailing alone on the ocean.
But now, when the Argonauts arrived, Jason was the first to see through the thoughts of the local women. While the other men were still indulging in the wonderful fantasy of being surrounded and flattered by a group of women, Jason felt a chill run down his spine. So, he immediately went to Hercules and decisively asked Hercules to give these men, who were drowning in the trap of femininity, a good beating to wake them up.
[You feel both gratified and distressed as you watch Jason grow up. You are gratified that your education of Jason has molded him into a decent man, but distressed that he seems to have completely lost interest in women because of you, and there is a strong tendency for him to join the Sacred Heart of Thebes in the future. Fortunately, he has not completely gone down that path.]
As the Agor continued its voyage, you, worried that Jason might change his interests, kept observing him. After a period of observation, you discovered that his interactions with the other crew members, especially with Hercules, were still normal; he truly only treated them as rare, mischievous friends.
After this Greek version of the ordeal in the Kingdom of Women, the heroes on the ship developed much greater respect for Jason. After all, he had overcome the instincts that almost all men find difficult to overcome. While most people were indulging in the allure of women, he alone did not succumb to it, proving that he was not merely a lackey following Heracles around.
A capable man will always be appreciated; this will never change, even Atalanta was less hostile towards him, provided, of course, that Jason didn't get too close to you.
[In your view, the Agor is like a university, and its crew are like college students living in the same dormitory. After experiencing a series of adventures, their relationship quickly transforms from strangers to close friends who will eat, live, and travel together in the future. Jason and Hercules are just one of the better-connected pairs among these close friends.]
[You are quite satisfied with this, because the better the relationship between these heroes, the easier it will be for you to recruit them all into your ranks in the future. So, you also began to frequently communicate and exchange ideas with these heroes from all over the world. Your joining made the heroes of Agor feel honored. Everyone was happy to have an elder who was good at negotiating and maintaining interpersonal relationships. If there is anyone on this ship who is dissatisfied with you, it is only Atalanta.]
Because after you became close to other people, she could no longer cling to you as much as before. After all, no matter what she thinks, she can't change one thing.
She is your student.
In this state of frustration, Atalanta's only way of venting her discontent was to glare irritably at everyone she spoke with, trying to drive others away so she could have you all to herself. Her behavior was so obvious that everyone could see the frightening weight of her feelings for you.
Fortunately, this atmosphere didn't last long, because after a voyage of nearly half a year, the Agor finally arrived at its destination. The ship, laden with heroes, docked at the port of Colchis, where a rather sweet and charming figure was leading a group of soldiers to welcome you.
"Heroes of the Agor, Colchis welcomes you all. I am Medea, here on behalf of my father and brothers to greet the great King of Rome." The young witch smiled broadly at the most authoritative man on the Agor, completely ignoring everyone else present. "Your Majesty Quinn, the goddess Athena has introduced you to me many times. If you were not already married, I would probably still have to go to Rome."
With just one word, even the air seemed to grow heavy.
Quinn inwardly cursed, sensing the anger emanating from beside him, but he remained composed, flashing a bright smile. "That's a real shame, not being able to see such a lovely young lady as you in Rome."
As captain Jason looked at Princess Colchis, whom he was meeting for the first time, and then at Atalanta, whose face was full of solemnity and hostility, he couldn't help but shrink his neck and hide behind his good brother Hercules. He peeked out half his head and looked at Quinn, who was standing calmly near the black hole, with his eyes full of admiration.
To remain unmoved even surrounded by such terrifying creatures as women—you truly deserve to be called the greatest hero in the world, King of Rome! I have the utmost respect for you!
Chapter 147 You're really only thinking about yourself (Bonus Chapter)
Colchis court.
The adventures of the Agor were already well-known throughout Greece. The King of Colchis was aware that a group of people were heading towards his country, wanting to take away his treasure—the Golden Fleece. To be fair, most Greeks might consider the crew of the Agor to be famous heroes, but to the King of Colchis, the people on the Agor were just a band of robbers.
Even so, the King of Colchis still treated the Argor, which had sailed from afar, with a grand welcoming banquet as if it were a distinguished guest.
The reason is simple: Quinn is on this ship.
For a city-state, provoking a group of renowned adventurers and provoking the King of Rome are two completely different things. The former is merely making an enemy of the heroes of Argol, while the latter is a diplomatic incident that could lead to war. And no city-state can withstand the consequences of going to war with Rome.
After all, Athens serves as a cautionary tale.
Therefore, no matter how dissatisfied the King of Colchis was, he showed great tolerance as a host. He hosted a grand banquet for the crew of the Agor, hoping to resolve the disaster. And the banquet did have an effect. Faced with the King of Colchis's hospitality, the heroes who had originally planned to seize the Golden Fleece by force were too embarrassed to even think about it anymore.
They were all delighted to be treated like heroes, thinking that since the King of Colchis was so friendly, getting the Golden Fleece should be a simple matter. The King of Colchis, seeing that the crew of the Agor had no hostility, also felt that there was still hope for the matter. After the banquet, most people were quite satisfied, and only a few people noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.
For example... Hercules.
He watched as his senior sister sat next to Quinn, staring intently at Princess Colchis at the banquet with extremely sharp eyes, and then looked at Quinn, who was calmly enjoying his meal at the banquet, and couldn't help but speak.
"Teacher, aren't you having a bit too much luck with women? I always feel..."
"What do you feel?" Quinn glanced at Hercules and stopped him before he could finish speaking.
Chapter 156
"You're not going to say something like my good luck with women might make this trip more difficult, are you? Let me make it clear, I've never met Medea before."
That's why I'm worried about this.
Hercules was conflicted. The princess had said she wanted to marry him on their first meeting, so he didn't dare to think about what she planned to do after spending more time with him. If it were just one princess watching him, it wouldn't be so bad, but the problem was that his senior sister was still by his side.
Even Hercules could see these past few days that Atalanta's feelings for her teacher were extraordinary.
While it's not uncommon for students to fall in love with their teachers in Greece, it's not taboo either. In fact, situations like Quinn and Atalanta's are quite common in Greece, and many court marriages even started as teacher-student relationships.
Hercules is deeply concerned about your romantic prospects. As the saying goes, it's good luck to be liked by one high-quality woman, and it proves your charm to be liked by two high-quality women, but it's a terrible thing to be entangled by three or four women. And you, my friend, have more than three or four women entangled around you. You are indeed destined to be plagued by women.
[But you don't care about this, because you know very well that Medea's words at their first meeting were mostly a sign that Athena was starting to make her move. This goddess, who had been holding a grudge against you for many years, was finally planning to give you a big one, and Medea was the medium through which she launched her offensive.]
[This isn't necessarily a bad thing for you, because what you fear most isn't Athena's retaliation, but rather your guardian, the goddess of love, launching a major attack at this time. Given Medea's personality, if she falls in love with you because of love, just as she originally loved Jason, then even if you have a hundred abilities, you will be powerless to stop it.]
Because, in terms of the depth of her emotions, if Medea claims to be second to none in all of Greece, then no one dares to claim first. She was a woman truly capable of killing her brother and father for the sake of her beloved, and then killing her own child in revenge when her beloved abandoned her.
But now, Medea is clearly only curious and admiring of you. You are the most successful man in all of Greece, and everyone admires you. Women are proud to have your affection, and men are passionate about your appreciation. It is perfectly normal for Medea to have feelings for you. However, to Atalanta, these feelings are tantamount to provocation.
[Because Atalanta was the woman who fell in love with you through the introduction of the goddess, she knew very well that Medea would inevitably be attracted to you. Your attraction to young, naive girls was too terrifying. She couldn't escape it back then, and Medea couldn't avoid it either. Therefore, she already regarded Medea as a potential rival.]
However, her wariness only made Medea more interested in you. She could tell that Atalanta seemed to regard you as her possession, but according to the rumors Medea had heard, you were already married, and your husband was none other than the famous Roman goddess Medusa.
The two women stared at each other during the banquet. If their gazes had substance, they would surely have distorted into black holes. But a gaze is a gaze, and their conflict did not affect the normal course of the banquet. After several rounds of drinks, King Colchis finally got down to business.
He allowed the Agor heroes to take the Golden Fleece, but on one condition: since Jason was the one who wanted to retrieve it, only Jason could go to get it; the other crew members of the Agor were not allowed to assist Jason.
This was a perfectly reasonable request. Even though everyone with discerning eyes realized King Colchis's true intentions, no one could say anything in Jason's defense. Jason turned pale upon hearing the request, for everyone knew that the Golden Fleece had a guardian, and that guardian was not human but a venomous dragon.
"He wanted to kill me!"
After the banquet, Jason, who had returned to the ship, could no longer hold back. He found Quinn and Chiron and complained to them with a mournful face, "How could I possibly get the Golden Fleece from the dragon's guard? I'm not Hercules, teachers, you have to help me!"
Chiron looked at Jason, who was lamenting his fate, and couldn't help but sigh. He turned his head away as if he hadn't seen Jason's dejected appearance. He knew very well that his disciple was no pushover. Jason was also a highly skilled warrior. If they were to fight the dragon, it was hard to say who would win.
However, Jason only clung to Chiron's leg and cried for a while before Chiron's heart softened. Jason was, after all, his disciple, and it was impossible for him to stand idly by. So Chiron spoke up, "I can't help you, but the princess of this country might have a solution. You might as well ask her to give you some guidance."
Upon hearing this, Jason stopped crying. He stood there stunned for a long time before quickly shaking his head.
"No, no, no, it would be much quicker to kill me than to ask me to go find that woman. Even though I've never spoken to her, I can tell that she's just as terrifying as my older sister..."
Halfway through his sentence, Jason, who had been expressing a strong aversion to contact with women, suddenly had an idea. He immediately released his grip on Chiron, turned and rushed towards Quinn, howling as if he had found a savior, "Teacher Quinn, please help me! If you can handle Big Sister, you can definitely handle Medea, right?! As long as you're willing to help me this time, I'll do anything you ask! I'll do anything!"
Quinn looked at Jason, who was kneeling on the ground clutching him, and immediately showed a look of disgust on his face.
This person is hopeless; he's only thinking about himself.
Chapter 148 Princess, you don't want your country to perish, do you?
Jason, you are so selfish!
Quinn walked through the Colchis court, his mind filled with Jason's mournful, foolish face and a series of lines he hadn't yet uttered. If Jason were a woman, he would definitely be enthusiastically recreating a famous scene from a supergravity black hole right now, but the thought of a man holding his hand made him lose all interest in such playful activities.
Yes, Quinn agreed to Jason's suggestion, not because he had any special feelings for Medea, but because he remembered Medea's identity.
Aside from being a princess of Colchis, Medea was also among the most skilled magicians in the Age of Gods. Her teacher was Hecate, the goddess of magic, and her aunt was Circe, the witch of Ayu. Like Chiron, she was one of the people in Greece most likely to know the secrets of the Titans.
When it comes to the Titans, that's a different story.
As you walk through the court of Colchis, the guards stationed there dare not stop you because of your status, and you easily find your target in the gardens of Colchis.
Young Medea seemed to have anticipated your arrival. She bowed to you the moment she saw you. Her manners were so impeccable that, apart from Morgan, she was only the second woman you had ever met whose behavior was befitting of a princess. Therefore, you didn't waste any words with this young princess, but instead kindly explained your purpose.
“I know you’re a magician who’s skilled in magic. Jason needs your help to get the Golden Fleece. You have a way to deal with that dragon, right?”
Quinn's bluntness surprised Medea, who hadn't expected him to ask her, a princess of Colchis, how to deal with his guardian dragon.
That's really weird. Who gave you the confidence to think I would help outsiders solve problems for my own family?
“Your Majesty Quinn…you are completely different from the rumors. You are being extremely rude.” After her initial shock, Medea became somewhat angry. “Why do you think I am a woman who would betray my father? And why would I help Jason? To put it bluntly, he is no different from a bandit to Colchis. The Golden Fleece is our national treasure.”
"It's not considered betrayal."