Fate: I Heard After Death, You Can Ascend to the Throne of Heroes?

Come to think of it, this ocean goddess named Thetis before him seems to be the mother of the legendary hero Achilles, whose heel was his weak spot.

This realization came to Promise a bit late but still struck him when Thetis finished explaining the four fate threads.

At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed that Hecate was acting suspiciously... to be precise, she was currently trying to kidnap Medea, attempting to sneak her away while Promise was not paying attention.

Medea was tied up by the magic of the Age of Gods. 

Not only were her hands and feet bound, but her mouth was also gagged as she struggled constantly in Hecate's arms.

Just as Promise was stunned by this sight, Hecate, sensing his gaze, instinctively turned her head, locking eyes with the boy.

The two looked at each other and the atmosphere suddenly became very awkward.

At the same time, Medea struggled even harder.

She muffled cries for Promise to save her.

“So... what exactly are you doing, esteemed Goddess Hecate?” Promise asked with an odd expression.

Thetis also turned her gaze toward Hecate and, upon seeing the situation in front of her, couldn’t help but cover her mouth, stifling a laugh.

“Nothing much,” Hecate responded awkwardly, averting her gaze. “You guys carry on; I was just passing by, just passing by.”

After saying this, ignoring Medea’s struggles, Hecate, under the watchful eyes of Promise and Thetis, left the scene with a flutter of underworld butterflies.

“Aren’t you going to stop her?” Thetis asked, still smiling after Hecate’s departure.

Promise also found the situation amusing and replied, “Stop her for what? She’s Medea’s teacher... With Circe out of the picture, she has no choice but to take Medea back.”

The reason was clear, but Thetis wasn’t referring to that.

“But I noticed that the child doesn’t seem willing to follow her teacher. She appears... more inclined to stay with you.”

“Stay with me for what? Am I supposed to take her along on the Golden Fleece adventure?” 

Promise was answering casually when he was suddenly stunned. 

Then he thought about it and found that this was actually not a bad idea at all. 

Because she had not met the witch Circe, although Medea knew a lot of magic at this time, her best skill was not attacking, but healing.

And she was, after all, the princess of Colchis, the final destination of the Golden Fleece journey.

"Well, it seems that we can indeed discuss this with the goddess Hecate."

Seeing the boy mumbling to himself, Thetis couldn’t help but shake her head, realizing he completely missed her original point....and at the same time, she confirmed that now was not the time to inform him about the marriage represented by Queen Hera.

"So, where will you be heading next, Promise?" Thetis continued with a smile and asked the boy. 

"I want to express my gratitude for what you did for my friend, and since my temple is not far from here, may I ask if you are willing to come to my place as a guest? I would receive you with the utmost hospitality.”

This was an invitation from the wise sea goddess Thetis, and with her beauty and gentleness, few would refuse.

However, the young man shook his head without hesitation as he answered, "No, Goddess Thetis, I must continue searching for my friends. After all, we only have three months left before we set sail on our voyage."

“I see.” Thetis felt a tinge of regret upon hearing this but quickly brightened up and said.

"Then I’ll look forward to that day.

When you gather and sail under the watchful eyes of the gods, I’ll be there too, to bid you farewell, protect your journey, and offer you my sincere blessings.”

"Thank you, Goddess Thetis," Promise said.

"No need." The latter shook her head. “It’s I who should be thanking you. After all, you saved my friend...”

However, she suddenly paused mid-sentence and gazed at the black-haired, emerald-eyed youth in front of her.

Promise was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant heroes of this age, yet he was also so delicate.

But it was precisely because of this that anyone who saw him couldn’t help but wonder how much hardship he had endured and how many trials he had faced to reach this point.

"Promise, may I ask you something?" Thetis asked. 

"Though it might be a bit presumptuous, I feel like if I don’t get this question answered I won’t sleep well for a long time."

Looking at the goddess who playfully held her chest and winked at him, Promise naturally replied, "Of course, beautiful goddess. But what is it you wish to ask...?"

"It still has something to do with my friend,” Thetis said, and paused for a moment, looking at the young man in front of her, and then said: 

"And though it’s a bit mischievous... Promise, if you were the fisherman, when the one you love turned into that sea monster, would you have been willing to kiss her? And would that kiss have saved her?”

...What a troublesome question.

Looking at the goddess who, despite her slight embarrassment, was curiously awaiting his answer, Promise did not give the response immediately. 

Instead, he rested his hand on his chin and thought for a while.

“To be honest, I don’t know.”

After a moment, Promise looked up and gave his answer, "Because until the situation truly arises, it’s all just talk."

"I imagine the fisherman truly loved the water nymph back then; he just lost his courage in the face of death."

The fisherman ultimately ran away.

When you think about it, the reason he fled was quite simple. 

It wasn’t just because he stopped loving her; it was more out of fear.

If he had mustered the courage to kiss the sea monster only to see that she didn't turn back into her original form, then he would’ve faced certain death.

It’s like the story of the White Snake and Xu Xian.

Love is something that will not change all of a sudden, but when someone you love turns into a monster......

Fear and terror were the key factors that drove the fisherman to make that choice.

Thetis, being the wise sage of the sea, quickly understood the meaning of his words, and because she did, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“If that’s the case, then I already know your answer.”

Seeing the man in front of her slightly stunned and looking at her in confusion, she smiled and said, "Because judging by your character, you would never think of running away in a situation like that.

Regardless of whether you still love the other person or not, your first thought when seeing her transformed into a monster would be figuring out how you could save her, wouldn’t it?”

Hearing this, Promise thought about it again and then smiled.

“Yeah, if it were me, I guess that’s what I would do.”

...

Later,

Under the gaze of the sea goddess Thetis, the pegasus spread its flawless silver wings and carried the young man toward the blue skies over the ocean.

The goddess looked at his departing figure and did not make any unnecessary attempts to keep him.

Because she had a feeling they would meet again, and the next time they met... it probably wouldn’t be as peaceful as today.

...

...

“So, Lord Hermes.”

Just past midday,

After bidding farewell to Thetis and fulfilling his promise not long ago, Promise stopped at a small island and looked at Hermes who stopped him with a smile on his face.

His eyes showed clear annoyance as he asked, 

“Are you really this bored?”

“Hey, kid.”

Hermes wasn’t the least bit bothered by the annoyance in Promise’s eyes. 

He stepped forward, draped an arm over the boy's shoulder and said, “There’s no need to be like that. I’m just a messenger... Besides, when Athena showed up in front of you multiple times, you didn’t seem to mind her!”

“Goddess Athena gives me divine guidance and steers me toward the right path. But you, my dear Hermes,” Promise said without hesitation, “all you’ve ever brought me is trouble!”

“Hey now, you're going too far! Where’s that sweet, obedient kid I met back in Calydon?”

"Of course, you killed him with your own hands, dear Lord Hermes."

Promise rolled his eyes in front of him and said, “And if you think life has gotten boring lately, I don’t mind playing another round of that chase game with you.”

Hermes stiffened slightly and shot the young man a look of grudging respect.

But he quickly shrugged it off and kept his arm around Promise’s shoulder, saying, “Oh, come on, my dear Promise. Don’t be so resistant. Do you know how many good things I’ve done for you since I became your messenger?”

What good things could you possibly do for me...?

Promise was about to say something when Hermes continued.

"All the gods want to talk to you, so they came to me. I took on the task, but you know there’s an order to these things, right?

Because I took on this responsibility, a lot of folks have toned it down. For instance, Artemis and Apollo won’t suddenly pop up in front of you for no reason anymore.

And then there’s my great father—he’s asked me several times to create an opportunity for him to meet you in person."

Hearing this, Promise blinked and stared at Hermes, who was still grinning at him.

Without missing a beat, he pulled out a golden apple from his body, then clearing his throat softly, he said with a warm smile, 

"Oh, esteemed, handsome, and generous Lord Hermes, you must be thirsty after running all this way.

Here, this small golden apple is a humble gift to quench your thirst.”

Even Hermes was momentarily stunned by this act.

Even the pegasus standing by looked up in disbelief at Promise.

“...I am kind of thirsty.” Hermes, half-amused, accepted the apple from Promise only to toss it back to the young man.

Why does every meeting cost a golden apple?

Promise caught it and tucked it away smoothly, his expression calm and unaffected.

“I’m really starting to like you more and more, kid!” Hermes laughed heartily, giving him a playful pat on the shoulder—though he didn’t dare use much force.

“And I just realized that Lord Hermes, you’re much more handsome than I initially thought,” Promise replied with a grin.

The pegasus couldn’t help but feel exasperated.

And it suddenly dawned on it that Hermes and Promise might actually get along quite well.

“And now, here’s a message from Hestia.”

Hermes continued with a grin as he spoke, “And this matter involves one of your friends. I believe this young man's name is... Theseus?”

“Theseus?” Upon hearing this, Promise couldn’t help but blink.

Apart from Heracles, the person he was closest to while studying under the centaur sage Chiron wasn’t Jason, but Theseus.

Because it was actually by a chance encounter with Theseus that he had the opportunity to meet Chiron and become his disciple.

However, Promise recalled that back in Calydon, Meleager had said that Theseus had already gone to join Jason a long time ago. 

In fact, Theseus had even scolded Jason for taking him down the mountain without permission...

As the boy was lost in these thoughts, Hermes continued.

“From what I know, he did go to find Jason early on, but after learning about your situation and worrying for you, he’s been searching for you across the world ever since.”

Hermes, seeing through Promise’s thoughts, added, “But because not many people were interested in helping him, he kept narrowly missing you.”

"And now, he’s in trouble after kidnapping a woman, which angered Aphrodite, the goddess of love. She wanted to personally punish Theseus, but Hestia intervened and asked me to relay this to you, hoping you can take care of it."

At this point, Hermes paused for a moment, and couldn't help but cast a look of understanding at Promise, as he said with a mischievous smile:

"And let me tell you, Promise, that woman is extraordinarily beautiful—so much so that she could even rival the goddess of beauty herself... Well, not exactly, since Aphrodite embodies desire. 

This woman, on the other hand, has a pure and innocent charm. 

She’s the kind of woman that even I can't help but want to hold in my hands and love her well!"

As he said those words, Hermes expected Promise to be intrigued, but he never expected that the boy's expression would turn so odd.

“If I’m not mistaken, Lord Hermes, the woman you’re referring to... her name is Helen, right?”

“Huh?” Hermes was taken aback. “You know her? You actually know her? How?”

“I’ve heard about her from two other friends of mine—they’re Helen’s siblings,” Promise explained briefly.

“Oh, the twins, right.” Hermes quickly understood. “Since you already know, I’ll leave the matter to you. Once you bring them together, the crew for the Golden Fleece expedition will be nearly complete.”

With that said, he patted Promise on the shoulder again, stretched out his hand to adjust his feathered cap, and said with a smile, “I’m really looking forward to that moment, Promise!”

The next second, Hermes vanished before Promise’s eyes.

Promise didn’t react to his departure; instead, he stood there with his head down deep in thought until the curious pegasus came over to nudge him.

“I’m fine, just thinking... isn’t all of this a bit too coincidental?”

Promise patted the pegasus and said, “First it’s the sea goddess Thetis, and now it’s Helen... Brother Pegasus, I can’t help but feel like there’s a big ‘Danger’ sign suddenly hanging over my head!”

Hera’s oath, that grand wedding.

Nonsense.

The pegasus let out a chirp in response as if saying, “With everything you’ve gone through, that danger sign has never really gone away, has it?”

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