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(Fate) Chapter 153: Do you like that version of me?
🕑 Added 2024-10-01 16:00:07 +0000 UTCHis words were calm, but they reached the ears of every hero present, resonated deeply with them, especially with Theseus and Actaeon, who felt the weight of his message.
Even so, Jason and the others got off the ship.
Even Orpheus, though he had a wife, couldn’t resist the temptation.
Of course, he only wanted to explore the island after all, with his wife present, any other woman didn't matter to him.
Not to mention he was quite afraid of what she would do if he were to do anything.
But, no matter the reason, in the end, he got off the ship.
After all, their time at sea had been monotonous and dull.
Helen also decided to leave the ship.
Initially, she had planned to stay by Promise’s side, and had no intention of getting off the ship but then she heard the voice of her goddess.
Meanwhile, Atalanta and Actaeon, the stag, left the ship to go hunting.
In the end, only three people remained on the ship: Promise, Hercules, and Medea.
.
.
Hercules had initially planned to chat with Promise, but when he saw Medea, dressed in her light purple gown, approach the young man, who was standing on the deck, he smiled knowingly and tactfully distanced himself.
However, what Hercules did not know was that Medea was not looking for Promise to deepen their bond, but rather to deliver a pice of news that surprised him a little.
“Promise, something seems...a little off about this island,” she said with a frown.
Hearing her words, Promise, felt a bit confused and asked, “What do you mean?”
He knew something would be off about this since he had known from the original myths, however, he knew she was not talking about this.
“There’s a mixture of curses, blessings, and divine power here,” she explained. “It’s chaotic, and it feels dangerous. I can sense my teacher warning me—urging me not to set foot on this island.”
“Your teacher?” Promise raised an eyebrow, curious. “That unreliable teacher of yours actually contacted you?”
"No!" Speaking of her teacher, Medea pouted all of a sudden, and even felt a dull pain in her buttocks again as she complained, "She hasn’t paid any attention to me for ages… It’s more like a feeling.
To be precise, it is the protective spell that the teacher had once cast on me."
Promise wasn’t surprised by this.
After all, Hecate, Medea’s goddess and teacher, was indeed very powerful, even if her personality was less than dependable.
“So, Promise, I think... it’s best if we leave this place quickly.”
Promise couldn’t help but chuckle at Medea’s suggestion as he looked at her and responded, “Medea, do you know why we ended up here in the first place?”
The latter blinked, recalling the mysterious fog from earlier that morning. Being quick-witted, she soon pieced it together.
“So, they aren’t in any real danger?”
Promise smiled and thought to himself.
'No, they’re not the ones in danger. I suspect... the one who might be in trouble would be me.'
Even though Goddess Athena and Messenger Hermes hadn’t made their presence known, Promise was well aware of the situation.
After all, it had been over two years of divine interventions and trials. By now, he had grown accustomed to it.
Though he kept these thoughts to himself, Promise didn’t share them with Medea.
Seeing her looking at him with her head tilted slightly in confusion, he thought for a whole and changed the subject.
“By the way, Medea, how have you been adjusting to life on the ship?”
Medea seemed momentarily caught off guard by the question, as if she hadn’t expected it.
Then, looking into Promise’s emerald eyes, she couldn't help but let out a warm smile and said. “Promise, you really haven’t changed at all… You’re just like you were when we first met at my teacher’s temple.”
“You don’t really have to worry about me, because I’m truly happy. In fact, it feels almost too luxurious.
After all, for someone like me to be part of such a grand adventure… it’s hard to believe. And besides…”
At this point, Medea’s green eyes flickered as she shyly glanced at Promise again.
This is your story, after all.
She could never forget that night when, with her teacher’s help, she saw those six paintings…
The girl's feelings toward Promise were not particularly complicated.
She admired him deeply.
Having studied under Hecate, who used to live alone, Medea had always felt isolated and lonely.
So, when Promise entered her life, he quickly became someone incredibly important to her, occupying a major position in her heart.
And as the series of events followed and she learned more and more about what Promise had done and the choices he had made, her admiration naturally grew into a sense of worship.
"To be part of this adventure is an honor, and I believe it’s the greatest glory of my life," Medea said with a smile to Promise.
"Is that so?" Hearing her words, Promise smiled back at her, his eyes warm. "But… Medea, you do know where we’re headed, right?"
"Yes!"
Medea nodded.
Colchis.
It was the land of the Golden Fleece and also Medea’s homeland.
And Medea wasn’t just anyone there—she was a princess of that land.
"Have you heard the legend?" Promise continued, after a brief moment of hesitation. "There’s a rumor that the precious treasure, the Golden Fleece, is tied to the life of the king."
"The eldest of the Fates, the one who controls death and is responsible for severing the thread of life, told the king that as long as the Golden Fleece remains, so will his life. If it perishes, so will he."
"That’s why the king dedicated the Golden Fleece to Ares, the god of war, and had an ever-watchful, sleepless dragon guard it forever."
As Promise recounted this, Medea remained calm, blinking with curiosity, as though she were simply listening to a story rather than hearing about her own family.
"Medea, you don’t have anything to say about that?"
Seeing this Promise asked, blinking at her in return.
After all, Medea was the princess, and it was clear who this king was—her father.
"No, not really." Medea tilted her head innocently. "Should I be acting surprised?"
She even questioned why Promise would expect her to react differently.
'Hmm... Is she planning to keep up this pretense until we reach Colchis and then reveal her identity?' Seeing her like this, Promise naturally thought to himself.
However just as he was about to move on, he saw the 'pure and lovely’ Medea in front of him with a single ponytail raising the corners of her lips.
She winked at him and said with a teasing smile, "Promise, you were thinking that I’m hiding my identity on purpose, right?"
"Hehe, who’s the real fool here?
Promise, did you really think I am so stupid that I wouldn’t realize you’ve known my identity all along?"
She giggled, clearly amused by the boy's assumptions.
'Why don't you think about how you addressed the Goddess of Fate, Atropos that day—you called her ‘big sister’!
And that day... I was utterly shocked. I had never seen so many gods in one place!'
"...And here I thought you’d be a filial daughter with some fatherly feelings for your family," Promise said, suddenly remembering the myths about Medea.
In the legends, after being struck by one of Cupid’s arrows of love, Medea feel hopelessly in love with Jason that she even killed her own younger brother in order to help Jason get the Golden Fleece...
"Somehow, I feel like you’re thinking something very rude right now,"
As she said this, Medea pulled out her staff and imitated her goddess teacher Hecate by tapping Promise lightly on the head.
Well, it was more like a gentle touch, since she didn't have Hecate’s ability to deliver a painful yet harmless blow.
"It’s because I know that you’ll reach Colchis and take the Golden Fleece," Medea continued, smiling sweetly. "And as long as you’re the one to take it, what is there for me to worry about? After all... Promise, you’ll show Clotho, the goddess of fate, the most beautiful future from among all possible fates, won’t you?"
Medea laughed softly, as if her reasoning was the most obvious thing in the world.
At this moment, looking at her, Promise finally realized—this little witch likely knew everything all along.
She had been pretending not to know.
Probably ever since Hecate kicked her out of the temple and she managed to find her way here, Medea had already guessed the truth.
Seeing the boy's dawning realization, Medea smiled faintly and turned to leave.
But halfway through her step, something seemed to come to mind, and she turned back, her violet eyes gazing at him.
"Promise, by the way... speaking of the future...
Do you think you’d like the version of me from that future?" she asked with a mischievous yet questioning glint in her eyes.
Faced with her sudden question, Promise shook his head and responded, "No, I wouldn’t like that version of you."
She would be the witch of betrayal in the original future.
In that future, Medea, driven mad by betrayal, even killed her own children.
"I see. Then, in the presence of my teacher, the goddess Hecate...I vow never to become like that," Medea smiled, even though she didn’t know the exact details of her original fate.
Nevertheless, she made a solemn promise under the watchful gaze of the goddess.
That vow was enough to draw the attention of the goddess lurking in the underworld.
..........
