It's almost there, almost back!
The journey was nearing its end, and the boy knew it.
Well..there was no way around it...
As the goddess of wisdom returned to the boy's side, and the majestic Argo docked in the kingdom's harbor, the gods also realized that the adventure they had been anticipating for a long time was finally about to start.
The heroes had already gathered over the past year, talking, laughing, and most importantly... waiting.
Yes, waiting for the boy to return.
For only he could begin this mythical tale that would be famous throughout the ages to come.
Only he could raise the sails to guide the gathered heroes and the Argo toward the horizon.
At that moment, all eyes were set, once again on the young man, and as if sensing all this, the man in the focal point of all this, turned his head slightly while riding Pegasus, his emerald eyes gazing toward the direction of the Argo.
"It seems the journey should indeed end soon," the boy, known as Promise, said quietly.
"But the adventure has only just begun," Athena, who was lightly holding his waist, winked playfully at him and smiled. "I'm really looking forward to it, Promise. Are you looking forward to it?"
"Of course,"
The latter smiled back at her as he said. "After all, I've been waiting a long time for this, whether it's for the adventure... or for the ...
The Grand ending.
No further words were necessary.
When Athena, the goddess of wisdom, who had been absent for so long, reappeared, and when all the legendary heroes gathered together, Promise already understood one thing.
His story would end with this final adventure.
And he had been waiting for this for a long time.
"Um… Brother Promise?"
Sitting in front of him, Helen, who had been watching the two of them staring at each other without speaking anything felt a bit out of place, and finally couldn't help but speak up, tugging on Promise's sleeve.
"Who is this beautiful lady?"
However, before the boy could answer, Athena smiled proudly and spoke on his behalf.
"I'm Promise's goddess."
"Eh?!" Hearing this, Helen was shocked. "The great Lady Hera?"
"Of course not!" Athena puffed her cheeks. "I'm the noble goddess of wisdom, not that petty Hera!"
Petty?
You stole all the golden apples from Goddess Hera's tree and now you accuse others of being narrow-minded.
Athena seemed to catch on to Promise's thoughts and shot him a glance, reaching out as she had done in the past to pinch his cheek before saying, "You think this is all my fault, don't you?"
'If it weren't for that golden apple mess, would I have abandoned my wisdom and done such a theft which would surely be discovered?'
"The goddess of wisdom... Could it be, the noble Lady Athena?"
Hearing her words, Helen, who was now even more shocked, looked toward Athena.
But soon, confusion clouded her violet eyes, and she hesitantly asked, "But isn't Brother Promise's goddess the great goddess Hera…?"
As Helen spoke, her voice became lower and lower because she realized that she had said something very stupid.
Athena didn't mind, though.
This wasn't the first time she had heard something like this.
So, she simply smiled brightly and replied, "Well, once he's done with Hera, he'll be mine."
With that said, she glared at Promise. "So, when exactly are you going to stop with her?"
"Neigh!" Pegasus, who had been calmly trotting along, also joined in the teasing, as if echoing Athena's question.
Yes, when will you stop?
When will things finally heat up?
After all, Pegasus's love for eating grass began with this situation.
Back during the Calydonian Boar incident, when Hera appeared and quarreled with Athena over the ownership of the promise, Pegasus discovered for the first time that the grass was so delicious.
Eating grass had never been so joyous.
However it was this look and sound that made Promise glance at Pegasus as he made a mental note...
'Although I can't afford to mess with the goddesses, but I can deal with you, Pegasus!'
Then, subtly shifting the topic, Promise asked Athena, "So, noble and beautiful Goddess Athena, how long will it take for the adventure to begin?"
Seeing him avoiding the topic once again, Athena couldn't help but pout, but she didn't continue to make trouble.
After all, in her eyes, it was only a matter of time.
"The start of the adventure? Well, that of course, depends on you."
"Me?" Promise looked at Athena in confusion.
The latter chuckled softly before explaining,
"When the heroes set sail, and the gods turn their gaze toward you, it is the trial you sought from the most honored goddess of all—Hera.
That's where it begins.
You are the cause of all this."
"And throughout this journey, whether those who've encountered you or those who've heard your legend, they all came together because of you."
"So naturally, it can only be you who raises the sails and leads the heroes to the sea."
As soon as Athena finished speaking, Helen turned her head and looked at the boy with a gaze filled with admiration.
Not only that, she subtly shifted closer to him, as if wanting to stay as close as possible.
Even though this beautiful woman who had just appeared was a goddess, and one even more esteemed than the previous goddess, Persephone,
Helen didn't like her.
Because from the moment Athena arrived, Helen realized that Brother Promise's eyes no longer focused on her.
Before Athena's arrival, the way he appeared in Helen's eyes was that of a powerful hero and a gentle brother figure.
Even with his slightly childish, vengeful, and mischievous tendencies, those imperfections only made her like him more.
But the moment Athena showed up, Helen suddenly felt that Promise had changed.
It was a feeling she didn't know and couldn't quite describe, but it made her realize one thing clearly—this goddess could easily steal him away!
There was no doubt, Helen had grown fond of Promise.
Although their time together had been short, because of her siblings she had known of him for a long time.
And when they finally met, he had saved her.
She had witnessed his bravery and charm, and had also discovered his cute side.
But what made Promise even more special to her was that he was the only person who had not been affected by her magic eyes so far.
So with all these factors added up, even if the emotions in her heart had not yet evolved into love, there was no doubt that Helen at this moment admired the boy very much.
And, being a devotee of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, she knew exactly what to do in this situation.
Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, was one of the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses, renowned as the most beautiful deity.
She was also the *legitimate* wife of Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, who just so happened to be Promise's teacher.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty—and also of lust and desire—had indeed taught Helen well.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love, had a rather problematic personality, well...problematic was a bit of an understatement..
After all, her personality could even be described as downright malicious.
Though she was the goddess of love, Aphrodite herself was unable to control her own love life,
She had always been toyed with by fate and never truly found her own happiness.
As a result, she cursed all of humanity, ensuring that no one would ever experience the so-called perfect love.
To do this, she filled the path of love with shadows of doubt, worry, pain, and sorrow.
Moreover, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and desire, follows her desires without any restraint, doing as she pleased.
So, if there was something or someone she wanted to get, she would reach out and take it, making them hers by any means necessary—no matter the methods no matter the means.