Three days later, on the Argo...
"It seems this hasn't ended after all, has it?" Promise murmured as he stood on the empty deck of the Argo, unable to hold back his thoughts.
"What are you talking about, Promise?"
Hercules raised his head and looked at the young, who was standing on the deck with some confusion and couldn't help but ask.
The latter shook his head and smiled at Hercules, reassuring him that it was nothing.
Atalanta, who had just returned from hunting, happened to see this scene.
She tilted her head slightly, and her waist-length black hair swayed a few times.
Years of habit had made the beautiful green-haired huntress feel that obtaining food through hunting was the natural way of survival.
Therefore, even on the ship, she only ate the food she hunted and stored herself… though occasionally she accepted fruit that Promise gave her.
After putting away her pray, Atalanta thought for a moment, then approached Promise.
"Where is Medea?" she asked, glancing around.
"She should be in her room," Promise answered casually.
Perhaps, due to the influence of the goddess Hecate, Promise had come to realize that Medea had grown to become a homebody , spending most of her time in her room, which was now filled with strange items.
Making most people dare not enter, especially Jason, who did his best to avoid her in any possible way.
According to Jason, for some reason, every time he saw her, his heart would beat very fast as if he were facing some terrifying monster.
"I see," Atalanta nodded lightly, then quietly stood beside Promise.
"What's wrong?" Promise sensed something unusual about her and couldn't help but ask.
The latter thought for a moment before saying, "It seems like it's been a while since I've seen shadows of the great gods around you."
"Huh?"
"That is a bit strange," Atalanta said seriously, looking straight at him. "And you've been far too idle lately. Promise, are you hiding something from us?"
Before Promise could make sense of Atalanta's words, Hercules chimed in, seemingly out of nowhere. "Yeah, now that you mention it… that does seem right," he said, nodding in agreement.
"I've thought it was strange too!" At this time, Medea also appeared, holding her staff.
Though she looked a bit exhausted with dark circles under her eyes.
"And Promise, here."
She handed him a vial as she spoke. "This is a potion I've been working on to resist the curses on this island… though it hasn't been tested yet, I believe it should be useful."
As Promise instinctively took the vial, he looked up to see the three of them staring at him in silence, as if waiting for an explanation.
This left him exasperated, prompting him to say, "Seriously, why am I getting treated like Athena here? What on Earth is going on?!"
Hearing his words,Hercules laughed. "I think, Promise, you are the only one, who would dare speak of the goddess Athena like that."
"It's just, Promise, tell me… who was the one that insisted on doing
down the mountain to die, risking his life to become a hero? And who was the one bold enough to hunt even the god Hermes?"
Promise stared blankly at Hercules, however, just as he was about to respond.
"That's right," Atalanta crossed her arms and lifted her chin. "And under the witness of the great goddess Artemis and the goddess of wisdom, I saw with my own eyes how you changed fate and captured a falling star. And don't forget…"
As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly. "I've hunted you before. So I know everything about you!
Don't think you can hide anything from me."
"Well, um…" Medea waved the staff in her hand. "I've seen Promise's trial, and I've even seen your paintings, Promise!"
"What? You've seen them too?" Hearing her words, Atalanta looked at the witch in surprise.
"Too?" The latter blinked in confusion and looked back at Atalanta. "Wait, were you there that night?"
"I was hunting him at the time," Atalanta replied calmly. "After the hunt was over, I lent him my bow for a while, which he used to slay the Chimera."
"Oh, I see… You're amazing, Atalanta…"
"Wa-wait, hold on a minute!" Promise couldn't take it anymore and shouted to stop.
"Why does it feel like you guys aren't praising me at all, but rather pointing out how much trouble I seem to cause?"
"That's not a feeling, it's a fact," Atalanta replied bluntly.
"Promise, surely you know why my teacher has always disliked you, right?" Medea blinked, though her tone seemed delicate, but the message was clear.
Hearing this, Promise glared at Medea fiercely.
He was already certain that this girl had been faking her innocence all along!
At first, he didn't see through it, but now that they had spent more time together, her true colors were becoming more and more obvious!
"So… this island is really dangerous, isn't it?" Hercules' expression had turned serious as he looked at Promise. "If that's the case, then let me go. Promise, I assure you, I'll bring everyone back safely!"
After speaking Hercules was about to move, when Promise called out to stop him.
He then glanced at the three people in front of him, all of whom seemed to know him too well.
Sighing deeply, he hesitated for a moment before finally admitting, "None of you are allowed to set foot on the island… because this is my trial."
With that, Promise finally set foot on the island.
The moment he did, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, who had been residing in the temple for the past few days, turned her head immediately and looked in his direction.
At the same time, her lips curved upward into a dazzling smile.
"He's here, isn't he?"
After she finished speaking, she tilted her head again, and her light golden eyes looked towards the girl outside the temple who was holding the golden bow in her hand.
.
.
.
"Brother Promise is here…"
Inside the temple, bathed in the soft morning sunlight, Helen stretched out her hand as if to catch it, whispering softly.
There was no need for Aphrodite to inform her.
When a breeze blew through, ruffling her dazzling golden hair, the wind told Helen everything.
Helen raised her head, her enchanting violet eyes carrying the magical allure that could captivate anyone, except the young man, whom she wanted to captivate the most.
The magical eyes that could make any man fall for her had no effect on him. While this had once made her feel safe with him, it now left her feeling depressed.
That was the only reason why, when Aphrodite gave her the cupid's arrow, she hesitated.
The guilt of deceiving a man purer than anyone, the fear of failing and forever falling in his eyes, but in the end, it all came down to one fact.
The fact that she could not charm the man she loved,
No matter how hard she tried.
Her magical eyes had no effect and if this went on, she would never be a woman on his eyes.
And to make matters worse, there was what her goddess had told her...
In the reflection of her pupils, she saw the sacred Pegasus spreading its silver wings, carrying the black-haired, emerald-eyed boy as they descended upon the temple.
"Helen?" Promise looked at the girl standing before him, dressed in a pure white Greek robe, and asked in mild surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"Because, of course, she is my follower," The one who answered the promise was not Helen, but Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who walked out of the temple with her fiery red hair blazing like flames.