Chapter Extra: Jason - Set Sail! Destination - Hell!
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That guy... he really looks annoying!
As the rightful heir to the throne, Jason had always been irritated because someone who was just lazing around had sneaked onto his ship.
This is the "Argo", after all! The ship pursuing the Golden Fleece, challenging impossible trials, and so many people had tried desperately to get on board. So why... are you looking at it with such disdain?
Are you looking down on me?
[Since you don't want to be here, just leave. I don't need you.]
But Hercules, out of character, half-forced that guy onto the ship.
Jason had never questioned Hercules' judgment, but this time, he really found it hard to believe. That guy was definitely just here to slack off.
When facing bandits, that guy always subdued them, but while others were raising their heads in celebration, he would rush into the village to treat the wounded and help rebuild the collapsed houses.
Jason rarely helped in fighting off the bandits because his heroic companions were all too eager to do it. On this journey for the Golden Fleece, he was the biggest winner. Whatever he did along the way wouldn't matter as long as he brought back the fleece. This glory would overshadow everything. Likewise, if he failed to retrieve it, nothing else he did would matter, because a failed hero garners no attention.
But his companions were different. This Golden Fleece journey was their chance to add to their fame. If it succeeded, it would be icing on the cake. If not, at least their actions along the way would be enough. After all, it wasn't their responsibility to return with the Golden Fleece.
Exactly, aside from Hercules, the others were simply using him, so it was only fair that he used them too... So, go ahead and use me if you like.
But why? Why don't you boast about your deeds? Though foolish, helping the villagers would earn you more praise. Or are you trying to prove how different you are?
Ridiculous!
Let's see how long you can keep this up!
Without the praise of the world, a hero is just another person. No one will remember them, no one will praise them, and no king will reward them. They will gain nothing.
Nothing!
"I'm not doing it for those things, I just want to help the weak."
In this world, there's no such person!
Like he had developed a personal vendetta, Jason kept observing Cyd, waiting for him to tear away his mask of hypocrisy and act like a real hero. Then, he would finally have a reason to point at him and laugh.
What now? Aren't you the same?
But why? Why did you never change...
Faced with the temptations of the island of women, Cyd chose to guard the ship, waiting for his fallen crew to wake up. Isn't that foolish? Why not join in something so pleasurable?
No one would blame you because everyone is doing it. These women are nothing like that lioness; they'll give you everything you want. This place is a man's paradise!
Alright, he was wrong. These women were a bunch of demons...
As he hurriedly pulled up his pants and fled, Jason looked up and saw that pure white figure gazing down at him, those clear eyes reflecting his embarrassed state.
Are you mocking me?
Mocking me for not seeing through those women's deception?
Or... for not fulfilling my duty?
You're an eyesore...
More than once, Jason hinted to others during feasts to ostracize Cyd. Maybe, only seeing Cyd lose his temper would give him peace of mind.
But no... Is that guy even human? Or is his soul truly as pure as his white hair?
Leave already...
You must know by now that we will never change. We were lost to desire from the very beginning. Someone as pure as you can never be my "crew."
That day, Cyd left. But before leaving, he finally pointed at Jason's nose and cursed him out. Fine, maybe it was Jason's fault, but come on, he's the captain! These arrogant heroes all act like fools. If he didn't act even more arrogant, they might kill him in his sleep!
It's not his fault!
And then, the ship returned to normal. No longer did anyone help the villagers when they raised their heads in victory. No longer did anyone secretly hinder their looting. No longer did anyone hide women while they wanted to run wild.
Life was comfortable again. This was the heroic life Jason had wanted. It didn't matter that Cyd was gone—Hercules was still around.
But then Hercules left...
The good times were over.
Without Hercules to keep them in check, the heroes began to run wild.
Jason often wondered who were the real bandits? Who were the real villains?
But there was nothing he could do. Without Hercules, there was nothing he could achieve. No one believed in him, and no one was worth trusting. As a result, on this ship full of heroes, the only real crew was Hercules... well, and maybe Cyd...
No, no! Cyd was never his crew! That guy never believed in him. The only reason Jason felt any peace of mind was because Cyd had no desires and seemed... trustworthy.
But it's too late now. He had abandoned Cyd. No, forget it. At this point, pride doesn't matter anymore. He had been abandoned... When he heard the stories of the white-haired son of man defeating the boar beast, he realized that Cyd had never needed him at all. Cyd was simply... that pure.
Now, there was nothing left to rely on. When the king made things difficult for him, Jason was in despair. His companions, the so-called invincible heroes, were just scratching their heads and playing dumb.
[I have no choice but to rely on the gods now. But will they really help me?]
The storms, lightning strikes, strange plagues, and the bizarre beasts that attacked them along the way made him feel like the gods wanted him dead.
But what else could he do? He couldn't do it alone. He never could. At least the gods hadn't clearly abandoned him yet. He had to try; how could he know if he didn't try?
After all, none of his crew... believed he could do it, and he didn't plan to believe in them either.
[Believe in me.]
That day, when Jason opened his eyes, he saw that pure white figure who had long abandoned him.
Why did you come back...
Why did you save a hopeless person like me...
In his most desperate moment, that man came, just like the heroes in the unbelievable tales.
What did that man do?
Jason didn't know, but he knew one thing: that man had saved him.
How reliable...
As long as he had that man by his side, Jason felt like he could do anything. For the first time, he began to believe in himself.
How foolish...
The very thing he used to scorn—people being grateful for the smallest acts of kindness, thinking they'd been saved—was now something he understood. Because he really had been saved.
[I'll help you get the Golden Fleece.]
When faced with the king's challenges, Cyd calmly said this to him.
No way... Jason couldn't think of any way other than stealing it from under the dragon's nose.
In the past, he might have cheerfully clapped Cyd on the shoulder and urged him to hurry up.
But this time, he hesitated.
[No, if it comes to it, I'll go with you too.]
The person showed a surprised expression, as if they had never expected him to say such a thing. However, the person still refused and then brought back the Golden Fleece.
While the heroes were cheering, he went alone to the other side of the ship where that person had once been exiled, feeling the calmness that the person had experienced.
As if to wake himself up, he slapped his face hard, without holding back.
That person was a hero! A true hero!
The world must know!
He started doing something that his past self would surely mock. As the biggest winner of the Golden Fleece journey, he didn't brag about his achievements as he once would have. Instead, he tirelessly sang praises of that pure white figure.
But it wasn't enough! He had to become the king of that country! More people had to know about the Pure White Hero!
However, he was rejected. Even though he truly presented the Golden Fleece, his uncle still had no intention of giving up the throne. To prevent his heroes from causing trouble, his uncle offered even more rewards than promised to send them away.
Once again, he became a solitary figure.
But even so, he did not give up. Because his journey, his accomplishments, were built on that person's foundation. He had to give this journey the perfect ending.
It didn't matter if he couldn't become king; he still had the status of a prince. He would wait, continue doing what that person did, and become a hero like them.
Determined, he looked up at the sky. For some reason, the world seemed much larger now. The things that had once driven him to obsession suddenly felt insignificant.
[This is the world seen through the eyes of the Pure White Hero.]
So peaceful, so reassuring.
But of course, he still couldn't compare to that person. A journey blessed by the gods? That was just a joke. Compared to that, his Golden Fleece quest seemed as easy as shearing sheep—well, it was that person who helped him "shear" it, after all.
He had to push harder, otherwise he would be failing that person who was once the captain.
Perhaps because of his numerous "foolish" deeds, people started to nominate him as the new king. A few kingdoms even made friendly suggestions, and under the pressure, his uncle had no choice but to announce that the throne would be handed over to him.
What the... something he had racked his brain for came so easily after all. It turned out that all he had been doing were just small acts here and there.
But it was good; it allowed him to better spread the word about that person.
Just as he was happily preparing to place the crown on his head, he received the dreadful news: the Pure White Hero had gone to hell, embarking on a one-way journey for a "maybe" or "possible" crisis.
That had to be a lie...
How could the gods allow such a thing?!
But it was true. The legend of the Pure White Hero had come to an end because that person was no longer in this world.
The crown slipped from his fingers and fell heavily to the ground.
Without hesitation, he abandoned the throne, found the Argo, and pushed it back into the sea.
This had to be a joke! He was the former captain of the Pure White Hero's ship, the greatest promoter of the Pure White Hero in all of Greece. With that person gone, what else was there for him to do?
But unfortunately, no matter how much reward he promised, no one was willing to help. What he planned was a journey to hell, something even more foolish than the Golden Fleece quest. No one believed in him, thinking he was just a fool who gave up the throne for someone who would never return.
The once-mighty Argo now looked pitifully shabby, with not a single one of his former crew members by his side. Alone, he stood in the captain's spot, glaring at the sea that had never shown him any favor.
"You damned gods, don't underestimate me!"
"I am the captain of the Argo!"
"Cyd was my crew member! If you can't do it, I will! I don't care if he went to hell or Mount Olympus; I'll drag him back to my ship with my own hands!"
"The Argo is a ship that completes impossible trials, and this time will be no different!"
"Set sail!"
"Full speed ahead!"
"Destination—hell!"
Until he finds that person, his journey will never end!