"Good boy."
The moment Jason sweetly called Persephone "big sis," she couldn't help but pull him into a warm hug, nuzzling him close.
Well, no matter how theatrical Jason's inner monologue might be, on the outside he looked like an innocent little twelve-year-old boy.
The saying goes: the squeaky wheel gets the grease—and being sweet-tongued? That works too.
Especially if you're sweet, sensible, and adorable!
Needless to say, back when Jason was living with Chiron, he got along famously with his fellow disciples. And now? He was dealing with a goddess who already had a favorable impression of him!
"Um, um... G-Goddess Persephone, big sis?" Medea, seeing Jason call her "big sis," nervously followed suit, whispering the words under her breath.
Hecate looked over at Persephone and, delighted, pulled her two students into a group hug as well, rubbing her cheeks against theirs with a fond smile before shaking her head with a sigh.
She, of course, wasn't fooled by Jason. After all, they'd known each other for nearly half a year now. She was well aware of just how crafty and sharp this kid was—hardly your average twelve-year-old.
"Good kids, little Jason, little Medea!"
Persephone beamed as she hugged them. "Sorry I left in such a rush this time and didn't prepare any gifts for you two. Next time, I promise I'll bring something nice!"
"Alright, that's enough," Hecate interjected, unable to watch any longer. "Persephone, don't spoil them too much. And… they're my students, you know."
As she spoke, Hecate shot Jason a pointed glare.
Calling her "sis" already? …Alright, you little rascal!
What's next? When you meet Hades, are you gonna call him "bro"? [T\N: Hades also deserves some love.]
But Jason didn't notice her gaze—he was still marveling at his brilliance!
Just dodging problems doesn't work. One has to be flexible and adapt! Even survival strategies need to evolve with the situation.
See? Just one well-placed "big sis," and now he had a goddess in his pocket—and possibly an artifact, too!
I truly am a genius!
"What's the big deal?" Persephone smiled, letting the two go and walking up to Hecate. "Your kids are my kids, right? Or... are you jealous?"
"As if!" Hecate scoffed. "...Anyway, let's drop the subject. Since you're already here, let's just get started."
Trying to steer the conversation elsewhere, she refused to admit even a sliver of jealousy. But as she watched Jason and Medea cling to Persephone with such ease and affection...
"Alright." Persephone glanced at Hecate, turning her head away, clearly a little sulky, and chuckled to herself.
Hecate wasn't used to this kind of closeness. Jason and Medea had always treated her with respect—at least for now.
"But wait," Persephone said suddenly, "Jason looked like he had something to say to me just now."
"I do, big sis Persephone," Jason nodded, looking up at her, carefully choosing his words.
"What I wanted to ask is... Do you really hate Lady Demeter?"
At that, Hecate's brows furrowed.
Clearly, she hadn't expected Jason to ask that kind of loaded question.
She opened her mouth, ready to intervene—but then her eyes flicked to the side, and a thought struck her. This... might actually be the perfect opportunity!
After all, this was a problem that had to be dealt with eventually. And now, here was Jason: Persephone's self-proclaimed little brother, still just a kid.
The setting was right—no one else around, and Hades wasn't here.
Hecate looked at Jason with a new sense of appreciation.
Timing... not bad at all.
Jason's updated rule for survival: when facing something—or someone—you can't avoid, deal with it as fast as possible!
If you can't solve it, at least defuse it. Don't drag it out.
Because the longer something drags, the more likely it is to blow up.
"...Of course I hate her."
"Really? Big sis Persephone, do you really want things to stay this tense forever between you and Lady Demeter? To never see her again?"
Jason's follow-up clearly caught Persephone off guard. She instinctively glanced at Hecate, only to see Hecate looking right back at her—expecting an answer.
"This is something you'll have to face eventually, Persephone," Hecate said gently. "No one else is around, and you don't need to put up a front with me. Jason here seems to have some thoughts of his own—why not listen?
Besides... you wouldn't want something to happen between Jason and your mother, would you?"
Persephone visibly hesitated. Looking down at Jason, memories of her mother's overbearing affection came rushing back...
She sighed.
"You're right, Hecate. I don't want to drag Jason into this. I do hate my mother... but at the end of the day, she's still my mother."
"So that means—you don't actually want to stay estranged from her forever, right, big sis Persephone?"
Persephone nodded.
"Then I remember Teacher Hecate once said: Lady Demeter didn't want you going to the Underworld because she was afraid she'd never see you again, right?"
Hecate gave Jason a puzzled look.
Did I say that...? I don't remember saying that.
"My mother... Everyone else can't live without their mom, but my mom acts like she can't live without me!"
Just the mention of Demeter gave Persephone a headache.
"Then in that case... I might have a suggestion."
Jason looked up at her seriously. "Because of Lady Demeter's power, the earth is slowly withering. If this keeps up, it won't end well.
So if Lady Demeter is resisting because she's afraid she'll never see you again, then can't we just make sure she knows she will?
Like... maybe let her come to the Underworld from time to time? Or you promise to go visit her at regular intervals?"
Jason remembered this part of the myth.
After Persephone became Queen of the Underworld, Demeter was devastated by her daughter's absence. Plants stopped growing, and the world became a barren wasteland.
In the end, Zeus had to step in. Hades gave Persephone six pomegranate seeds to eat—representing six months of the year.
But to Jason's surprise, when he said this, Hecate and Persephone exchanged a look... and both sighed at the same time.
"Jason, don't you know?" Even the fire spirit nearby couldn't hold back. "The Underworld isn't someplace you can just waltz in and out of… Not even the mighty King Zeus himself can do that!"
"...Huh?" Jason blinked. "Really?"
"You probably didn't notice because you've been following Hecate around," Persephone said with a wry smile.
"But Hecate's a special case—she chose to live here in the Underworld to avoid hassle and interruptions. She even put Cerberus at the gates to keep people out. That's why the other Underworld gods just pretend not to notice when you come and go. If my mother or I could enter and leave freely, she wouldn't have locked me in here in the first place."
Ah... well, that...
Jason scratched his head.
That was news to him.
Ever since becoming Hecate's student, he'd been hopping back and forth between the realms like it was nothing...
"It's not entirely impossible," Hecate mused. "But it would require..."
"It would require both Zeus and me to agree."
A commanding voice echoed through the room.
A man dressed in black, with dark hair and eyes, stepped forward from the shadows.
"Lord Hades!" The fire spirit quickly bowed.
Even Hecate gave a small nod of respect.
"You're here too?"
"I noticed you were missing, so I came to find you."
The stern expression on Hades' face softened the moment he met Persephone's eyes.
Whatever the myths said about their relationship, Jason could tell—these two really liked each other.
"This kid's right, Persephone. The issue with your mother... it needs to be resolved."
"So you heard everything... and you agree?"
"This is the best solution we've got," Hades nodded. "And I think Zeus will agree too. Persephone, talk to Demeter properly."
"But if I show up in front of her, she's just going to drag me back on the spot!" Persephone said helplessly.
"Then... how about I go instead?"
Jason, who'd been quietly lowering his head, suddenly spoke up, voice tentative.
"You?"
Persephone and Hades both turned to look at him in surprise.
Even Hecate gave him a bewildered glance.
Usually he'd be avoiding this kind of thing like the plague—what had gotten into him today?
But then Hecate looked toward Hades... and subtly shook her head.
Because now, Hecate understood something.
Even if Jason hadn't stepped up and said all this, the outcome would've been the same in the end.
Because this entire situation... had been orchestrated by Zeus.
He was weakening Hades' power.
"Hmm... That might be a good idea," Hades said after a pause.
"Since you were the one who brought Persephone here, it does make sense that you'd be the one to handle this."