Despite the stares and the whispers, I continued to drive the bulls, plowing the earth. Once the ground had been torn up sufficiently, I produced the dragon’s teeth I had received from the King of Colchis.
I scattered the teeth into the fissures of the freshly turned soil.
Before the dust could even settle, a grotesque tremor surged from beneath the earth, vibrating through the soles of my feet.
Moments later, dozens of warriors armed with spears, shields, and swords burst forth from the ground.
As they emerged, I hurled the stone Medea had given me into their midst, ensuring it struck the helmets of several soldiers.
Startled by the sudden assault, the warriors—who looked identical to one another—began shouting and accusing their comrades.
“Who was it?! Who hit my helmet?!”
“You! You’re the one who threw it!”
They demanded to know the source of the stones, and the confusion quickly devolved into a violent brawl.
I, the architect of this chaos, stood alone like a still-life painting amidst a scene thick with the stench of blood and iron.
Lightly brushing away a few stray droplets of blood, I knelt once more and stroked the necks of the bronze bulls.
A short while later, the warriors who had been hacking at one another with spears and swords were completely annihilated by their own hands.
“W-what... how is this possible?!”
The King of Colchis’s thunderous cry of shock echoed across the plain.
He rose from his throne, pointing at the battlefield with trembling hands.
Ignoring his outcry, I slowly stroked the head of the now-docile bronze bull.
The lingering heat flowed pleasantly through my palm.
They're actually kind of cute when you look at them this way.
[Heh, you truly are my disciple. Look at that king’s face. He looks as though he’s swallowed a stone he cannot chew.]
Amidst the silence, Lady Hecate’s languid laughter drifted from the shadows, tickling my ears.
I brushed the dust from my silver hair and looked up toward my companions and the King of Colchis.
There, I saw Medea. She was looking down at me with eyes filled with a mixture of relief and awe, seeing her advice executed to perfection.
“O King of Colchis. I have fulfilled the contract. It is only right that you now honor your pledge to us.”
The King of Colchis remained silent for a moment.
His gaze flickered between the ravaged earth, the corpses of the warriors strewn across it, and me, standing there in serene silence.
His lips trembled faintly.
“...Unbelievable.”
His low murmur was audible to everyone, yet no one dared to speak.
I stepped forward.
The bronze bulls breathed quietly behind me, and the field that had been saturated with killing intent moments ago had become eerily still.
“King of Colchis,” I spoke calmly. “Since I have fulfilled my end of the contract, you should do the same.”
A brief silence followed, but it was heavy with tension.
The king’s eyes narrowed.
The shock had faded, replaced by something else.
Calculation.
And suspicion.
“...Very well.”
He rose slowly from his seat, resting a hand on his chin as he looked down at me.
“Indeed... the trials have all been completed.”
A subtle smile touched his lips, but it held no warmth. It was a thin, predatory smile.
“However.”
With that single word, the atmosphere over the plain grew heavy once more.
“You accomplished it far too easily.”
I said nothing, simply waiting for him to continue.
“Taming fire-breathing bulls, turning warriors born of dragon's teeth against one another...” His gaze pierced through me. “Are you... truly human?”
Audible gasps erupted from the crowd. Even Jason could only stare at me in stunned silence.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them and gave a brief reply.
“...I am a king.”
The corners of the King of Colchis’s mouth curled upward.
“...Ha ha.”
A low, dry laugh.
“Interesting. Truly interesting.”
He raised his hand. At the gesture, the soldiers behind him stiffened, shifting into a state of high alert.
“Very well. As promised, the Golden Fleece...” He paused deliberately, tilting his head. “...I shall give it to you.”
Medea’s eyes wavered the moment the words were spoken.
Simultaneously, Lady Hecate’s low laughter seeped from the shadows.
[Heh... my disciple.] Her voice was sweet, but her warning was clear. [That king is lying.]
I exhaled softly. I had already suspected as much.
Maintaining an expressionless face, I looked at the King of Colchis and pondered what scheme he was weaving.
“However, it would be improper to hand over a sacred relic like the Golden Fleece here in the open.”
As he spoke, the king raised his hand, and soldiers lying in ambush began to close the circle around us.
Yet, they carried banquet banners and musical instruments rather than swords.
“Tonight, I shall hold a grand festival at the palace for the heroes Astellon and Jason! We shall offer sacrifices to the gods and I will hand over the fleece there. What do you say, silver-haired king? Surely such courtesy will satisfy you?”
Despite the facade of hospitality, the flow of magical energy behind the king was as savage as the calm before a storm.
Jason, oblivious to the danger, let out a relieved sigh of joy, but I noticed Medea on the battlements, subtly shaking her head.
[My disciple, that king intends to burn the Argo and take your head while you sleep tonight. A thoroughly human, filthy end.]
At Lady Hecate’s mocking advice, I tapped the hilt of my holy sword and replied calmly.
“I thank you for your hospitality, King of Colchis. I trust your promise will remain unchanged.”
***
Later, just before the banquet began, I met Medea in the palace gardens under the cover of darkness.
Her eyes were filled with an anxiety far deeper than the awe she had shown earlier.
“Your Majesty, my father has no intention of letting you leave alive. Even now, he has ordered that you be sacrificed to the sleepless dragon guarding the forest, commanding it to tear you apart.”
She gripped my sleeve with trembling hands, her voice a desperate confession.
“It happens tonight. While my father is distracted by the banquet, I will guide you to the Golden Fleece. I have prepared a secret to put the monster to sleep. So please...”
She looked up at me, her gaze pleading.
“Please promise that once you have the fleece, you will take me away from this place.”
I looked down at her—at the mixture of fear and resolve in her eyes. She was a woman who could have fled, yet she chose to stay and bet everything on me.
“...Medea,” I said in a low voice. “I do not trade in promises.”
Her eyes wavered.
“A king simply claims what he has chosen.” I reached out and lightly took her hand. “If you have chosen me... I will not abandon you.”
“...Thank you. Truly...”
Medea gave me a genuine, heartfelt smile. She then produced a strange glass vial with a potent fragrance from her robes.
“My father has prepared poisoned wine for the banquet. Once Jason and the heroes are intoxicated, the slaughter will begin. We must move before then. Let us go to the forest; the Golden Fleece is there.”
I nodded and tightened my grip on the hilt of my holy sword.
***
Leaving the noise of the banquet behind, we slipped into the dense forest on the outskirts of Colchis.
As we ventured deeper, a fishy stench and a crushing magical pressure began to weigh on my heart.
Finally, I spotted the Golden Fleece hanging from a massive oak tree.
The sacred relic shone more brilliantly than the moonlight, enough to steal the breath of anyone who beheld it.
But beneath it coiled the sleepless dragon, its thousands of shimmering scales wrapping the tree in a suffocating embrace.
Lacking eyelids, its eyes remained forever open, scanning every inch of the surroundings. As we approached, a low growl shook the very foundations of the forest.
“Please, wait a moment.”
While I kept watch, Medea, her face veiled, stepped forward alone toward the beast.
The dragon’s pupils narrowed into slits. Its enormous head descended slowly toward her, close enough to snap her in two with a single bite.
“...”
Holding my breath, I gripped my sword, ready to strike.
Medea did not falter. Standing before the dragon, she opened the vial and released the fragrance.
In an instant—
Snap!
The dragon’s jaws slammed shut inches from her face. Hot, sulfurous breath billowed past her.
“...Haa.”
But then, the dragon’s eyes began to glaze over. Its massive body lost strength, and with a thunderous crash—
THOOM!
The beast collapsed, falling into a deep slumber.
“...It won’t wake for a while. Please, take the Golden Fleece.”
I stepped carefully through the dragon’s scales and approached the oak tree. Climbing the branches, I reached out and seized the Golden Fleece.
A heavy, potent sensation filled my palm.
The object Jason had craved so desperately. The prize countless heroes had died trying to reach.
The culmination of all those desires now rested in my hand.
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