Medea curled her lips into a smile. "My magic comes from the goddesses' teachings. If I may be so bold, there is no sorcerer in this kingdom more skilled in the arcane arts than I."
The princesses, overjoyed, immediately took axes to their father's bedchamber and chopped the sleeping Pelias into pieces.
Thus, the perfidious king met his end at the hands of the daughters who had trusted him. By the time the princesses brought their father's remains to the garden, Medea had vanished without a trace.
The parricidal princesses finally realized something was amiss. The servants' panicked cries summoned the guards, and the news of King Pelias's death spread throughout the city-state.
The moment Jason heard the news, he rushed to Medea's chambers. The sorceress, with a smiling face, offered Jason a bowl of mutton soup to taste.
Seeing the undisguised doubt on Jason's face, Medea said with utmost seriousness, "I only just learned of Pelias's death. I swear by the goddess Hecate that I did not curse or instigate the princesses to kill Pelias!"
The hesitation on Jason's face seemed to dissipate, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him. For the first time, Jason witnessed the cruel side of this foreign princess. Her indifference to life and disregard for familial bonds plunged him into an icy abyss, a chill seeping from his very bones. The best fate for his cousins who had murdered their father would be to be imprisoned in cages and live out their days in solitude, for they had committed the sin of parricide and become sinners scorned by all.
Their noble blood spared the princesses from death, but they would spend the remainder of their lives in regret.
"Why use such a method? Do you know you've ruined their lives!"
Medea's smile did not diminish. "I did not use any magic to bewitch the princesses. Why can't you believe me?"
Jason gazed deeply at the beautiful sorceress and suddenly said, "The soldiers only know their king is dead; they haven't heard that Pelias was killed by his daughters."
Medea maintained her nonchalant expression and asked curiously, "So? Since you believe I am the murderer, why don't you have the soldiers arrest me?"
A long silence descended. Jason had no reply; his coming alone spoke volumes.
"Spare my cousins. They will spend their remaining days in the temple, I promise you! They will never reveal your existence!"
Medea let out a scoff and dropped her pretense. "Hypocritical man, this is what you wanted to see, isn't it? Those naive princesses were deceived by your lies. You won't let the throne be shaken by any risk."
As she spoke, the sorceress spread open her crystal ball, and the scene of Jason intimidating the princesses and ordering the news to be suppressed appeared vividly.
"Don't thank me, and put away your false affections. Everything I have done is to spread the glory of the goddess, and it has nothing to do with you."
Medea glanced at Jason as he stood up to leave. "You cannot be a qualified king. Hesitation and indecision will only lead your subjects to lose hope. If you delay any longer, your soldiers might turn to your uncle. What better fate will you have than these naive princesses?"
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Showing mercy to enemies does not reflect a king's bearing. You should wake from your ridiculous dreams and face reality."
With that, Medea pushed open the door. The soldiers gathered outside were in full armor, their weapons poised and ready.
They did not obstruct Medea; instead, they respectfully made way, urging Jason with their gazes to act.
Jason donned his shining helmet, his eyes hidden by the shadow cast by the brim. Silently, he led the soldiers towards the chaotic royal palace.
The journey for the Golden Fleece had come to an end, but Heracles, who had disembarked midway, faced a new trial.
His friend had been abducted by Nymphs along the way and disappeared, leaving Heracles consumed by self-reproach as he wandered the land searching for his friend's whereabouts.
He had inquired of the sea goddess Medusa, but Medusa offered no answer. She comforted him, saying, "Do not worry about your friend. He will return to his homeland with treasures. The Nymphs have no intention of harming him."
Hearing the goddess's words, Heracles's guilt lessened slightly, and he embarked on his journey back to his homeland.
Alcmene and Amphitryon were overjoyed at their son's return. The heroes who had set out together returned to their respective city-states one after another, all bringing news of Heracles disembarking midway. This had caused them great worry, but now their unease could finally be dispelled.
To keep her son with them, Alcmene invited the renowned scholar Linus to teach him reading and writing. This elder, like the musician Orpheus on the Argo, was a descendant of Apollo and a mortal princess, blessed by the Muses.
Heracles's divine nature, inherited from Perseus, granted him exceptional learning talent and abilities. However, he could not bear to be confined in this small classroom and often stared out the window, lost in thought.
Linus was a strict teacher. One day, discovering Heracles gazing at the sky once more, Linus, in his anger, struck Heracles.
Heracles instinctively raised the lyre he used for lessons to block the blow. The hard lyre struck the old teacher's head, and the frail scholar immediately collapsed and died.
Radamanthus, a just and learned judge, declared him innocent after hearing Heracles's account. However, Heracles's remorse did not abate. He prayed to the gods to resurrect Linus, no matter the cost.
Linus's half-brother, Asclepius, the god of medicine, son of Apollo and the nymph Oenope, responded to his prayer. "Heracles, I can bring back the mistakenly slain Linus! As long as you offer me the blood that the Gorgon willingly gave, I can avert this tragedy."
Although the three Gorgon sisters were not complete deities, their power was unmatched by many lesser gods. Among them, Medusa, the youngest, had regained her divine glory. Under Tyche's command, she guarded the spring of wisdom beneath the World Tree.
Thanks to the lilies watered by the spring of wisdom, Medusa's blood possessed incredible magical properties. If obtained against Medusa's will, it was a deadly poison. However, if Medusa willingly gave it, this blood could resurrect the dead.
This lesser goddess was under Tyche's protection, and the god of medicine dared not offend his great-grandmother. Thus, he turned his attention to Heracles, who was favored by Medusa.
For the immortal gods, Medusa's blood was not particularly precious, and no one would offend Tyche's majesty for it.
But Asclepius was different. He sought to unlock the secrets of resurrection from it, which would lead to a breakthrough in his divine office, and humans would offer him more faith for it.