After surviving the storm, breaking through the vortex belt, slipping past the Rock of Collision, and finally escaping the fog—what else is there to do when you're completely exhausted?
Naturally, you rest up a bit… then throw an open-air party under the bright moonlight!
The moon hung high as the Argo drifted calmly across the sea. All repair work and supply organizing were happily dumped onto the tireless Dragon Tooth soldiers and stone statues. One by one, everyone pushed open the cabin doors and gathered on deck.
The heroes exchanged knowing looks. As their breathing settled, smiles bloomed across their faces. With practiced coordination, they hauled out the treasured wine and ingredients hidden in the storage room, and of course, their most praised chef—Samael—took command of the cooking.
Circe was originally a top candidate for head chef, especially since her porridge was undeniably superb.
But after that one unfortunate banquet where the great witch, acting on an impulsive itch, dumped a random mix of potions into the soup pot—turning half the heroes present into piglets—
Circe was strictly forbidden from stepping into the kitchen anymore. The Healer God even confiscated seventy percent of her "extremely suspicious" bottles and jars.
The tides were calm, the silver moonlight shimmered across the endless sea, and the heroes—firm believers in enjoying life while they could—felt delightfully at ease.
In the cool night breeze, Artemis wrapped an arm around a proud and energetic Orion, bringing him to the best vantage point. Bathed in moonlight, the pair gazed out across the boundless ocean.
The gentle wind lifted the moon goddess's white dress, revealing flashes of luminous skin. The scoundrel nestled in her arms looked utterly entranced, inching himself—quite intentionally—toward those tempting curves.
Jason meanwhile retrieved his fishing gear, sat at the gunwale, and cast his line, vowing to catch fresh seafood for everyone's extra meal.
Heracles, Perseus, Telamon, and the other powerhouses gripped throwing spears, scanning the waters for movement. Others took up harpoons and dove straight into the sea, hunting for the perfect feast to satisfy their heroic appetites.
For a while, the strong and delicious sea beasts were truly out of luck. They became prime targets for the merciless pack of sea-going monsters known as the Argonauts.
Their shrill cries of outrage blended with the crashing waves, creating a strangely entertaining symphony.
"Fruit porridge, caviar, special toast, and I'm adding a few extra salted fish for you…"
Samael slapped the food onto Captain Jason's personal plate with malicious enthusiasm. Not only did the man eat like a king whenever he was in a good mood, he also shamelessly begged Samael to cook for him daily. And earlier he had fished for three or four hours without catching a single scale—only a pile of seaweed…
…honestly speechless.
But there was nothing Jason could do. With that rowdy bunch of lunatics thrashing around in the sea, who in their right mind expected him to catch anything?
Once things were roughly settled, Samael lazily handed the cooking station over to the Dragon Tooth soldiers and golems Circe had summoned. Carrying two dainty servings of fruit shaved ice and cream cake, he climbed up to the lookout platform and handed one to Atalanta, who was standing guard.
Now that Samael had taken her place, the huntress relaxed a little. She scooped a bite of the finely crushed ice mixed with coconut and fruit—the refreshing sweet-tart flavor, paired with just a hint of sea salt that perfectly lifted the taste, made Atalanta's green eyes brighten. Her cat-like ears twitched with faint delight.
And suddenly, that pair of ears—accidentally acting as emotional antennas—was seized by a mischievous hand, rubbed and kneaded teasingly.
"I'll never understand your strange habits…"
Atalanta froze, frowning with a soft, displeased sound.
"Petting cats is good for your physical and mental health…"
"It's a lion! A lion!"
Samael's awkward laugh only made her more exasperated.
"Ahem, boss lady, I made this especially for you. Pretty good, right? Look, I've got one too—matching pair…"
"That's it? What, you think I'm a cat you can feed with scraps? Hmph! And you dare hide one? Hand it over!"
"It's not hiding… it's a Couple's Set…"
Atalanta finished her own portion, raised a cool eyebrow, and snatched the other one right out of Samael's hand without hesitation.
With the second dessert secured, the huntress glanced at the sulking troublemaker beside her. A faint smirk curled her lips, and a small, satisfying sense of repayment warmed her chest.
"Couples' meal, huh…"
Samael clicked his tongue with pointed implication, a flicker of fire dancing in his eyes.
"What now?"
"You ate my share. Shouldn't you offer some compensation?"
"Compensation? Sure. Come to my room tonight. I'll properly 'take care' of you…"
Atalanta shot a glance at the shameless tease, narrowing her eyes in a smug smile as she slapped Samael hard on the shoulder. The look on her face had all the proud mockery of a feline playing with a snake.
Tch. So that's a no for tonight.
The old pervert caught the teasing undertone in her voice and instantly deflated.
Just as the two continued their playful bickering on the lookout platform and the atmosphere was starting to heat up, two silhouettes—one large, one small—drifted toward them in the moonlight.
"What's with the sneaking around?"
Before the approaching duo could tiptoe any closer, Samael turned with clear irritation.
"It's not me. It's your sweetheart looking for you…"
Artemis waved cheerfully. Orion hopped off her shoulder, tossing Samael a palm-sized scale shimmering with rainbow light. His expression was unusually stern.
Samael brushed his fingertips across its surface, feeling the shallow grooves and etched patterns. His eyebrow rose.
"A sea chart?"
"A fish-scale chart. The Sea Emperor's folk love using these glittery things to record routes and diagrams…"
"Where'd you get it?"
"That little girl who slept on our ship. The moment she clumsily got up, she dropped this…"
Girl, it's a miracle you've made it this far.
The Ancient Serpent sighed inwardly again. In the moon's glow, he examined the scale carefully, his slit pupils narrowing.
Whether islands or sea regions, nothing on this map matched any landmark nearby—or anywhere across the entire Oceanus.
"If we'd known the chart was fake and useless, maybe we shouldn't have let that kid go so soon."
Orion scratched his head in frustration.
"Don't worry, darling! I can go back right now, snag that little shrimp, and if she won't talk, we'll toss her into a dark room and interrogate her!"
Artemis chirped brightly as she stroked her plush toy, her smile brimming with enthusiasm.
All three others rolled their eyes in unison, ignoring the Moon Goddess completely.
"The chart might actually be real…"
Samael let out a quiet, meaningful laugh. The scale twirled between his fingers like a shiny coin.
"Impossible. I've memorized every route I've ever sailed. Not just nearby—there isn't a single spot in the whole Oceanus that matches this map."
Orion frowned, utterly certain.
"What if those places… aren't on the sea at all?"
Samael stopped his little finger trick, flipped the scale into his palm, then held it up as he slowly opened his fingers and let it drop.
Only when the shimmering scale fell into Orion's hands did the realization strike him.
"You're saying…?"
Samael looked toward the storm sea behind the Argo, now sealed behind layers of fog, and spoke softly:
"The answer might already be right in front of us…"
"Then I'm turning us around right now!"
"Don't rush. We've waited decades—you really care about a few days? Besides, that place didn't seem peaceful. Let the kid go back and scout first. Better prepared than dead…"
"But without a guide, even if we find the entrance, can we even get in?"
Orion's worry crept into his voice.
Samael leaned against the railing and motioned toward the deck. A bright young man sitting at the bow smiled lightly and plucked his lyre strings.
The obscure melody that followed made Artemis pause in pleasant surprise, and even Orion—reacting slower—found himself relaxing.
As expected of Orpheus. He actually remembered the tune.
With that, Samael's confidence in exploring that chaotic zone grew stronger.
"Then how about we turn back? Just to take a look… just one glance…"
Orion turned to peer behind them, still unwilling to give up.
With dawn's pale light creeping across the horizon, Samael glanced at the coastline emerging ahead and snorted.
"What do you mean 'just one glance'? We're already at our destination."
"What destination?"
"The destination of the entire Argo crew—the sacred land where the Golden Fleece is kept. The Kingdom of Colchis!"
Orion jumped up onto the railing. Seeing the coastline coming into clear view, he could only sigh and let it go.
"Perfect. While Jason and the others are fetching the Golden Fleece, we can make preparations of our own. Oh, right—what was that language you used with the little girl? Teach me once we're ashore."
"Atlantis. I think it's called Atlantean. Only spoken among the Sea Emperor's clan. I happened to learn it thanks to my Sea God blood…"
"Atlantis?"
Samael froze for a second, then a smile slowly bloomed. He glanced again at the fish-scale map in Orion's hands and murmured:
"Looks like we're really in luck this time…"
...
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