"Can I ask what your real name is?" Jason suddenly asked as Alexa looked at him with interest.
"So you know Hestia is her real name huh." She amused. "Mine's Hecate. Anything else you want to ask to buy some time for your non-existent help to arrive?"
'She is somewhat smart at least. Also system, now that we are captured, how can I call out to Hestia for help?'
[ Uh, maybe think about her? ] The system replied hesitantly. It had already given up on trying to think of a way to escape as all paths were currently blocked.
'Hestia, this would be the perfect time to show up.' Jason thought while reaching out to his connection with Hestia.
He tried his best to contact his guardian yet no response ever reach him. Jason just sagged his shoulders before shooting the children lying on the ground a glance.
He would be able to hold on if a few of them died yet the thought of thousands of children dying due to him was too much for Jason to handle.
"I am ready to accept your offer." He sighed in the end as Hecate grinned.
(AN: Sorry to ruin your immersion but I just wanted to point out that these name changes can be confusing. Please bare with me and I promise you won't regret it.)
Hecate smiled at his words as she put Noah's body down on the ground and looked straight into Jason's eyes.
"You can accept that then." She ordered as a window opened in front of Jason.
---
The Guardian of Mistopia is asking you to become her vessel.
---
Jason stared at the screen for a few seconds before sighing. He had no idea what would happen if Hecate entered his body yet he didn't seem to be having many options.
[ There's always the option of dying available for you. ] The system said, its voice barely a whisper that Jason would've missed if not for the fact that it had echoed right inside his mind.
'I would rather live with her as my guardian then die.' Jason smiled ruefully.
He had already experienced death once and it happened when he had lost everything. Right now, he had a lot of things that he didn't want to lose.
'Perhaps that's why people love cold and indifferent main characters. They don't have anything tying them down and can take any decision they want to take.' Jason observed but before he could accept Hecate as his guardian, a chuckle echoed inside his mind.
[ You remind me of someone I used to know, Jason Syrward. ] Hestia's voice echoed inside his mind as something suddenly wrapped around his body.
Jason felt as though he was sitting near a fireplace during winters and was drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
[ I've that effect on people when I first meet them. I'm the goddess of the hearth after all. ] Hestia's voice once again entered his mind as Jason's eyes parted in surprise.
'Wait… you are a goddess?!'
[ No, your mind is playing tricks on you. Now be silent and let me teach Hecate a lesson.]
Jason suddenly felt himself losing control of his body as a window opened in front of him.
---
Will you allow your guardian to use your voice to talk?
Yes / No
---
Jason blinked once before choosing yes. He then lifted his face to look at Hecate who had a smug expression on her face.
Hecate's face, however, was soon covered by a frown as she saw Jason staring her right in the eyes.
"Hurry up and accept the request. What are you waiting for?" she inquired as a smile appeared on Jason's face.
The strange thing was that he hadn't willed his lips to move up and it hadn't happened unconsciously either.
"Hecate, you never understood why I stepped down from that position of power, did you?" Jason's mouth moved yet the voice didn't belong to him.
Instead it was Hestia's voice speaking through Jason's mouth.
"Hestia…" Hecate looked as though she had just been told that she was adopted from a sewer. Her eyes immediately jerked to look at the children as she tried to kill one of them in order to make Hestia stand down.
Unfortunately for her, it was too late.
"You can try doing that once you've answered my question." Hestia spoke again.
Hecate's body suddenly froze as Jason felt a wave of power spreading throughout his body. It was Hestia's powers working her way over Hestia's body as the later was rendered useless.
"You were a fool to give up your position as one of the twelve gods of Olympus." Hecate spat at Jason's feet as she looked at Hestia with hatred. "Why did you give up that power?"
"Because if I didn't, we wouldn't have the current twelve gods that we do now. I chose the position of the Hearth tender because it was the best job for me back then." Hestia sighed.
[ Jason, can you lend me your body for a few minutes? I swear an oath on my name that I won't do anything foul using your body. ] Hestia asked mentally.
'Uh, sure.' Jason gave her the permission to use his body as he suddenly felt his body slipping out from his control.
Hestia took control over his body the next second as she looked at Hecate with a slight smile.
"But once I was abandoned and locked on that separate realm, my hatred towards all gods grew equally. If not for Aiden, I wouldn't be here currently."
Hecate visibly flinched when she heard the name Aiden coming out from Hestia's mouth. Jason on the other hand felt slightly confused.
'Are you talking about Aiden who has black hair and red as blood eyes and is known by various names?' Jason inquired.
[ You know him? ] Hestia sounded surprised yet her surprise didn't last for long. [ We will talk more about this later on. ]
After saying that, she turned her attention towards Hecate before raising her right hand forward.
"You are lucky that Jason's body can't handle my powers or I would've smited you. Currently, I've to settle for banishing you."
Jason's right hand suddenly started glowing as a beam of divine wrath shot from his palm and hit Hecate right in the head.
The guardian's eyes widened as she shot backwards and hit the trunk of a tree. Hestia stared at her for a few seconds before giving the control back to Jason.
[ We will talk once you are asleep. ]
'But Erebus…' Jason's voice trailed off as he realized that Hestia had slipped away.
He sighed aloud before looking at the children and trying to figure out his next move. Jason then looked straight ahead as he saw Hecate's body slumped on the ground.
He made his way to her and placed his hand on her neck in an attempt to hear her pulse. But once he didn't find anything, he sighed in relief.
From Hestia's words, he knew that Hecate wasn't dead and just had been banished to who knows where.
Jason wondered who the body belonged to as he stared at the sky. Night had already arrived and Jason knew that many beasts in the forest would've started hunting at this time.
[ You can try contacting Risa using the family connection. ] The system suggested.
'I would've done that if I knew how to do it.' Jason pointed out as he summoned a lightning bolt and passed it through Hecate's body such that the lightning bolt pinned her to the tree and prevented her from running.
This was a precaution in case she suddenly woke up and decided to attack him.
Jason then looked at the children one last time before trying to talk with Risa.
"Hello, grandma. can you hear me?" Jason asked aloud while thinking of Risa. He didn't know how this worked and could only hope that his voice got through to Risa.
'Until then, what do you think is happening system?' Jason asked while sitting down near a tree.
[ You have to be more specific as a lot of things have happened recently. ]
'I mean what do you think about Hestia being a goddess and such,' Jason corrected. 'If I remember correctly, she was the thirteenth Olympian and the goddess of the Hearth while Hecate was the goddess of witchcraft.'
[ You are correct about that. Both are definitely the name of goddesses yet what role they will play in your life is still unknown. ]
'Well, I can already tell that I am about to be wrapped in the middle of some mess soon.' Jason sighed audibly. 'I wish I could just live the life of a ten year old in peace.'
[ You might get that wish fulfilled but what will you do in the future. Most protagonists face problems in their teenage years. ]
'Looks like you learned many things from me.' Jason nodded his head in acknowledgment. 'However, I am no protagonist.'
[ You are one no matter which angle you look at it with. ]
'Well then if I am a protagonist, I'm a very lousy one with an all talk and no action of a system.' Jason smiled as he could tell that the system felt offended.
[ Hmph! At least you have me to talk with. You won't feel lonely because of that. ]
'Yeah, Yeah. I know.' Jason finally stood up as he decided to contact Risa once again before trying to find his way out of the forest.
"Can anyone hear me?!" Jason shouted aloud as his voice echoed around the forest. He knew that it wasn't exactly the best move as he might have attracted many beasts but he had no other option.
A few minutes passed by after Jason had shouted yet no one appeared in front of him.
*rustle!*
Jason suddenly heard a group of bushes rustling as he activated his night vision and was ready to lunge at whoever was hiding in the bushes.
However, he was surprised when someone's voice came from the bushes. "Maybe you should try a less screaming approach from next time."
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