The Crew of the Argo
Only once did any real commotion break out during our crossing of the Black Sea toward Colchis.
A Siren appeared—her lower body that of a bird, like a Harpy—beating her wings and luring the sailors with her beautiful voice. These creatures were not the monsters we should have encountered here, but judging by their appearance, they had clearly expanded their territory. I made a note of their new habitat in my journal.
Though they shared the same avian nature as Harpies, the Sirens possessed separate wings and hands, allowing them to groom themselves. Unlike the Harpies, they were beautiful women, and the Greek heroes—those living embodiments of perverse lust—swallowed hard at the sight. Fortunately, the sharp cries of the women in our party, whose minds remained firmly in control, snapped everyone back to their senses before anyone could lose themselves completely.
Still, I had to endure another scolding from Achilles: “You may look at other women all you like, but monsters are off-limits!” I couldn’t understand why it was acceptable for him to lose his mind over horse cocks while I was forbidden from admiring a bird’s cunt. Wasn’t this the very definition of double standards?
It already felt as though I were married and under my wife’s thumb.
Unable to seduce us with their looks, the Sirens fell back on their true talent—songs and instrumental performances meant to bewitch sailors. Yet here stood Orpheus, bearer of that legendary name, and their magic had no effect. After a musical battle that delighted every ear, Orpheus emerged victorious to thunderous applause. Tears of joy streamed down his face; he had finally accomplished something great. The Sirens, crushed by defeat, hurled themselves into the sea and drowned.
With the Sirens vanquished, we continued toward Colchis accompanied by Orpheus’s joyful lyre. Before long the coastline stretched out before us, and a host of soldiers appeared to greet our arrival.
This was Colchis.
Medea’s kingdom—her sanctuary.
The Colchian soldiers who met the Argonauts along the Black Sea shore were surprisingly welcoming rather than hostile. They greeted us warmly, Jason exchanged friendly words with them, and we were escorted all the way to the palace of Anemeros, where Medea resided.
The palace of Colchis was a splendid place of white and crimson stone, adorned with countless lunar motifs. Statues of a three-headed goddess lined the halls—undoubtedly depictions of Hecate, whom Medea worshipped. The figures were so ominous that I dared not touch them for fear of some curse.
Guided to the innermost chamber, we finally came face to face with Medea herself. She wore a crimson chiton embroidered with gold, her red hair and blood-red eyes marking her unmistakably as the witch queen.
“Welcome to Colchis, eleventh Jason and heroes of the mainland. I am Medea, Queen of Colchis and priestess of Lady Hecate.”
『…………』
Along with Jason, we offered our respects. Of course, by the standards of Greek heroes, this was already the height of courtesy; among them, basic manners barely existed, so simply refraining from interrupting her counted as considerable effort.
“In accordance with the ancient covenant, it is my duty to test whether each successive Jason who reaches this place is worthy to rule Iolcos. This task falls to me not as queen, but as a witch and priestess serving Lady Hecate. I have no personal feelings in the matter. That I have survived to perform this role is penance for the cruelties of my past. I ask that you bear no misunderstanding.”
She smiled sweetly, yet her eyes remained sharp as blades, every word directed at Jason. Even a fool could see the lie behind her gentle tone, and the expedition’s leader grew visibly tense.
She’s even crazier than I expected.
Her entire bearing screamed, “I want you dead!” At least her mouth worked as smoothly as mine; she spun lie after lie to keep the heroes at ease, then summoned beautiful women and handsome youths to loosen the atmosphere.
“The trials for the eleventh Jason and his companions will begin tomorrow. You must be weary after your long journey, so please rest well. I shall appear again in this hall tomorrow, and until then—”
“Wait a moment! I wish to discuss the trials right now—?!”
“Jason. If you have private business, I ask that we speak in the quiet chamber beyond. …Will you follow me?”
“That is…”
While the heroes’ eyes were drawn to the naked women and beautiful boys bearing feasts and temptations, Jason and Medea faced off. The true test of this expedition would begin here in Colchis. Jason wanted to discuss the trials with Medea, yet remembering she was a witch, he hesitated to be alone with her. The look in her eyes made it clear she longed to kill him; he clearly feared some terrible fate if he followed.
“Shall I go instead?”
“No, I’ll go. I have personal matters to settle as well.”
Iolaus noticed Jason’s unease and signaled me, but I shook my head and refused. She worried whether sending me was safe, yet when I whispered that I was immune to curses, she merely pursed her lips beneath her veil and let out a startled sound.
“Iolaus, stay with Heracles. Make sure nothing strange is added to the food. If Medea intends to interfere with our trials, she will target Heracles first.”
“You’re right. An excellent judgment.”
Iolaus nodded twice, bowed politely, and hurried toward Heracles. I turned from her and ran to Jason, seizing his wrist and announcing my presence.
“Perseus?”
We lowered our voices before Medea.
“I’m coming with you.”
“Are you sure? You might end up cursed.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Really?”
“Who on this ship is closest to the gods? Just as Orpheus protected us with his music, I have my own role to play.”
“Oh… right, I forgot… To think the leader of the Argonauts would forget his crew’s specialties…”
Jason pulled me into a quick embrace, murmuring how fortunate he was to have me. I hadn’t expected Hephaestus’s divine authority to prove useful so soon. Without it, even under divine orders, I would have hesitated to step forward.
“Have you finished your discussion? Then, shall we proceed inside?”
“Yes.”
Jason held my hand tightly, treating me like a younger brother, and followed Medea. She glanced back, her crimson eyes narrowing as if she could not fathom why such a child had joined the expedition.
“Hmm…”
Her troubled sigh reached our ears. Jason trailed behind her, unable to hide his mischievous grin, his ponytail swaying. That same impish smile often appeared on both naughty children and Hermes; I suspected introducing the two would lead to considerable amusement.
Entirely unaware of Jason’s expression, Medea let out a quiet huff of irritation and led us deeper into the palace. The chamber was less a throne room than a place for secret talks, dominated by the largest statue of Hecate. Scattered men’s weapons and clothing added to the eerie atmosphere, yet Medea walked through the gloom without concern and gestured for us to sit.
“Coming this far means you’re prepared to endure anything, doesn’t it?”
“Oh?”
Once we were alone, Medea dropped all pretense.
She swept her red hair back and laughed with wild abandon. Until now her manners had at least been courteous, but now she was simply the witch.
“Well? Do you like what you see?”
“I wonder…”
Even in this situation, Jason trusted me enough to chuckle and jab my side. Medea was a striking beauty in crimson. As a married woman, her breasts and hips were full and inviting; any man who enjoyed taming fierce women would be desperate to break her.
“At least her figure is rather nice…?”
“And her personality?”
“I have no taste for being dominated by women. We probably wouldn’t get along.”
“Would you say that in front of Achilles?”
“I’m not exactly living under someone’s thumb… am I?”
Before he could finish, Medea slammed her palm on the wooden table. Only now did I notice that even her nails were painted crimson.
“I’ll give you credit for having the nerve to joke in front of a witch. Or are you the type who, like every Jason before you, dismisses my magic as mere illusion?”
“Not at all. I didn’t come here to fight you. I only want to ask about the trials. Once we’re done, we’ll leave immediately, so please set your anger aside.”
Jason’s words only made Medea’s smile grow more savage. Refusing to be outdone, he pressed on.
“I want to return as soon as possible and reassure the people of Iolcos. The ninth and tenth Jasons failed their expeditions, and the current king of Iolcos has grown old and frail without an heir. I want to let him rest as soon as I can. So if possible, I’d like to have a constructive conversation.”
“Do you know how the ninth and tenth died?”
“How did they die?”
“Look beside you.”
We turned again to the men’s clothing and weapons piled beneath the great Hecate statue. I had wondered why they lay there; now I understood.
“They didn’t die failing the trials or battling monsters. They died right here.”
“Yes. They were all as shameless and foolish as you.”
Medea rose and approached Jason. The witch bared sharp, shark-like teeth in a bright smile, yet remained devastatingly beautiful.
“The ninth Jason was perfectly suited to his era. He refused to believe in gods or magic. He was so recklessly brave that it was a wonder he reached this far at all—always rushing to slay the monsters before him. In the end he mistook his own crew for monsters and slaughtered them, only to be struck down in turn. That’s how he ended up like this.”
“I have no interest in the circumstances of my predecessors. Let’s talk about the trials.”
“Ahaha, neither do I! I have no interest in the personal affairs of you Jasons either! Even if you speak earnestly about wanting to undergo trials to become king of Iolcos, I have no desire to take you seriously. I’m only doing this because Lady Hecate asked it of me. In other words, it’s purely a matter of duty.”
Medea laughed brightly and stroked Jason’s cheek, her red eyes gleaming in the darkness.
Did she not even see me sitting right beside him?
She was completely absorbed in the name “Jason.”
“Though it is a forced duty imposed by Lady Hecate, I don’t entirely dislike it. Within these trials I can enjoy myself in my own way. Yes—this is that time. The time to tear the heirs of Jason to pieces. Watching them arrive ignorant and eager, only to be driven mad by my magic, is always such a delightful thrill.”
“This is…”
Jason’s smile vanished as he realized Medea’s madness exceeded his expectations. He shot me a pleading look. “This is really okay, right?” his eyes asked. I merely shrugged. “If it fails, it’s not my fault.”
“You—?!”
Jason’s crooked expression was priceless. At last Medea turned her gaze on me. Just as Hephaestus had said, she truly had no interest in anyone but Jason; her attitude toward me was unexpectedly relaxed.
“The little one beside you is still quite young. Did you bring him along as a toy? I’ve heard mainland men enjoy relations with other men, but I never imagined they’d bring one aboard ship for that purpose. Earlier you were simply playing along with this man’s jest, weren’t you? You succeeded in angering me—your acting was quite impressive. I’ll spare your life in recognition of that talent. From now on, you may serve in this palace.”
I had to admire how generous she could be when rational, yet the violet light gathering in her eyes was utterly terrifying.
“Perseus…?! Wait, hey, Perseus! You’re joking, right?! This is a joke?!”
The eleventh Jason panicked at the sight. The beams of light shot forward without hesitation.
The light of madness that drove men insane.
It was the same magic Medea had used to kill the ninth Jason.
*1) While Harpies are spirits, Sirens are sea nymphs. Being a nymph does not mean one will not harm humans.
*2) Cruel, wild, fierce, rough.