Curse of the Argo

...(Turns page)

...(Munch, munch)

Um...

(What's going on here...?)

(Why are Circe and Atalante lounging around on Senpai's bed...?)

(Well...maybe not exactly lounging so much as relaxing...)

(Circe is reading a book...and Atalante seems to be lost in some video...)

...(Turns page)

Holy crap, seriously...? What's wrong with people these days...?

...Hey, can you grab those for me?

Absolutely not. (Toss)

Thanks! Man, these sticky note things are great.

...Hey. What was that person's name again?

Huh? How the hell should I know? I'm the Queen Witch, remember?

Maybe Hermaphroditus? Oh, I bet it's Clytemnestra.

That's it. I could not remember for the life of me. ...Mm.

What is this stuff?

Apple chips. They are quite good. If you eat two at once, it changes the flavor.

Oh please, don't be ridiculous. There's no way that could... (Munch)

Whoa... You're right. (Munch, munch)

Here Mash, you've gotta try these. You get a whole different flavor if you eat two at a time!

O-okay, thank you. I'd be glad to try some.

(Munch, crunch...)

(...I know I have no real basis for thinking this, but...)

(...is this what most teenage girls do when they spend time together?)

...You there, witch. What spell tome are you reading?

It's Queen Witch.

What a garish cover. The cover's array of pink fluorescent hearts makes my eyes water.

And why is it so thick? Is it meant to be used as a bludgeon?

Remember that weird field trip we went on the other day? I just happened to find this when we stopped by that convenience store. Hehehe!

Check out all the bonus stuff they give you with it!

Matching aprons, adorable oven mitts, and a selfie stick with Cupid wings!

And...ooh, I'm sensing a lot of magical energy from this special marriage registration in the back!

I see. Good for you. Enjoy your reading, then.

...Circe! Get up already!

Oh... Hello, Nitocris. Thank you for helping Senpai out.

Of course. Though I must say, I didn't expect to come back to such a sad state of affairs.

How can you still call yourself a teacher, wallowing about like a pig?

It's deplorable... All the other witches from the great Age of Gods would be ashamed of you!

Ugh, lay offa me! What are you, my mother?

O-of course not. M-more of a conscientious younger sister.

At any rate, I know Medea already talked to you about this too...

...but make sure you fill out the Caster bulletin and put it back where it belongs like we asked you to!

Yeah, yeah, I got it already.

Hmph...

？！

Aah! (Frenzied cleaning)

Oh, hello, Senpai. We were just changing shifts. You have a break now too, right?

H-hey there, Piglet! I'm doing better than okay! What a coincidence, running into you here!

If you're tired, I've got some kykeon all ready to go for an afternoon snack!

I've also got a remedy that'll double your fatigue now but make it all go away like magic in a few days if you like.

When are you going to figure out that administering it in small doses only ends up increasing your target's poison resistance?

I believe she is panicking about being compared to all the new Greek additions that have shown up as of late.

Please do not be too harsh with her.

Stop that! Don't you look away like that just 'cause you're feeling awkward, Mash!

？！

H-here, Senpai, why don't you have a seat? I'll go make some tea.

？！

？！

...I couldn't help but notice you've been watching it very intently.

I also noticed you tearing up at times, so I wasn't sure what to say...

O-oh... This?

This is an old video I found in Chaldea's library.

It is so painful to watch that it took my breath away.

It tells the story of children still too young to attend school who are forced by their cruel parents to go on a trip to procure supplies.

It has everything. Trials, tribulations, tears, twists, triumph... I could watch it forever.

Jason's journey to find the Golden Fleece was nothing compared to what these poor children endured!

That's...really saying something.

Aw come on, that's not fair to Jason.

You should know that, Atalante, seeing how you were one of the Argonauts.

Hmph... You have always been too soft when it comes to sailors.

That is why you are always so put upon.

Ghh...

Haha...

？！

...Good question. It does seem like they get along very well.

...

...Did you hear that?

Well, maybe they have a point.

We didn't have a lot of contact in our own time, but that might have been for the best.

？！

A story from Greek mythology? I'd love to hear that as well.

Hmm. A story about the good old days, huh?

I... I would rather...

Fine with me! Anything for my darling Piglet!

Though it was nothing grand enough to be recorded in poems or stories passed down through the ages.

Let's see... Our story begins long before the Trojan War was a glimmer in anyone's eye...

Oink, oiiink! (Squealing and sobbing)

There, there. I know it hurt. You must've been so scared. But it's all okay now.

Circe, tell me, what business does a famed witch have with us?

A warning! What else!? Listen up, Jason, captain of the Argo!

As long as you're staying on this island, you're free to fish anything you want from the sea, or to pick any of the fruit of this land.

But do not lay so much as a finger on this island's animals!

Remember, this island is my domain. If you, or any of your Argonauts, should break my rules...

...you'll be lucky to escape with your lives, let alone a repaired boat!

...Duly noted.

Damn, and here I thought I'd finally get some steak for the first time in ages... Guess it's back to wyvern jerky.

Hey! You two! Put those pigs back where you found them!

That's right. You're Fujimaru and...Mashaea, was it?

Huh?

The hell're you talking about, creep? We just saw each other this morning.

That goes for you too, Mashaea, or whatever your name was. Got it?

？！

...Mashaea? Senpai, when did we become sailors?

Does this mean we've joined Jason and become members of the Argonauts now?

That is correct. Still...it is quite a shame...

Had I known what would happen, I would have strangled this prey on the spot...

O-oiiink!

So... You're the one who set a trap for my precious piglets!

...Wait. Why would you even do that after I made some kykeon to welcome you all!?

How stupid do you think we must be to accept a gift from the witch of Aeaea Island at face value?

Hehe, I believe you mean QUEEN Witch!

Exactly.

We didn't sail all this way just to have you poison us and make off with our treasure.

Hey, I wouldn't do that! For one thing, I'd never lay a hand on my own brother's treasure.

Treasure...? Do you mean the king of Colchis's most prized possession?

？！

None other.

After everything my crew and I have been through, you'd better believe we're going to be on our guard.

Though I guess it's no surprise you two wouldn't know that, since you only just joined us.

...So then, we must be in the middle of the Argo's voyage to bring the Golden Fleece back from Colchis.

As I recall, during that voyage, Zeus got angry and hurled a tremendous storm at the Argo...

Correct.

MedQueen Medea killing her younger brother, Prince Apsyrtus, was the catalyst for his wrath.

Once he learned of this crime, Zeus flew into a rage.

He struck the Argo with lightning, battered it with great waves, and plunged it into a storm so fierce the keel was nearly torn apart.

The only reason we managed to barely survive was my mastery of the sail and rudder...

...as well as the courage of my loyal Argonauts.

...I expect Castor and Pollux's pleas must have reached Zeus's ears.

...

？！

She's inside the Argo's wreck over on the beach.

She shut herself up in the cabin after she killed Apsyrtus and hasn't spoken to anyone since.

The only exception she will make is for our rostrum oak from Dodona.

...

The oak from Dodona... You mean the talking wood that's only found in the land of Zeus's oracle?

So she'd rather talk to a piece of lumber than you or your crew? Aren't you ashamed of that!?

...Ohhh, right. Technically, you're my aunt-in-law, aren't you, Circe?

And here I still haven't thanked you properly.

If you're gonna call me your aunt, then you'd better take good care of Medea.

...I wouldn't have even let you near Aeaea Island if she hadn't been on your ship.

Zeus will eventually get over his rage, but the Argo will still be cursed.

It's only a matter of time until you run into more foul weather, or get stranded somewhere else. Just look how beat-up your ship is.

How many times have you wrecked that thing? Forget repairing it; you should just throw it away and find a new one.

Wha...!? Don't be ridiculous! I can't do that!

The Argo is my ship! It's going to guide me back to my home of Thessaly!

...Now, now, easy there, Jason.

...? Who's that...?

？！

If you continue such drastic repairs, your ship will, in essence, become a new vessel.

Should that come to pass, would you still call it your beloved Argo?

Of course I could. It's the only ship worthy of being with me for my whole life.

I won't let it go no matter what, not even if it gets smashed from bow to stern.

Of course that's your answer. I suppose that is one way for a hero of the sea to live...

...Now then. Circe, beautiful ruler of Aeaea Island, goddess of mercy with the wisdom and providence of Artemis...

...I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. It is a genuine pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Oh? Well now, I can't remember the last time someone paid me the proper respects. Hehe.

I wonder who that is? No...hang on...

Those Ionian looks... That tropical accent...

And that expensive himation with the pattern reserved strictly for royalty...!

I know...who you are. I think I know your name, too...

You're...the king of Athens!

...Indeed I am. I'm honored that you know of me. But right now, I'm just Jason's friend and fellow Argonaut.

Well no wonder the Argo's cursed if it's got guys like you on board!

I...I can't believe you have the guts to show your face before me, Theseus!

Theseus...! The heroic young king of Athens...!

I-I believe so.

Yes... I'm sure you have, Senpai.

？！

He's the hero who made his way through the great labyrinth of Crete and defeated the Minotaur.

A hero, huh... Yeah, maybe.

Theseus did help my sister, Pasiphaë, wrap up one of her loose moral ends.

After he escaped from the labyrinth, I heard he took her daughter, my niece, Princess Ariadne...

...who was, I would add, the spitting image of her mother, as his bride.

And yet, for some reason, I haven't heard anything more about Ariadne after that happened. Not a peep.

Instead, all I've heard is how the king of Athens recently welcomed a new queen to his palace.

...Why is that, Theseus? What was so wrong with Ariadne that she couldn't be your queen?

...I still love Ariadne, even now. I'm more grateful to her than you know.

But unfortunately, she had no intention of bearing me an heir.

As a man, I could accept that choice and respect it.

But as the king of Athens, this created a problem that I had to solve.

Much as I wish it weren't, that is part of my kingly duty. I am so sorry.

...Ghh...

I swear! What is it about my family that makes heroes everywhere just wanna mess with us?

...That's enough, Theseus. Step down. I'm plenty calm now.

I trust you understand why I didn't want you and Circe running into each other?

Yes, I do, Jason. I'm sorry for overstepping my bounds.

I'll get back to supervising repairs on the Argo.

...Circe, Queen Witch, it is too soon for you to lose hope and curse us.

You have Medea.

She speaks of you often, and clearly has fond memories of you as her teacher.

And right now, Medea wants nothing more than to see the Argo's voyage completed.

I know she is not here asking you for help, but I also know that is what she wants.

Indeed. Atalante is absolutely right, Circe.

So I ask you now, as the leader of the Argonauts: please, help us return to the sea.

For my wife'sfor Medea'ssake as much as ours.

...

...I guess my bloodline was just fated to be the plaything of gods and heroes alike.

I actually did not care a great deal about all of that.

I only wished that Medea's twisted romance would hurry and end, so she may find happiness again.

...So then, Circe did go on to honor Jason's request and help the Argonauts.

？！

So...what happened next?

According to myth, the Argo continued its voyage for quite some time after that, right?

Indeed. And that is exactly what happened.

However...Circe was dead set on getting Medea to resolve the situation for herself.

She kept trying to wake her up to the disaster she had invited and face up to it.

...At least, that is what you were trying to do, was it not?

...Yeah, it was. Not that it did any good.

My former pupil refused to see me, even after I came to the Argo in person.

She refused to open up, and wouldn't let anyone besides Jason come near her.

Honestly, I'm not even sure Jason's attempts to console her got through.

Eventually, I just ended up waving my wand to dispel the Argo's curse.

...All right, listen up, brave Argonauts.

Let's go over the dispelling ritual one more time.

This elixir I whipped up will make ephemeral concepts corporeal for a short while.

Once you sprinkle it over the hull, it'll make its curse something you can touchor, more to the point, hit.

If you can defeat the curse before the elixir's effects run out, the Argo should then be free of it for good.

But be warned: if you fail to defeat it, it'll get even stronger and come back to haunt this ship with a vengeance.

So the curse will take the form of a monster, huh. I suppose it being only one monster would be too much to hope for?

If not, that's where Theseus'll come in!

Now that Heracles is gone, there's no one else on the crew who can match his might. Haaahaha!

Are you nuts? I'd rather die than ask Theseus for help.

So, before it comes to that...I'm willing to lend a hand myself.

You? For real? Are you sure you even know how to fight, grandma?

You're the last person I want to hear that from!

I think it's wonderful that you'll be joining the fray.

I only hope that the ship doesn't get wrecked again now that it's almost repaired.

Also there're some ominous clouds making their way toward this island. If the seas start acting up, there's no telling what might happen to the ship.

It's the curse pulling those storm clouds here. How is that a surprise? Of course the gods aren't gonna be thrilled about this, you jagoff.

Nonetheless...I swear to Hecate that your sails will be filled with wind again.

Now come on, Jason, grab your sword and help us!

Grab my sword? I've got my hands full just keeping Medea's cabin safe!

Are you serious!? This is YOUR ship! You are sincerely dedicated to being a complete dick, aren't you?

It is nothing new for him. If any monsters try to escape, I will take care of them.

Fujimaru, Mashaea, I would appreciate your help as well.

R-right...! I'd be glad to!

...Good to hear.

...

？！

There, now that I've finished off this bottle of wine, let's get to the beach and do this thing!

Okay Argonauts, go forth and get our home back!

Haaa!

There, that takes care of all the monsters on the deck!

Now we just need to take care of the ones in the hold. What are your orders, Jason!?

Well, uh, I'm afraid...

？！

Again, hmm. Very well then, we will just have to finish this ourselves.

Circe...? ...Ah...

...So, you've finally shown yourself before me.

Huh? Medea's...commanding the curse monsters...?

What... What is the meaning of this, Medea...!?

Hello, Circe, Atalante... Did you come here to laugh at me while I was bawling my eyes out?

Or perhaps to admonish me for my sins...?

...Medea...

...No, nothing like that. I'm here to celebrate this new chapter in your life.

New chapter...?

Just as I will never again be seen merely as a priestess...

...Medea, you too have become a woman to be feared as a witch.

So of course you're gonna mess other people's lives up something fierce. You can't help it! You're a witch!

Go ahead and seduce any man you want, then toss him aside when you're done!

That's one of the best parts of being a witch, you know. You should be proud that you're worth that.

Although, I gotta say...you don't look all that happy about this to me.

I can see you're smiling while we stand here, but I can also tell you're crying on the inside, and I have to say I don't like that.

...

These curses come from me... They're my sins made manifest.

So I'll take them with me when I go.

I cannot let you get away with that, Medea. Those curses will not stop until they sink this ship.

...

？！

(Sigh)... How many times did I tell you to learn the medicinal arts too, Medea?

Hecate's medicinal arts don't just heal the body. They have a powerful effect on the heart, too.

But only if you spent time devoting yourself to the study of how the heart works while learning them.

If you do that, it's a wonderful way to tame the monsters lurking in your heart.

For a disciple of Hecate, I gotta say...I'm disappointed in myself for releasing such a half-assed witch into the world.

...This is exactly why I didn't want to take on an apprentice in the first place.

But, now that we're here, I guess this scuffle's as good a time as any to teach you one last lesson!

...(Gulp)

？！

Nothing, Piglet. There were no more mishaps, happenings, or even minor inconveniences worth mentioning after that.

The Argonauts defeated every monster on board the ship and dispelled Medea's self-destructive curse.

After that, I thanked them, threw them a big kykeon farewell party, and sent them on their merry way.

And you already know the rest from the myth.

All right, you have your own stuff to take care of, right, Master? Go on then, get out of here.

That's it for today's kykeon party.

...

Um, Circe? I really do appreciate you telling us that story, but...

...you're sitting on Senpai's bed...

Hey! Where do you think you're going with that pillow!? Put it back! Don't you click your tongue at me!

...(Sulk)

I have rarely seen your lips so loose, falcon witch.

I never expected you to discuss your past in such detail.

...Well, so what? Felt like it, so I did.

That's all water under the bridge for Medea and me anyway.

Hm...? What is it? Why're you looking at me like that?

Let us say...hypothetically...

...you encountered the hero of your dreams once more. What would you do?

Wh-what kind of stupid question is that?

...I am merely curious. I have no real experience in romance myself.

And as such, I cannot imagine what it is to be driven mad by it, as Medea was.

Granted, the odds of that happening are vanishingly small, and so likely not worth considering...

Hehe, oh, I wouldn't say that.

I'm not the same old Circe I used to be. You don't really think I'd make the same mistake all over again, do you?

In fact, you've got the whole thing back asswards. He's the one that would end up falling for me, the Queen Witch.

？！

Bwaaa!

P-Piglet! Where the hell'd you come from!? Don't scare me like that!

Huh? You're just going to the bathroom? You can't go in your own room 'cause you feel like someone's watching you?

K-kind of an overshare, isn't it!? Go on, get out of here!

...Phew...

So, you would make him fall in love with you... You are nothing if not confident, witch of Aeaea.

...Hell yeah I am!

Hehe. Still, that said...

If I'd just stayed a hermit out on my island...I'd never have learned to be so recklessly confident.

So I'm grateful to PigI mean, Master for that.

Hmm. That's nice. (Munch, munch)

Wha...

Hey, you're the one who started all this. Isn't it kinda rude for you to just shut down like that?

I guess you didn't really care after all...

...?

...The Oak of Dodona once told me something while it let me listen to the ocean wind through its knothole.

It said love would paddle in from far overseas and drop an anchor deep within your heart.

...Hmm... A divine prophecy, huh.

Whoever heard of a piece of wood being an oracle? Is it a dryad with a direct hotline to the gods or something?

Anyway, that said...I hope it's right! Wherever the tree gets its info from, I am definitely a fan of this prophecy.

I know there's a much better guy for you out there.

Jason might have the makings of a hero, but he's got a long way to go before

Um, Auntie...? That prophecy? It was about you.

Bwa?

...H-hey, tree, who told you you could go making predictions about my future, huh!?

The Oak also said...

...that a hero you would never forget would come visit Aeaea Island one day.

...Stop that. I'm the Queen Witch, remember?

This isn't funny. I'm a disciple of Hecate herself. No way I'm letting Zeus pull that kind of stunt!

...Of course.

Hey, Medea, look!

The sailors are praying to Zephyr as we speak. It won't be long before you set sail again.

...I know.

...Well, my defiant disciple, this is the last piece of advice I have for you.

Stay on my island.

The Argo's curse is gone. I've washed away its stain.

The Argonauts can handle the rest of their journey without you.

And nobody from Colchis would ever come looking for you here.

I'm sorry, Auntie, but I can't do that.

You saw what happened for yourself, right? Jason needs me.

Besides...

...I don't want to be just a footnote in history like Ariadne.

...I see. Well then, I guess there's nothing left to say but goodbye.

I guess not. Take care of yourself, Auntie.

Even though I'll be staying on, I pray you'll find the kind of love that would make me insanely jealous.

...Hehe.

You never change, do you!