The minister's eyes darted around rapidly, his mind clearly racing.
Yet the speed at which he ate the meat never slowed.
After finishing the piece in his hand, he smiled.
"Your Majesty, where is this goddess? May I be granted an audience with her?"
Emiya smiled faintly.
"There's no need to rush, Minister. Goddess Hephaestus is the Goddess of the Forge from the heavens. She is currently upgrading Budo's Teigu to make it even stronger."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted casually to the minister's head.
There, the minister wore a gem-like hair accessory.
It was also a Teigu.
Ira-e-Ston.
Its function was simple.
An anti-Teigu.
As long as an enemy entered its effective range, it could shatter the opponent's Teigu at the cost of destroying the gem itself.
The shattered gem would regenerate in a week, but until then, it could not be used.
This was one of the reasons the minister had survived for so long.
It wasn't just because his whereabouts were hidden or his guards were powerful.
He possessed an anti-Teigu.
Naturally, the minister did not dare hand it over.
Without it, he would be exposed.
He smiled politely.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, but I dare not trouble the goddess."
Emiya simply replied, "Oh," and said nothing more.
He continued enjoying his lunch.
The meat of the dangerous beast really was excellent.
The minister's eyes flickered.
"Your Majesty, when may I have an audience with the goddess?"
Emiya smiled.
"Don't worry, Minister. Goddess Hephaestus has already agreed to announce her existence to the entire empire tomorrow, to boost morale."
"You'll see her then."
The minister's expression darkened instantly.
If a goddess stood behind the young emperor, would the emperor still listen to him?
Would he value a goddess more than a minister who had served him for years?
And was that woman truly a goddess?
Why had she appeared now?
How would this affect his plans?
Was this good-or disastrous?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Then he smiled brightly.
"In that case, I look forward to meeting the goddess tomorrow."
Emiya nodded.
"Yes. You may leave, Minister."
The minister bowed and turned to leave.
But as he walked out of the palace, his expression grew colder.
The young emperor was no longer as close to him as before.
Was it because of Hephaestus?
Had she driven a wedge between them?
How?
He couldn't understand it.
But one thing was certain.
That woman was dangerous.
Whether she was a goddess or not, she was not simple.
She was likely his enemy.
If that was the case...
Should he secretly send experts from the Royal Fist Temple to assassinate her?
A murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
With Great General Budo temporarily without his Teigu, the palace was no longer impregnable.
And with the spies he had planted inside, an assassination was possible.
But the thought vanished just as quickly.
He didn't know who Hephaestus truly was.
If she really was a goddess, offending her would be catastrophic.
And the intelligence he had just received lingered in his mind.
That woman had caused everyone in the palace to faint instantly.
Without lifting a finger, she had suppressed Budo even while he wore a Teigu.
This was an opponent even the Royal Fist Temple might fail to kill.
"...Forget it," he decided.
"I'll wait. I'll decide after meeting her tomorrow."
The minister left in haste.
Time passed quickly.
Soon, night fell.
Emiya was about to invite Hephaestus to dinner when his phone vibrated.
He opened the chat group.
Medea was @ing him.
"I'm very interested in Teigus. I want the Demon God's Manifestation: Hundred-Handed God. It would greatly help me create automatons."
Emiya recalled it immediately.
The living Teigu owned by Seryu.
A rare type.
Normally, it stayed beside its owner.
In battle, it could grow to a massive size and serve as a defensive fortress.
As long as its core remained intact, it could regenerate endlessly.
That ability was invaluable.
Perfect for a dragon automaton.
And Emiya knew of another living Teigu as well.
Susanoo.
A humanoid Teigu given to Najenda.
Created to protect VIPs.
Its personality was meticulous to the point of obsession.
Combat strength, housework, cooking.
Over a thousand signature dishes.
Emiya wanted it too.
He typed into the group.
"If I get both Susanoo and the Hundred-Handed God, can you create an automaton that's a beautiful dragon girl normally, and a giant dragon in battle?"
Medea paused before replying.
"Like Tohru from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid?"
Emiya nodded.
"Exactly like that."
Medea didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she asked someone else.
"What do you think, Shouko?"
Karyuusai Shouko replied calmly.
"Since it's the boss's request, we should fulfill it. And it's an excellent challenge. I think we should try."
Emiya smiled.
"Then I'll leave it to you two. I'll come get you tomorrow."
"Okay."
"No problem."
After that, Emiya @ed Hephaestus.
"Dinner."
A moment later, she replied.
"I'll be there."
Minutes later, she arrived, sat beside him, and began eating the dishes made from dangerous beast meat.
"How's your research?" Emiya asked.
For ordinary people, even understanding the surface of a Teigu in one day was impossible.
But Hephaestus was no ordinary being.
She was the Goddess of the Forge.
Hephaestus replied calmly.
"I've basically mastered the Teigu you gave me. With enough materials, I could recreate it."
"As expected," Emiya said.
She continued.
"I upgraded it as well. You can have its owner retrieve it whenever you wish."
Emiya nodded.
"After dinner, I'll have Budo come get it."
"I saw your conversation with Medea," Hephaestus added.
Emiya looked at her.
"I'm also interested in living Teigus."
Emiya's eyes lit up.
"You're joining too?"
She smiled.
"What? Am I not welcome?"
"Of course you are," Emiya said quickly.
"But what about the Gundam?"
"We can postpone that," Hephaestus replied.
"Creating a giant dragon won't take long."
Emiya laughed helplessly.
He had promised a Gundam.
Now Medea and Hephaestus were both working on automatons.
In the end, the only one seriously building a Gundam might be Professor Agasa.
After dinner, Hephaestus returned to her research.
Emiya summoned Great General Budo and returned his Teigu, Adramelech.
Budo equipped it without hesitation.
"How does it feel?" Emiya asked.
Budo moved slightly, awe clear on his face.
"Your Majesty, the Teigu is far stronger. The energy cost has been reduced by more than half, and it's much easier to control."
"I could defeat my former self effortlessly."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Emiya shook his head.
"No. Thank the goddess."
Budo knelt.
"Budo thanks Your Majesty and the goddess."
"Good," Emiya said.
"Tomorrow, I will hold a grand festival."
"I will announce the goddess's existence to the empire and let the people bask in her glory."
"You will maintain order. Understood?"
Budo answered solemnly.
"I understand. I will not fail."
"Excellent," Emiya said.
"I believe in you."
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