A vast, divine, and dazzling force suddenly descended.
It felt powerful enough to erase the entire imperial capital from existence-yet when it swept across everyone's bodies, it was gentle beyond imagination.
Whether it was General Budou standing on the ceremonial platform, Minister Honest below it, or even Mine hidden within the crowd and Leone concealed on a distant rooftop-
The moment that holy brilliance passed over them, an overwhelming sense of helplessness rose in their hearts.
It was the helplessness of humanity standing before a god.
A power that humans could never hope to resist.
At first, the citizens of the imperial capital had believed the so-called "goddess" was nothing more than a performance staged by the emperor.
But as a divine figure slowly emerged from the brilliant radiance, one truth became undeniable:
Gods truly existed in this world.
After descending, Hephaestus retracted her divine aura and gently landed on the ceremonial platform.
She raised one hand.
A soft white light gathered at her fingertip.
The next instant, it burst forth, sweeping across the entire imperial capital at more than ten times the speed of sound.
In the blink of an eye, the white radiance washed over everyone.
Those who were weak felt their breathing grow steady and strong.
Those who were ill found their sickness vanish without medicine.
Those who could barely walk suddenly felt light and vigorous, as if years had been stripped from their bodies.
In an instant, the entire imperial capital was bathed in divine grace-as though reborn.
In truth, this was nothing more than the most basic healing spell.
It had been given to Hephaestus by Emiya.
But when amplified by divine power, its effect reached an unimaginable level.
Emiya-disguised as the young emperor-stood atop the high platform, unable to help but marvel.
He could also cast large-scale healing magic, but at most he could treat a few hundred, perhaps a thousand people, before exhausting himself. He was not a mage who specialized in raw magical output.
Yet Hephaestus had healed an entire city with ease.
The gap between a god and a human was absolute.
I'm still far from becoming a god, Emiya thought.
But he wasn't discouraged.
After all, Hephaestus had lived for hundreds of millions of years. Compared to that, his own existence was not even a blink of an eye.
Once the spell was complete, Hephaestus turned, gave Emiya a slight nod, and vanished.
This, too, had been Emiya's request.
A god had to maintain dignity.
If she behaved like Hestia or Loki, it would cheapen her authority.
The benefits were clear: the goddess's presence would not overshadow the emperor, her existence would be firmly established, and her lofty image would be preserved.
After Hephaestus left, Emiya stepped forward and spoke loudly.
"Citizens of the Empire! The great Goddess Hephaestus has descended!"
"She will help us restore the glory of a thousand years ago and make the Empire great once more!"
The crowd stirred, whispers rippling outward.
Emiya ignored them and continued.
"By the divine oracle of Goddess Hephaestus, I hereby declare: for the next three years, the Empire will collect no taxes from its civilians."
"All nobles and officials, without exception, must obey this oracle."
"Any who violate it shall be enemies of me, of the Empire-and of Goddess Hephaestus herself."
"Spread this decree throughout the Empire!"
With that, Emiya turned and left the platform.
This spectacle served two purposes.
First, to intimidate enemies through divine authority.
Second, to use the goddess as the enforcer of imperial will.
In recent years, many nobles and officials beyond the capital had ceased to fear the emperor.
But a divine oracle was different.
And after today's miracle-healing an entire capital in an instant, something no Teigu could achieve-Hephaestus's descent would spread across the entire Empire.
Afterward, Emiya planned to gather powerful allies, defeat the Empire's enemies, and save this ancient nation.
At the very least, he would save its suffering people.
He had considered joining the Revolutionary Army, but its internal structure was too complex. Even as leader, he would never hold absolute authority.
Moreover, the current Revolutionary Army was still weaker than the decaying Empire.
Thus, Emiya chose the imperial path.
He would purge corruption, crush enemies, and eventually absorb the Revolutionary Army.
Once stability was restored, he would establish a constitutional monarchy.
That alone could extend the Empire's life by several hundred years.
With Hephaestus at his side, failure was not an option.
On the carriage ride back to the palace, Emiya clearly heard the frenzied cries outside:
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live the Emperor!"
"Long live the Goddess!"
Then, someone shouting "Long live the Goddess" was suddenly beaten by others.
"You bastard! Are you trying to curse the Goddess?!"
After all, wishing a goddess to live "only" ten thousand years was a curse, in a sense.
Soon, they returned to the palace.
The minister followed behind Emiya, his gaze fixed uncontrollably on the emperor's back.
He was now absolutely certain.
That woman-Hephaestus-was a real goddess.
She was not a Teigu wielder.
He had secretly activated the anti-Teigu relic on his head earlier, yet it had shown no reaction.
Which meant there was only one possibility.
A true god.
Or at the very least, a terrifying existence on the level of an ancient Danger Beast.
Her power was overwhelming-so overwhelming that she could kill him effortlessly.
Fear consumed him.
If she dislikes me, am I not already dead?
But running away wasn't an option.
If he fled now and lost his position, his countless enemies would tear him apart.
After careful consideration, he reached a conclusion:
If he wanted to live, there was only one path-cling to the emperor.
As long as the young emperor didn't want him dead, even a goddess would likely spare him.
After all, he had personally placed this emperor on the throne.
If he flattered him enough, survival was assured.
Thus, upon returning to the palace, the minister spoke eagerly:
"Your Majesty, your words today moved this old subject deeply. I believe you should summon all ministers at once to formalize the decree with strict rules and regulations, to prevent false compliance."
Emiya smiled inwardly, though his face remained calm.
"You are right. That was my oversight. I will summon them."
"Allow this old subject to handle it," the minister said quickly.
Emiya nodded.
Not long after, civil and military officials gathered in the imperial hall.
Emiya sat upon the throne.
The corpulent minister stood beside him.
Then-
Hephaestus appeared.
She kicked the minister squarely in the backside.
With a loud thud, he flew across the hall and crashed to the floor, shaking the entire chamber.
She withdrew her foot and said flatly:
"From now on, this position is mine."
The minister didn't dare utter a word.
He scrambled up and retreated to the side, smiling obsequiously.
The officials were not fools.
They had all heard of the goddess's descent and personally felt her power.
Seeing the minister kicked aside without protest, they immediately understood who she was.
In an instant, the upright officials were thrilled-this meant the minister no longer controlled the emperor.
Those aligned with the minister, however, grew anxious.
Emiya spoke slowly.
"I believe you all know that this is Goddess Hephaestus."
Both factions bowed deeply.
No one wished to offend a goddess.
"Earlier, I issued a decree-a divine oracle from Goddess Hephaestus. You are all aware of it."
The officials nodded.
"The minister pointed out that to fully enforce this oracle, strict rules and regulations are necessary. I agree."
"That is why you are here."
"I expect absolute compliance."
"And absolute execution."
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