Should Noah call him lacking in confidence, or simply suspicious by nature?
It seemed Minister Honest was very worried that Noah would go looking for someone else to "cooperate" with.
After all, if Noah abandoned him and ran off now, even if Honest could already live to a hundred and sixty years old, he would still be powerless against the passage of time a century later, left with no choice but to turn into dust.
If he were not afraid of angering Noah, then with the Minister's personality, he might have already locked Noah somewhere under his direct supervision.
Riding in the carriage sent by the Minister, Noah spent more than three hours on the road before arriving at the Minister's villa.
As for his companion, there was only Taeko.
So that he would have someone trustworthy to call upon while he was busy, he had brought along this assassin girl who had once belonged to Oarburgh.
Taeko, whose soul had been altered by him, was the person in this world least likely to betray him.
Only after arriving did Noah learn that although this place was said to be in the suburbs, it was actually connected to the palace gardens.
In that case, the supplies used here were probably transported directly from the palace as well.
Only the Minister could do something this outrageous.
Everything belonging to the Emperor was something he could use or take whenever he wanted, almost more freely than the Emperor himself.
After having the servants settle all the luggage, Noah toured the entire villa under the butler's guidance.
This also allowed him to understand why the Minister had spent such a massive sum building a mansion here.
Five hundred meters from the villa itself was a beautiful lake, and that lake extended from a waterfall two kilometers away.
Beneath the entire villa, first-rate craftsmen had built an underground reservoir with specifications even higher than the palace sewers, covering almost the same area as the villa itself.
Even if the Emperor wanted to build such an expensive structure, some ministers would reject it.
But if it was Minister Honest, he would simply kill everyone who opposed him and then carry it out.
Even if people knew he was using funds from the national treasury, anyone who dared speak up was either exiled or stripped of office within half a month.
All he needed to do was say in front of the Emperor that a "certain minister's" actions were a contemptuous slight against the Emperor's authority, and the Emperor would casually sentence that person to death.
If the Minister did not still need these "loyal officials" to work properly and maintain the country's operation, he would have long since killed every person who refused to obey him.
"This really is a good place."
After walking around, Noah sincerely sighed.
The butler immediately flattered him.
"As long as you are satisfied, my lord. This is also the Minister's goodwill toward you." His face was all smiles.
In truth, he did not know why the young man before him was worth the Minister going this far, but that was not something he was qualified to investigate.
The fact that the Minister was willing to treat someone this way already explained that person's status.
He only needed to devote himself fully to serving this lord well.
"Thank you for your trouble. You may go rest, If there's anything, I'll have Taeko notify you."
"Yes, Lord Noah."
The butler obeyed very readily.
As long as Noah made a request, he would carry it out unconditionally to avoid provoking any displeasure.
Before leaving, he bowed not only to Noah, but also to Taeko, then withdrew.
After the butler left, Noah casually walked to the tallest tree in the courtyard.
This place seemed to have been designed for enjoying the shade, with clean white tables and chairs placed beneath the tree.
Seeing him approach the shade, Taeko seemed to grow slightly tense.
She did not doubt that Noah already knew someone was in the tree, but she still could not help speaking up to remind him.
"Noah-senpai..."
Noah shook his head at her, signaling that it did not matter.
Then he sat down in the chair, leaned back against it, and looked up toward the canopy with a calm expression.
"Come out. Isn't it tiring hiding in the dark? The Minister sent you, didn't he? He really knows how to work people."
"Uh..."
The person in the tree let out a helpless sigh.
Without much hesitation, she openly jumped down from the tree, casually shaking the leaves from her body.
"See, I told him there was no way I could hide it. But the Minister's orders can't be disobeyed~"
A slender figure, a short black ponytail, and a simple training outfit.
The moment she appeared, she complained that the Minister's order was far too difficult, yet there was an inexplicable sense of pleasure in her tone, as though she did not truly dislike this situation and was instead enjoying it.
Noah knew what was going on with her strange attitude.
Because this woman was a masochist.
One of the Four Rakshasa Demons, Suzuka.
They had interacted a few times before, and he often encountered her on the Minister's side.
After all, the Four Rakshasa Demons were the Minister's private soldiers.
Their usual duty was to protect the Minister's safety. Aside from times when the Minister personally ordered them to hunt down enemies, they would not leave their post without permission.
Naturally, they were also the "tools" the Minister trusted most.
Whether as assassins, guards, or intelligence gatherers, they were extremely outstanding and almost never disappointed him.
If the goal was to monitor Noah, then sending one of the Four Rakshasa Demons was indeed the most suitable choice.
But the moment Suzuka heard the contents of the mission, she had already known there was no chance.
Having once "exchanged pointers" with Noah alongside Shuten, she understood that with his strength, it was impossible to monitor him at close range.
At most, monitoring the location itself had some slight possibility.
She knew it very well.
High above this sky were that man's "eyes."
Those metal monsters that could fly faster than Danger Beasts would find targets on the ground far too easily.
In comparison, she was a little white rabbit, while the other party was a bird of prey.
The instant Suzuka appeared, Taeko had already placed her hand on the hilt at her waist.
Her gaze locked tightly onto Suzuka, releasing an astonishing killing intent.
"Enemy..."
Her preparation was already complete.
As long as the enemy before her revealed even the slightest hostility, or Noah gave a signal, she would immediately unleash the fastest and sharpest version of all the techniques she had mastered: "Kōfū."
Kōfū was an iai slash.
By using the sheath to accelerate the blade, the sword was drawn like a projectile, so fast that the naked eye could not follow it.
Aiming at the neck, one strike was enough to behead the target.
However, a hand rested on her head.
"No need to be nervous, Taeko. She did come to monitor us, but it's fine."
"?"
Taeko was somewhat confused.
A monitor did not need to be eliminated?
Seeing the girl ready to draw her sword, Suzuka hurriedly waved her hand.
"I may like pain, but I still don't want to die! Little girl, could you take your hand off your sword first? I don't have any intention of fighting."
Noah looked at Suzuka.
"You can stay here. Maybe I'll need your help with something."
"Uh, is that allowed?"
Suzuka was very curious.
She had always felt that researchers were mysterious people who kept everything secret no matter what they did, but Noah gave off none of that feeling.
Naturally, Noah truly was not afraid of some so-called technological leak.
Alchemy, especially ancient alchemy and secret arts, was extremely difficult to understand.
Suzuka was an outsider, so even if she watched Noah perform experiments every day, she would not be able to understand anything.
The Minister should understand that as well.
"You wouldn't understand it anyway. If you somehow learned it, I might even take you as my disciple."
Alchemy required talent.
And not ordinary talent.
Alchemy had always belonged exclusively to geniuses.
Genius was merely the first threshold for becoming an alchemist.
People generally called "geniuses" could only reach the apprentice level in the field of alchemy, just like Lamur.
If someone could understand alchemy purely by watching it with their own eyes, then that person would absolutely be born for alchemy.
If he truly encountered such a genius, Noah would not mind teaching them everything he knew and passing down all of his techniques.
Because he was not someone from this world. But since he had obtained knowledge from this world, if that knowledge could continue being passed down here rather than disappearing, he would not mind taking a few disciples and cultivating them.
Otherwise, judging from the current trend, perhaps this world would eventually evolve entirely into a scientific society, and so-called alchemy and secret arts would ultimately become vague legends, even disappearing from history altogether.
For someone who could project himself back into this world, Noah felt that allowing alchemy to vanish might not be a good thing.
If this world's alchemy could continue developing, then the next time he projected himself here through magic, perhaps he might gain new harvests.
Including the experimental first time, Noah had activated Yog-Sothoth three times so far.
This magic changed each time it was used, almost as though it was growing.
Perhaps in the future, even the "time period" of the projection could be selected.
For example, right now, his projection in the Blazer world was in a state of suspension.
No matter how long he left, time in that world remained still for him.
"Sorry, but I've never had any talent for studying." Suzuka did not know whether Noah was being serious or joking. In the end, she could only spread her hands helplessly.
"It's nothing. Every craft has its own specialist. Everyone has areas they're good at and areas they aren't. Right now, there happens to be something only you can do."
"Huh?"
Suzuka was somewhat bewildered.
That phrasing sounded as if he was about to make her do something.
In truth, her thinking was still too conservative.
It did not just sound that way.
From the moment she appeared, Noah had already treated her as a convenient tool and considered many ways to make full use of her abilities.
For someone who felt happy instead of suffering when subjected to pain...
Noah thought she was practically an excellent weapon-testing platform.
Not only was her physical ability strong, but she was also fast enough, enjoyed it tirelessly, and most importantly, she was alive.
...
Two days later, Hekatonkheires's body was delivered.
Looking at the two chunks of flesh that had barely recovered, Noah directly put the left and right halves together, then used hemp rope as thick as a wrist to sew the huge monster back into one piece.
"This makes things much more convenient."
Seeing the enormous monster stitched back together in front of them, both Suzuka and Taeko were deeply shocked.
After all, this was a giant creature more than five meters tall.
"So this is a biological-type Teigu?" Suzuka curiously examined the massive monster that had been cut in half.
This was not her first time seeing a Teigu.
Although none of the Four Rakshasa Demons were Teigu users, they were absolutely no weaker than Teigu users.
In fact, up to now, she had already fought several Teigu users and defeated them.
She simply had never encountered a Teigu compatible with herself.
Although she had seen quite a lot, she truly had never fought a biological-type Teigu before. Still, she knew a thing or two about the traits of this kind of Teigu.
"It really is astonishing..." Suzuka touched Hekatonkheires's fur with her hand. "I heard biological-type Teigu can recover and regenerate as long as their core isn't destroyed, but it doesn't look very healthy."
"That's right. Because it used its secret technique, this guy won't be able to get up for at least a few months."
Noah explained to Suzuka while taking out a hammer and chisel.
Seeing the tools in his hands, Suzuka grew curious.
"What are you planning to do with those?"
For some reason, seeing Noah holding a hammer and chisel while looking at her made her heart beat faster.
Her mind could not help imagining him using those tools on her body.
'That would definitely feel amazing, right?'
Clink!
Noah tapped the tail of the chisel, then aimed it at Hekatonkheires's skull.
"Nothing much. I'm just planning to open this part up and add something inside."
He examined the "lump of flesh" before him, seemingly searching for a suitable placement.
Taeko shuddered.
No matter how one looked at those tools, they were not something meant to be used on living things.
Hekatonkheires's consciousness was in chaos.
When it woke up, it would discover that its body was already completely different from before, even unfamiliar.
Hekatonkheires's defense was too weak.
Low-level magic could easily punch through it, and even small-caliber bullets could injure it.
Although it had regeneration, if this was meant to serve as his mobile support unit, that level of defense was far from enough.
To increase the strength of its skin, drug-based modification was better than surgical modification.
The outer hide of a Danger Beast called the Dragon Lizard had extremely high tensile strength.
At the same time, when stimulated, it would harden, and the surface of its skin would generate armor-like feather scales.
If that trait was added to Hekatonkheires, its defense would rise by at least several levels.
Although it still would not be able to withstand strikes from a Teigu, ordinary weapons should no longer be able to break through its defense.
Hekatonkheires's muscles were strong and extremely supple, elastic muscles capable of maximizing explosive force, so those could remain as they were.
But its bones were too weak.
This point was not difficult to solve either.
He would replace its bones with this world's highest-grade metal, Orichalcum.
To accomplish that, the first step was to extract the original bones.
"Come. Let the modification begin."