Hephaestus, God of Blacksmiths

Lord Odysseus, there's something we need you to take a look at.

Someone's been contacting us anonymously, and they're just repeating the words "This is Aeaea Island" over and over...

Is there even an island by that name in Atlantis?

...Send it over to me. Go on. You're all dismissed.

Hello. My apologies for contacting you like this, Odysseus. I trust everything is going well on your end?

...I can't say I care for your taste in codes, Kirschtaria. I don't know what you were thinking, using facts that didn't happen in my history as a cipher.

I am sorry about that. But you see, I wanted to ensure that this conversation remained strictly between us.

As such, I hope you can understand why I wished to avoid using my personal line.

I see. So you want to keep whatever this is about a secret from Olympus.

What are you up to? I thought you and Zeus the demiurge were staunch allies.

In fact, my understanding is that there is no one in all of Olympus who poses even a remote threat to you.

True. But one can never be too careful. You may have authorization to command Artemis at the moment...

...but for all we know, there could be someone outside the chain of command who wants to take control for themselves.

That is why I'm taking these extra precautions.

...Does this mean you will be coming here yourself?

All right. What can I do?

I want to know which island Chaldea will be arriving at next, so that I'll only need to teleport once.

You hardly need to fight them yourself.

There simply isn't anywhere for them to flee to on these waters. And even if there were, they couldn't keep it up for long.

They haven't a prayer of setting foot on Olympus without facing me first.

So why would you waste your time just to put yourself in harm's way?

There is nothing wasteful about this at all.

As the leader of the Crypters, it is essential that I settle matters with Chaldea personally.

I see. I didn't take you for the sort to mix business with pleasure.

You're making a foolish, typically human decision, but if you're determined to go through with it, I have no reason to stop you.

I'll let you know where Chaldea is as soon as we've confirmed their location. I'll also keep quiet about this to your Servants.

Yes, I would like to keep Caenis out of this. But don't worry, I'll be taking the Dioscuri along for protection.

They are magnificent Divine Spirits who know how to serve Olympus properly. The same cannot be said of Caenis.

I'll keep my promise. No one besides me will know you mean to come here.

However...

...

I did not promise to restrain anyone who might already be present.

Kirschtaria certainly has terrible luck. I doubt the thought that you would be here even crossed his mind, given how much you despise us.

...Yeah, I bet. Believe me, your face is the last thing I want to see right now.

Man, did I pick a hell of a time to stop by to clean my spear. This is the worst. The absolute goddamn worst.

Terrible luck? I'll say. He's never had luck on his side in his damn life.

I have no interest in your and Kirschtaria's trust issues. If you have any objections with this arrangement, tell him yourself and leave me out of it.

Oh, you better believe I'm gonna object. I'm gonna object my spear right through his goddamn head.

I'm so pissed off I can hardly see straight. "Only two more times" my ass! That son of a bitch and his frigging plan!!

Hm? What did you just say? Two more times for what?

You wanna know what he told me when we formed our contract? Fine!

He said, "My plan is perfect. I can already see how this will all end."

"I expect I will fight only two more times before Olympus is reborn"!

And one of those times is gonna be with those freakin' weaklings!?

That bastard... That goddamn bastard!!! That does it! I'm tired of playing it nice.

Kirschtaria can find out I've taken care of Chaldea myself after I've wiped them from the face of the Earth!

...This is getting far more competitive than is necessary.

Well, whoever finds them first, be it my troops, Caenis, or Kirschtaria, it's clear that Chaldea's days are numbered.

Enemy or not, I almost feel sorry for them.

All right, there should be something here on Deimos Island that can lead us to our next, um, lead...

I see Orion will be coming with us this time.

I'll do my best!

Yes, we should all strive to do that.

Talk about a mismatched team up...

You know, this island seems a lot more like the remains of the gods we've seen than it does, well, an island.

Yes, it does. It's hard to walk on, and every step you take seems to make a clanking sound.

？！

Assuming Medea's intel is accurate, yes.

According to her, there's supposed to be an Assassin somewhere on this island.

...An Assassin, huh?

Oh no. What if they end up taking over my place on the team!?

Relax. Nobody's taking over for you.

I mean, it's not like you're any help outside of antipersonnel combat anyway.

Hey! I cook and clean and do laundry, too!

So does Mandricardo, and nobody has to remind him!

Besides, it's not like I'm going to do that sort of thing!

Food isn't something you make. It's something you take!

？！

I AM a king!

...Well, strictly speaking, we suppose we ultimately failed to become a king, but nonetheless.

(He just switched over to the royal we like it was the most natural thing in the world...)

I used to be a king too, for what it's worth...

Really? I didn't know that.

Well, I did end up spending like half my life traveling around like some sort of adventurer.

An adventurer? Ooh, I like the sound of that! I'd love to be one, too!

Hmph. An adventure isn't the sort of thing you embark on by choice!

It's just a word we use to pretty up the idea of going down an unexpected, difficult path where you never know what may happen with your every step.

Because without prettying it up, people would be so afraid to go down a path like that that they'd never take a single step onto it!

Huh. There's a lot more substance to that argument than I was expecting.

In a sense, one could certainly make the claim that describing an ordeal as an adventure is obfuscating the truth.

It definitely sounds like something he'd say.

Me? Well, the reward at the end of my adventure was a bevy of dancing beauties...

...so it was a treasure well worth risking my life for.

Really? I can't say I see any value in treasure that isn't wealth, fame, or status.

Well, there is!

If you say so.

Gosh, even though you two are both Greek heroes, you couldn't be more different.

You can say that again!

Don't you lump me in with the likes of him, Corday. He's just a wild beast, while I'm bona fide royalty!

May I have a moment of your time?

Holmes?

I'm breaking our "no transmissions if at all possible" rule because I'm afraid we have something of an emergency.

We've detected a staggering number of hostiles from middling to large size not far from your location, so I would urge you to take all reasonable precautions.

All right, we're leaving. (Snap decision)

That was fast. Still, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

What's the point of adding another Servant to our ranks if we all die before we can do anything with them?

？！

It's a safe bet that our destination lies in the same direction as all those enemies.

How do I know? Because my gut is telling me that's how this is fated to go!

Um... What if we just took a little peek to see what things are like there?

I can't say I recommend such a course of action, but I suppose the circumstances leave us no choice.

Are you nuts!? Forget it!

Even the common Chimeras and Lamia wandering around are bound to be stronger thanks to the Theos Klironomia.

So what happens if a whole swarm of them catches wind of us!?

Agreed! Most vociferously agreed! Let sleeping Chimeras lie and all that!

Jason there is one-hundred-percent right!

Let's just turn around, go straight back the way we came, and pretend we never saw this island!

Well said, my rotund compatriot. I think you and I are going to get along just fine!

You know, Master, I'm surprised all the stress your boss is under hasn't helped him lose any weight.

Ohhh... (Convinced)

In a situation like this!? That takes real courage in its own right!

？！

There you have it, Fujimaru. Now that your superior and I have hashed things out, all that's left is to leave.

Aww.

I was looking forward to meeting another Assassin. I thought we might hit it off...

...Hm? That's odd...

？！

The hostiles are leaving the area. And at a blistering pace.

Perhaps they detected something of interest elsewhere, or something chased them away.

I wonder what could have happened...

？！

Hmm. Well, if these creatures are all gone now, I have no issue with proceeding on our current path.

Although...I am more than a little worried about all this... Something seems off.

Got it.

All right then, let's go see what this Assassin person looks like.

Whaugh!

？！

Yes, I think so. I'm sorry. I must have stepped on something slippery...

Hahaha, clumsy fool.

It doesn't matter how slippery the ground may be. A true hero would never

...Never what?

...Even the greatest heroes stumble from time to time.

But the fact that they are always able to pick themselves back up again is what makes them heroes.

Whoa! I can't believe he managed to spin a fall into a lesson in heroism.

... (Profoundly moved)

？！

Yes, Master! I'll do my best to be careful not to stumble!

...! Demonic Beasts!

？！

You guys stumble too!?

That was a difficult battle... though not for the usual reasons...

There's something about slipping that really causes you to shrivel up, if you know what I mean.

？！

Must be nice being the one who's just giving orders! You never have to worry about literally falling down on the job!

Nooo! All that slipping and stumbling rearranged my handsome face into a bear's mug!

？！

Look, I'm a simple man with simple goals. In the future, I just want to be a panda so that women everywhere will love me. Is that so wrong?

Oogh. I'm hurting all over, and that's not even counting the blow to my pride...

It's not how often you fall; it's whether your glasses remain intact...

Well, at least we're done here now. Might as well keep going.

？！

... ...

...Bahahahaha! Serves you right!

Okay, now that my spirits are lifted, let's keep going for real this time!

Here, Master! Let me help you up!

？！

N-not at all...

As your Servant, it's the least I can do.

Hahahahaha.

Shut up, Jason.

Ouch! That's harsh, coming from you!

Yikes. The hell happened here?

？！

Wait. There's something else here that's been destroyed.

What are these things? ...

At a glance, they look like some kind of defensive weaponry.

Maybe that monster horde wrecked this place and moved on once they got bored?

All right, I'll stay here and keep a lookout.

The rest of you, get those nanomachines, and get out.

Understood. Thank you, Jason.

The interior still seems to be intact...

There's something a little different about this place compared to the ones on the other islands. Like, what's this?

It looks like some sort of nameplate...

At first blush, these would appear to be ancient Greek letters, but they're just different enough not to qualify.

We need more samples. Is there anything else we can use for reference on these letters?

I'll go.

I don't think I'll be much use for anything else here, so I'll see if I can find anything related to these letters.

In the meantime, there's no reason to wait, so let's use the nanomachines now.

All right then, I'll go ahead and bust out my usual work-around...

Huh?

Intruders detected in Theos Klironomia Supply System.

Proceeding to eliminate.

Uh-oh. That can't be good.

That siren seems to have alerted some functional models of those defensive weapons we saw earlier!

Crap, this is all my fault, isn't it? This is so embarrassing I could die.

？！

Understood.

You're right, we are intruders. But while I'm sorry to have to do this, we're not going to let that stop us from eliminating you!

Alley-oop!

That's the last of them! Just what I like: a nice, easy battle.

...Hm? Hey, look in the direction those things came from.

？！

Wanna go see what's inside it?

I mean, Jason did say there's supposed to be a Servant somewhere on this island.

That's true. But I don't sense any other Servants anywhere.

Then again, since they're an Assassin, they could just be concealing their presence...

You stay close to Master, Mash. I'll go scout on ahead.

Understood!

...Huh? Man, this temple's a lot bigger than I thought.

I can't even see where this passageway ends from here.

？！

Roger that!

Whoa, I can't believe how spacious it is in here!

It is, isn't it?

Still...I'm not seeing anything particularly unusual, big as this place is.

Yeah, I just took a walk around the whole place, and I didn't see anything, either.

Well, least we can get a little rest, right?

？！

？！

I think that scream literally curdled my blood! What is it, Master!?

Was that piercing shriek you, Master!?

？！

Wha What the...!? A haaaaaand!?

(Zzz)

Ngh... Keep it down, would you?

Aah! Where am I? WHO am I!?

Oh, right. I can tell from this scent that I must be in the ground!

？！

Then the answer is easy. Kouga Ninja Art: Earth Evasion!

Ahhh! It feels good to breathe worldly air again.

Y-you're...!

Guess we found the Assassin.

？！

Bingo! You got it! Wait. That must mean you're from Chaldea!

？！

Oh yes, you must be from Chaldea. Forgive me for not introducing myself sooner.

My True Name is Mochizuki Chiyome. I am a Kouga Jounin and an Assassin.

S-so, um...why were you buried in the dirt?

Hahahaha, that? I was hibernating.

I've never heard of a Servant hibernating before...

Well, it is not because I am a Servant so much as it is because of the Theos, um, something or other.

Theos Klironomia?

That is the one.

At any rate, the Servants who went on ahead to Olympus asked me to stay behind and wait for you all here.

They said they had left enough information that you would be certain to make your way here eventually.

I see...

Wh-what the...!?

This destruction is horrific. What happened here?

Well, uh, we did.

...I see.

So you got an error when you tried to acquire the Theos Klironomia by force.

Oh, are you the new Servant?

Are you the Assassin?

May I ask who these people are?

I see. Forgive my saying so, but you do not appear to be much of a fighter.

You're right, I'm not. My role is strictly analytical.

Nice to meet you! I'm Charlotte Corday!

I'm an Assassin too, so I hope we can be great friends!

Ooh, well thank you for the warm welcome.

I am Mochizuki Chiyome. It is a pleasure to meet you, too.

？！

Uh... Guess I should probably introduce myself, too. I'm Mandricardo.

I am called Chiyome.

(...She sure talks kinda stiff.)

(I can't tell if that's her way of being polite, or if she's subtly mocking me somehow...)

(Ah well, guess there's no sense in worrying about it too much...)

While you were back here, we found a few more data points for the nameplate we saw earlier.

You're not going to believe this. It turns out that this temple is actually

Master, this temple belongs to Lord Hephaestus!

... ...

？！

(Ouch. Just when she was about to make a huge announcement, this Chiyome lady goes and steals her thunder. I know how she must be feeling all too well...)

Wait. Just a moment, please.

Isn't Hephaestus one of the Twelve Olympians?

Hm? I am confused.

Did Lord Jason not explain the situation to you? Oh, right. I see.

Things must have been adjusted so that the information would only be released once he came to this temple.

？！

First, let us call for Lord Jason. He should be present for this discussion.

Okay, I'll go get him right away!

All right, what's this all about? Why did you want me to come inside?

...?

Gaaah! My head!

Hello, Lord Jason. Long time no see.

Then again, it has been difficult for me to keep track as of late, so maybe it hasn't been such a long time.

Ghh... You're... Mochizuki Chiyome.

Right... This is Hephaestus's temple.

Would you be so kind as to explain the situation to Chaldea?

I would do it myself, but everything here is, well, Greek to me.

So I'm just the guide now, is that it?

Ugh, fine, I'll do it. Nemo, go ahead and open a line with the Shadow Border.

Don't worry. This place is clean.

Hey guys! What's up? All your vitals are green, so I'm guessing nobody's injured or anything?

？！

Hmm, hmm. An antiwiretap Bounded Field, huh.

Oh, yes, well...

It's because we didn't know if you lot would be able to make it here at all.

We couldn't let the situation get even worse thanks to some idiot who couldn't even get this far, after all.

You don't mince words, do you?

Here, you can start by taking a look at this. Let's see...

Good. Everything's still working, and we've got three backups in place too.

They definitely favor being safe over being sorry.

Hmm. I take it your memories were sealed away prior to reaching this temple?

Not exactly. It's more like my brain was forced to download the information I needed when I got here.

Basically, I know how to check the logs of all the Servants who have been here, even if I've never been here myself.

...There we go. I'll go ahead and play it now.

Playback request received from Hephaestus Console. Executing Master authorization.

Please keep the Master in the designated position.

？！

That's right.

Scan complete. Analysis confirmed: human of Proper Human History.

Forming Master contract via Command Spell. Speak your name to confirm.

？！

Fujimaru. Authorization complete.

Initiating prior visitor support mission.

Uploading holographic data.

Partial data encryption. Partial data corruption. Reconstituting with substitute data.

Initiating playback.

There we go. We'll start recording now.

Hello, Chaldea. I am anonymous. I am anyone and no one.

We wish to keep our True Names a secret.

I'll change the way I usually speak, too. I am Archer. Just Archer.

Indeed.

If data about us were to be leaked, it would put us in even greater danger at Olympus.

However, we understand that we cannot all remain anonymous and still ask for your trust.

So one of us will need to reveal their True Name.

I guess that leaves me then.

After all, if Lord Jason is with them, it won't be much of a secret that I was here, too.

I'm Medea, student of the goddess Hecate.

Guess I'll go ahead and reveal my True Name too then! I'm Sakata Kintoki, ready and golden!

But let's just keep it to the two of us, yeah? The rest of ya had better stay anonymous.

You think so?

Sometimes, with information, the timing can be just as important as the information itself.

All right. I don't know anything about that sort of thing, so if you say you're sure, I'll take your word for it.

All right, Chaldea, let's begin in earnest.

We don't know how you got here, or who you may have with you.

But for the purposes of this discussion...

...we'll assume you have a decent level of both equipment and Servants.

By now, I expect you'll have discovered that this Lostbelt is probably the strongest and most habitable of all the Lostbelts you've seen so far.

I also expect you have a decent idea of the situation here thanks to your interactions with the Atlanteans...

...but let's go over it now anyway, just to be sure we're all on the same page.

It all started fourteen thousand years ago.

(Fascinating. I thought the Indian Lostbelt's divergence point from Proper Human History was furthest in the past, but this one is far beyond that!)

Fourteen thousand years ago in Proper Human History's time line, all of the gods who lived in Atlantis were killed.

Some believe that a white titan had something to do with their demise, but the truth is that nobody knows for sure.

However, the remnants of Atlantis's civilization eventually made their way to Greece, eventually becoming the mythology of the gods of Olympus as we know them.

Putting aside the matter of what Olympus was like in Proper Human History for now...

...suffice to say that in this Lostbelt, the gods survived.

The ones who lived in Atlantis continued to flourish, eventually going on to build an Olympus of their own.

But apparently, it wasn't all peaceful.

Once this titan no longer posed a threat, a rift began to form between several of the Twelve Olympians.

We don't know why, and frankly, it doesn't matter. They were probably just arguing about who to side with.

Of course, this conflict never happened in Proper Human History, since none of the gods existed by this point.

At any rate, the Olympian gods fought amongst themselves, and the winning side went on to rule Atlantis.

And as faith in the gods continued, the concept of what the gods were gradually began to change.

On average, the people of Atlantis live for about eight hundred years.

However, they choose to continue to wait for the gods who abandoned them.

In fact, they are so fervently devoted that they have no qualms about sacrificing their lives for the gods.

... ...

However...the gods who lost the battle survived.

What?

Hephaestus, god of the forge, is there right now.

Initiating encrypted connection.

, . .

？！

Activating automatic response program.

...If this system's been activated, that must mean...

...I was destroyed.

Lord Hephaestus! It is I! Mochizuki Chiyome!

Please, answer me!

The data I need to answer your queries clearly has been lost.

Reason: the head unit where my database was stored has been divided.

Reason: a strike that severed my head unit during battle.

56.4 percent of data stolen by Olympus. Connecting Prometheus for assistance.

The demiurge Zeus went berserk. Instead of ending the Age of Gods, he chose to remain as its ruler.

Some gods supported his decision. Some gods opposed it.

There were thoughts. Theories. Rifts. The twelve gods' opposing sides became more entrenched.

There was a war... A great war on Olympus that began ■■■■ years ago.

The following six units were destroyed:

Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, Hades, Hestia, and Ares.

The following six units continue to rule Olympus:

Zeus, Artemis, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, and Aphrodite.

There is meaning in my existence.

Hephaestus forge unit remains partially intact.

What... What does this all mean?

Sir Hephaestus, allow me to ensure I understand you.

I presume we will need your help in order to fell this Lostbelt's Tree of Emptiness.

However, you were destroyed in a war that took place thousands of years ago...

...and the majority of your brain and forging abilities now lie in Olympus's hands.

That being said, you are still capable of some manner of forgery with what functionality remains to you.

Do I have that right?

That is mostly correct, with one exception.

The strike that severed my brain, and the theft of half my unit, took place within the last year.

These acts were performed by a Servant siding with Olympus.

？！

(A Servant managed to cut through a god of this size with a single strike!?)

W-well don't be shy, man! Tell us! What in the world was this Servant like!?

The answer to that question has been lost in consequence of damage to memory storage.

...Hmm.

Do you have any other questions?

Kinda surprised he doesn't seem to care more about the Servant who literally cut him down to size...

I suppose that is simply how gods think. Or rather, machines, as we should perhaps say in this case.

It seems they value data more than memories, and functionality over data.

？！

Ore resources: insufficient. Indigenous life-forms: incapable.

At present, there is no weaponry on Earth capable of destroying Artemis.

Calculating amount of Theos Klironomia required to reinforce base power to sufficient levels: calculation error.

So not even the nanomachines will be enough...

Are you saying there is no substance in this world capable of destroying Artemis?

Affirmative.

I request that you search for an object. Designation: Divine Construct...

Only a weapon that has been imbued with a conceptually high-ranking Divine Spirit can destroy Artemis.

There are a few Servants with Noble Phantasms that fall under that category.

To describe them loosely, they are weapons or armor that were either granted to someone by a god of myth...

...or that are an intrinsic part of a great legend, or that were crystallized with natural law in the heart of the planet before being further refined.

According to the battle records of yours I've perused, Mr. Fujimaru, the Dark Saber you encountered in Fuyuki used a Noble Phantasm that was itself a Divine Construct.

Suffice to say that Divine Constructs are incredibly rare, incredibly powerful things...

...which leads me to the conclusion that we have little hope of readily finding any Servants who possess such devices.

Indeed.

We have little hope of readily finding any Servants whose Noble Phantasm qualifies as such a construct.

？！

There is one Servant in Atlantis who matches those criteria. True Name:

Achilles.

Right. The hero of the Trojan War!

Surely you've heard of the Achilles tendon before? You have two of them yourself, after all.

Achilles is the hero for whom they are named.

He is easily as well-known as Heracles; perhaps even more so.

Indeed, you would be hard-pressed to find many other heroes whose names have been inscribed into our bodies.

？！

Good point. I could easily see a guy like Achilles having a Divine Construct or two on him.

(He's probably a Lancer... Wait. What if he's a Rider? Crap. Does this mean I might be out of a job soon?)

I can reforge his shield and armor into a Noble Phantasm capable of destroying a god.

I see. So you were the one to forge them in the first place. Then reforging them should be well within your abilities.

...So that's how it is, huh?

But, okay. The important thing's that someone can bring Artemis down. It doesn't necessarily have to be me.

？！

Not really, if I'm being honest. I never wanted to foist this responsibility off on anyone else.

But...I also understand painfully well that without a Divine Construct, there's only so much I can do.

All that remains now is the little matter of convincing him to cooperate with us.

I believe that will be where you come in, Master. We still have no idea what sort of hero he is, after all.

I dunno...

Legend says after he won his duel against Hektor, he tied the body to his chariot and dragged it around for kicks.

If that's true, he could be too wild for us to rein in.

And I'm not saying that 'cause I'm worried about him displacing me as a Rider. 'Cause I'm not. At all.

Hahaha. At any rate, it would seem Achilles is our next goal.

I don't suppose you would happen to know his whereabouts as well, would you, Sir Hephaestus?

I do.

I have just uploaded the corresponding map data. Take it.

Whoa, nice. Don't mind if we do.

I see there's a bunch of other data in here as well. You don't mind if we use that too, do you?

I do not.

Come to think of it, we still don't have any Theos Klironomia from this temple, since we got an error when we tried to take them earlier...

I have re-registered you as valid users. There is no longer any issue.

Then, does that mean it's okay with you if we take the Theos Klironomia now?

Affirmative.

My Theos Klironomia improve durability.

Whoa, really? Nice. Then what're we waiting for?

There is only enough for two Servants left.

Damn, so there won't be enough to go around for everyone then...

I need it to reinforce the Nautilus, so that's one portion accounted for. So how should we choose who gets the other?

I'll pass.

I don't think even doubling my durability would make me any more useful, so...

I have already acquired Lord Hephaestus's Klironomia myself.

Looks like it's all yours then, Orion.

Hmm... I know that was the original plan, but on second thought, I'll pass too.

？！

I guess you could say it's my hunter's intuition warning against it? Besides, I'm already good on durability.

Then you should take it, Lord Mandricardo, since you always fight on the front line.

...A-all right.

...I just hope you don't regret this...

？！

Okay, I'm ready.

If I might ask you something else, Sir Hephaestus...

...do the other twelve Olympians all possess similar characteristics as you?

They are all able to impart abilities similar to their Authority. For example...

Athena Klironomia: improve overall combat ability and imbue the recipient with combat-related skills. Hades Klironomia: provide the recipient with pseudo-immortality.

Zeus Klironomia: improve abilities across the board. Poseidon Klironomia: improve combat ability at sea.

Alert: Hades, Apollo, Hestia, and Ares Klironomia no longer exist.

But as I recall, "klironomia" means "legacy" in Greek, and as far as I know, you are still very much alive, no?

I named these nanomachines our legacy once it became clear that we had become stagnant.

Even after ten thousand years, we were unable to create a next-generation panacea that could replace the nanomachines.

That was our limitthe point where the gods outlived our usefulness.

Since we effectively died at that point, I thought the name would be fitting.

I see...

？！

. .

. .

？！

Master.

I think Hephaestus is waiting for you to ask your question.

？！

Unknown.

Insufficient data to respond to query due to damage to head unit.

？！

Answer based on limited remaining data: because it is rational.

Having indigenous life-forms live independently is a more efficient use of energy than ruling over them.

The current Olympus is inefficient. Things that are inefficient should disappear.

That is my answer.

...I see. A rational response indeed.

By indigenous life-forms...I presume you mean humans?

Correct.

Hephaestus's actions were motivated by neither sentiment nor emotion.

Once he had concluded that his enemies were behaving irrationally, he simply chose to side with us.

Hmph. That's pretty much how all the Olympian gods are built.

...Though they're definitely much more mechanical about it in this Lostbelt.

Very well then, putting Artemis aside for the moment, that still leaves the other two obstacles in our way.

Namely, Odysseus's army and Poseidon. Any information you could share on either would be greatly appreciated.

Releasing data on Odysseus's army.

This army appears to draft people from Atlantis into joining, then rapidly improves their capabilities.

Data on Odysseus is not available.

？！

Accessing this data is risky. I do not recommend it.

Hmm. I expect accessing data on Odysseus would open him up to being hacked.

Attempting to access data on Odysseus's army's primary weapon, Echidna. Success.

Echidna...?

As in the Demonic Beast that gave birth to Cerberus in Greek mythology?

The one with a woman's head and a snake's body?

Master, that looks like...

？！

Unclear.

There is evidence that Proper Human History data were referenced in its creation, and it was given Theos Klironomia to let it mass-produce Demonic Beasts.

This accounts for the significant increase in Demonic Beast population on this island.

...I just had a thought.

I saw in our records that an enormous Demonic Beast attacked us when we first got here. Did this Echidna creature produce that one, too?

Insufficient data. Unable to answer.

It's okay if you don't know for sure. Even a guess would be fine. Please tell us, Hephaestus.

According to Echidna's specifications, it is capable of mass-producing everything from small to enormous Demonic Beasts.

Considering it was made for the purpose of eradicating Chaldea, there is a strong possibility that it produced the enormous Demonic Beast that attacked you.

Yikes... Well thank you for that despair-inducing answer.

I estimate that destroying Echidna would lead to the destruction of Odysseus's army.

Hmm...

Is something wrong, Chiyome?

Oh, no, I am all right.

I simply have some mixed feelings about the fact that this creature is part snake.

I too carry a serpent's curse within my body, you see.

Oh wow, I had no idea.

But at least snakes are cute, right?

Indeed. As am I, of course.

It's true! You're downright adorable!

...I suppose that is what I get for trying to make a joke...

?

Attempting to access data on Poseidon. Success.

Damage to head unit detected. Poseidon is no longer capable of logical thought.

He is now simply a defensive system that attacks anything invading his territory.

Memories. Records. Emotions. Feelings. Everything. Gone. Erased. Destroyed.

Evasion impossible. Conflict inevitable.

Advice on best course of action:

Hit him with everything you've got.

I recommend downloading data about his three weak points: his Divine Cores.

Well, that's pretty straightforward. Guess we can worry about Poseidon later then.

Understood, Master. Then where should we begin?

Agreed.

After all, the only way to reach the truth of any given matter is to lay facts on top of one another until it presents itself.

？！

All right, we'll start by looking for Achilles, see if we can convince him to join us

And I will use my forge unit to create weaponry.

Does that mean we need to come back here then?

Negative.

My forge unit exists in a separate, safer location.

Sending coordinate data. You will be able to extract it once you encounter Achilles.

I see... So it operates on the same conditions as my forced brain download.

I have no more information I can disclose at this time. Initiating system shutdown.

So he just says what he wants to say and takes his leave as he pleases, huh.

I swear, there's nothing more stuck-up, selfish, or mechanical than a god.

At times like this, it's best to take the deluge of new information one piece at a time. We certainly can't expect Mr. Fujimaru to juggle all of it at once.

Rather than looking ahead to the end goal, we should start by examining our current position and taking one careful step forward at a time.

First, we look for Achilles. We can discuss what comes next after that.

？！

Hey, welcome back. Looks like you got what you came for.

Yes, we did!

Indeed. Just the joy radiating from your smiling face is enough to make me want to burst into song.

Ahem. Luscious bangs, hidden eyes, yahoy hoy hoy hoy♪

Don't you like it, Master? I wrote the music and lyrics myself!

Fou fou...

Not you too, Master...

Fou fou?

Now Fou is pressing his face into my back with surprising force... What's this about?

？！

I finished analyzing the Hephaestus Klironomia.

They're just as amazing as you'd expect. There are very clear differences between them and the general type.

Interesting. What sort of differences are we talking about here?

In addition to improving durability, the Hephaestus type also seem to enhance functions related to smithing.

Specifically, things like metalworking and imbuing metal with specific properties.

For starters, I think they'll help us to significantly enhance the Nautilus's cloaking ability.

Once we're able to improve its ability to conceal us, we should be able to evade Artemis's surveillance...

...which will, in turn, let us move from island to island in greater safety.

What do you think, Master?

Of course. Anything we can do to never see that damn arrow of light again is a good thing in my book.

Great, leave it to me. I love working on new safety features and things like that.

Th-that sounds most reassuring. In that case, by all means, have at it.

At last! Now I won't have to take ulcer pills every time we go to another island!

...Right?

I think so!

？！

All right, next stop: Thetis Island, where we'll find Achilles!

...Thetis, huh? So he's on the island named after his mother...