VII
It's like magic
...
...
The howling gale grazed her skin...
Her twisted and horrific visage...
Chained by her peers in the mountain above the clouds...
Imprisoned by the lying God of the vine...
Her only eye witnesses the stars...
Tears begin falling as she knows this is not her place...
The voices of the other Gods are like blades piercing her ears...
...
Ah...
The miserable Goddess of the Blacksmiths...
Trapped in her throne within the Olympus...
...
...
But it changes...
Everything changes while she stays the same...
The chaotic world below her feet is different...
It amuses her...
It might even be worth the trouble...
She is still chained but she can now stand alongside the other Gods and Goddesses...
Hiding her curse, she walks the path...
And now...
She stands above with her peers...
Brilliant figures of hope and power...
Below her, she can see the children flocking around them...
Golden bodies blessed with the fervor of the Gods...
The light reaches far and wide...
She looks up and sees a great fire...
Showing the way for the chosen ones...
Shining with the flames of the Falna...
...
...
But down there...
Where the light can't reach...
They move...
...
The abandoned...
The unworthy...
The cursed...
The lonely children of Gaia...
Nobody sees their suffering...
Colorless bastards with no purpose...
They walk aimlessly in the great land...
Waiting for their inevitable end...
Crying in fear...
Yelling in frustration...
Powerless...
Their pleas fall into the darkness...
And the Gods forget about them...
...
...
...
The earth splits...
The oceans tremble...
The stars flicker...
And in the horizon...
He marches...
A gigantic and terrible figure...
An old nightmare...
The Gods and Goddesses growl in anger...
The golden children cower in fear...
And the miserable Goddess can't do anything but watch...
Lightings rain from the skies...
Spikes shot up from the soil...
Magma runs in the rivers and oceans...
...
But nothing can stop the giant...
His black and horrifying body is impenetrable...
He simply ignores the aggression...
And now...
He is standing in front of Mount Olympus...
The Gods and Goddesses attempt to defeat him one last time...
...
...
But their efforts are useless...
The miserable Goddess watches as the giant breaks the fortress of the Gods...
And she witnesses how the giant takes the holy fire in his grotesque hand...
...
And then...
The giant smiles...
And leaves with the light in his hands...
...
...
Hephaestus blinks and gasps for air... Prophetic dreams and the such have never been within her area of expertize. Besides, she wasn't sure if that delusion could be considered a dream, it was more like a nightmare ignited by the recent events. Outside, she could see the familiar buildings she had built many decades ago when she first descended on the surface. Old structures made by inexperienced hands... But they still filled Hephaestus nostalgic happiness. Back in the day, she lived in constant fear and panic. She was well aware of her own disfigurement... Aside from Hestia, nobody else had seen what hid behind her eye-patch. Maybe Ouranos and some of the eldest Gods knew but they said nothing... Hestia, the eldest Gods... And him. Hephaestus wasn't sure if their meeting was a blessing or the act of some misfortune God but she was entirely grateful for it. She bared her true self to him... And he accepted everything...
Ah...
Welf...
She really missed him...
"Ho! Ho! Thinking about a man, I see... You naughty girl!" Her companion mocked with a giggle. Hephaestus sighed and glared at Loki... She would have to remember not to show her feelings in front of her. Especially if they were together like this. "Now, now... You don't have to give me that look! You may be a Goddess but you are also a woman! Even I can understand you... Once you have met the right man, you will never stop..." Loki said, biting her lip.
"You sound like Freya"
"I guess... I have to admit I never understood why she was always chasing men... Or even women when she was in heat!" Loki snorted "But now, it is crystal clear..."
"Nonsense..." Loki huffed.
"Aw... Our little Hephaestus is embarrassed about her feelings... So cute!" Loki cooed with a grin "I would like to know what kind of man would steal your heart?"
"Not the kind you would be interested in..."
"Is that so...? But to be honest, I have never heard you speak about him in any way... Like, when Freya and Demeter become drama queens and start gossiping during the parties, you never say anything. Even Artemis becomes a giggling teenager... Well, she IS a teenager but my point is... You are either too embarrassed to speak about him or..." Suddenly, Loki's grin widened "Or maybe you can't..." Hephaestus trembled slightly "So... He is a human, huh? A member of your Familia, maybe...?" Hephaestus crossed her arms and looked away "Ho... I always thought you more than anybody else had our boundaries as Gods defined... But I do suppose you are still a woman in the end..." Hephaestus could feel the cold sweat running down her spine "Oh, well! I got to hear something nice so I won't bully you anymore... But I do expect a good explanation later!" Loki finished, sitting by Hephaestus.
"You are impossible..." Hephaestus was willing to tell the story to her friends... But Loki wasn't one of them. In fact, Hephaestus didn't want to tell that mischevious Goddess anything. Loki was known for playing awful pranks when she was bored.
"Lady Hephaestus! Lady Loki! We are almost there!" The chauffeur of the carriage announced.
"About damn time! My back hurts thanks to these damn roads!" Loki complained.
After a few seconds, the carriage finally stopped. The chauffeur opened the door and gingerly helped the Goddesses. He was a common man with no relation with the Adventures, a simple man that earned money by working hard, a humble man that did his best for his wife and children...
A man just like Jayce...
Hephaestus still couldn't believe that crazy man represented such danger for Orario and the rest of the world. But more than that, it was his attitude. He walked with a confidence she hadn't seen before... Not even the strongest Adventurers dared to walk that way in front of the Gods. Of course, Freya did hold Ottar in check but that Adventurer respected all the other Gods. Jayce was different...
Hephaestus sighed and wondered what she did to deserve this... Then, her anger boiled when she remembered it was all thanks to the stupid Goddess that was happily hopping towards the last smithy in the row. Hephaestus had to use all her self-control to not strangle Loki... Now she could understand why Hestia was against anything Loki did... Hephaestus should have listened to Hestia before.
"Hey, Loki... Why are you so interested in Jayce?" It was a stupid question. Hephaestus knew very well that troublesome Goddess loved troublesome things.
"It's because it looks like fun...!" Figures, Loki was incredibly simple-minded "That is what I would have said if I haven't met Jayce..." Loki stopped and looked at the sky "Tell me, Hephaestus... Don't you think this world is... Stuck?" The Goddess didn't answer "It's all the same... The Adventurers go into the dungeon and we watch over their feats. Yes, there would be times when the Adventures will 'save the day' and become heroes... But that's it! I can't really explain it... But it all feels... Incomplete... And then, one magical night this strange man suddenly appears and beats the shit out of Bete! I simply couldn't believe my eyes or my senses... A normal and weak human... Defeated Bete... All of a sudden, a new gate filled with possibilities opened in front of me. What if the other powerless denizens of the surface could follow his steps, huh? What kind of glory would they achieve...? Don't tell me you haven't felt it too, Hephaestus." Loki said, turning around and smiling "I don't think he can change the world but he can become the stepping stone for something amazing... And I want to see that..." Loki finished with a wide grin.
...
Certainly...
That was one way of viewing the current situation but Loki was simply ignoring the problem. Even if her words were true, Jayce represented a danger to the society just like Ouranos had claimed... But even then, Hephaestus couldn't forget the song from back then. It was a melodious voice telling her a forgotten story. Something akin to the spirits but more magnificent and glorious. Hephaestus was not able to understand the message and that made her feel anxious. There were few things Gods couldn't understand... Most of them meant danger but there was something different this time around...
Hephaestus wanted to know...
Not because she was bored or because it was interesting...
It felt like...
Destiny...
...
In front of her, she could see the Sun setting in the horizon behind the mountains. It all felt extremely harmonious and right... This nostalgic parade filled with the remnants of the beginnings of her Familia. It all comes back in the end. It hadn't changed that much, it was still the same old shack Hephaestus gave Tsubaki many decades ago... Well, minus the overwhelming amount of garbage at the sides...
...
Wait a minute...
Why is there so much rubbish, huh? It... It looked like a dump! Hephaestus was sure they have cleaned the place before they left to their new base! And she knew it had been a few years ever since... But how was this possible?! Pieces of twisted metal, broken wooden parts, chunks of ceramic, strips of paper and even shattered glass... Wha... What was the meaning of this?! This shack was the beginning of the Hephaestus Familia... And that lowly human dared to soil that beautiful memory like this!? Unforgivable! Hephaestus was not going to allow such insult to her and her Familia! Her eye twitched in anger and she marched towards the smithy... Human or devil, that stupid man was going to pay for this...
"H-Hey...! What's the hurry?! Why are you suddenly mad?! Hey! What's wrong?!" Loki asked behind Hephaestus but she ignored her.
She reached the door and knocked vigorously on it but nobody answered. Hephaestus peeked through the window but she was only able to see the shapes of some strange artifacts and a peculiar yellow glow at the room in the back. She huffed in frustration and knocked again but nobody answered.
"I think he went out... Probably to eat!" Loki tried to calm her down "Maybe we should go and look for him in the city! I've heard he is often seen at the 'Hostess of Fertility' so how about we...!"
"Shut up, Loki!" Hephaestus ordered angered, Loki immediately quiet down and lifted her hands in precaution "I don't really care how precious that man is to you... I will make him suffer if he soils my property with his idiocy! I promise you I will-" Suddenly, there was a huge explosion and a pillar of light rose behind the smithy "Wha-What is that madman doing?!" Hephaestus screamed and ran towards the pillar with Loki behind her.
They were greeted by a thick curtain of smoke covering almost their whole field of view. Hephaestus calmed her nerves and slowly walked into the smoke, she advanced carefully and making sure where she was standing. If her memory was right, there was an old and empty wheel somewhere nearby and a tree to her left. She saw a thick silhouette at the distance and recognized it as the tree, so that meant the wheel was...
But then, Hephaestus tripped on something and fell to the ground. She grunted in exasperation and left out a small curse as she turned around to see the cause of her fall... Suddenly, she felt her blood freeze in her veins when she recognized the shape of a body. Hephaestus screamed and crawled over the ground, getting away as fast and far as she could. In her mad dash, she crashed with something in front of her and fell again. She rubbed her head and slowly got up. Around her, the curtain of smoke had already cleared and she could see the effects of the explosion... Surprisingly, there wasn't that much destruction as she had expected. Yes, there was a scorched area but it seemed like everything else was fine. It all had been a show... But that body she found... That couldn't be...
"Hephaestus! Hephaestus, help me!" She heard Loki scream behind her. Hephaestus turned around and saw Loki over the body of Jayce "He-He is not breathing! Help me!"
In reality, Hephaestus almost felt relieved. If such dangerous man was gone from Orario, maybe she didn't have to worry anymore about her nightmares... And with this, even her partnership with Loki would be over. For now, that stupid Goddess was on the verge of a collapse so it would be for the best to help her...
"It seems like the experiment was a failure, Mister Jayce..." A voice said behind Loki. She turned around to see a peculiar maid with a cold expression on her face. She carefully kneels in front of Jayce, gently picks his head between her soft hands and... Slaps him right in the face.
"M-Miss Maid! Wha-What are you doing?!" Loki asked in shock.
"Don't worry Lady Goddess, this sort of occurrence is far more common than you think and this method has proven to be the most efficient out of the other options," Ryuu answered while she continued slapping Jayce.
"I-I think there are better ways than... Than doing that!"
"I know there are but this method has proved to be the most satisfying... For me that is..." Ryuu added with a small grin. "Hmph... It seems like it is not working... I suppose it is time to try harder!" Ryuu said raising her hand above her head as much as she could and grinning devilishly.
"Miss Maid! I think you are-" Loki tried to stop Ryuu but it was too late. The elf smiled deviously and slapped Jayce with everything she had, her hand connected and created a wave that lifted a gust of dust and an explosion of sound. But even after that, Jayce was still unconscious. "Miss Maid! If Jayce wasn't dead I think you just killed h-"
"IT HURTS!" Suddenly, Jayce shot up and began rolling on the ground while he clenched his cheeks in pain "OUCH! Ryuu! What were you...? Ouch! What was...? OUCH! What did you do?! It hurts so much! OUCH!" Jayce complained.
"See, Lady Goddess. It worked just fine." Ryuu reassured, patting Loki on her back "And I also feel better..."
"You really hate me, don't you'" Jayce said with a huge swelling on his face.
"What are you saying, Mister Jayce? I consider you as one of my dearest friends." Ryuu answered with a grin.
"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" Jayce mumbled while he got up "Anyways, I suppose you did help me back there... Sort of. And what were the results?"
"A complete failure. The 'Power Cell' you wanted to created exploded once it reached the second stage."
"As expected, huh?" Jayce said examining the crater at the distance "Then, my theory was correct. I can't skip steps... This is going to be quite slow and boring..." He sighed scratching his head and finally noticing Loki and Hephaestus "Oh! Hi there... I... I wasn't expecting visits! I... I take you saw what happened here..." Loki nodded. "Oh, joy... Okay, let me explain myself..."
"I didn't know you were making weapons, Jayce!" Loki said excited "I don't know what that was but I want a hundred of them!"
"Let me tell you two things: One. I am not making weapons. Two. That wasn't a weapon. It was a power cell designed to hold a certain amount of energy so it can be used to fuel machines. I need them in order to power up the portal I need to get back."
"Uh... You... You still want to return...?" Loki asked a bit sad.
"It is not a matter of want, it is something I Must do," Jayce said resolved. He noticed Loki sulking and patted her head "But it will take a while... A long while so in the meantime, I suppose I could help you..." Loki¿s face brightened with a wide smile "Sometimes..." Jayce added and ruffled Loki's hair. "I can't promise you anything dangerous but there a few things in mind I can give you." The Goddess pouted but still gave Jayce a playful grin later. The champion then got up and finally noticed Hephaestus waiting on the side "Oh, my! Hello there, Lady Hephaestus. It is a pleasure to see you again." Jayce greeted with a court bow.
"I wish I could say the same..." Hephaestus whispered to herself and coughed "I take you were not planning on doing anything dangerous..."
"That is correct. As I said before, this incident was but a failure in my experiment... I would like to explain it in-depth but I am afraid it would take me a while and I do believe it is already late..." He added, looking at the dying sun on the horizon.
"Indeed... You know why we are here, right?"
"I am afraid to say I don't... I may be brilliant but it is impossible to see what lies inside your head aside from my assumptions," Jayce answered, scratching his head "But if I had to guess, I would say it has to do with that Ouranos..."
"Correct. You said some dangerous things and we have decided to keep an eye on you..." Jayce chuckled a little and Hephaestus glared at him. "And as you may already know, this smithy belongs to me and my Familia... So I demand to know what are you creating behind those doors."
"That sounds about right..." Jayce agreed with a sigh "Miss Ryuu, I know it is getting quite late but I hope you can stay here and aid me in this task."
"I understand..." Ryuu concurred with a nod "I will go ahead and organize the workshop while you review the safety measures with the two Goddesses... And for the love of everything pure in this world, don't hit on them?" Jayce simply tilted his head and winked to Ryuu "I just hope you what you are doing... If you excuse me, Lady Loki, Lady Hephaestus." Ryuu added with a bow and went inside the workshop
"She is such a strange fellow, huh?" Loki commented, watching the smithy.
"I can't deny that... But I have to say, I really am glad I met Miss Ryuu. She has been an important friend of mine ever since I appeared in this world."
"Ho... Now, that makes me feel jealous..." Loki pouted, pinching Jayce's sides.
"She is just a friend..." Jayce assured with a nervous laugh "Anyways, it is about time we move onto the main topic..." He said with a cheeky grin "If you please follow me, O' Great Goddesses of the heavenly realm!" Jayce claimed while he knelt in front of Loki and Hephaestus. Hephaestus huffed and rolled her eye while Loki giggled. "Before we enter, there are a few rules we need to go over..." Hephaestus glared at Jayce "I am sorry but these are standard safety procedures that were developed in order to ensure the well-being of civilians and outsiders inside of the workshops." Jayce chanted as if he had spent sleepless nights repeating the same words over and over again.
"You said you weren't creating weapons..." Hephaestus said with suspicion.
"That is correct... In theory."
"And what is that supposed to mean, huh?"
"Look, we all know the world I come from is immensely more advanced than this one... And I may have created a few harmless artifacts but that doesn't mean you can hurt yourselves by doing something stu... I mean, something... Something... Uh... Let's just say using my creation the wrong way can cause some... 'Unhealthy' results."
"You were going to say stupid, weren't you?"
"Right! If there are no more questions, let us go!" Jayce said ignoring Hephaestus.
Now, they were standing in front of the gates of Tsubaki's old smithy and she could feel the tension building. What sort of artifacts has this madman created? What dark purpose could those devilish things do? What sort of harm would he bring to Orario and the rest of the world? So many questions and so many vague answers. She wondered what was Loki thinking about but a quick glance at the Goddess told Hephaestus she was enjoying herself. It looked as if Loki could barely contain her excitement... Just as Hephaestus had expected from the troublesome and petite Goddess... She sighed and wondered if there was a time where she could have simply backed away and escaped from this madness.
Then again, destiny was quite mischevious with Gods.
"Prepare to be amazed!" Jayce suddenly claimed loudly "Behind these doors hides the world I came from! Behind these doors rest the secrets of progress and evolution! Behind these doors lies the future and everything to come! Behind these doors-" Hephaestus rolled her eye and huffed in disdain. Jayce was acting like such an arrogant show-off... It really made the Goddess cringe in anger... Loki, on the other hand, was devouring every word and every gesture with sparkles in her eyes. Those two sure were one of a kind. "And without further ado, Let head into a magical journey!" Jayce finally finished his speech and opened the doors to reveal Ia room filled with...
With...
...
Garbage.
There was absolutely no other term for such display of artifacts chaotically filling the smithy. There were tubes and other crystal vases on one side while the other was filled with twisted pieces of metal in various shapes. The walls were covered in blue papers with several illegible doodles on them. There was a wide blackboard on the back that had a bunch of messily arranged numbers and letters that made no sense. Besides the blackboard was the infamous hammer resting in some sort of handle with several threads made of copper surrounding it. Hephaestus also saw a peculiar purple orb inside of a metal cage with a few magic stones surrounding it and creating a spectacle of beams of lights. She also noticed a littered work table filled with several unimpressive devices and huge books with a blue hardcover.
"Wow... This place looks like a dump..." Loki voiced Hephaestus exact thoughts.
"Sadly, Mister Jayce does not know a thing about order and structure," Ryuu commented as she dusted a weird machine made of wood with a large platting between its part.
"I rather think about it as a harmonious chaos. A living being with each of its part in their rightful place."
"You are just too lazy to clean properly," Ryuu added with a flick of her hair "If it weren't for me, you would be fine with living with the rats and other vermin."
"Alright... How about we move on!" Jayce said clapping his hands "As you can see, I have a few of my creations here. You are free to ask me anything about any of the devices... Just ask me before you touch them. Some of them are extremely fragile or dangerous... Or both." At that, the two Goddesses scattered and began examining every little thing in the workshop "Do you think they will be okay...?" Jayce asked Ryuu with a nervous whisper. Ryuu looked at him, grinned evilly and left to keep cleaning the workshop "That's what I thought..." He noticed Loki, looking at the vials in his worktable.
The impish Goddess took a large conical flask and was about to drink its contents when Jayce took it away from her hands.
"Hey! I was going to drink that!" Loki said, hopping and trying to reach the flask in Jayce's hands.
"And that's why I took it from you. This ain't no juice."
"I know that much!" The Goddess said, putting her hands on her hips "It smells weird so it should be a potion! I just wanted to taste it and see its effect."
"I am afraid to say you are completely wrong," Jayce said while he placed the flask on the worktable again "This is not a potion. This is penicillin."
" 'Penicillin'? What is that?"
"The Penicillin is one of the most famous and powerful antibiotics in my world. It is extremely efficient in eradicating bacteria and curing diseases."
" 'Antibiotic'? 'Bacteria'? What are you even talking about?"
Jayce was about to explain everything when Ryuu interjected: "Mister Jayce, I think it would be for the best if Lady Loki saw it for herself."
"Are you sure? You got pretty 'sentimental' when you saw it... Don't you think it will have the same results?" Jayce asked with a nervous look on his face.
"Perhaps but it will be quicker... And it will probably be more educational."
"If you say so..."
"Hey! What are you two talking about?!" Loki asked in anger "Stop acting so conceited and show me already!"
"Alright, alright... Just... Promise me you won't scream, okay?" Jayce asked, almost pleading. Loki nodded skeptically and Jayce sighed in resignation. "Alright... Listen Loki, you may think you have seen everything this world has to offer... But what if I told you there is another world right under your nose... And I mean literally, 'right under your nose'." The Goddess tilted her head and Hephaestus stopped investigating the workshop so she could hear better. Jayce sighed again and went to his worktable. He began looking for something in the shelves until he brought a strange artifact. It was a golden barrel attached to some sort of handle with a small platform holding a set of crystals. "This is a 'Microscope'. It is an instrument designed to see objects that are too small to the naked eye... First, let me focus the lenses for you..." Jayce said bending down on the machine. He rested his eye on the barrel and began turning the cranks and adjusting the pieces of mirror and glass "Alright, that should do it... After you." Jayce said, offering the microscope to Loki.
The Goddess carefully approached the worktable and looked at the machine with curiosity. There it was again, that tingly sensation expanding through her body. It was an electric current that made her feel relentless and scared... But it also filled her with such excitement she could barely contain herself. She grinned and decided to step into the unknown. She carefully did the same as Jayce and...
"Woah!" Loki exclaimed getting away from the microscope "What...?! What is that?! Those things... What are those things?!" She asked, looking through the microscope again "How can this...!? How can this be even possible?!"
"Well... Even if you ask me, I am not really sure of what to say. I may be a genius but even I don't know everything, just what I know."
"That's sad... Hey, Hephaestus! Come and have a look!" The impish Goddess called, waving her hand. Hephaestus glanced at the artifact with nervousness "Come on! Don't be a chicken! I swear it's fun!"
That wasn't reassuring at all. Loki was well-known for her 'unusual' sense of humor. Her pranks were legendary among the Gods and some of them couldn't help but try to smite her down upon meeting... Thor, for example. Hephaestus had the slight suspicion that Loki had been banished from Heaven and that was the reason why she came here... Either way, Hephaestus sighed and simply decided to just get over with all this. There was no point in refusing that devious Goddess... So with resignation, Hephaestus stepped forward. Loki grinned and Jayce gave Hephaestus a reassuring smile and a silent apology. The Goddess glared at the microscope one last time before she ventured into the unknown...
...
She could...
She could see something...
A small circle with a gray and transparent background. It looked weird and it was tiring... But there was something else... Something that was creeping around. Hephaestus focused on those dim figures...
And she saw them...
Creatures with the same shape as the slimes. Beings with no shape that moved extremely fast in the area... And slowly, more creatures appeared. Some had defined shapes, some others were like the first. All of them with the same transparent color but with their bodies defined by a black line...
What...?
What is this...?!
"Pretty cool, right?" She heard Loki's voice nearby "But I still don't know what are those... Are you sure you can't tell me anything?" Hephaestus could almost see the pout on Loki's face.
"As I said before, this is not my area... But I suppose I can give you some insights. The creatures you are seeing through the Microscope are called 'Microorganism'. These beings can be found in just about every single thing in the world. Water, food, animals, humans... They are the main cause of diseases but they also help with many of the procedures in the environment and even inside the bodies of other living beings."
"Even inside of the gods?!"
"That's... Actually hard to answer. None of the scientists in Piltover had the chance to explore the body of a God so it is hard to tell... But I suppose they do, they might just differ in some ways..."
"Are you sure about that?"
"If I am honest with you, I am not. If you want concrete answers, I would need to do some experiments and gather samples... And even like that, my answers may not be correct. As I said before, I am not an expert in this field. I may be able to answer some of your questions but my conclusion would most likely be elemental."
"I see... That's a let-down..." Loki pouted again as Hephaestus finally stopped looking through the Microscope "So how was it?"
"It was... 'Enlighting..." Hephaestus answered with doubt. I wanted to look more but the image began darkening to the point nothing was visible."
"Well, it is getting dark." Jayce answered, looking through the window " Without light, that device is useless."
"Then light some torches!"
"I may have something better..." Jayce said with a mysterious grin "Ryuu, how's the generator?"
"It looks fine to me" The Maid answered "As far as I can tell, it is not broken... So I guess you should do 'that'."
"Alright! Let us do 'that'!"
"What exactly is 'that'?" Hephaestus asked with concern.
"It is pretty simple!" Jayce said, walking towards the center of the room "Dear Ladies, I am sure you have lots of questions, lots of insecurities, lots of needs... And I will answer and relief all of your problems! So if you please listen to me..." Hephaestus face-palmed. That idiot was rambling once again "And in short! All the answers will be yours in time...! But for now, allow me to shed some light on the subject..." He said with a cheeky grin and pulled a string attached to the ceiling. Suddenly, a bright light blinded Hephaestus and made her look away. She blinked a few times and once her eyes got used to the light, she was able to see this new invention. There were four sources of light at the corner of the ceiling with the biggest of them at the center and below Jayce. "So... What do you guys think?"
"Wh- What's all of this?!" Loki asked with her mouth wide open "Those are not torches! Are those magic stones? No, I don't feel any sort of magic... What are those?!"
"Those are Incandescent Light Bulbs, my dear" Jayce answered with an arrogant smile "They may have the same objective as magic stones... But the concept is different! It uses a simple system of wires and electric currents to power and heat a small and thin filament to such degree it glows with visible light! It is fairly easy to install and almost everyone can afford and use one as long as they... Hey, Loki! Don't touch that!" Jayce suddenly yelled. He realized the impish Goddess had climbed the shelves and was trying to touch one of the light bulbs.
"Why not...?" Loki pouted.
"Because it is very fragile and you could hurt yourself!"
"But it looks like fun...!" Loki complained like a little child.
"I don't care! Get down here, Young Miss!"
"Party-Pooper..." Loki pouted "What's the point in finding fun things if you can play with them...?"
"Listen, I know all of this sounds interesting but you could hurt yourself... And I can understand you are curious and you want to know but there are rules you must follow and respect in order to keep a safe environment in the workshop."
"But I want to play..." Loki pouted with fake tears.
"I... I understand but I can't just..."
"Mister Jayce, I think I may have the answer..." Ryuu interjected, "We could always use 'Plan C'."
"I... Don't think that's a good idea..."
"Hey! What's 'Plan C'!" Loki asked interestedly. "I wanna know! I wanna know!"
"Lady Loki seems okay with the idea... We should activate Plan C." Jayce glared at Ryuu but the Maid simply shrugged. The Champion sighed and nodded in defeat "I am glad you are a reasonable man..." The Maid said with a small smile and grabbed a big box from one of the shelves "Now Lady Loki, many of the components in this workshop are extremely fragile and important. And of course, you can't touch them carelessly... But in this box, I have a few... 'Devices' you can play with..."
"For real!? Show me, then!" The Maid nodded and took some sort of small red carriage from the box "Oh! What's that?"
"This called a 'Car'. It is the scale model of one of the few machines Mister Jayce want to develop. It is a new type of carriage that does not need any sort of beast to move... Allow me to demonstrate..." Ryuu added, turning a small key under the car. Suddenly, the wheels began spinning quickly and when Ryuu placed the car on the floor, it shot forward. "Quite the impressive artifact..."
"H-How is that possible...?! How?!" Loki exclaimed, grabbing the car and inspecting every nook and cranny.
"We can experiment with it outside when there is more room" Ryuu suggested, guiding the Goddess through the door "There are enough light bulbs around the workshop so even in the dark, we will be able to study the functions of the car... Now, allow me to explain how the engine works..." Ryuu began while the door closed behind them.
Hephaestus looked at the door for a few moments before he turned to Jayce, crossed her arms and glared at him. The Champion was taken aback by this and simply stared at the ceiling while he whistled a soft tune.
" 'Plan C'..." The Goddess asked cryptically "I don't know anything about that car... But that thing looked like a toy..."
"Well, yes... C for children, am I right?" Jayce said with a nervous chuckle. Hephaestus raised one eyebrow and Jayce scratched his hair "Look, I was completely against it... It was Ryuu's idea. I swear I didn't want to be rude in any way..."
"It's okay... It is an effective measure against Loki's hyperactivity... I just wonder why you have toys in here."
"Some kids appeared in front of the workshop one day. They said they were the owners of this land and they demanded tribute... Ryuu wanted to scold them but I decided to approach this problem differently. All those 'toys' are actually prototypes of several machines I want to create. They seemed quite satisfied with the haul so they stopped bothering me. Turns out those kids are the children of some of the Adventurers that work on the other Smithies... They come every now and then to play and keep me company."
"Never took you for one that liked children..."
"I hear that often... But it has its advantages, the parents are glad and they often help me with materials and other techniques I may find useful for my experiments. I also give classes to the children once a week..."
"Wait... You... Give classes...?" Aside from not looking like a teacher, Hephaestus doubted it was a good idea to have such dangerous man teaching the new generations.
"That also sounds weird coming from me but I can do that much. I may not be the best teacher but I am doing my best to help them understand the world..." Jayce said while he looked for something in his worktable "I am teaching them the basics with the help of this..." He said passing a neatly arranged book to Hephaestus "This amount should suffice for their elementary education... I would like to teach them the other levels but I am afraid I am not qualified to do so. I will still create the material needed to do so..."
"But this... How did you make this...?" Hephaestus asked as she skimmed through the pages. The contents were written in a strange set of runes but she was able to understand it somehow. Also, the handwriting was unusually neat and well designed. It was not something a human or even any of the other species could achieve. "Mister Jayce... How many children come to your classes?"
"Uh...? Well, I think twelve or thirteen... But I heard there will come more. I think the class will end up with twenty-five or thirty students."
"And you will give the same book to all of them?"
"Why yes, of course. I actually have over one-hundred in stock... I've been thinking about giving them at the center of Orario but that might not be a good idea..."
"And you made all of them?"
"Uh... Yes?" Jayce answered, confused.
"Ryuu didn't help you..."
"Uh... No? Why are you asking me this?"
"Because it is impossible to believe you made this book on your own" Hephaestus answered, inspecting the book again "It is written in a language I haven't heard of... And oddly enough, I can understand it easily. Normally, it would take more than a week to write a book with one-hundred pages, this book has more than three-hundred pages... It is almost as one of the ancient spell-books on the library and as far as I am concerned, those took years to finish... How could you make one-hundred books with three-hundred pages with this style of handwriting?"
"Well, the answer is pretty simple..." Jayce then signaled Hephaestus to get closer. The Goddess looked around and did as she was told "I didn't..." Jayce whispered in Hephaestus ear.
"Wha- What do you mean with that?!" Hephaestus asked in fury.
"I didn't 'write' the books. Of course, the contents were designed by me but I didn't write each and every single one of the books one by one... I used this instead..." Jayce said walking to the huge wooden machine with a metallic plate between its parts "This over here is the 'Printing Press'."
" 'Printing... Press?" Hephaestus repeated with doubt.
"Yes, that is correct. This is a device created to accelerate and improve the printing procedures. It used the 'Hand Mold' principle to create these pieces and use them in the process." Jayce added, giving to Hephaestus a small cube made of metal with a strange letter in one of the sides "Each one of these is molded individually and in large quantities in order to arrange them in a text. Let me show you..." He said as he began to place a bunch of the cubes on the plate in order. He made two paragraphs and let Hephaestus inspect it "Now that the text is ready, I just have to press the plate into the paper. You may not be able to see it, but the machine has a system that allows it to transfer ink from the cubes to the paper... And just like that..." He said while he pressed the plate with the paper. After a while, he lifted the plate and revealed the paper with the two paragraphs "You can 'write' as many books as you can... This process is called 'Printing'."
"Then you... You could make hundreds of books with hundreds of pages in mere days...! Or even hours! That... That is insane!"
"Really? Sounds below average to me, There was a place in Piltover that could print thousands of books daily... A few hundred of books is not that impressive."
Was... Was this man crazy?! That quantity sounded astronomically ridiculous! There was no way to achieve such feat... Even with the help of magic!
This... This was not looking good. Hephaestus could remember that many of the citizens in Orario earned their income by spending their days simply writing and writing. Their callous and tired hands wrote dozens of books in months... And yet, this man was capable of doubling that amount in mere weeks... Then, what was the point of all that work? Why were they wasting their time when they could simply use this machine and achieve better results?
But most importantly... Where would they go? As far as Hephaestus was concerned, those people only knew how to write. There was not a single thing they could do aside from writing... What would they do if this machine replaces them? Where would they end? How would they feed their families?
...
This...
This was terrible...
"Jayce... Does Ryuu know about this?" Hephaestus asked gravely.
"Yes, she does. She has helped me with the development of most of the devices here. She also takes time and helps me educate the children." Lies, there was no way the elf would help Jayce if she knew the consequences of her actions. "I also train her so she can handle the workshop whenever I am not present." Hephaestus went silent and kept staring at the book in her hands. She slowly began to squeeze it until it was crushed between her hands "Uh... Lady Hephaestus... Are you okay?"
"Jayce... What are you trying to achieve here?"
"Well... I just want to help in any way I can."
"And how are you planning to do that?"
"With all of this..." Jayce said, signaling at the workshop "Everything they need is here..."
"And what can you give them?"
"Uh...? Knowledge... A new way to see the world... Everything in here..."
"Is that all?"
"What do you mean with that?"
"I am asking you if that is all you can give them."
"Well, yes... This is all I can-"
"That is not enough!" Hephaestus yelled, throwing the book at the side. "It is not enough! In fact, you are just going destroy everything! It is not enough!"
"But it is... This is everything I have... And this is all they need..."
"So tell me, Jayce... Do you really think this is enough!? All these artifacts sure are outstanding... But they mean nothing against the power of the Gods!" Hephaestus yelled in anger "The Adventurers are given the power to fight the monsters! They fight the evil forces from the dungeon! They wield legendary weapons crafted by the Gods! They become heroes! They become the ideal for the kids! And at the end, they become the masters of the surface alongside the Gods...! So tell me... Tell me what is the point of doing all of this...! What could you possibly give to those weak and normal beings!"
"I will give them the future..." Jayce said with a small smile.
"You... The w-What...?!"
"You are right, Hephaestus... I can't give them the power to do the same as Adventurers. Not even I can deny my own limits... I may not be able to give them the power to kill monsters, but they will be able to fight against the diseases and plagues by creatine medicines and vaccines. They may never be able to face the evil forces of the dungeon, but they will stand against the forces of intransigence, injustice, ignorance, and intolerance. They will never be able to wield legendary weapons but instead, they will create the tools to measure the rules of nature in this realm and the others. They will not become the heroes children idolize so much but instead, they will become the ideal every human will aspire to be... They will never rule the surface... So I will give them the skies. I will give them the means to touch the celestial vault, I will help them own the stars, the sun, the moon, and the worlds that lie somewhere in the distant galaxies... I know this path is not easy. In fact, it is filled with thorns and many will give up before the journey has ever started... But those who persist will be rewarded with the keys to progress. They will lead rest of the humans as beacons of hope, not by killing monsters or saving princesses... They will do it by becoming the best humanity has to offer... You asked me what can I possibly give them, Hephaestus. Well, that's my answer... I will give them the future and everything that comes with..."
...
...
...
But...
But that made no sense...
That was... Impossible...
How could he...?
How could he say such things so carelessly...?
He didn't know the real weight of responsibility...
He didn't know what he actions could cause...
He was just...
He was...
...
...
And then...
The giant smiles...
And leaves with the light in his hands...
...
...
The miserable Goddess was not able to do anything at all...
She simply stood at the side and watched...
She was so hopelessly weak...
So hopelessly useless...
So hopelessly cursed and lonely...
...
...
Strange...
The giant should have disappeared a while ago...
But he is just there...
Standing at the edge of the darkness...
He turns around...
And he smiles...
...
...
Then he kneels...
And gives the flames to the unworthy...
...
...
But why...?
Why would he do that...?
He was supposed to use the falna to awake an ancient terror...
But instead...
He is just there...
Kneeling and waiting...
The children of Gaia slowly creep closer...
And watch the fire in wonder...
...
But it is useless...
No matter how hard they try...
Those who were not chosen by the Gods cannot use the fire...
It is useless...
...
They cannot use the fire...
It stays in his hands...
Burning their skin...
...
But...
They are not screaming...
They are not suffering...
Instead...
They are watching the fire in awe...
...
And then...
One of the unworthy...
One peculiar colorless child of Gaia takes the fire...
And throws the flames in the air...
The falna shines with a magnificent glow...
And the flames become something else...
...
Towers...
Tall towers like Babel pointing and touching the sky...
But these are different...
These are not violent symbols of the horror that lays dormant beneath their feet...
These towers were reflecting the sun...
Metal constructions covered in glass...
Beautiful examples of what mortal hands can achieve on their own...
...
Those colorless, hopeless, useless bastards children of Gaia are now something else...
They are not golden like the chosen...
But instead, all of them had their own color...
Their own brilliance...
Their own path...
Away from the Gods...
...
"How...? How are you planning to do that...?" Hephaestus asked, biting her lip.
"Everything is here in this small room..." Jayce said picking up one of the tomes in his worktable "I have written down the basics in each one of these books. The Printing press will help in delivering everything in here..."
"But how?! I simply don't get it! How can you say you will help them!? How can they do it?! How?!"
"Because I am like them... I don't have powers or abilities like the Adventurers... And besides, do you really think progress will stop with me? After I am gone, they will keep moving forward towards the future. It is the beauty of knowledge, no matter how much you think you know, there is always more to discover. They will embrace everything nature has to offer."
"Is that your plan? The normal humans will gain that power... And then what?! They will separate from the rest of us! They will build their own society away from the Adventurers and the other species... Is that what you want?!"
"Who said science was owned by the human race?"
"Huh...? You.. What do you mean...?"
"Elves, Dwarves, Pallums, Hobbits... I may look different from them but we are all the same on the inside. We all chase after our own happiness and personal fulfillment as living beings. I will give these gifts to anyone who is willing to walk the path alongside me and the others... And that includes the Adventurers as well!"
"Wha...? What makes you think they will listen to you?!"
"Because I want the same as them... Because I also fight to protect what's right and to stop what's wrong. Our battlefields may be different but the goal is the same. After all, what kind of man is a man who does not make the world better?"
"That... That can't..."
"Listen Goddess, we humans are not the selfish and wicked creatures you and the other Gods think we are. We have lived in the surface since we were born and we understand each other better than any of you! I am not aiming to create an impossible and foolish utopia! Those baseless ideals are for the weak and the men of faith! What I want is a better world where men and women choose their own paths based on their own beliefs! I want a kingdom of conscience! I want a Kingdom of Heaven!"
Madness...
This man was insane...
His words made no sense at all...
Hephaestus backed away, scared of the monsters she had in front of her...
How could he...?
How could he ...?
The walls began closing on her. The artifacts in his work table looked like tools designed to tear the world apart...
How...?
...
...
Suddenly, the golden figures beside Gods began walking towards the crystal city...
They ignored the voice of the Gods...
Their eyes were filled with something the Gods couldn't understand...
A craving...
A need...
A desire...
A shared wish...
They were still the same heroes the Gods loved...
But now...
They took the fire inside them and used it to create...
The city began to grow and expand far and wide...
And eventually...
The city was as big as the mountain of the Gods...
The miserable Goddess watched the crystal city in awe...
But her focus changed to the back of the dark giant...
And then...
He turned around...
And gazed upon the pitiful form of the miserable Goddess...
...
"You can't... You just can't..." Hephaestus covered her eyes with her hands and began shaking her head " You can't do this...! You can't take them away from us...! We have spent so much time together... You simply can't...!"
"I am not planning to do that. I will simply give them the power to choose, whether they choose to stay with the Gods or come with me is up to them... And if they want to follow me and abandon the Gods, I will gladly welcome them inside my workshop... And I will fight the Gods if they want to stop them! I may reject all sorts of violence but I am ready to fight if needed! Mark my words, Goddess: I will burn this world if any of you dares to attempt against the free will all mortal beings are born with!"
Hephaestus was terrified...
How could this man say such terrible things?
How could he create such wonderful things and use them to defy the will of the Gods?
How could a normal human be so incredibly scary?
But deep inside, Hephaestus was scared because she could see the truth... She could see the brilliant future Jayce promised. There was no way the Adventurers would choose the Gods after witnessing such beautiful future. At least, the best Adventurers will realize Jayce's promise was better than anything the Gods could offer... In the end, she was afraid because she already knew the answer...
"You... You can't... You can't take them from me..." Hephaestus cried helplessly "I don't want to be alone... I don't want to be alone anymore... Don't take them away... I can't follow after them... I can't be part of that future..."
"Who said you can't?" She heard Jayce said. Hephaestus felt him place his hand in her head "I think there has been a serious misunderstanding here... When I said I would accept everyone, I meant Everyone... And that includes you and the other Gods and Goddesses as well!" Hephaestus opened her eyes and saw the bright smile of Jayce.
"You... You mean that... You mean that even I... Even I can do the same...?"
"Well... You are the Goddess here, you tell me!" Jayce answered with a grin.
...
Does that...?
Does that mean...?
...
...
And then...
He turned around...
And gazed upon the pitiful form of the miserable Goddess...
...
But the giant was not there...
Instead...
There was a man...
A normal man like the ones behind him...
A man with a wide and bright smile...
He smiled to the miserable Goddess...
And grabbed her hand...
Suddenly, the world was no longer gray and dark...
The Goddess was finally able to see the true colors around her...
No more colorless bastards...
No more golden heroes...
Even her brilliant body was gone...
Instead...
She was greeted by people...
People of all races...
All of them standing by the city of silver and gold...
A city with metal towers covered in crystal...
A city with vessels plowing through the skies...
A city filled with hopes and dreams...
A city where everyone could be free...
The city of progress...
The city of the future...
...
...
The kingdom of Heaven...
"Ah! Jayce made a girl cry!" Loki said suddenly appearing behind Hephaestus.
"Wah! Where did you come from?!" Jayce exclaimed startled. "I thought you were outside playing with the toy car!"
"I always knew you were a cruel man, mister Jayce... But to think you would make a Goddess cry... I expected nothing and you still managed to disappoint me." Ryuu commented, appearing behind Jayce.
"Okay! You have to explain how you did that! How do you manage to sneak on me?!"
"Jayce is... A bad man...?" Asuka asked in sadness.
"Yes, miss Asuka. Mister Jayce is an evil man that seduces women with his silver tongue..." Ryuu answered hugging Asuka "Don't get too close or else, you will end up pregnant."
"That's not how it works!" Jayce said in exasperation. "And where did you come from, Asuka?! I thought you were with your Familia!"
"Ho! Then, could you tell us how it is?" Loki asked with a mischevious grin.
"W-Wha... There is no way you don't know that!"
"Mister Jayce said he would teach us... Ah! Mister Jayce, teach us how babies are made!" Ryuu said with a monotonous tone.
"Will you teach us, Jayce...?" Asuka asked with sparkles in her eyes. The three girls now had Jayce cornered
"You... You guys are idiots!" Jayce exclaimed, jumping through the window.
"Ah! He is escaping! Capture that perverted, crazy, and handsome man, girls!" Loki exclaimed.
"Yes, Ma'am!" Asuka and Ryuu answered in unison and chased after Jayce through the window.
Hephaestus simply watched the whole event without saying a thing... After all of them were gone, she began laughing loudly. After all that drama, Loki simply popped out of nowhere and did something completely stupid and changed the mood. She walked to the window and watched how that weird Goddess and the other two girls chased Jayce. Laughing and playing around... An example of the things he wanted to achieve. A world where all of them could be the same...
Her eye followed him while he tried to escape... She felt something moving inside of her. It was not love... No, her heart already belonged to Welf... But she could feel how that brilliance of his moved her soul. It was awe and admiration... Ah... Who would have thought there would a day when a God admires a simple human being...
He was not an Adventurer...
He was not a hero...
He was just a normal human...
A simple man...
...
A good man.