Hephaestus stared blankly at Thaumas, lost in thought. She had not expected him to agree.
After all, even the gods were unwilling to touch something this difficult. Or perhaps it was not that they were unwilling, but that they simply wanted to watch the show.
In any case, the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, had not helped her.
Yet this little one had chosen to help her after hearing her plea. Hephaestus was deeply surprised.
Thus,
"Thank you, child. If you wish, you may leave now. They are waiting for you outside." Hephaestus spoke gently.
Since Thaumas had agreed to her request, she would trust this child who could bring about miracles.
She should not keep him trapped here any longer. He had his own mission, while the God of Fire herself was in no hurry.
"Thank you for taking care of me all these days, Goddess Hephaestus." Thaumas solemnly bowed to her, then suddenly remembered something.
Thaumas quickly took out the gift he had prepared long ago from his backpack.
It was a delicate music box, one of Thaumas's creations.
"Oh, right, Teacher, this is for you. It is not an offering from a mortal to a god, but a gift of gratitude from a disciple to her teacher. Please accept it."
Hephaestus froze for another moment.
She had never received such a gift before.
"What is this? I have never seen it before."
"It is a box filled with music, one of my special creations. It is for you, Teacher. It can play the music I recorded into it." As he spoke, Thaumas gently wound the spring.
The moment Thaumas let go, the magical little box immediately began to produce a pleasant melody.
As the god of forging, Hephaestus understood its construction at a glance.
The tightened spring drove the cylinder to rotate at a steady speed. When the protrusions on the cylinder passed over the notes of the comb, they plucked the reeds and produced the predetermined sounds.
Using such a small spring as its source of power was a very interesting idea.
Hephaestus was not only the God of Fire in Ancient Greek mythology, the god of forging and masonry, but also the god of sculptural art.
Since it had something to do with art, she naturally liked an object like this.
This sort of ingenious idea truly struck right at her interests.
What an interesting little thing.
"Mm, I like it very much. But I have nothing left to grant you. The authority I promised you will also be given only after you help me.
So I cannot accept it. It would make me, as a god, feel ashamed." Hephaestus spoke regretfully, then added:
"You could give it to Apollo. As the god of music, he might like it very much."
After hearing this, Thaumas shook his head slightly. Looking at Hephaestus, he spoke firmly:
"No! It is different. I already said this is not an offering I am presenting to a god, but a gift from a disciple to her teacher.
After all, you taught me all these skills, did you not? So please accept it, Teacher! This is my thanks to you. It has nothing to do with gods."
After hearing that, Hephaestus answered seriously, "Then I will accept it."
However,
"But since you are my disciple, it occurs to me that I have yet to give you a meeting gift. I will give you this chain. It is one of my finer works."
Hephaestus took out that chain, the chain that had restrained a god.
Thaumas's eyes lit up. He was very familiar with this chain, because it had been wrapped around his arm not long ago.
If he possessed this chain, he would possess a Noble Phantasm that was rather effective against divinity!
Thus, Thaumas accepted it without ceremony and said with a smile:
"Then goodbye, Teacher!"
He walked out and left the hall.
The place fell silent once more, leaving only the God of Fire and her doll maid.
Thus,
"I recall saying that I would dismantle you, did I not?" Hephaestus calmly said to the doll maid.
"Ah—Master Hephaestus! Please forgive me!" Upon hearing this, the little maid immediately knelt and admitted her fault, tears flowing down uncontrollably.
At last, had this day come?
As an imperfect doll, inferior to Pandora, was dismantlement her only destined ending?
She had worked so hard, yet she still could not escape fate?
Her body trembled as she begged for her master's forgiveness. If her master happened to be in a good mood, perhaps she might mercifully forgive her.
"Then report to the scrap room yourself."
The cold voice arrived, declaring that the doll's hard-won life had come to an end.
Just as she was sinking into despair,
"Eh—I forgot to take something. Hm? What is this?" Thaumas, who had returned, spoke apologetically, but the sight before him had clearly caught him off guard.
"It is nothing. I am merely disposing of an imperfect creation. You may retrieve your things yourself." Hephaestus spoke gently.
"Imperfect? But I think she is quite good. By the way, Goddess Hephaestus, what is your maid called? I have never heard her speak of it." Thaumas asked in confusion.
"Hm? Why would a doll need a name? They are merely dispensable things."
"How can you say that? If you do not give them names, I imagine it would be difficult for them to distinguish one another.
Do not misunderstand. I only mentioned it so that it would be more convenient for you to tell them apart.
Oh, and this maid took very good care of me. I should thank her for looking after me all these days.
I hope that the next time I come to see you, Goddess, I will be able to see her too. After all, she is quite competent." Thaumas said, pretending not to care.
"You want very much to save her?"
"Eh—why would you say that, beautiful Goddess Hephaestus?"
"Because you know that if you said it directly, I would have no reason to spare her. After all, she is merely a defective product. But since you are the one pleading for her, she may stay." Hephaestus exposed Thaumas's little scheme and answered indifferently.
"As expected, nothing can be hidden from a god." Thaumas showed no embarrassment at being seen through. Instead, he spoke with a relaxed expression:
"As expected, Goddess Hephaestus is kind."
Then Hephaestus, suddenly feeling something strange, drove Thaumas away. She did not want him to see her unsightly state.
She did not know what this feeling was.
Perhaps it was the emotion known as "liking."
After Thaumas left,
The dumbfounded little maid had not even recovered yet. Who knew what kind of wild plunge her world had just gone through?
Not only had she successfully survived and avoided being dismantled.
She had also obtained something she had never dared dream of: a name.
"Mm, since he said so, I will give you a name. What should it be? The God of Fire is not very good at this.
Mm—got it! You shall be called Epluto!
Pluto means new life. Adding an E avoids sharing a name with the son of Gaia, the Earth Mother."
Is this what a hero is?
He really is quite wonderful! He brought her a miracle!
Although that person is hateful, the little maid was now filled with gratitude toward him. Who would have thought he was actually rather nice!
Thank you, human hero who brought her new life!
Thank you, great Master Hephaestus!
The little maid—no, Epluto—prayed earnestly in her heart.
Before you continue