The trio were mesmerized as they stepped through the entrance to Hephaestus' abode. While the exterior of the mountain was a grand showing of mother nature's own design, the interior was truly that of an era far beyond its current year.

There were statues of the gods arranged in a meticulous fashion and floating crystals that illuminated the room. The walls, floors, and ceilings were of the same design as the walls which stood outside Lemnos. Every so often, lines of blue light would flash along grooves within the stones before vanishing into a room further ahead.

It was almost as if this entire place was some large computer.

Or maybe a ship?

Chiron HAD said that the gods did descend long ago in the form of ships and that the stories mortals whisper to each other were, while mostly accurate, were altered in order to hide this secret. Demeter's ore was just one large stockpile but it was likely that it was just one minor part of a much larger whole. It would be similar to comparing a toe to the rest of the body.

But this entire place was resonating with him. This strange metal grafted into the stone itself seemed to be speaking to him. A buzzing sensation filled his ears, almost as if it was trying to sync wavelengths but his mind couldn't fully grasp the frequency.

If Demeter's ore was like a toe, this entire place was more like an entire organ.

Even Asclepius and Epione could tell that there was something inherently odd with the place. Not just because of its futuristic setting. In fact, Epione was staring at him quite oddly ever since they entered.

Things had been mostly silent between all of them, but Epione finally decided to break the silence.

"What did Lord Hephaestus mean earlier?" She asked. "He said that you were favored by Lady Demeter."

"It's a long story," Shirou replied before shaking his head. "Actually, it really isn't. But the gist of it is that Lady Demeter saved my life on a whim."

Epione's mouth opened in amazement. "So you were saved by a goddess, huh? That's..."

Her voice trailed off but Shirou knew what she was getting at. It was rare for a divine spirit to intervene personally in the lives of mortals. Poseidon may have saved their ship earlier but that was because he sensed Epione on board.

"Still. Lady Demeter is generous even amongst the gods. Perhaps it is in her nature to help those who ask for help..."

"Or perhaps she has a different goal in mind," Asclepius surmised. "Shirou's case isn't natural at all. Perhaps this is some sort of trial run of sorts. A means of testing what the metal would do to a human. If you died, it would be of little consequence."

"Even if that's the case, she saved my life. Do not speak ill of her so casually," Shirou chided Asclepius, feeling defensive for the goddess who saved his life. "And if I do die later on then it was merely inevitable. I already died back there. What she did merely delayed the process for a moment."

"What exactly did she do to you?" Epione stared at Shirou with concern. "How did Lady Demeter save you with... metal?"

Shirou paused before turning towards her. He tugged against the collar of his chiton, revealing his chest and causing Epione to gasp at the faint green glow which was being emitted.

"No way..." She murmured, eyeing the glow with incredulous eyes. "This is incredible! I've only heard stories from my mother about such things... but this is surely a part of the gods Alitheia! A fragment of their true bodies from so long ago-"

"Indeed, child of the sea. The former glory of the gods lies within his body... as well as around you."

Hephaestus' voice caused the three of them to jump in surprise. Had he been listening in the whole time?

"The metal that surrounds you is as much an extension of myself as an arm or leg. It is only natural that I would be aware of everything that goes on within it."

"A-ah..."

Epione laughed nervously, voicing everyone's thoughts. Hephaestus, however, didn't seem to find anything strange with keeping an invisible eye on them.

Was there a CCTV camera in here?

"Now, merely enter the second room and open the door straight from where you are... as that troubled automaton is doing."

Ahead of them, the tripod was butting its head against the silver door ahead of them. To no avail, it didn't budge a single inch. Epione giggled at the sight while Asclepius and Shirou sighed.

As Shirou reached the door, he gently placed his hand against the structure and pushed it open. As he stepped inside, he was greeted with the sight of a marble room filled with several fountains that spewed clear water. It was like a reception area within a building.

The tripod let out a happy beep as it moved into the room. As Shirou moved after it, he suddenly caught movement from within the corner of his eye.

Asclepius let out a shout of warning as something red shot towards his face. Shirou quickly ducked back as a red sword sailed past the spot he had been, the speed of which causing a small gust of wind to brush against his face.

The sound of gears and joints filled the room as a humanoid figure stepped before them. It was a large, muscular bronze statue bearing a helmet that covered its face and large bulging muscles. Its regalia was identical to the armor of those who hailed from Sparta, blood-red paint decorating its design. A visible scratch was over its left eye similar to that of a scar.

"What in Hades?!" Asclepius exclaimed as he stepped back in shock at the sight.

"L-lord Hephaestus!" Epione squeaked as the tripod retreated to her side with a beep. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Hm..." The god's voice reverberated through the room with just the tiniest hint of surprise. "It appears as if one of my statues got out. It's a request from Ares, you see. He's always asking for things like these."

"Alright... but why is it trying to kill us?" Shirou asked as he eyed the statue carefully. After his dodge, the statue was eyeing him up as if it was evaluating his strength and gauging whether or not he would be a strong foe.

"Ares asked for combat features to be established in all of the statues he orders. I believe he enjoys pitting them against each other for sport. His own war games of sorts."

That sounded exactly like what a god who presided over war would do with statues.

"Nevertheless, perhaps this is a good chance for me to evaluate you, young Shirou," Hephaestus hummed. "Engage in combat with this statue and I shall let you pass. Of course, you need not worry about your friends. They shall be kept safe. There is no need for you to hold back either. If you destroy it, I'll just rebuild it later."

As soon as he said that a clear barrier of energy sprung up and separated the trio, locking Shirou in with the statue while keeping Asclepius and Epione out.

"Must this really be done?" Shirou asked with exasperation as the statue hefted a spear alongside a shield, clear killer intent dripping from it despite being just a machine.

"Not really," Hephaestus admitted. "Still, I am curious as to your combat abilities. The combat data you will provide me will be interesting for me to observe later. I'm sure Athena would be interested as well."

"How troublesome..." Asclepius muttered.

"If it is Lord Hephaestus's will, it must be done," Epione pinched Asclepius' left side hard enough to make him squirm, but her expression was also not pleased with how things were turning out. "Will you be okay, Shirou?"

"I'll be fine... I think. I'm not going to die," Shirou assured her as he traced his own sword in his right hand. "I won't allow myself to be defeated by this thing. Especially since we've faced much more dangerous foes."

As if sensing that he had just insinuated that it was not a particularly strong opponent, the statue let out a huff of steam before charging forward with astounding speed.

Shirou brought his sword up and parried the thrust before stepping in and slashing towards the automaton's midsection. It quickly tucked in its shield, catching the strike with a mighty shove that caused him to stumble backward.

Taking advantage of his lack of footing, the statue pressed the attack. It launched several quick thrusts aimed to kill, not wound. Its particularly savage nature seemed to reflect the nature of its god a little too well it seemed.

He quickly righted himself and began dodging and parrying the strikes away from his body. The power infused in each of its strikes would be enough to cleave his body in half if he were to take a direct hit. Such astounding speed for something made purely out of bronze.

But compared to Heracles and Chiron's arrows... it wasn't anything he wasn't used to.

A strike pushed him back and he sunk to one knee. Seeing his weakness, the statue roared and thrust confidently. To its surprise, Shirou quickly brought his blade up from his position and deflected the spear to sail harmlessly over his head.

Having overstepped, the statue quickly realized that he was planning to launch a counter strike and immediately began bringing its shield back to cover its left side.

"Too late."

The statue had been so focused on the sword in his right hand that it hadn't considered the appearance of another sword in his left hand. By the time it had realized that Shirou had traced another sword, its fate had already been sealed. The newly formed blade embedded itself in the statue's ride side, causing it to contort and bend uselessly as the blade damaged its internal gears.

Then bringing his other sword around, he brought it down over the automaton's head, cutting it in half. It flailed for a brief moment as sparks and magical energy leaked from its wound before it went still and toppled over, landing as a heap on the ground.

The fight was over in an instant.

"...Most impressive. An admirable showing even if it was against a basic automaton. A regular soldier wouldn't be able to keep up."

"You honor me," Shirou spoke with a slightly dry tone. "Are you satisfied?"

"There was little data to glean from such a quick fight. Regardless, it isn't as if it was completely useless. I have analyzed numerous boosts in your physical abilities compared to those of other warriors. While expected, the numbers are quite intriguing. However, I am quite curious as to that ability you presented to me... tell me about your ability to materialize weapons so freely."

Shirou tensed. "It's a simple spell that allows me to copy weapons I've seen before."

"And where did you learn it?"

"I made it myself. It is unique to me alone," Shirou answer honestly, feeling that it'd be useless to lie. He wasn't going to chance having Hephaestus being able to detect him lying. No doubt the god would find the gesture insulting. But he would bend the truth a little bit. "My teacher believes it's because of my nature... or something like that. But I have always had a unique affinity for blades."

"An affinity you say... Truly unprecedented. However, your constructs are hollow. A step below what they are truly capable of. As a god of the forge, such half-hearted measures can be seen as insulting."

"That is not my intention," Shirou quickly said, suddenly a little bit nervous. "It's hard to gather all the data through eyes alone. Even with Demeter's metal, it's still impossible for me to make perfect replicas. It has made the process more cost-efficient, though."

"Quantity rather than quality... Despite this flaw, I suppose it deserves some praise," Hephaestus admitted with a grudging tone. "But do not dare to use that ability on any of the weapons here. Such an attempt would be a slight on me."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Shirou promised. "Besides, I can't even get a read on any of them. The craftsmanship is simply beyond me."

"Good. You'd be reduced to nothingness before you could so much as utter a thought."

Well, that wasn't ominous at all. Behind him, Epione and Asclepius both looked about ready to just bust out into sweaty messes at the casual threat the god had just levied upon him.

"Now, come through those doors. I'll be waiting for you there."

And with that message, the wall of energy between them separated. Epione and Asclepius both stepped through, giving him concerned looks. He gave them a small smile and shook his head with a clear message. "Let's not talk about that."

The two shared glances before wisely choosing to keep their mouth shut on the matter. The tripod beeped at them and began moving on, signaling for them to do the same. They followed the automaton to the doors at the other end of the hall and pushed it open. What laid inside was a sight that stopped them dead in their tracks.

It was a factory. The sounds of gears and the whirring of machines filled the air as numerous conveyor belts, pumping pistons, and miniature metal arms transported pieces of metal from one place to another.

No human was manning the equipment. Rather, humanoid automata constructed of bronze, silver, or gold were overseeing the process. To be honest, it felt as if they were there more for decoration rather than to simply be on the lookout for any problems. Everything was so orderly and precise that the chances of something going wrong felt close to zero. It was the domain of a god of craftsmen, after all.

Speaking of which...

"Welcome," A booming voice announced. "It is not often that I receive guests... do pardon the mess."

The trio looked in the direction of the voice as the sound of something rolling across the ground reached their ears. From behind some machinery, a large figure emerged. It was a large, swarthy man wearing a simple chiton and leather pants. His face was reminiscent of a stone statue. Stern and stony, but not particularly emotionless. His hair was dark black and slick like oil.

His form was currently constrained in a chair with wheels. There was a joystick attached to the right arm which he clutched casually as he turned to face them. The device was actually quite large, more reminiscent of a portable throne than a wheelchair.

In terms of beauty, the man wasn't anything to write home about. His face wasn't attractive by any means, but his frame was terrifying. Even while sitting down, it looked as if the throne was too small for him, like it was barely able to contain the muscles that were so defined that they were showing through his shirt and pants.

And the aura he was giving off... there was no doubt it belonged to a god.

Despite themselves, they felt the urge to kneel. To even look up at him felt like a grave sin.

"Lord Hephaestus," Shirou dropped to one knee in respect, Asclepius and Epione following his lead. "Thank you for meeting with us."

"Rise, you are a temporary guest in my abode," Hephaestus beckoned them to stand. "As is custom with the divine laws, you will be treated honorably so long as you are here. Besides, you are someone blessed by my aunt. It would not do to anger her by turning you away."

"Thank you," Shirou nodded gratefully and stood back up.

Hephaestus then turned towards Epione and Asclepius. "This applies to you two as well, daughter of the seas, and son of my brother Apollo."

"You are too kind, Lord Hephaestus," Epione bowed. Asclepius did the same, though his form was more stiff at the mention of his father. "But it is not we who have business with you. We were just accompanying our friend. He has a request of you."

"I see... A commission, is it?" Hephaestus narrowed his eyes. "How bold of you to demand such a thing from me... But depending on how interesting the proposal is, I shall consider it."

Shirou nodded. He slung his pack from his shoulder and opened it, revealing the ore stashed away in there. Hephaestus's eyes widened a fraction as he recognized the contents, and his lips pursed together.

"Aunt's Aletheia," He noted as he rolled over and reached down to casually hold the ore in his hand. After several seconds of appraisal, he nodded. "The genuine article. In pristine condition as well."

"A gift... but it's not something I properly know the inner workings of," Shirou explained with a shrug. "With a bit more time I could probably understand it... but I don't exactly have the tools or understanding to fashion it into something useful. That's why I had to seek you out. Only you have the understanding and the tools necessary to create something out of this ore."

Hephaestus hummed and held the ore reverently, seemingly pondering whether or not to help him.

"It is true. There are no human forges capable of altering this metal. The quality is beyond even the Adamas that I use in most of my projects," Hephaestus murmured. "If my aunt has given you this metal, it is yours to do with as you please. As such, I will... abide by this request."

Shirou's face lit up briefly with excitement, but it was quashed when Hephaestus gave him a serious look.

"But there will be a price to pay, boy. My work isn't cheap. It is not enough to simply carry the materials, you must be worthy of the weapon it will become. You understand, yes?"

He nodded. He had honestly expected such a thing. Nothing ever came for free, after all.

"I understand."

"Good. Then come here early in the morning tomorrow. Alone. Before Apollo rises fully above the horizon. Do not keep me waiting. It displeases me when time is wasted."

He swept his arm over them and a blue light began to obscure their figures. The trio glanced at each other in surprise and worry for a brief moment as they felt their bodies going weightless.

"I shall see you tomorrow. Try not to make any sudden movements when you land," Hephaestus advised as he began wheeling away. "You'll be quite dizzy once my spatial teleportation system removes you from the premise. You might just... vomit your fragile insides."

And with those words the trio vanished, sent back from where they came.

True to his word, the brief experience had been quite uncomfortable. When their feet touched down on the sandy shores of Lemnos, the three of them had their whole equilibrium shifted out of whack. Shirou had stumbled but managed to remain standing despite his vision practically doing loops. Asclepius and Epione, on the other hand, had tumbled into the sand. The son of Apollo looked like he was seconds away from throwing up while Epione lay back in the sand, eyes glazed over as she stared up at the sky.

"Never... again..." Asclepius spat out as he heaved. Unfortunately, nothing came out. A shame. It would have been better if something did to get rid of this awful feeling.

"I... agree..." Epione closed her eyes, trying to will the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach away.

"Well... you two won't have to deal with that," Shirou muttered as he straightened himself up, blinking the spots of his eyes. "It seems from here on, I'll be meeting with Hephaestus myself."

Asclepius glanced at him with some concern, but he eventually gave him a resigned look. "If you want my personal opinion, that's not a particularly smart plan."

"He has no choice now. Lord Hephaestus ordered him to," Epione pointed out with a sigh. Though she also looked troubled. "There's no chance this won't be dangerous, but Lord Hephaestus will most likely present you a fair deal. He won't give you something you have no hope of completing... hopefully."

Yes, hopefully.

Shirou pondered on what the god would make him do. Trials weren't uncommon for heroes. Every single one of them had to confront some major form of adversity throughout their life, but challenges issued by gods were quite troublesome, but mostly straightforward as far as ancient Greece was concerned. If he were a betting man, he'd say he'd have to fight some terrible monster or something.

"We should look for a place to stay the night," Shirou said as he began walking towards the city. "I doubt the captain and the crew want to stay on the ship."

"I wouldn't mind not sailing for a while," Epione chuckled. "After that mess with the Cetus, even I want to stay out of the sea."

"It's about time I got back to my research," Asclepius glanced at the nearby forest. "I hear the soil contains some useful healing properties. Perhaps I should study some samples and run some experiments."

"Experiments?" Epione echoed, eyes shining with intrigue "May I watch you? Your work must be fascinating."

Asclepius paused for a moment, looking at her as if she had grown a second head. "You... want to watch me work?"

"Well, your talent in healing is quite exceptional. The crew can attest to that," Epione shrugged. "I'm curious to see how you went about acquiring such knowledge. That's all."

Asclepius stared at her silently, but Shirou had known him long enough to see that he was embarrassed. Nobody had ever called his work 'interesting'. Praiseworthy, yes, but not interesting. It wasn't as if people cared to know the intricacies of the method by which they were healed, only that they were getting the help they needed. Nobody besides Chiron and him had ever expressed any interest in his work. Now, he imagined that Asclepius simply didn't know how to react now that someone he practically hadn't spent his entire life with was doing the same.

Shirou inwardly sighed. What a socially awkward boy.

"I think that's a great idea, Epione," Shirou added his two cents, saving Asclepius from the social embarrassment of being at a loss for words. "Somebody needs to look after him. He tends to become quite absorbed in his work. I'd rest easy knowing that someone will make sure he's eating and sleeping at... normal times."

Asclepius scowled, but he couldn't refute Shirou's words. Epione seemed to be troubled by this news.

"Oh dear," She muttered. "For a man who is so concerned with the health of others, you don't seem to look after your own, do you?"

Shirou laughed. "She has you there."

"...Shut it," Asclepius grumbled as he pushed past them, heading towards the city. "If you want to watch me so badly, I'll allow it. Just don't get in my way."

"Now, now, don't be so rude to your new assistant," Shirou chided with a smile.

"That's right!" Epione puffed out her chest, running to catch up to Asclepius. "You should be honored that a young, pretty lady such as myself would bother to accompany you and help you out!"

"Honored?" Asclepius echoed with a bewildered tone. He shook his head. "I... I don't need any help! Just watch me and don't disturb my work, damn it!"

"How rude!" Epione puffed her cheeks out, fixing the teen with a glare. "Does my presence bother you that much? Can you not stand the presence of another person while they watch you work? I thought you held pride in what you did, so what's wrong with me watching?!"

Shirou merely watched the two argue with a smile, trailing silently behind them. It was time someone else dealt with Asclepius' troublesome behavior. It was good being able to just watch from the outside.

Now, he hoped Epione didn't reach her wit's end before he got back. The girl's personality was stubborn enough to contend with Asclepius. Who knows what might happen if they got into a confrontation with each other?

He shuddered. That was one fight he had no desire to take part in.

The trio had found an inn in the city. The other sailors had found their own place to stay, taking up the last rooms available. As such, they were in a relatively quiet part of the city where little seemed to be going on. It was the first peaceful nap they had in quite a while, free of the noise of other individuals.

Having no desire to gamble with his own life by pissing off a god, Shirou rose up early in the morning and made for Hephaestus' workshop. The sun hadn't even risen over the horizon and the streets were mostly empty other than the gate guards who were on duty. None of them stopped him for questioning, though a few did look at him with confusion at why he was up so early.

Security really was lax.

Climbing the mountain once more, he arrived back at Hephaestus' forge and stood before its doors.

"Bright and early," A familiar voice commented from the doors.

"I didn't wish to keep you waiting," Shirou replied. "And... I'm sure whatever price you had in mind for me would need a substantial amount of time to fully pay."

"Depending on how you see it, that may be true."

The doors groaned as they swung open, the familiar sight welcoming him in.

"Come. I shall explain terms."

Shirou entered the workshop and made his way back to the forge. Thankfully, there was no random killer statue waiting for him. He had no intention of going through a different statue every time he wanted to see the god.

Once he was back where he first met the god, he noted that it still appeared to be business as usual. Everything was still working. The only thing different was that many of the automata turned to face him as he entered, bowing their heads in respect before returning to their work.

Hephaestus sat at the center of the room in his throne chair, his eyes fixated on Shirou's own.

"Welcome back," He greeted, monotone as usual. "It seems as if you are no coward at all, willing to face this unknown task of mine."

"Nothing of worth is ever easy," Shirou replied as he joined the god at the center, bowing his head. "I am perfectly ready to take on whatever it is you decide to force on me, whether it is a monster or a quest."

"Courageous words," Hephaestus said, a ghost of a smile flickering on his face before disappearing. "But you'll be thankful to know that I have no desire to pit you against a monster. There are little to none in Lemnos, and the ones that do live here are more passive than overtly malevolent. What I am going to issue you is something more fitting for the setting."

Hephaestus held out his hand and a bronze hammer of intricate design appeared within his grasp. He tossed it to Shirou, who caught it in surprise.

"Do you know how to forge?" He asked.

Shirou nodded. "A little. I wouldn't call myself a master though, Lord Hephaestus."

"Then you'd best hope you're good enough," Hephaestus pointed at the hammer. "Because my test... involves that."

Ah, how obvious. A smithing challenge. He supposes he should be glad that he wasn't fighting something.

"I see," He stared at the hammer in his hand. "Is there something specific that you want me to forge?"

"Ah, that is the challenge. You'll be choosing yourself what it is that you wish to create," Hephaestus then smirked. "Or rather, three things you wish to create."

Shirou blinked. "Three?"

"Three. I ask for three items of your own creation," Hephaestus held up three fingers. "They do not have to be weapons or armor, nor statues or automata. Rather, I wish to see your creativity, your innovative nature. If I am to forge something for anyone, I will only do so for a client I respect. If three crafted items of yours manage to impress me, I shall consider your request to forge the metal."

A challenge that fell within the god of metalworking's domain. This was going to be difficult. He doubted that something average or even above average would be enough to earn favor with the god. Could any invention of man even impress a god?

"Is there a deadline?"

"None. However, if I feel that you are too idle, I shall consider that a mark of failure. It would be wise of you to begin running ideas in your head now."

Hephaestus swept his hand across the room. "You're free to use the forge... as well as any material you find here. Ah, but you aren't allowed to use the Adamas I have. That is strictly for me. Also, I forbid you from using that ability of yours. I will not tolerate half-assed fakes in my workshop. "

Shirou was surprised by the god's generosity, but he knew it would still be an incredibly hard task. Three unique items incredible enough to impress a god... just what sort of things could he create?

Swords would be his best bet. He understood them better than anyone. However, he felt as if that wouldn't be the optimal choice for this competition. Sure, Hephaestus said that he could make any weapon, but no blade he created would ever be enough to reach his standards. His armory contained many blades, each powerful noble phantasms, but none would ever be enough to impress him. As a weaponsmith, tools of war would be critiqued far harsher than anything else.

But perhaps...

"Do you understand the rules?" Hephaestus asked, watching Shirou's face expectantly.

Well, there's only one way to go from here.

"...Yes," Shirou looked up from the hammer and met the god's eyes with a determined look. "I understand perfectly. You won't be disappointed."

Hephaestus nodded. "We shall see. I look forward to seeing what you produce."

In his mind, his head was beginning to draw up some images. Images of what would be something capable of impressing a god of forging. Perhaps, in actuality, the answer was simple. The god had said it himself, what he sought was innovation. He wanted something different from what he usually saw every day. At this time in history, everything was just getting started. Foundations were being laid and technology without the aid of the gods was in its most primitive state. In contrast, he had come from a time a couple of thousand years in the future, where mankind's knowledge had led them to create numerous wonders to make life easier.

A regular sword, spear, or shield would be too boring to a god who spent his days creating mostly that. Why not create something else? Something so commonplace during his time would look like alien technology to a world where people still relied on torches for warmth and used horses to get around.

Yes, perhaps this trial wouldn't be so bad after all. He just needed to lay down some plans.

He glanced back down at the hammer in his hand, gripping it tightly with a confident smirk.

It's time to get to work.

Δοκιμή τριών εργαλείων (Trial of Three Tools)

In many legends, the concept of trials is almost universal. Whether it be slaying a monster or solving a puzzle, heroes often must overcome these hardships in order to cement their status as an icon to be spoken of in future generations.

The Trial of Three Tools is a famous one, detailing an event where Hephaestus decided to test the young Shirou to see if he were worthy of having a weapon forged for him.

Strange enough, the three tools that were presented were described in such a manner that one couldn't help but compare them to certain modern technology. Scholars have agonized over why such descriptions have appeared in a time where technology was still in its most primitive state, but many believe that despite their current knowledge, the dreams and imagination of inventors in the past were able to come up with ideas that could only be realized by those living in the future.

Of course, that's only a theory.