Chapter 71: Pygmalion (3)
Katrin had expected nothing good to come from Njord’s boast.
Instead, what she faced was her own master.
A being with countless names:
The Origin of the World
The Inevitable Death
Mother of Night
The Crawling Darkness…
To Katrin, even a god like Poseidon shouldn’t have had the means to summon such an entity.
“Poseidon! Just how in the world—!!”
Abandoning any pretense of her mortal persona, Katrin reverted to her true divine form, Hecate, and shouted.
Under normal circumstances she would have addressed Poseidon with reverence befitting a fellow deity—
But this shock was too great.
Poseidon, however, shrugged casually.
“Oh, come now. Poseidon? I go by Njord these days.”
A voice responded from behind Katrin—calm and playful:
“Oh dear. My disciple is showing quite an embarrassing side today. She’s always been far too serious while learning from me.”
Njord laughed good-naturedly.
“Haha. I understand completely, Nox. Katrin is as earnest as her talent is tremendous.”
To Hecate’s dismay, the two got along far too well.
“……”
“Katrin—no, Hecate. Calm yourself. In this place, I am merely the human mage Nox.”
“B-but, Master…”
“I know what you’re worried about. Truly. But Njord here has given me something very interesting.”
Nox produced a tiny stone fragment.
Hecate peered closely at it—and gasped.
“Omphalos!!!”
The very stone swallowed in place of Zeus— The “navel of the world”
Capable of bearing curses and malicious divinity in a god’s stead.
It had deceived Kronos and saved Zeus.
Its power was unquestionable.
“With this, there should be no issue, correct?”
Hecate couldn’t guarantee safety, but nodded.
Omphalos would allow an immensely powerful being to exist while masked as a mortal.
“…Don’t tell me, you as well, Poseidon?”
Her suspicion was answered as Njord proudly revealed a finely carved piece of his own.
And then Hecate understood.
So that’s how he walks the world so freely…
With Nox back in her mortal guise and the master-disciple pair working together, The mystery of the Soft Heart unraveled at astonishing speed.
Almost every mage present began to treat Nox as if she were a god incarnate.
Even her offhand mutterings inspired breakthroughs.
“I’m still not convinced this is a good idea…”
“Relax, Katrin. We’re solving a mystery, and the mages are growing stronger. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“……”
It wasn’t that Katrin disliked her master’s presence.
The problem was that whenever Nox grew interested in something…
Cataclysmic events were guaranteed to follow.
How could she not worry?
Meanwhile, Njord had already stationed himself at Nox’s side, flattering her like a court sycophant.
“Hahh… well, if anything goes wrong, it’ll all be blamed on this ‘Njord of House Neptunus.’”
With Nox’s involvement, the research advanced violently fast.
Whenever the alchemists and mages hit a wall,
A casual hint from Katrin or Nox would break it instantly.
***
At that same time, while the master and disciple mingled with scholars,
Njord fully embraced his current persona.
As a “rich young noble mage,” he spent money like water.
That day, he attended an invitation from one of Cyprus’ ruling houses,
Bringing along the automaton he’d purchased—Catherine.
Rumor had it that the House of Cepheus traced back to the restored kingship of Ethiopia—
Rebuilt after the disaster caused by Helios’ son, Phaethon.
“In short, this family wields considerable influence even far inland.”
[So that is why you are moving, Master.]
“Pretty much. I’m surprised, Catherine. You usually aren’t interested in such matters.”
Njord examined Catherine with curiosity.
Normally, she would only do exactly as ordered.
[Does this household possess what you seek?]
After Nox and Katrin arrived, Catherine had begun to act more and more like a human—
And Njord had been noticing that rapid evolution.
“…Yes. If any family knows anything about Pygmalion, it would be them.”
With Catherine’s development accelerating beyond expectations, Njord found himself wondering:
Was there a purpose behind these automatons? Something beyond what they appeared?
***
“Welcome, welcome! It is an honor to meet the illustrious Lord Neptunus of whom our island speaks so highly!”
“Thank you for your warm hospitality despite my sudden request. Under normal circumstances, I would not impose on you so abruptly…”
“Nonsense! Having such a renowned guest visit our home can only benefit our house. A mutual exchange, if you will.”
The head of House Cepheus welcomed Njord with open arms.
Even though he surely understood why any mage came to Cyprus.
“Come, let us dine first. When I heard Lord Neptunus would visit, my wife insisted on preparing supper herself.”
“Haha, for the lady of the house to personally cook—I am honored indeed.”
The group moved to the dining room, settling around a table set with a splendid meal.
The table was surprisingly round, an unusual choice among noble families.
Round tables lacked a “head seat,” making them common among commoners, not aristocrats.
“You may find it odd, but please forgive us. Our ancestor once received an invitation to the underwater kingdom of the merfolk. He returned with this table… I believe it was made with a fragment shaped and polished by Lord Poseidon himself, if my memory is correct.”
Njord found the story somewhat intriguing.
A mortal invited to the underwater kingdom was rare.
To think they possessed an artifact tied to him…
‘…Hmm. I can really feel my own power left behind in it.’
While Njord was busy examining the table, the lady of the house finally emerged from the kitchen carrying the remaining dishes.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry! Had I known our guest was already seated, I would have hurried out sooner.”
“No need to apologize. The lord’s story was fascinating—I wasn’t bored at all.”
But the moment Njord saw the hostess, he froze.
Her skin was smooth and pale like ivory, lips tinted like cherries, cheeks rosy as peaches, teeth flawlessly white, and eyes as clear as a tranquil lake.
She looked less like a human woman and more like a sculpture shaped by a god.
And more importantly—
She emanated the same fragrance as Catherine.
The unmistakable scent of an automaton.
“……”
As Njord fell silent, the head of the house proudly introduced her.
“Haha! Even a mage is at a loss for words before my wife. Most visitors react the same way—one look at her and they are immediately struck speechless.”
Boasting with almost childish delight, he continued:
“This is my wife, Galatea. On this island, there is no one who can compare to her.”
Clink.
As Galatea sat down, Njord finally came to his senses, apologized, and bowed deeply.
Such behavior would be extremely rude coming from a guest.
Fortunately, the lord took no offense.
In fact, he seemed quite used to it—almost proud, even.
He joked that if Galatea could bewitch even cold, rational mages, then perhaps her beauty was comparable to Aphrodite’s allure itself.
“Ahem… My apologies. I’m glad you’re so understanding, Lord Cepheus.”
[Master, I fear at this rate your reputation will fall to the ground. Lazy, and now a womanizer as well…]
“What?! Catherine—Is that what you think of me?! That’s completely wrong! Lazy? I’m extremely busy!”
[Compared to some other ladies… you could be a bit…]
Njord couldn’t even get a word out after Catherine’s sudden attack.
Well… if she was comparing him to Katrin or Nox, then yes. Those two were practically carrying the entire project alongside other mages.
More importantly, for an automaton to interrupt and insult her master during dinner—
Any other noble family would have been scandalized.
But the head of House Cepheus seemed delighted. He clapped happily as though he’d seen something heartwarming.
Clap clap clap clap!
“Today is truly a joyous occasion. Never have I seen a noble treat an automaton so genuinely as if they were human.”
“Oh! I apologize, my lord. Catherine and I have behaved disrespectfully—”
“No, no need to apologize. I am genuinely pleased. Unlike the other families on Cyprus… it seems you view automatons as companions—no, as fellow human beings.”
“Unlike those vile people…”
“…….”
Njord clearly heard the last line.
The lord whispered it under his breath, but to Njord’s divine hearing, his voice was unmistakable—
And filled with hatred so deep it would chill even a god.
Cepheus liked Njord so much that he even offered him a room to stay the night.
But Njord politely declined—claiming Katrin and Nox were waiting.
“Haha, then we have no choice. I hope next time I may also greet Lord Neptunus’s companions.”
With arms full of expensive gifts given by the lord himself, Njord boarded his carriage and left the mansion.
Once the mansion was out of sight, Catherine finally asked:
[Master, why did you ask me to behave so rudely? That was an important occasion, was it not?]
“Hm? Ah… I simply wanted to confirm something.”
[…I see.]
Catherine was clearly curious, but she asked no more questions.
As a servant—an automaton—she believed it was not her place.
Njord watched her closely with calm, inquisitive eyes.
The more she grows, the more astonishing she becomes. She knows when to act, when to retreat… all to fulfill orders. And that Lord Cepheus…
When Njord returned home, the first to greet him was Katrin’s furious voice.
“How could a person dump all the work on others and go enjoy noble invitations? Do you not have a conscience?! Ah—of course, why would a dignified lord ever think about such things?! Huh?!”
The mages must have caused chaos today, because Katrin looked ready to explode.
Njord glanced at Nox for help.
—Why is she like this?
—The mages caused a mess today.
—What kind?
—They burned through priceless materials like kindling. Probably half the island’s stock…