The Epic Story of the Heroic Spirit of Emiya Giant Warrior

Combining it with Riveria's movements, it's highly likely that the Loki Familia was clearing out monsters on a large scale in the middle levels, causing panic among the monsters, which led to a Minotaur escaping to the upper levels.

“Yes, that's indeed the case,” Shirou nodded.

The goddess was absolutely right; "Riveria" was indeed watching from behind when Emiya killed the bull monster.

“So, it was at this time that this child caught Riveria's attention?” Thinking this, Hephaestus's mood became complicated again.

Emiya's Dexterity had already reached D rank, and coupled with the "great feat" of slaying a Minotaur with Lv.1 strength, although it wouldn't be possible to level up at this time—he would at least need to train his basic abilities further—the God's Blessing should be displaying a “Level Up Possible” status.

At this time, he also had some understanding of the concept of "great feat."

The Beastman girl Nillan accumulated enough "great feat" to level up by single-handedly fighting three Orcs as the main force, plus her accumulated adventures in the school district, but for Emiya, it would probably be impossible to accumulate "great feat" from actions like "single-handedly fighting three Orcs."

The standard for "great feat" isn't based on level but on the person. A great feat is a challenge that surpasses oneself.

As for the Minotaur, judging from the surge in his stats, he should have obtained a large amount of high-quality experience points. The Minotaur should tentatively count as a bit of a great feat, but killing just one is far from enough.

Because it was his first time trying to project a "Noble Phantasm."

Chapter 30: Riveria's Trust

“Actually, with my current abilities, a Minotaur isn't an opponent that can be easily defeated, but at the time, I had to consider protecting ‘Riveria,’ so I ended up using unconventional means,” Emiya thought.

However, after wielding [The Sword of Theseus] and entering that peculiar state, the Minotaur posed absolutely no threat to him, and thus, the battle with the bull monster lost its challenge.

Despite being a swordsman who primarily fights with swords, Emiya's basic stats are completely opposite to those of a vanguard warrior-type adventurer; his weakest stats are Strength and Agility, while his Dexterity and Magic stats are extraordinarily high.

This is also Archer (Emiya)'s fighting style. Compared to those heroes from ancient or even mythical legends, Emiya has no advantage in terms of physical abilities such as Strength, Endurance, and Agility. His strength lies in his endless [Means].

However, Emiya also truly understands that if his basic strength is too weak, even with many means, he will inevitably encounter barriers that he cannot overcome. Moreover, many means require strength as a foundation to be used.

Therefore, now that he has obtained the miraculous power of “God's Blessing,” Emiya will definitely seize this opportunity.

“I feel that Shirou's will is even stronger than before.” The boy's figure was reflected in Hephaestus's eyes, and the goddess sighed: “Could this be the power of love?”

·

Loki Familia's Residence, Twilight Manor

Finn, the captain, was dealing with the documents that had piled up during the Familia's expedition in the meeting room, while Riveria was reading a book and waiting for Aiz, who had not yet returned.

“It's just that my nose is a little itchy. With our levels, a cold is already impossible... Achoo!” Riveria said, then couldn't help but sneeze again.

“You're worried about Aiz, aren't you?” Finn shook his head, pointing it out.

Finn looked at her: “You've had that book in your hand all day, and you haven't turned a single page.”

Slender elven ears drooped down on both sides, reflecting their owner's lost mood. Riveria gently fiddled with her emerald hair with one hand, twirling the strands around her fair fingers.

Finn and Riveria both knew that Aiz had an extremely strong hatred for the [Black Dragon], reaching the point of obsession or even a tragic vow.

Attacks against all monster-type enemies are strengthened to a high degree, and attacks against dragon-type monsters are strengthened to an ultra-high degree. The strengthening effect varies depending on the degree of hatred; the stronger the hatred, the greater the effect.

[Avenger] was praised by the goddess Loki as the strongest output skill in the history of the Lower World. But at the same time, Riveria and the others also knew that this skill reflected Aiz's insecure state of mind.

Riveria didn't want Aiz to become a monster controlled by hatred, and she was even more worried that Aiz would "break" herself in the end by trying too hard.

For Riveria, Aiz was like her daughter. Compared to achieving fame and success, Riveria hoped that Aiz could grow up healthy and safe.

“Yes, she tentatively finished writing her self-criticism and copied the Familia rules ten times.” Speaking of this, Riveria's eyes narrowed slightly, and she couldn't help but clench her fist.

Moreover, there were unpleasant statements such as “Riveria has gotten more wrinkles because of me.”

She felt that her love for her “daughter” had faded a lot, replaced by the desire to pick up a copper-studded belt and a water-soaked leather whip.

“Aiz has already promised me that she will listen to me this time.”

Riveria closed the book, revealing a firm gaze: “I believe in Aiz!”

Riveria couldn't help but tease: “And then, at that time, we can put down our responsibilities, and you can finally fulfill your wish and create a big harem, right?”

“That's right.” Finn replied seriously: “From beginning to end, my dream is to revitalize the Lilliput race. To that end, successors with courage and will are necessary.”

Like most male adventurers in Orario, Finn also had the desire for a “harem,” but his situation was somewhat special. Finn's “harem” plan was just one part of realizing his grander ideal of racial revitalization.

From a rational perspective, Finn's idea made a lot of sense. The premise of racial revitalization is having a sufficient number of people. As the strongest and most famous Lilliput in the world, Finn intended to lead by example.

Finn folded the letter in his hand and handed it to Riveria: “What I want to say is indeed very important. Take a look.”

The back of the pure white letter was printed with a gilded crest. The pattern on the crest was a volcano and two crossed forging hammers—this was the crest of the Hephaestus Familia.

In terms of equipment manufacturing and maintenance, the Loki Familia mainly cooperates with the Goibniu Familia. The Goibniu Familia is smaller and not good at crafting standard equipment, but they are more experienced in the field of high-end equipment customization.

“This thing... if it's real, it has the potential to change the structure of the city,” Riveria said in surprise.

“Ah, yes, the Hephaestus Familia has truly created an incredible piece of work,” Finn nodded in agreement.

“Magic Swords” are weapons that are valued by all Familias, large and small, in Orario, because Magic Swords have two extremely important characteristics: they don't consume the adventurer's magic power and they can be activated instantly. They are often used as trump cards or life-saving key items.

And Magic Swords, although their power is far from that of a high-level mage's bombardment, the attack of a Magic Sword can be activated instantly, and even the weakest supporter in the party can use it.

So far, the most powerful attack-type Magic Sword that has appeared in Orario was created by [One-Eyed Blacksmith] Tsubaki, with a power equivalent to a Lv.4 mage's magic bombardment, priced at around 40 million valis, and is usually unavailable even if you have the money.

Its power is equivalent to a Lv.6 mage's long-chanting, wide-area annihilation magic.

“If it's real, this is too exaggerated, a high-power wide-area annihilation magic that doesn't require ‘chanting’...” As a mage known for her magical power, Riveria felt particularly complicated.

“You've realized it too, haven't you, Riveria.”

“But...”

“Ah, I understand...”

The captain and vice-captain of the Loki Familia looked at each other, speechless, without saying the helpless conclusion—they couldn't afford it.

And it's not like they can earn valis on every expedition. The last expedition was like that. Because of Aiz's loss of control, they not only didn't earn anything but also lost a lot.

Finn could probably imagine who would be there: not only the powerful Loki Familia, Freya Familia, and Ganesha Familia, but also the Ishtar Familia, Dian Cecht Familia, and other Familias with strong economic power.

Riveria sighed: “Hephaestus wants to have each Familia bid against each other to get the highest profit. What a cunning approach.”

“I don't know how many of these Magic Swords the Hephaestus Familia has created in total, but there is only one on the shelf.”

Chapter 32: Daily Life and Dates

In the dawn sky, a whistling sound came.

The intermittent, ear-piercing sound sounded like a grass flute or a bird's song. The melody shaking this silent darkness was produced by the whirlwind stirred up by a wooden sword.

Her movements with the wooden sword formed a strong contrast with her slender limbs, being both agile and sharp. First, a standard overhead-to-downward slash, followed by a turn of the wooden sword, unleashing an upward slash and a kesa-giri slash comparable to a drawing sword technique.

Liliria must have come to the upper levels chasing after the escaped monster. With the character of an Elven Princess, she wouldn't allow children to be harmed due to her own mistake.

"With Liliria watching, you took the opportunity to challenge the Minotaur?" Hestia made a reasonable guess.

Hestia thought that this was a very clever approach. With a high-level adventurer watching, even if the challenge failed, there wouldn't be any irreparable consequences.

"Strange, did you kill the Minotaur alone? If so, you should be able to level up."

"Perhaps, killing a Minotaur isn't considered a 'great feat' for me?" Shirou said after a moment of consideration, somewhat helplessly: "Because of some reasons, or rather, borrowing external force, it was quite easy for me to kill that Minotaur..."

Because it was too easy for him to kill Orcs. Orcs have strong vitality, but their defense isn't high enough, lacking the tough hide of a Minotaur. Therefore, even with just a bow and arrow, Shirou can quickly kill a large number of Orcs.

As for Koni, the Pallum, with his physical strength and attack power, even at Lv.2, he would struggle to single-handedly fight three Orcs. For him at Lv.1, single-handedly fighting one Orc could be considered a great feat.

"Besides magic, the other basic abilities have increased by about 30 points, but only magic has increased by nearly 100 points at once." Shirou immediately understood the reason behind this—

Shirou's basic ability values have already reached the standard for leveling up. While continuing to train his abilities, he does need to start considering acquiring and accumulating [Great Feats].

The Minotaur's overall abilities completely overwhelmed Lv.1 Shirou Emiya. Even if he was confident in winning with his swordsmanship, it would inevitably be a prolonged battle.

To accumulate great feats faster, he must engage in more difficult battles, and he cannot take shortcuts.

"Not just 'great feats,' I should also start deliberately training my specialized basic ability values," Shirou thought, looking at his ability values.

Dexterity is the main attribute required for forging, while magic is the result of Shirou using [Unlimited Blade Works] extensively for projection. Following the advice of the goddess and Captain Tsubaki, he is training these two as his core abilities.

Regardless of the enemy he faces, he can always find a way to restrain them as much as possible. This is why Shirou can always achieve brilliant results with his less-than-impressive "stats."

Just like comparing Heroic Spirit Emiya (Archer) with Heroic Spirit Heracles (Berserker), if the Shirou of his previous life could have reached the latter's level, he wouldn't have been powerless when his sister was harmed.

"I need to start deliberately training different basic abilities. Strength and agility should at least be raised to C, preferably B grade."

He felt that he could only respect and bless his goddess. But speaking of which, a brave and determined young man and a dignified and elegant Elven Princess seemed more and more... delicious the more he thought about it?

"Achoo, achoo." Liliria sneezed twice in a row.

"What's wrong, Liliria? Do you have a cold?" Finn asked with concern.

She covered her mouth and nose from the side with her hand, trying to suppress the sound. As expected of Elven royalty, even her sneezing etiquette was dignified and elegant.

"No, that bad child, there's nothing to worry about," Liliria said sternly.

At this moment, Liliria finally realized her gaffe. She sighed a long sigh: "Alright, I am worried about Ais."

A trace of sorrow appeared on the elven beauty's peerless face, which even the gods envied.

"That child is still as stubborn as before, and her obsession has never weakened."

This hatred even reflected on her skills—

[Avenger]

This is Ais's unique skill, and also the source of her powerful strength and rapid level advancement. As long as she faces monsters, Ais can exert combat power beyond her current level.

During the last expedition, Ais lost her mind when facing a strengthened dragon-type monster, and left the group on her own to pursue it, directly leading to the expedition's failure. Liliria was furious about this, but in fact, more than anger, she was worried about Ais.

"It may sound ungrateful, but sometimes I really hope that Ais is just an ordinary girl, without such terrible talent, and without [Avenger]," Liliria said from her heart.

"Ais is special, you should understand that too..." Finn said pointedly: "By the way, did Ais go to the dungeon today?"

Ais ran to the dungeon early this morning, but it wasn't until Liliria checked during the day that she found that the second half of Ais's self-criticism was completely nonsense, like rambling dream talk in a half-awake state.

"Is it really okay to let Ais go alone without sending someone to watch her?" Finn supported his chin with one hand: "Aren't you worried that Ais will secretly run to the lower levels?"

Chapter 31: The Correct Way to Revitalize a Clan

"I also believe in Ais," Finn said freely: "Not only Ais, I believe in every child in the Familia. Perhaps they are still very young now, but one day, they will definitely reach a height that even we will surpass."

And it is undoubtedly the best choice to have my own offspring inherit the great cause of revitalizing the Pallum race. Therefore, a harem is necessary, and I am still seriously looking for outstanding Pallum women."

Therefore, Finn only intends to accept women of his own race, that is, "Pallum" women, even though he is actually very popular among other races, especially the Amazonesses.

The wrong way to revitalize a clan: one husband, one wife, and only children.

The correct way: a large group of wives and concubines, flourishing branches and leaves.

"It's quite amazing that you can say such things so openly," Liliria commented: "By the way, you've been staring at that letter since just now. Is there something important?"

"A communication from the Hestia Familia?" Liliria took the letter: "We don't have much interaction with the Hestia Familia, except for joint expeditions."

"Rather than a communication, it's more appropriate to call it a notice," Finn said: "The Hestia Familia must have notified more than just us."

Liliria opened the letter and began to read the contents. Soon, her pupils shrank slightly, and her expression revealed obvious surprise.

The letter introduced the latest masterpiece of Tsubaki Collbrande, the captain of the Hestia Familia and also the strongest blacksmith in the city—[Magic Sword - Spiral Sword].

Even the Loki Familia, which has an elven mage group led by Liliria, the strongest mage in the city [Nine Magic Princesses], prepares a large number of magic swords for each expedition, because even powerhouses like [Nine Magic Princesses] still need to chant to cast magic, and often the more powerful the magic, the longer the chant.

Even the lowest quality magic swords that can only fire a few fireballs cost tens or even hundreds of millions of Valis, and high-level magic swords cost tens of millions of Valis.

And now, the magic swords produced by the Hestia Familia have finally achieved a breakthrough, and a qualitative leap—

The [Magic Sword - Spiral Sword] can be used three times, and its power is equivalent to a Lv.5 mage's wide-area attack magic. It can increase the magic output by guiding overload, sacrificing all usage times in exchange for a more powerful attack.

"This is the result of Goddess Hestia's evaluation, so it must be true. We don't need to doubt the eyes of the God of Blacksmithing," Finn said.

"Yes, if we have this 'magic sword,' our expedition will definitely be able to reach deeper levels."

The exploration-type Loki Familia originally didn't have much advantage in terms of economic strength. Even if they earn funds from each expedition, they will quickly invest them in the members in various ways, transforming them into the Familia's strength improvement.

Hestia's letter was sent not only to the Loki Familia, but also to other Familias with the ability and demand to purchase magic swords.

The Ishtar Familia runs the Pleasure Quarter, while the Dian Cecht Familia runs the hospital. The Loki Familia is strong, but they can't earn as much money as them even if they work themselves to death.

Finn: "Because unlike ordinary equipment, this is a completely 'seller's market' that they dominate."

"In any case, let's try our best to fight for it. A Lv.6-level magic sword is too important for our expedition," Finn said, rubbing his slightly sore right thumb: "I have a hunch that this [Magic Sword] may be the prelude to the opening of a new era."

A corner of the town where the moon has gone away and the morning sun has not yet shown its face.

A slender female elf is wielding a wooden sword whose length is close to her height.