Thump thump thump.
Oh no!
Norton's sudden shift in tone was like a truant student caught cheating on an exam by the dean. The seasoned troublemaker—Jormungandr—felt her heart skip a beat.
"O-of course it was my idea…!"
Although a ripple of panic ran through Xia Mi, she cleverly masked it with a steady voice. To sound even more convincing, she raised her volume a little—just enough indignation to make it seem like she was offended by Norton's doubt.
"Fine, we'll assume for now it was your own idea."
Norton snorted quietly, temporarily dropping the matter.
"But regardless, your suggestion is a significant improvement. That said, I've already handed off part of the Noble Phantasm development to Constantine while I explore Odin's other Nibelungen. We'll put your enhancement into action once I return."
"Got it, got it. I'll also finish prepping this stupid leylines project for the Greater Grail!" Xia Mi waved her hand impatiently.
Leylines—or "dragon veins," or "spiritual veins"—were terms normal people might only associate with mystical feng shui nonsense. But in Norton's world, they were literal circuits of elemental energy—magical energy—that flowed through the land.
Like magic circuits in the human body, leylines were the circuits of the earth itself.
According to Norton's calculations based on the mana cost of maintaining Heroic Spirit No.1—Melusine—it took an insane amount of energy to keep a Servant manifested. Even with both Nono (as the Lesser Grail) and the Greater Grail, sustaining just one Melusine was costly. Supporting multiple Heroic Spirits was going to stretch things dangerously thin.
That's why Norton, ever cautious in his experiments, assigned the task of expanding underground energy circuits to the King of Earth and Mountain—Xia Mi—as a mana supplier for the Servants.
To be honest, it wasn't a job that required any real skill. It was just time-consuming labor. Xia Mi deeply suspected Norton simply thought she was too useless for anything technical—and now used her as a glorified tunnel-digging machine.
But that was the old Xia Mi. The old Xia Mi was dead. The new Xia Mi had been born!
Now armed with a top-tier creative idea, she felt like a reborn king, fully geared and radiating presence. That old guy Norton would have no choice but to hand over the gold!
"Wait. One more issue!"
Ugh! Norton's voice stabbed into Xia Mi's imagination like a discordant noise in a beautiful fantasy.
"If one Heroic Spirit can manifest in multiple aspects, then we'll need brand-new designs for each of those alternate versions. That's several times the original workload. Surely you, the person who proposed this, thought of that?"
Norton's figure on the mercury veil offered this sharp challenge.
This wasn't just "copy-pasting" anymore. A single Servant used to require one design. Now each version had to be custom-built—different legends, different Noble Phantasms, different stats and appearances. Blank slates across the board.
Sure, there were prototypes to draw from, but creating alternate forms wasn't something you could just slap together. From a game development angle, it was like needing an entire team—lead artists, 3D modelers, game designers, stat planners, and more.
Xia Mi instantly deflated. "Uhh…"
Crap. She hadn't thought this through!
And just as expected, Norton's next line was a ruthless blow:
"In that case, since it was your idea, all the design work for these extra Servant versions will be your responsibility. Fair, right?"
Fair?
That single word crashed over Xia Mi like a mountain. An impossibly tall peak made up entirely of Servant design blueprints rose in her mind—and then collapsed toward her like an avalanche.
Nooo! Anything but that!
"What's wrong?" Norton chuckled, clearly enjoying this rare moment where Xia Mi got cornered. "You had the nerve to pitch the idea but no guts to follow through? What, you want all the perks but none of the work? Come on, we're kin—you wouldn't really be that shameless, would you?"
"Who said I won't do it!? Fine, I'll do it!" Xia Mi flared up, trying to regain face. She knew if she backed down now, Norton would keep doubting her idea's originality.
"Division of labor, right? I'll handle the full design specs, and you guys handle the tech and execution. Sound good?"
"Excellent. Then I'll count on you for the entire blueprint set, Jormungandr."
"Wait a second, Norton—I have one condition. Just one, and it's not unreasonable." Xia Mi raised a finger. "I want one more Heroic Spirit added to the project roster—me."
"You?"
Norton's tone lifted slightly, like he'd guessed this might happen.
"Yeah. In gamer terms, I want an alt account. A side character. A Heroic Spirit version of myself—super strong!"
Xia Mi clenched her teeth and raised her voice. She'd just taken on a mountain of labor. If she didn't get something in return, she'd be working at a loss. She needed some serious payoff!
"I'll provide the design myself. You have to make it happen, Norton. Or else I'll make your life hell!"
"…You really can't stand passing up a good deal, can you? Fine. I'll agree. But don't ask for anything too outrageous. The upper strength limits of Heroic Spirits still haven't been calibrated through the Grail War. We can't guarantee perfect output for broken specs."
"Sure, sure. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
(Actually, she had no idea what she was doing.)
She started wondering if Shirou had any particularly wild story variants she could use. Speaking of which…
"Hey, Norton, did you manage to get Odin's King Arthur relic? Was that Arthur male or female?"
"King Arthur…?"
Norton's image blurred before replying.
"You mean that hybrid human? Yeah, I saw Odin had him sealed in a coffin with chains. Decent bloodline. Judging from the pelvis, definitely male. Why? That's all you wanted to know?"
"…No, I was just thinking—if a Heroic Spirit can have multiple aspects, maybe they could have different gender versions?"
"…What's the point of that?" Norton pondered aloud. Gender-swapping wouldn't make a Servant stronger.
But Xia Mi countered with unexpected logic:
"Female Servants can be designed with smaller height and weight stats. That saves on material costs!"
Just like flat-chested girls use less fabric, smaller body types mean more savings!
Norton: "…"
You really do know how to cut costs.
—————
The next morning, Xia Mi yawned her way to the breakfast table.
As usual, Nono was already seated across from her, brows furrowed in concern. Before long, she saw Xia Mi dozing off mid-bite, just like the day before. This eerily familiar scene left Nono increasingly uneasy.
"Xia Mi-chan, are you okay?"
Maybe their schedule was too intense. Was this poor intern just completely overwhelmed?
Indeed, Xia Mi still looked as delicate and lovely as ever, but her cheeks now bore a weariness that wouldn't fade.
After that long talk with Norton finalizing the new Heroic Spirit plan, Xia Mi had realized the true depth of her responsibilities.
By day, she had to study and train with Shirou. Considering her monthly assistant pay barely covered food and lodging, she still needed to find side work to fill her own private stash.
And at night, she had to dash off to Tokyo, chart out leylines for the Greater Grail, and work through a mountain of Heroic Spirit design drafts—while Norton's tech team constantly pestered her for updates.
Brutal!
Why was this world so damn intense? Couldn't they leave just a little breathing room for normal dragons!?
The fatigue on Xia Mi's face had finally come to terms with the cruelty of her new routine. It settled in her eyes as a melancholy, deathly kind of sorrow.
"Sigh… Nono, you wouldn't understand. This is life. True heroism only has one form—facing a bleak existence head-on, daring to meet the blood-soaked future."
"…Huh?" Nono tilted her head, confused. "Did you just mash up Romain Rolland and Lu Xun?"
Xia Mi didn't have time to explain. She took a big bite of her shrimp-and-pork bun, and the rich lard within burst out—oozing down her slender, pale fingers like a lustrous glaze over jade.
She thought to herself: It's time. The path of the overachiever is now mine. With one punch I will carve the way. With both feet I will shatter the heavens!
If I don't don the Overachiever's Robe, how will the world know that I—Hela, the Death Goddess—am destined to be unrivaled?
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]