Fujiwara no Mokou gave Lancer the feeling of a younger sister who adored him. This simplest adoration and joy, untainted by any impurities, resonated with Lancer, so he was willing to repay her within the scope of his abilities, even if this repayment was not something she explicitly craved.
The three gifts given to Fujiwara no Mokou this time were in the hope that she would be happy. Whether it was the banquet with the youkai, the fireworks that had never appeared in this era, or the meeting with the legendary Celestial, they were all things that interested her.
As for his final departure, it was also because he felt that, as a gentleman, he should not disturb the chat between the two girls. After all, they should be able to speak more freely when he was not around. Furthermore, Kaguya Houraisan previous fondness for Mokou left Lancer with no worries about the two getting along.
But just as he found an open space and prepared to drink while waiting for the sun to rise, the "System" suddenly gave him a start.
[Side Quest: Awakening]
[Quest Introduction: A young girl possessing the bloodline of "Amaterasu" will have the bloodline within her body awaken as the sun rises upon reaching adulthood. However, a powerful bloodline is a fatal existence for ordinary people; the power of the flames from the sun will burn her to ashes.]
[Quest Requirement: Help the girl complete the "Awakening".]
[Quest Reward: ???]
The quest description seemed vague, but Lancer instantly discovered a familiar sensation appearing within Kaguya Houraisan room. It was the power he had felt when he previously used the "Yasakani no Magatama".
Without any hesitation, he flipped through the window and jumped into Kaguya Houraisan room. He then saw Fujiwara no Mokou fainted in Kaguya Houraisan arms, and Kaguya Houraisan looking lost and at a loss due to panic.
Lancer was now certain: the "girl" in the quest introduction was Fujiwara no Mokou.
First, using his right hand, he confirmed that her body temperature was indeed rising continuously, and had already reached a level sufficient to kill an ordinary person. Yet Fujiwara no Mokou was still holding on. Lancer expression grew increasingly grim because, according to the quest description, under normal circumstances, Fujiwara no Mokou awakening would fail...
But that's assuming things are "normal." I am here now!
And at that moment, a somewhat flustered voice sounded in his ear.
"Lancer, what is going on?"
"Mokou... her bloodline has awakened."
"Bloodline? Lancer, what are you talking about?"
"Mokou possesses the bloodline of 'Amaterasu'."
This matter seemed unbelievable to Lancer. After all, Fujiwara no Mokou had always been an ordinary girl—an ordinary girl who couldn't even move a table by herself. Why would she suddenly possess the so-called bloodline of "Amaterasu"? One must know that even if Lancer knew very little about Japanese mythology, he knew a thing or two about this existence who stood at the top of the divine hierarchy in Japanese myths.
On the other side, Kaguya Houraisan first reaction upon hearing Lancer words was to feel that Lancer was talking nonsense. After all, she knew of "Amaterasu." But then, she remembered something.
"Lancer, do you mean to say Mokou is a descendant of the 'Emperor'?"
If there were any clearly recorded human descendants of Amaterasu in all of Japan, it would probably be the Emperor's lineage. In Lancer original world, such a claim was basically just talk—anyone who believed it had a hole in their head. But the problem was that this world was different. Not only did the legends truly exist, but even Kaguya Houraisan was the daughter of Tsukuyomi, who held the same status as Amaterasu.
"Emperor? What is that?"
Seeing Lancer somewhat confused expression, Kaguya Houraisan had to give Lancer a crash course in "common sense." Suddenly, Lancer expression became somewhat subtle. According to Kaguya Houraisan, although the "Emperor" was a descendant of Amaterasu, the lineage had been passed down for hundreds or nearly a thousand years, and the bloodline had long since become extremely thin. Theoretically, only descendants within three generations of the current Emperor would have an extremely weak trace of the bloodline.
Suddenly, Lancer had an extremely subtle thought——
'Could it be that Fujiwara no Fuhito was actually cuckolded?'
However, he quickly shook that thought out of his head.
"None of that matters now. Kaguya, do you know how to help Mokou?"
Even the well-informed Kaguya Houraisan shook her head.
"The simplest way would be her ancestor, but I haven't even been to 'Takamagahara', let alone met that Lord Amaterasu..."
"Then is there a way to stop it?"
Transforming into a divine bloodline sounded good, but the prerequisite was being able to survive. Therefore, Lancer chose to stop this transformation without hesitation. Unfortunately, Kaguya Houraisan still shook her head with a grim expression.
"This transformation is a benign one; we cannot stop it..."
If it were a curse or something similar, it could be dispelled. But the problem was, how do you stop something akin to "evolution"?
Lancer had no understanding of things like "Amaterasu" or "bloodlines." With a grim expression, the only thing he could do at this moment was use his right hand to help her cool down. However, no one knew how long this physical cooling method could be maintained.
But perhaps this cooling did play a certain role. The fainted Fujiwara no Mokou eyebrows twitched, and then she finally opened her eyes.
Somewhat dazed, she looked at the anxious face of Lancer, who was currently resting her on his lap. For some reason, she suddenly showed a slight smile.
"Lord Lancer, I am fine..."
Even though she didn't even know her own situation, she chose to comfort Lancer. A young girl's smile without a trace of impurity could often make Lancer return a heartfelt smile. After all, having seen too much filth, he had long been dyed pitch black; that pure and flawless smile was something fundamentally unreachable for him.
Yet, stimulating him now, he felt incomparable heartache.
"Yes, it's alright, because... I am here."
Lancer struggled to keep his voice from trembling, and Fujiwara no Mokou nodded after hearing Lancer words.
"Yes, it's alright, because... Lord Lancer, you are here..."
After saying that, Fujiwara no Mokou fainted again.
"Mokou!"
"Calm down, Lancer. Mokou is still alive."
Looking at the girl grabbing his arm, Lancer overheated head gradually calmed down.
'No matter what you encounter, you must be calm. Panic will only make things worse.'
"Sorry, Kaguya, I got emotional. Panic is meaningless at a time like this. My Shishō once told me..."
Although he took deep breaths to gradually calm himself down, feeling those once strong arms trembling slightly in her hands, Kaguya Houraisan didn't know what to say for a moment.