Even Artoria had no idea when Skadi had arrived, or when she had slipped into Shiomi's bed.
So when Skadi crawled out from under the covers, everyone was left staring in shock.
"......… When exactly did you get here......…"
Shiomi, who had only just woken up and managed to say a few words, could only ask that much.
"Mm? Ah..."
Just awake, Skadi looked completely at ease. She went limp and flopped against Shiomi's shoulder, hugging him and nuzzling at his neck.
"Probably after you were brought back to Storm Border," Skadi said lazily. "After everyone helped you bathe and change."
That was exactly when Artoria had gone to change clothes herself, making it the only brief moment she hadn't been present after returning to Storm Border.
"You must've been worn out," Shiomi said.
"I was constantly maintaining the Barrier so the ship wouldn't be discovered by Zeus," Skadi replied in an unhurried tone. "Since I didn't know how far Zeus's omniscience extended, I set the scale based on Odin's level..."
Blocking the sight of a chief god and turning the entire ship into something that effectively "did not exist" was no easy task.
"No wonder things were so smooth after Storm Border landed today," Morgan said, resting her chin on one hand.
Everyone aboard had finally managed to catch their breath after the rush of nonstop fighting. But almost as soon as they did, they were faced with Zeus cutting off the city from the Grand Temple, and Shiomi's all-out effort to create the "Tower of Heaven."
At the moment, everyone in Chaldea was busy preparing for the assault on the Grand Temple. Only Shiomi's room still carried a relatively relaxed atmosphere.
That was exactly what he needed right now.
And it was precisely why no one else came to disturb them.
So Shiomi let his body relax, leaning back against the pillow behind him and letting his thoughts ease as well.
"My condition right now… no, I guess the better question is, how long have I been asleep?"
"Fifteen hours so far," Artoria replied. "That's much shorter than your recovery time after the last battle."
"Mm..." Shiomi looked at his hands and thought for a moment. "Give me another twelve hours. After that, I should be able to consider heading into battle. It's hard to say how many days are left before the Alien God's descent that Kirschtaria mentioned… or whether it's already right around the corner."
At that point, Morgan offered her own thought. "Can't we hope Zeus and the Alien God end up fighting each other?"
"But we also have to consider the possibility that they cooperate," Shiomi said, shaking his head. "If we're not on site, we won't know how things develop. Too many unknowns later on wouldn't be a good thing."
"But that pillar holding up the sky… no, calling it the 'Tower of Heaven' fits better," Touko said, sitting down on the other side of the bed. She reached out through the blanket and lightly stroked his calf. "While you were unconscious, the crew ran an analysis. It's hollow inside."
Using the four regional mountain peaks as its base, with endlessly growing trees linking them together, the entire structure was, in essence, closer to a hollow cone.
"That's exactly what we wanted to ask. The inside is hollow. Servants can enter Spirit Form, but even if we take the battleship up to its maximum altitude and board it from there, we still can't reach the Orbital Grand Temple," Scáthach said, looking at Shiomi. "Did my beloved disciple go through all that trouble just to stop the barrier from closing?"
"Of course not," Shiomi said, shaking his head. "I've prepared a way to ascend as well, but it's a one-time method, and I have to be there myself. Relying on nothing but our legs to climb up wouldn't be stable, anyway."
Just preventing the barrier from closing, and leaving a path open for later entry into the Orbital Grand Temple, had already pushed him to his limits.
The "Tower of Heaven" towering between the Interstellar City and the Orbital Grand Temple was still nothing more than a half-finished structure, impressive in appearance alone.
The upside was that Shiomi could adjust its structure at any time.
And for Zeus, destroying the "Tower of Heaven" wouldn't be easy either.
After all, its outer layer was protected by the "Wall of Light" created by Morgan, and at the moment, it was in a state that completely forbade entry or exit.
"I see. Then you should rest properly," Artoria said with a gentle smile as she urged him. She then turned to Morgan. "Your Mana consumption was far too intense as well."
"That's why I'm drinking this nutrient drink," Morgan said, stretching lazily. "But if I want to recover fully as soon as possible, I'll still have to trouble my husband."
"Help yourself," Shiomi said with a smile. "Compared to the Greater Source of the Age of Gods, my little source suits your tastes better, doesn't it?"
Morgan raised her cup in a mock toast. "Exactly."
Right after that, a low rumbling sound echoed through the room.
Skadi lifted herself off Shiomi, hesitated for a moment, then realized it was his stomach growling.
Laughter immediately filled the room.
"It's been a while since I last heard your stomach growl," Touko said, patting his calf.
"I'm not some idiot who's so busy he can't even feel hunger," Shiomi said innocently. He rubbed his stomach with a look of relief. "Is there anything to eat right now? Anything's fine."
"I'll go get something," Artoria said, standing up at once and heading out of the room.
Scáthach followed after her, clearly worried that one person alone wouldn't bring back enough. Besides, if everyone ate together here, the food would taste better.
That had always been Shiomi's belief.
"Even though you're hungry, you look happier than worried," Touko said after a moment's thought. "Still uneasy about your state after 'metamorphosis'?"
"Yes," Shiomi nodded seriously. "I can see that I've almost finished changing, but I was afraid my most important desires might disappear along with it. Realizing that I can still feel hunger suddenly put me at ease."
"It might be a bit strange to ask at this point, but I still want to know," Skadi said, her expression growing more solemn. "What kind of god do you want to become?"
"I've never thought about becoming any particular kind of god," Shiomi replied without hesitation. "I just want to become a god who stands on the side of humanity, for the sake of Proper Human History, where the people important to me live. I think that's the right way for gods to exist in this era."
Morgan suddenly cut in, offhandedly. "After all, you've already confirmed the other kind of desire quite thoroughly."
"…I'm talking about something very serious right now, my wife," Shiomi said, looking utterly deflated.
But then he turned his head and made a face at Morgan. She nearly failed to hold back her laughter and almost choked on her drink.
"Food and sex are part of human nature," Morgan said, setting her drink down and snapping her book shut with deliberate seriousness. "We're not teenagers anymore. Just take it in stride, my husband."
"No, now that's a bit too serious," Shiomi said, shaking his head repeatedly.
He pulled Skadi and Touko closer, looking like he wanted to take advantage of the moment to do something, yet lacking the right atmosphere.
Seeing him like that, Morgan knew there was no way she could bring herself to worry.