Chung was blabbering on and on by her tool box while she attempted to build a new nasod at her work table. He just couldn't seem to stop asking the most ridiculous things. The Minister wanted to slap his head so badly. So, so badly.

"Eve, if you aren't a nasod, why do you have that blue globe on your head? And why are your ears covered by those cones?"

Eve squeezed her fingers tightly around the hammer, resisting the urge to knock him unconscious. "The cones are for enhanced listening. I am able to mute as well as amplify the volume of my surroundings." Wait, why hadn't she already muted him? "The globe on my head is native to the people of my town. It was crafted from a sapphire that a companion of mine excavated. It's a symbol of my position, similar to a crown for a king."

The blonde tilted his head. "So you can take that globe off?"

The Minister pried it off, revealing porcelain skin like a doll's. Something about it was... unsettling, should one say. She immediately returned it to its spot.

"Alright... Um..." Awkwardly scratching his head, a blush crept up his face as he averted his eyes. "As Minister, are you allowed to be... Er... romantically involved?" He must have been crazy to ask this question, but honestly he was curious.

The Minister shook her head. "The Congress of Engineers strictly prohibits such behavior from the Minister. They believe that such relationships will hinder my work and travel and create biases that stray from the nature of science." She believed it too, of course.

"Oh... Alright." He forced a smile onto his face, a pang of rejection in him. "So what exactly were you researching that was so greatly affected by my alchemy?" He leaned over Eve's shoulder and watched her connect the arm to the nasod.

"If you must know... I'm looking into a group of Ancient Nasods." Eve, after attaching the arm, placed the machine to the side in front of Chung. "Please do your alchemy thing."

"Ancient ones?" He inquired. His hands moved around the nasod as if it were a crystal ball, a trail of blue aura following. The nasod sprang up on two feet.

Eve leaned back in her chair, a hand to her chin. "Yes... There was once a living race that was said to roam the world. These Ancient Nasods were considered to be great creations of their time. They faded from existence though, leaving behind empty orbs in their place. I was assigned to create one similar to the living legends, but I had trouble making it. Without your alchemy," she gestured to the nasod before them, "anything built with the same structure or parts as this would be incapable of functioning like intended. An example would be your gun I disregarded awhile back."

Chung nodded his head, understanding her meaning— the gun didn't work without alchemy. "So before I came along and did what I did with your pile of nasods, you were in belief that those structures were not that of the ancient nasods?"

"Correct. You... well, one way to put it is you made a breakthrough in my research. Contrary to that, it was a setback."

A stretch and a yawn bursted from the boy as he turned and leaned against the work table. "It's funny, because your story sounds a lot like the Tale of Guardians from where I use to live."

"Tale of Guardians?"

It half-surprised him that she'd never heard it before. "Yeah. A legendary race that protected and cared for the world. Based off the story, the beings protected our land from destruction, but they themselves ended up diminishing in the process. From there, the buildings became what they are today— piles of destroyed bricks and ruins. Traces of glass orbs can also be excavated once in a while."

Eve scooted up to the edge of her chair. Indeed, this was a very similar story. She must have not visited Chung's hometown on her travels because, surely, this information couldn't have passed her. "So there is a chance it is the same story."

"Yeah, accept... mine has a little bit of proof to it."

"Like?" Eve raised an eyebrow at Chung, whose had his arms stretched behind his head. What possible proof could he pose?

"I've seen the ancient nasods in a museum. They'd been dug up."

In a flash, Ophelia was somehow at Chung's neck. Eve was directly behind the pink nasod, ready to give further orders. "Speak now! Where is this museum?!"

"B-Back in my hometown! You can't see it because the museum was destroyed!" If he'd known she would assault him once again, he would have considered not mentioning the story. Gosh, The Minister was surprisingly violent.

Eve sighed and waved Ophelia away from the nervously sweating boy. She crossed her arms calmly. "Alright, do you remember the nasods? What were they made of?"

Chung turned his head to the ceiling while putting a finger to his chin. It certainly had been a couple years now... Pondering the thought, he finally came to an answer. "Rocks. Alchemy was also a main component in making them come to life."

"... Rocks?" Eve's face paled slightly. "As in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary?"

"Yep."

Surely, Chung wasn't serious! She slowly began to falter, stumbling foward into Chung and stepping on his toes in the process. "If they were made from rocks... Then I have absolutely no knowledge on this. Machinery is my strength, not minerals like such." She mumbled. Never had she seen rocks be used in an invention.

Eve grasped onto Chung's shoulders, trying to regain strength in her body. Chung patted her head gently, but cautiously, in a somewhat awkward way. "Don't worry, I'll help you. I'll work to the best of my knowledge and ability to assist you!"

Eve finally regained her stability and crossed her arms, but not before slapping him for touching her without consent. She then averted her eyes away, concealing an embarressed expression while her drones floated from behind her upon being called. Having to rely on him so much would definitely be... unnatural, and it especially stung most he'd be teacher her. Hopefully, the research would be worth all that humiliation.

"... Much appreciated."