Chapter 42: Hephaestus Familia
Orario, Northeast Street.
This was Orario's proud magic stone production hub, adjacent to the industrial zone's manufacturing sector.
Under Finn's guidance, Riezel entered this place.
Unlike the northwest street, mostly populated by adventurers, pedestrians here were mostly laborers in work uniforms.
There was a middle-aged human with strong muscles, carrying equipment.
A beastman walked alongside a merchant, engaged in conversation.
Several dwarves, robust and muscular, were arguing and shouting.
A blacksmith with weapons on his back loudly advertised, seemingly introducing his proud creations.
The sound of iron being hammered echoed everywhere, and the metallic scent filled the air. This was an entirely industrial street, with hardly any buildings other than factories, workshops, and forges. Not even a single woman or child could be seen.
Walking down such a street, Riezel and Finn, with their vibrant clothes, looked somewhat out of place.
Fortunately, both of them were unfazed by such trivial matters. Their strong characters made them appear natural and composed, walking step by step toward the center of the street, undisturbed by the curious and scrutinizing gazes.
Before long, they arrived at a particular workshop.
It was a plain building.
Seemingly not well-maintained, the building was covered in coal ash. The sound of iron striking seemed more intense and resonant here than anywhere else.
"We're here." Finn stood in front of the workshop and turned his head to Riezel.
"Here?"
Despite some speculation, Riezel couldn't help but be surprised when he realized this building was their destination.
The workshop didn't really look like a facility important figures from Hephaestus Familia would use.
As a blacksmith familia specialized in selling equipment, Hephaestus Familia's reputation in Orario and the world rivaled that of Loki Familia.
The reason was simple.
If Loki Familia was one of the strongest familias in exploration, then Hephaestus Familia was the strongest in smithing.
The Goddess of this Familia was the renowned Goddess of Smithing, Hephaestus.
The familia organized by this Goddess not only attracted numerous blacksmiths but also had a comprehensive talent cultivation system. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Hephaestus Familia was a prestigious school for blacksmiths.
With so many skilled blacksmiths gathered, including advanced ones with the ability to possess 'Blacksmith' development ability, it was easy to imagine the excellence of the weapons produced by this familia.
Back then, Hephaestus Familia had become a premium brand worldwide. Products from this familia enjoyed the highest honor among peers. Any equipment labeled 'Created by Hephaestus Familia' immediately gained the admiration of countless people, and its value skyrocketed.
In a situation like this, the one who could get Finn to personally show up and commission an order had to be an important figure and higher-up of Hephaestus Familia.
An important figure from the renowned Hephaestus Familia was staying in a place like this was beyond surprising for Riezel.
On the other hand, Finn could only laugh when he saw his reaction.
"Don't mind it. Most famous blacksmiths have this kind of personality. They'd rather huddle in a dirty workshop, hammering away at iron, than sit in a fancy office. The one we're looking for stands out among this group."
Finn explained while glancing at Riezel's face.
"If we arranged to meet somewhere else, who knows when this person would have time? But if it's here, this person will be one hundred percent present."
After saying that, he went ahead and pushed open the door.
"Let's go. We've already given notice. Since no one came out to greet us, we'll just go in ourselves."
Finn entered and led the way. Riezel followed suit and quickly caught up with Finn as they entered a spacious forging workshop.
The place was dimly lit, with only a few magic stone lamps shrouded in darkness. Deep inside, a faint red glow emanated from the forge, and the air was thick with the smell of iron. This atmosphere would make most people want to keep their distance.
"Tsubaki! Are you there?" Finn shouted towards the forging workshop, seemingly unfazed by the surroundings.
"I'm here!"
A voice responded the next second.
With a powerful response, a figure emerged from the forging workshop, bathed in the glow of the forge.
Surprisingly, it was a woman.
She had a beautiful face, long limbs, black hair, red eyes, and wore an Eastern-style work outfit. Her lower half was clad in bright red hakama, while the upper half was wrapped in white fabric, attracting attention.
Her skin was tan, darker than the wheat-colored skin of Tiona and Tione, and she wore an eyepatch on her eye, giving her a unique appearance.
This attractive woman welcomed Finn with enthusiasm.
"Hey, Finn! It's been ages!" The woman called Tsubaki exclaimed with a grin. "You're still rockin' that youthful charm. Come here, let me hug you!"
She moved in for a hug, not minding the presence of someone else.
"No thanks." Finn avoided her with a nonchalant movement. "Goddess Hephaestus isn't here?"
"Yeah, she's not here." Tsubaki pouted. "She's been in a bad mood lately, probably because her friend crashing at her place is a total slacker. She's got loads of resentment for that freeloader. I guess she's too caught up dealing with that mess to bother with us."
Finn didn't react to her words, but Riezel, who stood nearby, raised an eyebrow without a trace. Unfortunately, neither of the two noticed this.
After chatting for a few moments, they turned to Riezel.
"Let me introduce her to you..." Finn said with a smile, glancing at Riezel. "Tsubaki Collbrande, Captain of Hephaestus Familia, a top-tier blacksmith among many in Orario. Plus, she's a Level 5 first-class adventurer, with a reputation that's no less impressive than mine."
He was about to introduce Riezel when Tsubaki interrupted.
"Riezel Brynhart, Loki Familia's rookie. A supernova who rose from Level 1 to Level 4 in just over a month. How could I not know him? Everyone's buzzing about him in Orario, especially the Gods. I heard they're all digging for info on him. Even my Goddess is keeping tabs. Finally got a chance to meet you!"
"Hello." Riezel nodded to her, maintaining a calm expression without any hint of self-satisfaction.
"Hmm? Seems like he's got a calm and serious vibe, huh?" Tsubaki said while scratching her head. "I can't really deal with this kind of personality, y'know."
"Don't worry, Tsubaki." Finn took the opportunity to tease her. "Don't be fooled by his current appearance. Even I would be cautious if this boy loses it. He's not as calm as you think."
"Oh? Seriously?" Tsubaki's eyes lit up, then she burst out laughing. "That's awesome. Imagine if everyone had this deathly aura like you old folks, it'd be so dull, y'know."
She said that while completely disregarding gender differences, wrapping her arms around Riezel's neck.
"Rookies gotta have that rookie vibe, y'know. All that energy, a little wildness—that's what makes them cute." Tsubaki grinned. "What if you crash at my spot for a bit? I'll make sure you're all good, huh?"
"Cut it out, Tsubaki. Aren't you just looking for a free laborer to swing that hammer for you?"
Finn, with no trace of politeness, swatted away her hand on Riezel.
"Don't mess with the future backbone of our familia. If anything happens to him, be ready for Loki and Riveria to come after you."
"Ugh, okay, okay... You're no fun." Tsubaki gave in and mumbled. "If that Goddess of Mischief and Elf Princess are both eyeing him, I'm screwed..."
Finn shot her a look that said 'As long as you know', making her raise her hands in surrender, while Riezel, who almost couldn't keep up with the situation, just rubbed his nose awkwardly.
But, honestly speaking, her tight embrace felt not bad at all.
Quite soft.
Wondering what Riezel was thinking, Tsubaki placed her hands on her hips and got down to business.
"Okay, enough with the jokes. Give me the order." Tsubaki reached out her hand to Finn. "You're here for spare weapons and equipment for your familia expedition, yeah?"
Bulk ordering spare weapons was precisely Finn's goal.
While members of Loki Familia had their preferred weapons, they would wear out, and different situations demanded different weapons. Therefore, when going on expeditions, besides medicine, the most essential preparation was spare weapons.
Especially useful in group battles, long-range weapons played a crucial role and required significant preparation for effective offense and defense.
In light of this, every familia, regardless of which, would order a large quantity of weapons as spares for each expedition. For a big familia like Loki Familia, preparing for an expedition beyond the 50th Floor required even more.
So, on every expedition, Loki Familia would commission a large order from the forging business familia, and Hephaestus Familia often took up these orders.
It could be said that Loki Familia was a regular customer of Hephaestus Familia, and Tsubaki, as the captain of Hephaestus Familia, had a close relationship with them.
Given this background, she naturally understood Finn's purpose in coming today.
But today was a bit different.
"Here's the order. Get it done as quickly as possible." Finn handed a parchment to Tsubaki. "Besides this, I also need you to create a weapon for your so-called supernova."
"Oh?"
Tsubaki took the parchment without looking at it and instead glanced at Riezel—more precisely, she was looking at the sword at his waist.
"Nice workmanship, but it shows plenty of wear and tear already. Probably been patched up a bunch, yeah?"
The discerning eye of Orario's strongest blacksmith was truly sharp. She accurately assessed the sword's condition with just a glance, all the while grinning.
"Seems like this third-class equipment doesn't suit its user. Wanna hire me to whip up a new one? Just spill your requirements."
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Chapter 43: Durandal
Inside the workshop, facing Tsubaki's curious gaze, Riezel didn't hesitate much and immediately stated the requirements he had thought about in advance.
"I need a sword that is as sturdy as possible, not easily damaged, and preferably with the Durandal attribute."
Durandal.
As the name suggested, it was an attribute that made weapons indestructible and absolutely resistant to damage.
Weapons crafted by advanced blacksmiths with the 'Blacksmith' development ability often carried some magic attributes, magic effects, or special attributes like Durandal. It was a relatively rare and advanced special attribute.
Ais's sword, Desperate, was an example of first-class equipment with the Durandal attribute.
Given her use of Ariel, which put a huge strain on weapons and could potentially lead to their destruction, she custom-made her sword to prolong the time she could spend in battle without breaking her sword.
With this scenario in mind, Riezel, who was also prone to weapon damage due to possessing Ariel naturally considered a weapon with the Durandal attribute as his first choice.
"Wait, you want special equipment with Durandal?" Tsubaki exclaimed with evident enthusiasm. "Looks like it's gonna be quite a big order."
Indeed, special equipment with the Durandal attribute, even for Hephaestus Familia, was considered a big order.
To put it bluntly, it was expensive as heck.
Special equipment with the Durandal attribute was at least second-class equipment, and sometimes even first-class equipment, with a price tag that was definitely not trivial.
Speaking frankly, even second-class indestructible equipment could fetch tens of millions of valis, and it was not uncommon for first-class indestructible equipment to sell for hundreds of millions of valis.
And this was precisely the problem that gave Riezel a headache.
"My budget isn't too generous. If it's too pricey, let's forget about Durandal." Riezel added with a wry smile. This was also why he said 'preferably' rather than insisting on it.
With a price tag of at least tens of millions of valis, it was a significant burden for him, who had only been in the adventurer business for a little over a month.
Even though since teaming up with Lefiya, he no longer ignored magic stones and drop items, returning home every day with a full load, he still couldn't accumulate that much wealth in just over a month.
Since reaching Level 2, Riezel and Lefiya had explored the middle floors beyond the 13th Floor. They earned hundreds of thousands of valis a day, and if they split it, each person got close to a hundred thousand valis.
At that rate of earning money in a month, Riezel had only earned a few million valis, including the 800,000 valis he needed to repay Lefiya for lending him the money for his current weapon.
Fortunately, during the duel with the 17th Floor Boss Goliath, he not only obtained a large magic stone but also a drop item called 'Goliath's Skin'.
The value of a floor boss's drop items was self-evident.
Adding to this was the significant earnings from the monster feast encountered on the 16th Floor a month ago. After selling all the magic stones and drop items, his savings were barely around 10 million valis.
This amount, if used to buy second-class equipment, was just enough.
Second-class equipment could be good or bad.
The good ones were not much worse than first-class equipment, while the bad ones were just a bit better than third-class equipment. Therefore, the prices for second-class equipment fluctuated greatly, ranging from a few million valis to even a staggering ten million valis or more for those that were pushed to astronomical prices.
Unfortunately, the Durandal attribute fell into the category of special attributes. Most special equipment with Durandal was of high quality and rarely priced below 10 million valis.
Riezel, eager for a weapon with the Durandal attribute, found himself constrained by a limited budget. If there was no other option, he would have to settle for Tsubaki forging sturdy second-class equipment.
Honestly, it felt like wasting a precious opportunity.
The finest blacksmith in Orario was right in front of him, and her creations were undoubtedly top-notch. Any order from this master smith would typically warrant first-class equipment.
Riezel was practically asking this renowned blacksmith to create second-class equipment, and it felt like a missed opportunity.
But with no money, there was no choice.
He accepted reality.
If Tsubaki wasn't willing to forge second-class equipment, he would have to look for another blacksmith.
If Finn hadn't suggested it, Riezel wouldn't have even considered ordering a weapon from Tsubaki, the strongest blacksmith in Orario.
Originally, he intended to wait until Finn settled his order commission for the expedition and then have another blacksmith from Hephaestus Familia take on his own order. However, with Finn's suggestion, he decided to just go for it.
Considering Finn's and Loki Familia's reputation, even if Tsubaki wasn't interested in his request, other blacksmiths from the familia would likely take it up, right?
Just as Riezel was lost in thought, Finn suddenly spoke up.
"Help him forge the best Durandal attribute weapon, Tsubaki."
Finn's unexpected words left Riezel stunned.
"Captain?" Riezel looked at Finn in surprise.
"I know your budget is tight, so this time the familia will advance the funds for you." Finn smiled at the astonished Riezel. "With your growth speed, it won't be long before even second-class equipment won't keep up with your strength. When that happens, the weapon you just bought will be abandoned, which is a waste of money."
As someone who had watched Ais grow, Finn understood the troubles that came with possessing overpowered magic called 'Ariel'.
Second-class equipment.
Special equipment at this level was suitable as the main weapon even for Level 5 first-class adventurers. It should have been more than enough for a Level 4 like Riezel.
However, Ariel was an unreasonable magic, not only affecting the user's body but also the weapon. Ais had faced this problem before, eventually spending a considerable amount of money to order a custom weapon with the Durandal attribute.
Now that Riezel had gained the same magic, avoiding this issue was crucial. It could be said that a Durandal weapon was the most suitable for the user of Ariel.
Though its performance was slightly lower than other same-level weapons, the feature of not easily breaking was priceless for Riezel and Ais, who were prone to damaging their weapons.
Finn genuinely believed that, with Riezel's growth speed, he would soon become a first-class adventurer.
At that time, a weapon that barely met the requirements would once again fall behind his strength, resulting in abandonment.
Instead of that, it was better to be prepared early with the best one.
"The expedition is about to begin, and when the time comes, even if you're not the main force, you'll still be a powerful vanguard. A good weapon is essential to unleash your full potential. It's a good thing for you, for us, and for our familia." Finn patted Riezel's thigh and smiled.
"..." Upon hearing that, Riezel fell into silence for a while before finally nodding. "I understand."
"Everything cool?" Tsubaki jumped in at the perfect time, shooting a glance over at Riezel. "So, am I grabbing this order? Any other request?"
"None." Riezel shook his head, then thought for a moment before adding, "If possible, I'd like the sword to be as light as possible."
This was, of course, a request made to trigger the 'Lightweight' development ability effect. A lighter weapon would enhance the effectiveness of 'Lightweight', amplifying its strengthening effects on his 'DEX' and 'AGI'.
Therefore, Riezel's only requirements for his weapon were that it should be sturdy and lightweight. He didn't mind sacrificing other advantages as long as these two criteria were met.
Even if his weapon's performance wasn't outstanding or its power wasn't strong enough, he could compensate with the enhancement from Ariel. Just like how he didn't need armor—with the wind protection from Ariel, there weren't many attacks that could penetrate and harm him through the armor of wind.
"Got it!"
Tsubaki slapped Riezel on the back with a hearty chuckle.
"I'm gonna forge the sickest sword for you! Just wait until you see how high my sword takes you, and you'll be the hero that blows the minds of all the Gods!"
===
At the same time, on the 30th Floor of Babel, a Denatus was in session.
"No time for chit-chats!"
Loki, sitting in her seat, abruptly stood up, propped one foot on the table, and yelled with a menacing expression.
"The umpteenth Denatus! Let's get this started already!"
""OHHH—!""
With her declaration, an astonishing cheer erupted.
Taking a closer look, the hall transformed into a temple that occupied the entire floor, and numerous Gods were present.
In the spacious hall, aside from solemn rows of stone pillars, there was only a large round table in the middle, devoid of anything else.
The walls at a distance were entirely made of enormous glass, surrounded by the vast sky of thirty floors. The unusually high ceiling made the whole space incredibly expansive, seemingly endless.
Gods from various familias in Orario sat around the large round table one after another, and thanks to Loki's declaration, a tremendous cheer echoed.
"Here we go!"
"Finally, the day has come!"
"I couldn't wait any longer!"
"So curious!"
"Hey, Loki! Satisfy our curiosity!"
"Yeah!"
Various Gods, regardless of gender, joined in the excitement.
Their target, naturally was the main character of this meeting—Loki.
"Cut the crap!"
Loki was equally blunt, not mincing words and throwing in a few curses for good measure.
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