Chapter 14: [14] My Wealthy Family
Loki's eyes narrowed, her expression twisting into a sly smile. "How about a grimoire? If I lose, I'll give you a grimoire. But if you lose, you owe me a debt and have to come to my Familia's residence every day to do the cleaning. How about it? Dare to bet?"
Hestia agreed without hesitation. "Of course, I'll bet! Aiden-kun will definitely surpass your Sword Princess!"
Loki grinned like a weasel who had just stolen a chicken. "Then it's settled. Prepare to start cleaning my place this time next year, chibi goddess." She turned to leave.
Thinking of his three magic slots, Aiden decided to raise the stakes and called out to Loki. "Isn't one grimoire a bit low for a bet, Loki-sama? Given your status as the head of Orario's strongest Familia, it seems rather unworthy. How about we raise the stakes to three grimoires? After all, the Hestia Familia will have new members in the future."
Loki stopped and turned back, intrigued. "You're quite confident, Aiden. And what would you wager? My three grimoires against what?"
Aiden shook his head, lifting Durandal in his hand and offering it to the blonde girl in Loki's group. "This must be the famous Sword Princess. What do you think of my sword? It's incredibly sharp and durable. Try it."
Ais Wallenstein examined Durandal, testing its sharpness with her golden hair and swinging it a few times. "It's a strong sword. What's its name?"
"It's called Durandal."
"Durandal is strong, but it's not enough as a bet."
Aiden remained unfazed. "It's the least of my family's swords. I only brought it with me when I came to Orario. My family has other weapons far superior to it, like the Thunder Sword Alastor, the Flame and Tornado Blades Agni and Rudra, the Three-Rod Ice Cerberus, the Flame Gauntlets Ifrit, the Shock Steel Gilgamesh, and a set of gauntlets, greaves, and shoulder Balrog."
'Sorry, Dante and Vergil, I'm borrowing your weapons' names to impress them. After all, I am a member of the Sparda family.'
Taking Durandal back from Ais, Aiden continued, "I am the only member of the Sparda family in this world. Any of the weapons I mentioned are worth a grimoire. I'll wager three of these weapons. Does that suit you, Loki-sama?"
An Amazon with impressive assets whispered to Loki, "This bet is too big, we should discuss it with the captain."
Loki, eyes flashing red, shook her head and dismissed the Amazon's suggestion. "You really are confident, Aiden. How about this: if you lose, you join my Familia. Deal?"
Before Hestia could protest, Aiden quickly covered her face with his large hand, muffling her objections.
Aiden smiled confidently. "Deal. Prepare those three grimoires, Loki-sama."
'If I fail, I'll have to become an idol. But if I succeed, it's all profit. Besides, more debts won't bother me.'
"Three grimoires are nothing; my Familia has plenty. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress, Aiden Sparda." With that, Loki turned and headed into a shop, holding the elf girl's hand.
Hestia, still catching her breath, looked at Aiden with teary eyes. "How could you make such a bet, Aiden-kun?"
Aiden patted Hestia's head reassuringly. "Don't worry, Hestia. You have faith in me, right? I have faith in myself too. I already have the strength and endurance of a Level 2 adventurer. Plus, with you updating my status every day, I'll get stronger every day. This positive cycle will definitely help me surpass the Sword Princess."
Aiden hadn't mentioned one other crucial fact: while his abilities increased through the blessing, his personal training results were retained as well.
Aiden then explained to Hestia about the rookie treatment in Loki Familia.
"So, it didn't actually take the Sword Princess a full year to reach Level 2? And now you have an entire year, Aiden-kun." Hestia pondered this, her eyes brightening.
"That's wonderful, Aiden-kun. You're so clever. Heh, get ready to hand over those three grimoires, flat-chested goddess!" Hestia laughed heartily, hands on her hips.
Seeing Hestia's mood change as swiftly as the weather, Aiden couldn't help but smile. He took her hand and led her further into the store.
They passed through rows of Hephaestus' chain stores. As expected of the Greek god of blacksmithing, the shops were filled with equipment priced in the millions: ornate breastplates glittering under soft yellow lights, exuding wealth; magnificent greatswords displayed on red silk, radiating an aura of luxury (and unaffordability).
Hestia initially wanted to browse, but knowing they couldn't afford anything, and not wanting her to incur any debt, Aiden decisively moved to the upper floor.
They took an elevator powered by some unknown mechanism and arrived at the section where novice blacksmiths sold their creations.
Unlike the pristine floors below, this level had no spotless tiles, no grand chandeliers, no extravagant decor, and certainly no intimidatingly expensive shops. Instead, the decor was simple and unpretentious. Novice blacksmiths hammered away and called out to customers, their wares neatly arranged on shelves.
Adventurers filled the area, a stark contrast to the sparse visitors below, creating a lively, bustling atmosphere.
"Aiden-kun, you only arrived in Orario yesterday. How did you know about this place? Have you been here already?" Hestia puzzled by Aiden's familiarity.
"I learned about it from Eina-san. I'm considering asking her to be my dungeon exploration advisor. She works at the guild and knows far more about the dungeons than I do." Aiden replied, recalling the anime where Eina's knowledge had been invaluable.
"Oh, I see. That makes sense, Aiden-kun." Hestia nodded, understanding.
"Hestia, I'm going to check out those shelves over there." Aiden pointed to the rows of gear.
"Go ahead, Aiden-kun." Hestia smiled sweetly.
Where did Welf's armor show up in the anime? Probably not on the shelves. Aiden scanned the shelves, which were piled high with various types and sizes of armor. This place was certainly not lacking in such items.
Thankfully, there were staff members available. After inquiring with one, Aiden found a box in a discreet corner filled with armor pieces crafted by Welf Crozzo: arm guards, breastplates, and leg guards, all predominantly silver with red accents. Each piece bore Welf Crozzo's signature.
"Hmm, these arm guards look good, and the size is right. This breastplate seems decent too. And here's a matching set of shoulder and leg guards." Setting Durandal aside, Aiden picked out a full set of light armor. Welf Crozzo's craftsmanship was impressive, balancing defense and weight beautifully, making the set both protective and comfortable.
Though it wasn't his preferred black armor, Aiden was quite satisfied with this light armor.
"Aiden-kun, what do you think of this?" Hestia approached, holding a short sword.
Taking the sword from her, Aiden was puzzled. "Hestia, I already have a weapon." He pointed to Durandal beside him.
Hestia's usual cheerful demeanor was replaced by a serious expression. "Aiden-kun, this is a backup weapon. Durandal is great, but the dungeon's environment can be unpredictable. Durandal is long and might be unwieldy in tight spaces. A short sword is better for fighting small monsters. It's always good to have a backup."
Seeing Hestia's rare serious expression and knowing she was genuinely concerned for him, Aiden felt a warmth in his heart. He smiled and patted Hestia's head. "Thank you, Hestia. Don't worry, I'm the man who's going to surpass the Sword Princess."
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