บท 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."