A few rays of sunlight fell across the window, and Bell slowly opened his eyes.
A gray-haired girl lay in his arms, her delicate, fair skin rising and falling gently with each breath.
Bell gently moved Syr's hand aside and prepared to get up.
"It's a little cold..."
Syr murmured softly, her voice soft and melting, like cotton candy soaked in water.
The girl's unique scent lingered around him, but Bell did not let himself sink any further into that unguarded tenderness. He carefully lifted the sheet, making sure Syr's bare skin would not be exposed to the outside air.
"Good morning, Bell~"
Syr blinked her long lashes, a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks.
She glanced at the Falna mark on the boy's back, then looked away. Paying no mind to the fact that her soft chest was exposed before him, she leaned forward eagerly.
After that sweet greeting, Syr gave him a long good-morning kiss, bringing another unforgettable night to an end.
...
Inside a forge on Northwest Street.
Hephaestus accepted the glass bottle Bell handed her, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
"I didn't expect you to know so many girls. No wonder Hestia gets jealous everywhere she goes."
The goddess's red hair shone in the firelight, and her crimson eyes gleamed with joy.
An unwavering bond.
An unknown weapon.
Before Hephaestus lay a brand-new world she had never touched before.
"Is there anything you need me to do?"
Bell asked.
"No. Go check on the light armor first. Just come back in a while."
Hephaestus took out the shattered Hestia Knife, her hammer-wielding hands trembling slightly.
"..."
Bell silently turned and left, not wanting to disturb the excited Goddess of the Forge any further.
The instant he closed the door, crimson divine will erupted, and an unparalleled Song of Forging rang out, high and clear.
...
In front of a workshop belonging to Hephaestus Familia.
The moment Cecil saw the boy, the fatigue on her face vanished completely.
"Bell Cranel, you didn't do anything strange to Astraea-sama, did you?!"
"Good morning, Cecil-san. Are you hoping I did, or are you questioning me...?"
Bell muttered softly.
Judging from the girl's smooth, easygoing attitude, it was probably the former.
"Haha, you caught me. No matter what happens, I support you and Astraea-sama."
Cecil happily turned around and picked up the finished armor. "Enough about that. This is the light armor I worked through the night to finish."
Silver and pitch-black alternated across its surface, the black portions resembling massive claws and giving off an unmistakable sense of pressure.
This repair and upgrade had been custom-made for the boy.
In addition to high fire resistance, the light armor had also been reinforced with Goliath's hard hide.
"I couldn't fully fuse the material into it, so I had to use this inlaid method. I went through a lot of trouble to make the final product without compromising its fire resistance."
Cecil pointed to the black marks on the light armor and patiently added, "[Goliath Hard Skin] really is extraordinary. My skill just wasn't enough."
To put it in extreme terms, ordinary armor was like a solid shield everywhere except the joints, while the set before Bell was like a web woven from long, wide strands of spider silk. The sections with different colors varied greatly in strength.
"No, this is exactly the armor I wanted. Thank you, Cecil-san."
Bell spoke sincerely.
Rather than forcing the materials to fuse and weakening the overwhelming defensive power of Goliath's hard hide, it was better to weave the necessary parts into a powerful net like this. It would be far more useful when facing small and medium-sized monsters.
"I-Is that so..."
Cecil shyly brushed a hand through her short blue hair.
Compared to her appearance and conduct, this girl seemed to get embarrassed far more easily when it came to forging.
Perhaps in her heart, staying up all night to make armor for the boy already held a special meaning.
Bell did not think too deeply about it. He accepted the light armor, then tested the hardness and weight of the [Goliath Scarf] again.
In terms of defense alone, it had improved on an entirely different level.
After saying goodbye to Cecil, Astraea, and the others, Bell headed for his next destination.
...
In an open field, a straw dummy swayed in the wind.
"Ice Hawk!"
At the young man's shout, a burst of frost spread its wings and shot out, freezing the straw dummy in place.
"What do you think?"
Welf waved the pale-blue short blade in his hand and asked.
"Is this a magic sword...?"
Bell took the weapon and examined it closely.
Unlike other magic swords, after that ice magic had been fired, there was not a single crack on the blade.
On top of that, the blade itself clearly had enough quality to clash with the weapons of lower-floor monsters.
"Well, someone kept staring at my position as your exclusive blacksmith and decided I had to repay this luxury forge somehow, and this is what came out."
Welf scratched his head and added, "A magic sword that doesn't wear down with use and can be used in close combat sounds pretty good, but my skill still isn't there yet. I can only release low-level magic like this."
According to Welf, this weapon was simply a combination of a magic sword and a traditional blade, and both sides were only half-finished.
It did not achieve the true indestructible effect of weapons forged by high-class smiths, and it could not compare to other magic swords either, since its magical power was only average.
Because Welf had taken that into account, he had focused on practicality and deliberately used ice magic.
"This is a real surprise. It's far better than the weapon I had in mind."
Bell praised him.
Even if the frost magic was weak, the creation of this weapon had opened a path toward the unknown.
"I'm glad you're satisfied. Once my technique improves, I'll definitely refine [Ice Hawk] into an indestructible magic sword with proper firepower."
A flame burned in Welf's eyes.
"It's already amazing as it is, but I'll look forward to that day."
Bell cheerfully put away the short blade.
He took the chance to talk briefly about the expedition, then put on the polished Lunatic Light and left Welf's workshop.
...
"You came at the perfect time. The weapon is finished."
Hephaestus handed over a black short blade, her face bright with excitement and joy.
She explained the results of the [Goddess's Blade] to Bell in detail.
Bell Cranel was its only user.
During battle, the weapon would absorb a certain amount of Excelia and grow together with its user. In return, that portion of experience would raise the user's ability limit.
The Goddess's Blade had accepted everything about Bell Cranel and would not break because of the special nature of his Skills.
"I only know these things because a part of me was mixed into the blade."
All of this was only what Hephaestus had been able to anticipate.
"I'm sure you noticed too. The length of this weapon has changed. I suspect that as you grow, she will continue to change shape."
Hephaestus walked to Bell's side and spoke her final words.
"Bell Cranel, this is a true divine weapon."
"[She] is alive."