"Don't worry."
"Follow me."
"I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Heimdall's lips curled up into a confident smile.
He tilted his head towards Hephaestus, signaling her to follow.
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow at Heimdall's action.
"I hope you aren't just bragging."
Although she didn't know what trick Heimdall was up to.
She still saw Heimdall turn and walk toward one end of the corridor.
Hephaestus stretched out her long legs and followed him.
The result was...
He took two steps.
He discovered the corner was a dead end.
"..."
So,
Hephaestus, having no other choice,
led Heimdall through the complex maze of corridors within the Hephaestus Familia's grounds.
Along the way, no one dared to approach and disturb them.
Because the direction they were heading was the forbidden zone of the entire Hephaestus Familia.
—Hephaestus's private forging workshop.
Normally, besides her and Tsubaki, no one else was allowed to enter.
"Click."
As the heavy bronze door was pushed open,
an even hotter aura rushed out to meet them.
A massive furnace stood silently, the dark red fire within undulating like a breath.
On the surrounding racks, various rare ores and materials rarely seen in the outside world were casually placed.
"So, why did you bring me here?"
Hephaestus leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, gesturing for Heimdall to proceed.
...
Heimdall was not hesitant either.
He walked straight to the shelves storing the top-tier materials.
His fingers traced over the ores one by one.
Mithril, Diamond, Orichalcum...
Every time Heimdall paused his finger and picked up an ore,
Hephaestus's gaze would subtly narrow.
Because what he selected were invariably the pieces of the highest quality and with the fewest impurities among similar materials.
In less than a moment,
Heimdall already held several ores emitting various colored auras in his hands.
He weighed the items in his hands, turned around, and looked at Hephaestus, who had remained silent the entire time.
"This should be enough."
Hephaestus looked at what he held, then at the furnace beside them.
Even the dullest person should have realized it by now.
Let alone her.
"You want to forge?"
Hephaestus straightened up and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
Heimdall, holding the ores, walked to the forging table and casually picked up a forging hammer to test its feel.
"After all..."
"In a sense, I am also a God of Forging."
"Although my title also includes miscellaneous things like War and Strife, ultimately, weaponry is the vessel for everything."
"If one does not understand the birth of weapons, how can one claim to rule over all disputes?"
"Moreover, every God who understands forging has their own unique techniques."
"Mine is no exception."
"Your Familia does not lack for weapons."
"To pay off the bill for tonight's grand meal and those few guest rooms..."
"And to exchange for future equipment support for those few children in my Familia..."
"I think I need to bring out something more substantial."
Saying this,
Heimdall raised his head and looked directly into Hephaestus's exposed single eye.
"For example..."
"A weapon forged by another God."
"I will then use my hair, divine blood, and the'Sacred Text' that only I can inscribe as payment."
"To craft for you..."
"A God-Made Armament—one that can exert super-standard power even without my blessing of the gods, a treasure among ten thousand."
At these words,
Hephaestus's breathing visibly paused for a moment.
Because she looked at Heimdall.
At this male God standing before the forging table, his eyes clear and confident.
She was moved.
Yes.
As the God of Forging who pursued ultimate craftsmanship, nothing could move her more than 'unknown divine techniques' and 'God-Made Armaments never before seen'.
Furthermore,
This was coming from this fellow's hands.
Although his reputation in Orario was not prominent,
who among the circle of Gods in the Heavenly Realm did not know this fellow's standing?
After all, this fellow was not some consistently well-behaved God in the Heavenly Realm.
A deity rated as a war calamity by the other Gods was certainly no pushover.
If a weapon was personally crafted by him and infused with fragments of his own divinity...
It would absolutely be a peerless treasure that countless God Familias would go mad for, even daring to start wars over it.
Countless Gods would be willing to bankrupt themselves to collect such a piece of work.
Thinking of this,
Hephaestus involuntarily let go of the arms she was crossing over her chest.
"It sounds like..."
"Truly a deal that is impossible to refuse."
"But..."
Hephaestus's tone shifted, and she eyed Heimdall with some suspicion.
"Although you might indeed understand forging in the Heavenly Realm."
"However..."
"Since you descended to the lower world, within this body restricted by rules..."
"Have you personally held a hammer?"
"Without cheating by using divine power, are you certain you can complete a forging session?"
Faced with this soul-piercing interrogation,
Heimdall simply became forthright.
"Definitely not."
"I only just descended not long ago."
"No money, no resources."
"I can't even afford a full meal, so where would I have spare funds to buy a furnace and materials?"
Hephaestus: "..."
Her mouth twitched, just about to retort, "Then how dare you speak so boldly."
But then,
Heimdall immediately handed the forging hammer in his hand to her with extreme naturalness.
"But..."
"Isn't there you here?"
"This supervision step, for you, the foremost Divine Blacksmith of the Heavenly Realm..."
"Shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Sigh..."
Hearing this, Hephaestus finally understood, and couldn't help but let out a helpless sigh. She took the hammer, weighed it a couple of times, and looked at Heimdall again with her single eye.
"Heimdall."
"I truly don't know if the madness you had in the Heavenly Realm hasn't subsided, or if you've become even crazier after coming down."
"To actually think of using my materials, in my furnace, and then making me act as your assistant to forge a weapon to pay off your debt?"
"This kind of empty-handed profiteering operation, you really know how to come up with it."
"Even the most notorious profiteers in Orario don't do business like you."
"But..."
"Since you've put it that far, and even brought out such a gimmick..."
"I'm genuinely a bit tempted."
As the God standing at the pinnacle of forging in this metropolis,
Hephaestus's curiosity about Heimdall's skills could not be suppressed at all.
So,
As Hephaestus spoke, she walked over to the furnace.
And personally pulled the bellows.
"Whoosh—"
The dark red furnace fire instantly surged, and waves of heat rolled out,
Reflecting on her heroic and spirited face, making it flicker between light and shadow.
...
Once the furnace fire and heat waves surged up,
Hephaestus turned around and casually tossed the few pieces of top-grade ore from Heimdall's hand into the fire.
"Alright, there's no turning back now."
"I'll state my terms clearly upfront."
"Although I am willing to lend you these things..."
"In terms of forging, I am not that easy to talk to."
"If you can't withstand my reprimands, then you should just go wash up and sleep."
"Even..."
"You'll have to compensate me at full price for these top-tier materials."
Having said that,
Hephaestus walked aside, pulled over a chair to sit down, crossed her legs, adopting the posture of a supervisor.
"Don't worry."
"If I truly can't manage it,"
"You won't even need to say it."
"I'll pack myself up and deliver myself to your captain Tsubaki as labor."
"In that case, let's begin."
After hearing this, Hephaestus threw the forging hammer back to Heimdall.
...
At this point,
Heimdall walked up to the forging platform.
Without any unnecessary words,
He directly reached his hand into the furnace flames, hot enough to instantly melt steel.
Under Hephaestus's slightly contracted pupils,
He grabbed out the ore blanks that had already begun to soften and were emitting a piercing light.
And placed them on the anvil.
*Clang—!*
The first hammer fell.
Clear, steady.
Sparks flew in all directions.
...
Time,
Thus flowed by amidst the sound of these strikes.
From late night until dawn.
When the first rays of morning light spilled through the ventilation shaft into the Hephaestus Familia workshop, dispelling the night's oppressive heat.
*Hiss—*
As the last plume of white smoke from the quenching rose,
A longsword, its entire body presenting a dark golden hue, appeared upon Hephaestus's forging platform.
The blade was slender, with rows of intricate patterns as fine as gossamer upon it.
—These were precisely the Sacred Text characters Heimdall had inscribed using his own 'Divine Blood'.
"It's done."
"Is this enough?"
Heimdall set down the forging hammer in his hand.
"It's enough!"
In truth, he didn't need to say more.
From the very moment this sword took shape, Hephaestus had already ceased to conceal her fondness. She walked up and directly snatched the sword away.
"This sword belongs to me now."
"As for the equipment for your children..."
"Aside from those few prized treasures I have hanging on the display wall, which aren't suitable for your children,"
"They can freely choose from all the other weapons."
"I'll instruct Tsubaki to assist you."
Hephaestus declared with immense generosity.
-------------------------------
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