The next morning, I slept in for the first time in a while.
Whether it was the sense of freedom from not having to go to the Dungeon, or the goddess’s warmth that had kept me from letting go all night, when I opened my eyes, the sun was already high in the sky.
Hiss... I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but had I somehow gotten used to falling asleep in the goddess’s arms?
Maybe I really could sleep comfortably now.
“Mm...”
When I looked to the side, Goddess Istarot had already gotten up, finished dressing, and was sitting on the bed, looking down at me with a gentle smile.
“You’re awake, Nia? We have an important appointment today, so we need to hurry.”
“An appointment?”
“Yes. We’re going to meet someone you really need.”
She smiled meaningfully.
I quickly finished breakfast, then changed out of my hunting clothes and into everyday wear for the first time in days.
It felt awkward, but every now and then, a day like this wasn’t so bad.
After getting everything ready, I left home with Goddess Istarot.
“Where are we going?”
“To the main branch of Hephaistos Familia.”
Hephaistos Familia.
Along with Gobny Familia, one of Orario’s famous blacksmith Familias.
In the original story, the only Familias famous for producing first-class weapons and indestructible equipment were Gobny Familia and Hephaistos Familia.
By the time I finished talking with the goddess, we had already arrived at the main branch of Hephaistos Familia.
When we stepped inside, the shop was bustling with adventurers and craftsmen alike.
Weapons and armor of dazzling quality were displayed along the walls.
Judging by the price tags, I probably couldn’t even afford a single sword even if I poured in my entire fortune.
As soon as we arrived, an employee hurried over and politely guided us to a reception room on the second floor.
There, a red-haired goddess wearing an eyepatch was waiting for us.
The god of blacksmiths, Hephaistos.
“Well, if it isn’t Istarot. It’s been a long time.”
“It has, Hephaistos.”
The two goddesses exchanged familiar greetings.
“So this is the child you mentioned.”
Hephaistos looked me up and down, then said in a calm but sharp voice, “I heard the story. You’re a Record Holder.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Nia.”
I bowed politely.
“Yes, Istarot. If you came to see me personally, this must be more than a simple request. Don’t tell me you came to collect on that debt from the heavens?”
Hephaistos asked with a teasing smile, and Goddess Istarot smiled back with confidence.
“That’s right, Hephaistos. I’d like you to repay that debt now.”
“So it really was true. Then you want me to make a weapon for this child?”
“Yes. I want you to make the best weapon possible for this child.”
Hephaistos looked at me for a moment, then rested her chin on her hand and asked, “Nia, was it? What kind of weapon do you want?”
“I want the best weapon possible, one that can hold all the power I have.”
At my answer, Hephaistos nodded with apparent satisfaction.
“Good. I like that answer. Separate from repaying my debt, making a weapon for a child like you is interesting as a blacksmith too.”
She thought for a moment, then made her decision.
“Normally, for a Pallum I’d recommend a dagger or a shortsword... but I heard you have that skill. The one that lets you float weapons and control them.”
She looked straight into my eyes.
“Then weight won’t matter. A form that can bring out your potential to the fullest would be best. How about a greatsword?”
A greatsword.
A heavy weapon far larger than my own body.
For an ordinary Pallum, it would be impossible even to lift.
But I had the [Master of Arms] skill.
Weight was no problem at all.
In fact, the greater the sword’s weight, the better, since I could freely wield the overwhelming destructive power of a massive blade.
“That sounds good. Please make it that way. Make it as heavy and as sturdy as possible.”
“Understood. I’ll base it on adamantite and make it as heavy as I can. It’ll take about ten days to finish. Consider it repayment for the debt, so I won’t charge you. But in exchange, I’ll be watching closely to see whether you’re worthy of using one of my creations.”
“Will you be making it yourself?”
“Of course. It’s my debt, so I can’t drag my children into it.”
She stood from her seat and headed toward the back of the forge.
And just like that, I had commissioned a first-class weapon from Hephaistos, the goddess said to be the greatest blacksmith in the heavens.
After leaving the shop with Goddess Istarot, I asked the question I’d been curious about.
“Goddess, what was that debt Hephaistos-sama mentioned earlier?”
At my question, she hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and answered, “Fufu, it’s just... I happened to do something very impressive.”
She smiled proudly and refused to explain any further.
I found her like that reassuring, but at the same time, it made my chest feel strangely warm.
She had used a precious favor she possessed solely for my sake.
I suddenly stopped walking and turned back to look at her.
“Goddess.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
At my sincere words, she blinked in surprise for a moment, then broke into the happiest smile in the world and patted my head.
“You’re welcome, my child.”
Ten days later, I returned to Hephaistos’s main branch with Goddess Istarot.
She looked exhausted, but her eyes were shining with a craftsman’s joy.
“Here. The item I promised you.”
What she handed over was a pitch-black greatsword so enormous that it was far larger than my body—no, so huge that anyone, not just a Pallum like me, would immediately think it massive at a glance.
It was like the Dragonslayer from Berserk; it was far too large to call a sword.
A faint red glow lingered along the blade, and it radiated an overwhelming presence all on its own.
“For reference, everyone in our Familia except Tsubaki tried to lift it and failed. Would you mind trying your skill?”
I activated my [Master of Arms] skill and floated the greatsword into the air.
“So it really ignores even weight? In that case, being heavy really is better.”
Hephaistos muttered in satisfaction, showing no surprise at my skill.
“What will you name it? It’s your weapon, so you decide.”
A weapon’s name, huh...
“I’ll call it Kratos.”
I decided to borrow the name of an absurdly cool god of war, even if he didn’t exist in this world.
“Hiss... That’s strange. Why do I suddenly feel a chill when I hear that name?”
Right, she was a Greek god too.
Hephaistos shivered as if the name itself gave her chills.
Damn it, Kratos, are you still radiating pressure even in another world?
Today, I got my hands on an amazing weapon.
Nah, Chakram is the best weapon for Nia because of his Skill. And he can also spin the Chakram really fast to greatly improve its lethality.