Hephaestus's Banished Disciple

Yesterday's memories were still vivid in my mind, but I had to bury them away. I had an objective.

It was all a dream. That's what I convinced myself of. It didn't happen. Everything I witnessed was a hologram.

Somebody was trying to mess with me. As far-fetched as that sounded, I had to believe something.

That was all my aching heart could handle.

With dark circles haunting me, I headed to the training grounds to train my mana. It was a nice day, but I was in no mood to admire the scenery.

Once I arrived at the training grounds, I greeted Prometheus.

He greeted me back and was a little harsh on me by increasing his strength a little. He bashed my head as if getting payback for when I called him a two-faced bitch.

I chuckled bitterly.

Once the training was done, I approached Prometheus.

"Gramps, can I ask Leo for anything?" I asked, awaiting an answer. Prometheus furrowed his brows in confusion, wondering why I was asking such a question.

He thought for a second before nodding. "As long as it doesn't get anyone killed or start a conflict."

I nodded in satisfaction before leaving the training grounds. I was greeted by Jacque, whom I waved back to.

Walking across Prometheus's palace, I approached the room assigned to Leo, a guard.

I knocked on his door, and a pupil emerged from the eyehole. Leo glanced at me through the eyehole before hurriedly opening the door.

"Let's go," I said, and Leo furrowed his brows.

"Where?"

"I'll tell you once we exit the palace," I replied. Then, I glanced at the boxers he wore. "Make sure to dress up before opening the door for someone next time."

"Would you be okay if I was late?"

"No, I would try to break the door," I rolled my eyes. "Now get ready quickly."

Leo chuckled before slamming the door in my face. He'd gotten a bit too bold, if I did say so myself.

*

"Why did you call me so early in the morning?" Leo asked, exiting his room.

He was dressed in a checkered suit, an outfit I'd never seen him wear. It wasn't casual, so to say, but not warrior-like either.

I ignored his dress sense.

"Remember the smithy we walked past? The first time, when I came to the Divine Realm?" I asked, and Leo's expression visibly paled. He turned around to go hide in his room, but I pulled his arm.

"I can't go against Lord Prometheus's orders," Leo quickly responded, shaking my hand away from his arm.

"You won't be doing so," I said, smirking.

Leo grimaced. "What did you do?"

"I convinced gramps to be able to order you to do anything, unless it kills someone or starts a conflict," I proudly announced.

"So you didn't ask him for this specific visit?" Leo asked. When I nodded, he slammed the door in my face.

"Please!" I shouted, knocking endlessly on the door. What could be so evil in a mere smithy?

"Go ask Lord Prometheus," Leo shouted, and I did just that.

*

"You want to visit Kevin's smithy?" Prometheus asked, narrowing his eyes. Tapping his table, he stood up before pacing across the room. "Why?"

"I'm curious," I responded. There wasn't another reason. It was the only place I was restricted from visiting, and I wondered what was behind it.

"That's the only reason?" Prometheus asked. "His majesty didn't feed you any information, did he?"

"Kronos didn't mention Kevin," I responded.

Prometheus's eyes widened, and his divinity exploded. I grasped my throat, struggling under his pressure.

"Do not address his majesty by his name," barked Prometheus.

"He allowed me," I responded. "I believe that gives me the right to do so."

Prometheus's sharp gaze lingered on me for a few seconds before he sighed in defeat. "His majesty… never mind."

"Can I go?"

Prometheus contemplated for a few seconds before nodding. "Tell Leo I allowed it."

I practically jumped in delight before thanking Prometheus. Then, I sprinted to Leo's room, where he slept in peace.

*

"I can't believe Lord Prometheus ordered this," Leo muttered under his breath. He was on the edge of tears.

I smirked but didn't gloat.

As we walked across Locus Sacer, we eventually arrived before a broken-down smithy, in front of which several people were lined up.

The people were waving their hands, attempting to attract the owner of the smithy's attention. They were frantic, like a celebrity had entered town.

"They're like this everyday," explained Leo, finally having come to terms. "Kevin's smithy is never empty. He sometimes crafts artifacts, too."

Leo suddenly extended his arm, and a greatsword appeared in his hand.

It was silver, lined with pearly white material and an incredibly comfortable hilt by the looks of it. And, the sword was enormous.

The scabbard was crafted out of pure leather.

"It's a Low-Rank Artifact created personally by Kevin on Lord Prometheus's orders," announced Leo. "Even Lord Prometheus and his majesty the King have a few artifacts from Kevin. Kevin is famous all across Othrys."

My eyes widened at the news. Even Supreme-Ranked and Cardinal-Ranked Gods used a few of his equipment?

It was marvelous.

I wondered if I could get an artifact crafted.

It would be a long shot, considering Kevin only chose those he acknowledged. But wouldn't my status be enough to persuade him?

As we approached the smithy, several frustrated gazes fell on us.

It seemed some people had been waiting for days, as they had dark circles around their eyes. Some had set up camp outside the smithy.

We ignored them, and Leo used his insignia to bypass the line.

I had to reveal my insignia as the Prophetic Child once we got to the front, and we were let inside.

There was just one guard outside, who approved our entry.

As the door opened, warm air assaulted my face, blowing my hair back. Leo remained unphazed.

Somehow, persisting through the air that threatened to burn my face off, I entered the smithy.

There was hot iron, hammers, anvils, forges, and many other things I didn't know.

On the bench at the side of the room sat a fairly muscular dwarf. His skin was dark, probably due to the heat that assaulted his skin all day, and he wore a thin, pink shirt.

His hair was combed back and extremely greasy, while his face was drenched in sweat.

A tiny hammer hung from his neck, strapped to a keychain.

As he noticed our arrival, he furrowed his brows. It seemed he hadn't been expecting anyone today.

As his gaze landed on Leo, his eyebrows relaxed. "Has Lord Prometheus sent you here, Leo?"

"You could say that," replied Leo. He approached the dwarf before hugging him lightly. "It's been a while, Kevin."

"Billions of years," chuckled Kevin. He had a warm gaze. But when it fell on me, it suddenly turned ice cold. "And you are?"

"Noah Numen," I introduced myself. "The Prophetic Child."

Kevin nodded before extending his arm for a handshake. I accepted it, but soon regretted my decision. His arm was incredibly hot and almost burned my hand off. Moreover, his grip was tight.

"What brings you here, Leo?" Kevin asked, walking over to his forge and picking up his trusty hammer.

The hammer was enormous, but was held like paper by the blacksmith.

"Noah, here, wanted to meet you," Leo explained, pointing towards me. Kevin glanced at me before returning to his work.

"Yes?" Kevin asked. "Why did you wish to meet me?"

"Why did you get banished from Olympus?" I asked. My question was met with silence. Kevin kept hammering without a change in reaction, while Leo facepalmed.

'Too bold,' he mouthed.

"Is this why you came to meet me?" Kevin asked, refusing to avert his gaze from the hot material. It seemed he was hammering away at a block of Orichalcum.

"Yes," I responded. I wanted him to make an artifact as well, but I realized it might not have been the best time to mention it.

"I did some bad things," replied Kevin. His expression displayed his deep sorrow and regret. Nostalgia was evident from the way he stared upwards. "Colluded with enemies. Hephaestus felt betrayed."

I felt bad. Was I bad for asking that question?

"Who were you colluding with?" I asked. I couldn't resist the temptation. I wished to know as much as I could. There wasn't really a solid reason. I just found the man interesting.

Kevin glanced at Leo, who shook his head. Then, the former spoke. "I can't reveal that."

Frustration built up as I heard his answer. I glared at Leo, who shrugged innocently. I couldn't leave without an answer.

So I persisted.

"Why can't you?" I asked. "Are you too ashamed of your acts? If you're scared, then say it. You already got banished from Olympus, so revealing your crimes shouldn't be too difficult, should it?"

"Crimes…" chuckled Kevin. "Strong word."

"Isn't it perfect for you, though?" I asked. "Criminal."

Suddenly, before I knew it, Kevin dropped his hammer to the floor. In the blink of an eye, I felt something sharp on my throat.

Then, a wet liquid emerged.

"Say that again."