19 Raised Sword

The vibrant and lively streets of Orario were always a delight for Freya.

In the East Main Street, a gathering of souls, each more boring than the other, was a perfect sight to spot those who were above the herd. The goddess liked to think that it's in the night sky that stars shine the brightest. It was eerily accurate, too, as her gaze zeroed on a glint in a sea of dull grey.

Ah, this one might be… thought Freya, a grin appearing on her face. It was her lucky day. Adventurers were already crawling, fighting for glory and money in the dungeon. Instead, the streets of the city were filled with streams of townspeople. Finding someone interesting at this hour was akin to finding a needle in a haystack, by chance.

A shuffle of approaching feet interrupted her soul-voyeur party. The door of the balcony giving a view over the city was opened, and two female figures stepped onto the second floor of the café, barely audible creaks coming from the wooden floor announcing their arrival.

As if Freya, the goddess of beauty, who covered her body with a long navy blue cloak—one of her favorites—wasn't enough to draw the unadulterated attention of the customers. The two women arriving were extremely popular in their own right. Still, despite the sudden spike in celebrity, most eyes were transfixed on the cloaked woman. A mere cloth couldn't contain her beauty.

Her hood didn't stop the clientele to stare at her pouty lips when she blew on her steaming hot coffee, nor did it stop the stares when her perfectly crafted chin peeked out to drink. The attention the goddess of beauty received was enough to make one woman chuckle, never not finding Freya's effect on people unfunny. That it drew the same emotions from male gods was just the cherry on top.

Freya withdrew her eyes from the crowd to look at the newcomers.

"Yo! Sorry to keep ya waitin'!"

"I don't mind. It allows me to look at the beautiful sight of this city," Freya said, only spared a glance at Loki's body. Well-worn shirt and pants, no make-up, and her hair—the color of an evening sky—tied back into a ponytail. Inelegant. Freya didn't mind, but she had to admit for anyone not knowing Loki, they might assume they were looking at a male.

Her eyes, so thin and so long they looked like lines on her otherwise rather beautiful face, didn't let any emotion other than mild amusement through, as she dragged across the floor a wooden chair to sit in front of Freya. The obnoxious sound of the chair's legs friction against the wooden slats certainly didn't disturb the staring.

"How long d'ya wait for me?"

"Not much. Maybe I should have come sooner, I would have been able to watch more…" Freya's smile did not diminish, even as Loki made herself comfortable, putting one foot on her chair, using her knee as a way to rest her arm, while the other arm was dangling from the back of the chair.

The air between them was very particular, like two friends who had known each other for a long time. "Eh, ya should've told me. I'd have come later," Loki said, eliciting a small laugh from both goddesses.

"About that. How did you learn about this place?" Freya asked. Loki was the one who invited the other goddess for a talk, after all. At this café, owned by the Freya Familia. Sure, The Hostess of Fertility was a delightful spot to gather information, but Freya wouldn't put all of her eggs in the same basket. Finding beautiful souls required no small amount of work.

"Ah? Just wanted a real nice and cozy place to talk, nothin' much," Loki said, her thin eyes opening, exposing piercing red eyes looking straight at Freya. "Just thinkin' how much of a hassle it must be, payin' fines for illegal properties each month…"

"I see," Freya nodded, and didn't comment any further. "Sure, the fines might be high, but information is priceless. Oh, and by the way, when do you plan on introducing that girl behind you?"

"Ya really need introducin'?"

"Of course. I believe this is the first time we meet face-to-face."

Loki turned to the girl receiving Freya's gaze and smirked. The impassive blond-haired girl stood like a guard behind her goddess, shoulders squared and a hand on her sword's sheath, hanging from a light-brown belt tightened around her thin waist.

The blank stare coming from her golden eyes pointed towards the goddess of beauty, turned confused for a second at the sudden attention she received.

"That'd be my Aiz right there," said Loki, gesturing to the girl in question. "Aiz, ya should say 'ello to the goddess 'ere."

"...Nice to meet you," Aiz said, with the sliver of a bow.

Freya's eyes skimmed over the girl, nodding slowly. No wonder Loki asked if an introduction was needed. The Sword Princess was one of the most famous adventurers in the city, being the main pillar for Loki's rise as a central power in the city. No, her reputation was spreading around the world. Freya recognized the girl the moment she stepped into the building—her pulsing golden soul was not a sight the goddess would miss.

Beyond the beauty of her soul, her looks were something even the goddess of beauty could acknowledge.

"Take a seat, take a seat," said Loki to Aiz, as she tapped the seat of a chair behind her. Soon enough, another chair was added to the crowded table.

"I can understand why you'd want her in your Familia," said Freya, staring into Aiz's golden eyes with her silver ones. No, she was looking beyond her eyes, not that anyone at this table knew about it.

"Ain't she sooo cute?"

"Indeed."

"But… D'ya want yer own to sit down? I don't think there's 'nough place in here." Loki's eyes narrowed even more than what should be possible, and her voice lowered. Not even Freya, who knew Loki for a long time, could guess what emotion the goddess felt. No one could.

"You are correct," said Freya, feeling a sense of petty satisfaction. "But you don't mind, right?" She turned to the woman behind her. Tall, dark flowing hair and red piercing eyes—not unlike Loki's. The small smile on her face seemed permanent, eternal, and her long black robe outed her as an outsider immediately.

Aiz's eyes followed her goddess', and both soon fixed the woman standing behind Freya. The blonde tensed, confused and alarmed. Her hand gripped the sheath at her waist harder. After all, it was the first time she realized someone was standing there, listening in to their conversation.

The woman stepped out of the shadows created by the curtain pulled partially over the balcony. Her smirk flexed when she saw Aiz's reaction.

"Pardon my arrogance, I merely wished not to interrupt the conversation between two goddesses. My name is Diyu, at your service," she said, bowing to Loki. Freya's lips twitched, seeing her supposed Vice-Captain being more respectful to Loki than to her.

"Oh! New child of yours? Beautiful as well… Wait, d'ya choose 'em based on looks, Freya?"

"I value beauty, both from the inside and the outside."

"Sooo unfair, ya will leave us other gods with scraps. Although…" Her eyes left Diyu and went to the tense Aiz. "I have my cute Aizuu already, so I'm fine!" She lifted her butt off her chair, and with an impressive display of speed, grabbed Aiz breast from behind her, and fondled her.

Aiz blinked, surprised by the sudden feeling on her chest, and held back her instinct to throw the perpetrator across the room. She was used to dealing with her goddess, but she wished Loki stopped fondling her in public. Seeing the amused look of the black-haired woman, she withdrew her urges and sighed.

"Please, do not touch me." Her curt words accompanied by her gaze forced a long whine from the goddess, who obeyed and removed herself from her child.

Aiz stared at the table. She couldn't look at her goddess. It was too embarrassing, but it greatly amused Freya.

"Don' be makin' that face! Ya were lookin' all tense 'n' all, had to make ya breathe a lil'," Loki said, chuckling. She was right, Aiz's shoulders relaxed because of the experience, and she stopped looking at Diyu as if… Freya couldn't even describe the blank stare Aiz leveled against Diyu ever since she introduced herself.

"Now that the introductions are done, I believe we can move on to more interesting subjects, don't we?" said Freya, smiling at Loki.

Loki stopped in her teasing, and her eyes opened into slits, the red pupils flickering to Freya. Her smirk grew, and the warmth in her eyes disappeared.

"What, can't ya old friend just want to chat?"

"Loki, you never call me to merely chat."

Any semblance of friendliness disappeared between the two goddesses. Aiz kept her mouth shut as she observed the tension grow in the room. Diyu smiled harder, looking amused by the situation. But then again, she always looked amused.

"Information?" Loki let out a disbelieving sigh. "Ya don' care about that. Never did. Then, out of nowhere, I learn ya got a lease on a load of properties in the city. Even funnier, a level 1 vice-captain?" She sent a look at Diyu, showing she knew exactly who she was. Rumors ran fast in the city, but they always ran faster into Loki's ears. But her natural curiosity about details coupled with her resources as one of the strongest Familia in the city would always ensure that. Alas, a high-level adventurer beating a newcomer would be the talk of the town, whether the identity of the stronger party was known or not. "What are ya schemin'?

"My oh my, what a strong word to use, Loki. You of all people should know I don't do such evil." Loki's flat look was enough of an answer.

"Don't think ya can play with me like this." The tension shot up, enough for Aiz's hands—who had stayed on the table ever since Loki went for her bust—to shoot out for her sheathed weapon. Diyu wouldn't let that happen though, and in one move, her hand stopped Aiz's. Red and golden eyes joined stares and stayed like this for a long time.

Loki snorted, "Level 1, huh?" She was truly pissed, Freya recognized. And judging by Aiz's reaction, her child also felt her goddess' sudden change in atmosphere.

Nobody on the floor dared to stop what was happening. Gulps and trembling murmurs could be heard, but no one moved, all frozen by the weighty tension created by the clash of the two deities. Freya didn't back down from the staring contest and met Loki's challenging glare head-on. The pressure continued to ramp up with each second, the four seemingly unbothered.

"A couple of days ago… a good ol' first-class adventurer beating a person in a bar, for no apparent reason." Loki didn't blink, not once, and her red pupils bore through Freya.

Freya nodded. "You know that happens every time. A bit of alcohol, and tragedies occur." She didn't deny Loki's assumptions about the level of the perpetrator. It also served as confirmation Loki had someone watching the pub all the time. She wouldn't have been able to glean Allen was a first-class adventurer without having some of her men prowling in the building. Not everyone could accurately guess one's level by the beating they administered to a level 1 adventurer.

"That bar in question was the Hostess of Fertility. Now… I don't know 'bout ya, but I'm pretty close with Mia 'ere, and she'd not let something like this happen."

Freya only smiled.

"Unless, ya know, an order, coming from the goddess she supposedly left…"

"You overestimate my influence on Mia, dear. Not only did she leave the Familia on good terms, but I also wouldn't abuse my power in such an inelegant manner."

A short pause weighed down the discussion. "..." Loki let out another sigh, filled with frustration. She got tired and leaned on the back of her chair, enough for the front legs to be lifted above the floor, in the air. She backed down from the mental brawl.

"Another one?" The red-haired goddess' voice was more relaxed, and the tension disappeared. It would be a lie if Freya said she wasn't satisfied with the outcome. After all, it wasn't the first time it happened between the two of them, and it wouldn't be the last either.

"..." Freya didn't answer, just kept smiling. It was enough of a confirmation for Loki. Diyu took that as a clue to remove her hands from Aiz's, who jerked her body away from her, sending her what appeared to be an overbearing blank stare. Diyu's face echoed her goddess': an amused expression and a serene smile.

"C'mon Freya, aren't ya tired of it already?" It was usual for Loki. She had seen this too many times already. Freya would only move when something caught her interest—more often than not, it ended up being someone. And when she made wide moves like this, it smelled of conflicts. She broke her usual pattern of gathering information before going on the offensive. The knowledge Freya had some ties to an unknown high-level adventurer was dangerous, but not surprising.

Loki sent her a look, her grin back stronger than ever. "Someone from another Familia, isn't it?"

Freya didn't deny it, only sipped at her now cold cup.

"So?"

"..."

"Who's the lucky fellow? And who's the unlucky deity?" Once something piqued her interest, nothing could stop Loki's unending curiosity. Someone Freya was fond of would undoubtedly become someone important—her Familia served as proof, filled with the highest concentration of high-level adventurers of the city.

Freya didn't know if she should reveal anything to Loki. The implications of what she knew about Tian, if correct, would certainly attract more… invested curiosity from the red-haired goddess. And Freya didn't like to share.

"C'mon Freyaaaaa. Ya can't let me down like this, not after makin' me come all the way 'ere!"

"You are the one who made the invitation."

"Ah, don' be like that, Freya. I have the right to know after all that effort."

A gust of wind entered from the balcony, lifting Freya's hood for a moment, just enough for Loki to see her fellow goddess' gaze become distant, as if reminiscing about the past. In the end, camaraderie with Loki won out in her internal debate.

"...He's not that strong. At least for now. He's prideful, arrogant, thinking the world will bow down to him because of his gifts. But… he has room for infinite growth." There was no need for further explanation. All which needed to be said had been said. "A metal, rough and unusable at the moment, that only needs to be hardened, tempered and purified."

She held her breath for an instant. "And that, is beautiful. I met him by accident. On a hot evening where the sun was disappearing—"

"My goddess, we have little time left," interrupted Diyu.

"Already?" Freya asked, before standing up. "Well then, if you'll excuse me, Loki. Meeting you made for a lovely morning."

"Eh?" Loki blurted out, stunned, left hanging just as she was starting to really get into Freya's story. She didn't utter a single word as Freya adjusted her cloak and went down the stairs before leaving the building, followed by her new vice-captain.

Loki stared at the staircase for a few seconds before she slammed her forearms on the table, letting out a slow and painful sigh. "Just as it was getting good…" she lamented. A few seconds later, once her disappointment vanished, her smirk was back, and she spared a glance towards her Familia member.

"Aiz, what'd ya think of that Diyu?" Loki's eyes opened enough to once more make her red pupils visible, the light of the sun coming from behind her as her ponytail swung with the wind.

"..." Aiz took a moment to think. "Strong," was her only answer. But for Loki, it was enough. Very few people in this city—and in this world—had the honor to be called strong by the Sword Princess. Her eyes went to the crowded street out of the window. A level 1 attaining this type of strength was not something to joke with. Both Freya's pocket and her influence reached further than Loki expected.

"S'complicated… Aiz, what'd ya think about findin' that poor lad who got beat up in the bar? Doubt she would send one of her dogs to trash a rando' out of the street. What're ya playin' at, Freya…"

#####

"What a mess…" I lamented, rubbing my eyes with my hands. Tiamat was gone, vanished into thin air. I couldn't find her anywhere. Hestia didn't have any idea where my blue snake went, only knew she ran off before I woke up. I'd like to think Tiamat went hunting, searching for food, but it had been a couple of hours already.

I walked to Tsubaki's Workshop with heavy feet, sighing at every step. The moment I opened the door, I was greeted with an insufferable face. I… I was not in a good headspace. I was already irritable because of Tiamat's disappearance and the stuff with my family... so I clamped down my expression.

"Welcom- Ah, it's you."

"Yes, it's me." I didn't bother to greet her and went straight for the backdoor. The smugness she radiated through her bored expression was enough to make me realize something was wrong. Considering that emotion was directed at me, it wasn't hard to guess what she meant when her lips quirked into a mocking grin. She knew.

"Oh, already? I thought you'd spend more time in a bed after what happened to you." That sentence would be innocent if it wasn't for the snort coming from this annoying woman. Or just coming from this woman.

"I guess I heal fast." I stepped into the private part of the shop as quickly as a could, unwilling to deal with her. I was still curious how this girl knew about what transpired last night—was it only her, or did news travel that fast? It could be just that I was missing something, and the events weren't that common. No, however rare it was, Orario was a city filled with people fighting for their lives or those around them, entertainment of the sort was bound to be popular.

"Next time, try not to aggravate people above you. There's a pecking order in this city, and it would be better for you to learn your place." My eyebrow twitched. "Well, of course, I don't really care about what happens to you. It's just annoying to have people come in here making a ruckus, asking for information." She shrugged.

"..."

"They don't even buy anything, that's the worse part… So, please, refrain from getting your head bashed in randomly in the street, it's bad for business, y'know."

God, how I wished I could just make her shut up. Instead, I clenched the handle of the door stronger than necessary, and walked ahead in silence, only spared her a glance. By the way her half-lidded eyes visibly danced with amusement, I didn't hide my emotions as much as I would have liked.

Used to the maze structure of the building, I stood in the heat of the forge in a matter of seconds. Tsubaki was there, hammering with an unbreaking focus and untold strength at a piece of metal. I watched as another masterpiece was forged under my eyes, each resonating hit creating a peaceful sound environment for me to sit and enjoy the spectacle.

My mind kept going back to Tiamat. I knew I should observe my tutor in her craft, try to learn anything from her, but I couldn't shake the worry sitting in my thoughts. The weight of her body missing from my neck—her favorite spot. My eyes became glossy as I became reminiscent of the few days I spent here in my new world.

Tiamat, Hestia, Tsubaki… and my lost family.

It was to the sound of Tsubaki's voice that I jerked, my train of thoughts interrupted.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't pretty boy here. You comin' early today." She quenched the blade she was making in a bath of oil, and as bubbles exploded and steam rose, she smiled at me.

One thing that marked this world's blacksmithing was the diversity in design. I knew little about the craft before coming here, but the existence of swords that were essentially slabs of metal was baffling. Only the metals and alloys this fantasy world offered enabled such monstrosities to exist.

"Yeah, you've heard of what happened, I presume?"

"Comin' from Jane herself," she paused as she swung again. "So, got any more details?"

"Wait, Jane didn't tell you the entire story?"

She deadpanned at me between two echoing clangs. "I love Jane. The girl's great at her job, but… she's not trustworthy with things like this. You of all people should know that; you've become her number one target at this point."

"No, I'm really surprised you say that," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"She's not goin' to give up until you give her the response she wants, you know."

I snorted. "Allow me to doubt your words. So far, that bitch has done everything to destroy my expectations of her. And not in a good way."

"Be careful about what you call her, she's still my employee…" The amusement in her voice told me I wasn't in trouble, quite the contrary. After re-heating the blade, she shaped it once more, before dumping it again in the few gallons of oil sitting in the tall and thin metal container. Since she wanted the spine of the blade to stay flexible, she put some sort of super-paste on it to make it cool slower than the rest of the blade.

I sighed once more at the sound of sizzling oil and the smelly smoke that covered the whole forge. Of course, it wasn't normal oil either, otherwise, I would have been worried by the amount of gas in the air. Nothing was just normal in this world.

"Aren't you the one who called her that a couple of days ago?" I smirked and my eyes lowered.

"Ah, that's true." Her laughter filled the forge. Since the blade was nearly finished, we could discuss while she made the last adjustments. "So about yesterday, you needin' help?" She turned around, catching me looking at her backside. When I stared for longer, she grinned and put an extra sway when she reached for a piece of cloth necessary to wipe the oil from the blade. If she wanted to give me a show, I wouldn't be one to not partake in it.

"Ugh, don't you start. It's already annoying enough to have Jane on my case and learn the city somehow made it so I was the one starting the fight."

"Did you throw the first punch?" She bent down more than necessary to reach for a different pair of metal tongs.

"I mean, yeah…"

"Was he stronger than you?"

"By a significant margin, yeah."

"Then you've got your case. That's how folks are thinkin' around these parts. Just let it go. Resentment won't help you in any way," she said, dropping the amused tone. "So, about that help…?"

"It wouldn't be very... manly for me to ask help from you." Of course, that was meant as a joke, but that's not what Tsubaki took it as.

She looked at me for a few seconds, her hammer freezing in the middle of its dive, the red-hot blade stuck between heavy metal tongs as she spoke, "If you were as strong as him, and actin' like some wuss, then maybe we can talk about manliness. But… some gaps simply can't be bridged."

Well, that backfired. Not wanting to go into that, out of shame, I coughed and changed the subject. It was one thing to joke about it, but I felt the life lesson coming miles away. Tsubaki rarely got serious after all. And I wasn't willing to deal with any of that right now. "I think your sexual advances on me might count in those gaps manliness can't bridge. I can't exactly defend myself from the mighty level five after all."

She laughed, "I-I guess so. But I'm not really into all of that, fortunately for you. And you already rejected me for money, don't think you can use that example after that. Though, if you're really down for it… if you like it rough, I've been told I'm a wonderful actor in the past. And I look the part as well, the shade of an Amazon and the muscles to go with it!" She flexed her biceps to prove her point. At the same time, the coal sputtered and a wave of heat washed over me. I had already taken off my shirt, no point in keeping it on when it'll be drenched in sweat after a few seconds of staying on my skin.

"Alright, alright, let's calm down a bit," I said, halfway to a chuckle. "Eh, what are Amazons, by the way?" I only got a quick rundown of the various races at the Guild, with a map of the world, so I wasn't exactly informed on these matters. "I know there's a country filled with them somewhere in this world, but other than that…"

Tsubaki paused for a moment. "Ah, that's true, you're not from around here. Would make sense why you don't know about every race. Only Orario has that level of diversity." Considering her voice, it was something she took pride in, though I did not know why. "Where are you from, Tian?"

"..." I… I thought back to my world, to my family, to my friends… and when it came from the place I came from, older memories of a weaker me popped up in my head. I was there again, burning pain and humiliation mixed, my left thigh carved by a small knife—punishment for having provoked the wrong person. No, punishment for being arrogant.

"Tian?" She turned around.

"...I'm from the Far East," I lied. It was a stupid lie. I swore I was past getting bothered by the origin of my name. But I justified it by telling myself it would make my fictional background more realistic—after all, the Far East was a very eastern country from what I've been told.

"...Heard there were plenty of wars and diseases back there," she said hesitantly, but was clearly fishing for more information.

"Except some monsters, I've never seen any. I was raised in a small village far from the major cities."

"Oh really, and how was it back there? I've only heard horror stories of the country, but most of them were right into the heart of the action, so I'm curious about what the smaller folk experienced."

I remembered the few days of work with Old Hinks and drew on my memories to further the lie. As I explained the intricacies of what a life of farming was like, she finished her blade, giving one last quenching, as loud as the previous—enough that I had to stop the narration of my fabricated story for the duration—and she moved on preparing the handle, the guard, and the pommel. The feel of fire and metal qi drenched the area, and I silently drew on it as I kept a straight face and talked with Tsubaki.

"At least that explains how you got these muscles." A smile broke out on her face as she bit her lower lip and gave me a very suggestive look-over. She even offered a wink paired with her chuckle. I sometimes entertained the thought of getting a fetish for her smoky voice. For a second she bent over, grabbing a metal ball in her hand—for the pommel—and let me get a view of her bountiful cleavage at the same time. Let it not be said that this woman was afraid to go for what she wanted.

"No," I said honestly. "Farming can't get you a body like this." I also flexed a little, and she answered with a long, fluctuating, and very interested 'Ooooh'. This woman was so thirsty. "I had to train for this."

"Why, those monsters?"

"Not enough. I was an athlete."

I saw her blinking and tilting her head. "In a small village?" She crossed her arms.

"You'd be surprised how popular sports are." I shrugged my shoulders. I doubted this world was any different in that regard. Sports had been something uniting humanity since the dawn of time. I didn't think a sprinkle of magic and a dash of monsters would change that.

"Trust me, I know all about that. Even with the dungeon out there, sports' still a big part of this city." I was right. Her gaze went to the buildings we could see in the distance from the forge. "For example, we have Ganesha's multiple… celebrations. Too much in my opinion, but well, folks' gotta have their entertainment some way. Even if those monsters come from the dungeon..."

"Oh, speaking of it," I cut in. "I was thinking of going into the dungeon starting this noon." This was more than a change of subject. I had basically whirled the discussion into another direction. Tsubaki raised an eyebrow at my words. The handle of the short sword she was making was done. The glint of the sleek blue blade in her hands and the elegant finished form of this sword grabbed my attention. It was so beautiful I would have thought it was an ornamental sword—but I had been proven wrong several at several occasions by now.

"Heh, I don't suppose it has anythin' to do with what happened to you yesterday…"

"Is it that obvious?" I tried to joke, but Tsubaki was having none of it.

"I won't judge. I would have been pissed if it happened to me as well," she laughed. "But don't die to goblins, of all things. Imagine my reputation if people learned my disciple got eaten by these little shits." The slight undertone of worry in her voice made me smile wryly.

"Don't worry, I took the time to read the books the Guild gave me."

"Ehh," she said, giving me a disapproving look. "They're not that great, nothin' beats experience, anyway." Well, there went my clue.

"...Talking about experience, I thought about trying to forge my weapon instead of buying one." I kept my voice straight during what was essentially asking for more money—I didn't have any valis left to buy myself a weapon, after all.

She didn't catch the reason though, as her eyes glinted in an expectant light. "You feel ready to take that step? You've got all the bases covered already, and you're pretty talented, but it's no simple task."

She walked to the metal crate and took out the tools she had prepared for me at the start of my job here. Tongs, of multiple sizes and shapes, and hammer which looked lighter than it really was. I learned the reason why my equipment was in a crate was that she didn't have the place to put them anywhere else, despite the several tables in the forge. She had so many tools, so many different tools I was impressed she even remembered the position of each.

"What kind of metal do you want?"

"Give me a simple one—steel is fine. I'm getting ready for the first floors, not for a deep expedition."

Before long, I sat in front of a forge, an inferno of fire raging from within. The heat had already been turned down for my usage, but it was still enough for me to sweat the moment I approached. The wavy air felt heavy, forcing me to narrow my eyes and speed up my breathing. It was so hot I wished I could take out my skin. I took a deep breath, readying myself for my first ever official forging.

"Don't be all tense! It's goin' to be alright," cheered Tsubaki, standing behind me like a hawk, ready to observe my every move. She didn't understand how to make people not stress, that was for sure. And why did she crank up the heat that much for steel? Was she testing my resistance or something?

I shook my head, and after that, I focused. Using the same ritual I have for cultivation, I concentrated all of my mental faculties on the task at hand. The alloy in my hand was already purified, and blazing hot, ready to accept more. A trickle of sweat running down the side of my head, my eyes closed. When I opened them, fully immersed in my task, I frowned as the first hit of my hammer crashed. The high-carbon steel bar shifted a bit on the anvil each time I struck, but I just readjusted the angle. With each hit ringing in my mind, I fell deeper and deeper into the trance.

I tried to bring forth something very specific. I didn't know how to draw upon my internal qi. I only knew how to take from the surroundings, but not how to use it. The beating at the Hostess of Fertility proved as much. At the same time… I remembered moments before I blacked out. When my rage peaked, and I stopped caring about consequences. All of my qi condensed in my hand.

My instinct told me was if that hit, I would have ended up just as hurt as the person on the receiving end. Using everything in one go was not something the knowledge of cultivation I was given recommended. But that didn't matter, it wasn't what I wanted to do right now. I hammered, harder and harder, a form taking shape in my hand. Each strike was more precise than the other. And with each strike, something slipped from my soul into the metal: qi.

I used that experience to make my qi move. I used the humiliation to create something, a weapon greater than anything I could have created otherwise. The metal was filled with my essence, gaining a dull grey glint. With each strike, I was there. It was difficult to breathe—because of the hit I received. The eyes of the surrounding adventurers were like prickling stabs, and the mocking smile on his face froze my blood like nothing else. I was on the verge of dying, I could feel it. I thought I was about to die, the price of arrogance in a city I knew nothing of.

I relived the moment repeatedly, my right leg twitching in what I surmised was phantom pain. But from that I siphoned potential. My shoulder felt tired, ached in frustration as I kept my hammer tall and brought it down again. My forehead was like a faucet at this point, and I was getting used to the heat of the forge, but it didn't make it any less difficult to draw air in my lungs.

I let the blade rest before plunging it into oil—just like Tsubaki. It bubbled, the difference in heat making itself known by the smell, the sound, and the smoke. And I repeated the process. Until the blade was suitable. I tensed, landing another powerful hit to flatten the side. I hardened, tempered the metal until it was complete. The melody of my Mythril hammer echoing in the silent forge, sparks of red-hot particles flying away with each strike.

Time passed, but at long last, it was done. I couldn't help but gape at the result. It was… superior to anything I could have thought of. The blade was filled with qi, from the ricasso to the point. I elevated each particle of the steel from the presence of my energy. It was beautiful.

"T-That's—" I turned around abruptly. "A great blade, Tian." And sighed in relief when met by the figure of Tsubaki. In the meantime, she had found a chair and sat behind me. I had forgotten she was there, observing my work. Her eyes scanned my work from head to toe, sometimes narrowing, but with the same wide smirk on her face. It wasn't perfect, even my eyes could spot some problems in the blade, so I couldn't even imagine what Tsubaki could see wrong with it.

But it was mine. The dry air that entered my lungs made me feel like a new man.

When she finished her examination, she glanced at me. No, she stared. Her eyes were filled with so much want, it nearly hid the sliver of pride mixed in it. It wasn't even comparable to what she had shown me before. I'd reckon if it wasn't for the need to finish the sword, she would have jumped on me right this instant. I instead smiled back, and she gulped. Two could play this game.

"You…" She said nothing else, but she sure bit her lips, and it wasn't only for my enjoyment.

Her eyes stayed stuck to mine as she stood up from her chair, grabbed a standard handle on the metallic table behind her, and gave it to me. I had adjusted the blade to fit one of the agreed-upon sizes of weaponry, so Tsubaki had a bunch of handles available on the spot.

Before sitting back down, she dragged her chair closer to me. Close enough I could nearly feel her breath. Her heat was more noticeable than the burning coal in the forge. The distinct feminine presence made it harder to focus on finishing the weapon, but I said nothing. I was enjoying myself way too much.

"I haven't... taught you how to finish the process of making a sword yet…" she murmured, each pause in her sentence used to let out a silent gasp. I didn't even know if it was intentional or not. Her breathy and smoky tone was continuously used as she instructed me how to attach the blade to the handle, put the correct guard...

"I don't think I have to ask if you like what you see, if what I feel behind me is any sign," I said, repeating the words she told me a couple of days ago.

"Tian," she all but growled. "You better tell me right now if you want this or not."

I didn't answer.

"Otherwise—" She didn't have time to finish her sentence as I sent her a look that told her everything she needed to know. I arrived here nearly three weeks ago. There was no way I would be rejecting this bombshell of a woman now. Her tongue went to her lips and lavished them with attention. The moment everything was finished, I dropped the sword as I felt her weight on me, pushing down. The chairs went flying somewhere, but I couldn't care less.

Was the reason why I was suddenly willing to do this a need to relax from what happening to me last night? Possibly. Or was it the sense of loneliness crushing me ever since I understood I could never meet people precious to me ever again… Possibly. But at that moment, when I watched how she squirmed at my attention, I didn't care to ponder on the 'why'.

"You have no idea how much I waited for this," she admitted, the hunger in her whole demeanor evident.

She obscured my vision with her body. And god, what a body it was. The swell of her breasts spilling out of her sarashi, the curve of her hips, downright ridiculous as she went on her knee, each around me so that I couldn't escape.

"How thirsty can you get, Tsubaki…" I chuckled.

Not that I ever wanted to. I picked her up by her hips and dragged her right where we both wanted her to be. Her long hair draped over my bare chest, tickling me slightly as she licked her pouty lips again, caramel skin shining with sweat. As she lowered herself on my dick, already hard, to straddle me, I couldn't help but think amusedly about how much of a shame it was that I couldn't name my new weapon in time. And how it wasn't only sweat wetting her.

#####

Up to 3 chapters in advance on Pat re on: https://www.patreón.com/HiddenSword

If you want to talk, join the discord: https://discord .gg/UQ4YbqphM9

A/N: I think we all know where this is going :)