Chapter 19: A Goddess’ Blessing • Falna

"Do we need to do it right away? I still need to find Lady Artemis…"

"It won't take long. Also, She's most likely in greater trouble."

"What… do you mean?"

Hephaestus-sama closed down the store the moment we stepped out of the smithing room. Then, she asked me to undress my top as she is about to grant me her blessing, spot on.

My most important event was done in a chair in front of a counter. I sat with the back of the chair in front of me.

I am still concerned regarding Lady Artemis and the others.

"The Astraea Familia was wiped out. Artemis Familia has a close bond with them. Right now, they must be storming that guy's house."

A look of pity appeared on her face. It's as if they are about to punish the guys who peeped at Lady Artemis back in Tenkai. Who was it... Lante-san mentioned his name to me.

That's right. Hermes!

"Its sole survivor is also wreaking havoc. Going from one establishment to another to take her revenge."

Astraea… Astraea… Greek…

Wait a moment. The goddess Astrea? She has the same domain as Lady Artemis if I remember correctly. Stars and justice… was it?

My thoughts were broken the moment I felt a drop of blood in my back.

Then…

There's no then.

I did not feel anything. Now, I understand why Hephaestus-sama said it would be "fast". I never–

Zoom.

Suddenly, my sight was altered. My surroundings became blurry as I found myself in a state of inexplicableness. A series of letters appeared in my sight, floating like little fireflies.

[Level 1]

[Strength: I0 Defense: I0 Dexterity:I0 Agility:I0 Magic:I0]

<<Magic>>

[Orionids]

-The brightest star unveils itself to the watchful gaze of others. Summons a meteor strike to the target.

Activation chant: "I shall not understand the irrationality, yet I ask thee. Illuminate the sky with thy light. Enth, Astrum.

<<Skills>>

[Miracle Maker]

-Enhances every creation.

-Provides guidance in creating new items.

-Additional abilities to the creations can be imbued by chance.

-Excelia gain will be increased during creation.

[Child of Constellations (Senzainoko)]

-Under the blessing of the starry sky, growth speed, magical abilities, and recovery are increased.

-Legends related to "stars" are strengthened.

I think… the world is spinning…

*****

Just before Nobu kissed the ground, Hephaestus successfully caught him by the neck. The hieroglyphs behind his back are still lit up, illuminating the dimly lit room with his incredulous status.

"Two skills and one magic."

Never had she experienced anything like this. Each of his skills is enough to stand on its own, not to mention all of them together in a single boy.

The first thought that came to her mind is the up-and-coming adventurer these days–the pride of Loki Familia, Sword Princess (Kenki).

Though, what is more important to her is not the glory that it could bring to her or anyone else. It is none other than his growth. She knew that he accepted her offer because she could teach him many things. Now, the responsibility of guiding him in his newfound journey fell into her.

"How far can you go?" She mused.

The next thing that she worried about is Nobu's history, all of which are seen by her. His struggles, his fights… Everything in his second life. She knew how he is an otherworlder who stepped foot into this world by accident.

Nobu knew of this fact but he doesn't have any other way. He needs a god's blessing to become stronger. Hence, it left him with the option of choosing a god he could fully trust.

Fortunately for him, Hephaestus is one such goddess.

Looking at his peaceful expression, she had a thought:

'You're still a child.'

Suddenly…

Buzz-!

Hephaestus saw her blessing glowing intensely.

'What's… this?'

In her eyes, Nobu's past records presented themselves. Although, it is quite different from what she previously saw.

[Fight against an ancient dragon.]

[Defeat a high-level aggregate of negative emotions.]

[Creation of the first virtual lifeform.]

'These are…'

Before she saw the rest, they disappeared like a cloud. Only his previous history could be found. Yet, a goddess' intuition should not be underestimated.

She realized that there are something more to this little boy.

*****

"Mmm…"

I habitually got up from the bed. I bobbed my head sideways and searched for my wall clock…

…there's none.

A jolt passed through my spine, making me jump from this soft and comfy bed. I saw the unbuttoned sleeves of my white long sleeves free of any dirt and grime.

Window shopping, forging, and… entering a familia.

Memories of yesterday night reappeared. I could recall that I subconsciously cast "Cleanse" on my dirty self before the supposedly "formal" ceremony. After that… I blacked out.

However, I "felt" it; Hephaestus-sama's gaze on me. All of my secrets, lest for my reincarnation and cheat, were "transparent" in front of her eyes. I believe that she already knows that I am from another world.

It is part of the plan. It is the inevitable. Then again, meeting a goddess whom Lady Artemis trusts is extremely lucky of me.

Anyways, there's another strange sensation connected in me just like my cheat. Tugging on it, a series of bright letters written in hieroglyphs appeared. A moment later, they turned into a language familiar to me–Japanese.

Stats, magic, and skills. It feels like a game. There are also two skills, both of which I am unfamiliar with. I thought I had it with stars as I easily learned much star-type magic, but I think this skill explains everything.

"Aren't these… broken?"

A mouthful of air was exhaled from my mouth as I tried to calm my beating heart down. I planned to take the opportunities in this world, so this is just the start. When I return to my world, I will sweep the floor with that arrogant old man.

For sure.

I buttoned my long sleeves and took the dark overcoat hanging in a wooden chair. After wearing it, I left the room.

What greeted me is a traditional home. Several other rooms presented themselves in a straight file. A corridor led to the staircase.

I strolled into it, reaching the not-so-tall stairs and the chandelier hung on top of the ceiling.

I placed my attention on this unfamiliar house I am currently in. I strolled the places that it has before coming upon the "Office". Koine was written on the plate above the door. Assuming that Hephaestus-sama is here, I knocked.

"Come in."

I opened the door before being greeted by her signing some papers.

"Good morning, Hephaestus-sama. Where am I?"

"Straight to the point." She commented. "You are inside our familia house. Although it is desolate since everyone shut themselves in their forge."

So, this is supposed to be Hephaestus Familia's main base.

I sat down in one of the chairs present.

"Last night, you told me about the Astraea Familia. Can I know what happened?"

This is the thing that concerns me the most. I know that I have already repaid my debt in a practical sense, but I can't leave them alone. Be that as it may, they are the first "trusted" people that I encountered in this world.

That… and Lady Artemis.

"It is complicated. Evilus remnants caught them in an ambush inside the dungeon. That's how it was written in the guild records."

Evilus. Admittedly, I don't know a thing about them. They do sound like a typical villain organization, however.

"Only their goddess, Astraea, as well as a member survived. The member should be known as 'Gale Wind' here."

Gale Wind, noted.

She lightly coughed and shifted the topic.

"About your origins."

"..."

"Rest assured. I will keep them a secret."

"Thanks."

A question flew straight to my mind.

"Do I need to do anything? Like, quotas and such."

"There's none of that here. Just like the others, you will be given ores and smelting tools, to begin with. We have shops around Orario and Babel, which you can use to sell your creation. You need to be a High Smith to use those, but I'm sure your skills are around that."

Somehow, there's a great deal of confidence behind her voice.

"As for your creation last night… You can keep it."

"..!"

That ridiculous metal with more than 50+ Mohs score. It is by far the sturdiest metal that I laid my hands upon. I created an eastern blade, a katana, with the thought that it would be given to a familia or kept as a collection, but I didn't expect to receive it as a gift.

"It's my first time seeing a well-made dir orichalcum magic sword, so treat it well. You can also reforge it if you are more confident with your abilities."

Hephaestus-sama explained that orichalcum's mana conductibility is very low. Meaning, engraving spells is extremely difficult. After all, orichalcum is often used for its toughness and sharpness.

As for dir orichalcum, it is an experimental alloy made by one of her children to solve that exact problem—imbuing mana conducive materials together with orichalcum's toughness has the potential to become even better than known metals in Gekai.

"I see…"

I'm still not used to gods being able to read my mind head-on. Maybe it's just Hephaestus-sama and Lady Artemis?

Leaving this consoling thought, we continued conversing about the rules of my new familia.

*****

Turns out, my new familia is very lax. Most of the things depend on their skills and talents, with the familia providing networks and materials. If you are stuck in a hump, you can also ask Hephaestus-sama for some advice. Though, not many did due to their pride and fear of embarrassment.

There are also occasional assignments that she would give, but that depends on her whims.

Anyways, I couldn't get those people. I mean, finding your mistakes and acknowledging them are the basics of learning. It'd be much harder to improve if you can't do the two things above…

She also mentioned something about a "troublesome child" inside our familia. Something like him having the ability to create magic swords and not create one. He's 14, yet he's been able to achieve what I learned for a hundred years. Worse, he's letting his talent rot.

"Troublesome" suits him well.

I fiddled with a magic stone in my hand. It is one of the few that I did not choose to sell and instead used as an energy source for my cheat.

After absorbing up to my maximum capacity, I found the light inside it become slightly dimmer.

I know about the existence of magic stones and magic crystals in my world, but it seems like magic stones here are stronger by a notch.

"How should I find them..?"

I have a total of two agendas today. One is to visit the guild and register as an adventurer now that I have falna and the other is to locate the Artemis Familia. The former mainly serves to gather information about the dungeon. In my combat experiences, I'm mostly used against humanoid enemies before irregulars such as curses. Those irregulars have different skill sets–one wrong move is enough to put you at a disadvantage.

Hephaestus-sama also told me to do so as she won't be able to help me regarding the dungeon. She said it's the best way to learn about it as a new adventurer.

Then again, I'm glad such a convenient thing exists. I'm not about to dive into the dungeon like a fool, without any preparations whatsoever.

The plan is that I would pile up information myself while utilizing my cheat to "learn" more about something. I would also use it as a backup of sorts to bring my nearly-dead self back to life.

"How impressive…"

As I strode in the shopping district, I saw many strong adventurers. They average at Levels 1 and 2, but there are occasional level 3's and 4's. In my peaceful world, I hardly ever saw this sight unless it is a major event.

Like that dragon subjugation a few months ago.

I got up early in the morning, which is why many adventurers are out. If it's during the afternoon, I bet everyone's out prowling the dungeon.

I patiently walked out of the shopping district. Upon doing so, I saw the majestic 50-floor tower that formed a huge contrast in the middle ages setting. It reminded me of the "Babel" that I know of.

An entrance to the underground is present in it. That's also the place where adventurers converge the most.

Thump.

My childish heart began boiling at the sight of it. Even my practical side is screaming "I want to improve!" inside my head. The falna embedded in my back made it possible to be no longer stagnant. With all my abilities, I could perfectly do so.

Too bad my "actual" cheat had its limitations.

For once, changing the state of an item towards its future version is a huge gamble. It could improve, but it could also outright be destroyed. Then, I need to have direct contact with the target for five seconds. I knew much to know that the Special-grade curse won't let me touch it directly, more so when I didn't have my suit to protect me from that overwhelming heat.

Lastly, I need a piece of item to restore it, which is why Azure is gone for good.

Shaking my head, I averted my gaze from the dungeon entrance. Instead, I headed to Eastern Street. The destination that I am going to is adjacent to Daedalus Street. My goddess told me not to wander too much there, lest I'll be lost. The place I am going is not there, anyways.

After going through the Southeastern street, I saw a huge field of fauna and flora. Gravestones are present in approximately every few meters. The field is composed of innumerable graves. One could not find solace in this place, only sorrow and longing.

Sets of memories entered my mind.

During each fight that I had, just how many lives were lost? I know it is "the future", yet I can't bear to treat it lightly. It's not like I want to take responsibility for their deaths–I am not a hero.

True, I choose to save whoever was in front of me, but that's the end of it. If something is out of my league, I would stay away from it.

Still… those future deaths weighed on my mind. The bloody sight of magicians and humans alike being killed by that absurd dragon or the innocents whom I failed to save from curses. That chilling feeling is not something I could easily rid of.

I snap back from my thoughts. I realized that my mood is turning for the worse. I distracted myself from it by going through each grave. I know that my chances of finding the traces of Gale Wind are low, but I want to try and help Lady Artemis. I know just how much she would like to help that sole survivor. Even I, as an outsider, can imagine the pain that she went through.

*****

Unfortunately, things didn't go well. My sight which extended to a dozen meters could not find their traces. I took over three hours and went through every grave, yet there was nothing.

"Hm..?"

Far in the grave field, I saw some trees. There are some empty spaces in-between. The important thing is that…

"Is that Lante-san?"

The familiar aqua-blue hair entered my sight. She lept from one branch to another as if she were rushing to something.

In the end, I chose to chase after her. I respectfully went through the graves before entering the grove of trees.

"Hup."

With a single leap, I stood still on top of a branch. After getting the hang of this world's gravity–somewhere around 20% stronger than Earth's–I followed suit.

"My covert training finally paid out."

I didn't only train on combat techniques. Covert ops and reconnaissance are included in it. Though, it didn't suit my combat style which is why I didn't have much opportunity to use it.

The branches shook as I stepped on them. Force is applied to them, but not enough for them to snap.

"Which way was she..?"

Soon, I was lost in this place.

"Ugh. Let's go right."

After having a blind guess, I continued forth. Only the sea of vegetation greeted my sight as I scanned through the entire place. Then, I was startled by the sudden voice on my right.

"Nobu-kun? Why are you here?"

Keeping my composure, I replied:

"I followed you. What are you doing here?"

She stepped down from the branch and she stared at me with hints of curiosity.

"Why aren't their..."

"Astraea Familia?"

"..?!"

Seeing her surprised look, I explained, "I came to know things after my arrival. I have heard that you are close with them."

"I…no, we are. Lady Astraea and Lady Artemis are very close. Whenever we visit Orario, we help with their duty."

I know that Astraea Familia is one of the rare familia that acts as Orario's (unofficial) policemen. They catch evil people and present them in the guild. With their roster consisting of many Level 4's, their names had once resounded in this city.

However, they are eliminated in an ambush nearly two years ago.

"I am trying to find their traces… their graves at least. There wasn't any in this place."

As someone who scanned through everything, I knew how long it takes to go through each grave. Even with all of that, all that resulted in an unrewarded venture.

Seeing this familiar look, I tried to change the topic.

"Let's go back. To Lady Artemis."

Her downcast looks improved ever-so-slightly after that.

"That's right! We are still going to look for a way to let you in."

"Um. Lante-san…" I didn't know how to reply for a brief moment. "I'm already in a familia."

"What?"

I saw her body freeze upon the revelation.