LOVE SONG TO A GODDESS OF THE FORGE

"Finally, everything is in order."

Light from a magic-stone lamp flickered in the darkness.

Two cloaked shadows stood facing each other in a small room and whispered quietly.

"Our soldiers have made it safely inside. Once we're done, they can deploy anytime."

"Is that right…"

One voice was that of a man filled to the brim with enthusiasm; the other, a stern,

solemn voice of someone many years his elder. Their private conversation continued.

"We already know where he is. I'll make contact myself in a day or two."

"…"

The youth took a step closer to his silent companion.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet."

"…"

"It's too late to start wavering now. We have received an important task that leads

directly to a promotion by our lord. This may be our last chance."

"I'm aware."

The elder nodded as the younger leaned toward him.

The man was most pleased by that response. Without missing a beat, he channeled

into words the numerous emotions coursing through his veins.

"We must bring him back. That power belongs to us, and this place isn't worthy of it."

"…"

"Lost glory is once again within our grasp."

The elder figure stayed silent throughout his younger companion's impassioned

speech.

Light from the lamp cast two long, flickering shadows high onto the wall.

Bright flames filled the inside of the forge.

Hephaistos intently watched the dark-red fire, the same color as her hair, rise and fall.

She was standing in a workshop where the large forge, an anvil, and other big tools sat

ready for use in the corner.

Hephaistos, dressed in work clothes, came to a stop with a hammer in her hand. The

shaft of a silver sword had already taken shape on top of the anvil beneath her, the

metal still glowing with heat.

Flames from the forge illuminated half her face, including the prominent, bandagelike black eye patch.

The heavy blows of hammer on metal ceased, leaving behind only the crackle of the

fire.

"Where'd your spine go?"

The front door of the forge creaked open and was closely followed by a new voice.

A rush of cold air came in from outside, making the flames flicker and ruining the

perfect conditions inside the workshop. Hephaistos turned to face her visitor.

"Tsubaki."

"Now, I'd heard rumors you shut yourself up in this workshop. I came all this way to

check on you, and you're not even swinging that hammer. So, what are you up to?"

The woman who entered the forge workshop had long black hair tied back behind her

shoulders and wheat-colored skin.

Just as Hephaistos had an eye patch over her right eye, this woman had an eye patch

over her left. Wearing a crimson pair of Far Eastern–style, skirtlike pants called

hakama, Tsubaki rebuked Hephaistos for the lack of hammer work.

They were in Hephaistos Familia's store, located on Northwest Main Street. Not far

from Guild Headquarters on the road known as Adventurers Way, the store was

equipped with a workshop on the first floor.

"Nothing much," Hephaistos responded to her follower.

"You've spent a lot more time in your head since Welfy boy left, now haven't you, My

Ladyship? A bit lonely, are we?"

"…I'm always sad whenever a child leaves the nest. That goes for anyone, not just Welf."

Tsubaki, obviously put off by her goddess's condition, showed no restraint or fear in

conveying her dissatisfaction. Hephaistos knew there was no point in trying to fool

her and confirmed her suspicions without beating around the bush.

The woman watched as the goddess put the finishing touches on the weapon in a flash

before starting to clean up the workspace.

"Well, then, any news?"

Releasing her crimson hair from its restraints and working her way out of her tightfitting work clothes, Hephaistos addressed her follower. The woman nodded, her long

black hair swishing behind her head.

"A message from the Guild and Loki Familia. Rakia has a plot afoot this time, by the

sound of it."

The goddess narrowed her left eye while listening to Tsubaki explain the finer details.

"So, Hestia's children are to be the bait…" The goddess sounded deep in thought as the

name of a friend rolled off her tongue. "All right then," she said with a nod. "Do exactly

as the Guild says. Tsubaki, take command for me."

"Was planning on holing up in the shop for a bit, but this could be fun. You got it, I'll

be takin' the helm."

With that, the woman left the workshop with a smirk on her face.

Hephaistos watched her leave, then returned her gaze to the corner of the workshop.

Flames still burned brightly inside the large forge.

Heat from another forge bit at the side of Welf's face.

The flames burned with an intensity on par with his own passion. The young man's

face was covered in rolling sweat despite the towel wrapped around his forehead.

With only the roar of the furnace at his side in the dim workshop, Welf repeatedly

slammed his hammer into the red-hot metal on top of his anvil.

High-pitched, metallic echoes reverberated through the air. Showers of sparks

scattered across the floor. It was a battle between him and his craft.

His gaze didn't move from what was directly beneath him. Completely focused on

shaping the metal, nothing could distract him from the task at hand. Crimson hammer

in hand, he simply guided it to the target with his gaze.

Every swing of his hammer left a thin, dark-red trail of light through the air, generated

by his Advanced Ability, Forge. It allowed him to breathe a sublime power into each of

his weapons and armor, making them stronger and sharper as they ascended to levels

of awe-inspiring quality.

Slam! Slam! His ears had grown to love the sound of metal on metal. Each impact had

a slightly different ring to it, and he could hear every detail.

It was as if the metal were talking to him, guiding the next hammer fall. A smile grew

on his lips before he knew it.

—Listen to the metal's words, lend your ears to its echoes, pour your heart into your

hammer.

Back in a long-forgotten corner of his memory, the voice of an old man from many

years ago made its way past all the rust and into his thoughts again. He had heard the

mantra in a workshop just as dim as this one. The smell of metal in his nostrils, Welf

had been a young boy and nothing more than an assistant.

Brief images of those days flashed through his mind as Welf brought the melody of the

forge to life. The hot metal bent to the will of his hammer, taking the shape of a sharp

sword as his passion burned as hot as the flames burning at his side.

"Sorry for the wait. I finished your order, a katana."

Soft red light emerged from the open iron shutters of the workshop.

A small stone structure built behind their home, the workshop was quiet under the

evening sky.

The sun had almost set by the time Welf finished what he set out to complete. He'd

gone to greet his allies, home from the Dungeon, in the main building while still

wearing his sweat-soaked jacket.

Welf had stayed out of the Dungeon today in order to complete a few tasks. "Ooo!"

came the collective voices of Lilly, Haruhime, and Mikoto, mouths open in surprise and

excitement.

"I made sure the measurements match your old one as close as possible. It's a metal

synthesized from a liger fang's tooth and noh steel mined from floor twenty-seven.

Should be able to take a lot of punishment."

"Thank you so much, Sir Welf! It's gorgeous…!"

The curved, ninety-celch blade was both black and silver.

Mikoto took from him the blade forged from an adamantite drop item and an ore

mined from the Deep Zone of the Dungeon, arms shaking with a mixture of elation and

gratitude. It wasn't just the weapon's beauty that made her adventurer's heart fall in

love with it at first sight. She could tell that a High Smith had forged the third-tier

weapon by hand due to the blade's characteristics.

She had put off asking him to make this weapon in favor of the equipment she'd

need—a spear and light armor—to fill her role in the middle of their formation.

Feeling complete once again, Mikoto's cheeks glowed.

"It's so convenient to have a smith in the familia."

"Don't talk about people like they're some kind of magic-stone product, Li'l E."

Lilly looked at him out of the corner of her eye, commenting as if every household

should have at least one person who could restore worn weapons back into shape and

even create new ones when needed. Welf, however, wasn't going to take it lying down.

Making his rebuttal with half-lidded eyes, the young man then turned back to Mikoto.

She was still holding her new katana, her mind somewhere around cloud nine. He was

slightly intimidated by Chizan—the dagger securely fastened at her waist, a parting

gift from Takemikazuchi that was one of a pair of extremely high-quality daggers

forged by Goibniu Familia—because it was difficult to compete with. However, he was

rather proud of how the katana had turned out.

Extremely satisfied with the blade and sheath, the latter decorated in a black and

silver striped pattern, Welf took a step closer to Mikoto and tried to keep his pride

under wraps while making a suggestion.

"Okay, now it needs a name… Iron Tiger, Kotetsu… No, Stripey, Shimajirou."

"Sir Welf, please waaaaaaaaait!"

Welf put his right hand to his chin, a grin on his lips. Mikoto vigorously voiced her

objections. Breaking outin a nervous sweat, blood boiling in her veins, she made every

effort to prevent that name from sticking.

"I-isn't it a wonderful name: Master Stripey. It's quite cute…"

"Do you mind?!"

"Its future hangs in the balance, Miss Haruhime, so please stay silent!"

Haruhime spoke like the sheltered girl she was, while Welf was overjoyed to find

someone who could understand his tastes. Mikoto yelled at her childhood friend in

desperation.

Their spirited discussion went through many twists and turns with an unamused Lilly

watching from the sidelines. It ended with Mikoto, begging with her hands and knees

on the floor and tears pouring out her eyes, finally winning the battle to give the new

katana the name Kotetsu.

Welf scratched his red hair with a look of utter disappointment on his face while

Mikoto clutched the weapon to her chest in relief after her hard-fought victory.

"…And these are for you two. For defense."

"Is this… a cloak?"

"Mr. Welf, could this be…?"

Welf handed Haruhime and Lilly each a black hooded robe.

He nodded at Lilly's surprise.

"That's right. Made it from the drop item we got from that Goliath. Bell and LadyHestia

gave it to me."

He was referring to the battle against the abnormally powerful monster, an Irregular,

on the eighteenth floor: the Black Goliath.

Bell had received the drop item when all was said and done after the battle. Welf used

half of it to make protective equipment for Lilly and Haruhime. The drop item, by the

way, had to be recovered from the wreckage of Bell and Hestia's old room under the

church because they hadn't had time to sell it.

That monster's hide was so strong that it had completely nullified the attacks of

hundreds of upper-class adventurers without so much as a scratch.

Therefore, Welf had used its incredible defensive attribute to help the two supporters

who were vulnerable to attack. He'd made a few personal choices in their design, but

the cloaks were, without a doubt, top-tier defensive items.

"It's pretty heavy, isn't it…?"

"Yeah, but please try to overlook that. Remember how crazy strong the Goliath's skin

was? No blade or spell is getting through these."

Lilly put the cloak over her shoulders right away and commented while looking down

at it.

While Lilly had her Skill, Artel Assist, to help carry the load, Haruhime was on her own.

"Ah, uwaah!" She struggled to stay on her feet under the weight of her cloak.

The Goliath's rampage depended on its brute force, so its hide had to be strong enough

to repel both physical and magical attacks. The cloaks created from its drop item were

no doubt strong enough to withstand attacks from monsters in the middle levels and

the lower levels of the Dungeon without much trouble at all. Now it was Lilly's turn to

feel grateful.

"But don't forget, this does nothing to soften the blow. One hard smack and it's all

over."

Welf explained to Lilly that it was exactly the same as armor.

An iron plate could prevent the cut of a blade, but the flesh beneath would still feel the

full impact. Lilly and Haruhime were both Level 1, meaning it didn't take much to

launch them off their feet. Should they take the full force of the monster's attack, there

was a real possibility they could die with the cloak in perfect condition around their

bodies.

Meek expressions grew on Lilly's and Haruhime's faces after hearing Welf's warning.

"…But if this is so good, wouldn't it be better to give it to Mr. Bell on the front line?"

He would be exposed to far more ferocious attacks than Lilly.

The risk of taking damage would be greatly reduced if he was wearing this kind of

defensive equipment.

Shouldn't Bell be wearing a Goliath robe rather than the style of armor he had been

wearing from the very beginning? She made the suggestion very clear.

Welf looked away from them, his mouth a straight line on his face.

"…I take great pride in forging his armor with these hands. Giving him a drop item to

wear into battle just won't cut it."

No matter how impressive the properties of the drop item were, his pride as a smith

would take a serious blow if he were to just pass it off as is.

It was his job as Bell's personal smith to forge all his equipment by hand, and he wasn't

about to change his mind.

The young man folded his arms and turned away from the girls. Lilly was a bit tired of

his stubbornness, but Mikoto and Haruhime shared a giggle.

The last of the daylight coming in from outside the shutters cast Welf's face in a red

hue.

"…That should cover it—now get out of here. I have to finish up."

"Mr. Welf—. Tomorrow's the day we go into the Dungeon with Takemikazuchi Familia,

so don't forget to prepare your own equipment—"

"I know, now scram!"

Welf ushered the girls out of his workshop as a way to hide his embarrassment.

The three young women made their way across the garden, smiling among themselves

with his loud voice echoing behind them.

Hestia Familia and Takemikazuchi Familia had decided two days prior to travel down

to the seventeenth floor.

The two groups had worked together many times before, so no one was worried about

their teamwork in combat. Now they were shifting their attention to long-term goals,

specifically going even farther down into the Dungeon. Therefore, the best thing for

them to do was to go on their very own mini-expedition as a practice run.

Going deeper into the Dungeon than they'd ever been, their next goal was to reach the

twentieth floor, which meant there weren't enough hours in the day for them to return

to their homes on the surface at night. Trying to do so would cut their time in the

Dungeon drastically short and wasn't worth the trip.

The solution was to camp inside the Dungeon. The plan was simple. They would spend

a full day in the Dungeon, and the two groups would take turns at guard duty when

they needed to rest.

They might have dubbed it with the grandiose title of "mini-expedition," but as

spending more time in the Dungeon was fast becoming a reality, this was their

important first attempt at it.

Twenty-four hours. After packing sufficient food and blankets, they said their goodbyes to a reluctant Hestia and a smiling Takemikazuchi, who told them to be careful.

Miach Familia, whom they'd asked to look after their home while they were gone, saw

them off along with the other deities as the large party departed Hearthstone Manor.

The group, numbering ten in all, spent half the day journeying deeper into the

Dungeon until finally reaching the seventeenth floor, and then got ready for half a day

of roaming.

—At least that was how it was supposed to happen.

"Aaaaaaaall you slackers on the shield wall! Flex those dirty rumps and hold your

ground!"

An angry roar of a command managed to break through the pandemonium of

relentless howls and clangs of battle.

A line of massive shields held side by side with absolutely no space between managed

to absorb a giant fist, but the impact of the shock wave made arms go numb.

The dwarves and animal people who held the shields grimaced in pain as their heels

were driven into the Dungeon floor. Cries for help and calls to charge swirled all

around them. The voices of magic users in the middle of their incantations filled the

air.

A large group of adventurers was fighting a giant monster that towered far over their

heads.

"How did it come to this…?!"

"S-sorry, Lilly…!"

Yells of man and beast erupted from all over the battlefield. Lilly stood in the center of

it all, shooting a stream of arrows from her bow gun as Bell finished off the hellhounds

and liger fangs bearing down on them while apologizing mid-strike.

The joint battle party had been drawn into a large-scale skirmish taking place in a

large cavern at the end of the seventeenth floor.

The mass of adventurers stood in front of the gateway to the safe point, the eighteenth

floor.

Spread over a hundred meders right to left and front to back, the chaos of battle

echoed far and wide with screams and roars colliding as much as steel and fangs.

Under the looming vista of the Great Wall of Sorrows, by far the most prominent

monster on the battlefield was a seven-meder-tall ash-colored giant.

"—OUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

The seventeenth floor's Monster Rex swung both its arms out wide, intimidating the

adventurers below with a threatening howl. The ground shattered wherever one of its

boulder-like fists came down, sending shock waves through the ground. Welf, Lilly,

Mikoto, Haruhime, and all of Takemikazuchi Familia struggled to keep their balance.

It had all started when they arrived on the seventeenth floor and heard the sounds of

battle echoing in the distance, followed by the unmistakable roar of the monster

Goliath. The group had exchanged glances, decided to puttheir plan on hold, and taken

the fastest route through the floor… only to find a massive battle between Goliath and

a large party of adventurers waiting for them.

Both familias had done extensive research and preparation aboveground to make sure

they chose the safest time to go on their mini-expedition—but the fact that the

underground town of Rivira was planning to exterminate the floor boss on this day

had eluded them. It just so happened the timing for their plans had coincided.

The Goliath was always reborn on a two-week interval, making it difficult for upperclass adventurers to pass through to the relatively peaceful eighteenth floor. That, in

turn, had an effect on the profits of the business owners residing in the town built at

the safe point, since there would be hardly anyone to swindle out of money. Therefore,

it was in their best interests to form a temporary alliance and travel up to the

seventeenth floor to exterminate the Goliath.

That's what Bell and his party had come across—the collective might of Rivira

colliding with the ash-colored giant.

Welf and the others didn't have the stomach to ignore the screams of their fellow

adventurers that echoed the constant vibration of the giant's footsteps. Most

important, their white-haired leader couldn't abandon them after hearing

"GEHHAAHHHHHH!!" echoing through the tunnels.

The group of slightly shady adventurers had come to his aid in the past, so Bell led the

joint party into battle against the floor boss.

"UOAHHHHHHHHHHH!! Little Rookie, HELP MEEEEEEEEE!!"

"Whoa!"

Third-tier adventurer Mord Latro was in the fray when the Great Wall stopped another

one of the giant's attacks, when the magic users were finishing their spells, and when

the attackers set out for another run at the giant's legs.

Mord had considered Bell to be an enemy from the moment they met, even though the

boy didn't feel the same way. Mord had joined forces with some equally shoddy rogues

and put him through an adventurer's baptism of fire, but he came to recognize Bell's

true character through the events on the eighteenth floor. His opinion of the whitehaired human had improved so much that seeing him brought a smile to his scarred

face. Just like the other adventurers of Rivira, Mord had come to accept Bell as a fellow

adventurer after seeing his exploits in battle against the Black Goliath.

The man had spent many years at Level 2, content to live out his life as a third-tier

adventurer. But now he had started to push himself, to go on adventures once again,

as his presence here in the extermination team showed. However, that adventurous

resolve disappeared the moment he put his pride aside and called out for help at the

top of his lungs.

A pack of large-category monsters, Minotaurs, had appeared from the main hallway

that connected to the cavern. Bell charged past the panicking adventurer and engaged

the monsters with the Hestia Knife and a shortsword newly forged by Welf.

"Since when did extermination teams run into this much trouble…?"

"There are so many more monsters this time around! There aren't enough people to

attack the big guy!"

"Do they not understand how to work together…?"

Mikoto sliced through a charging monster and called out to the closest Rivira

adventurer. He shouted a response back at her as Chigusa mumbled under her breath

and skewered a hellhound with her spear.

Walls had been set up at various points around the gray giant to protect the attackers

between sally attempts. The small arc of adventurers holding the shield wall was

planted just in front of the gateway to the eighteenth floor.

Compared to the Black Goliath in Bell's memory—a much more powerful offshoot of

the same species—this one was rather weak. However, the average Goliath was still

classified as a Level 4 monster by the Guild. The beast had shiny black hair that

reached all the way down to shoulders that looked to be carved out of solid stone. The

ash-colored giant slammed its fists into one wall after another.

The brawny, masculine men behind the shields managed to keep their feet, but there

were no attackers to take advantage of the window. The ones who should have been

keeping the beast off balance and trying to bring it to the ground were too busy

engaging the smaller monsters in combat. The same was true for the magic users.

Some of them were forced to stop their incantations halfway, some lost their chance

to cast their magic despite finishing because of the oncoming monsters, and others

had no choice butto release the built-up magic energy without a target. The occasional

fireball or rain of light arrows passed through the battlefield from time to time.

It all came down to this: The residents of the town of Rivira were not in the same

familia. It was to be expected from a group of rogues. Teamwork was not in their

vocabulary.

The newly leveled-up Level 2 Chigusa fought side by side with Mikoto, their

movements blending together so well they looked like afterimages of each other. The

teachings of Takemikazuchi, a god of martial arts, served them well as a pile of

monster corpses built up at their feet. On the other hand, the other upper-class

adventurers continued to fight as individuals in chaos.

"Don't know what else to expect from adventurers, but…!"

A line of battle developed between friend and foe. No one in the extermination team

lent anyone a helping hand as they continued to fight their own battles.

Ouka had willingly joined the fray as one of the new arrivals, but one look at their

ragtag parties made him sigh as he chopped a liger fang in two with the battle-ax in

his hands. His efforts saved an Amazon in the group of attackers from certain death.

"—This beast's got a bit more pep than the usual ones!"

An adventurer yelled from the main battlefield after trying to engage the giant headon.

Just as the many species of monsters that roamed the hallways of the Dungeon varied

in strength among individuals, so did the Monster Rex. The Goliath spawned this time

was definitely one of the stronger ones, or so claimed a blood-splattered animal

person in the attacker group.

The joint battle party was disheartened by this frightening news. Even so, they bravely

joined the extermination veterans from Rivira and charged out onto the battlefield

over and over.

"Tsk! We need more… You there! Go back to town and get some help! You got ten

minutes!"

"Like hell I can pull that off, Boris!"

The makeshift commander of this extermination force from Rivira barked the

command, but the human on the other end yelled back his own complaint. He still

turned to run toward the tunnel that connected the floors, but his send-off amounted

to Boris shouting, "Shut up and do it!" behind him.

Including the extra members from Bell's battle party, there were forty adventurers

fighting in the cavern.

Either they'd been reluctant to commit more people to the extermination party or they

hadn't taken it seriously, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

There was also Rakia's invasion to take into consideration.

A great number of the upper-class adventurers who normally resided in Rivira had

been called back to the surface to join the Alliance and were currently outside the city

wall. The fact that none of the extermination team ranked above Level 4 was proof of

that. Even the Level 3s could be counted on one hand. The second-tier adventurers

were needed all over the battlefield in support. Bell was racing here and there like a

speedy white rabbit and had no time to charge his Skill that could bring them back

from the brink—even the powerful gravity magic that Mikoto had at her disposal

wouldn't be much help because of the low ceiling and the number of her allies who

would be caught up in it along with the monsters.

Their only hope lay in reinforcements coming up from the eighteenth floor. However,

considering the distance they had to travel, as well as the time it took to equip armor

and weapons, their saviors wouldn't arrive for some time.

Everyone could feelthey were fighting a losing battle, and morale started to drain from

the adventurers.

Without the help of a concentrated blast from the magic users, the adventurers

manning the Wall took too much punishment. One sweeping kick from the giant's foot

sent an entire group flying.

"GYAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Dammit…!"

Many voices cried out in pain as shields and bodies flipped through the air. Welf swore

to himself as he fended off a monster with his greatsword.

Next, his free hand reached behind his shoulder.

Another long weapon was strapped to his back, just underneath his greatsword's

sheath. He had forged it just in case things went south during their mini-expedition—

a Crozzo Magic Sword. Wrapping his fingers around its hilt, he pulled it free.

To be blunt, he didn't care if any of these nameless rogues lived or died. But at this

rate, the giant's overwhelming power was putting his friends at risk. He would not

compromise his allies for his pride. "Dammit, dammit!" he spat through gritted teeth

as he raised the sparkling dark-red blade high above his head.

This sword would be overkill, but he took aim at the Goliath and prepared to bring it

down, when suddenly—

" Grow."

"!!"

An elegant singing voice reached his ears.

He turned toward the alluring sound and saw someone by herself in a corner of the

cavern that was devoid of adventurers and monsters—the supporter Haruhime.

Mikoto and Lilly fought valiantly to protect the girl. The hood of her cloak was

extremely low over her face as she continued casting.

"Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into

the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you Grow."

Welf near jumped out of his boots when he realized the gorgeous melody emanating

from her was nearing completion. The name of the spell escaped her lips a heartbeat

later.

"Uchide no Kozuchi."

Mikoto, who had fallen back to protect the supporters, was engulfed in a pillar of light

that took the shape of a hammer from above.

She was the target of Haruhime's Level Boost. The hammer of light disappeared,

leaving behind a sparkling residue on her body.

Lilly was quick to remove her own black cloak—the Goliath robe—and throw it over

the shoulders of the girl covered in the twinkling lights.

Mikoto pulled the hood over her face just as low as Haruhime had and wrapped her

body in the dark fabric before racing off into the chaos.

"!!"

A black arrow shot through the battlefield, cutting through everything in its way.

The knife Chizan tore asunder the monsters unlucky enough to be in her path, their

limbs and torsos flying left and right. She then zipped past the business owners of

Rivira and Mord's band of rogues and made her way toward the giant that was still

kicking its way through the walls.

In very similar fashion to traditional board games of the Far East, Mikoto had leveled

up into a more powerful piece. Now on equal footing with the Level 3 adventurers, she

wasted no time in coming to their aid.

Attackers moved in to cover the members of the newly destroyed wall. They drew the

beast's attention as others got clear. Mikoto, however, was free to use that window to

attack and quickly jumped into close range. Her sparkling arms thrust Chizan back

into its sheath and drew Kotetsu in one swift motion.

" HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

The katana emerged from its casing with blinding speed and cut into the Goliath's leg

with a flash of light.

From there, the beast that had allowed Mikoto to get close so quickly took more hits

all over its body.

"?!"

A stream of blood spurted from the giant's thick, stubby left leg.

The sturdy ash-gray hide had been pierced. The deep gash was pouring blood, a blow

that signaled a change in the tide of battle.

Losing strength in its knee, the Goliath tumbled to the ground with a loud thud and

accompanying shock wave.

The other second-tier adventurers, including Bell as well as the ones under Ouka's

command, watched in amazement as the katana-wielding figure in the black robe

deftly avoided the giant's fall and carved through another area of the battlefield like a

black arrow shot from a bow.

"That's gotta be cheating…!"

Seeing Mikoto's incredible slash—no, the awe-inspiring power of Haruhime's Level

Boost—left Welf speechless. The shock was so powerful that he forgot to be proud of

the factthat one of his weapons had delivered the blow that had literally brought down

the giant.

"Holy shit!" "Who does that guy belong to?!" Cheers and praise for the mysterious

hooded adventurer erupted from the ranks of Rivira's adventurers as she performed

a perfect hit-and-run maneuver. While managing to keep her identity a secret, Mikoto

could feel all the eyes on her from beneath the Goliath robe. She turned around to

make another attack run on the floor boss. It was the same technique that she'd seen

with her own eyes used against the Black Goliath, movements that mirrored her vivid

memories of the "Gale Wind."

Behind all the thrilled spectators, Welf, Lilly, and Haruhime quickly distanced

themselves from Mikoto's starting point to avoid any unwanted attention.

"All you lazy attackers, forward! Cut it up! NOOOOOWWWWW!"

It was the chance they'd been waiting for. Spirits suddenly alight, a wave of

adventurers charged forward while yelling at the top of their lungs.

There was one strategy for taking on large-category monsters and floor bosses: hit

them low, bring them down.

The attackers were practically drooling as they saw their target writhing in pain on

the ground.

Greatswords, war hammers, and battle-axes glinting menacingly in the dim light, the

wave of adventurers reached the Goliath and raised their weapons.

Then…

"—Let me have a crack at it."

A shadow burst out of nowhere, crossing the battlefield in the blink of an eye and

severing the giant's right arm.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Wha…?"

Welf froze as soon as he got a good look at the person who had landed at the beast's

side.

One thick katana, crimson hakama, and long black hair swishing from the momentum

in her sudden stop. His lips moved on their own.

"Tsubaki…"

Almost as if she'd heard him, the newcomer turned to Welf and flashed a grin.

The Goliath's arm arced through the air and landed a short distance away, crushing all

the monsters unfortunate enough to be beneath it. Bell, Mikoto, Ouka, and all other

adventurers present spent the moment in stunned silence.

Wheat-colored skin and black hair tied back into a ponytail. Her minimalist armor was

just gauntlets and a few other light plates around her body. With the large katana in

her grasp and choice of clothing, she had the air of a swordswoman from an island

nation in the Far East.

But the one feature that stood out above all else was the bandage covering her left eye.

"Cy… Cyclops…"

"…Level Five."

Several adventurers gulped as they beheld the warrior who bore so many similarities

to the Goddess of the Forge, Hephaistos.

"W-WE WON, YA BASTAAAAAAAAAARDS!!"

The arrival of the leader of the smith—part artisan, part top-tier adventurer

Tsubaki—invigorated the adventurers even further, and they cheered in celebration.

That was the finishing blow.

Her presence on the battlefield skyrocketed morale to an all-time high, and the tide of

battle completely tilted in their favor. Loud cheers caught the attention of other

adventurers who were finishing off the last of the smaller monsters, and they came

rushing in toward the fallen giant. Even the joint battle party joined in the charge once

they got their bearings back.

The extermination party's mission was completed in a matter of moments with the

help of the Level 5 smith. The large cavern fell silent soon after.

A scramble for the loot ensued soon after the floor boss was slain.

Everyone tried to lay claim to not only the larger-than-usual Monster Rex magic stone

but the Goliath Fang that appeared in the ashes of the beast. The small mountain of

magic stones from the smaller monsters was also up for grabs.

Those on the outside of the scrum—as extras who came in later, they weren't allowed

to stake any claim—were either overwhelmed by the Rivira business owners trying to

sell some of the smallest magic stones or standing in awe of the spectacle as a whole.

"We're adventurers, what else is there to say?" Mord said with a forced smile as he and

his rogues walked by with their share of the loot firmly in their meaty arms.

Since it didn't make any sense to see how the battle for the remaining valuables turned

out, the joint battle party of Hestia Familia and Takemikazuchi Familia decided to go

down to the eighteenth floor because they were so close anyway.

A safe point filled with lush greens and beautiful crystals where no monsters were

born.

A mass of blue and white crystals, shaped like a mum flower, sat in the middle of the

crystal blue "sky" over the floor known as the Under Resort. Bell and the rest of the

party finally had a chance to rest their tired bodies.

"Once again, we come to the eighteenth floor without planning on it…"

Lilly muttered as she shielded her eyes from the sparkling light of the flower crystal

that shone far overhead like the midday sun.

The party members who were involved in the events that took place a month and a

half ago reflected on their experience as the remaining members of Takemikazuchi

Familia admired the scenery with a mixture of awe and wonder. Haruhime, who had

only just recently gone through Conversion, eagerly swished her thick fox tail back and

forth as she smiled alongside Mikoto and Chigusa. The three girls were each

remembering the same thing: the scenery where they played together as children."It's

like we've stepped back in time," said Ouka with a forced smile as he watched their

little group from afar. However, Bell and Welf could hear the excitement in his voice

that his stoic expression wouldn't show.

Several rivers wound their way through the forest in the southern region of the

eighteenth floor. A few of the tired adventurers kneeled at their banks and drank some

of the clear water, while the others sprawled out on the grassy floor. The joint battle

party was just starting to recover from the fight against the floor boss when the rest

of Rivira's adventurers finally made their way through the connecting tunnel. "Why

don'cha come up to the town?" shouted one of them as he waved. More spoke up,

saying they were going to celebrate their victory, and invited them to join in.

Part of their motivation was guilt for keeping them out of the loot scrum. They were

in a great mood and offered to treat them to a feast as an apology. Their offer was

difficult to refuse. The joint battle party was just that tired.

So they joined the group of adventurers traveling west toward the rocky island in the

middle of a lake. Crossing the log bridge to the island, it wasn't long before they arrived

at the town on the cliff and passed through the wooden gate at its entrance.

"Oh wow…! Is this the town of Rivira?"

"Um, is this your first time here, Miss Haruhime?"

"Yes, it is. I participated in many ventures during my time with Lady Ishtar and have

thus passed through this floor many times… but I was never allowed to enter the

town."

Haruhime's Level Boost and her very existence had to be kept top secret, so she had

been hidden from view as often as possible. Now she was walking among the various

tents and ragtag shops, gazing at the crystals and blushing with joy. The renart's fox

tail and ears moved back and forth excitedly as she couldn't decide where to look. Bell

could feel the excitement emanating from her and blushed when the two made eye

contact for a moment.

The town of Rivira had a great view of the lake directly below as well as the expansive

forest to the south and east. There was also a great deal of black-market money being

made inside the tents and shops that lined the town's streets. A bar had been built

directly into the Dungeon terrain. Many happy and drunk voices echoed from the

other side of the door in the cliff face.

The streets were much less crowded than the last time they were here, due to Rakia's

attack. Even so, uplifting melodies from string and wind instruments filled the town.

Everything was peaceful beneath the crystal sky underground.

"That was some nice work up there, Little Rookie! Would have been screwed without

you!" said the "leader" of Rivira, Boris Elder.

Extremely muscular, the adventurer stood even taller than Ouka.

Most members of Bell's battle party had seen him many times during the large-scale

fight against the Black Goliath and recognized him right away.

He wasn't someone easy to forget, with his intimidating build and gruff aura.

"You bein' here means Hestia Familia's going for the Deep Zone, that right?"

"Uh, yeah… Eventually."

"Atta boy! We'll be your staging area for attack runs to the Deep Zone! I'll make sure

everybody gives you a discount, fellow adventurer!"

Just like Mord, the leader of Rivira had seen what Bell did against the Irregular Black

Goliath, and he was comparatively friendly with the white-haired human boy.

"Yes, keep coming back! Many times!" said the man who recognized Bell's power with

a mighty grin; he wrapped his beefy arm around the boy's shoulders. Lilly, however,

eyed him suspiciously as she walked behind them.

"…Oh yeah, Little Rookie. Somethin' I wanted to ask you about."

"A-and that is?"

Slightly intimidated by the fleshy tree trunk around his shoulders, Bell forced a shaky

smile and looked up at the leader. The man tried his best to look docile and brought

his voice down very low to ask.

"That magic-sword blacksmith is with you, ain't he? Can you introduce me?"

" C'mon, please!! Make me a magic sword!"

Wrinkles appeared in the middle of Welf's brow.

It happened in the middle of the feast, free of charge as promised, when Bell had left

the group to go talk to the leader and Welf had gone on his own to find a comfortable

spot at the base of twin crystals, one blue and one white.

The greatsword and magic sword were still strapped to his back as a small horde of

adventurers rushed up to him, shouting as loudly as they could.

"A powerful one, like those amazing magic swords I saw in the War Game!"

"You're one of the Crozzos, aren't you?"

"I heard they were cursed so they can't forge magic swords no more. All a lie, wasn't

it? They pack one hell of a punch!"

"I'll pay anything, just name your price! So come on!"

They formed a ring around him, pushing and shoving their way to the front with

exactly the same request:

"Make me a Crozzo Magic Sword!"

Most of Orario had witnessed the War Game through Divine Mirrors that had been

placed all over the city. Word that the legendary magic swords—ones from the actual

legend—were Welf's handiwork had made its way through the ranks of adventurers

like wildfire. Everyone wanted magic swords powerful enough to instantly turn thick

castle walls into piles of rubble. It was easy for them to work out that the smith in

question was a member of Hestia Familia.

"Bastards…"

He had many visitors after the War Game who made similar requests… but none were

as insistent or aggressive as these today.

Hestia Familia had come to Rivira—the maker of those swords was here. The only

residents of Rivira were adventurers, and all of them knew how to get information.

Word spread, and practically everyone in town wanted to have a word with the magicsword blacksmith.

Filled with greed, they came after Welf in droves, all begging him to make a magic

sword for them. The young man had had enough.

" Shut up, all of you!! I will never sell or give any magic swords away! Now tell your

cronies and leave me the hell alone!"

He drove the adventurers away, roaring in anger.

The earnest requests and rude replies shot back and forth, but Welf wouldn't budge.

Spitting in disgust and spewing complaints, the adventurers finally gave up when they

realized his will was as strong as steel, and genuine fear of the weapons strapped to

his back started setting in.

Haruhime and Chigusa also shrank back in fright. "Bastards…" he whispered again,

chewing on the word as his bad mood continued to get worse.

"…"

"…What's with that look, big guy?"

"Nothing… Want some of this honey cloud?"

"Why the hell would I?"

Ouka took pity on Welf and kindly offered a sweet fruit in an effort to cheer him up,

but the red-haired man would have nothing of it. The girls were definitely scared now,

which made him feel even worse, so Welf broke away from the group and set off to

find a place to calm down.

His usual friendly big-brother personality had disappeared. Now he was the lone wolf,

striking out on his own.

"Welf!"

"…Bell."

Bell found him once Welf had reached one of the most scenic points in all Rivira.

The smith had found a place isolated from the crowd. The boy walked up to him,

looking apologetic and scratching his white hair.

"Sorry, Welf. Sounds like everyone in town came to find you… The leader asked me if

he could talk to you, and I tried to turn him down, but…"

"…No, none of this is your fault. I knew this would happen long before we crossed that

gate."

He had been ready for it the moment he chose to use a magic sword rather than let his

friends' lives hang in the balance. Even so, his pride as a smith and his stubbornness

had come to a head, leading to his livid reaction.

"Don't apologize," he said with a forced grin to the boy who still didn't know what to

say. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"But damn, do they know any other words besides 'magic sword'…? Do they have any

shred of self-respect? The only things an adventurer needs is a reliable weapon in a

strong arm, that's it."

"Ah-ha-ha-ha…"

Bell's face relaxed as soon as Welf recovered enough to string words together.

"Speaking of that—of swords, anyway—that shortsword I made do all right?"

"Pretty good. It's not that hard to use, and it helped out quite a bit in the battle earlier

today."

Bell withdrew the shortsword from its sheath. The weapon in his left hand had a

longer reach than the knives he carried, so it was great to pick off monsters from a

safer distance. The blade sparkled in the light from the crystals overhead."Glad to hear

it," said Welf with a satisfied nod.

Just as a smile finally appeared on his face… a set of footsteps emerged from the

shadows.

The two of them turned. Welf's eyes bulged in surprise.

"Ha-ha-ha, aren't you popular, Welfy boy."

They could see a crimson hakama and battle gear in the style of the Continent. One

thick katana hung from the waist. A smith with long black hair tied into a ponytail. The

leader of Hephaistos Familia and the one who had jumped in to save the extermination

team, Tsubaki, walked closer.

"You—what do you want…?! Why are you even here?!"

"What's with you, Welfy boy? That how you greet a former boss and fellow smith? How

disappointing. Didn't I take really good care of you until you left?"

"Just answer me, dammit!"

"Hmph. Fine, then, but I'm answerin' the second one first. I've wanted to stretch my

legs in the Dungeon for far too long. As for the first… I came to make you squirm."

She grinned with a twinkle in her eye. "Go to hell!" Welf retorted, clenching his jaw at

the memories flooding back into his mind.

Leader of Hephaistos Familia, Tsubaki Collbrande.

Standing 170 celch tall, she was often mistaken for human. Although her mother was

indeed a human from the Far East, her father was a dwarf from the Continent, making

her half dwarf. Her wheat-colored skin had a healthy luster, and her breasts were

rather large despite being tied down beneath her battle cloth. She had all the physical

qualities to be a very attractive woman, but her free spirit and desire to enjoy herself

meant that she spent little time trying to act like a perfect lady. She always seemed to

be around Welf from the day he entered the familia, but that was only because it was

so much fun to tease him.

She still liked to poke fun at the young Crozzo smith, but back in those days she treated

him more like a child, occasionally helping out and giving advice, but mostly using him

as the butt of her jokes. It happened so often that Welf couldn't remember every single

time. However, he knew that other smiths in the familia referred to him as "Tsubaki's

toy" behind his back.

Even the time when he, Bell, and Lilly had been forced to make the life-or-death

decision to travel to the eighteenth floor not too long ago and Loki Familia had come

to their aid, Tsubaki had been a part of Loki Familia's expedition. Of course, she sought

him out, asking if he was lonely without her in the workshop. There was absolutely no

doubt that Welf was not very fond of her.

At the same time, Tsubaki was renowned in all of Orario, both as a smith and as a toptier adventurer.

The fact that she had achieved the rank of Master Smith rubbed Welf the wrong way.

Considering how she had treated him on a daily basis, the young man made every

effort to avoid her.

Welf frowned and tried to hide his face as Tsubaki gave Bell a short greeting, since the

two had crossed paths on the battlefield already. Then she turned back to him.

"Our goddess has been stuck in one hell of a rut since you left, Welfy boy. She's lonely."

"…That's a lie."

In truth, Welf was surprised to hear that. But he was quick to hide any reaction.

"Oh, but it's true," responded Tsubaki with a big-hearted nod. The twinkle was back in

her eyes and another grin grew on her lips.

Bell watched their conversation, not really sure if he should step in as he spoke up.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"It ain't that hard to figure out. Those two have a special connection… or somethin'

like that. At the very least, Welfy boy here has a thing for that goddess. Don't you?"

"Oi, cut it out! Why would I—?"

Tsubaki's grin widened the more frustrated Welf became. However, the young man's

face flushed and voice trembled as he shouted at her not to make assumptions.

As for Bell, he had never seen this side of Welf. Never once had he suspected that the

young man felt anything more than the usual reverence followers had for their deities.

The sudden revelation blindsided him.

Welf, on the other hand, looked away from the boy, unable to withstand Bell's visible

surprise. "Dammit…" he muttered with his hand over his cheek.

Then the young man said a few things like, "Cut it out already," and a few other saltier

expressions. Tsubaki chuckled to herself, shoulders jumping up and down—then her

aura suddenly changed completely.

"That's right, any old smith could fall for that blockhead of a goddess."

Her red right eye, opposite of the bandage, narrowed at Welf.

"As a deity, as a woman… and for her skill with a hammer."

Bell's and Welf's jaws dropped as Tsubaki continued.

"Welfy boy, why the hell didn't you use that magic sword from the get-go in the fight?

Why'd you refuse to make them?"

"You—you were there the whole time…?!"

"I thought you were past spouting all that rubbish 'bout not wantin' to make magic

swords?"

Knowing that Tsubaki had been watching him from the time they joined the battle's

extermination team made Welf gnash his molars together. She ignored the anger

appearing on his face and kept talking in a low, cool voice. Playtime was over.

The teasing ended and the interrogation was under way.

"Whether it's talent or blood, we as mortals can't come close to forgin' a supreme

weapon without pourin' everything we have into our craft. The dimwit you've got the

hots for is on a whole other level. You won't even reach her in your dreams this way."

The female smith's harsh words left Bell speechless. Welf, however, was fuming.

The goal that drove all smiths through their trials and tribulations, forging a supreme

weapon… Hephaistos had shown him what the realm of the gods looked like, but he

refused to take advantage of the blood in his veins to get there. Tsubaki touching that

nerve was far worse than any insult and made him retaliate.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do! I don't have a shred of interest in reaching the

supreme realm by forging magic swords! I hate the things!"

"…"

"I will get there doing it my way, you'll see!"

Welf's declaration that he would reach that height on his own terms without relying

on magic swords made Tsubaki's right eye squint to nothing more than a sliver.

Her glare then shifted to Bell—she was in point-blank range before he knew what was

happening.

Tsubaki moved so fast that the flat-footed Welf couldn't even see her. Bell forgot to

breathe.

All he saw was a blur, but that blur was her grasping the handle of her katana—with a

flash of murderous intent in her eyes. The boy's body reacted on reflex, bringing the

shortsword still in his left hand up to protect himself.

It was over in a flash. Tsubaki's katana came screaming out of its sheath and collided

with the shortsword, breaking it in half.

" "

Snap! Time stood still for Welf, the high-pitched metallic tone ringing in his ears as he

watched the blade he had forged come apart.

It didn't break; it was split.

A simple upward slash. There was no technique or anything fancy in her attack, just a

simple impact of blade on blade. And in that moment the blades collided, his skill as a

smith had lost.

The broken silver blade spun through the air in front of the two boys. Bell was

speechless. Welf was in shock.

Now it was Tsubaki's turn to lash out as the piece of the sword hit the ground.

"Was that supposed to be a toothpick?"

A bright blue sky was above; the town of Rivira was at peace.

But all that might as well have been another world entirely. The woman who stood at

the top of the smithing world maintained her cold tone even as her loud voice

resounded across the floor.

"Your own way? Idiot, at that rate you'll die long before ever comin' close to the realm

of the gods."

"…?!"

"Did becomin' a High Smith put a chip on your shoulder?"

The reality in her words pierced his very soul.

He had no intention of acting pompous. However, he couldn't deny that the feeling of

accomplishment and the pride he felt in carrying the title of High Smith had made him

lose a bit of his edge.

The woman's right eye was burning with an accusing glare.

"Smiths who make blades like that are a dime a dozen."

Tsubaki's voice lowered in anger as she delivered the final blow.

"Don't overestimate yourself, Welf Crozzo."

Beneath her anger, her words felt like a warning as well.

A heavy moment passed before she turned her back, ponytail whipping to the side.

Welf and Bell stood frozen in place as she took her first step away from them.

"You'll be gettin' payment for the broken weapon tomorrow."

Not bothering to look over her shoulder, Tsubaki left them behind.

Welf still hadn't budged. It was another several heavy heartbeats before he collapsed

to the ground next to the ruined blade. He couldn't take his eyes off it.

"W-Welf…"

There was no way the boy's words could reach him now.

All the challenges and hardships he had overcome up until now paled in comparison

to the shock he'd just received. Welf fell into the deepest, darkest pits of despair.

Light from the crystals above disappeared as "night" descended on the eighteenth

floor.

The joint party had decided to spend the night in Rivira.

Their weapons were in rough shape, and they had used a great deal of their items

during the fight against the Goliath—in truth, they were down to their last ones—so

rather than camp in the forest where the threat of random monsters was real, they

opted for the safety of the town. Deciding to have their mini-expedition another time,

the group searched for a place to sleep.

Though they complained about how all their preparations had gone to waste, the

group settled on an inn that was built into a natural cave.

Everything in the town of Rivira was expensive because the business owners knew

exactly what adventurers would need and that they would pay extra to get it. Despite

all that, this inn was remarkably reasonable. There were no obvious problems inside;

quite the opposite. With liger-fang fur rugs on the floor, magic-stone chandeliers, and

rooms complete with beds, everything looked to be in great shape. Considering the

other options, this place was definitely one of the higher-quality inns in Rivira.

And yet, the price was much lower…

"…Word has it that this is the very inn where an adventurer's headless corpse was

discovered…"

"A-are we absolutely sure staying here is the best idea?!"

"L-Lady Lilly, why not look into a different location…?"

"No, not possible. Every other place is too expensive. Lilly doesn't care what did or

didn't happen here, price trumps all. It's not as if the slain adventurer haunts these

halls…!"

—That gruesome incident was the reason that customers didn't come to this inn.

Haruhime, Mikoto, and Chigusa were visibly shaken as they raised their objections,

but they failed to convince the frugal prum to reconsider. Lilly put on a brave face and

went to check in at the front desk. The animal-man clerk nearly wept with joy at the

sight of his first customers in a long time.

So overjoyed, in fact, that he treated them to light snacks and wine. Once they were

done, everyone went their separate ways to get ready for bed. They had reserved two

rooms, one for men and one for women. The girls huddled together in their room,

doing their best to overcome the fear of what couldn't be seen by lying side by side on

the floor and trying to get some sleep.

Lights faded in the tents and shops around the town.

Only the bars remained lit. Drunken, jubilant voices filled Rivira as night descended.

"…"

Welf left the inn by himself and returned to the same vantage point where everything

had happened that "afternoon."

He could see the many sparkling crystals that dotted the townscape on the other side

of the railing, as well as the pristine scenery of the eighteenth floor even farther

beyond. The soft glimmer of the crystals far above reflected off the lake surface

beneath him like stars.

He hadn't exactly come back up here to take in the view, which was like nothing else

aboveground, but he admired it for a few moments until he realized he had company

and slowly turned around.

Bell had left the inn after realizing the young man had disappeared. Staying just out of

sight, he had followed him all the way to the vantage point.

"What is it, Bell?"

Welf did his best to sound friendly.

"Welf… I, um…"

"…"

"I… Ever since then… Even now, I prefer your…"

The boy had difficulty speaking, his mouth opening and closing awkwardly as he

desperately tried to convey how he felt.

But he just couldn't, after seeing the look in Welf's eyes. His own ruby-red eyes looked

away and he fell silent.

Somehow, he understood how the smith was feeling, as though he had been through

something like it before. He also knew that, in this state, no words would comfort him.

After looking left and right for a few moments, he walked up next to Welf.

The two stood side by side in silence, listening to the heavy voices wafting up from the

bars and looking out over the town of Rivira.

They were in the same place that the blade Welf forged had broken so easily.

"…Hey, Bell. Can I have a look at Lady Hestia's knife for a moment?"

"Huh?"

"Please."

Welf spoke up after a few minutes, making a request.

The boy stood there for a moment before nodding and removing the jet-black knife

from its sheath at his waist.

Welf took the Hestia Knife from his outstretched hand.

"Ahhh, damn… It really is a thing of beauty…"

His eyes followed the series of hieroglyphs that were carved into the blade surface as

a mixture of admiration and pain swirled within him. A dreary expression took over

his face.

The divine blade had nearly taken his breath away the first time he saw it.

The weapon itself seemed to dim the moment it left Bell's grasp. Welf had never been

able to figure out why until he learned that it was Hephaistos herself who forged the

blade.

That was its true worth. The skill of a god had gone into its creation. A skill that was

in a realm of its own.

A fresh wave of admiration for the Goddess of the Forge rose within him as he held the

weapon in his hand.

"…All smiths go through a rite of passage before joining Hephaistos Familia."

"…Like a ceremony?"

"Yeah. Every single one of us, no exceptions."

Returning the knife to its owner, Welf reflected on his own beginnings and explained

how he had first met Hephaistos.

He had run away from his birthplace, the Kingdom of Rakia, and was looking for a new

country to call home.

He had stumbled across a small town that specialized in metalwork and managed to

get hired as an apprentice, when who should walk into his shop but Hephaistos

herself. Not only that, but he caught her attention.

After he accepted her invitation, she brought him to a room at her familia's home and

his rite of passage commenced.

"All of us are shown one sword. Then we decide whether to join or not."

Just the two of them, alone in the room. Hephaistos had told him:

"If you don't feel it, go someplace else."

Then she'd opened the door to a back room. It was there.

A single sword on top of a pedestal.

The sight of that one weapon had sent chills down Welf's spine.

"—I was shaking. I could hardly believe that any human smith could ever make a

weapon like that."

Remembering the sight of the blade forged by Hephaistos's hands still gave him goose

bumps.

With her Arcanum power sealed and no other special Skills to speak of, the goddess

had used pure, refined techniques to forge that blade.

It was the sword all swords were judged against, the original, forged by the equivalent

of human hands. The absolute apex of what people of Gekai could achieve.

It was a divine work, a piece that truly belonged in the realm of the gods.

"It's the absolute. The best a human without any special Skill might hope to achieve."

Welf didn't look at Bell. Instead, his gaze was cast out over the town as his words

reflected the passion still burning inside his heart.

He couldn't help but smile as memories of what he saw that day came shining through.

"I want to make a weapon that surpasses it."

Welf clenched his right fist just in front of his chest.

Anyone who saw that blade instantly felt a connection with Hephaistos, a kind of love

for her to make them want to learn from her and eventually surpass her. Made them

want to reach out to the awe-inspiring goddess. Made them want to see themselves

reaching her realm and finding out what lay beyond.

It was a path far more difficult than anyone could ever imagine.

By comparison, his journey was far more strenuous and challenging than Bell's quests

to catch up with Aiz Wallenstein.

The boy's goal was the Sword Princess—also known as the Kenki—a mortal who

stood at the place where all adventurers wanted to be, among the best of the best. The

place where Welf wanted to be was among the realm of the gods.

It was a height that required far more effort and devotion to reach.

Surprise started to appear on Bell's face as he began to understand the depth of Welf's

ambition. The redheaded smith's gaze was locked on his clenched fist.

"…I want to make it… or at least I did."

Shadow covered his face as his head drooped.

—"We as mortals can't come close to forgin' a supreme weapon without pourin'

everything we have into our craft.

—"The dimwit you've got the hots for is on a whole other level. You won't even reach her

in your dreams this way."

The High Smith knew the limits of his ability.

She, who stood at the top of the smithing world, was a monster in her own right

recognized as Hephaistos's leader.

She, who knew his goal lay even further beyond, understood.

But today, she'd driven that point home to a painful degree, as well as made it clear

how much he wasn't needed.

After all, he was but one smith trying to challenge a god, dreaming a legendary dream.

Was it absurd?

Was it as Tsubaki said, and he would never reach his goal without taking advantage of

the detestable blood in his veins?

Without being a magic-sword blacksmith, would he ever be in the same realm as

Hephaistos?

"I…"

Bell watched as Welf looked up at the dark blue sky of the labyrinth.

The next day.

Hestia Familia and Takemikazuchi Familia left the eighteenth floor.

After spending a little bit of time in the middle levels recouping their financial losses

from the fight against the floor boss and spending the night in Rivira, the joint battle

party made it back to the surface just before nightfall.

Some of them went to the Exchange; others went directly back to their gods to inform

them about what had happened in the Dungeon. Everyone went their separate ways

in Central Park. Welf went off on his own, walking through the city streets under the

dark red sky.

The buildings on either side of the street were filled with boisterous voices and well

lit by magic-stone lamps. Adventurers, just back from the Dungeon, shared their

stories of bravery with other patrons, staff members, or anyone who would listen.

Bards used an array of instruments to fill the bars with upbeat melodies as listeners

sang with jugs of ale in their hands. Even the prettiest women working at the bars got

in on the act by dancing along with the music. Everyone was smiling, laughing, and

having a good time.

Welf passed through the lively crowd without saying a word. No one said hello to him

as he passed by on the edge of the street. It was as though no one noticed he was there.

He hadn't seen Tsubaki since their heated conversation.

Her words, however, had never left. Still lingering in his ears, they dragged him into a

whirlpool of anguish every time he let his guard down.

"Dammit," he groaned, and shook his head. He'd been asking himself the same

questions over and over since last night but had yet to come to any conclusion.

Despite the fact that, in the end, there was only one answer.

Frustration on the rise as his spirits sank, Welf looked at his feet as he walked. His eyes

did nothing more than trace the stone pattern of the pavement as it passed beneath

him.

He drifted to the west, the last rays of sunlight illuminating his jacket, when suddenly…

"—Welf."

He heard a voice he couldn't believe.

" "

Welf froze on the spot. Eyes widening, he quickly turned his head toward the voice.

For a brief moment, he was sure something was wrong in his head, that he was

hallucinating and it was just a figment of his imagination. But sure enough, he could

see a faint outline in the shadows of an alleyway beside him.

The shadows swirled as if swishing a cape in front of the motionless Welf and moved

farther into the alley. An invitation, no doubt.

Welf followed without any hesitation.

Oi, it can't be, why would—?

He made his way through the narrow alleyway.

More and more new questions filled his mind every moment, sending his thoughts

into turmoil.

Why would he be here?

His pulse quickened. The thumping of his heart against his ribs was too loud to ignore.

Anxiety threatened to overwhelm him as he pursued the cloaked figure even deeper

into the winding alleyways of the city—until, finally, the shadow came to a stop.

They were somewhere in the backstreets. Litter scattered about the road; lively voices

drifted from the bars off in the distance.

The cloaked figure turned to face Welf as he stood in a completely deserted and

narrow path. Then it lowered its hood.

"It's been a long time, Welf."

The face of a middle-aged man who looked far older emerged from the hood. The

unusually large number of wrinkles covering his face made his age difficult to

determine. His brown hair, long for a man, was tied behind his head. His eyes spoke of

years of hardship, trials, and tribulations. There was no luster, no strength in his gaze.

Welf couldn't believe what he was seeing as he looked upon the aged human who was

a mirror of himself, showing what he would look like in a few decades. Then he spoke

to him.

"Old man…?"

The person in front of him was none other than his real father. They had the same

blood running through their veins.

Wil Crozzo.

Welf had severed all ties with him seven years ago. This man should be nothing but a

part of his past.

A citizen of Rakia, he was the current head of the fallen family of blacksmith nobility,

the Crozzos.

"Why are you here…? Why would you be here?!"

"Does that need an answer, foolish boy?"

Welf struggled to control his trembling voice. Wil cast his weary gaze on the young

man.

He clenched his jaw.

Just as the man had said, the obvious answer was right outside the city wall. Thinking

wasn't necessary.

Everyone knew about the 30,000 troops currently fighting with Orario's Alliance.

The man in front of him belonged to the army of the divine king who came from the

West.

Welf's blood boiled as he pieced everything together. This man had snuck into the

Labyrinth City as part of the Rakian invasion.

Don't tell me…?!

The reason that Wil came into the city, the reason that he'd sought him out, the reason

that Rakia wanted to attack in the first place .

The young man's father watched the expressions pass over his son's face and stated

his purpose.

"Welf. Forge magic swords for us."

"…!!"