CHAPTER 89(To Carry Dreams)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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CHAPTER START---

---Tower of Babel, Welf's Forge...

After Yang and Thalie had left his shop, Welf couldn't help but stare at all the materials before him.

Boxes of Orichalcum and adamantite, the stronger drop items from their expeditions, Rok Ingots and Udaeus Ingots that Yang just dropped off.

"Never figured I'd get such high-end stuff, but then again..." his eyes drift to the small boxes of items he forged for Thalie, "never thought I'd ever make those either, he really turned everything upside down," the smith says with a smile.

He can finally make something to impress his goddess, earn her praise and her affection with it. All the pieces are right in front of him, now he just had to work harder than ever before.

---3 Days later...

Welf was slumped over on the floor of his forge.

Everything he tried had broken apart before he could even cool the metal.

Magic swords bent and broke, the items he managed to complete had to be melted back down because of their defects.

He knew what he wanted, but the Blacksmith skill was a fickle thing. Knowing what you'd like to make is one thing, but being able to envision it in meticulous detail during the crafting process.

Imbuing it with your own will as it's forged under your hammer, focusing on it all the way to completion, was already a daunting task.

Add the fact that his mind simply couldn't comprehend the scale of the task he chose; a creation that would impress Hephaestus herself.

The mortal mind can't fathom such a challenge. Everything fell apart as his blacksmith skill activated. It was impossible, he believed with high-end material he could accomplish his goal, but now he knows better. Since her descent to the lower world, not a single person had made anything that impressed her, now he understood why. Everyone in this world that dreams to be a great smith had this goal, all failed, he was just another failure.

"What do I need? Materials... inspiration... maybe perspective... experience?" his questions quietly permeated the empty forge.

He was at a loss, so he did what so many have done before, he broke, he gave up.

'I'll have to try when I'm better, much better than I am today, whatever that means... I'll let her decide,' he thinks to himself.

Raising his head, bloodshot eyes still pouring tears down his face. He wipes them away as he forces himself to stand, he had a job to do, both his friends were out working their asses off to prepare for the next expedition.

Yang was in the dungeon, Thalie was training more than ever and doing tasks for Hephaestus. He couldn't be left behind, he couldn't be left further behind.

10 Rok Ingots.

4 Udaeus Ingots.

6 Adamantite Ingots.

12 Orichalcum Ingots.

4 Fire Dragon Fangs.

1 Gold Dragon Fang.

2 Firebird Feathers.

One by one these materials were prepared, delicately handled as if he could even break them accidentally.

Heated and melded together, broken and reshaped into a blank slate.

The strongest alloy he's ever had the honour of making, impossible without the help of his new friends, he only had one way to show them how he felt.

He can't fly around or advance as fast as Yang, he isn't a born warrior like Thalie, but he's a smith, and a talented one at that.

He can make something to bridge that gap, no matter how little it helps.

*CLANG*

His hammer strikes the iron as he shapes it.

*CLANG*

He can make something strong enough to support his dreams.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to carry all their dreams.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to descend into the hell below Babel without failing.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to protect his friends.

*CLANG*

Strong enough for Thalie to stop the bloodshed of her familia.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to save the children suffering under her god.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to cast a shadow over his bloodline.

*CLANG*

Strong enough so he doesn't slow down his friends.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to see Yang returned home.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to keep moving forward.

*CLANG*

Strong enough to never break.

*CLANG*

His hands stopped, numb and bloody from all the hammering and shaping. His face haggard and worn down, noticeably thinner. The strength in his arms almost failing him as his clothes stick to his sweat-soaked skin.

The metal before him glowed white-hot. Hotter than the forge could make such materials. Hotter than it had any right being.

He couldn't feel his arms, barely had the energy to move a muscle, but he instinctively knew what had to be done.

The metal was white-hot, two blades, if they could even be called that. Where the straight 4ft blade of the longsword would be, there were two rectangles with squared edges. Each a few millimeters thick, an inch wide with a one-inch gap between them, both connected to the same hilt at their base.

Even the top where one would expect the point to be ended in a flat rectangle. But still, Welf smiled, he knew in his heart that this creation was perfect.

Gripping the white-hot handle, the metal burnt his hand, his blood becoming vapor as he grits his teeth and channels magic into the item.

The metal rapidly cools in his hand, burnt into his flesh because of the sheer heat.

A singular black piece of metal is revealed once the heat dissipates into the item. Two 4ft rectangles for blades with an inch wide gap between them. No sharp tips at the end of them and connected to a forked hilt. All one piece of Durandal, yes, Durandal.

He'd done it, the absolute first of its kind, an unbreakable Magic Sword.

As he pours more magic into it, the inner walls of the rectangular 'Blades' become blood red, a dark crimson, he knew what it meant. His eyes soften as at the base of one blade the Hephaestus familia sigil appears in the same blood red. Two smithing hammers crossing each other with a small flame between them.

His thoughtful gaze shifts to confusion however as a new sigil appears on the other blade, both facing him.

Three hands raised within an ornate circle, one wielding a smiths' hammer, another with a spear, and between them, a hand with a flame in its palm. A small smile appears on his face as he realizes what this means, he'd given his team a sigil born from his desires. The Trifecta now had a sigil.

Inspecting the weapon, he saw the same sigils on the other side of the blades as well, their order reversed so Hephaestus's was always on the left blade.

"I did it, this... will see our goals to finality," he mutters to himself as he peels his burnt palm away from the weapon.

Taking a few moments, he meticulously inspects and appraises every part of the weapon. A full appraisal will have to come when he's more rested, but right now he couldn't resist.

*BANG*

The door to his forge almost flies off the hinges. His head whips around to see Tsubaki standing not far away, trying to catch her breath as she stares at the weapon in his hands. He had no words.

"What...did...you...do," she says between shallow breaths as her eyes never leave the item.

Only a few minutes later Welf finds himself in Hephaestus's office, his creation on her desk as the goddess stares down at it. Tsubaki sitting to his right as they both wait nervously, the half amazon cyclops was almost bouncing off the walls with excitement.

"What's wrong?" His confusion was apparent, both women looked at him as if he was a moron.

"You didn't feel it?" Hephaestus questions as she stares daggers at him.

She only received a more confused look in response.

"Welf, everyone with the Blacksmith ability felt it, whatever THAT is..." she points at his creations, "shouldn't exist, at least that we know of. It's something completely unknown. I ran all the way from one of our shops across the city just to see what the hell happened," his captain explained.

"That explains why outside my forge was so crowded, there wasn't any room to even walk..." he mutters out in a tired voice.

"How long did this take to make?" Hephaestus questions as she begins writing up a report on the item.

"I think, a day? I spent three days starting when Yang was... suspended, from Babel. But nothing worked, on the third day, I started this. Then I just kept going until it was done, it felt like I'd just fail again if I stopped, I couldn't stop..." he says while staring at the item.

"Welf, that would mean this took 12 days..." Tsubaki reveals, earning a startled look from the young man.

"That explains why I feel like I'm starving..." he says quietly, his stomach had been demanding food since they left the forge.

"I'm done appraising it, you sure you don't wanna eat first and get some rest, this might be a bit much," the goddess says, concern and worry plain in her voice.

"I can't wait, please tell me," he takes a deep breath and leans back into his chair.

"Congratulations Welf, you took the top spot away from Goibniu familia for most high-value adventuring equipment."

Her words are punctuated by the silence in the room. The top spot hasn't changed in years, since the time of the Zeus and Hera familias ended, Ottar's Supreme Black Sword has held the number one spot at 410 Million Valis, this was serious news.

All high threat items were required to be reported to the guild, this was their system for regulating adventurers. Only stronger people can get enough Valis for such items therefore they only had to keep an eye on those at the top of the economy.

"Shit..." was all Tsubaki could muster as she stared at the weapon in disbelief.

"That, wasn't my intention..." he says softly, all the years of trying to achieve this goal. And now he does it accidentally, he was conflicted about how to feel.

"And what were your intention?"

"T-to make something strong enough for us to achieve our goals. Something that can carry dreams..." he says, still in shock from what was just revealed.

"Well, if this is what your soul thinks it'll take, you've got a long road ahead of you," the goddess says as she leans back into her chair.

"W-what?"

"You made a magic sword, a magic sword with the Durandal property..." she adds.

"WHAT?!" Tsubaki questions, rising to her feet as she looks between Welf and his creation.

"Seems like it is possible, as hard as it is to believe, if I wasn't looking at it I'd exile you for such a lie, but this... an unbreakable magic longsword that becomes stronger when you channel magic into it, amplifies fire element attacks and who knows what else. It has the Breath property, I didn't even know anyone but Tsubaki or a god could do that..." she explains.

"Breath?"

"It means the weapon is essentially alive, it grows with you," Tsubaki explains.

"Living weapon..." he mutters in disbelief.

"I was only able to make a small dagger, but this, a full dual-bladed longsword, unbreakable and amplifies magic. Insane," his captain mutters.

"I'll have to contact the guild to update the smithing leaderboards..."

"Um, should I, a LEVEL THREE, be walking around with that?"

"It's not like anyone else can use it, you added two conditions for use, look..." she says while pointing at the base of the blades, tapping on the two sigils.

"Those?"

"Yup, it means someone has to be in my familia and part of what I assume is your team in order to use it, if Tsubaki swung it then it's just an unbreakable club, useless," she explains with a shrug.

"That... I didn't know smiths could do things like that..." he says in disbelief.

"You look like you're gonna pass out Welf, let's get you some food and sleep. I still need to write a report to the guild so it'll be here when you return," his goddess says, nodding to Tsubaki.

Welf just nods along with her as he tries to process what the hell just happened, 12 days standing and hammering away to create it, but it felt like barely an hour. An unbreakable living weapon, insane. Only usable by his team with his familia falna, absurd. His world was flipped so many times today alone.

As Tsubaki opened the office door for him, his goddess called out once more for him.

"WAIT!," this got both of them looking at her, "What're you gonna name it, I need it for my report."

"Hmmm, The Dream Chaser; Mōsōka. That's why I made it," he says with a small smile.

"Not bad, keep this up and you'll be a good smith someday, " Hephaestus compliments with a pleasing smile.

Welf's heart was hammering in his chest at her words, that's the closes he's ever come to receiving a full compliment. Years of making items for her and he got nothing, this was progress. Maybe one day he'd finally impress her.

As Tsubaki saw him to his apartment in babel; a courtesy extended to all Hephaestus's High Smiths plus Yang and Thalie. He could still feel Mōsōka, he could feel it tugging on him, pulling him toward it. It felt as if they were connected, a connection that couldn't be broken. He could look at the wall and know that if his view wasn't obstructed, he'd see his greatest creation.

Welf obeyed his goddess and took care of himself, he'd gotten into the habit of keeping ration bars around, they worked as quick meals to give him more smithing time. Yang's influence was really changing the way he operated. Wolfing down a cherry-flavored bar and drinking some water, he took a quick shower and dove into bed, a smile on his face, proud of his accomplishment.

Minutes later Tsubaki returned to Hephaestus's office, opening the door to see the woman waving the sword around as she looked it over.

"So... care to explain why you lied?" Tsubaki questioned as she took the sword, giving it a closer look.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh please, 'On your way to becoming a fine smith,' that was bullshit and you know it Hephaestus. Why'd you lie?"

With a deep sigh, the goddess realized her captain easily saw through her.

"Because it was the right thing to do..." she tries to convince herself.

"Mhm, sure. Part of me felt like if I wasn't here you'd of tried to mount him right then and there... so what made you choose not to?"

With a deep blush, unable to meet her captain's eye at the partially correct accusation, Hephaestus decides to enlighten the mortal.

"This...is the first item he brought for me to appraise that he made without even considering me..." she says softly, looking at the sword with an elated expression.

"And... that makes you, happy?"

"Yes... when I appraised it, I saw his desire, I FELT his passion, his NEED to carry the dreams of his new friends. I was never part of the process of making that sword. All he thought about was whatever dreams they share, if I told him that he was worthy of me now, if I derailed this path he's set on. How could I ever live with myself..."

Tsubaki had never seen Hephaestus look so conflicted. Her face shone so brightly when she spoke about Welf and his creation, but a bitter sadness took over when she explained her choice. An entirely new respect formed in the captain for her goddess, respect for a woman that would put aside her wanting for love, so that she wouldn't be a distraction.

"I hope he doesn't keep you waiting too long..." was all she could say while enveloping her goddess in a tight hug.

"The only man in a thousand years on this world...the things we do for love..." the goddess mutters as she lets her tears flow.

Later that day the guild posted a new notice, one that everyone with the Blacksmith ability knew would be imminent as they'd felt it earlier.

---Notice Start---

Name: Welf Crozzo

Alias: Ignis

Familia: Hephaestus

Item Class: Weapon

Rank In Class: 1

Description:

Supre Grade Magic Sword Mōsōka; The Dream Chaser. FURTHER INFORMATION IS RESTRICTED.

Appraised Price:

INFORMATION RESTRICTED.

---Notice End---

Needless to say, Orario was in a uproar, smiths all across the city felt both inspiration and despair at the news. It didn't take much thought to realise why the guild would restrict information about a MAGIC SWORD. No other weapon had information restricted, this weapon was one of a kind, a true priceless item.

END CHAPTER---

It's shaped like a black rectangular tuning fork with the inner walls blood red.

Welf out here making gains.