Chapter 9: Joining the Hephaestus Familia

Time, it was the first morning of the seventh day upon arriving in Orario.

At the entrance of the Hestia Familia, Qie Shaoyun was dressed in a pure white shirt on the upper body, paired with khaki linen pants on the lower body, and wearing black boots on his feet.

He nudged the blacksmith next to him with his elbow and asked, "Older brother Kait, do you think my outfit is suitable?"

Kait, who was the blacksmith Qie Shaoyun had met a week ago, looked slightly speechless.

"A qualified blacksmith usually wouldn't wear white clothes."

Just as he finished speaking, a woman's voice suddenly interjected from ahead, "Except for the Supreme God, of course!"

Hearing this voice, Qie Shaoyun and Kait both turned their heads to find the source.

The woman slowly walked out of the Hestia Familia, her upper body only covered by a bandage, revealing a wheat-colored skin tone. She had a black eyepatch over her left eye, and her hair was tied into a black ponytail.

"Captain!"

Recognizing the person's appearance, Kait respectfully called out to the captain.

This person was none other than the captain of the Hestia Familia, Tsubaki Collbrande, the first-level adventurer in Orario and the strongest mortal blacksmith with a Level 5 status.

While Qu Shi Yun curiously observed her, Tsubaki Collbrande also scrutinized him.

"So, you're Qie Shaoyun. I heard from Kait that you're quite strong." Approaching the two, Tsubaki raised her hand and lightly patted Qie Shaoyun shoulder, seemingly with moderate force.

But only he knew that the pat from Tsubaki carried at least 500 pounds of strength.

Despite Qu Shi Yun having a strength stat of 9, the pat made his legs bend, almost causing him to sit on the ground.

Upon witnessing this scene, Tsubaki's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "Impressive, young man! You must have innate divine strength!"

"Just with this level of strength, you're probably close to the peak of a Level 1 adventurer!"

Speaking as she talked, she pinched Qie Shaoyun arms and bones.

"Not bad, not bad. You're indeed a promising material for forging."

Releasing her hands, Tsubaki took a step back.

When she looked at Qie Shaoyun again, her eyes were filled with satisfaction, but she said, "To become a member of the Hephaestus Familia, we still need the approval of the Divine. Lord."

"Kate, you can go back now. I'll take care of the rest," Tsubaki turned to Kate beside her.

Kate had done everything he could, and before leaving, he could only pat Qie Shaoyun shoulder as a gesture of encouragement.

Watching him leave, Tsubaki then spoke to Qie Shaoyun.

"Follow me to meet the Divine Lord."

After saying that, she led the way back into the Hephaestus Familia.

Taking a deep look at the buildings within the Familia, Qie Shaoyun took a deep breath; the results of a week's effort were at stake today, and he wouldn't allow even the slightest mistake!

Taking strides, he walked quickly to catch up with Tsubaki ahead.

Hephaestus Familia, the Divine Forge.

Qie Shaoyun followed Tsubaki into the room and saw a woman with wine-red short hair who was focused on measuring something with a ruler.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that she was measuring data on blueprints.

"Divine Lord, I have brought the person," Tsubaki reported as Hephaestus, dressed in a white shirt, slowly set down the measuring tool in her hand.

During this time, Qie Shaoyun remained silent, standing behind Tsubaki.

"Tsubaki, wait outside for a while," Hephaestus calmly instructed.

"Understood, Divine Lord."

Once the door to the forge room closed, Hephaestus turned her gaze towards Qie Shaoyun.

"You are called Shaoyun, right?"

Facing a deity who had lived for billions of years and possessed knowledge beyond imagination, all Qie Shaoyun could do was empty his mind and try not to think about anything other than joining the Hephaestus Familia.

"Yes, Divine Lord," Qie Shaoyun replied confidently.

He walked out from behind the table, and Hephaestus crossed her arms and half-sat on the table, her uncovered left eye scrutinizing the young man before her.

"Can you tell me why you want to join my Familia?"

In the presence of a deity, mortal lies held no meaning.

So Qie Shaoyun answered with utmost sincerity, "To be honest, my main purpose is to become stronger."

"Perhaps the Freya and Loki Familias could provide better growth opportunities for me, but I am confident that even without someone guiding me, I can still rapidly develop."

"Therefore, rather than adding a feather to my cap, I choose the Hephaestus Familia, which can provide me with greater assistance in terms of equipment."

At this point, Qie Shaoyun paused for a moment.

"Additionally, I have a personal interest in forging, and I hope that you, Divine Lord, will allow me to join your Familia!"

As Qie Shaoyun words fell, silence filled the entire forge room.

It lasted for a while before...

Hephaestus, with her arms crossed, spoke softly.

"It seems you have great confidence in yourself, so... can you give me a compelling reason?"

Qie Shaoyun had already thought about this question beforehand. However, he didn't rush to answer Hephaestus as it would appear too superficial.

After silently reevaluating his own value, he took a deep breath and firmly replied, "In the near future, I will do my best to minimize the casualty rate among the Familia members due to material collection!"

Upon hearing this response, Hephaestus stared at Qie Shaoyun with a serious gaze. After about ten seconds, a smile finally appeared on her face.

"I understand your intentions. However, as a member of the Hephaestus Familia, forging is an essential skill."

"So, for the next month, I will assess your forging skills, and there will be consequences if you don't meet the standards."

Realizing that Hephaestus was allowing him to join the Familia, a genuine joy appeared on Qie Shaoyun face.

"Thank you very much, Divine Lord, for giving me this opportunity!"

Seeing Qie Shaoyun bow in gratitude, Hephaestus stepped forward, gently helping him up and speaking in a soft tone, "Being a part of the Familia means being like family, so you don't need to be so reserved in front of me."

"Hmm... Where are you currently staying?"

"I'm temporarily staying at the 'Hostess of Fertility'."

"Oh, I see."

"That place is indeed nice, but since we belong to the same Familia, it's necessary for everyone to live together. I'll have Tsubaki arrange a room for you later."

"It's still early now. You can go back and move your belongings to the Familia. Later, I will enter into a contract with you and bestow upon you the blessings of the gods."

Qie Shaoyun had no complaints about this arrangement, as it would save him thousands of valis in accommodation fees every day.

"Understood, Divine Lord. I'll go and move my belongings now."

After Qie Shaoyun walked out of the forge with a hint of excitement, Tsubaki, who was guarding outside the door, walked back in and looked at their divine lord with an inquisitive tone.

"Divine Lord, did you notice anything?"

Compared to the boldness she displayed among the Familia members, Tsubaki's attitude became noticeably more serious when facing Hephaestus.

"He's a promising young man."

"Although he seems to be deliberately hiding something, his desire to join the Familia and his genuine interest in forging are not fabricated."

"Tsubaki, take care of this child."

"Yes, Divine Lord."