Personal preparation

English is not my first language so you might find some mistakes in the translation of the chapter.

This chapter has been translated by various means in order to obtain the best result, so you may find some simple or normal wordings.

If you find any grammatical error or misspelled word, please feel free to correct it or write a recommendation to improve the story. Your support would be appreciated.

Enjoy the chapter.

xxxxx

A day like any other in an office of one of the many Familias in the Dungeon City.

In the place were a prankster Goddess, a Noble Elf, a Pallum with a confident character and finally a quiet and friendly Dwarf. They were the executives of the Loki Familia and their respective Goddess.

As on other occasions, the meeting was of utmost importance for the future of the Familia and they would discuss what they would have to do next as a Familia of exploration.

Although it may seem that the Familia is guided by the four of them, Finn makes the majority of decisions.

Finn is the Familia Captain, Riveria is the Vice Captain and Gareth is a Senior Executive. They are all Senior Executives, but Finn and Riveria are in a much more important position.

Loki was there as a Goddess and because her wit is to be envied when she is determined of what she wants to do.

"So there's going to be another expedition, that's what they're saying, right?"

"Of course. Although the time that has passed since the last Familia expedition is little, the last one was more of a resource gathering than delving into the dungeon"

"That was the reason we took quests to find certain minerals and objects from the dungeon"

"You guys always struggle" the Deity murmured.

"Hm, no need to worry Loki" Finn commented calmly "We always try our best to grow and try to make everyone get experience"

"Safety first" Gareth nodded "I don't want to know that we send people without sufficient strength. Expeditions are not just to obtain materials, it also helps the growth of the younger members"

"I will have to update the status of my children before the next expedition" Loki slumped in her seat, feeling her hands shaking from the effort she will be making in the future.

"Then get some proper rest and stop slacking off" Riveria lectured Loki who pouted "Still a little while to go"

"I really wanted to do it as soon as possible" Finn folded his hands and placed his chin on these "We got some good loot from the last expedition. Raul did a good job trading the materials we got"

"That means we just need a few days to get everything ready and go to the brig" Riveria summed up Finn's words.

"Exactly" the Pallum nodded calmly "That's why I called them so we can give notice and prepare"

"Won't we alert the Guild?" Gareth asked. Expeditions were a fundamental part of a Familia of exploration, but sometimes the Guild took them into account as necessary to maintain a status.

"It will be done, but not for the moment" Finn explained "It is not our duty to tell the Guild what we will do. We decide our next step, if it were another dungeon situation it might be important to let them know"

"Heh, don't mess with us" Loki laughed disdainfully.

"So, that would be it?" Riveria asked looking at Finn.

"Sure" Finn replied calmly "Somehow the work of the Familia members coming back was more productive and we have this opportunity, so it's just us left"

Riveria nodded and Gareth laughed, they both withdrew leaving Loki with Finn. For Loki who knew how to take a situation to her advantage and understand mortals, she understood that there was something about Finn.

"What's going on?"

"As perceptive as ever" Finn sighed lightly "My thumb twitched when I thought of the expedition"

"Even if you decided it would be done" Loki placed her hand on her chin to ponder "Anything you have to tell me about this?"

"The times my thumb trembles are because something dangerous is going to happen, but this time it was similar to a warning" Finn placed his thumb close to his face "The dungeon has something in store for us and I wish to see what it will send us"

"Hehe, this will be interesting" Loki's eyes widened slightly as she had a big smile that characterized her and would make many sweats with nerves.

Finn smiled and continued with his work, the paperwork didn't do itself.

xxxxx

New problem, however, the problem was more of a chore.

It seems that we will again go on an expedition to the dungeon and this time the Familia will try to go beyond the 50th floor.

I adjusted the scarf I had with me. Ever since Tsubaki created it, I haven't taken it off. For some reason, the scarf is comfortable, very long and not too flashy.

It is of a deep black color, literally if I leave it under a good shadow the scarf is not going to be seen without a good vision and that is already a lot. Balor was a figure that put authority in front of his enemies.

If I were to face him directly I would lose, only with Finn's orders we are able to eliminate him without having to retreat constantly because of his destructive attacks.

I still remember when I first faced the Goliath. I considered that Floor Boss very powerful and unbelievable, but when I went further down in the dungeon I understood that there were more powerful creatures in the deep.

My recklessness remains despite having gone through a great diversity of events that made me mature mentally much faster.

I can't deny it, but I'm still young. I am 14 years old, almost 15, however, in this world laws are something else and at this age it is not uncommon for someone to be in a relationship.

The life expectancy of adventurers is very low due to the danger of this profession, but this is not all the information. In any part of the world the life rate is lower because of the danger of the existing monsters.

People who face danger die very young, for that reason it is normal that at my age adventurers experience a life full of luxuries and satisfactions of their own.

I am no exception.

I've also let myself get carried away with the amount of stress my body accumulates in the dungeon. It's not easy to get rid of stress but doing what the body wants to vent is a good way to get rid of it.

In particular, having masturbation at any time and having sex with someone else are the quickest ways I discovered and I use them when I see the need.

My companions have their ways, but I don't have much patience to do what they do. For example: Bete goes to drink and sleep all day after a big fight.

Loki finding out what I did... I don't know how she found out, but she kept teasing me that she would take care of me if I let her. According to her, it would make me feel like heaven.

I considered it, however, I refused.

I can't imagine what it would be like if I did it with her and seeing her every day reminded me of that event. Another thing is that she doesn't know that I already did it with someone else and I'm not as pure as she thinks.

Riveria doesn't know either, or rather, she doesn't know anything about these kinds of things I do. When something happens to my body I consult with her. I still remember my first period... I never thought it would be so bad.

That aside I'm on my way to try out my new scarf and try to get used to my sword. It sounds weird, but not managing my sword for a while makes me feel a little weird when I use it again.

It happens commonly, it's like a mental warm-up to express myself better in battle or something like that is how I've learned it.

Well, let's see how my new accessory dungeon is doing.

xxxxx

Dungeon Floor 26, also known as the second line. Floors 25 to 27 are called The City of Water because of the number of water-filled areas.

One of the many places our white-haired girl enjoyed roaming around on her own and performing certain tests to get results on things Riku wanted to know, at this time the scarf.

Riku was afraid, she was a person like others, so she also felt fear, but her fear was not towards the monsters she faced. Fear will always exist, however, it will not act the same on everyone.

She was heading towards the battlefield with the certainty that she would win. This was because the monsters on this floor were no match for her, so Riku felt confident in what she was going to do.

If they were deeper floors, Riku wouldn't even enter them by herself, and even less without a plan. There are enemies with poisons that could kill you in a matter of seconds or worse, those poisons could take time to kill you and you would be in agony.

Riku has already suffered from those poisons quite some time ago. When she was level 2 she did not have [Abnormal Resistance] so she must have gone through the negative effects she suffered from the monsters.

It was only until she moved up to level 3 and was able to gain that ability that the ease of the intermediate and deep floors became much easier. Now it was not necessary to carry as many antinodes for some poisons.

Anyway Riku walked carefully through the corridors of the dungeon or rather the large areas because the space of the floors was considerably larger the further down you went.

It is said among First Class adventurers that the 37th floor has the size to encompass all of Orario or a little more because it had not yet been fully explored.

In fact, Riku once wanted to learn cartography to make her own maps and succeeded at first, but when she went further down the situation was different and much more complicated.

The dungeon was also right to be called a labyrinth. Riku literally almost cried from suffering at not being able to keep up with her personal maps. She did it to note places where she could safely fight or collect materials from the dungeon.

Being an adventurer is only easy at the beginning and even then the risk of dying is high in the first few floors for the less experienced.

Riku remembers when she was almost seriously injured when she fought for the first time against Goblins and since that day she goes all out. No matter the opponent, if necessary she had to disintegrate them to ensure death.

The monsters appeared and Riku placed her hand on the handle of her sword. Carefully she moved to a safe position and inspected them.

Merman and Lamia, those two monsters, were forming a group. Riku checked the area noticing that there was nothing to bother her more than the monsters, of course it's possible that the noise of combat would attract unwanted attention.

Lamias were female-looking monsters that had a body from the waist down like a snake with a large tail and the upper part resembled a woman's body.

The Merman were humanoid monsters that were covered with blue scales, their hands could wield some weapons or manipulate complex objects. These monsters travel in groups and are led by a Merman Leader.

To defeat them easily it is necessary to kill the leader first to disorient the others.

Riku always compares monsters with similar monsters, as it is common for monsters to have similar attack patterns, but this is not always the case. Deep monsters are bolder and are more complicated to fight against.

She watched as the monsters growled at each other. Apparently it was a territory dispute, it was not uncommon for the monsters to decide to keep some space and sometimes fight among themselves.

Riku smiled slightly.

"Gospel"

*Poof*

The magical attack hit the leading Merman, eliminating him, causing the monsters to start screaming in chaos at the death of the leader. Riku quickly ran towards the Lamias and attacked them.

"Wragh!"

As expected, they noticed Riku, but it was too late. The Lamias were decapitated, but not only that. Riku was too fast, so the Lamias simply died without being able to defend themselves.

The Merman joined the fight when they knew who was responsible for the death of their leader.

Riku blocked with her sword the attack of one of them. Using her foot she spun around and hit the head of one of them with a kick, breaking it. Before falling she swung her sword cutting several of them who were rushing towards her.

Suddenly a tail wrapped around Riku's hand, the one without a sword. She looked at a Lamia that had done so but noticing that the Lamia could not move it from its position, Riku smiled warmly.

The Lamia who saw how her attack was useless tried to escape, but Riku grabbed her by the tail and lifted her up effortlessly. Eventually, Riku began to spin in circles with the Lamia hitting the monsters near her.

The monsters were pushed by the force of the collision, others died and the Lamia that was used as a whip ended up torn to pieces, the tail being the last thing that remained intact.

Riku jumped towards a Merman and took him as a shield. She turned around noticing that others were about to tear her apart, so she put the captive Merman in front of her, who received the attacks.

Despite that, the Merman was not torn apart by her scales, which almost entirely blocked the monsters' attacks. She threw the body hitting several Merman and quickly cut them down with her sword.

The speed of the monsters was very low compared to Riku. This was because the standard level in these floors was level three and Riku was level five.

Level 2's can only go up to level 27 because beyond level 28 onwards it is mandatory to be level 3. Level 2's are usually supports or go with some level 3's to fight together with less risk of dying.

Riku crushed the head of a Merman and looked at the remaining Lamias, then she thought of something.

Grabbing her scarf from one end, Riku held it tightly and flapped it in the wind.

*SLAP!*

Like a whip, the scarf hit the Lamia in the face, but it didn't just hit her, it completely cracked her head as if it had exploded.

Before this, Riku noticed that despite serving as a shield, it can also serve as a makeshift weapon in case she loses her main weapon or when she gets into trouble.

Riku finished with the remaining monsters while releasing the contained air. Breathing is the key to body movement and control of the body, so in combat it is necessary to control the breath so as not to waste energy.

The magic stones shone brightly in a dark area. These would dazzle more, but the natural light coming from some plants or gems in the dungeon provided the necessary light.

Otherwise, the adventurer would need to bring a light with him/her so as not to walk in the dark. The good thing is that adventurers have good eyesight in the dark thanks to the falna so it was not always necessary to carry a light source.

Riku arranged her scarf around her neck satisfied with the recent combat and calmly set about picking up the stones.

Riku's personal expedition was a complete success.

xxxxx

"Really?"

"Y-Yes. Lady Riveria communicated to us about the new expedition, however, you were in the dungeon, so it will be two days from now"

"It can't be..."

"I'm so sorry Miss Riku"

"Just Riku"

"Sorry"

I sighed at Lefiya's behavior and how she apologized for everything. It reminds me of my past self, but I was only doing it out of politeness, Lefiya does it out of shyness.

About the expedition... I don't know what Finn thinks, but the decisions he makes are not stupid. If I were to compare my intelligence with his, I would be stupid.

Or I already am, but I got used to it and don't take it into account.

"So, is there anything else I need to know?"

"Um" Lefiya played with her fingers with an embarrassed look "Could I...?"

"Go ahead say it" I resisted a sigh noting that it's hard to change Lefiya "Whatever it is if you don't say it you can't deliver"

"Can I train with you?" Lefiya murmured with a blush.

"Oh" I blinked a little seeing how Lefiya was shaking a little waiting for my answer. She definitely blushes so much that sometimes I think how her face doesn't change color "Sure"

"Really?!" Lefiya exclaimed in surprise.

"Sure" I shrugged "It's not like it's a problem and it's worth stressing that this way you can tell how powerful your magic is so far"

"Hm!" Lefiya nodded with a determined expression and a beaming smile.

We both headed to one of the dungeon floors. The space was on the upper floors because there were no monsters to interrupt us and so we avoided doing a lot of traveling for something we were going to do very quickly.

Lefiya doesn't fight with a weapon like I do, so her highest stats are magic and a bit of agility... truth be told that's what I think because she hasn't shown me any more advancement besides magic.

"All right. We'll do it as usual"

"Huh?"

"Attack me with your magic"

"Eh!" Lefiya exclaimed in surprise and her eyes widened as she heard me "That..."

"You don't have to worry" I shook my shoulders slightly "Remember I can nullify your magic, so it depends on how much power you have, that's what I will demonstrate by striving to nullify it"

"I-It's okay" Lefiya murmured and placed her staff in front of her to close her eyes and start chanting "Lightning bolt unleashed, bow of the sacred tree"

This is where the excitement begins.

"You're an expert on the bow"

Lefiya is physically weak, but in magic she is another situation.

"Shoot, sniper of the fairies"

Her magic makes her a very powerful adventurer, with her destructive and versatile ability.

"Penetrating, absolute precision arrow"

A single attack can take down experienced adventurers.

"Arcs Ray!"

For me, it's just one more thing in life.

The magic condensed into a point when Lefiya finished chanting. Without waiting for anything, the beam of magic shot straight at me at a high speed. I caught a glimpse of Lefiya's worried look, but I was calm.

"Ataraxia"

One word was enough. With my open palm I received the attack directly with only my outstretched hand. The magic worked instantly and the damage was nullified.

The magic disappeared every time this one hit me, I was actually kinder in this training because if I took it seriously I wouldn't even let Lefiya sing.

Lefiya, seeing how her attack disappeared, tried to increase the flow of mind in her attack, however, her effort was useless. The seconds passed and little by little the light ended up disappearing, giving an end to the ray of magic.

I stood still as the smoke came out of my palm, but there was no damage to me. Lefiya sighed when it was over, however, she was not discouraged rather she already expects this result. After all, it's not the first time I've done this with her.

Riveria would always put us together to train. Lefiya would use her magical attacks on me and I would nullify them, Lefiya would practice her chanting and I would strengthen my magic.

In fact, what I like the most is to avoid that when Lefiya finished chanting I nullified her magic causing her effort to be discarded. I liked watching Lefiya pout in annoyance, however she learned from that.

My magic is tricky and I like that.

"I felt it... quiet"

"I did what I could" Lefiya replied embarrassed "If I put any more I thought I might hurt you badly"

I repressed a sigh and looked at Lefiya "Miss Rivera had already told you as long as you are not able to overcome my magic with yours, then you should not worry about me, rather worry about not getting better"

"But-!" Lefiya kept silent as I raised my hand.

"Lefiya, which Familia are you a part of?"

"Huh?" Lefiya stood still as she heard me "I don't understand"

"We are not weak. Each member in the Familia has a strength that makes them unique from the others, it may be small or it may be striking" I explained calmly "You have your magic, which is what has made you instrumental in expeditions against large groups of monsters"

"Um" Lefiya's ears drooped slightly "But... I'm not like Lady Riveria and I'm always afraid" Lefiya tightened her grip on her staff.

I said nothing but walked over to her and tapped her on the forehead with my finger. I used just enough force to make it hurt a little.

"Ouch!" Lefiya touched her forehead gingerly "Why was that Miss Riku?!"

"Every time you get depressed, remember where you are and how you got there" I smiled softly "You are a level 3 adventurer, but you have supported with enemies much stronger than you, so be proud of that"

Lefiya's pout gradually disappeared and a smile of appreciation was formed by her.

"Good. Get up and let's continue, we have to increase the capacity of your mind and it will be by hook or by crook"

The first words gave Lefiya an inspirational boost, but after hearing the last Lefiya's smile twisted slightly. She felt a shiver as she saw Riku's hand shake slightly.

Lefiya took a deep breath and sang again.

xxxxx

The hours in the dungeon had passed. Riku and Lefiya occasionally trained, but Lefiya studied more instead of training physically or magically.

It could be said that a mage's mind needs to be calmed and the knowledge for this type of art is vast, so study is constantly increasing and more so as Lefiya is an Elf and her teacher, Riveria, is one as well.

For Riku it was only studying when she needed it and that was a few years ago when she knew literally nothing. Now she is already a connoisseur of things in general, some more than others.

Riku and Lefiya were heading towards a familiar place, which could give Riku what she was looking for. The journey was being led by Riku and Lefiya was following her like a helpless duckling that could be kidnapped.

In fact, Lefiya was magically strong, but physically she was not. Just because Lefiya is a level 3, she can go at a high speed and use significant strength, but she is not quite sure about that.

A level 2 can even surpass Lefiya in these areas if his/her parameters were in a very high state. That's why mages usually go behind or beside other adventurers, to support and protect in unexpected moments.

Riku gazed at the entrance and looked at Lefiya who was looking around. They were in the part of the city that belonged to the Blacksmith Familia, Hephaestus.

Lefiya watched it all in awe because she rarely visited such places and as an Elf she doesn't really enjoy that lifestyle full of sweat and toil in the forge, Riku thought it was classism, however, she learned why.

It's more like race characteristics. Elves are delicate and polite with their actions, but dwarves are crude with what they do. This causes a natural enmity between the races, causing them to not have a good relationship with each other.

"Sorry for the intrusion"

Riku opened the door without worrying if the person inside was busy. She always did that and the owner told her it was no problem. The one who did look worried about the lack of politeness was Lefiya.

"Haaa! What's this supposed to be? You can't expect that guy to put your artwork in the corner"

"What does that mean? My creations are of decent quality and very good for my level of blacksmithing"

"I understand but..." Tsubaki sighed "If you forge a magic sword, everyone's respect for you will increase considerably and they will pay more attention to your other creations"

"I'm not going to create a magic sword!" the other person stated in annoyance "If they think that just because of my last name I will do those things, then they are a farce of blacksmiths"

"Hahaha! As expected from you Welfy!"

"It's Welf"

"Um, did we interrupt something?" Riku asked looking at Tsubaki and the other man in the forge. Lefiya stood behind her trembling.

"Ah, if it isn't one of my best customers" Tsubaki smiled "You don't need to worry. I was just looking at the works of one of my students"

"Who is your student?" The man spat with a scowl "You were the one who called me to bother me about the forge"

"You see" Tsubaki affirmed and Riku held back a sigh "What do you wish for? I don't see you that often unless you're looking for ideas or need something urgently"

"We are going on an expedition soon or rather in a few days and I wanted to see if you could forge me a magic sword or sell me one from your repertoire"

"Uh, I see" Tsubaki placed her hand on her chin "If someone like you who denies magic asks me to give you something magical, the thing is serious"

Riku shrugged her shoulders as if it was something normal "The truth expeditions are always dangerous, so I can't depend only on me, I also need more factors to help me with my victory"

"I understand" Tsubaki nodded and looked at Lefiya who gave her a shy nod as she hid behind Riku "I actually have someone who knows more about magic swords than I do"

"Really?" intrigue filled Riku and she couldn't avoid asking.

In Orario the blacksmiths recognized for their first-class works are very few. There is Tsubaki as the best level 5 blacksmith, below her are the other lower-level blacksmiths.

The best-known Blacksmith Gods are Hephaestus and Goibniu, although the latter focused more on craftsmanship, he also forged first class weapons. The Loki Familia had contracts with both Familias.

So to hear Tsubaki say that there was someone much better than her at creating magic swords was surprising.

"Do you know who it is?"

Tsubaki smiled cheekily and pulled the boy standing near her into a hug, or rather simply glued his head to her chest. "It's this one here"

Riku blinked curiously and looked at the boy.

An adult male with short, short, spiky red hair, his eyes were dark blue. He had a blue scarf around his neck and his attire was similar to a kimono with a brown belt tied around his waist.

"Is it true?" Riku asked the boy.

"That's a lie. I won't forge any magic swords ever again" the man declared looking away in annoyance.

"Come on, don't be like that" Tsubaki tightened her grip causing Welf to try to escape "His name is Welf Crozzo and he comes from a family of Blacksmiths who create magic swords"

"Inherited ability" Riku muttered looking at Welf who shook his head in mild pain to which Tsubaki released him "My name is Riku, nice to meet you"

"Yeah, whatever" Welf didn't mind the greeting "I won't forge any of that"

"Eh, too bad" Riku shrugged as if she didn't care getting a look from Welf "What's wrong?"

"Heh, she's not like everyone who calls you" Tsubaki explained with a big smile "If you don't want to do something, then that's where the situation will remain, but also don't demand something from her if you want to look good"

Welf said nothing, but only looked at Riku with a not so kind look, however, it was not so hostile either.

"Mr. Welf, why don't you want to forge a magic sword?" Riku asked calmly, however, there was someone else who was not okay with the situation.

"You... you had said Crozzo, right?" Lefiya asked interrupting in the conversation.

"Tch, yes" Welf stated with irritation "That's my last name and don't call me sir just Welf"

"So you're from that demon's family of magical swords!" Lefiya spat with hatred "Your swords are to blame for the destruction of countless elven forests!"

Welf took a step back at Lefiya's outburst, but Riku placed her hand to stop the Elf from advancing any further "What's wrong Lefiya, what things are you talking about?"

"I will explain why I think she will only say things that incoherent with that anger" Tsubaki cleared her throat "Years ago there was an aristocratic family. The family had the ability to create magical swords with unimaginable power"

"In fact, the weapons were considered better than spells, making their power known and feared throughout much of the world. Many Elven forests disappeared because of these weapons, as it was said that they could even burn the sea with a single attack"

Riku was instantly astonished to learn the latter. Many would consider that event magic, but Riku knew that the boiling caused by it must have a powerful flame power to affect the sea itself and evaporate it.

"Hey little Elf" Tsubaki pointed to Welf "This man here left the Crozzo clan so your hatred is not towards him"

"Tch. That's why I don't like to talk about it"

Lefiya was about to speak until Riku stopped her "Why do you hate him?"

"Because...!" Lefiya gritted her teeth.

Riku sighed and explained her point of view "Your hatred is stupid" Lefiya looked at Riku in disbelief "I understand the history of the Elves, but he is not guilty, in fact all that happened many years ago that I remember"

"Still, his hatred of magic swords shows that he has nothing to do with that hatred of the Elves and anyway he probably wasn't even born back then"

"Hahaha! As always you find reason to things" Tsubaki shook her head "Yes you are right. The Crozzo clan lost the ability to create magic swords one day, so their prestige went down, but still the fear remains"

With the explanation, Riku nodded while Lefiya was still holding back her frustration.

"Why don't you wish to forge a magic sword?" Riku asked Welf calmly.

"I will not create weapons that will be destroyed and abandon their owners" Welf declared decided "A magic sword will simply be destroyed and will not prove the value of blacksmithing"

"A waste" Tsubaki muttered with disdain. The views on her and Welf were different, so she didn't value Welf's decision very much.

"Then, why don't you create a magic sword that won't break?"

"...What?" Welf looked incredulously at Riku "What nonsense are you talking? A magic sword that doesn't break is an impossible thing"

"However, you have a natural ability to create them, you simply have to look beyond what is in front of you"

"A long time ago I knew a craftsman who had already given up his own to live a peaceful life. He was never someone good at what he did and barely knew the basics, but his words carried more weight than I would consider seeing in someone like him"

"In every piece a craftsman creates, a soul is created with it and you can't call yourself an expert if you don't respect that soul" Riku chuckled lightly "And if you meet someone who is disrespectful to that soul, then hit them over the head with all your might"

Tsubaki and Welf looked as if they had taken a direct hit. Riku was literally insulting them politely.

"Each blacksmith has his/her own way of forging, but in the end they all have the same goal of creating an heirloom that stands by his/her side"

"Who was this old man you speak of?" Tsubaki asked earnestly.

"Uh, actually it was the first time I bought my clothes. There was a buckle belt that no one wanted and when I asked him he said those words. I consider craftsmanship similar to blacksmithing because they both put effort into their creations"

"Still..." Welf bit his lip and Riku found a similarity in him to someone else.

"I'm not telling you to hate something you were born with because they will be with you until the end of your days. Become one with it and adapt it to you as you see fit"

'Like my aunt'

Riku's aunt hated her talent, but she used it until the end of her days, with hatred, but she used it and that was what annoyed Riku because everyone supported her aunt, however, she did not want to improve.

"And if you're a blacksmith, then you just need to improve that flaw" Riku smiled softly.

"Hah. A magic sword that won't break, how unheard of"

"I guess someone already gave up" Riku scoffed.

"What are you saying?" Tsubaki narrowed her eyes at Riku, but she was not intimidated.

"You are the best blacksmith in Orario, who is not a god, but you already gave up just like that, but the one behind you is thinking about my words"

Indeed, as Riku had said Welf was seen to have an internal dilemma, however, Tsubaki had abandoned the idea from the beginning.

"Heh" Welf chuckled lightly "I appreciate your words, but I still won't forge a magic sword"

"Meh" Riku shrugged and looked at the work Tsubaki inspected when she arrived "Did you do this?"

"Ah, yes" Welf scratched the back of his head in embarrassment "It's for the adventurers, but the one who checks the place where the works of the beginning blacksmiths are displayed puts it in the corner and no one sees it"

"Hm" Riku took it and inspected it carefully so as to snap her teeth in frustration "Did you say you arrived a year and a half ago or...?"

"Something like that" Welf shrugged.

"If I were a level one I would try to create a contract with you"

"Huh?" Welf opened his eyes in surprise.

"Don't even be surprised. This is some of the best armor I've seen for a dungeon starter. Good job"

Welf said nothing, but nodded, still analyzing that someone at a high level would praise his work.

"Well, leaving aside Welfy" "Welf" Tsubaki ignored him "You wanted a magic sword right?"

"Yes" Riku looked at Lefiya "Ready to pick" sheepishly, the Elf girl nodded causing Riku to laugh and Lefiya to pout.

"I take my leave and... Thank you for your words" Welf left Tsubaki's forge.

Lefiya looked at Riku, but she shrugged her shoulders as she followed Tsubaki to see what swords they could use in the dungeon.

The Elf looked at the door and thought that sometimes judging others without knowing their history was wrong.

Too bad she would forget her words when someone else went after her golden yearning.