Even though Tsubaki had secretly harbored a malicious assumption that Lucian was just so pretty boy gigolo her goddess had picked up off the streets, she wasn't the type to judge a book by its cover. She preferred hamring hot steel over navigating political drama, but she wasn't entirely devoid of social awareness. Hephaestus let out a quiet sigh of relief, genuinely believing she had successfully played it off. In reality, Tsubaki had simply chosen not to call her out and make things weird.
"Oh, right! I ca here to show you this blade," Tsubaki said excitedly, pulling out a dagger and handing it over.
"Good quality, though there is room for improvent." With a single glance, Hephaestus analyzed every microscopic detail of the weapon.
The raw materials used, the forging techniques applied, the subtle structural flaws... absolutely nothing escaped her. For the Goddess of Forging, deconstructing a weapon's craftsmanship with a re look was basic instinct. Even with her divine power sealed, her legendary appraisal skills remained razor-sharp.
"Understood. It seems my skills still have a long way to go." Tsubaki sighed dramatically, snatching the dagger back, ready to sprint to the forge and hamr out the imperfections.
But just before she vanished from sight, Tsubaki hit the brakes. She threw a glance over her shoulder, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
"Lady Hephaestus, rember that your physical stats are restricted to mortal levels right now. Please don't overexert your body, okay?"
Leaving that bombshell hanging in the air, Tsubaki bolted.
Hephaestus stood paralyzed for a solid three seconds. Then, her face flushed a furious shade of crimson as she reached out a desperate hand.
"You've got it all wrong... Let explain!!"
Staring at the empty hallway, Hephaestus looked like she was ready to crumble to dust. Tsubaki wasn't a gossip, so the goddess didn't have to worry about the rumors spreading, but the sheer social mortification was agonizing. Tsubaki, anwhile, was likely having the ti of her life, cackling all the way back to the workshop at the adorable, flustered expression she knew her goddess was making.
"What did she an by 'don't overexert your body'?" Lucian asked, playing the fool.
"It's one thing for Tsubaki to tease , but you too?!" Hephaestus swiftly chopped the top of Lucian's head, her embarrassnt morphing into defensive anger.
Did he really think she was dense? She could easily tell when soone was playing dumb.
"Ehehe~" Lucian tried to play it cute to escape her wrath, but his mind involuntarily wandered back to her figure.
So huge. I an, so pale. No, wait, so long.
Just looking at his face, Hephaestus instantly knew he was reminiscing about their awkward morning encounter. Perhaps it was a sense of shared destiny, or the simple fact that he had looked at her cursed eye without an ounce of revulsion—whatever the reason, she harbored no real anger toward him. Just a crippling amount of sha.
"Follow ." Taking a deep breath, Hephaestus squashed her embarrassnt and led him down the hall.
She pushed open a door, revealing a spartan, completely barren room.
"This will be your room from now on. We'll make a naplate for you later," Hephaestus announced. "I'll give you an allowance shortly to buy daily necessities. Get used to it, because this is your ho now."
"Thank you," Lucian replied, genuine gratitude in his voice.
"Hmph." She huffed, finally regaining her composure. "I don't know what kind of pampered life you led before, but now that you're here, you play by this world's rules. Do you understand?"
"I know. 'Adapt to local customs,' right?" Lucian said. He wasn't stupid; he fully understood that his past life was irrelevant now.
"'Adapt to local customs'... An interesting phrase." Hephaestus nodded approvingly. "Now then, ti for your painfully delayed entrance interview. What is your dream?"
"My dream... well, whatever I wanted back ho doesn't matter anymore. As for what I want to achieve in this world... let think." Lucian paused for a mont. "To put it simply, my first goal is to get stronger."
Just as I suspected, he has no interest in blacksmithing. "I won't force you to dedicate your life to the forge, but you must learn the fundantals," she declared. "That is my bare minimum requirent for you."
"No problem. I'm actually quite interested in forging," Lucian replied smoothly.
And it wasn't a lie. He was interested in blacksmithing, just as he was interested in hoof trimming, rug cleaning, sheep shearing, barnacle scraping, antique restoration, and ancient engineering. If they gave him a hamr right now, he'd gleefully start smashing things. The fact that Hephaestus wasn't forcing him into a rigid career path, only demanding a basic understanding of the craft, was incredibly refreshing.
What an amazing boss.
"Once we get your essentials sorted, I will provide you with a one-month living stipend. After that, whether you choose to stay at the forge, tag along with other blacksmiths to the Dungeon, or dive into the labyrinth solo—that's entirely up to you." She crossed her arms. "But you only get one month of support. After that, you're on your own."
Free-range managent. Got it. If he were a normal recruit—even an otherworldly one—she would never be this lenient. But Lucian was a freak of nature; tying him down to standard Familia regulations would only stifle his imnse potential. Giving him complete freedom was the optimal strategy. He was the master of his own fate now.
Blacksmiths still had to dive into the Dungeon. After all, the Developnt Ability 'Smithing' could only be unlocked at Level 2. Possessing that single ability was the absolute dividing line between amateur tinkerer and master craftsman. As long as he didn't actively sabotage his own career like Welf Crozzo and get shunned by the guild, partying up with veteran smiths for a Dungeon run was standard procedure.
"Any questions?" Hephaestus asked.
"If I'm learning to forge, who's going to teach ?" Lucian asked.
"I will," she stated flatly.
The Hephaestus Familia was massive; a patron deity personally ntoring a Level 1 rookie was practically unheard of. It was a glaring sign of just how highly she valued him. Lucian had absolutely no reason to complain.
"How about we start tomorrow?" Lucian suggested. "I can spend this morning buying my gear and getting a feel for Orario and the Familia, and then I'll use the afternoon to experint with my magic."
"Acceptable." She nodded in agreent. "Co along. Let's finish today's paperwork, and then I'll take you shopping."
They left the bare room and headed straight for the Familia's administrative office. After blowing through a mountain of boring registration forms, Hephaestus finally led him out of the compound and into the city.
The very first thing that dominated his vision was Babel, piercing the clouds above. Even on Earth, such a monuntal structure was a rarity, let alone a tower that had been standing for a thousand years. The massive, cylindrical pillar shot straight into the heavens, its diater easily stretching over a kiloter. It was a breathtaking sight.
"By the way, I know your magic is handling the translation for now, but you should seriously consider learning Koine," Hephaestus suddenly advised.
"Are you going to teach ?" Lucian raised an eyebrow playfully.
"Fine," she agreed.
Gods rarely had an abundance of free ti to waste on language lessons, but for soone with Lucian's potential, bending the rules was well worth the investnt. Having privileges showered upon soone else was annoying; hoarding those privileges for himself was intoxicating. Lucian was riding high.
Trailing behind his goddess, Lucian's first stop was the Pantheon—the Guild's towering headquarters—to finalize his official registration, before finally hitting the streets for a brutal shopping spree.
User Comments
0 comments from readers