[POV: Luki]
On the count of three, I yanked the cloth with all my strength, as if I were revealing a lost treasure. And, to be honest… that's exactly what it looked like.
There it was... the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in this world.
An armor.
But not just any armor. My armor!
I can't explain why it made so excited, I just know there's sothing primitive and wonderful about the idea of wearing tal, wielding a sword bigger than yourself, and going out to slay monsters in ultimate drip.
And no, it wasn't one of those fantasy armors, full of flowing fabrics and plates that barely cover the body just to look stylish.
It was real armor. Realistic. Heavy. Sturdy.With a functional, simplistic design, yet with a raw beauty that scread power.
— I… I can really keep this? — I asked, trying to hide my childish excitent, but failing miserably.
— Who else would it be for? — Tsubaki shrugged. — It was tailor-made for you, weirdo.
Before she even finished her sentence, I was already carrying the entire stand with the armor in my arms, running like a child who had just gotten their dream toy.
— And there he goes again… — Tsubaki muttered, crossing her arms. — Didn't even look at the sword the lady forged so carefully.
— What did you expect? — Hephaestus said with a sly grin. — After trying almost every armor in the warehouse, it was obvious what he'd do.
— I just don't understand how soone can like armor so much…
— n, my Daughter… n. — Hephaestus sighed.
...
I was already in a pure trance, testing each piece with the care of a craftsman and the excitent of a boy. It was as if every piece was screaming inside my mind:
'Put on…'
The first piece was the gambeson, a padded jumpsuit with long sleeves and a high collar, made of multiple layers of thick fabric, stitched together until firm.
It's not pretty. It doesn't stand out. But it's indispensable for any real armor. Without it, all the tal protection would turn against .
The gambeson absorbs impacts, prevents chainmail or plates from crushing bones on impact, protects the skin from friction, and serves as a solid base for the rest of the armor.
Making one of these takes days, easily. Miles of heavy fabric, stitched until compact. And even then, a full set weighs about 4 to 6 kilos and costs around 100,000 valis—cheap compared to the rest of the armor, but still painful for a beginner adventurer's pocket.
Oh, and it's like a furnace on sumr... and it's sumr now. But without it, I'd just be a walking sardine can.
— It's pretty comfortable, but a bit tight…
Next ca the chainmail.
I held that piece with respect. To many, it's just an iron shirt. But when you understand the "Lore" that goes into making one, admiration is unavoidable.
It was made of thousands of steel rings, all interlinked in a one-to-four pattern, each ring connected to four others. Kiloters of wire, twisted, cut, and linked one by one. Days and days of work.
And in my case, Tsubaki hamred each ring individually for better quality. I didn't ask for that, but she refused to do it any other way.
It wasn't just a shirt: it ca with long sleeves, pants, gloves and a mail coif. A coif is like a hood that left only the face exposed. Full protection. Even before the iron plates ca to be, this was enough to keep a knight alive. There were wars where soldiers fought wearing nothing but this.
Altogether, between the shirt, pants, glovess and coif, it was about fifteen to twenty kilos of steel. And considering that 100 valis equals 1 dollar, in my head, a set like mine could easily reach 1,000,000 valis depending on the material. Surprisingly cheap for sothing that requires so much tal and manual labor.
And needless to say, mine was made from the highest quality steel.
— It's much heavier than it looks… in the Naruto, it seed almost like a normal shirt.
And finally, the piece I had been waiting for, the true charm of any armor worthy of the na: the plate armor.
I rember sticking to the TV in the living room, watching shows like Saint Seiya or playing gas like Skyrim. Those characters, wrapped head to toe in shiny, heavy tal, exchanging blows that shook the ground, protected by layers upon layers of steel… nothing could stop them.
It was my childhood dream to wear one of those.In practice, the closest I got was a cardboard armor—detailed and realistic as far as scissors and glue allowed—for a cosplay event.
Those were good tis… but these are much better.Because the child inside , the one who wanted to grab a sword, wear their armor, and roam the streets fighting evil, has returned.And this ti… they can.
...
[A few minutes later]
Hestia, Hephaestus, and Tsubaki waited together while Luki fought a private battle against buckles, straps, and tal plates.
— Ugh… why is he taking so long, huh? Even i don't take that long to change my clothes. — Hestia complained, throwing herself onto the table and pressing her chest against the wood.
— First: you don't have enough clothes to take this long. — Hephaestus replied without rcy, drawing an indignant groan from the goddess. — Second: do you think putting on armor is simple? Usually, a soldier needs one or two squires for that.
— Exactly. — Tsubaki added, crossing her arms. — If armor can be put on alone, it ans it has weak points. And on the battlefield, those weak points will be exploited.
— Huh?! And why didn't anyone tell earlier?! I would've helped! — Hestia retorted.
— Nah… let the brat handle it. — Hephaestus said, half-smiling. — Soon enough he'll co asking for help.
— Speak of the devil, look at him! — Tsubaki said, amused.
The three turned to see an almost comical scene: Luki peeking from behind a wall, showing only his head and a few fingers, with a clearly pleading look.
— I can't do it alone… — he muttered.
Hephaestus and Tsubaki exchanged knowing glances and started laughing quietly. It was clear they had been expecting this mont.
Hestia, on the other hand, sighed at his state. She stood promptly, walking toward him with a defeated expression.
— What am I supposed to do with you, huh? — she muttered.
But before she could get close, Luki interrupted her:
— Not you… her. — he said, pointing with his eyes.
— Huh? — Hestia stopped, confused, and looked back. Following his gaze, she realized he was referring to Tsubaki, who was enjoying the scene imnsely.
The goddess's brain took a few seconds to process it, but when it did, her face hardened completely. Hestia's eyes narrowed as she stared at the blacksmith's generous curves, covered only by bands.
Hestia's face stiffened in anger.
— Her?! Why do you want her to help you and not ?! What makes her better than at this?! I'm your goddess! — she exploded, suddenly seized by jealousy.
Before she could continue her tantrum, a hand landed on her head, pushing her back onto the bench.
— Don't worry, I got this, little one. I promise I won't bite. — Tsubaki said with a mischievous smile.
— I wasn't even thinking about that! I'm not going to let you two stay alon- — Hestia was ready to pick a fight, but another hand pinned her head and held it in place. Again.
— Stay quiet.
Hephaestus, impatient with his goddess-sister's tantrum, simply lifted her by the head like a rag doll. Effortlessly, he walked to the table and placed her back on the bench, completely ignoring her protests.
— Stay there and don't move.
— This is abuse of power… — Hestia muttered, puffing her cheeks like a sulky child.
anwhile, Tsubaki adjusted the band covering her chest and walked to Luki with confident steps.
— Co on, weirdo. — Tsubaki said with a playful smile, clapping her hand. — I promise I won't let you get stuck in this can.
Before Hestia could open her mouth to complain, the two disappeared behind the partition.
Soon, the forge's silence was broken by a chaotic symphony of noises:
CLAC! CLAC! — buckles being pulled.VRRRRIP! — leather stretched to the limit.CLONG! TIN! CLANG! — plates banging against each other.HFFFT! — Luki letting out a grunt of effort.
— Hold tight! — Tsubaki shouted, muffled.
— I'm trying, but it won't go in! — Luki replied, clearly desperate.
CLAC-CLAC-CLAC!
— Ow! You pulled my hair! —
— Not my problem, nobody told you to let it grow this long! —
VRRRIP!
— My hair isn't that long! You're just tightening too much!
— You just don't know how to handle straps… — Tsubaki teased.
— It's the strap that doesn't work with ! — Luki groaned theatrically.
Outside, Hestia drumd her fingers on the table, her eyebrows rising higher and higher.
— What the hell are they doing in there…? — she muttered, puffing her cheeks.
Hephaestus, on the other hand, just smiled in amusent.
— Are you done in there yet? — Hephaestus asked, amused.
— Co on, Luki! — Hestia shouted, banging on the table. — Get out already, I want to see how it turned out!
— Just a sec! I'm almost done with him! — Tsubaki shouted from the other side, apparently exerting effort.
…
After a few monts, there was a brief silence, followed by a dramatic sigh.
— Ready…? — Luki's voice ca, loaded with theatricality.
Hestia practically leaned forward, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Then, with heavy, asured steps, he erged from behind the partition.
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