Although Hephaestus didn't really understand the significance of the word "Terraria," the mont Drake saw the transcribed description of the skill, he was already grinning from ear to ear—
as long as he crafted weapons and armor he hadn't made before, he could raise his status values.
It was basically a way to get stronger while lying down!
As for the later parts of the skill description, since he still didn't know how they worked in practice, he set them aside for the ti being.
"Whatever. Judging by how happy you look, it must be a pretty good ability."
The goddess glanced at him, then handed him sothing.
"This is the key to a shop in Babel Tower. Starting now, you have the right to use it free of charge for one year."
"For that year, all rent and maintenance fees are waived. After that, you'll have to start paying."
"You already know the rules for conducting business in the Familia's na, so I won't repeat them."
This was the reward for participating in the Molten Festival, and also Drake's original goal.
After saying farewell to Hephaestus, Drake returned to the interior of the colosseum and found Ais still waiting where he had left her.
In the middle of the lively crowd, she seed like an isolated island, watched from afar by adventurers who didn't dare approach.
"Is there anywhere else you'd like to look around, Miss Ais?"
Ais shook her head slightly and glanced at the Blade of Grass in her hand.
"This is enough."
Apparently, this had beco the thing she was most satisfied with today.
After all, the whole reason she had accepted Drake's invitation in the first place was to look for a spare weapon.
"Ten million valis. I'll gather it as soon as possible."
That was the "suggested retail price" Tsubaki had given for the Blade of Grass.
Compared to the Desperate, which had cost forty million valis, the price of the Blade of Grass was much lower.
Although it had several special properties, the weapon's own raw strength—that is, its base damage—was a bit lacking.
For mid- and low-level adventurers, it could be called an excellent little divine weapon.
But against the deeper-level monsters below Floor 40, it would start to fall short.
Drake understood that well enough, so he had no objection to the price his captain had nad.
That said… he had never intended to charge the Sword Princess in the first place.
"Adding to your debt at a ti like this would be a bit too heartless."
Smiling, Drake made a suggestion.
"How about using it to offset tuition instead? What do you think?"
"…Tuition?"
Ais blinked, a hint of confusion showing in her beautiful golden eyes.
Her flawless face practically said, Please explain in more detail.
"As you can see, I'm a mber of the Hephaestus Familia."
Spreading his hands, Drake slowly laid out his thoughts.
"The Familia is full of craftsn whose heads are all occupied with blacksmithing. They're not exactly skilled at combat."
"And I don't have any teacher to teach combat techniques, so I've had no choice but to feel my way through it while risking my life."
"So…"
Before Drake could finish the last part of his sentence, Ais nodded without hesitation.
"All right. I'll teach you."
From Drake's words, she could feel his desire to beco stronger.
Unlike herself, who sought strength for the sake of slaying monsters, Drake seed to desire strength so he could conquer sothing.
Still, since it was for the sake of becoming stronger, she had no reason to refuse his request.
Drake had helped her a great deal, so repaying him was only natural. That was a very simple line of logic.
"Really?"
Caught off guard by being interrupted, Drake froze for a mont, then happily reached out his hand toward Ais.
"Then… I'll be in the Sword Princess's hands."
The blond girl looked into his eyes and reached out to shake his hand.
"…Mm. I'll be in your care too."
The Molten Festival was scheduled to end in the evening.
But since the two of them had no other business there, they parted ways at noon and said their goodbyes.
"There's still a lot to do next."
Sorting through the growing list of things on his plate, Drake couldn't help rubbing his scalp.
But the mont he thought about getting private training with Ais, his motivation ca flooding right back.
Although his request had indeed carried a bit of ulterior motive in terms of building goodwill, he genuinely did need to learn so combat technique.
Real combat wasn't like a ga, where all you had to do was click a mouse. It was real steel and real killing.
Relying on better equipnt to bully weak mobs wasn't difficult.
But when facing Terraria's boss-class enemies, there were no shortcuts or cheesing strategies. He would have to face them head-on.
Even though Drake did not fear death, he still couldn't accept the consequences of failing too many tis.
The death penalty alone would waste a huge amount of ti.
And summoning boss items also consud plenty of materials.
If he summoned one only to lose, it would be a complete waste.
The training ti he had arranged with Ais was early every morning.
If converted into Terraria's ti ratio, there was still nearly a full day left before the first lesson.
Before then, Drake still had many things to take care of.
The top priority was telling a certain freeloading goddess that… she finally had a job!
"I knew you could do it!"
After hearing the good news Drake brought her, the loli goddess practically jumped at him, clinging to him like a koala.
"Hehe, now that Hephaestus won't be able to call a freeloader anymore~"
"Um…"
Drake held up the goddess's smooth, fair legs with both hands, looking like he wanted to say sothing.
But Hestia was still so caught up in her excitent that she just kept talking to herself, dreaming aloud about her wonderful future.
"Oh, right—since it's a job, that ans I'll get spending money—my salary—right?"
"Mm, naturally…"
"Yes! Then I'll finally have freedom to buy snacks and novels!"
Feeling the soft sensation that ca from the embrace, Drake shrugged and gave up on trying to persuade the goddess to climb down.
"By the way, have you decided on a na for your shop yet?"
Once her excitent gradually faded, Hestia suddenly rembered sothing and asked curiously.
"A shop na? I really haven't thought about that."
Drake stroked his chin and considered it.
"Let's call it Adventurer's Ho."
"…That sounds more like the na of a tavern." Hestia couldn't help complaining. "Normally it'd be sothing like XX Equipnt Shop or whatever."
"My shop won't just sell weapons and armor."
Drake shook his head, a aningful smile rising on his lips.
Now that he had finally gotten a shop of his own, just selling equipnt would be far too boring.
He planned to put Lesser Healing Potions, Lesser Mana Potions, and even his infinitely burning torches on the shelves.
Those were the kinds of things that would actually be more useful to low-level adventurers.
"Whatever. It's not like I need to worry about that stuff anyway."
Seeing that Drake already had plans of his own, Hestia didn't keep pressing.
After all, it was Drake's shop.
She was only there to slack off—no, to work!
....
After going over a few more things, Drake left the abandoned church and finally returned to his little room.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll be moving out of here."
Looking at the room he had lived in for several years, Drake couldn't help feeling sentintal.
The shop Hephaestus had given him was fairly large, and it even had two floors.
The first floor would serve as the shop itself, while the second floor could be used as a workshop and bedroom.
No matter how one looked at it, it was incredibly convenient.
By the ti he teleported back to Terraria, the sun was already setting there as well.
"It looks like I'll have to wait a bit longer before challenging King Sli."
Drake glanced at a certain item in his inventory, a little regretful.
He had originally planned to challenge King Sli as soon as the Molten Festival ended.
But King Sli could only be summoned during the dayti.
"Oh well. I should rest first."
Just then, Drake suddenly heard a hesitant knock at the door.
After he gave permission, Lili shyly pushed the door open and spoke in a small voice.
"Um… Master, about the reward from before…"
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten."
Seeing how awkward she looked, Drake patted the bed quite naturally.
"Co here."
...
"But… is this kind of 'reward' really okay?"
Inside the wooden house at night, Drake asked as he felt the faint little heartbeat coming from behind him.
Even though they had already stayed in that position for nearly half an hour, he was certain that, just like him, Lili had no intention of sleeping.
Sure enough, after a mont, the cautious voice of the palum girl ca from behind him.
"If Master thinks it's too much trouble…"
Drake quickly corrected Lili.
"No, that's not what I ant."
He had originally assud she would ask for a reward in the form of money or an item.
Instead, what she wanted was simply to sleep beside him at night—a childlike request more than anything else.
"So… is that not allowed?"
"Of course it's allowed."
Drake felt a slight movent behind him.
Lili seed to inch closer, as though trying to reassure herself by sensing his presence.
"Because only when I'm with Master do I feel safe."
Pressing her forehead lightly against his back, the prum girl began to murmur softly.
In that quiet confession, she explained why she had asked for such a reward.
Lili had grown up in the Soma Familia under terrible conditions, neglected from childhood, exploited, and betrayed again and again.
Over ti, that life twisted her into soone who trusted no one and resented adventurers deeply.
It was only after eting Drake—and failing in her attempt to deceive him—that her life began to change.
"Lili is very grateful to Master," she said seriously. "It was Master who gave Lili a new life."
Drake was deeply moved, but when things began to go in a direction he didn't want to encourage, he gently stopped her.
"Let's leave it at this for tonight."
Lili sounded disappointed and asked whether he disliked her, but Drake patiently explained that it was not that at all.
"I'm going to challenge a very powerful enemy tomorrow," he said, patting her head. "So I need to rest."
Lili imdiately apologized for being greedy.
"It's fine," Drake replied. "That's only natural."
The two of them ended up laughing together, and in that warm, gentle atmosphere, the night quietly passed.
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