High prices usually meant high quality, but for Mizuki and Haruhime, these items provided far more performance than they could ever need.
Haruhime clearly thought so too.
“Lord Mizuki,” she whispered nervously, “these are… far too expensive. Maybe we should go down to the lower floors instead?”
Mizuki agreed.
“Yeah, let’s check out the fifth or sixth floor. The gear down there should be plenty for us.”
Just as Mizuki turned to lead Haruhime back toward the elevator, two figures emerged from the back of the shop, chatting as they walked.
One of them, a tall figure with striking crimson hair and a black eyepatch over her right eye, was the owner of the shop, the goddess of forging, Hephaestus.
Walking beside her was a male god with short brown hair.
He was bare-chested, boasting lean, muscular contours, and carried an easygoing demeanor.
“Njord, I still do not get it.” Hephaestus spoke with a playful tone, turning her head toward the deity at her side.
“What kind of potential does a cat girl have to make you, the god of the ocean, come all this way just to beg me for a custom weapon?”
“She might lead our familia one day, so naturally I have to look out for her.” Njord gave a soft smile, his voice calm and warm like the ocean.
“Just a future leader? That is hardly enough to bring you here in person.” Hephaestus clearly did not buy it.
Her visible eye glimmered with curiosity.
“Come on, tell me what you are really hiding.”
Njord shook his head, looking helpless.
“Stop digging around.” He paused, his expression growing earnest.
“One hundred million valis. I will pay your full asking price. On top of that, I will give every member of the Hephaestus familia a permanent twenty percent discount at the outdoor pool in Port Melen. However, you must forge this dagger yourself.”
The grin on Hephaestus’ face grew wider.
“Deal.”
The two gods happened to wander over to where Mizuki and the others stood.
Hephaestus caught sight of Eina just as she was turning to leave.
“Eina! What brings you to my shop today?” She called out warmly, her voice full of energy.
Eina paused immediately and bowed with deep respect.
“Goddess Hephaestus, Lord Njord.” She stepped aside slightly to introduce her companions.
“I am guiding two newly registered adventurers who need to buy equipment.”
Njord?
Port Helen?
Mizuki quickly recalled the details.
Was he not the god in charge of the fishing industry?
Together with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, he basically secured the food supply for all of Orario.
Before Mizuki and Haruhime could greet them, Hephaestus looked past Eina, her gaze locking onto Mizuki with sharp precision.
Her eye brimmed with open curiosity.
“Oh?” She dragged out the word, her mouth curling into a playful smirk.
“Are you the boy who just joined the Astraea familia?”
Mizuki blinked, caught off guard.
How did she know that?
Had the news already reached the gods?
Njord looked over in surprise, his gaze lingering on Mizuki for a moment.
“Astraea actually took in a male member?” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Hephaestus scanned Mizuki from head to toe with keen interest, her single eye seeming to see right through him.
“Wondering how I found out?” She chuckled.
“When something happens in the city below, word travels fast to me.”
Njord glanced over Mizuki and Haruhime before focusing back on the boy.
“Astraea always makes surprising choices, but her decisions usually turn out right.”
“I am far more curious about something else.” Hephaestus took a step closer to Mizuki.
“What makes you so special that the goddess of justice accepted you into her ranks?”
Mizuki met her gaze without flinching and answered calmly.
“I am just a rookie adventurer who recently received a falna. There is nothing special about me.”
“Oh? Is that so?” The smile on Hephaestus’s face grew wider.
“I heard a rumor about a certain rookie who used some incredible sword technique in the guild hall, terrifying a group of level 2 adventurers from the Soma familia.”
“Rumors tend to get blown out of proportion,” Mizuki replied politely, maintaining his composure.
“Is that right?” Hephaestus offered a doubtful smirk, turning her head toward Njord.
“Njord, what do you think?”
Njord gave a mild laugh.
“Why ask me? I am not nearly as nosey as you are.”
Hephaestus crossed her arms and studied Mizuki with genuine amusement.
She let out a soft chuckle and stepped forward until her face was inches from his.
“Kid, I like your attitude. What do you say? Interested in transferring over to my familia? If you agree, I will personally forge a full set of equipment for you, weapons and armor included.”
The moment those words left her mouth, not only Haruhime and Eina, but even Njord lost his relaxed composure, his eyes widening in shock.
A weapon forged by Hephaestus herself!
What did that even mean?
It meant an item worth hundreds of millions of valis at the very least.
Most of the time, even all the wealth in Orario could not buy a piece crafted directly by the goddess of forging.
Yet here she was, making such an astounding offer to a level 1 beginner.
Eina felt her mind go completely blank.
She opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.
This situation had soared far beyond anything a guild advisor was trained to handle.
Mizuki was equally taken aback.
He did not doubt her sincerity for a second.
A deity would never break a public pledge, for doing so would destroy their honor.
Could he really have some sort of main character charm?
Was his presence that compelling?
Wait, what was he thinking?
Having reincarnated into this world, he was obviously the central figure here.
Mizuki looked up and met Hephaestus’ eye directly.
“I am honored by your generosity, Goddess Hephaestus. However, I must decline.”
Then again, it was not quite tempting enough.
Besides, the Hephaestus familia did not have the girls he cared about anyway.
The playful smile on Hephaestus’s face stiffened slightly at his response.
She clearly had not anticipated being turned down, let alone so flatly.
“Oh? Do you truly understand what you are turning down?” Her voice took on a sharper edge.
“A weapon forged by my hands is priceless. It could grant you unmatched power inside the dungeon. Are you certain of your choice?”
“I am certain,” Mizuki replied, his voice firm and unwavering.
Hephaestus fell silent.
She had offered him a dream opportunity, yet he had turned it down without a second thought.
“Hahaha!” Hephaestus suddenly burst into a loud, hearty laugh.
“Fascinating! You really are something!”
She slapped Mizuki on the shoulder with surprising force.
“That Astraea really stumbled upon a gem this time. Well, if you do not want to change your familia, I will not force you.”
“Still, since I like your spirit, I’ll give you a ten percent discount on everything you buy here today.”
Eina stood there stunned.
A ten percent discount on Hephaestus gear was an incredible privilege in itself.
“However, I have one condition.” Hephaestus raised a single finger.
“From this day on, whenever you need weapons or armor, you must buy them from my shop. Do we have a deal?”
While it sounded like a condition, it was effectively a long-term investment in him.
Mizuki had no reason to refuse.
“Agreed,” he said with a nod and a smile.
“Thank you, Goddess Hephaestus.”
“Good.” Hephaestus nodded with satisfaction, the sharp intensity in her eye softening into a gentle gleam.
She waved her hand airily.
“Go ahead and pick out your gear.”
Without another word, she turned with Njord and headed toward the private workshops deeper inside the building.
It was only after both deities had vanished around the corner that Eina exhaled a long breath of relief.
Although Hephaestus was known for her gracious nature, Eina had genuinely worried that declining her offer might offend her.
With that encounter behind them, Eina led the pair back to the elevator, taking it down to the fifth floor of Babel.
Most of the adventurers browsing on this level were around level 2.
They shopped with clear intentions, seeking high quality at affordable prices.
After checking the price tags, Mizuki felt relieved.
The prices here were reasonable enough to begin purchasing.
Without hesitation, Mizuki walked over to the armor section.
“Miss Eina, could you help Haruhime choose a suitable set?”
He entrusted the decision to the far more knowledgeable guild advisor.
Following Eina’s expert recommendations, they soon selected a set of armor perfectly tailored for Haruhime.