In the corridor of the Hephaestus Familia headquarters…
“Yaaawn—”
A completely unrestrained yawn rang out.
At the end of the corridor, a figure leaned against the wall, boredly tossing a gold coin in her hand.
She was an adult woman with wheat-colored skin.
A black eyepatch covered her left eye, and her long hair fell over her shoulders with an obvious ahoge sticking up.
She wore a work skirt and chest wrap that allowed easy movement, revealing shoulders and arms packed with firm, explosive muscle.
Captain of the Hephaestus Familia, a Lv.5 adventurer.
Alias Cyclops, Tsubaki Collbrande.
Although she had dwarf blood…
Her body was taller and more slender than that of an ordinary human, completely lacking the short arms and legs commonly associated with dwarves.
Because of this, her height had drawn plenty of jealousy from other dwarves.
…
Tsubaki caught the gold coin and glanced at the tightly shut guest room door, then could not help scratching her head.
“Honestly…”
“Hephaestus-sama…”
“She locked herself in her private forge first thing in the morning, then specifically told me to take these newcomers to choose weapons.”
“And she even told me to let them pick freely, all free of charge?”
Although she complained, there was not much dissatisfaction in Tsubaki’s eyes.
There was far more curiosity.
After all, as the Familia member who had followed Hephaestus the longest, she understood her goddess’s personality far too well.
Hephaestus treated every weapon like her own child.
For her to suddenly become this generous…
This was not simply giving away weapons.
It was practically opening the family vault and letting people carry things out as they pleased.
The iron rooster had not only plucked out its feathers, but had even stewed itself into soup and delivered itself to the door.
…
“Click.”
At that moment, the guest room door opened.
Heimer walked out first.
Behind him followed the girls, who had rested through the night and were now full of energy.
Of course…
There were also the two black bears, who still looked simple and foolish even after being cleaned.
“Morning.”
Seeing Tsubaki, Heimer smiled and greeted her.
“Looks like Hephaestus already gave you the instructions.”
“Yeah, she explained everything very clearly.”
Tsubaki straightened up and placed both hands on her hips.
Her single eye looked Heimer up and down before sweeping over the girls behind him.
Although these children were currently still Lv.1 rookies…
As a Lv.5 powerhouse, Tsubaki keenly sensed an unusual aura from them.
“As expected…”
“Hephaestus-sama’s eye has always been sharp.”
Tsubaki grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.
“Since this is my goddess’s order, I won’t waste words.”
“Heimer-sama, follow me.”
“I’ll show you all what Orario’s strongest armory looks like.”
…
After passing through several corridors…
Tsubaki pushed open a pair of heavy double doors.
“Hiss—”
A synchronized gasp sounded behind her.
Even Amou Kirukiru, who had seen her fair share of things, could not help her pupils shrinking slightly.
What appeared before them was an enormous space.
Rather than a warehouse, it was closer to a museum.
Thousands upon thousands of weapons were neatly displayed on racks, stretching from the ceiling all the way down to the floor.
Greatswords, long spears, battle-axes, bows, crossbows…
Every weapon released a cold gleam under the light of the magic-stone lamps.
One could even faintly sense weak magical fluctuations flowing through the air.
“Everything displayed here is high-quality work forged by our Familia over the years.”
Tsubaki strode inside and casually picked up a dagger from a rack, spinning it in a beautiful flourish.
“Whether it’s beginner equipment for newcomers or advanced goods that only adventurers above Lv.4 can handle, we have everything here.”
“Hephaestus-sama said…”
“As long as you can lift it and use it comfortably, take whatever you want.”
The moment these words came out…
The movements of several Hephaestus Familia members organizing the shelves nearby froze.
“C-Captain?!”
A young blacksmith carrying a bundle of spears widened his eyes and nearly dropped them onto his own foot.
“We’re really allowed to let outsiders take whatever they want?”
“Just like that… for free?!”
It was not just him.
The other Familia members looked at one another as well, their faces full of confusion.
“Enough noise!”
“This is Hephaestus-sama’s order.”
Tsubaki spun around and silenced her Familia with a roar.
Then she looked back at the girls, who were already becoming eager to try.
“All right, don’t be polite.”
“When choosing weapons, what matters most is whether something catches your eye.”
“However…”
Tsubaki’s gaze landed on Onigawara Rin.
“You there, little girl with the mask.”
“Your eyes have been glued to that sword since earlier, haven’t they?”
Onigawara Rin’s body stiffened.
Her gaze had indeed been fixed on the crystal display case at the very center of the hall.
Inside it…
Was the very same [Famous Blade: Black Crow] she had seen last night while passing by.
“Good eye.”
Tsubaki walked over, directly opened the cabinet door, and took out the katana worth several million valis.
“Catch!”
“Eh?!”
Onigawara Rin hurriedly caught the blade thrown toward her.
A heavy weight settled into her hands.
She drew it from the sheath.
“Clang—”
A clear cry of steel rang out.
Cloud patterns flowed across the black blade, and a biting chill radiated from it.
“So this is… what this sword feels like…”
Onigawara Rin’s hand trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
“This sword was forged using Obsidian Steel unique to the middle floors. Its hardness is extremely high, and it provides a special enhancement to slashing attacks.”
Tsubaki crossed her arms and explained with practiced ease.
“For a swordswoman who follows a strong and direct style, it’s a good blade.”
“This is the one!”
Onigawara Rin sheathed the blade sharply, her eyes filled with absolute certainty.
“As for you…”
Tsubaki looked toward Inaba Tsukuyo beside her.
The girl stood quietly with her eyes closed.
“You’re blind?”
Tsubaki asked very directly.
It was even somewhat offensive.
However, there was no malice in Tsubaki’s tone, only pure inquiry.
Inaba Tsukuyo nodded.
“Then don’t use something heavy.”
Tsubaki turned around and took down a sheathed long blade from another rack.
This sword was slightly thinner and longer than an ordinary katana, and its sheath was pure white.
“This one is called White Heron.”
“It’s light, fast, and the blade makes almost no sound when swung.”
“For someone who fights by relying on hearing, it won’t interfere with judgment.”
Inaba Tsukuyo accepted the sword.
Her fingers lightly brushed over the hilt.
“Thank you.”
The girl’s voice was very soft, but the fingers holding the sword were firm.
Immediately after…
“What about me? What about me?”
Kikakujou Mary had been waiting impatiently for a long time and squeezed to the front while pointing at herself.
“You…”
“What kind of weapon do you want?”
“A Western sword!”
“A Western sword, huh? That’s rather uncommon.”
Tsubaki rubbed her chin and pointed in a certain direction.
“The Western swords are over there, third row of racks.”
“There should be one called Rose Thorn.”
“It has a bleeding effect, and getting stabbed by it hurts like hell.”
“Getting stabbed hurts like hell?!”
Kikakujou Mary’s eyes lit up.
“I want that one!”
It was practically custom-made to match her 『Noble Judgment』 Skill!
…
At this point…
Under Tsubaki’s guidance, the selection continued.
“You there, little green-haired girl.”
“What do you want?”
“Hmm~ Satori wants a weapon that can turn defeat into victory through surprise!”
“In that case…”
Tsubaki pointed toward a row of blades on a rack in the corner.
“The goods over there are more suited to people who like ambushing others.”
Hearing this, Tamaba Satori’s eyes instantly curved into two crescent moons.
She hopped over, her fingertips gliding over rows of blades before finally stopping on a katana that looked completely unremarkable.
Its blade was a dull gray.
“That sword is called Gray Snake.”
Tsubaki glanced at it and casually introduced it.
“The blade has been given a matte finish, so it barely reflects light in the dark.”
“And extremely tiny flow channels have been reserved along the edge.”
“If you smear something on them…”
Tsubaki did not finish the sentence and simply shrugged.
“Oh my~ How thoughtful~”
Tamaba Satori grabbed the blade and lovingly played with it in her hands, revealing that innocent smile on her face.
…
On the other side…
Amou Kirukiru did not look at the dazzling array of weapons.
She walked straight toward the armor section.
Although she possessed 『Incarnate Blade』, a Skill that treated her body as a weapon…
That did not mean she enjoyed rushing in unprotected and getting beaten.
“I want that set.”
Amou Kirukiru pointed at a set of light armor hanging on a mannequin.
It was protective gear woven from black leather and metal plates.
It preserved flexibility around the joints while providing sufficient defense at vital points.
“Good eye.”
Tsubaki walked over and patted the armor.
“This is made from middle-floor Shadow Panther hide and refined steel wire.”
“Light, durable, and resistant to wear.”
“With this on, even if you roll around on the ground, you won’t scrape yourself up.”
Amou Kirukiru removed the armor with practiced efficiency and put it on.
Then she moved her arms and legs.
“Perfect.”