By the next morning, the Hephaestus Familia had already let word slip about their new "Magic Sword."
"A Magic Sword with no use limit?" Freya's interest was piqued the moment she heard.
"What is Hephaestus playing at—she even forged something like this?"
"What's the weapon's spec?" Freya asked.
Hedin pushed up his glasses and delivered the briefing.
"The Hephaestus Familia says the sword was forged from Amphisbaena materials. The primary components are two different energy-storage crystals, a dragon fang, a dragon heart, and… an unknown substance."
He lingered on those last words. In his view, that "unknown substance" was the key that made this Magic Sword possible at all. If the Hephaestus Familia could complete the build, they must have studied that material deeply enough to use it as a legitimate forging stock.
"Lady Freya, I believe that unannounced 'unknown substance' is the reason this sword could be born."
"'Unknown substance,' hm? Since when did Hephaestus start enjoying riddles?" Freya murmured. "Go on, Hedin."
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded.
"The sword's spells mirror Amphisbaena's: a red mist that weakens or cancels magic, and flames of extremely high temperature. It can store three charges of each. Once emptied, it needs half an hour to recharge, though it can also be refueled via direct mana injection. As a weapon, its body rates at roughly Tier-2. The floor price is three hundred million valis."
Freya inclined her head. "That ability matches the tag. The Magic Sword's value is real—but only a few Familia can afford it." From the spec sheet alone it read like a team-oriented weapon. In a party, "red mist" was brutally effective; against mages it was as targeted as a floor boss's anti-caster mechanics. With three charges banked, most team fights wouldn't even need all of them. Functionally, it was excellent.
But Freya's own children were notoriously poor at teamwork, which cooled her personal interest. The blade would shine more in a Familia that trusted formation play. Factoring in the price, the number of real bidders would be limited.
"Loki Familia, perhaps. Ishtar, Ganesha, Astraea…" she mused. As for Freya, the blade mattered less than the material behind it.
"What interests me is that 'unknown substance.'" Her eyes brightened. "Decision made—let's attend Hephaestus's auction."
"Yes, Lady Freya."
"A Magic Sword without a usage cap?" Ishtar blinked when the same news reached her.
"Confirmed?"
"Confirmed," the Amazon messenger said firmly. "Source is the Hephaestus Familia. Many Familia have already received invitations."
The Amazon gave the rest of the rundown. Ishtar couldn't hide her initial shock—but her mind moved quickly to the practical value. She didn't care about 'limited uses' in the first place; her coffers were healthy enough to keep conventional Magic Swords flowing. What mattered was the sword's actual capabilities.
And that "red mist" was a huge contribution in team combat.
"Freya's side has plenty of mages," she thought aloud, brain whirring. "They've been notified too?"
"Er—yes. Hephaestus sent wide."
"Good. Then we're going as well."
She didn't particularly care which Familia ended up with the blade—as long as it wasn't Freya. Freya's children were already strong; letting them grow stronger freely would only narrow Ishtar's hopes.
The novelty of the design drew a crowd. Under that magnetism, most major Familia made for Hephaestus's auction.
The host was Tsubaki. As always, she wore a white top and loose, shrine-maiden-style red trousers, a patch covering her left eye.
"Welcome, everyone, to today's Magic Sword auction," she called. "What you'll see is the result of a bold experiment Lady Hephaestus and I undertook in new-style weapon forging."
"That experiment produced the blade we're selling today. Thanks to the addition of a special material, the Magic Sword has received an unprecedented upgrade."
Her gaze swept across the seated gods. She knew exactly what they were all curious about, and chose not to dance around it.
"I imagine you're most interested in the special material we used."
"Too right," Hermes laughed, immediately taking the bait. If Tsubaki was naming it, it clearly wasn't a state secret—at least, not anymore. "The components from Amphisbaena aren't unusual in themselves. Those alone shouldn't have produced this result. We're all very curious about that 'unknown substance.' Care to explain?"
"Of course." Tsubaki smiled without hesitation.
"That 'unknown substance' isn't some mystical or incomprehensible thing. It's simply that, until now, nobody could extract it—let alone process it into a workable forging material."
"The substance," she said clearly, "is 'Great Work.'"
(End of Chapter)
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