While Lumine and Ais were happily sparring on one side…
On Renjiro's (Aether's) side,
"We~ the workers, we have strength, hey! We~ the workers, we have strength~♪"
"Every~ day, we toil away, hey! Every~ day, we toil away~♪"
…
"Lift the hammer high, let it ring~♪"
Duang~!
Deep inside Orario's Second District: Industrial Sector stood the headquarters of the Hephaestus Familia.
Around it, like stars surrounding the moon, were rows of single-story houses. This was the district Hephaestus had designated for her Familia's elite, or those with promising futures, to work. Each had their own forging workshop.
Following the goddess's policy, every blacksmith was both a rival and a peer. Techniques developed were not to be stolen; sharing, trading, or teaching was only done voluntarily.
A bit of a free-range approach, really.
Still, compared to the cutthroat internal strife of the Freya Familia, the Hephaestus Familia's atmosphere wasn't bad. Though there was some exclusion, overall it was a more healthy competition.
This morning, Renjiro (Aether) had arrived early. Though he didn't meet the one-eyed, red-haired goddess herself, he happened to encounter another big name.
His name: Welf Crozzo.
A seventeen-year-old redhead, and the last known smith capable of crafting the legendary Crozzo Magic Swords.
Of course, because of personal reasons, if you went up to him now demanding a magic sword, you'd be lucky if you got through two sentences before he blew up at you. Not the first time that's happened, either.
Thankfully, Renjiro wasn't the type to force others to follow his wishes. And honestly, I'm not that focused on Crozzo's Magic Swords right now.
Despite Welf's accent that vaguely evoked the flower of hope, Renjiro felt he was a man worth befriending.
From my memories before coming here, and from this first impression… yeah, he's someone I can trust.
Welf was a man who, once you became friends, would be a brother for life.
So Renjiro avoided the topic of magic swords entirely. Instead, after meeting Welf, the two got along quite well. Of course, having the reputation of the Twin Stars helped.
Renjiro, who disliked beating around the bush, expressed plainly that he wanted to learn the basics of forging. Not the advanced, unique crafts, he had no interest in stealing anyone's livelihood.
All he wanted was enough to go from complete novice to someone who knows a little.
This was, of course, to prepare for forging weapons from Genshin someday.
So,
"Let's make it official with a contract."
After hearing Renjiro's intent, Welf replied with a condition:
"I'll teach you the basics of forging. In return… can you let me join your party?"
The truth was, Welf's blunt and stubborn nature had led to him being isolated in the Hephaestus Familia. He couldn't find companions to team up with.
And while his combat strength wasn't bad, he couldn't go beyond the Tenth Floor alone. Yet he desperately wanted to reach Level 2, to unlock his Forge development ability.
But without going deeper into the Dungeon, he couldn't level up. Without teammates, he couldn't go deeper. Without leveling up, he was stuck.
A deadlock.
Renjiro knew Welf wasn't untalented. Just his unique anti-magic spell, Invisible Hellfire, which could prematurely detonate an opponent's casting, made him invaluable.
A mage-killer, through and through.
Imagine Riveria-level mages, if her spell exploded mid-cast, it would be devastating.
Well, okay, someone like Riveria would likely cancel her chant smoothly. But against less experienced casters, say Lefiya, who could unleash Level 5-class magic blasts at only Level 3… she'd probably blow up herself, and half her allies with her.
So Renjiro answered,
"Sure, I don't mind letting you temporarily join my party."
He added,
"But in a few days, I'll be going with the Loki Familia on a deep expedition. We depart in three days."
"If you want to team up, you'll have to wait a bit."
"No problem."
To Welf, Renjiro's appearance was a lifeline. Waiting was nothing.
He nodded without hesitation, even speaking politely:
"It's me asking a favor and making a bold request. Of course, I should work around your schedule… Wait a sec."
Halfway through, he blinked.
"You said you're joining Loki Familia's deep expedition in three days?"
"Yeah."
"But… you just hit Level 2, didn't you?"
"Mm." Loki Familia's expeditions include plenty of Level 2s. They mostly do support work.
"Oh. Support."
Welf relaxed, nodding knowingly.
"No wonder you want to cram some forging basics now."
Renjiro didn't bother correcting him. Let him draw his own conclusions.
"Still, last-minute cramming probably won't help much."
Welf frowned in concern.
"Don't worry. It's just a personal hobby."
Renjiro chuckled.
"Think about it, fighting with a weapon you forged yourself. Doesn't that feel like… you and it are one?"
"Oh-oh?"
Welf's eyes brightened.
"You think so too?"
Password accepted.jpg
So Renjiro's curiosity toward forging wasn't a passing fancy. It was the wide-eyed wonder of someone discovering something new.
And luckily, Welf didn't find his attitude annoying. So the two hit it off immediately.
Now,
"You're a monster, aren't you?"
"Huh? I'm human!"
Inside the workshop Hephaestus had assigned Welf, the redhead gaped as Renjiro swung the hammer like a seasoned smith.
"Seriously, your rhythm doesn't even falter while you're singing! And aren't you tired? You've been hammering for seven hours straight!"
…
Right. Both teacher and student had completely forgotten lunch.
Because honestly,
With Infinite Stamina, you can do whatever you want.
================
Footnotes:
Welf Crozzo, Last known blacksmith capable of making Crozzo Magic Swords, though he refuses to forge them due to personal beliefs.
Crozzo Magic Swords, Legendary weapons that combine swordsmanship with powerful magic, capable of immense destruction.
Forge (Development Ability), A special ability unlocked at Level 2 that improves crafting skill and allows creation of higher-grade items.
Invisible Hellfire, Welf's unique anti-magic skill that can detonate an enemy's spell mid-cast.
Infinite Stamina, Skill allowing the user to work or fight without physical fatigue.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 678+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 227
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 209
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 139
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 67
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 62
Naruto: Starting from the Duel — Up to Chapter 52