'Thud!'
As the heavy iron door swung open with a harsh metallic groan, the first thing to greet me was a fierce, prickling heat that felt like it was piercing my skin.
"Whew..."
With every breath, the scent of iron and burning oil filled my lungs. Yet, rather than feeling uncomfortable, I felt a sense of awe. Dozens of masterfully forged swords were displayed in perfect order, and the workshop was kept with a meticulous, almost obsessive cleanliness—not even a speck of iron dust was permitted on the floor.
And there, at the center of the space, stood a goddess with cascading red hair, reviewing documents. She wore a black eyepatch that fit the curves of her face perfectly, looking like a masquerade mask cut in half, covering the right side of her face.
'This goddess is Hephaestus, the greatest smithing deity in Orario.'
"Goddess! I've brought you something huge!!"
While I was distracted by Hephaestus, Tsubaki released her grip on the scruff of my neck—almost tossing me down—and shouted boisterously. Finally, I could feel the solid ground beneath my feet again.
"...Tsubaki."
Accustomed to such sudden intrusions, Hephaestus looked up from her paperwork. Her gaze drifted past Tsubaki and eventually settled on me.
"...I sent you to inspect the shop, so why did you kidnap a child?"
"Kidnap?! This is a customer who came to us on his own—I merely 'escorted' him. He's a brat from the Miach Familia, but you have to look at this! This thing is the real deal!"
Without waiting for my answer, Tsubaki snatched the blueprints and the Power Fist from my arms in an instant and slammed them onto Hephaestus's desk.
"Sigh... Seeing as you're this excited, it must be something unusual."
Hephaestus gave a short sigh and rested her chin on her hand, picking up the blueprints without much expectation.
"..."
For a while, the only sound in the workshop was the flipping of pages. She had been glancing through them half-heartedly to appease Tsubaki, but at some point, her fingertips stopped.
'Slide.'
She set the blueprints down and picked up the Power Fist. With the delicate yet sharp touch of a doctor checking a patient's pulse, she slowly traced the seams of the rugged steel and the magic stone circuits.
"...You said you're from Miach's place?"
She addressed me in a low, focused voice, her eyes never leaving the device. Her attitude had shifted completely; she was confirming my affiliation with a newfound intensity.
"Yes. My name is Kai, of the Miach Familia."
"I see. I heard from Hestia that Miach has been making some money lately... She mentioned a brilliant child joined them, one so smart it was hard to believe he was only fourteen. I never imagined he'd be hiding something this cheeky and interesting."
Hephaestus looked up and stared straight at me. The look of boredom from before was gone, replaced by the calculating, sharp gaze of a cold-blooded businesswoman.
"Fine. I'll get straight to the point. What do you want in exchange for bringing this to me?"
I took a breath and gathered my thoughts, reciting the plan I had prepared.
'Asking for mere money or weapons here would be amateur. That's no different from selling a goose that lays golden eggs for a few copper coins.'
'What I need to hold onto isn't a "product," but a "right." I keep ownership of the technology but lend out the production and sales rights in exchange for ongoing compensation. If I propose the Earth concepts of "patents" and "licensing"... I wonder how this Goddess will react?'
I decided to apply a standard Earth business strategy to this proposal.
"I am asking for compensation in exchange for granting an 'exclusive license' to the Hephaestus Familia."
"...A license?"
Her eyebrows twitched at the unfamiliar word. Beside her, Tsubaki tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes. To put it simply, I am not handing over the technology itself. Instead, I am granting only the Hephaestus Familia the right to manufacture, sell, and use it—much like an exclusive contract. I remain the owner of the technology, but you receive the exclusive rights so that no other smithing Familia can even attempt to copy it."
"Ho... Lending it rather than selling? It's arrogant, but quite rational. And what is your price?"
"There are three things I want."
I held up my fingers one by one as I spoke.
"First, for items manufactured using the press, pay my Familia twenty percent of the sales revenue as a royalty."
"Money, then..."
Hephaestus narrowed her eyes, seemingly running the numbers in her head, before nodding.
"I know Miach's situation is difficult, so I understand. Considering this as an investment in revolutionary technology... twenty percent isn't bad. Next?"
"Second, allow me to use the completed press machinery whenever I need to. I need the facilities to craft my own weapons."
"There's no reason to stop you from using a machine built with your own technology. Fine. And the last?"
I extended my third finger, presenting the most important condition.
"Third, 'guaranteed protection' for the Miach Familia."
"Protection?"
"Yes. I'm not talking about just financial support. I want it publicly announced that 'the Miach Familia is a technical partnership member of the Hephaestus Familia.' So that no one can mess with us lightly."
Hephaestus fell silent for a moment. She realized this wasn't just a child's tantrum or a simple favor—it was a political proposal with the survival of a Familia on the line.
Then, a smile as intense and intrigued as her red hair spread across her lips.
"...Are you really only fourteen years old?"
I couldn't help but flinch at her question.
'I don't even know my exact age...'
The Administrator had said my physical age was thirteen, but didn't specify the birth date.
And what about my birthday? Should I follow my date from Earth, or the date of the memories given to me by the Administrator? Or perhaps the day I arrived in this world? I hadn't decided yet.
Because of that, I hadn't corrected anyone when they assumed I was fourteen based on my looks when I first arrived... but having my physical age poked at like this made it awkward to answer.
"Ahem..."
I cleared my throat and looked away slightly.
"Well... I'm somewhere around there."
"...Pfft."
Perhaps interpreting my awkwardness as a child being shy about his age, Hephaestus let out a chuckle.
"I see. You were acting like a sly old merchant just now, but your reaction to a question about your age is quite cute. Now you actually look like a kid."
She grinned, her red lips curving up in amusement as she tapped the Power Fist on the desk.
"Very well. I accept your proposal. A technical partnership with the Miach Familia. And..."
Her gaze shone sharply, but with much more warmth and favor than before.
"Consider it an investment in an interesting child like yourself."
"Thank you!"
After successfully signing the contract and leaving Hephaestus's office, Tsubaki began to laugh boisterously, slapping me on the back.
"Bwahahaha! You really are a piece of work! To close a deal like that without flinching in front of that prickly Goddess!"
"Ow... My back really hurts..."
"Don't be a baby. Hey, visit our workshop often. I want to get my hands on that 'press' or whatever you made, too."
"Of course. It's in the contract."
Rubbing my stinging back, I fumbled through my pockets.
Seeing how she walked into Hephaestus's office like she owned the place, and given her eye-patched appearance—if my memories were correct—this woman was undoubtedly the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia, Tsubaki Collbrande, also known as 'The Cyclops.'
'Since I've made an acquaintance with someone presumed to be the best blacksmith in Orario, I should make the most of it.'
I spoke up to seek advice on a weapon I had been considering.
"Um, Captain? If it's not a bother, could I get some advice on a weapon?"
"Advice? Well, since you're a partner, I'll listen. What is it?"
Tsubaki stopped walking, looking intrigued. I pulled out the push dagger I usually kept hidden at my waist and showed it to her.
"This is the weapon I usually use."
"Ho...?"
Tsubaki took the short T-shaped dagger. Without hesitation, she slipped the blade between her fingers and threw a light punch into the air.
'Crack!'
Despite being a short dagger, a sharp sonic pop echoed through the air as if the atmosphere itself had exploded.
"Ha! It converts the force of a punch directly into piercing power, doesn't it? The reach is short, but the structure is excellent for applying force. Perfect for stabbing through gaps in armor or diving into an opponent's guard to strike a vitals. Hmm... Simple but effective."
"Yes. But unfortunately, there's nowhere in Orario that sells this kind of weapon, so I've been making my own. ...I don't suppose you have something like this?"
I traced a curved shape, like a sickle, in the air with my index finger.
"It has a ring at the end of the handle so you can hook your finger through it, and the blade curves inward like a predator's claw. My fa—No, my father used it back when he worked in security."
"A ring... and curved inward?"
Tsubaki rubbed her chin, lost in thought.
"There are similar things. You occasionally see curved swords or hook daggers used by assassins. But a dagger form with a 'finger ring' is rare... Hmm, imagining it, that would be a pretty vicious little thing, wouldn't it?"
She finished her blacksmith's mental simulation, grinned, and looked down at me.
"You wouldn't lose it if someone grabbed you, and the slicing and pulling motions would flow seamlessly. You fight a lot rougher than you look, don't you? You look like a total scholar."
"...I'm in a small weight class, so I have to cover a lot with technique."
"Haha! I like you. Fine, since we're partners, I'll give you a gift."
"...A gift?"
"Not right now, but later, once the press is finished. That 'Karambit' or whatever you called it. I'll make one for you my way. How about it?"
A custom weapon personally forged by the best blacksmith in Orario.
I cheered inwardly and nodded.
"I'd be an idiot to turn that down."
Tsubaki grinned, looking satisfied.
"Right? Good, then the deal is struck!"
"...Huh?"
"I promised a gift, so you have to pay up too, right? You said it before—that the prototype is at your warehouse."
Tsubaki's eyes glinted again like a child who had found a new toy—or a predator eyeing its prey.
"Now, let's go! To your Familia's warehouse, right now!"
"...What? R-right now?"
"Strike while the iron is hot! I'm so curious I'm getting dizzy!!"
"Wait, no! Hey?!"
Without listening to my answer, she grabbed me by the scruff of the neck again. Just like how I arrived, I was being dragged away like a piece of luggage.
"Hang on tight! Don't bite your tongue!"
"Wait, aaaaaaagh?!!"
As we sped through the streets of Orario, I screamed in my head while hanging off Tsubaki's back.
'...This woman has way too much energy.'
Before I could even savor the joy of a successful contract, I was being forcibly repatriated to the Miach Familia by Orario's greatest runaway train.