A week has passed since I expressed my ambition to Lord Hephaestus...
Right now, I'm not hammering iron; I'm cleaning.
Where? In the Hephaestus workshop!
I'm in! I made it!
Lord Hephaestus, who heard my [sincerity], must have been moved,
'Every word is filled with sincerity. It's been a long time since I've seen a child this earnest.'
She said as she uncovered my back...(///)
My status is
Name: Smith
Lv1
Strength: 0
Endurance: 0
Dexterity: 0
Agility: 0
Magic: 0
Ability: Dan-ya G
Magic
[NOBLE PHANTASM]
Chant
This is an illusion
This is my imagination
This is our ideal
An eternal dream within fantasy
Depicting all phenomena
Embracing all forms.
Crafting phantoms born from divine thought
All phenomena bless that phantom
And solidify its form as an idol.
All for the sake of one single end.
-Forges a weapon as close as possible to the desired phantom.
-Cannot be reused until one weapon is completed.
-Continuously grants additional correction to dexterity, strength, and magic until the phantom is completed.
-Upon completion, can add a special ability of one's choice.
-The higher the completion, the more additional abilities can be added.
(Unusable due to lack of Mystery ability)
[]
Skills
[Steel Training]
-High correction to endurance.
[Flame's Soul]
-Extremely high resistance to damage from flame and heat.
[Looking Up at the Stars in the Sky]
-Correction to agility.
-Increases magic recovery rate.
-Slightly increases magic at regular intervals.
'...'
'...Lord Hephaestus?'
'It's a jackpot! A jackpot! A jackpot that doesn't lose to Loki Familia's kids!'
'No, how did my status come out like...'
'...'
'Is this really me...?'
'Tsubaki brought in a treasure!'
'No, what kind of insane status would make Lord Hephaestus act like this?'
'Want to see it?'
'It's fine, and even if you're the forge master, you shouldn't carelessly reveal your status to others, understand?'
'Yes, Big Sis!'
'...You too.'
'Well, it's just... if everyone else is calling you that, and I'm the only one different... it's a bit awkward, right?'
'In times like that, show some guts like a man, guts!'
'Ah, since it's not the Oda World, it's impossible.'
'That's a quick answer!'
After bantering like this for a while, Lord Hephaestus and I started talking alone.
'Looking at the magic, it's useless without Mystery, but the fact that it's written so blatantly there means there's a possibility of Mystery manifesting in the future. My guess is it might happen around Lv2 or 3...'
'I'm more talented than I thought.'
'You're the first child I've seen who has the Dan-ya ability from the start. Usually, it's attached as a correction as you level up...'
'Let's move on from that. Even putting your magic aside, your skills are incredibly unique.
'First, Steel Training. It might seem plain, but for an adventurer, it's the best skill you can have. Even with just one correction, you can block attacks from monsters one level higher to some extent, but with a high correction... you get the idea, right? For reference, Loki Familia's [Heavy Knight (El Garm)] also has a high endurance correction skill, though the details are different, and he's one of the top tanks in Orario right now.
Flame's Soul... as a blacksmith, there's no skill more precious than this. No matter how much our kids reach the peak of lower world people with Falna's help, they're still lower world people. If they go beyond what they can endure, they get hurt just the same. Well, that goes for us gods too... Anyway, normally, even the best of our kids would get burns or even have their skin melt if they stuck their hand in boiling molten iron. But you, even at Lv1, could probably handle it with just a bit of heat.
Lastly, [Looking Up at the Stars in the Sky]... I'll be honest. I've never seen this skill before, and just based on the description, it's an ultra-rare skill that would make other gods scramble to kidnap you. For magic recovery, the only Development Ability is Spirit Healing, and even that, there are only one or two in Orario at most. But this doesn't seem like a skill that would come from you... do you have any guesses?'
Stars... stars...
["Then, may stars accompany your fate. Farewell."]
No way...?!
'Perhaps it's a blessing from the person I saved before coming here...?'
'...Why do you think that?'
'Before I came here, someone said to me, ["Then, may stars accompany your fate. Farewell."]'
'It must be that... where in the world did you go and what did you do to receive such an amazing blessing?'
'Save someone with your life on the line!'
'Are you insane!'
'...'
'You're not denying it...!'
'By the way, about Dan-ya... I think it's better to hide it. What do you think?'
'I'm sorry to you, but... I think we have to.'
'No, I understand. If a newbie suddenly becomes a highsmith at Lv1, it would make everyone uncomfortable.'
'Right. For now, like other newbies, spend two weeks to a month learning chores or assistant work in the workshop, then start working in earnest. If you do well, you can even sell in Babel and make money, right?'
'...Money!'
'Well, even if it's a cheap weapon shop for Lv1 and 2, you won't make big money, but making any is what matters. Isn't it?'
'I look forward to working with you, [Lord Hephaestus]!'
'I look forward to it too, my child, Smith.'
Thus, the furnace's fire was lit.
Melting iron through bellows work,
heating steel to make a blade,
hardening it with oil quenching,
and there, I must forge beautiful phantoms.
Here, my dream... will come true...!