Hmm hmm hmm~ Now then, which way do I go to reach the Hephaestus Familia~
If I don't know, I can just ask someone, right?
Perfect, there's someone up ahead... Black hair?
I think this is the first time I've seen someone with black hair since coming to Orario. (Limus's hair was sky blue.)
"Excuse me, may I ask for directions?"
"Hm? What is it?"
...An eyepatch?
"Ah, it's my first time in Orario. Could you tell me how to get to the Hephaestus Familia from here?"
"Hmm... What are you going there for?"
"I'm thinking of joining as a blacksmith."
The black-haired woman looked me over from head to toe as though appraising me, then fell silent, seemingly deep in thought.
But... she looks familiar somehow... I'd never spent time with anyone with hair this long in my previous life... and I hadn't had any connections with other women either... Could she be from the ori—
"All right. I was headed that way anyway, so I'll take you there while I'm at it."
"Ah, thank you."
"It's nothing. I'm just going where I was already headed."
"The world has gotten pretty harsh these days, so plenty of people wouldn't even do something that small."
"Wow, it's been a while since I've met someone who's grateful even for something this trivial."
"If nothing else, I received an absurdly strict education in manners..."
My father had a fairly... severe case of what people commonly called old-fashioned authoritarianism.
If we picked up our spoons before our parents at the dinner table, or got up before them because we'd finished eating first, he'd immediately bark at us. And if he heard that any of his children had seen an elder in the neighborhood and failed to greet them first, dinner that evening would be delayed by around three hours.
Why was dinner delayed? Naturally, because we spent three hours listening to something halfway between nagging and a lecture.
Still, whenever I put those manners to use outside, people often praised me for being very polite. I guess that was why I tried to mind my manners myself.
"Hmm... Judging by your hair color, appearance, and how much you care about etiquette, are you perhaps from the Far East?"
The Far East... That was the equivalent of East Asia in this world, wasn't it?
Then I could say I was from the Far East, couldn't I?
"Yes, more or less. The way you say that, are you from there as well?"
"No, more precisely, my mother is from the Far East. But how did you end up coming all the way here from such a distant place?"
How did I end up here...?
"A lot happened.
To summarize briefly, I saved someone, made a sacrifice in return, and was able to come here as repayment... Something like that."
"What on earth happened for saving someone to result in coming all the way from the Far East to Orario...?"
Seeing her make such an uncomfortable expression made my mood sink a little too.
But no matter how I thought about it, she seemed like an original character... Black hair and an eyepatch... I'd specifically asked for my memories not to degrade, so what the hell is this?!
"But are you, perhaps, a member of the Hephaestus Familia?"
"Hmm? Why would you think that?"
"The reasons are:
First, the people who come and go through the industrial district are adventurers or blacksmiths, but you aren't equipped like an adventurer.
Second, assuming you're a blacksmith rather than an adventurer, you're far too familiar with the way to Hephaestus. It must be a route you take regularly.
Third, your hands."
"My hands? What about them?"
"They smell of iron and flames. Well, that's half intuition, so it's a bit uncertain..."
Black hair, an eyepatch, an original character connected to the Hephaestus Familia...?!
Could she be... Tsubaki Collbrande?
"Oh, sharp. Since you've reasoned it out that far, it's only polite for me to introduce myself too. My name is Tsubaki Collbrande, captain of the current Hephaestus Familia and a Level 4 adventurer. If you want to join our Familia, you'll have to make a good impression on me, right?"
"..."
Choose the appropriate action to take when the person you've been chatting excitedly with turns out to be the leader of the organization you're about to join.
1: Take off your pants.
2: A smart Smith thinks of a way to escape this situation.
3: There is no way out. Pretend you've gone crazy.
4: Brown-nose her until your mouth runs dry.
5: Just keep doing what you were doing.
.
.
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I'll choose number 5!
No, options 1 through 3 would get me fucked to begin with, and considering Tsubaki Collbrande's personality in the original work, option 4 would probably backfire. That leaves only number 5: keep doing what I was doing, doesn't it?
"Ah, is that so? What an honor to meet someone so impressive. You're a Level 4 adventurer, one of the rare few even in Orario, and the captain as well. I must be pretty lucky, huh?"
Ahem... Still, I should do at least the bare minimum of sucking up required in social life. This is what being a functional member of society is!
"Well, well, you know how to navigate society! You see, these days my members have gotten so unruly because I've been too indulgent with them. They don't even know to fear their captain and run wild like they own the place! One of these days, I need to set a date and give those punks a proper lesson..."
One thing led to another... She must have had a lot pent up.
For the entire twenty minutes it took to reach the Hephaestus Familia's home, she kept going on and on and on about her grievances with the members. By the time we reached the Familia home, she had nearly started venting about the goddess too.
"And then there's our patron goddess, too... Ah, we're here. This is Lemnos Island, the home of our Hephaestus Familia. If you win our goddess's favor and join us, this might become the home you live in, so look forward to it, all right?"
"You hear all that metal being hammered nearby, right? If you join our Familia, we provide each person with their own individual forge. Since it's more convenient to be close to the Familia, almost all the forges around here belong to the Hephaestus Familia. Though at first you'll have to work in a shared forge somewhere else. But considering we'll support you in getting your own forge later, what's the big deal? Right?"
"...I absolutely have to join."
"Hahaha, good! Go meet our goddess with that spirit!"
Tsubaki Collbrande encouraged me while thumping my back hard... But perhaps because her level was so high, it hurt like hell...!
"Urk...!"
"Whoops, sorry, sorry. I forgot you haven't received a Falna yet. All right, let's go!"
As she spoke, Tsubaki Collbrande opened the door and walked inside.
Whether I get accepted here or not will determine my life in Orario.
Let's do this!