At that moment, the divine will of this evil god spread through the chamber, inspiring awe. Too bad no one was there to witness it.
-----------------------------------
Since that morning when he found his own path, Fron began to make rapid progress.
Every morning, when he woke up, went to the courtyard to train with Ais for an hour, then washed up and enjoyed a joyful breakfast with his companions.
After that, he would head to the forge workshop in the northeast district, using leftover materials to create equipment, honing his rapidly improving skills.
For lunch, he would casually buy some snacks from street vendors to fill his stomach, then return to the base's magic workshop to develop and manufacture magic tools. In the evening, he would go to the tavern for a drink, his days becoming more and more comfortable and carefree.
Sometimes, he would run into Welf, who complained about his equipment being displayed in a corner; or encounter goddess Hestia and Takemikazuchi working at the Jagamarukun stall; or chat with the elf from the Hostess of Fertility about daily life.
To outsiders, his days might look monotonous, but for Fron, they were filled with joy.
Not only was he earning money, he was also learning knowledge and skills, while strengthening his abilities. This wasn't just a "buy one, get one free," it was more like hitting three birds with one stone.
The Tower of Babel facilities contained not only the Magic Stone exchange but also a bustling commercial district.
Each floor's shops sold items centered around adventurers: weapons, equipment, tools, and potions.
The signboard of [Hephaestus] naturally occupied a place in the luxurious high-end equipment area, no, it was the centerpiece, the king of the floor.
An entire floor was dedicated to the Hephaestus Familia's stores.
After his skills had advanced, Fron was no longer content with making and selling novice gear. He had moved past that stage of practice.
Carrying the rectangular long case meant for blacksmiths, he arrived on the 8th floor of Babel Tower.
"The treatment of a experienced Smith versus that of an ordinary smith… it's like sky and earth."
Ordinary smiths could only place their works in tiny "convenience store–like" shops for equipment and weapons, often shoved into a corner, where their creations might sit unnoticed for months or years.
But experienced Smiths? Just look at the shop decorations, and at the price tags in the display cases.
Even Fron couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"To obtain 'Blacksmith' DA as a smith, that's when you finally make it. Everyone's struggle isn't easy."
Think about it: in Orario, among so many adventurers, more than half were still Lv.1. Reaching Lv.2 was already a mark of genius.
And then… to obtain "Blacksmith" DA at Lv.2, such people were even rarer.
Basically, only the [Hephaestus] and [Goibniu] Familias monopolized this field.
With such harsh conditions, weapons and equipment forged by experienced Smiths naturally skyrocketed in price.
Hundreds of thousands, millions, even up to hundreds of millions of valis, far beyond what low-level adventurers could afford.
Or perhaps it should be said: the better the weapon, the more expensive the upkeep. Even if you somehow scraped enough coin for a weapon worth tens of millions of valis, you couldn't afford the maintenance costs from combat damage. As the saying goes: "Being able to buy it doesn't mean you can afford to use it."
This created a pyramid structure within the smithing industry.
Glancing at the signboard by the entrance, Fron pushed the door open.
"Welcome, dear customer! How can I help you~?"
"..."
The greeter was a short girl, her curvy figure exaggeratedly emphasized, twin black ponytails swaying as she smiled.
The goddess, Hestia.
"..."
Fron hadn't expected this coincidence, running into the little goddess working multiple jobs to pay off debts.
"Greetings, goddess Hestia."
Even knowing her true nature, Fron did not show the slightest disrespect. He bowed deeply in courtesy.
It was respect toward a deity, as well as basic decorum.
"And you are?"
Seeing Fron so polite, Hestia blinked in surprise, curious about his identity.
Fron straightened up and smiled.
"Fron. Fron Argon. A blacksmith, from… the Loki Familia."
"..."
"..."
From the initial calm smile; to a stiff, forced smile.
"L-Loki Familia has a blacksmith too??? That flat chest!!!"
"..." Fron pretended not to hear anything.
The relationship between gods was best treated like wind by the ears.
The wars between women were frightening enough, let alone between goddesses. Just remembering that war between beauty goddesses… that slap, hissss, now that was a true divine battle.
And knowing well the relationship between Loki and Hestia, Fron had no intention of seeking trouble.
"Alright then. Fron-kun from the Loki Familia, are you here to consign equipment for sale?"
Finally, back to business. He let out a small breath of relief.
"Yes, goddess Hestia. You know our Familia has absolutely no footing in commerce. But I have some confidence in the weapons I forge, so I came here to consign them."
"I see, Fron-kun. Then please take out the equipment you wish to consign. I'll call an appraiser to examine them."
"Then I'll trouble you for that."
When the little goddess jogged off to the back of the shop, twin ponytails bouncing, Fron let his gaze wander over the display cases.
"30 million valis, a second-tier single-handed sword…"
"55 million valis, a second-tier shield…"
"25 million valis, a second-tier short sword…"
At each glance, Fron's eyebrows twitched involuntarily.
Not to mention material costs, even if processing fees only accounted for a third, the numbers were astronomical.
Still, while smiths seemed to earn a lot, their expenses were equally massive.
Most of their profits were reinvested into buying more materials, continuing the cycle.
In any field, one had to keep advancing against the current; to stop was to fall behind. Especially for a profession like smithing, which devoured proficiency.
"Hm?"
Just as Fron turned his gaze to another display case by the window, he spotted a figure outside, beyond the glass.
"Brother Fron?"
"Bell? And… Eina too?"
...
At the entrance, the white-haired boy stumbled as he introduced Fron to Miss Eina.
"T-This is… Fro-"
"I already know, Bell-kun. He's Fron Argon, an adventurer of the Loki Familia, Lv.4, nicknamed the [Flame Demon]. He's quite a renowned adventurer in Orario, you know."
Before Bell could finish, Eina had already recited Fron's information.
"[Flame Demon]? Brother Fron is the Flame Demon? The one who, at Lv.2, soloed the Lv.5 floor boss, the one who annihilated the 'Monster Party' all by himself??"
"..."
That nickname was way too chuunibyou… Awkwardly rubbing his nose, Fron raised his hand to stop Bell's shouting.
"Ahem, Bell. Don't bring up that title anymore, alright?"
"Huh? But I think it's really cool! [Flame Demon], wow! So awesome! If I can get a title one day, I'll definitely ask goddess to get me one like [Flame Dragon Knight]!"
"..."
Fourteen years old truly was peak chuunibyou age.
"Hm? Bell?"
"Hm? Goddess?"
"Hm? Half-elf… woman???"
"?"