"Hm? Half-elf… woman???"
"?"
---------------------------
Hestia was emanating a dark miasma, and the two ponytails had already turned into machetes.
"Hel... hello, Goddess Hestia, I'm Bell's guild advisor, not what you think I am."
"Is that so~~?"
Hestia carefully looked up and down with scrutinizing eyes.
"You really dare to say that, half-elf. Dressing up so prettily, you must have ulterior motives toward my Bell, right??"
Fron: "..."
Bell: "..."
This was just absurd. If he had such a vinegar jar at home, thinking about the days ahead, Fron shivered uncontrollably.
How could you still dream of being a harem king? Wouldn't it be better to just self-destruct?
...
"Hmph, here to accompany Bell to buy equipment, huh, I see."
"Very good, half-elf. You mustn't abuse your public role for private gain."
"Ah ha ha ha... how could I possibly."
"By the way, Fron. Why are you here too? Are you also here to buy equipment?"
As if remembering something, Bell asked politely.
Not only him, Eina also looked over.
'[Flame Demon] Fron Argon, the fastest-rising adventurer in history, the future ace of the Loki Familia. Rumor has it that even as a Lv.2 he could solo a mutated Lv.5 floor boss. He was already ridiculously strong back then, and now more than half a year has passed, he has reached Lv.4, and is likely even more unfathomable. His true strength is estimated to be at Lv.5 or even higher.'
Just as Eina suspected, Fron's true strength was not Lv.4, but between the upper tier of Lv.5 and pseudo-Lv.6. If he used magic, his attack power could even reach upper Lv.6.
Of course, these power levels were only for ordinary adventurers. Monsters with abnormal skills and high stats weren't included.
"Me? I'm not here to buy equipment, but rather to sell it. Look."
Fron's lips curled as he pointed to several sets of equipment laid on the counter.
"Katana: [Sakura Cutter - IV], the fourth in the series, forged with refined metal 'Adamantine,' using special techniques to reduce weight without losing sharpness. Second-tier armament."
"Full Armor: [Gladiator - IV], also the fourth in the series, crafted from dungeon 51st floor drop material 'Black Rhino Hide' mixed with refined metal 'White Crown Stone.' Though it looks like a full knight's armor, it weighs only two-thirds of similar gear. Strong defense without hindering speed. Second-tier armament."
"Light Armor: [Megose Armor - IV], like the other two, the fourth generation. Made with special metals 'Valor Iron' and 'Black Rhino Hide.' Though its defense isn't as strong as full knight armor, it doesn't hinder speed and even has the special enchantment 'Courage,' which reduces the impact of negative emotions. A special second-tier armament, worth more than the previous two."
Every time Fron introduced a piece, Bell's body shivered. As for his expression... words like dumbfounded or stupefied weren't enough to describe it.
"Hmph..." Goddess Hestia folded her arms and turned her head, extremely displeased.
'That Loki's child is actually this excellent, ughhhh it makes me so angry!'
"Sir, I'm the appraiser of this shop."
"Do you find the prices of these three items acceptable?"
Taking the document handed over by the middle-aged appraiser, Fron glanced at it.
[Sakura Cutter - IV]: 45 million valis
[Gladiator - IV]: 40 million valis
[Mongoose Armor - IV]: 59 million valis
The price was exactly what Fron expected. After all... even without the finished product markup, just the material cost for each piece exceeded 20 million valis.
"Within the second-tier armaments, this is mid-range pricing. Acceptable."
"Then let's sign the contract. Consignment here, 5% handling fee, no problem?"
"Of course. Let's follow your rules. Our Loki Familia and your Hephaestus Familia are allies, trustworthy indeed."
"Alright, then please sign here."
The contract signing went smoothly, without any obstacles.
In less than 5 minutes, Fron had accomplished what he came for.
"Then, Goddess Hestia, Bell, Miss Eina, I'll be taking my leave."
"Hmph, you're welcome to come again."
Though unwilling, the goddess still abided by proper manners.
"Ah, goodbye, Big Brother Fron!"
"Goodbye."
Once he entered Babel Tower's elevator and completely left,
Bell immediately became overwhelmed with excitement, circling around Fron's equipment displays, eyes full of envy.
"Alright Bell, these pieces aren't suitable for you yet. Not to mention the purchase price, even the maintenance costs are astronomical."
".~ I, I know. But wow, I never thought Big Brother Fron is actually a top master smith!"
Seeing the boy's longing expression, Eina smiled helplessly, not wanting to shatter his dreams.
"If it's just as a smith, you're underestimating the [Flame Demon]. He's not only a smith, but also a Item-maker."
"He's the city's only holder of the secret skill 'Mystery' and 'Blacksmith', his reputation is well deserved!"
"!!!!!!!!!"
"S-so amazing!"
"Hmph, Bell! You'll become like that one day, I believe in you!"
"G-Goddess!"
...
Elsewhere, Fron returned to the base after finishing his work.
He had been busy these days, not knowing what the others were up to.
As usual, just stepping into the courtyard, he heard a noisy ruckus from the upstairs dining hall, mixed with sighs. What was going on?
With curiosity, he pushed open the door, picked some roasted meat, bread, vegetable salad, and a glass of fruit wine, then sat down at his usual spot.
"Lefiya, what happened? Why do Ais, Tiona, and the others look so down? That's not like them at all."
"Eh? Fron doesn't know?"
The elf girl looked puzzled. She thought everyone knew about this already.
"Uuuu, Fron~~~ I went bankrupt!"
"?" Tiona clung to Fron's arm, crying heartbreakingly.
He twitched his mouth, looking at her with pity, and sighed.
"Bankrupt? Even a first-class adventurer can go bankrupt?"
"It's the weapon! The second-gen great double blades [Orga] cost 120 million! I'm in massive debt!"
"..." To owe 120 million just like that... As expected of you, such an innocent little angel.