As a blacksmith, the only thing that could truly pique Tsubaki's interest was a special weapon—like the cheap short sword Liang Yue had bought from her shop.
Despite being on the verge of breaking, the weapon remained sharp thanks to the sword aura infused into it.
While repairing the blade, she tried analyzing it in-depth. But the final result?
It couldn't be replicated using conventional forging techniques.
More accurately, the uniqueness wasn't in the weapon itself—but in its wielder, Liang Yue of the Hestia Familia.
"Looks like you've made some serious progress in the dungeon recently."
Tsubaki rose to her feet, her gaze sweeping over the boy standing at the shop's entrance. He was still dressed in that practical adventurer style—clean, sharp, and efficient.
But what truly surprised her...
Was the natural sword aura flowing from him.
Gone was the brash, overbearing sharpness from before. Now it felt restrained, controlled—an internalized presence.
Checking another adventurer's stat growth would be invading privacy, but as both a blacksmith and a decently strong adventurer herself, she could clearly sense the refinement in his swordsmanship.
"That's all thanks to you, Tsubaki-senpai."
"You lent me those two second-tier weapons. That made a big difference."
Instead of casually tossing the short swords onto the shelf, Liang Yue respectfully placed them on the counter beside her.
Before setting out this morning, he had carefully checked—despite intense dungeon activity, the weapons were completely undamaged.
"Mm."
Expressionless, Tsubaki nodded. Then she picked up one of the returned swords and unsheathed it, raising it to catch the light.
Not a single nick on the blade. In fact, it felt sharper than when she'd lent it out.
The moment she gripped the hilt, she could sense the sword aura within—so pure, it slowed durability loss...
And maybe… it had even enhanced the blade's edge?
She slid the sword back into its sheath. Now confident in her assessment, she turned to the young man beside her, already forming her conclusion.
"The sword style you use is something very special."
Tsubaki was always straightforward. And now that her theory was confirmed, her curiosity about Liang Yue had only grown stronger.
"Your style—being able to visibly enhance weapon durability and even nurture the weapon itself—I've never seen anything like it."
"…"
As for the improved durability, that was likely the effect of the Weapon Discipline Mastery skill from the "Sword Soul" template.
The so-called "nurturing" probably came from prolonged usage of his Li Gui Sword Style, which enhanced the cutting properties of his blades.
But hearing praise from someone of Tsubaki's caliber—Liang Yue wasn't shameless enough to take all the credit and claim it was solely due to his technique.
"Follow me."
To avoid giving the impression she was just buttering him up to get at his sword style, Tsubaki quickly changed the subject.
She led Liang Yue and Eina toward the forge in the back.
During the repair process, she'd realized it was no longer about mere maintenance—it had turned into a recasting.
The sword aura infused in the old, battered short sword had given it a level of malleability beyond expectation.
Once she recognized that, she shifted her focus from simply fixing it… to enhancing its overall quality.
And the results were clear.
"Here."
She casually set the short sword down on the table. If she hadn't handed it to him herself, Liang Yue might not have even recognized it.
Its overall length hadn't changed—but the most obvious difference was in its material.
Originally forged from ordinary steel, it had been upgraded to mithril—a dark gray alloy known for its exceptional properties.
Clear, flowing forging patterns ran along its surface.
And the edge, gleaming under the light, radiated such sharpness that Liang Yue instinctively knew: this was on par with—if not superior to—the second-tier sword he'd just returned.
His gaze turned back to Tsubaki, arms crossed confidently in front of her chest, a delighted surprise in his voice:
"This is a second-tier weapon, isn't it?"
"Glad you noticed."
No blacksmith disliked their work being appreciated—and Tsubaki was no exception. She nodded lightly, pleased by his reaction.
She had expected a word of thanks. But before he could say anything, she waved it off.
"Go ahead—give the upgraded version a try."
"Alright."
The hilt had been reinforced, fitting perfectly in his palm. The moment he gripped it—
It felt like a reunion after a long time apart.
As he gently swung the blade, the sword aura inside it resonated with his Li Gui Sword Style. The blade shimmered faintly, producing a soft hum.
With this sword in hand, he was confident that even against a 17th-floor boss like Goliath—
If he used his sword energy strikes correctly, he could break through its defenses.
This had far exceeded his expectations.
He had only come thinking Tsubaki would fix his blade—but not only had she repaired it, she'd completely upgraded its quality!
"…It's incredibly sharp."
"How much do I owe you for the enhancement?"
Even if she had repaired it as a favor, the quality upgrade was an extra service. Liang Yue had no intention of freeloading off Tsubaki.
Only by properly paying her could he maintain a good, long-term relationship.
"That was purely out of personal interest."
From Lady Hestia, she'd already heard that Liang Yue had paid off all of Hestia's outstanding debts to the shop the previous day.
That alone gave her a good sense of his character.
If she actually named a price, she knew he'd absolutely pay it.
Looking at his earnest face, Tsubaki didn't outright refuse his offer.
Instead, she decided to shift the payment into a different form.
Her tone grew serious:
"If you really want to repay me…"
"Then tell me—what's the name of your sword style?"
"…Li Gui Sword Style."
Even the strongest blacksmith in Orario wouldn't be able to trace a sword style that didn't exist in this world.
So Liang Yue answered calmly and directly.
But as Tsubaki's brows began to furrow with concentration, he gave it a bit more thought and decided to be upfront.
At least enough to match the value of the blade upgrade.
"…It's a sword style I created myself."
"Li Gui Sword Style…"
"Self-created…"
The answer was brief, but the weight of that information stirred something in Tsubaki's heart.
She looked at the boy before her.
If the Hephaestus Familia weren't already a production-only Familia, she would've considered snatching him away and dragging him into her own.
There wasn't a shred of doubt in her mind.
That sword aura flowing from him—was all the proof she needed.
Right now, Orario had Ais Wallenstein, the famed "Sword Princess."
But soon—perhaps even sooner than people expected—
Liang Yue, and his original Li Gui Sword Style, would absolutely shine on this grand stage.
"…Do your best."
It was a simple word of encouragement, delivered in Tsubaki's usual deadpan tone.
Her gaze shifted briefly to Eina, who had been quietly standing by Liang Yue's side this whole time.
Tsubaki waved them off. She was too old to be standing around watching young couples flirt.
"If you've got nothing else, then scram."
"The weapon upgrade was free this time."
"But if you want another one in the future—"
"Get ready to pay up: three million valis!"
"Thank you, Tsubaki-senpai."
Liang Yue sheathed the short sword and watched as Tsubaki turned and headed back to the forge.
He smiled and gave her a sincere bow of gratitude.
"It's meal time, boys!"
He had just gotten a free, high-quality, second-tier weapon, personally enhanced by Orario's strongest blacksmith, Tsubaki!
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