After leaving the Hephaestus Main Weapon Shop, Eina's curious gaze never left Liang Yue.
As a staff member of the Adventurers' Guild, she had a general grasp of each Familia's situation. And that older sister who had been speaking with Liang Yue was none other than the strongest smith.
Offering to improve his weapon quality for free—
That wasn't even what surprised Eina the most. What truly shocked her was the exchange between the adventurers, particularly Tsubaki's praise.
Self-taught swordsmanship.
Walking side by side within Babel Tower, the half-elf young lady could no longer contain her curiosity and looked to Liang Yue.
"Liang Yue-kun, are you really a new adventurer?"
"You were the one who helped me register as an adventurer, Miss Eina. Don't you think that makes me a rookie?"
Liang Yue didn't see the need to hide anything and replied with a smile.
The close relationship between Hestia and Hephaestus wasn't exactly a secret among the gods. So he briefly explained the situation.
Then, turning to the half-elf girl who now had a look of realization on her face, he made a simple and sincere request:
"Miss Eina."
"There's something I might need your help with."
"Go ahead," she replied.
Already prepared to be used as a "walking guide tool," Eina couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions when it finally happened.
After all, this was—by every definition—their first date.
But seeing Liang Yue's serious expression, the words of refusal caught in her throat. With a resigned sigh, she asked:
"What is it?"
"I'm looking for a secondary weapon."
Having received her consent, Liang Yue made his request—and even added, "Preferably a short sword. Nothing too expensive."
"Alright."
The half-elf girl's ears drooped slightly, her expression calm but unreadable. Thinking back to the start of this date—
She hesitated to speak, and eventually suppressed the urge to complain.
"Come with me."
Following Eina's lead, they headed to a shop that wasn't as famous as Hephaestus's but still maintained decent quality and pricing.
Standard weapons could be made by apprentice smiths.
But for secondary-grade weapons like the one Liang Yue sought, actual blacksmithing skill was required. They checked several different shops.
The end result, however, was a bit disappointing.
It wasn't that there were no weapons that caught his eye—but rather, Liang Yue simply didn't have enough valis on hand. The designs were all similar.
One short sword, made of mithril, especially stood out.
But it was priced at a hefty 700,000 valis. To afford it, he'd need to finish Lili's request and do another dungeon run.
"Short on cash."
For ordinary adventurers, owning a decent second weapon was more than enough—let alone a short sword forged by Tsubaki herself.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the [Sword Soul] class, things were expensive—even in DanMachi's world.
He needed a full set of weaponry to adapt to different combat scenarios and select the gear best suited to each situation.
That's what Liang Yue believed—and acted upon.
"Should we keep looking?" Eina noticed his slightly silent expression and hesitated.
She reached out and gently took his hand, ready to continue searching other weapon shops.
If the financial gap wasn't too large, she had honestly considered offering her own savings—built up over years of work—to help him.
"I already have a plan."
Feeling the gentle touch of her cool, slender fingers, Liang Yue turned to see the concern in her eyes.
He didn't dwell on the money.
Instead, he focused on taking care of the half-elf girl who had patiently accompanied him all this time. A smile spread across his face, and he spoke seriously.
"Also…"
"I want this first date to leave you with a good impression."
When it came to things like this—he believed in being direct.
Seeing her elf ears slowly turn red, Liang Yue decided to take the initiative and gently held her cool, delicate hand in return.
As for what came next—
He had a very clear goal in mind: a proper, genuine date.
The world of DanMachi resembled a medieval fantasy, but modern elements like pleated skirts, maid uniforms, and even coffee...
All existed.
And no girl could resist desserts—especially not when paired with a good cup of coffee.
Basking in the warm afternoon sunlight, enveloped by the rich aroma of hand-brewed coffee, Liang Yue enjoyed this rare peaceful moment with Eina.
Leaning back in a wicker chair, Eina—wearing a neatly arranged red pleated skirt—savored this rare break from work.
Both hands wrapped around a ceramic cup, a plate of desserts laid before her.
Her half-closed eyes and the gentle smile on her lips spoke volumes of how content she was. She let out a soft sigh:
"Time really flies…"
"Liang Yue-kun, do you have any plans for the afternoon?"
"Hmm… I'll be celebrating recent progress in the dungeon with Lady Hestia—kind of a milestone, I guess." His schedule was packed.
If there had been no other plans, spending more time strolling Orario with Eina, hearing her stories about local culture, trying new foods—
That would've been a perfect way to unwind.
"I see…"
"Talking about another girl during our date, huh?"
She couldn't blame him for attending a Familia gathering, so Eina chose to playfully tease him instead, hiding her reluctance.
The rest of the day, she could spend reading at home.
Finishing her last sip of warm coffee, Eina stood up, her smile particularly radiant:
"I still stand by what I said when we met this morning."
"The events of a date aren't important—what matters is who you're with."
"No need to walk me home, Liang Yue-kun. Go take care of your plans." She cut off his train of thought before it could even begin.
Turning slightly, she waved goodbye.
Just then, a little girl carrying a flower basket came running up to Liang Yue, looking up at him with hopeful eyes:
"Mister, would you like to buy some flowers?"
"Sure."
It had been a really enjoyable date, and Liang Yue believed in ending things with a sense of occasion—so he chose to close the day with a bouquet.
As for what came next, it was simple:
After a short break, Liang Yue met up with Hestia, who had just finished her part-time job at the fried potato ball stand.
Together, they went to celebrate at the Hostess of Fertility.
Since it was still early in the evening, not many adventurers had arrived. They chose a seat by the window, and this time ordered more food than usual.
A rare occasion indeed.
Hestia even ordered a bottle of wine. Dinner, as always, was delicious—and the time was spent sharing stories from his recent dungeon exploits.
By the time their not-so-formal celebration was over, night had already fallen.
Liang Yue remained patient, walking Hestia—who was slightly tipsy—back to their Familia's underground room in the abandoned church.
He prepared her water for after she woke, covered her with a blanket…
And once she had fallen into a deep sleep, Liang Yue grabbed his weapon—enhanced by Tsubaki's reforging—and left without hesitation.
Dark clouds hung low in the sky; the moonlight was conspicuously absent.
It cast an unusual gloom over the city of Orario.
Cloaked in his gray-brown cape, Liang Yue slowly blended into the shadows.
His destination was clear: the Soma Familia's stronghold in the southeastern district.
"So…"
Walking through the adventurer-filled streets, he finally arrived in the heart of the red-light district. Before him stood a conspicuous building.
A crescent moon behind a wine glass—the Familia's symbol.
His face showed no emotion, but his eyes were brimming with anticipation.
"With all my stats at S-rank… Surpassing levels in battle—"
"Shouldn't be too hard, right?"
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