"You know... you really are something else."
Tsubaki said with a crooked, sarcastic grin.
"To have the best blacksmith in Orario... aside from Lady Hephaestus and Lord Goibniu... maintaining your weapon instead of forging you a new one... I'm honestly at a loss for words."
"Well... you were the one who approached me and offered your services in the first place."
Judas replied calmly as he met her gaze,
"Heh. Fair enough."
She chuckled as she stepped closer, prompting Judas to raise a brow.
"I'll admit, being the smith for the record holder who reached level three in a single month was one of the reasons I sought you out."
Her grin widened.
"But that's not the only reason..."
Before he could even process her words, Tsubaki suddenly spread her arms and pulled him into a tight embrace in the blink of an eye.
"Eh?"
Judas let out a dumbfounded sound as his face was abruptly buried against a pair of very soft... very dangerous... mountains.
"As I thought!"
Tsubaki exclaimed, squeezing him even tighter.
"You're absolutely adorable!"
"When I first laid eyes on you, I've wanted to do this for ages!"
She swayed from side to side, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.
'Ah... fuck. She's strong... I'm actually getting crushed.'
Judas felt an alarming creak run through his bones.
Deciding this was a battle he could not win through conventional means, his body dissolved into mist, slipping effortlessly from her grasp.
"Woah—!"
Tsubaki blinked, eyes widening as he reformed a few steps away.
"You can do that? And without a chant?"
"Tsubaki," Judas said flatly, straightening himself.
"Have you ever heard of personal space?"
"Mm~ nope."
She answered instantly, her expression utterly shameless.
Judas exhaled quietly, straightening his coat and shooting her a flat look.
"You know, this is harassment."
"Correction."
Tsubaki said, raising a finger.
"This is the blacksmith's privilege."
Before he could retort, she turned on her heel and gestured toward the back of the shop.
"Come on. Enough playing around."
Her expression shifted... still playful, but now tinged with pride as she quickly shifted the topic without batting an eye.
Judas merely sighed, deciding not to pursue the matter further, and followed her.
"Your Járnglófar has been waiting."
Tsubaki spoke as she reached for a cloth-wrapped item and handed it to him.
"And after the abuse you've put it through with whatever ridiculous adventures you've been on..."
She smirked.
"I made sure it's in perfect condition."
Judas accepted the weapon, the familiar weight settling naturally into his palm as if it belonged there.
"I didn't add anything new, aside from applying the Durandal attribute like you requested."
She continued, jabbing a thumb in his direction,
"I also reinforced what was already there, making sure it can handle a bit more output than before."
Judas nodded and slipped the armored glove on without hesitation.
The moment he poured magic into it, the Járnglófar responded instantly.
A faint radiance spread across its surface, and the embedded magic stones shimmered softly, as if acknowledging their master once more.
"Heh... looks like you're satisfied."
Tsubaki said it with a proud grin, arms crossed.
"Well... I expected nothing less from you."
Judas replied, a light smile tugging at his lips.
"Oh?"
She raised a brow.
"Are you complimenting me to try and lower the fee?"
"Well, if you want to believe that, then sure."
Judas answered casually as he threw a few practiced swings, the air trembling faintly with each movement.
Tsubaki narrowed one eye, analyzing him in silence.
'He's strong.'
The power behind his fist was far beyond what a level three should reasonably possess.
Of course, in a real fight, an adventurer's status alone never told the full story.
Skills, magic, and experience weighed just as heavily in determining overall combat ability.
Even so...
She could tell.
Even without using magic, Judas wouldn't lose to a level four in terms of raw physical strength alone.
That was what her instincts... and her experience as a veteran level five... were telling her.
'...Interesting.'
The corners of her lips slowly curled upward.
"Hey..."
Tsubaki called out to him.
"Would you like to sign a contract with me?"
Judas paused and turned his head toward her.
"A contract? You mean... a personal smith contract?"
Tsubaki answered with a single nod.
Judas blinked a few times, then fell silent as he considered it.
'A personal smith contract... I've heard of this before. Isn't this the same kind of contract Bell and Welf signed in the original story?'
A personal smith contract was exactly what it sounded like.
An agreement between an adventurer and a blacksmith.
For the adventurer, it meant having a dedicated smith... someone who would maintain, repair, and eventually forge weapons tailored specifically to their growth and fighting style.
For the blacksmith, it meant prioritizing that adventurer above all others, staking their time, reputation, and craftsmanship on their contracted adventurer.
"...You're serious?"
Judas asked, his tone losing its earlier levity.
Tsubaki nodded once, arms crossed beneath her chest, her usual teasing grin replaced by something far more earnest.
"I don't offer that lightly."
"A personal smith contract isn't just business. It's trust. I watch you grow, and you carry my work into battle. If you die because of a flaw in my craftsmanship, that stain is mine to bear."
She looked straight at him.
"And if you become a legend... then my weapons become legends with you."
Judas exhaled quietly.
He understood now... this wasn't a casual offer.
Tsubaki was choosing to invest in him.
"Don't you already have personal contracts with other adventurers?"
He asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Huh? Of course I do."
Tsubaki replied without hesitation.
"But it's not like I'm only allowed to have one, you know?"
That was enough.
Judas didn't need much more time to think.
"Alright. There's no reason for me to reject the greatest mortal blacksmith in the entire world."
The woman standing before him was the captain of the most prominent smithing familia in the City of Heroes.
Turning down an offer like that would be nothing short of stupidity.
At his words, Tsubaki felt the corner of her mouth twitch.
"Mortal blacksmith?"
She repeated flatly.
"I get that I'm no match for my Goddess, but do you really have to point that out?"
Tsubaki let out a snort, then burst into a hearty laugh that echoed through the workshop.
"Hah! You've got guts, kid."
She shook her head, amusement clear on her face, before fixing him with a sharp, appraising look.
"I'll take it as a compliment."
Judas gave a small shrug.
Tsubaki stepped closer and extended a hand... not playful this time, but firm and deliberate.
"Then it's settled. From today onward, I'm your contracted smith. Maintenance, repairs, adjustments... and when the time comes... "
"...a weapon worthy for someone like you."
Judas looked at her hand for a brief moment before clasping it.
"I'll be counting on you, then."
Their handshake was solid, sealing the agreement without ceremony.
---
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