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/BAM!/
"I SWEAR! THAT DARNED BASTARD!"
""...""
"Tione, you've drunk enough today… the table won't last at this rate..."
"But listen to me, Tiona! How?! Just how could a Level 1 do all of that, huh?! I've heard of Level 1 adventurers reaching the Middle Floors alone, but he left as we arrived!!"
"Even when we returned, and I pressed them for answers, we still made less than him? How is that even possible?!!"
""…""
The night had arrived, and as usual, the executives of the Loki Familia gathered at their preferred bar, the Hostess of Fertility.
They sat together in their usual spot, drinking and talking about their days and troubles… albeit this time the mood seemed heavier than usual.
Tione had already drunk two full mugs and was showing signs of intoxication. Her cries and exclamations would often startle others, though in this busy environment, such was rarely an oddity.
What was truly strange was that despite all this time, none seemed to have interrupted her... perhaps because those beside her, they too were interested in knowing where her story would end.
While most of Loki's children understood Tione's frustration, two of them were still in doubt…
"Care to explain again? You've been complaining ever since you returned, and I've yet to understand it." Rivera said out loud as she turned to the angry amazon
Another agreed, tapping his fingers on the table, "Say that again? A Level 1 weakling did what?"
"That son of a bitch wasted our time…" Tione murmured as she gnashed her teeth
"What she meant to say is… when we were returning…"
Arshe narrated their story. Of their encounter with an adventurer on the Middle Floors and every word they exchanged until they arrived at the surface.
She left no details out. To confirm her words, Lefiya, Ais, and Tiona would butt in as well.
When she finished talking, both Riveria and Bete were shocked.
"You're kidding. There's no way a Level 1 could do that much! Not even Ais had that much power when she was Level 1!" Bete exclaimed in surprise as his usual rudeness was blown aside
"I agree. Goliath isn't something one can just take down like that. I might've believed if you told me a well-prepared party of Level 2s took it down, but that is the extent of what I'm willing to accept."
'If a party like that appeared, it would make headlines in everyone's mouths soon enough. Most likely, we'll be hearing about it tomorrow.'
Tiona sighed as she played with the food on her table, "It's not that I don't get where you're coming from, but it's the truth… and even if he wasn't the one to take it down, the fact remains that a Level 1 went all the way to the 17th floor and somehow came back with Goliath's magic stone... and that's just what we know."
"He could've gone further, we didn't ask... we should've, but it was so awkward..."
"… I believe he took it down. He said it wasn't the first time he had done so." Ais said all of a sudden, causing the whole table to go silent
"TCHE!"
"Ais, you need to recognize lies from the truth. If the bastard killed it before, but he became an adventurer a week ago, that'd mean he killed it before he even received a blessing." Bete said as he took a big gulp of his drink
/BAM!/
He slammed the mug on the table, "That's utterly impossible!"
"Customer~ please be gentle with the pub's property. Thank you~" Syr said as she approached Bete from behind, causing his hair to stand on its end
Bete did not acknowledge her as he looked away, "Humph!"
"Mnn…"
Ais looked down as she stuffed some chicken in her mouth, downcast.
"Ais, Bete isn't calling you a liar, but he has a point here. This situation is plainly abnormal." Riveria replied as her pensive gaze fell on Ais
'This isn't the kind of thing to discuss here. There are too many listening.'
"In any case, you've all met him before, so you'll meet him again. When the time comes, testing him out is easy, no?"
Tiona's expression fell, "Are you serious, Riveria?"
"Just what I wanted to hear! When I find that bastard, I'll let him know…"
"Sis, enough of that. You were the one who proposed bringing to the Guild. Stop deflecting."
"Buuut!!…"
"Y-You two, don't fight…" Lefiya said in a low tone as the two began pushing each other
"…"
While the amazon sisters bickered with one another, Riveria looked at her food in silence.
'It's hard to believe, but everything points to it being real.'
'A Level 1 that can take down a Floor Boss… I can't help but be intrigued at their methods. Not even Ais with all her power could do it... perhaps in some unconventional scenarios...'
'I just can't put things together.'
"What's all this fuss about?!" Mia exclaimed from the counter as she looked at Tiona and Tione
""EEEK!!""
…
/Crackle.../
Silver looked at the fireplace, his thoughts drifting…
"... What are you thinking about?" Hestia asked as she approached him
She had just taken a bath, her long black hair flowing behind her as she wore her prized bear pajamas she had bought a few days ago.
She also had a small box in her hands, a small puzzle box Silver carved many years ago in his free time. He still kept it, carrying it with him every so often.
He gave it to her a few hours ago so she would calm down after an argument that didn't matter anymore.
She seemed to have a lot of trouble opening it, though…
Silver turned to her as he heard her call to him, "... Isn't it obvious? I am thinking about this enormous growth."
On the table next to him before the bonfire, his status page together with his diary had been placed beside a small pot full of nuts he was munching on.
Just moments before, he had finished writing some of his recent thoughts, but without noticing, it seemed he had dozed off.
He'd do that often, a terrible habit he couldn't shake off. It was a deadly one, for it often came even in battle.
"... Your Skill played a big role in it, but your recklessness did most of the work." She said as she crossed her arms
"Fighting higher-level monsters, even if not as big of a challenge to you as it is to others, pushed much of your stats higher than they would've risen in others."
"Falna can't be tricked, but the process can be simplified."
"Hahaha…"
Hestia looked and saw the minuscule change is Silver's expression as he looked away. She had a sly smirk on her face as she approached him from behind, pensive.
"Hmmmmm… I wonder who was the person who told me he wasn't going to put himself in danger?..."
She looked around the room before her eyes rested on Silver.
"Was it perhaps… you?" She asked as her heavy gaze fell on his face
He smiled awkwardly, "... You must be mistaken. All this cold must've affected you..."
"Mumumu…"
'At least lie properly! I can see your smirk! You think I am a pushover?!'
After giving him a death stare, she finally decided it was time to punish this disobedient child! Hephaestus told her such things were common, and that she had to cement the hierarchy!
As the goddess of this Familia, this was her stage!
Hestia on the offensive!
/JUMP!/
She jumped over the couch all of a sudden, much to Silver's shock as he stared in awe, agape.
That said, in but a second, he restrained her. With his upgraded stats, Silver could only laugh at Hestia's pitiful attempt at pouncing on him as he levitated her over him.
"?!"
Hestia couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her plan was perfect!
"I'll commend you for trying. Unfortunately, I am four parallel universes ahead of you… next time, try harder."
"ARG!! Unfair! Put me down this instant!"
"Only so you can attack me again?"
"Yes! You need to be disciplined!"
"Fine, then." He said as he rolled his eyes, "Do your worst."
He let go of her, gently putting her on the ground. Like she claimed, she ran after him across the basement, trying to get him to fall… but each time she reached him, Silver would jump a little further away or she herself would trip over something.
She never fell on the floor, as Silver always caught her… which only made her more upset.
'I'm being treated like a child!'
To end it all, Silver flew into the ceiling, looking at her beneath him as he clung to its surface.
"Mumumu…! Get over here!"
Hestia kept jumping around like a kid, well… From Silver's perspective, she looked like one. Albeit there was one thing that DEFINATELY wasn't childlike...
'She needs a bra... urgently.'
After running around, seeing she was getting tired, he "Alright, let's stop playing for now."
Silver canceled his telekinesis and fell from the air onto the ground with elegance.
"How about we…"
/Ploft!/
Hestia took this opportunity to pounce at Silver! But he remained in place, unmoving.
Instead, he captured her in a princess carry as he turned to the side. He did this otherwise her face would've smashed onto him, which would've only harmed her.
Such a difficult and delicate being to deal with…
Joking about it, Silver had a smug smile as he looked down, "Come on, Goddess. With this much force, I bet the best you'd do is give me a massage."
"You…"
She looked at the smug face of her first Child and couldn't help but grimace at her future.
'Am I going to be bullied forever now?! I need an emergency meeting with Hephaestus… maybe I should look for the other goddesses that I know… Demeter might be able to help me here.'
While he laughed, Hestia didn't know whether she should laugh with him or cry. But eventually, she remembered what she wanted to say… "... Please… Just don't put yourself in too much danger, okay?"
"…"
'This is… a familiar sight.'
Silver thought of Loiju's face moments before. His deep emotions hidden behind his usual expressionless Elven face were like Hestia's.
Both shared similar views, and regardless of how each of them felt, they both showed concern for his actions, which could only be seen as reckless from their eyes.
Silver wasn't necessarily in a hurry; he was only making the most of his abilities… what he believed to be effective. But not all saw it this way, as even his view wasn't entirely correct either.
Be it with her or someone else, most deities would've long reprimanded him. Hestia's willingness to allow him such freedom was already a blessing in itself… although not all would agree on that part.
As tears welled in her eyes, Hestia was overwhelmed by her thoughts, "I'll support you in the best way I can… I know you can do it, but I can't help it."
"…"
Silver felt his heart ache at the sight of the almost crying goddess. He wasn't a stranger to loss, but albeit distant, his memories still greatly pressed him, numbing him to his own actions.
He lived free from anything to bind him, but at the same time, how many truly awaited his return? He explored many worlds with dangers akin to the Dungeon, all for the sake of his own goals.
Friends and family gone over decades of research. Those he cared deeply for… dead for nearly a century. Perhaps the way he felt and saw things was exactly how an elf eventually came to experience the world.
How similar were the two situations? If not for his family, would he have been able to display the current emotions he felt?
So he placed her on the ground and patted her head, "... I am sorry for this. At the very least, I should have been honest."
His eyes did not leave her, "I want to explore this world, every nook and cranny of it… the strength to do so does not come easily. I will have to get hurt a little."
He dried her tears with his palms, smiling faintly as he was reminded of distant memories…
"Although I can't promise you I will always be safe, at the very least I will always put my safety first under any circumstances. I promise you I will always find a way… that I will be the first to run regardless of the consequences."
"At least… until we have others in our midst. When the time comes, I will rise to meet such expectations."
"... You promise?"
Silver answered that with no hesitation, "I won't lie again on this matter... if the situation comes where I can not win no matter the outcome. I will just bail out. That much I can promise you with certainty."
His life had always been his priority. If a monster he can not defeat even after trying anything appears, there is only one solution. Run… even if his legs are broken.
Learning how to run was one of the first things his grandparents taught him. It wasn't as simple as turning around and dashing… albeit being quick with one's feet will always matter.
"Promise! If you break it, you can't call yourself a man! I'll never forget it if you do so! I'll nag about it for an eternity!"
Hestia lifted her pinky finger, waiting for his response.
"Hah…"
'… A pinky promise?…'
"I had no intention of breaking it anyway." He replied with a faint smile as he reached out for her hand
And so, the two locked fingers. The promise was made.
Hestia smiled, "Hehe… Alright! I will support you with everything I can from now on!"
"Weren't you already doing that?"
"It's a figure of speech..."
Silver smiled, happy this situation had concluded on a good note… "So, what do you plan to do? I was going to have dinner outside."
Hestia looked around before holding onto his arm, "There isn't much to do here, and after this, I'm famished!"
"Right… I was thinking of going somewhere unique today…" He said with a faint smile as he tapped her head
"Where? And stop this immediately!" She exclaimed without putting a single ounce of resistance
In fact, she seemed to be enjoying it.
"I have yet to visit Babel, and I heard it had some fancy restaurants in it… though even if we don't eat there, we can always eat around the central plaza. I was just interested in visiting the tower."
"I heard about it from Hephaestus. They have a few shops there… fine then! Let's stop by!"
"It's settled then. I know of a few good places… I'll change my clothes and wait for you at the entrance… remember to put on those sandals you bought recently since the ground is getting slippery."
"Sure thing!"
With all complications out of the way, the two made their way back to Orario. The future looked bright as the bright moon shone on their backs.
Albeit already strong, the twilight of the night had just begun.
…
/Later…/
In the streets of Orario…
"~Hum, hum~… Hm? Silver, what are they doing?" Hestia asked as she pointed at a crowd of people
"Those people?… Oh, they must be putting up decorations for the Winter Festival. It officially starts tomorrow."
"Winter Festival? What is that?"
"I'm not too sure myself, this will be my first one."
'It's oddly similar to Christmas, but I guess they don't have Santa here... there are also some decorations I can't make heads or tails of.'
'That's what happens when you have so many deities playing around. Whatever they say or do ends up becoming a mortal festival.'
"Silver! We should decorate the church like them! It would look so pretty!"
Silver looked at how much the streets had changed in just a few brief hours and nodded, "Sure. We can pass by a shop and buy some decorations on our way back."
"Yay!"
Hestia ran before him, approaching the people decorating the outside of their homes and shops, asking them about the festival before running off to another group.
People were more than happy in responding to her words. Everywhere she went, smiles followed.
"At least someone's eager… hm?"
'I didn't even notice we were here already…'
Midway through their walk to Babel, Silver and Hestia passed by the Hostess of Fertility.
'It's been a week since I came here… ever since I became an adventurer, that is.'
He could hear the chatter coming from the pub, including even some rather distressful wails...
'It's not exactly a nice place to have a peaceful dinner, so I was planning on skipping it again… Mia is probably worried; it wouldn't take much to say hi, right?'
Silver frowned at his own thoughts, '… She is worried about me, right?'
"… She might drag me to a seat though… I can give them a heads up on the way back."
"Why not now, nya?"
Silver turned around to face the newcomer, a server he had seen several times before yet rarely talked with.
"I thought you were dead! Good to know I was wrong." She said with a plain expression as she held a silver tray
"As you can see, I'm fine and dandy. Just busy with work… I'll pass by later, so Mia doesn't think I'm dead."
"I don't think she missed you though?"
"That hurts…"
Silver looked at her, noticing the change in outfit, "Those clothes are new. I suppose everyone's feeling the cold now. I always felt that your uniforms were a little stuffy."
"It's not that serious, but Mia forced us so… the seasons change, but we only have two uniforms. This and that one. It's a bit heavy, but here we are."
He smiled, that did look like something she'd do, "Well, I like it. Though the design could use a little more work, its far too similar to the previous one."
"That's our gimmick, nya!"
"Silver!… Where are you?!"
"Hm?? Who's that, nya?" Anya asked as she looked into the distance, squinting her eyes
"My goddess. She's quite high-maintenance, you see." He joked as he turned to the side
She nodded in understanding. Knowing full well how it felt to be in his place, "I get it, nya…"
"Well then, see ya later. Keep up the good work."
"You too?"
Anya watched as Silver left to meet up with Hestia… "Bo!"
"Ugh-nya!! Syr! Don't scare me like that!"
"Haha, sorry, I just couldn't help it… say, who were you talking to just now?"
"Just a regular… can we call him a regular if he hasn't been here in a while though?" She asked as her tail curled into a "?" shape
"Uhum… we should get back inside, Chloe will take over the entrance now, okay?"
"Kay!"
Syr looked at where Silver and Hestia had gone, stepping inside the pub soon after.
…
/Later…/
Silver and Hestia ended up eating at a small restaurant near Babel's plaza. And albeit their dinner made them a little sleepy, Hestia still wished to visit Babel, so Silver agreed to go with her.
As they got near it, Hestia looked up with curiosity, "Woah… It's my first time getting this close."
(Image)
"Weren't you here for the Denatus sometime back?"
"I skipped it! I thought it would be boring."
"I was too busy with whatever book Hephaestus dumped on me... and the last thing I wanted was to meet those guys again... and definately not because I wasn't allowed to or anything!"
"…"
"Come on! Let's get inside, Silver!"
There were several entrances throughout Babel's base. Some of them led to the stairway to the Dungeon, others led to the Guild's branch. But most of them were elevators connecting Babel's floors together.
"Where should we go?"
Silver approached her, "That's up to you… From what I know, the first twenty floors are filled with Familia businesses, facilities, money exchanges and the like."
"If you want to look around, all the shops from the 4th to the 8th floor are owned by the Hephaestus Familia. Above the 20th floor are the living areas of the most prominent deities in Orario."
"Is that so?... I wonder how much it'd cost to live here."
"Would you like to live here?"
Hestia raised an eyebrow as she looked up, "Maybe I guess. I suppose it would be nice to have such a view."
"Then it shall be done, my goddess." Silver said dramatically as his eyes sharpened
"Silver! It's not that serious…"
After she pondered for some time, Hestia finally made her choice, "Let me see… how about the eighth floor?"
/Click…/
Hestia clicked the button, and the elevator started going up.
"How nice..."
'Looking at the luxury, all that's left is some nice elevator music… they have microphones here so it wouldn't be too much to have recorders...'
"This is so strange. Mortal ingenuity never ceases to amaze me." Hestia said as she looked around
"I also think that Orario's use of magic stones is exceptional."
'For a moment, it's almost as if I'm back in Rapture…'
'One of my goals is to study this very technology, but if I have the time amidst my research, bringing back some technology wouldn't do wrong, right? All it takes is one technology to make someone a fortune...'
/Ding/
With a clear chime, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened onto a nicely decorated corridor.
Hestia stepped forward, "Woah! Such exuberance!"
"They sure have to make it clear that this is a rich folks' place, huh…" Silver added as he went after Hestia
The ground and the ceiling were made from a nice brownstone; the bricks on the wall were golden, and they looked metallic because of their sheen.
There were many lamps and chandeliers scattered around the corridor, lighting the way for the visitors.
Multiple shops were aligned perfectly, all of them filled with expensive gear, each costing at least five million Valis. But the average price was in the tens of millions.
Silver even saw a sword costing as much as eighty million, and that was just at the entrance.
If that wasn't enough, expensive magic stones, drop items, and other Dungeon byproducts were placed as decorations beside the items to make them more appealing, as if to imply that if you had that gear, those stones could be yours.
At least, that was Silver's interpretation.
(Image)
"S-Silver… this little dagger is a hundred times the cost of the church's repairs…" Hestia exclaimed with hesitation as she feared even touching the window
"For as much as I like our little church, it is to be expected…" He replied as he looked at the little dagger
'Most items here are aimed at Second Class adventurers between Level 3 and 4, anything less than a few million wouldn't even qualify to be here.'
'The best item at the center of each display is a First Class piece… even grandfather, a Level 4 adventurer who put down his arms and spent the better half of his life forging, the best he ever made was a Second Class piece that could at best compare with a Third Class one from the city.'
'The difference in quality of the materials and Development Abilities shows itself in moments like these… I too will need to select meaningful ones when the time comes. The only thing I can do is train hard so I have many options to choose from when I do Rank Up.'
'One reason I'm not trying to speed it up is that. A unique or well-centered group of development abilities can make even an ordinary adventurer without skills or magic into an elite one.'
'And an elite adventurer...'
"These items are considerably more expensive than their counterparts down in the city… but I wager Hephaestus' seal of approval has its cost as well." Silver said as he moved past her
Hestia ran after him, zig-zagging between the shops as her interest kept rising, "This place is quite grand… to think all of this belongs to Hephaestus..."
"Envious?"
"Why? I'm proud! Back in Heaven, she was so… lonely…"
"…"
'This doesn't look like the story to discuss now.'
Hestia stopped before an unusual full plate armor. It was the centerpiece of its display, and it was clearly a piece of First Class gear, "… If Silver had one of these, his safety would be assured."
"If I could even move, that is… Look at its description, this armor is pure Adamantite alloyed with Purple Valmarth, a rare Deep Floor material. The weight alone would make me a statue." He joked as he shook his head
'Not to say the price… full plate is the most expensive of all armor types… and its not unexpected the price of this equipment alone reaches half a billion.'
'This is the type of thing an A or S Rank Familia would buy to armor their Captain… this can easily be worn by Level 6 adventurers.'
"When I reach this level, I'll probably have a smith of my own to make me equipment. This is only here to display this shop's owner's skill… and the message is clear."
'There is probably nothing he can't make. At least equipment-wise.'
"Right… Silver still has much to do… if we are to afford this." She said with a pale expression as she looked away
"Haha…"
'Even if I were to empty out the Dungeon of monsters all the way to the start of the Lower Floors with the snap of my fingers, I think I'd only be able to afford this once, if at all…'
'To afford this, you'd need to hunt on the Lower and Deep Floors consistently while also completing commissions and searching for rare items and materials scattered around the floors.'
'At least on that matter, the expectation is that I'll slowly grow into a money-making machine. When the time comes, I can move in and out of the Deep Floors to mine ores and materials. I alone may crash Orario's economy… or monopolize it.'
He raised an eyebrow as he was reminded of his time in the village, 'Speaking of that, gramps gave me some ideas on how to make some cash with my abilities... there is seemingly nothing I can't do… but patience, I'm not yet desperate for money.'
"Should we continue? This floor is huge… how about we circle it once before moving on? I heard about the eleventh floor having multiple clothing and accessory shops."
"Sure! But before that, there is one place I would like to check… I went to meet Hephaestus yesterday, and she told me she was going to be busy setting up her stores for the Winter Festival and the New Year, especially due to the arrival of something…"
"The School District."
"Right, that! You certainly are knowledgeable. Regardless, she might still be here, so let's take a look around!"
"Feel free to ask. People will surely listen to you compared to me." Silver joked as he extended his arm to Hestia
"Hehe… lead on!"
…
Silver and Hestia moved through the hallways window-shopping, often stopping by to ask questions before moving on.
With her charisma and status as a goddess, Hestia quickly pinpointed Hephaestus' location on the 33rd shop. So, with their goal found, they made their way to her location.
"This must be it…"
/Ding cling.../
"Hephaestus! Are you there?"
"…"
'So much for subtlety… Excuse us…'
Hestia entered the shop as if this was her home, looking around for Hephaestus before they noticed there was no one around, "The store isn't closed…"
But before he could say anything more, Hestia opened the back door, vanishing, "I'll look for her!"
"Wait… there she goes."
'She becomes another person when her friend is involved… far more energetic than normal… or rather, she stops acting shy?'
While Hestia was away, Silver turned his attention to the items on display and scattered around. They had small price tags carved on golden tablets with glossy dark words.
The higher the price, the more exuberant their display, and with it, their tag, became.
"Thirty million Valis for a short sword… I don't even got half of that covered."
'I was planning on spending a few million on equipment, but this is discouraging me… haha. My idea was a heartplate to protect my heart and maybe a helmet. This way, my two most vulnerable areas would be covered, allowing me to escape if necessary.'
"Is there something like this around? Hm… a spear made from a Battle Boar tusk and coated in Mithril for better magic conductivity… rather specific, I suppose."
'How many spearmen have magic that is channelled through their spear?'
Out of curiosity, he looked left and right before grabbing a large hammer for a stand, almost falling on the ground as both his arms and legs shook, "… Ugh! It's heavy!… S-Several times my body weight for sure!" He exclaimed in shock as he placed the hammer back with difficulty, his face getting red
"Phew… I definitely aint ready for these… just imagine a Level 5 hitting you with a hammer the weight of an elephant… or a house..."
'Just a Silverback, a Level 1 monster, can already take down houses effortlessly, and a Minotaur can run through an entire street block non-stop… how much force would there be behind this combination of man and metal?'
'It's no wonder high-level adventurers are akin to natural disasters…'
Silver looked at every piece of gear in the shop as he waited for Hestia… but she was taking a little too long.
'Just what is she doing?'
/Knock knock…/
Silver walked to the back of the room and knocked on the door.
/Silence…/
'I can hear Hestia talking with someone inside… are they ignoring me?'
"If you want to play like this…"
Silver opened the door, stepping inside, "What's taking you so long?"
""...""
Before him, the two goddesses turned to him as their conversation came to a sudden halt.
Silver looked at the girl on the side and immediately recognized her. There weren't that many red-haired goddesses in Orario, much less one with an eyepatch.
"Sorry for barging, I just had to check up on her."
"It's nothing. The fault should be on me since I was the one who kept talking with her. You must be her child, the one who was going to join my Familia? Hestia told me quite a bit about you."
"Ahh…"
"Hephaestus!"
/Chuckle…/
"From the looks of it, things are working just fine. I'm glad."
"I am Hephaestus, head of the… Hephaestus Familia."
"Nice to meet you. I am Mellios Silver, Captain of the Hestia Familia." He replied as he gave her a respectful bow
The two shook hands.
"But what you said before… you say she talked about me?"
"!! O-OI! Dont say anything, Hephaestus!"
But she only smiled, "There's quite a bit, let's see... she said... Mhuph!"
But Hestia jumped and closed her mouth, "Traitor!"
While the two fooled around, he smiled.
'I was afraid Hestia would be alone with me on the Dungeon all day long, but it seems that was an unneeded worry.'
"... I can tell you chose quite an excellent child."
"Fufufu!" Hestia laughed proudly, "Silver is the best! He can cook, clean, wash, and much more! He alone can provide for me!"
"..."
'Is that what I am to you? A housework robot?'
She smiled, "That's rare in boys..."
Before she could continue her sentence, Hestia continued to brag, "He can also..."
He tapped her head, "Enough of that. You're embarrassing me."
"Hmmm..."
'Why does he treat me like this while he treats Hephaestus like that?!'
Hephaestus smiled at how close they seemed. She turned to the door, leaving, "In any case, its getting late. I will not take any more time from the two of you..."
"Wait."
Silver stopped her before she could leave.
"… Can I ask you a question?"
Hephaestus stopped, her carefree eyes changing to serious ones.
"Of course, but I can not answer just anything. Just don't go telling others, alright?"
"Silver wouldn't do that!" Hestia jumped in as she defended him
"Right, I should be worried about you instead?" She asked as she looked at Hestia
"It's nothing complicated. I just wanted to know if Magic Sword confection was like the handling of magic stones by the Guild."
"That's an unusual question, but the short answer is no. They're not the same thing… I could tell you more, but now's not the time. Once you become a more proficient smith, I wouldn't mind teaching you a bit."
"I'll hold on to that." He replied as he smiled faintly
Hestia smiled as she tapped his back, "That's the spirit!"
"Why the sudden interest, if you allow a question of my own? It seems too early for you to need to worry about such a thing."
"My interest doesn't come from me wanting them. I just want to understand."
She raised her eyebrow, "Understand?"
"Yes, I like to understand things… why and how a magic sword functions? This kind of thing… my grandparents liked to say I asked too many questions."
"Such as?"
"Oh… you don't want me to start…"
"You really don't!" Hestia added as she shook her head fervently
"So much for the one who'd support me…"
"This is different!"
"…"
Hephaestus smile deepened as she led them outside. With her work still far from over, she stayed while they went on their way.
Although late, they still passed by another floor, window shopping for another hour before going back home.
/Shuaa.../
Silver looked at the clouds as he closed his eyes, "Winter is coming..."
"Why are you so dramatic?!"
…
.
.
.
Notes
We'll probably have a few more chapters like this, alternating between him in the Dungeon and his activities outside as we move on to the New Year, where I have more events planned for.
Tell me if you'd like a more in-depth(Mostly more character interaction and less combat) type of storytelling of these days until the New Year, or if you'd rather have a lighter(Quicker) narrative!
See you later.