Western Continent.
Outside the territory of the Rakia Kingdom, countless carriages clogged the road, blocking the way forward.
"Lili checked—looks like there's a caravan selling weapons up ahead."
Lili dispelled her Transformation Magic and returned to the carriage.
"The kingdom's been unstable lately. That idiot Ares must be stockpiling war supplies again..."
Artemis sighed, remembering the god's hopelessly foolish mind.
The Rakia Kingdom was an extremely savage military nation. Under the rule of the War God Ares, it had become the largest nation-like familia in the world.
"So the land ahead belongs to Ares? Hmm... He never listens. If we get involved, we might end up fighting..."
Hestia also sounded helpless. Any god who knew Ares would describe him as "a head full of muscles," someone you could never have a calm conversation with.
As everyone debated whether to keep waiting or reveal their identities, Welf slowly raised his hand.
"Actually, I know a shortcut that goes around the Rakia Kingdom. It's not marked on any maps, so no one else knows about it."
"Ohh, nicely done, Blacksmith!"
Hestia praised with a grin.
The caravan ahead stretched endlessly. If they kept waiting, night would fall.
"But... that was years ago. I'll need to scout the path first."
Welf spoke softly as old memories resurfaced.
"In that case, I'll go with you."
Sensing a hint of melancholy in him, Bell offered to join.
They stepped off the carriage, crossed the muddy road, and left the main route behind. As they climbed a hillside, Bell asked, "Welf, is this your home?"
Given the kingdom's history with Crozzo's Magic Swords, Bell had gone straight to the heart of the matter.
"...Knew I couldn't hide it from you."
Welf smiled faintly. "Yeah. More accurately, I was born into the familia of a [Subordinate God]."
The Rakia Kingdom had a vast population. Aside from civilians running industries and supporting the nation, everyone else received Falna. With more than a hundred thousand combatants, Ares couldn't possibly handle all Status Updates alone. That was why subordinate gods existed. The goddess Phobos, who had once been defeated and forced into this role, was one of them. She and the other subordinate gods were responsible for lower-ranked, weaker personnel. If someone showed exceptional talent, they would be converted and led directly by Ares.
"After our clan lost the ability to forge Magic Swords, our status declined, and we ended up under Goddess Phobos's care."
"That goddess... how should I put it... she didn't feel like a god. More like a mischievous friend. At least, that's how I saw her when I was little."
Welf never used honorifics with Phobos, often calling her a "stupid goddess." She never got angry. In fact, she often teased Welf right back. When others looked down on the Crozzo family and Welf fought them, Phobos would laugh, ruffle his hair, and say he was an interesting kid. When Welf arrogantly ranted about coups with a child's understanding, Phobos would grab him and tell him such things were far more boring than he thought. When Welf's eyes sparkled with passion for forging and he declared he would craft a weapon surpassing the [Crozzo's Magic Swords], Phobos would laugh joyfully, like she was seeing something amusing and new.
"She was that kind of strange yet ordinary goddess."
But this relationship only lasted until Welf turned ten. On the day he received Falna, Phobos betrayed him.
"Try forging a Magic Sword," she said—those words were the beginning of everything.
Welf reluctantly forged one, and the result shocked everyone.
Flames roared, ash scattered. The Crozzo's Magic Sword, symbol of [Revival], returned to the world.
And what followed was a flood of betrayal and disappointment.
Hurry and forge a Magic Sword, Welf!
"Strangers, relatives, my mother—even my father who taught me the art of forging—all repeated the same demand:"
"Forge the Magic Sword."
But this went completely against everything Welf had been taught.
Listen to the sound of the metal, hear its resonance, and channel your will through the hammer.
What Welf wanted to forge wasn't just a Magic Sword, but a supreme weapon, one that would never crumble into dust.
His passion resisted, the soul of a blacksmith cried out.
Welf argued with the others, but all he received in return were merciless blows.
Curses and obsessions, glory and delusions—these consumed the entire Crozzo family.
"In that final moment, I thought of my grandfather."
Welf's grandfather was a true smith, the very source of his desire.
A thousand hammer strikes, each one glowing with brilliance.
It was seeing the weapons his grandfather had forged that sparked Welf's dream of becoming a smith.
If it were his grandfather, Welf was sure he would understand the conflict within him, and approve of his restraint.
Yet, to his surprise, his grandfather had only replied with a blank expression.
"Go forge the Magic Sword."
Speechless. Bewildered. Betrayed. Torn...
Countless emotions weighed heavily on Welf's heart.
And so, on his tenth birthday, he bid farewell to the Crozzo family.
"When I prepared to escape, Phobos came to my aid once more."
If the goddess had only refrained from teaching him the Magic Sword forging skill, none of this would have happened.
Yet, as the instigator, she apologized with a smile, while arranging Welf's escape from the kingdom.
Under the goddess's guidance, Welf was able to leave the kingdom with the trial Magic Sword in hand.
The price was heavy.
The flames had wounded the knights, and the child who could forge the Magic Swords disappeared. Ares, naturally, would not let this go.
But Phobos, the goddess, declared that the God of War was just a fool. As long as she took full responsibility, presenting it as nothing more than her personal amusement, no one else would be held accountable.
As she had said, other than a beam of light returning the god to the heavens, the kingdom remained unchanged.
"I now understand—Goddess Phobos must have long had the thought of returning to Tenkai."
Having lost all her Familia and her status, she had become a puppet-like [Subordinate God], watching over the Crozzo family consumed by their obsessions.
If not for Welf's existence, Phobos, with her nature, would have long since returned to Tenkai and left everything behind.
"At our farewell, the goddess told me she would watch over me from Tenkai, but I never understood what she was truly after..."
Welf voiced the confusion that had haunted him for years.
Divine will is always difficult to fathom.
Why had the goddess wanted him to forge a Magic Sword?
And why had she helped him escape afterward?
The goddess had even thoughtfully changed Welf's divine inscription to [Awaiting Conversion].
All these actions were utterly incomprehensible.
"Welf, you shouldn't dwell on the past. Why did she watch over you from Tenkai? Wasn't it to seek the [Unknown]?"
Bell pointed out the most crucial part.
Regardless of the goddess's intentions, this story wasn't over yet.
Welf was now brewing an unknown that even the gods could not foresee.
"..."
Welf fell silent for a moment before softly replying, "You're right. The future is what truly matters."
Sunlight bathed the path.
In the next instant, Welf's eyes widened in shock at the old man approaching. "Grandfather..."
The old man frowned. "...Welf? You've grown so tall! I only came out to gather some materials. Never thought I'd run into you here. Seems like luck is on our side..."
Welf was momentarily speechless.
In the face of this unexpected reunion, he didn't know how to begin.
Bell sensed the tense atmosphere, gave a soft chuckle, and spoke up:
"Hello. Welf-san is now my personal blacksmith. He's been taking good care of me."
"Is that so... Welf, don't worry. I won't tell anyone in the family about this."
The old man smiled in relief, his sturdy frame exuding the dignity of a master blacksmith. After a moment of thought, he added, "I'm sorry for what I said back then... words I shouldn't have spoken. But knowing you're safe and still working as a Blacksmith puts my mind at ease."
Welf hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly:
"Grandfather... I've already started forging Magic Swords."
"You don't have to force yourself. I've come to understand—what the Crozzo family needs isn't a Magic Sword, but a blacksmith..." the old man murmured.
For him, time had long since smoothed away his stubbornness. Binding the revival of the family to Magic Swords and forcing that burden on a child was simply too cruel.
"No, I'm not forging Magic Swords for glory or for the family. I'm doing it for my companions now." Welf met his gaze, his resolve unwavering.
"....."
The old man stood frozen in astonishment. The young grandson before him was no longer naive and unaware—he had become a true blacksmith.
"Is that so... That's good. Very good..." the old man said with a smile as he turned to leave. "By the way, Welf, what's your current familia? I'll keep an eye on it."
"He..." Welf hesitated for a moment before correcting himself. "Hestia's familia. Remember that, Grandfather."
"Hmm, I'll remember it well—the [Blacksmith] of Hestia's familia." The old man waved his hand.
In the soft sunlight, his figure receded, bathed in warmth and gentleness.
…
"Welf, what was your answer just now?" Bell asked.
If Welf had mentioned Hephaestus' name, the old man would likely have held him in even higher regard. But to Bell's surprise, Welf had intentionally abandoned that top-tier Forging familia, choosing instead to mention Hestia's familia.
"It's exactly what it sounds like. Please let me join Hestia's familia."
Welf responded decisively. He had found where his hammer belonged. If the goddess Phobos were watching, she would likely smile with both satisfaction and curiosity.
"What about your previous familia?" Bell asked, though he wasn't opposed to the request. Setting aside Magic Swords, Welf's blacksmithing skills alone would be a great asset.
"Well, as long as I have a hammer, iron, and a burning passion, I can forge weapons anywhere."
Welf repeated the words of the goddess Hephaestus.
"You'd better be sure—this is tough work. The materials later on might be too hard to even hammer..." Bell chuckled softly, raising his left fist.
"Bring it on. Even Black Dragon scales won't stop me from hammering."
Welf raised his arm with a smile. Under the sunlight, their fists met with a soft collision, like two pieces of quenched iron, sparking silently.
[Blacksmith] Welf Crozzo — Joined Hestia's familia.