A new day arrived.
Amidst the beautiful "melody" of rhythmic metal clanging, Hephaestus opened her eyes in her workshop's lounge. She took a deep breath, the scent of charcoal filling her lungs. The red-haired, one-eyed Goddess leaned back with a satisfied expression.
After a quick wash and breakfast, she stretched. "Time to start forging~"
But as she pushed open the workshop doors, she saw her friend waiting outside.
"Hestia?" Surprise flashed in her eyes, followed quickly by a teasing smirk. "Aren't you busy building a love nest with your little boyfriend? What brings you here to see your old, lonely friend?"
She faked a cough and, imitating the rumors she'd heard, began to mock-recite:
"Lady Hestia, I love you. Please, let me join your Familia~"
"Ugh—!" Hestia's face turned bright red at the teasing. "Levi is... he's NOT my boyfriend!"
"Sure, sure. 'Not yet,' right?" Hephaestus crossed her arms, a knowing "shipper" grin on her face. "Come in first."
Once inside, Hestia made sure to close the door behind them. After they sat down, Hephaestus got straight to the point. "So, you suddenly showed up because you need a favor, right?"
It wasn't a question. She had known Hestia long enough to know how she operated. Hestia's face turned serious. She nodded and went straight for it. "Yes. I need your help—specifically, the help of one of your children."
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. "A commission?"
"Sort of," Hestia looked away awkwardly. "But you know my Familia just started. I don't have the Valis for a formal commission yet. But as soon as I have the money, I promise to pay you back."
"That's funny. My children tell me your Captain is making a fortune every day," Hephaestus said, squinting her eye and poking a hole in the "lie." As one of the premier forging Familias, her information network was second to none.
"Well—" Hestia scratched her cheek, being vague. "Every family has its secrets. Please let me keep that part private for now."
Hephaestus shrugged. "So, what do you, or rather your 'child,' need from mine?"
She expected Hestia to ask for a set of Third-class or even Second-class gear for the boy. But Hestia's next words left her stunned.
"Levi plans to head to the Middle Floors in a few days to achieve a Great Feat so he can level up to Lv.2. I'm worried about the Dungeon targeting him, so I was hoping you could send a high-level adventurer to watch over him."
"..." "..." "..."
Silence fell over the room. Only the ticking of the clock in the corner broke the quiet. After ten seconds, Hephaestus spoke, her voice slightly dry. "His stats... are already high enough to level up?"
Hestia nodded. As she had told Levi, no one was a fool—least of all a Goddess.
"But that's too fast," Hephaestus said, rubbing her temples. "It hasn't even been half a month since he received your Falna, has it?"
She continued to mutter to herself. "And knowing you, you'd never let him level up as soon as he hit Rank D. So... is it C? B? A? Or did he actually hit S?"
Hestia hesitated. Since she had come to Hephaestus for help, her friend would likely deduce part of the truth anyway. She spoke softly. "He has a skill that accelerates his growth."
It was the truth, but not the whole truth.
"There's an 'Unknown' that broken in the lower world?!" Hephaestus looked shocked. She felt a sudden, rare pang of envy toward her friend.
Fortunately, the Goddess of Forging wasn't a "troublemaker" deity. Her Familia focused on crafting; while she appreciated powerful talent, she didn't obsess over it if it wasn't meant to be. Most importantly, Levi belonged to her best friend. She wasn't about to steal her friend's "child" or "lover."
That didn't stop her from scooting over and pinching Hestia's cheeks hard. "How is your luck this good?! You just got here and you land a rare character like this? And the kid is crazy about you, too!"
"Ehehe~"
Hestia usually kept a humble front, but she was dying to brag about Levi's talent. She had only been hiding it to prevent other Gods from trying to snatch him away. Now that the cat was out of the bag with her friend, she didn't hold back. "Levi is truly amazing. Even before he had a Falna, he dared to fight monsters in the Dungeon..."
Hephaestus listened with a smile to her friend's narrative, chiming in and playing the supportive role from time to time.
Once Hestia finished recounting her recent experiences, Hephaestus steered the topic back to the main point. "Levi is the first child you've recruited, after all. As your friend, I'm naturally willing to lend a hand. How about this: my Captain, Tsubaki, hasn't joined the Loki Familia's expedition recently. Once you've confirmed the time, I'll have her accompany your boy to the Middle Floors."
Tsubaki—full name Tsubaki Collbrande.
She was the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia, a Level 5 Master Smith. Her strength was among the elite in Orario; for her to oversee a Level 1 adventurer's quest for a "Great Feat" was, to put it lightly, as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Hestia, having lived in Hephaestus's workshop, knew Tsubaki's reputation well. Her face instantly lit up with joy, and she threw her arms around her friend's waist. "Really? Hephaestus, I love you to death!"