As the topic turned to business, Hephaestus's relaxed demeanor vanished. She took out the Flying Sky Sword and the Vision that Levi had entrusted to Tsubaki the day before. Instead of handing them back, she cradled them in her palms, examining them closely.
"The two items you gave Tsubaki have a binding effect to a specific individual. With her current abilities, she can't study them without destroying their structure."
"And so?" Levi asked calmly, already guessing her intention.
Sure enough, Hephaestus smirked. "I intend to buy the rights to these two pieces of equipment outright."
"..." x2
Seeing that neither Hestia nor Levi responded, the red-haired Goddess continued unfazed. "You are Hestia's dependent, so I won't let you get the short end of the stick on price." She held up five fingers. "Fifty million."
It was a staggering sum—enough to buy top-tier Second-class gear or dozens of high-grade Magic Swords. However, Levi shook his head.
"The Flying Sky Sword is a weapon I've had since I was a child. In terms of materials and craftsmanship, while it might not rival First-class gear, it is far above the average for Second-class. As for the accessory, with your eyes, you should see its value. An item that automatically absorbs mana and converts it into a frost enchantment is, in a way, an alternative 'Indestructible Magic Sword'."
Hephaestus remained calm. If Levi had been blinded by a mere 50 million Valis, she would have looked down on him. She would still help him for Hestia's sake, but her respect would end there. She curled her fingers except for two. "One hundred million."
Under the table, Hestia instinctively grabbed Levi's hand. She knew exactly how much of a boost 100 million would give her dependent. Levi gave her a reassuring look and cleared his throat.
"Lady Hephaestus, I, Levi Bright, am no man who abandons righteousness for profit or favors lust over gold!"
Hephaestus didn't speak. She simply raised a third finger. "Two hundred million."
"But having said that..." Levi shifted his tone instantly—only to be smacked in the head by Hestia.
"You look pathetic right now!" Hestia barked.
Levi spread his hands. "I can't help it! Lady Hephaestus is offering so much!"
The one-eyed Goddess burst out laughing. She had thought the boy was a stiff, overly serious type. It seemed she had misjudged him.
"Jokes aside," Levi's expression turned serious again. "Lady Hephaestus, your desire to buy my gear isn't just about letting Tsubaki study them, is it?"
"Correct," Hephaestus admitted frankly. "There was something I wanted to confirm, and now, I have."
Levi fell silent. He wasn't the type to let a "cheat system" replace his brain; he assumed others were just as sharp as he was. He had always been cautious of the Gods. When Hephaestus showed up, he already suspected what she was thinking. Hestia, being a Goddess herself, caught on too.
My friend came here claiming to buy weapons, but she actually wanted to confirm the nature of Levi's skills!
Hestia spoke up quickly. "Hephaestus, could you please not spread word of Levi's situation?"
Seeing the couple looking at her so gravely, Hephaestus smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not a gossip. But..." she looked at Levi. "Choosing me as your first point of contact after Hestia... you certainly played that move correctly."
Under the one-eyed Goddess's gaze, Levi rubbed his nose. He had expected this outcome since he first reached out to Hephaestus through Hestia and invited Tsubaki to guard him. In fact, he had intentionally guided the situation this way.
As a soul with an adult's perspective, he knew that to live the life he wanted in this world, strength was the only thing that mattered. But his system needed massive amounts of Valis. If he had joined a large Familia, he might have taken a loan based on his potential, but since he chose Hestia, the plan had to change.
Knowing the personalities of the Gods from his past life's memories, he chose his targets carefully. Hestia was the perfect partner, despite being poor. Hephaestus was a "Good Goddess"—one who would forge a legendary blade for a friend for a mere 200 million Valis. Loki had a huge family to feed and could be cold to outsiders, while Freya was an obsessive lover who ignored her own followers.
To get the resources he needed to grow quickly, Hephaestus was the best option. To put it bluntly: Rich lady, I'm hungry.
Seeing that Levi wasn't hiding his intentions, Hephaestus laughed yet again. "Little Levi, I'll be honest—I like you. If it weren't for Hestia, I might have used force to take you away."
"Well, thanks for that, Hephaestus!" Hestia huffed, suspecting that Levi's maneuvers had caused Hephaestus's affection to rise again.
She was right.