"Yawn!"
The early morning in Orario carried a slight chill.
Noah, who had crawled out from under the bridge, stretched his stiff body and emerged from the shadows, gazing up at the bright sun.
"Seems like it'll be a nice day today."
Hmm, Although he had previously made such ambitious resolutions, reality was harsh.
Without money, he could only sleep under bridges.
Lying on the hard bluestone bricks was no small burden for his currently young body.
In Orario, as soon as day broke, one could see a continuous stream of adventurers heading toward the Dungeon.
They were fully armed, having done their utmost to prepare in advance.
After all, it was a life-risking job.
More preparation meant a greater chance of survival.
The preparations that could be made could be categorized into three main types: equipment, consumables, and tools.
Equipment, simply put, referred to weapons and armor.
Consumables included, but were not limited to, potions, food, and disposable items.
Tools included items like ropes, compasses, and maps.
Adventuring was expensive.
It wasn't just about risking one's life—venturing into the Dungeon was also dangerous for one's wallet.
This was precisely what Noah had his eye on.
Unfortunately, his options were limited.
Otherwise, he could have produced some finished products as displays, which would likely attract many customers quickly.
Currently, he had nothing to his name and couldn't even obtain raw materials.
"Indeed, I still need to join a Familia."
"The Hephaestus Familia is undoubtedly the best choice."
Familias could generally be divided into two types.
One type focused primarily on commercial operations, while the other concentrated on conquering the Dungeon.
Of course, some top-tier Familias excelled in both and stood at the pinnacle of their respective fields, such as the famous Ishtar Familia.
The Ishtar Familia dominated Orario's entire entertainment industry, while also boasting a large number of Amazon warriors above Level 3.
Their combat prowess and financial power were among the highest in Orario.
They could be considered second only to the Freya Familia and Loki Familia.
Equipment was an adventurer's lifeblood.
In Orario, there were two production-oriented Familias: the Hephaestus Familia and the Goibniu Familia.
Both were the pinnacle of equipment production, but compared to the Goibniu Familia, the Hephaestus Familia was far larger in scale.
Additionally, the Goibniu Familia also handled construction-related businesses.
The Hephaestus Familia specialized exclusively in equipment production.
Led by the heavenly forging goddess Hephaestus, the Hephaestus Familia gathered the finest blacksmiths in all of Orario.
These conditions should be irresistibly attractive to ordinary adventurers.
But what Noah valued was "safety."
As a blacksmith, even if one didn't enter the Dungeon, it wouldn't be a major issue.
Even if it was necessary to go, they wouldn't be fighting on the front lines and were usually in a protected state.
Moreover, in his memory, the Hephaestus Familia had almost never been involved in troublesome incidents.
In Orario, no fool would be stupid enough to offend the Hephaestus Familia, which could be considered the largest commercial Familia.
In modern terms, the Hephaestus Familia controlled sixty to seventy percent of the arms trade in Orario.
Once blacklisted by them, purchasing equipment would become extremely difficult, essentially cutting off access to first-class weaponry.
...
Hephaestus Weapons Shop.
When Noah arrived at his destination, he truly realized just how wealthy the Hephaestus Familia was.
It could only be described as obscenely rich.
The lavishly decorated shop spanned multiple floors, with every shelf filled with a wide variety of weapons.
Whether niche or mainstream, any weapon could be found here—or so the popular saying went.
At a glance, the cheapest weapons started at seven-digit prices, with millions-valued weapons too numerous to count.
Those displayed in the "Treasure Collection" section even reached astronomical prices exceeding a hundred million.
For first-class adventurers—adventurers at LV5 and above—the weapons they used were at least worth tens of millions.
This was not just a weapons shop but also the Hephaestus Familia's stronghold within Orario.
Noah had come here specifically to meet the divine smith from the heavens.
Knowing the god's preferences well, he had already prepared a way to market himself.
Hephaestus loved unknown weapons forged by blacksmiths.
By catering to this interest, he should be able to gain her favor.
As soon as Noah entered the shop, a highly attractive shop assistant approached him.
"Eh, a pallum?"
Noticing his short height but his presence in a weapons shop, she initially mistook him for a pallum adventurer.
But as she drew closer, she quickly discerned the truth.
'No.'
'He was a human child.'
"Esteemed guest, are you here to purchase weapons or armor?"
Noah shook his head gently.
He silently admired the assistant's professionalism.
Even after realizing he wasn't a pallum adventurer but merely an ordinary human child, she refrained from using condescending terms like "little kid" and instead addressed him as a guest.
After shaking his head, he explained, "I wish to join the Hephaestus Familia. Could I meet the goddess?"
Logically, a Familia like Hephaestus should recruit members openly and uniformly.
Given the Hephaestus Familia's influence, countless people sought to join every day.
It wouldn't do for just anyone to show up suddenly demanding to see the patron goddess and expect an immediate audience.
In terms of membership numbers alone, both the Hephaestus Familia and other top-tier Familias were essentially overflowing.
Noah didn't know the proper procedure for joining a Familia.
But he had some confidence in his ability to impress the goddess Hephaestus.
"Eh?"
The assistant indeed showed a troubled expression.
"Even if you say that, the goddess is very busy..."
'Sigh.'
Hearing this diplomatic response, Noah sighed softly and spoke helplessly.
"I understand."
"Ah, that's great! Then, please submit a formal application through the Guild... Wait, guest, what are you doing?!"
Under the assistant's horrified gaze, Noah casually picked up a dagger from the shelf and pointed it at himself.