Chapter 22: Camellia Cobland

Syr’s sudden display of kindness caught Liang Yue off guard. He looked down at the lunchbox intended for the restaurant staff, feeling a moment of hesitation.

The reason was easy enough to guess: Bell must have mentioned yesterday’s events, and she had connected them to him. Could there be some other motive? His hesitation stemmed from wondering if Syr had prepared the meal herself; if she hadn't, his dungeon exploration for the day might have to be cut short.

"I’m very grateful for the lunch, but won't this cause any trouble for you?"

"Of course not. Please, don’t give it a second thought. My breakfast will still be available once the restaurant opens. As a trade, please do come to our shop for dinner."

Syr bowed slightly, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at the young man before her. She hesitated before asking, "Would this cause you any inconvenience?"

"Of course not."

Saving the money for a lunch—and one provided for the staff of the "Hostess of Fertility," no less—Liang Yue did not refuse. In exchange, he would solve the problem of dinner at their establishment. His motivation, naturally, wasn't to help them drum up customers.

Perhaps... it had to do with Bell.

Since this was a gesture of goodwill extended by Freya, Liang Yue had no reason to resist making contact with Orario’s strongest Familia. With his goal of securing lunch supplies accomplished, he turned his attention to the next task: heading to the Hephaestus main store in Babel to have his weapon fully repaired.

"Get the weapon fixed, and I can continue exploring today."

The central plaza in front of Babel was already crowded with adventurers, but Liang Yue chose not to join them. Instead, he headed toward Orario’s premier blacksmithing Familia.

The main store was a signature landmark that drew in adventurers, with weapons shops located on every floor of the tower selling gear forged by novices. Compared to the items in Hestia’s shop, the prices there were significantly cheaper.

The hallways were relatively empty, allowing him to reach the Hephaestus main store without obstruction.

Good news: they were open early.
Bad news: Welf was nowhere to be seen.

The person tidying the shop was a tall, robust woman with dark skin, long hair draped over her shoulders, and a distinct cowlick. She was a half-dwarf, born from a union between a human from the Far East and a continental Dwarf. This mixed heritage meant she lacked the short limbs typical of a dwarf, appearing no different from a regular human. In fact, she was slightly taller than Liang Yue.

Tsubaki Collbrande.

"To think I'd run into her..."

Liang Yue recognized Tsubaki, who wore a black eyepatch over her left eye. He knew her true identity: Captain of the Hephaestus Familia. She was not only Orario's strongest blacksmith but also a Level 5 adventurer.

If his wallet had allowed it, he would have loved to commission a weapon from her. For now, however, he had to focus on repairing his short sword. Hephaestus had told him that if the weapon were damaged, he could have Welf repair it for free; he wasn't sure if that offer extended to Tsubaki.

"Well, since I'm already here..."

"Maybe Welf is in the forge?"

Sticking to the logic of "since I'm already here," Liang Yue strode into the shop. There were no other customers, and even if Welf wasn't around, he figured waiting would be worth it compared to buying a new weapon.

As a high-ranking adventurer in Orario, Tsubaki noticed Liang Yue the moment he entered, even though her back was turned.

"If you need weapons, look around yourself. The rule is no haggling."

"Um... I’m looking for Welf. Lady Hephaestus mentioned that if my weapon was damaged, I could ask Welf for help with repairs."

Knowing Hephaestus’s personality, she had likely already informed her Familia members. Liang Yue chose to get straight to the point, finding it more efficient than testing the waters repeatedly.

The result matched his expectations. Upon hearing the name "Lady Hephaestus," Tsubaki turned to face him. He was a stranger to her, but just a few nights ago, after returning to the main store, her goddess had indeed mentioned this. If a black-haired boy from the Far East belonging to the Hestia Familia came to the store, she was to repair his weapon for free.

Since Welf hadn't arrived yet and Liang Yue seemed ready for a dungeon delve with nothing else pressing, Tsubaki furrowed her brow and said calmly, "Welf isn't here yet. If you're in a hurry, come with me to the forge."

"That would be a great help, Tsubaki-senpai."

Liang Yue nodded with a smile and accepted. Why refuse? He was getting a repair from Orario’s finest blacksmith.

He followed Tsubaki to the forge. The conspicuous weapons on the walls were mostly not for sale—likely pieces Tsubaki took great pride in. He shifted his gaze and studied the woman before him. She was well-proportioned and dressed in Far Eastern-style work clothes: bright red baggy pants, with only a white wrap covering her upper body.

It turned out that one’s style often reflected their personality; Tsubaki was forthright and carefree. As she set about stoking the furnace, she wasn't particularly curious about Liang Yue’s background. She understood that the promise Hephaestus made was likely a favor to Hestia. As a Level 5 adventurer, she could clearly sense the lingering, sharp sword intent radiating from Liang Yue—a rather interesting rookie.

She used a magic stone to bring the furnace to a roar and said, crisp and direct, "Show me the weapon that needs repairing."

"Right."

"I don’t want to take up too much of your time, Tsubaki-senpai. Just getting it to a usable state is enough."

Liang Yue nodded earnestly and handed over the weapon, scabbard and all. He had no intention of taking advantage of the situation, waiting patiently for Tsubaki’s assessment. A full repair would be ideal, of course. His modest attitude earned him some favor with Tsubaki; she had been prepared for him to pull the "Hestia" card and demand an upgrade. Even if he had, she wouldn't have refused, but she would have reported the matter to Hephaestus, leaving the final decision to her goddess.

She took the scabbard and drew the blade. The first thing she saw was the crack that compromised the weapon’s structural integrity. The state of the blade was abysmal. Much like how Amid hoped her patients would take their recovery seriously, Tsubaki, as a blacksmith, wanted adventurers to cherish their gear.

The moment she noticed the crack, her brow tightened. This weapon, which wasn't of particularly high value, was now in a state where it was no longer fit for use—it could shatter at any moment.

But as she pulled the blade out completely, she felt a pure, intense sword intent emanating from it, as if it had been honed through countless battles—a power forged through sheer force of will! The edge remained sharp, even as the body of the blade lay in ruins.

Tsubaki’s brow did not relax, but her curiosity about Liang Yue grew. "The blade in your hand should have shattered long ago."

"It’s your sword intent... that has driven it this far!"