Forge and Steel

Hephaestus Familia Residence, Main Dining Room

"Hefesto, please, you have to leave the residence," Pyrion insisted with a worried tone. His pleading gaze was fixed on his goddess, who sat at the head of the table with her arms crossed and a stubborn expression.

"I've told you for the thirteenth time, Pyrion: I'm not leaving my home. Even if the sky falls, I'm not moving from here," Hephaestus declared firmly, her tone making it clear that there would be no discussion.

*SIGHH*

Pyrion sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. He knew how stubborn his goddess could be, but he still had to try.

"Why don't you stop wasting time here with me and go finish preparing the weapons for tonight's battle?" Hephaestus suggested, her gaze fixed on her son. Despite her firm tone, there was a slight trace of guilt in her voice.

Looking at his son, who had a look of extreme concern, Hephaestus felt somewhat guilty. However, she still wouldn't back down—she couldn't abandon her home while her children fought a tough battle.

Hephaestus kept her obstinate posture, her red eyes showing an unwavering resolve. "Pyrion, this is my home, and you are my family. I won't hide while you fight to protect it. I'm not a goddess who abandons what is hers."

Pyrion bit his lip and scratched his head anxiously. He knew he couldn't argue with that, but the worry still weighed heavily on his chest. "Why… do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Hmph, weren't you just like me?" Hephaestus responded with a smirk, teasing her son lightly as she crossed her arms. "You're even more stubborn than I am."

Pyrion let out a small laugh, easing some of the tension. "Heh, isn't it your fault? It's obvious I learned it from you."

Hephaestus let out a light chuckle, her expression softening. "Well, if that means you won't abandon what you love, then I did something right."

"Goddess…" Pyrion stared at her for a moment, letting the warmth of her words lift some of the worry in his heart. Although he still disagreed with her decision, he understood that this was the essence of Hephaestus—the reason why he and so many others respected her so deeply.

"Just promise me that if things get really bad, you'll let me take you to the Tower of Babel. Don't make me deal with more problems than necessary, okay?"

Hephaestus smiled calmly. "I promise… as long as all my children come with me."

*Sigh… Deal.* Pyrion said, turning to leave the dining room. "I'll prepare my weapons. You, please, at least rest a little."

"No promises," Hephaestus replied playfully as she watched him leave, a proud smile on her face.

---

Headquarters of the Adventurer Faction in Orario

"Finn, everything from my family is ready."

The sound of footsteps echoed near Finn's tent, then a second later, a woman walked through the flap and spoke in a loud voice.

"Tsubaki, it seems like you've prepared well for the upcoming battle," Finn said with a slight smile, lifting his gaze from the maps on the table. His eyes paused for a moment on the armor Tsubaki wore, and he praised it without reservation.

"Oh, you mean this?" Tsubaki pointed to her light armor with a proud smile. "Well, the idiot of my captain made it."

Although she made the comment with an insult, the affectionate tone in her voice betrayed the appreciation she felt for her captain. Her eyes shone with pride as she admired the impeccable work of the team she wore.

"It's really amazing." Nodding in acknowledgment, Finn allowed his gaze to sweep over Tsubaki's armor. The quality of the design was undeniable, something even he, a blacksmith out of practice, could appreciate at a glance.

Tsubaki's light armor consisted of strategically placed plates, protecting the vital points of her body without sacrificing mobility. In the center, a conical-shaped front plate covered her chest and part of her abdomen, designed to deflect impacts to the sides. The plates on the shoulders, forearms, and knee guards also shared that functional and elegant design, with concave surfaces that aimed to make attacks bounce or slide off rather than penetrate.

"Runes?" After a few seconds of examining it, Finn raised an eyebrow upon finding runes on some parts of the armor.

"Yes, each set has different enchantments," Tsubaki pointed to the finely etched lines on the edges of the plates. "I know some of them, but the idiot of my captain didn't want to tell me all the enchantments it holds, so even I have no idea what its full capacity is."

"I'm relieved to know you have good equipment. It gives me confidence for what's to come," Finn said, finally taking his eyes off the armor and turning his attention to the map spread out on his table. His expression quickly shifted to a more serious one as he studied the marked positions on the scroll.

"These are the final positions for our group. Tsubaki, please come closer," Finn said, pointing to a seat next to him. He then placed both hands on the map, highlighting the strategic movements that had been defined for that night's operation.

"Understood," Tsubaki responded as she stepped firmly toward the table. When she reached the seat Finn had pointed out, she decided not to sit. Instead, she carefully moved it aside and leaned over the map to get a better view.

"Look, your group will be here and here. With that, you'll be able to cover this entire area…" Finn began pointing out different points of interest and the positions assigned after meticulous planning.

Tsubaki studied the marks on the map with a concentrated expression. From time to time, she nodded in understanding, but at certain moments, she furrowed her brows upon noticing a detail that concerned her. On the other hand, when she saw that the arrangements made sense, a faint expression of relief crossed her face.

"Your role will be crucial, Tsubaki," Finn added as he moved his finger, pointing to the plans for the counterattack group's movements. "Our neutralization group's movements depend entirely on your defensive group."

"Don't worry," she replied firmly, her eyes remaining fixed on the map. "I won't let the enemy cross a single line."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Finn responded with a slight smile.

"By the way, where's the idiot of my captain's position?" Tsubaki asked, glancing at the map and frowning slightly when she couldn't find Pyrion's position.

"Well… he's around here." Finn moved his lips slightly, unable to stop himself from feeling a little amused by Tsubaki's constant "insults" toward Pyrion. However, he didn't give it much importance. According to the information he had gathered from members of the Hephaestus familia, it was common for Tsubaki and Pyrion to argue like this all the time.

"My goddess's residence?" Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, surprised when she noticed Pyrion's assigned position on the map.

"Yes," Finn confirmed, keeping his tone calm. "Considering that the goddess Hephaestus has made it clear that she won't leave the residence, and since her home is strategically located in the center of the industrial area, we thought it was the best option. From there, he'll be able to protect her and respond quickly to any emergencies in the nearby areas."

Tsubaki nodded with some relief at Finn's words. "Alright, that seems suitable."

Now she wouldn't have to worry about her goddess. After all, with Pyrion there, they'd have to destroy all of Orario before touching a hair on her goddess.

"Now that everything's in place, it's time to take our positions. The hour of the attack is approaching." After confirming that nothing else was missing, Finn took his eyes off the map and looked at Tsubaki with a smile.

"I wish you luck, Tsubaki."

"Same to you, Finn. Let's crush the dark faction!"

---

"Captain, I've received the latest information. The attack is about to begin." A beautiful girl with short blue hair quickly approached another woman with ash-blonde hair.

"Understood, thanks for your hard work, Asfi-chan. I don't know what we'd do without you." Turning to Asfi, the blonde-haired girl smiled with happiness.

"Probably a complete disaster, Captain," Asfi commented indifferently as she adjusted her glasses.

"Hey, you're supposed to respond with 'I'm sure you'd handle it, Captain,' right now." Pouting, the beautiful blonde girl looked at Asfi with mock annoyance.

Asfi raised an eyebrow, still calmly adjusting her glasses. "Sorry, but I don't like lying that blatantly."

The captain frowned, making an exaggerated show of annoyance. "How cruel you are, Asfi-chan!"

However, Asfi didn't budge at the 'anger' of her captain. Instead, she turned her gaze to her belt, adjusting her weapons.

"Hey, I think I just lost something… oh, right, it must have been my dignity as captain." Looking up at the sky with vacant eyes, the blonde woman continued her dramatic act.

However, she soon turned her gaze back to Asfi, confused after not receiving a sarcastic comment from her.

"Pfft, Asfi, we all know you're hopelessly in love with Pyrion. But if you keep stroking that dagger with that look, people might think you have some mental issues."

Seeing Asfi, who was caressing a beautiful dagger with an almost reverent expression, the woman let out a laugh.

"I-I was just checking its sharpness!" Taken by surprise, Asfi, who had been unconsciously stroking the dagger Pyrion had gifted her, immediately blushed in embarrassment at her captain's teasing.

The captain covered her mouth to hide her laughter, but couldn't help but let out a small amused sigh. "Hahaha, sure, checking the sharpness of one of the 'Master Blacksmith of Orario's' weapons."

"Li-Lidith! Please, stop teasing me!" Feeling her face burn, Asfi quickly begged for mercy.

"Haha, alright, we'll stop for now. But I'll tease you later." Wiping the tears from laughing so much, Lidith finally let Asfi off the hook.

"Alright, let's get back to serious matters. Is everything ready on Finn's side?" Returning to her serious demeanor, Lidith, captain of the Hermes familia, asked Asfi.

Asfi, still a bit red but regaining her usual composure, nodded. "Yes, Finn has given his confirmation. The positions are set, and the strategy is being followed to the letter. Everything is in order."

Lidith nodded, satisfied with the response. "Perfect. It seems everything is going smoothly."

"Come on, Asfi, follow me." Having confirmed all the necessary information, Lidith took her weapons and walked toward the meeting point of her group.

Asfi, though slightly confused, followed her captain without hesitation.

Upon reaching the group meeting spot, Lidith and Asfi briefly surveyed the diverse crowd. It was made up of dwarves from the Hefesto familia, members of their own familia, and other small families.

*PHAP*

Lidith's feet struck the floor with force, making a noise that drew everyone's attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe most of you recognize me, but I will introduce myself again. My name is Lidith, captain of the Hermes familia." Climbing onto a crate, Lidith raised her voice and looked at the group with firm eyes.

Observing the expressions of everyone, Lidith noticed courage, panic, determination, and many other emotions.

*PHAP*

Striking the ground with force again, Lidith raised her voice even more. "Remember, all of you, we are proud adventurers of the city of Orario, the center of the world! Now we face the filth of our city. Will we lose to Orario's trash, or will we not?!"

Lidith's shout echoed in the air, and the group, initially tense, soon began to react. Fearful expressions transformed into ones of pride and determination, and the eyes of everyone shone brightly, with the flame of victory lighting up within them.

"For Orario!"

"OH, FOR ORARIO!"

The unified roar of the group reverberated, and the atmosphere shifted entirely. Fear and doubt were replaced by vibrant energy, an unbreakable will.

"You sure know how to fire up the crowd." Asfi, watching her captain as she stepped down from the crate, commented with a bit of sarcasm. However, in her gaze, there was genuine admiration.

"Heh, I know, Asfi-chan. Your captain is incredible." With a proud laugh, Lidith lightly bumped Asfi's shoulder and kept walking.

"Come on, Asfi-chan, to our positions."

Soon, the group took their positions, and the entire area was engulfed in an eerie silence. The air seemed to carry the promise of an impending battle.

*FOOTSTEPS*

The sound of footsteps began to echo in the dark night. Soon, the noise grew louder, clearer, until a torrent of footsteps could be heard in the distance.

"It seems they're here..." From atop a building, Lidith said to Asfi in a solemn tone, her eyes scanning the dense darkness with great focus.

"That's right, captain. Looks like it's time." Gripping the shiny dagger tightly, Asfi also looked at the dark night with a solemn expression.

"May the gods bless you, my dear Asfi." With those final words, Lidith gripped her weapon even tighter.

"I wish the same for you, captain." Raising her dagger, the silver shine illuminated the dark night.

"ATTACK!"

---