Forge and Steel

—You really have no shame, brat... waking people up at this hour of the morning is rude.

Pyrion, with an annoyed face, glared resentfully at the little lolita in front of him.

Last night, Pyrion stayed up late testing the limits of his improved abilities after Hephaistos's recent status update. He had originally planned to sleep until noon, but he never imagined that a cheeky loli would be knocking at his door at dawn.

Sleepy and with not a shred of patience, Pyrion wished he could give the brat a good thrashing, but it was a shame that her "mom" on the other side had come with her, making it difficult to act.

"My apologies, Pyrion-san. Ais was really eager to pick up her weapon," the beautiful elf Riveria apologized with a slight blush.

—Hey, seriously... sigh, forget it —Pyrion sighed, casting one last reproachful look at the little blonde, whose expectant expression was impossible to ignore—. Come on, brat. I'll show you your weapon.

With a sigh of resignation and unable to help but feel a bit of sympathy for the excitement in Ais's eyes, Pyrion turned and began walking toward his workshop.

As they left the main residence of the Hephaistos familia, the trio ventured into the vast industrial area of the Hephaistos familia. Despite the early hour, many of the Hephaistos familia members were already active; the family's large forges were beginning to light up.

Pyrion let out a silent laugh as he observed the activity around him. "Maybe I'm the only lazy one in the familia, huh...?"

Riveria allowed herself a small smile at his comment. "I doubt anyone here thinks that, Pyrion. Everyone knows how hard you work..."

As Orario's best blacksmith and the captain of the Hephaistos familia, Pyrion was not only full of important orders but also had to handle most of the family's logistics. If not for Tsubaki, who helped him share some of the burden, he probably wouldn't even have room to sleep.

—Well, brat, we're here —Pyrion said, standing in front of his spacious workshop, smiling, and without wasting time, pulled out his keys and began unlocking the multitude of locks.

After a while, all the locks were unlocked, and the massive metal door swung open.

—Go ahead, Ais —Pyrion said, gesturing inside with a tired smile—. I'll quickly show you your weapon... maybe then I can get a bit more sleep.

Ais stepped inside, her eyes shining with excitement as she crossed the workshop's entrance.

Pyrion scratched his neck, with an expression that mixed resignation and humor. Despite his morning grumpiness, seeing Ais's anticipation for her weapon made the effort worthwhile.

He approached a table covered with a dark cloth and, with some drama, pulled off the fabric to reveal the weapon. "Here it is, brat," he said in a slightly more solemn tone. "Forged for you... and only for you."

Before her was a beautiful rapier that shone with great majesty. Its blade looked capable of cutting through anything that crossed its path, adding a touch of elegance and sharpness to the exquisite piece.

"It's made primarily of mithril, so you won't have any trouble channeling your magic. The base and blade are reinforced with orichalcum, giving it enormous durability," Pyrion explained with pride in his voice. "I wanted to ensure that your weapon was not only beautiful but also incredibly functional. This material is light and versatile, perfect for your fighting style."

Ais stared intently at the rapier, her eyes shining with admiration and obsession. —Can I... try it? —she asked, the excitement evident in her tone.

—It's all yours—Pyrion replied with a smile, feeling his effort had been worth it, seeing Ais's reaction.

With hands trembling with anticipation, Ais took the rapier, and upon holding it, immediately felt the difference. The grip fit perfectly in her hand, giving her an instant sense of connection. Its weight and size were also perfect, so it didn't feel heavy, but rather like an extension of her own body.

"It's perfect!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. She moved gracefully, raising the rapier at an angle that reflected her skill. Every movement flowed naturally, as if she had been training for years with that weapon.

Smiling with enthusiasm, Pyrion watched as Ais held the rapier firmly. "Use your magic, Ais; you'll get a surprise," he told her, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Intrigued, Ais nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating. She recited her enchantment magic: "Ariel!"

As she pronounced the chant, an intense energy began to surround her body. A bright and powerful aura emanated from her, completely enveloping the rapier. Magic crackled around her, creating an impressive visual display. The rapier's grip seemed to vibrate in response to the invocation, merging with the magic Ais had unleashed.

"This!" Ais's beautiful golden eyes opened in surprise, feeling the incredible ease with which her magic fused with her weapon.

"Hehe, as you can see," Pyrion continued with a satisfied smile, "in addition to working meticulously with the materials, I also added a bit of my special forging. The mithril allows magical energy to flow effortlessly through your weapon. And thanks to my special skills, I managed to channel wind-type magical properties into the rapier, making it more receptive to that element."

With stars in her eyes, she lifted the rapier and felt the flow of magic within it. With a smooth movement, she experimented with wind energy, creating a glow of light that began to swirl around the blade of the weapon. "It's incredible!"

Not only was Ais deeply amazed, but Riveria, who had been watching from a corner of the workshop, also looked at the beautiful rapier with awe.

"It's amazing, Pyrion-san; your title of 'The Master Blacksmith of Orario' truly does justice to your work," Riveria said with respect and admiration in her eyes, smiling intensely.

—Hehe, well, after all, it's a title that carries a lot of responsibility —Pyrion said, scratching his neck shyly and smiling.

Thanks to his countless great works, Pyrion had earned the title of "The Master Blacksmith of Orario," recognized by both gods and mortals as the best blacksmith under Divinity.

This title naturally filled Pyrion with pride, and that's why he constantly strove to improve his skills as a blacksmith, both to live up to his title and perhaps someday surpass the barrier of the "Divine."

"Thank you so much for this great weapon, Pyrion!" With a big smile, Ais approached Pyrion and thanked him sincerely.

Seeing the lively, young Ais, so different from her future self, Pyrion smiled. "It's a blacksmith's pride to have a satisfied client... I just hope you take good care of it."

—I promise—Ais said seriously, nodding, committed to taking care of this precious weapon.

—That's what I like to hear —he replied, nodding with satisfaction—. Every time you wield that sword, remember it's not just a tool; it's an extension of yourself. Take care of it, and it will take care of you in return.

—Thank you so much for such an incredible piece, Pyrion-san! —Riveria smiled as she approached him, but suddenly, remembering something, her expression changed to one of nervousness—. By the way, Pyrion-san, I was wondering... how much does this weapon cost?

Looking at Riveria, who suddenly had a look ready to empty her pockets, Pyrion smiled, and after a brief moment of suspense, said, "150 million Valis."

Riveria froze, her eyes wide open. "What? 150 million?"

—Well, a big part of that cost comes from the materials used —Pyrion explained, raising an eyebrow with a serious air—. There's also the enchantment I used on the weapon and, of course, my work.

One hundred and fifty million was undoubtedly an exorbitant price even among top-class weapons.

However, Pyrion wasn't trying to take advantage; just the materials used for this weapon cost eighty million Valis. Then, adding his labor and enchantments, it was the price he was willing to accept, not a penny less.

As a passionate blacksmith, Pyrion wasn't too interested in money, but he knew that besides being a blacksmith, he was also the captain of the Hephaistos familia. He couldn't afford to lose money; every little extra Valis was a boost for his familia.

After a moment of silence during which Riveria stared at the floor in dismay, the elf raised her gaze and, with a bitter smile, said, "Fine, but the Loki familia can't pay the full amount right now."

Pyrion nodded, understanding the situation, and said with a bright smile, "I understand. If necessary, I can accept installment payments. The Hephaistos familia doesn't seek to cause trouble... but remember there will be a 5% interest added for each month of delay."

—Are you sure you don't want to cause trouble...? —Riveria muttered to herself, looking at Pyrion with a hint of resentment. It seemed this passionate blacksmith also had a hidden talent as a loan shark.

Ais, who had been listening attentively, raised her fist and said to Riveria with a bright smile: "Don't worry, Riveria. I'm sure you'll get the money soon!"

Ais, who had no concept of money, wasn't concerned at all; it was clear she didn't understand the magnitude of one hundred fifty million and the terror of a 5% interest rate.

"Forget it... Don't worry, Pyrion-san, the payment will be made without any problem," Riveria said with a bitter smile, shaking her head at Ais's optimistic words.

Though the price of the weapon was incredibly high, Riveria knew it was worth it. With the sword forged by Pyrion, Ais's combat ability would multiply. Moreover, with its incredible qualities, that weapon would continue to be useful even when Ais became a high-level adventurer.

"Haha, congratulations, Ais-san! You've added a valuable companion to your adventure!" Pyrion let out a happy laugh, enjoying the fact that his weapon was now in the hands of an excellent adventurer. He was also pleased to have made a good amount of money in the process.

"By the way, Riveria-san, don't you need a new magic staff?" After completing the sale, Pyrion quickly spotted new opportunities.

The idea of creating a top-tier weapon for an incredible adventurer like Riveria deeply attracted Pyrion. Of course, he could also make great profit from it.

"No, no, no, thank you, Pyrion, but I don't need one right now," Riveria responded in a polite but firm tone.

"Is this a joke? The Loki familia just got into debt for over a hundred million, and you really want to get more money out of us? Do you want us to declare bankruptcy?" Riveria thought.

She swore that unless it was absolutely necessary, she wouldn't request custom weapons from Pyrion again, although the end result was incredible; when it came time to pay, it really hurt her heart.

"Haha, alright then." Though slightly disappointed, Pyrion still smiled politely.

It seemed that the current Loki familia wasn't yet the future familia that could spend a hundred million with ease.

"It was an honor to acquire such a precious weapon, Pyrion-san. Ais-san and I have some errands to run, so we'll take our leave now," Riveria said with a smile.

Ais, who was still excited with her new rapier, quickly nodded. "Thank you, Pyrion! I promise to take care of it!"

Watching Riveria and Ais leave, Pyrion felt satisfied. Now, one of his masterpieces had a great bearer; in the future, his creation would surely gain fame.

"Only a weapon carried by a great hero has the qualities to be considered a legendary weapon," he murmured to himself, recalling the words of his goddess. To him and his Goddess, a legendary weapon wasn't simply an object displayed on a shelf for admiration.

"Only a weapon carried by a hero or a great warrior is qualified to be called 'legendary.'" His smile widened as he let himself be carried away by the pride of his work. Pyrion knew that his effort and dedication had not only resulted in an extraordinary weapon but had also contributed to the story of a future hero.