The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

5/5

---

"Finally done! Here you go."

Even the famed smith goddess of the heavens, Hephaestus, had poured her heart and soul into crafting this weapon—determined not to let Yoru look down on her work.

After all, gods couldn't use their divine powers in the lower world, and that made things considerably more troublesome.

"Oooh...!"

Seeing Hephaestus in her work clothes hand over the sword case, Hestia let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration. Even with deep black circles under her eyes, her face was filled with uncontainable joy.

"Does it meet your expectations?"

"Mm-hmm! It's perfect! How could I not be satisfied?!"

With a snap, Hestia flipped open the lid to inspect the contents.

What Hephaestus had made wasn't a staff. After witnessing Yoru's power and hearing Hestia's explanation, the goddess had decided on a different direction.

Magic was merely a tool—but if he wanted power that was truly his own... then a sword was the obvious choice.

Inside the box lay a broad, two-handed knight's sword. Its silver-white blade appeared plain at first glance, but it was the fruit of Hephaestus's painstaking craftsmanship—and Hestia's modest contribution as well.

Looking at the weapon that had taken more than a day to complete, Hestia wore a deeply satisfied smile unlike any she'd shown before.

"Oh right, what should we name this sword? Hephaestus! How about I name it? Let me think... since it's the crystallization of my love with Yoru, let's call it Loveblade!"

"Absolutely not. That name ruins the weapon. …But hmm, aside from calling it a divine weapon, I'm not sure what else fits..."

"Umm... Hestia Blade, maybe? Feels a bit embarrassing though. Let's just ask Yoru what he wants to name it—it's his weapon after all."

Still beaming, Hestia placed her hands atop her head, her twin tails bouncing happily as if reflecting her mood.

"Just putting this out there—you better not forget to pay me back."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it!"

Hephaestus loosened the bun in her hair and warned her once again, but the delighted Hestia only nodded cheerfully.

As her dear friend sighed, Hestia was already moving, unable to stay still even for a moment.

"You leaving already?"

"Yep, sorry!"

She quickly packed up and headed for the door.

"At least take a break for a bit, Hestia—!"

Without turning back, she waved over her shoulder in response.

Exiting the small room next to the workshop, Hestia left Hephaestus's store without pause.

"Honestly... but now I'm curious. I kinda want to see the look on that guy's face when he sees the weapon."

Hephaestus muttered to herself, a confident smile tugging at her lips.

"He'll be totally shocked, won't he?"

◇

Yoru raised an eyebrow slightly, starting to regret his decision. The reason? The place was just too crowded, and the festival atmosphere was a little too lively for his taste.

"How am I supposed to find Syr in this chaos..."

He sighed helplessly at the sight of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, then moved to a quiet corner to catch his breath.

Even though he'd been trying to adapt, noisy places like this still overwhelmed him.

Just as he was contemplating whether to give up and head back, a familiar voice called out.

"Yoru! Yoru!"

"Huh?"

He turned toward the voice, eyes widening in surprise.

There she was—Hestia—pushing her way through the crowd and running toward him.

"Hestia?! What are you doing here?!"

"Hey, don't say silly things. Of course it's because I wanted to see you!"

The goddess stood before him, looking smug as she proudly puffed out her oversized chest.

"Well, truth is, I went back and couldn't find you, so I figured you'd come to the festival. And look—we found each other! It must be the strong bond between us pulling us together!"

She looked completely enchanted by her own words, lost in her own world as she left Yoru completely out of it.

Yoru could only smile wryly and shake his head, his gaze shifting to the long wooden case strapped to her back.

"That thing... is that the staff?"

"Hehe, it's not a staff~. You're gonna be so surprised!"

Up until now, Yoru had assumed Hephaestus had made him a magic staff.

"Well... this isn't exactly the best place to take it out. There's so many people around."

Hestia glanced around at the bustling avenue, then tilted her head toward the sky like she was waiting for the right moment.

"Let's find a quiet place to open it later. For now, since we've got the chance—let's go on a date!"

She said it with a bright smile as she grabbed Yoru's hand.

"A-A date?!"

Hestia's enthusiasm was several notches too high for Yoru to keep up with.

"Yup! Just look at how lively the streets are. How could we not join in the fun?"

"Well... you say that, but—"

"Hehe, come on, Yoru!"

Not giving him a chance to protest, Hestia laughed victoriously and wrapped her soft little fingers around his hand, dragging him into the festive crowd.

The street vendors remained as lively as ever. Skewers and other finger foods perfect for eating on the go lined the path, along with Monster Festival-themed trinkets and accessories. Some stalls even displayed real weapons—proof that this was indeed the Dungeon City, Orario.

From afar, fireworks exploded in the sky with a loud yet satisfying bang under the bright blue sky.

"Actually, this isn't what I came here for. Someone asked me to help with something..."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yeah, so I'm actually trying to find someone right now—"

"Then let's look for them while we're on our date! Work and fun—it's a win-win! Oi, old man—two crepes, please!"

…She's not even listening.

Watching her do whatever she pleased, Yoru could only sigh in exasperation.

It felt wrong to ignore the task someone had entrusted to him, but it was equally impossible to just brush off Hestia's feelings right now.

This might be the first time... he'd ever seen her this happy.

So, he decided—

He'd give her a proper day to enjoy herself.

---

10% Discount Voucher

FF92E

Active until the 17th.

Please subscribe at patreon.com/dzeref887 and get access to over 500 chapters.