"Overthinking and Gazes"
The voice from behind caused Drake and Welf to stop talking. Drake turned to see Finn standing there.
Welf, quite cleverly, said, "I’m going to find Tsubaki; you two chat!"
He then got up and walked towards Tsubaki’s table.
Drake looked at Finn, who had seated himself opposite. "Is there something you need, 〈Braver〉?"
Finn smiled. "No need for formalities; call me Finn."
Generally, adventurers are addressed by their divinely bestowed titles or widely used nicknames after leveling up.
Only close comrades or frequent collaborators use first names.
Drake realized he wasn’t close enough to Finn to warrant such familiarity; this had a purpose.
"Then I won’t be formal, Mr. Finn. What is it?"
Finn asked, "When did you arrive in Orario, Mr. Drake?"
Unsure of Finn’s intentions, Drake remained cautious. "I’ve been with the Hephaestus Familia for quite some time, but I’ve been focused on learning forging, so I haven’t gone out much."
"Constantly learning forging, you say?" Finn pondered. "No wonder you can forge magic swords; it must have required considerable dedication."
Drake responded modestly, "It’s all thanks to my Familia goddess’s guidance."
Drake’s smooth response made Finn clench his teeth; a young man with such impeccable articulation was suspicious. This only intensified his suspicion of Drake.
Finn, now engaged, said, "Hephaestus-sama’s guidance alone isn’t enough to forge magic swords. Speaking of magic swords, when might I have the opportunity to see one of your creations?"
Drake suddenly said, "I have a magic sword I recently finished, a piece I’m quite proud of. If the price is right, I’d be willing to sell it to the Loki Familia."
Drake mentioned selling the magic sword because he was low on funds.
He’d purchased many materials for his equipment, and then spent a considerable sum repairing and upgrading his workshop.
Furthermore, the high-level equipment he’d made hadn’t sold yet, leaving him short on cash.
Finn remained impassive. "While I’d love to acquire your work, we’ve just returned from an expedition, and the Familia’s funds are low; we probably can’t afford a magic sword."
Drake raised his goblet. "No worries, there will be many opportunities for collaboration in the future."
Finn raised his goblet and clinked it with Drake’s. "Then it’s settled! This is a celebration; let’s enjoy ourselves."
Finn then left. Drake breathed a sigh of relief; conversing with someone as shrewd as Finn was exhausting.
However... Drake glanced at Tsubaki; her bringing him here wasn’t so simple.
Drake had received a warning from Hephaestus; Loki might have noticed his presence.
Other things were manageable, but the biggest flaw was defeating Revis in the Dungeon—not something a novice adventurer could accomplish.
A powerful magic sword provided a plausible explanation. A sufficiently powerful magic sword could defeat not only Level 4 but even Level 5 adventurers.
Revealing his identity as a magic swordsmith to the Loki Familia could conceal more important information.
Impressive, Tsubaki... No! Given Tsubaki’s personality, she wouldn’t have devised such a plan; was it Hephaestus?
Truly divine wisdom, beyond ordinary comprehension.
Back at the Familia headquarters, Hephaestus suddenly felt a chill, looking at the closed window. There was no draft; why did she feel a sudden coldness?
In reality, Drake was overthinking things. Tsubaki’s decision to bring him to the Loki Familia’s celebration was entirely spontaneous, not at Hephaestus’s instruction.
Perhaps that’s the weakness of intelligent people; they overcomplicate simple matters, interpreting even coincidences as elaborate schemes.
While Drake’s "divine wisdom" theory was incorrect, the outcome was accurate.
Finn had concluded that the mysterious member of the Hephaestus Familia who defeated Revis and discovered the Dark Faction’s presence was Drake.
A magic sword was a plausible explanation for a newcomer achieving such a feat. The attitude towards a Level 4+ adventurer and a magic swordsmith would be drastically different.
Just as Drake had successfully misled Finn, he felt a gaze fixated upon him.
Drake looked up to find Ais’s emotionless eyes staring at him.
Drake was perplexed. Finn’s inquiries were based on information from Loki, but Ais Wallenstein’s gaze was inexplicable.
The girl’s gaze wasn’t exactly intense, but being stared at so intently made Drake uncomfortable.
Just as Drake considered moving out of her sight, a figure appeared before him.
"Miss Ryuu, long time no see!" Drake greeted her first.
The waitress who placed food before Drake was the elven lady he hadn’t seen in a while.
"Indeed. You haven’t been here since last time. Did you dislike our food?"
Ryuu’s tone was cold, devoid of emotion.
Drake cautiously observed Ryuu’s expression. "Of course not! The food here is delicious, and I get to see Miss Ryuu. I’ve just been too busy lately."
Ryuu turned slightly, and Drake noticed a faint blush on her cheeks.
The elf blushed! Drake was surprised; he hadn’t said anything inappropriate, had he?
Even after Ryuu practically fled, Drake couldn’t figure out what had happened. This content belongs to N0velFire.ɴet
After Ryuu left, Welf approached. "So you know the elven waitress at the Hostess of Fertility! Tell me, how did you meet?"
Drake pushed aside Welf’s gossiping face. "It was a misunderstanding; we became friends afterward. Nothing more."
Welf leaned in again. "Regardless, didn’t you notice 〈Sword Princess〉 staring at you? You wouldn’t have something to do with her, too?"
Ais’s gaze was almost undisguised, noticeable even to Welf.
Drake sighed. "I wish I knew why. I haven’t even spoken to her; I have no idea why she’s staring at me."
Drake groaned inwardly; Ais’s gaze was bad enough, but even Lefiya’s gaze had turned unfriendly.
This was truly... undeserved misfortune!
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