"Only for now," Roy nodded.
His sword and pistol, while convenient, lacked raw power.
Stripped of their power of light, they fell short of first class weapon.
"As an adventurer, you need a proper weapon," Hephaestus said, smiling.
"I heard Hestia say you're a sword user. Want to order one from me?"
"A weapon?" Roy's eyes lit up.
"Lady Hephaestus, do you have weapons that grow with the user?"
In the anime, Hephaestus crafted the Hestia Knife for Bell, etched with Falna to scale with its wielder's strength, potentially nearing artifact status as the user's level approached heights.
These weren't the sacred gears of DxD but unique to this world.
"Where'd you hear that?" Hephaestus asked, eyes narrowing.
"From my hometown," Roy said truthfully.
"Those weapons exist," Hephaestus said, sighing. "But for us smiths, they're cursed tools."
"Cursed?" Roy asked, puzzled. The anime hadn't dwelled on this.
"They're user-bound," Hephaestus explained.
"They shine brightest in their owner's hands but are mere scrap to others.
"For smiths, a true weapon performs for anyone. That's why we call them cursed."
"Can you make one?" Roy asked.
Hephaestus's eyes twitched. "With your strength and funds, a first class weapon's no issue. Pick something else."
"I'll stick with what I've got for now," Roy said, shaking his head. "I'll upgrade when I find better materials."
Having navigated DxD world, Roy knew the cost of frequent weapon swaps.
There, rias can back him; here, he'd grind for Valis.
First class weapons weren't cheap.
"Fair enough," Hephaestus said. "Come to my shop when you're ready."
Undeterred by the rejection, Roy wasn't too fazed.
He could replicate forging skills and divine text later—affordable with his dimension points.
The divine text with unique power, intrigued him.
Though it required divine blood or power to activate, studying it could boost his strength.
"I'll head out," Hephaestus said. "You two shop for necessities—I won't tag along."
Watching her leave, Roy mused. Something felt off. Hephaestus's pitch seemed less for him and more for Hestia, as if nudging her to act.
Why bring up weapons now?
"Roy, you really want that growth weapon?" Hestia asked.
"Not desperate," Roy said, shaking his head. "Just curious."
"Okay, don't stress it," Hestia said, smiling. "You'll find great materials later, and we'll ask Hephaestus to craft something."
The mansion's furnishings were sufficient, but bedding needed replacing.
Roy and Hestia hit Orario's North Block to shop for essentials.
There, a striking mansion loomed, taller than its neighbors, its copper exterior blazing like fire, with towers like a spear forest.
Atop the central spire, a clown-emblazoned flag fluttered—the Twilight Manor.
Roy would've recognized it as their base.
"Riveria, what's with those two?" Finn asked, rubbing his brow, eyeing Loki and Tiona with exasperation.
The intruder issue lingered, and now his main god and a key member looked unhinged.
Loki sprawled on a sofa, while Tiona stared into space, giggling dreamily.
"They'll snap out of it," Riveria Ljos Alf said, rolling her eyes.
"Riveria, don't leave Finn hanging at a time ," Tione Hiryute, Tiona's older sister asked.
"Not a big deal," Riveria sighed, glancing at the pair. "Loki blew her money, and Tiona's probably in heat."
"'In heat' from an old you?" Bete Loga, the werewolf, gawked. Riveria's refined elven demeanor made such crude terms jarring.
"Who're you calling old?" Riveria shot back, her smile sharp.
"By elven years, I'm barely an adult."
"Seventy or eighty's old," Bete muttered, oblivious.
"Careful, or you'll regret it," Riveria warned, her eyes glinting.
"Who's she on?" Tione asked, intrigued.
"How much did Loki lose?" Finn pressed, focused on the Familia's finances.
Riveria recounted the arena fiasco.
"A level 1 beat a level 5? That's a fairy tale," Bete scoffed.
"No, the Guild verified it. Loki saw Roy's Falna—fresh level 1," Riveria said, shaking her head.
"Hmph," Bete snorted. "Maybe they faked the Falna, hid the real basic abilities."
"Odd, yeah," Finn agreed.
Level gaps were brutal.
"Stupid, just 'cause you can't do it doesn't mean others can't!" Tiona snapped, breaking her dreamy daze.
"You're stupid, swooning like that," Bete retorted.
"Anyone with a brain knows that's impossible."
Read advance chapters at:
200 Stones = 1 chapter
400 Stones = 2 chapter