As a young woman with features reminiscent of the Far East, Tsubaki was in fact not a pure-blooded human, but a half-dwarf born of a human and a dwarf.
Maybe because her human bloodline was stronger, there was hardly a trace of the typical dwarf features on her—no stocky limbs, instead she was long-limbed and well-proportioned.
But what drew the eye most was, without question, her absolutely exaggerated curves.
Even Ryota, who considered himself pretty well-traveled, couldn't help averting his gaze for a second—it was just too overwhelming.
Tsubaki might have been a woman, but among the smithing maniacs of the Hephaestus Familia, she was not only an Adventurer at level 5, but also stood at the absolute peak of the Familia's forging craft.
Dressed in a crimson short hakama with a distinctly Eastern style, Tsubaki stopped in front of Ryota.
"So you're... Ryota, the new recruit from the Loki Familia?"
"You look smaller than I imagined. Loki's been talking about you nonstop lately, saying stuff like 'found a treasure' and 'we're gonna strike it rich.'"
As one of the most powerful Familia forces in all of Orario, the Loki Familia boasted countless Adventurers and overwhelming strength, and its need for weapons and equipment was easily the largest in the entire Dungeon City.
Although Hephaestus herself was best friends with Hestia , she and Loki weren't on bad terms either—instead, they had that kind of bickering, teasing, but ultimately reliable "old rival" sort of bond.
Besides, plenty of members of the Loki Familia had signed exclusive contracts with the smiths in the Hephaestus Familia.
"Lady Loki was just joking. I'm just a normal rookie."
"A rookie that Loki herself brags about doesn't come by often, you know~"
Tsubaki placed a hand on her hip, which made her proud assets bounce noticeably. She then gave Ryota a thorough up-and-down once more.
"Nice aura. No wonder Loki has her eye on you."
Her expression beneath the eyepatch seemed to relax just a bit.
"Come on in. Our Lady Hephaestus doesn't really like seeing people, but since Loki personally sent you, she actually agreed this time, which is a first."
Ryota nodded and followed behind her.
Walking into the Hephaestus Familia headquarters, everything he saw along the way matched the rumors of the strongest smithing Familia perfectly—if anything, it was even more impressive in person.
The constant clang clang of metal striking metal never stopped ringing through the halls.
Before long, the two of them stopped in front of a wooden door engraved with
Tsubaki knocked lightly, unhurried, and called out:
"Hephaestus, I brought the guest."
A slightly low female voice came from inside, and only then did Tsubaki push the door open. Ryota stepped in after her.
The room wasn't at all as flashy or luxurious as Ryota had pictured. Instead, it was simple, even spartan.
Metal shelves lined the walls, neatly stacked with half-finished weapons and design blueprints, though the faint tang of rust in the air was a bit hard for Ryota to get used to.
But in the next moment, a figure inside the room instantly drew all his attention.
The Goddess of Smithing—Hephaestus.
Just as he'd seen in the anime, she had that familiar mane of red hair, wore a plain men's white button-down shirt, and had a somewhat androgynous style that nonetheless carried a unique kind of beauty.
And... the "deep canyon" visible from her neckline made Ryota steal a couple of extra glances.
A strange thought suddenly popped into his mind:
"Does the entire Hephaestus Familia... come standard with huge busts?"
Unlike Tsubaki, who wore her eyepatch on her left eye, Hephaestus had hers on her right, leaving her uncovered left eye gleaming with a ruby-like glow as she fixed her gaze on Ryota's face.
That look was like she was examining a rare, precious specimen.
After a moment, this red-haired onee-san slowly spoke, giving her first assessment.
Before Ryota could say anything, Hephaestus tapped lightly on Loki's handwritten letter sitting on her desk.
"I read the letter. Loki says you need a weapon of your own?"
"You know what it costs for me to make one, right?"
As she spoke, the red-haired goddess shifted position, crossing one long leg over the other, resting her elbow on her knee, and leaning back in her chair, staring straight at Ryota.
Just as Ryota was about to answer—
Suddenly there was an urgent knock on the door, followed by a young, slightly shrill voice from outside:
"Hephaestus! Hephaestus! Are you there? Are you there?!"
Ryota raised an eyebrow. That voice sounded... kind of familiar.
Hephaestus's mouth twitched, her face darkening with a few black lines of frustration.
"Didn't I tell her to come at night?"
Tsubaki, however, just laughed and stepped forward to open the door.
"Coming, coming! Lady Hestia, please slow down, you're going to break the door!"
Ryota turned to look, and what met his eyes was a petite "girl" with a trace of baby fat still on her cheeks, blinking her big blue eyes like a startled rabbit.
Her long twin tails were tied up with blue-and-white ribbons into a shape resembling floppy dog ears, dangling all the way down to her waist.
But the most impossible-to-ignore feature was that figure, wildly disproportionate to her small frame.
And that trademark blue ribbon stretched diagonally from beneath her arms, lifting an almost gravity-defying, beautifully curved line.
Hestia blinked her big sapphire eyes at Ryota, and suddenly, as if remembering something, her expression changed in an instant.
"You're— that... Ryota?!"
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