"Here, all done." Said Asfi, smoothing my hair, before walking towards one of the drawers and retrieving a small hand mirror. She came back, lifting the mirror in front of my face.
I turned my head this way and that, amazed at how well she cut my hair. "Wow, you really cut them well, Asfi. Thank you." I smiled at her, which she returned with a small smile of her own.
"I am glad," she paused, looking over at the black shirt and pants I wore. "...Your armor was damaged during the battle, right?" she asked.
I nodded, "Yes, rather than being damaged, it's practically melted."A shiver ran through me at the memory of agonizing pain of the heated metal sticking to my skin.
Asfi hurriedly put the mirror down, came closer, and held my hands as she looked into my eyes, her face filled with concern. "Are you okay?"
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves as I focused on her warm, soft hands rather than that painful incident. "Yes," I said, squeezing her hand back. "I am. Anyways, why did you ask?"
"...Actually, Lion, Riveria, Ais, and I were planning to gift you an armor today," she said, frowning as if she just remembered something bad, "Armor that won't break easily and will protect you well. Lion already confirmed with Collbrande this morning, she recently made a good armor, the size is also pretty similar to yours."
"Wait, you're all getting me armor? Together?" I blinked, genuinely touched. "I... that's incredibly thoughtful. Thank you." A warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with the workshop's temperature.
"But you don't have to—" I started.
"We want to," Asfi interrupted firmly. "Seeing you in that state after the battle..." Her grip on my hands tightened slightly. "We're not letting that happen again if we can prevent it."
"When did you all even plan this?"
"This morning. We had a brief meeting while you were..." She paused, a hint of amusement entering her eyes. "...being chased out of the mess hall by an irate goddess."
I couldn't help but laugh. "Of course you did. So? When are we meeting?"
Asfi looked over at the clock hanging on the wall, "Hmm, there are still a few hours remaining till the meeting time. Till then lets make you a new cloak."
"Sounds good, the old one is too damaged to be repaired anyway." I nodded, following as she walked toward her main workbench—organized chaos of tools and materials.
I took a seat beside her as we began working on the cloak. But this wasn't the casual crafting I'd expected. Asfi kept testing different materials, different weave patterns, and different reinforcement methods. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tested each sample against various stresses.
It made me worried, seeing her being so obsessed over it, "Asfi," I said after the third time she scrapped a design. "It's just a cloak."
"It's not 'just' anything," she replied without looking up, her hands sketched a new pattern. "If your armor fails again, the cloak might be your last line of defense. It needs to withstand fire, slashing, piercing, and—" She stopped herself, jaw tight.
I reached over and gently placed my hand over hers, stilling her frantic I reached over and gently placed my hand over hers, stilling her frantic.
She finally looked at me, and I saw the worry she'd been hiding behind professionalism, her clear blue eyes trembling behind her glasses.
"I'm okay," I said quietly. "I'm right here."
"I know." Her voice was equally quiet. "And I'd like to keep it that way."
I guess I wasn't the only one affected by the battle with the dragon. I squeezed her hand gently. "Then let's make the best damn cloak Orario's ever seen."
A small smile broke through her serious expression. "Now you're talking sense."
We worked for hours after that, the sun tracking across the sky outside. But it was different now—less frantic, more focused—a partnership.
"We are already done, huh? I thought it would at least take a few days to make it." I admired the final fruit of both Asfi's and mine efforts. A matte black cloak with a red undertone. Which gave it a mysterious look, lay spread on the table, far tougher and more resistant than all the previous ones I have used. "Though that's natural, given you already had so many things to make it with. Which makes me ask, is it really fine for me to take it? We had used quite a lot of valuable things."
Asfi's reply to my worries was a subtle nod, as she pushed her glasses up with her fingers, "Yes, rather it would be a waste if you don't use it," she said as she folded the cloak with care and refined movements. "Now, we should get going before we get late."
I agreed, and Asfi packed the cloak in a paper bag, after which we left the Traveler's Inn behind, making our way straight towards the Babel Tower. Our hands found each other automatically, the gesture already familiar. She was less shy about it than Ryuu, though.
As we drew closer to Babel Tower, I could make out the familiar figures waiting near the entrance. Ais stood with her usual stoic expression, her eyes lit up when she spotted us. Beside her, Riveria maintained her elegant composure, while Ryuu looked like she was trying very hard to appear casual despite the slight blush on her cheeks.
"You sure took your time." Said Riveria with no real reproach in her tone.
Asfi stepped forward, "Sorry, the cloak took longer than expected to make."
Ais tilted her head, eyes curious. "Cloak?"
I gestured towards the paper bag Asfi was holding, "She made me a new one; the old one was practically gone."
Ais gave a small nod, "That's good, you need proper equipment."
Ryuu, who had been determinedly looking anywhere but at me since we arrived, finally glanced my way. Her eyes widened slightly. "Your hair..."
"Ah, Asfi cut it," I explained, running a hand through it. "She ambushed me in the workshop."
"I did not ambush you," Asfi protested. "That was necessary maintenance."
"Oh, is that what it was?" I teased, earning myself a light elbow to the ribs.
Riveria observed our interaction with an amused expression. "Well, it looks good. Much more presentable than before."
"Thank you, Riveria."
"Shall we go?" Ais asked, already starting toward the tower entrance.
We followed her inside, making our way to the lift area. The Babel Tower was as busy as ever, with adventurers and civilians alike moving through it.
When the lift arrived, and we stepped inside, I found myself flanked—Asfi on my right, Ais on my left. Whether by chance or design, I couldn't tell.
Riveria and Ryuu stood across from us in the confined space. Riveria's slight smirk suggested she found the arrangement amusing.
"So," I said, breaking the silence as the lift began its ascent, "you all planned this together?"
"Ryuu brought it up this morning," Asfi explained. "After seeing the state of your armor after the battle, we all agreed you needed proper protection."
"Cyclopes work is the best," Ais added simply. "You should have the best."
"I appreciate it, really. Though I hope it won't be too expensive. I'm still paying off that sword—"
"Don't worry about the cost," Riveria interrupted smoothly. "Consider it an investment in keeping our... partner safe."
The brief hesitation before 'partner' didn't escape my notice, and warmth crept up my neck. Though I could practically hear Loki's voice in my head: "Oh, so now they're 'investing' in you? What's next, a salary? You've officially become a kept man, gigolo!"
I must have made some expression because Asfi glanced at me. "What?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just... imagining Loki's reaction when she finds out about this."
Riveria's smirk widened. "She already knows. I may have unintentionally mentioned it this morning."
"And?"
"I believe her exact words were 'Of course you are! He's gotten you all wrapped around his little fingers! That gigolo!'"
Ryuu made a small sound that might have been a suppressed laugh. Even Ais's lips twitched.
"I'm never living this down, am I?"
"I believe not," Asfi said with unusual cheer.
The lift came to a smooth stop, and we exited onto one of the upper floors where the Hephaestus Familia maintained their shops. The hallway was lined with various smithies and equipment stores, the sound of hammering and the smell of heated metal filling the air. "This way," Asfi led us to the shop.
As we entered, a bell chimed softly. The interior was impressively organized, weapons arranged by type on one wall, armor pieces on another, all gleaming under the magical lighting.
Behind the counter, a woman was slumped over, tinkering with some small piece of equipment. Brown skin, eyepatch over her right eye, and an air of barely contained energy even in her lazy posture.
She looked up as we entered, and her expression transformed from bored to absolutely delighted.
"WELL, WELL, WELL!" Tsubaki Collbrande straightened like she'd been shocked. "If it isn't Astralis himself! And with an ENTOURAGE, no less!"
"Let me guess—this must be the famous four?" She leaned across the counter, grin widening impossibly. "Gale Wind, Sword Princess, Persus, and the Nine Hells herself? Oh, this is RICH!"
"Collbrande," Ryuu said weakly.
"What? Come on, Lion, the whole damn city is talking about it!" Tsubaki laughed. "The Dragon Slayer and his harem of badass adventurers! There are betting pools! People are taking sides! It's the most entertainment Orario's had in months!"
"There are... betting pools?" I asked.
"Oh," I raised a brow, "is it possible to give me their names?"
"Oh yeah! My favorite is the one about how long you survive. I've got money on 'indefinitely'—call it a craftsman's intuition." She winked.. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Though, judging by Lion's visit this morning, I'm guessing this is about the armor I just finished."
"His previous armor melted during the dragon fight," Asfi said, getting straight to business. "He needs something more durable."
Tsubaki's expression turned more serious. "Yeah, I heard about that. Heat-based breath attack, right? Nasty stuff." She looked at me with genuine concern. "You alright?"
"I am now," I assured her.
"Good." She nodded firmly. She moved around the counter. "Come on, let me show you what I've got. Fair warning, though it's one of my better works, so it won't be cheap."
"Of course it won't be," I sighed. "How much are we talking?"
"We can discuss price after you see if it fits," Tsubaki said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Though given your recent... circumstances, I'm sure you can figure out a payment plan. You've been pretty reliable so far."
She gestured for us to follow, leading us toward the back of the shop. "So, about this armor—it's actually one of my recent passion projects. I heard about that dragon's breath attack." She shot me a look. "Heard your armor basically melted to your skin. That true?"
I nodded, and she grimaced.
"Yeah, that's what I figured. So I incorporated some special alloys—stuff that can handle extreme temperatures." She pushed open a door to a changing room. "It's in there. Go ahead and try it on. Fair warning—it's heavier than what you're used to, but the protection's worth it."
I looked back at the girls. "Well, then I will be back shortly."
"Don't take too long," Asfi said. "We still need to make adjustments if necessary."
"And don't complain about the weight," Tsubaki added with a grin. "You wanted protection, you're getting protection."