It was clear that Amide wasn't just making polite conversation with Lumine.
For though the Dea Saint was as calm and composed as ever, her emotions rarely showing on her face, the light sparking in her eyes made it impossible to mistake her intent.
Without question, it was a pure, untainted thirst for knowledge.
Perhaps she's thinking… If I can help Lumine-san uncover the nature of that "special cuisine," while at the same time refining my own understanding of pharmacology and treatment efficiency… then maybe I'll be able to save even more people in the future.
With such positive thoughts, it was hard for anyone to dislike her.
"Then it's settled. Next time, when you're not busy, let's meet again."
"Yes. On my next day off, I'll definitely come."
Having made their promise, Lumine left the Dian Cecht Familia's apothecary together with Tione and Lefiya.
As the three strolled down the street, Lefiya asked curiously,
"Does Amide-san even take days off? Every time I've come here to buy medicine, she's always there."
At that, Tione chuckled, shaking her head.
"Of course Amide takes breaks. But for her, that just means she isn't standing at the shop counter. Instead, she goes next door to the infirmary to care for the injured. That's her everyday routine.
Oh, and sometimes she'll spend an entire day at the bookstore. Her passion for pharmacological texts is on par with Tiona's obsession with hero tales.
Speaking of which, I remember her saying the god she most respected was Lord Miach. Sadly, by the time she said that, she was already captain of the Dian Cecht Familia. Maybe her sense of responsibility was too strong, she's never switched allegiance, even to this day."
After listening to the explanation, Lefiya murmured with admiration,
"Amide-san truly is someone worthy of respect."
Lumine, however, was lost in another train of thought.
The Skills and Magic an adventurer awakens are always linked to their past experiences and personality. For example: that certain red-eyed rabbit boy. In the original timeline, his admiration for the Sword Princess awakened the Skill "Liari Freese." He adored hero tales, and dreamed, well, coughed, burned, to become a hero himself. Add to that all the hints pointing to his previous life as Argonaut, the First Foolish Hero, and naturally, he awakened the Skill "Hero's Wish."
After all, Hero's Wish directly translates to Argonaut, the title of his own legend. A perfect fit.
If we follow that reasoning… then what kind of past experiences, or dreams, would lead Amide to awaken the highest-tier healing magic in Orario? The unique spell is able to cure curses, detoxify, and heal wounds alike… Dia Fratel.
Lumine's golden eyes narrowed in deep thought.
But before she could pursue the idea further,
"Lumi-lumi! Over here!"
At the prearranged meeting point, Tiona was already waving wildly from a street corner, drawing the eyes of every passerby.
"Mm?"
The Amazonian girl in her revealing outfit suddenly noticed something strange.
"Why are all these people looking at me with such pitying eyes? It's making me mad."
She clenched her fists in frustration, teeth gritted.
Sigh~ Today too, the pure-hearted yet hopelessly conscious of her own femininity Tiona finds herself the victim of life's cruelties.
================
Meanwhile…
After Lumine and the others met up with Tiona and Ais, their long day of shopping began. Thanks to Lefiya's carefully prepared all-night battle plan (seriously, are you Shirai Kuroko?), their first stops were clothing stores.
The two golden-haired, golden-eyed girls, however, felt an ominous sense of foreboding.
But while they were off beginning their fashion trials,
================
In the northeast sector of the city, within the Industrial District…
"I swear, being around you makes me lose confidence."
Having already met up with Welf, Aether (Renjiro) was listening to the red-haired smith muttering under his breath.
"You've barely been at forging for half a month. You even went on an expedition during that time. And now you're already ready to attempt high-grade equipment."
Welf glanced sideways at the blond boy beside him, his tone incredulous.
"Are you even human?"
"Of course I am."
By now, their friendship was close enough that Aether could get away with a little playful arrogance.
"It's nothing special, just steady hands, decent stamina, quick wit, strong comprehension, and, well… good looks."
"Stop, stop, stop."
Hearing such a shamelessly humblebragging statement, one he couldn't even refute, Welf could only groan in frustration.
And yet, he didn't dislike this kind of banter. If anything, he felt lucky to have Aether as a friend.
Because,
"That steel you mentioned… what was it called again?"
"Damascus pattern steel."
"Yeah, that one. What a mouthful."
Welf muttered, then eyed him seriously.
"Are you sure it's okay to just hand over a forging technique that other Familias would guard as a top-secret treasure?"
For days now, he'd felt Aether was far too generous. Especially since what he was giving away wasn't just materials or weapons, but precious knowledge.
When Aether had come to learn forging basics, Welf certainly hadn't been that generous, keeping his own family's secret techniques tightly guarded.
Yet here was Aether,
"I'll say it again. This isn't my technique."
Aether's voice carried a peculiar stubbornness. He treasured the intangible wealth drawn from Earth's long history, but he would never claim it as his own.
He insisted on saying he was merely a user of knowledge, not its originator. Perhaps, in the eyes of others, that seemed like needless self-effacement. But Aether simply refused to live a life that wasn't true to himself.
Peace of mind is worth more than gold.
"In my homeland, this method was widely known. Honestly, I just happened to remember the general concept. Without your help working it out step by step, I'd still be completely lost."
He patted Welf's back.
"So don't stress over it. If you really feel like it's burning a hole in your pocket, just help me pick out the right materials."
At that, Welf grinned.
"Leave it to me."
The two entered a row of forging-material shops near the Hephaestus Familia's base. Like how a chef needs to know how to buy ingredients, today Welf was teaching Aether how to train his eye to spot the finest metals, and how not to get swindled.
"You're going for high-grade equipment, huh? Mithril might be too soon, but adamantite… you could give it a try. You know it's actually extracted from monsters, right, "
Suddenly,
"Eh? Welf?"
A surprised female voice came from a nearby shop.
In that instant, Aether could clearly feel Welf's whole body stiffen. Like a mouse spotting a cat. Or maybe that wasn't quite right, but close enough.
"Oh-ho? You actually made a friend, huh?"
The cheerful, teasing voice drew closer, brimming with mock astonishment.
Like the sun rising in the west, Aether thought dryly.
Finally, the source of the voice appeared.
A woman with dark skin, her upper body bound only in a bandaged chest wrap, a black eyepatch covering her left eye. Her long, slightly wavy black hair fell to her waist, and her single visible red eye glimmered mischievously.
A wicked smile tugged at her lips as she stroked her chin, clearly enjoying herself.
"Oh my, blushing already?"
She laughed boldly, hands on her hips.
"Pfft, ha ha ha ha! I haven't seen you make that face in ages. When was the last time, hmm?"
"You… that's enough."
A vein throbbed visibly on Welf's forehead.
As for Aether,
Well, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
After all, he recognized the woman instantly.
The One-Eyed Master herself, Tsubaki Collbrande.
Level 5 adventurer.
Captain of the Hephaestus Familia.
=============
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