Morning sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the broad road leading toward Babel Tower.
"L-Lord Emiya… are we really going there?"
Lili staggered under the weight of an old backpack that was nearly bigger than she was. Ahead, a lavish, gold-trimmed storefront glittered like a trap for poor people—
Hephaistos Familia Headquarters.
"Of course," Shirou said.
He stopped, turned, and looked at his supporter with a helpless sort of patience.
"If we're going to challenge the 'Mid Floors'—from Floor 13 onward—then updating our equipment isn't optional. That leather armor is worn down badly, and this backpack… it's too heavy. The load distribution is awful. Whoever designed it has never heard of basic mechanics."
As a mage with Structural Analysis, Shirou simply couldn't tolerate gear that was nothing but weak points and hidden hazards.
"But… Hephaistos gear is expensive!" Lili clutched her little coin pouch, face twisted in pain. "We could just buy secondhand at Gnome's shop…"
"It's not just about buying equipment." Shirou shook his head, a faintly knowing smile tugging at his lips. "I'm also going to see a 'friend'… and borrow her forge."
…
The moment they stepped inside, a wave of heat rolled over them.
Unlike last time—when Shirou had kept things low-key on the first floor—today he went straight to the counter and presented a black-and-gold card set with a ruby:
A Godsmith Card.
"T-That is…!"
The receptionist's eyes practically bulged out of her head. Her demeanor flipped instantly, and she bowed so deeply her spine looked like it might snap.
"My sincerest apologies! I had no idea you were Lady Hephaistos's honored guest! How may we serve you?"
"I'd like to borrow an advanced forging room. Also, help this young lady choose the highest-grade supporter light armor—one with auto-repair and weight reduction enchantments."
"Understood! Please come this way! Um… the captain is in the shop right now. Should I inform her?"
"Tsubaki, right? If it isn't a bother."
…
Ten minutes later, in an advanced forging room—
"HAHAHA! So you're the kid!"
A booming laugh arrived before the person did. Then a half-dwarf woman strode in, eyepatch on, wearing a red work kimono like she owned the room.
Tsubaki Collbrande—captain of the Hephaistos Familia, Orario's only Level 5 smith, famed as the One-Eyed Master.
She marched up and slapped Shirou on the shoulder so hard the floor seemed to shudder.
"I heard Lady Hephaistos handed out a Godsmith Card and wondered what kind of monster earned it. Turns out you're a young punk! And I heard you can do 'fireless forging'? Is that true?"
"Captain Tsubaki, pleasure." Shirou rubbed his shoulder, still smiling. "Whether it's true… why don't you watch and decide for yourself?"
"Oh? Interesting. Got some bite!" Tsubaki grinned wide. "Mind if I watch from the side?"
"Be my guest."
Shirou turned toward Lili, who now stood stiffly in brand-new gear: pale red, high-end light armor, and a new backpack carved with a magic array.
"How does it feel, Lili?"
"S-So light…" Lili flexed, stunned. "It's way sturdier than my old leather… but it feels like I'm wearing nothing! And the backpack—bigger capacity, but it feels like half the weight!"
"Of course it does," Tsubaki said casually. "That set's blended with Lightness Crystal. One suit runs about three million valis."
"Th-THREE MILLION?!" Lili nearly fainted. "You could sell me and still not get that much!"
"Lord Emiya! It's too much! I can't—"
"Don't move." Shirou cut her off and stepped closer. "Even high-end mass production has flaws. If you're my partner, you're using something custom."
He placed his hand on her shoulder guard.
"Trace—On."
Emerald circuits flared, spreading over the entire set of armor.
Tsubaki's single eye narrowed at once. "There it is… mana that directly interferes with internal structure…"
In Shirou's mind, the armor unfolded into a blueprint.
Materials: premium monster leather, Lightness Crystal, mithril thread.
Weaknesses: loose joint connections; mana conduction around 70%; fine against physical impact, weak against magical resistance.
"Reinforcement… begin."
Shirou drew a slow breath. With his Level 1 mana reserves pushed to an absurd limit, this was effortless.
"Structure Reinforcement."
A low hum vibrated through the room.
A faint golden light flashed.
Across the armor's surface, intricate mana patterns appeared like a circuit board etched into reality. The texture compacted, becoming tighter, denser—quietly radiating the sense that it would not yield.
"T-This…!" Tsubaki leaned in, disbelief splashed across her face. "You rearranged the mithril thread layout—forced conduction past 95%?! And you even stabilized a layer of physical resistance on the surface?!"
"Just a small improvement." Shirou withdrew his hand and nodded at the result. "This should take a full-power hit from a mid-tier Level 2 monster."
Tsubaki opened her mouth, then shut it. Finally, she raised a thumb.
"I'm convinced. You were born to bully smiths like us. That's not technique—this is cheating."
"Not done yet."
Shirou moved to the workbench and pulled out materials he'd collected in the Dungeon: an orc fang and a unicorn rabbit horn.
"Lili doesn't have a proper weapon yet, right?"
"L-Lord Emiya…?" Lili was still stuck on the phrase three million valis like it was a curse.
"Supporters need self-defense too." Shirou picked up a hammer—mostly for appearances. "And your strength isn't high. A standard sword doesn't suit you. So… this will."
Clink. Clink. Clink.
Under Tsubaki's astonished gaze, Shirou fused, reshaped, and reinforced the seemingly ordinary monster drops.
Ten minutes later—
A compact, elegant hand crossbow lay on the bench. Bone-white frame. Bowstring made from special monster tendon. Reinforcement runes etched into its body.
Shirou picked it up and offered it to Lili.
"I'm not great with delicate mechanisms, but the structure is solid. It can fire in bursts. With your size and agility, it's perfect for backline harassment—or getting yourself out alive."
"F-For me…?" Lili took it with trembling hands.
The weight was right. The grip fit her fingers like it had been waiting for her. This wasn't just a weapon.
It was hers.
"Try it."
Lili raised the crossbow, aimed at a distant target, and squeezed the trigger.
"Whoosh—!"
A white streak cut through the air. The bolt punched dead center through the target and buried itself deep into the wall behind it.
"So strong!" Lili gasped.
Shirou smiled and patted her head. "Naturally. It's Emiya-made."
Tsubaki stared at the scene, her expression turning dangerously bright.
"Emiya Shirou… Lady Hephaistos was right. You're the kind of monster who can bring real change to Orario."
Then her face shifted—merchant instincts waking up.
"About the armor modification fee…" she said, rubbing her hands. "You're a VIP, but materials and wear still count."
"How much?"
"Armor is three million retail. I'll cut it in half—one million five hundred thousand valis. The crossbow's on the house."
"One point five million…" Lili looked like the world was ending.
"No problem."
Shirou didn't blink. He paid on the spot—emptying the savings he'd built up from days of hard Dungeon farming, especially around Floor 12.
"L-Lord Emiya! Th-That's too much! For someone like Lili—"
"Because we're going to the Mid Floors." Shirou crouched until their eyes were level, his tone steady and serious.
"From Floor 13 onward, it's real hell. I won't let you get hurt because our equipment failed. That money… compared to your life, it's nothing."
Then he softened into a grin and tapped her new gear.
"And besides—arming you like this means you can carry back more magic stones. That's called early investment, got it?"
Lili stared at him—this man who'd burned through his entire fortune and still tried to reassure her.
Tears trembled at her lashes, but she forced them back.
"…Yes!"
She nodded hard, gripping her hand crossbow until her knuckles turned pale, determination blazing in her eyes.
"Lili will work hard! Even if I have to empty Floor 13, I'll earn it all back!"
"Haha. I'll be looking forward to it."
After saying goodbye to the overly enthusiastic Tsubaki (and promising to "spar" again next time), the fully equipped pair stepped out of the headquarters.
Now Lili wore pale red enchanted light armor, carried a weight-reduction backpack, and had a burst-firing hand crossbow at her waist—
armed to the teeth like a tiny tiger.
"Let's go, Lili."
Shirou looked toward the towering structure that led down into the Dungeon, amber eyes sharpened with intent.
"Target: Floor 13—The Rock Labyrinth."
-------
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