And so—
The dining hall at the Hephaestus Familia headquarters.
The long table was laden with sumptuous food.
The two black bears—the big Xiong Ren and the small one—were arranged in the corner, gnawing madly on bone-in meat chunks thicker than their thighs.
Hanazake Warabi was similarly stuffing her mouth with meat, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's.
Kikkakujo Mari tried hard to maintain her ladylike elegance, but faced with these never-before-seen otherworld delicacies, her fork flew swiftly.
In comparison, Amane Zan and Inaba Tsukiyo were much quieter.
Though their eating speed was no slower.
Hephaestus sat at the head of the table, her single exposed eye watching the table of voracious eaters—and the bears in the corner.
Her face, usually known for its serious efficiency, was starting to crack.
"So…"
Hephaestus rubbed her temples and looked at Himer, who was calmly eating beside her.
"This is what you meant by 'even bringing a few extra mouths is fine'?"
"Don't put it like that, Hephaestus."
"These are all promising talents I've scouted."
"The future strongest familia in Orario is right here."
"Pfft—"
At those words, Hestia, who was sipping soup, couldn't hold it in.
She sprayed a mouthful of thick soup right out, even splattering some on the table.
She frantically grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth, coughing while her eyes widened.
"Cough cough cough… Strongest familia??"
"With these kids who just arrived… and those two bears?"
Hestia's face was full of disbelief.
Hephaestus didn't mock her.
After all, as a long-descended main god, she'd operated in the lower world for years and seen countless adventurers.
Her eye for people was naturally sharper than Hestia's, who had only recently descended and was still freeloading here as a parasite.
As the saying goes, amateurs watch the show, experts see the details.
Thus,
after Hephaestus's gaze swept the room,
her initially casual expression gradually tightened.
A glint flashed in her single eye—a gleam only true connoisseurs would recognize.
The gleam of spotting prey.
That's how things go in this world.
So-called raw gems
are priceless treasures in the eyes of those who know, perfect embryos for forging legendary divine weapons.
In the eyes of the ignorant, they're just roadside stones caked in mud.
However,
in this world, talented steeds are common, but discerning patrons are rare.
In this fiercely competitive Orario,
every day, countless dream-chasing newcomers flood in, charging into the dungeon like moths to a flame.
And countless others leave dejectedly, or even leave no bones behind.
Even kids with genuine potential,
if they join the wrong familia, follow the wrong god, and don't get proper guidance and development, might end up blending into the masses, struggling in the bottom mire for life.
Opportunity often matters more than talent.
"Himer."
Thinking this, Hephaestus withdrew her gaze and looked again at the male god beside her, leisurely cutting his steak.
Her tone lost some teasing and gained some gravity.
"It seems during this time…"
"You've really dug up an incredible mine."
"A mine?"
Hestia looked baffled, her fork still impaled in a potato, glancing at the girls then at Hephaestus.
Her big eyes filled with big confusion.
"Where's the mine? They don't have any ore on them?"
"Idiot!"
At those words, Hephaestus couldn't hold back, raising her hand to rap Hestia's head with her knuckles.
A crisp *thunk* sounded.
"Oww oww oww!"
Hestia clutched her forehead, tears welling up.
"Hephaestus, why'd you hit me!"
"I hit you to knock some sense into you."
"The mine I'm talking about is these kids themselves."
"Himer's kids—each one is a top-tier raw gem."
"With a bit of polishing, granting them favor, igniting the divine fire, they'll shine astonishingly."
"So calling it a mine isn't an exaggeration at all."
"You, if you put even a fraction of your mind into observing lower world kids, you wouldn't still be a bare-pole commander freeloading here."
Hephaestus shook her head helplessly, exasperated.
The scolded Hestia shrank her neck, not daring to retort.
She could only stab her fork hard into a steak, take a fierce bite, and mumble softly things like "What, I'm just not ready yet…"
…
"Speaking of which, since Hestia said you're new arrivals in Orario."
"Then…"
"Himer, you probably haven't granted these kids the divine favor yet, right?"
Without favor,
it means no level, no ability values.
No matter how good the foundation, in Orario, they're just Lv.0 ordinary people.
"I haven't had the chance yet."
Himer spread his hands.
"I just brought them to the divine hall, didn't even catch my breath, and this guy Hestia dragged me over."
"Didn't even get a sip of water."
With that,
Himer glanced meaningfully at Hestia, who was intently demolishing her steak.
"Woo woo!"
Hestia protested a couple times, but with her mouth stuffed, it was all muffled.
"In that case."
"Might as well seize the day."
Hephaestus scanned the girls, then looked at the fully darkened sky outside.
"How about…"
"You all stay here tonight."
"With so many people,"
"your divine hall that even rats find cramped definitely can't fit."
"After all…"
Hephaestus pointed at the two black bears in the corner.
"Just those two bears would take up half your floor space."
"My familia base isn't super luxurious, but sparing a few guest rooms is no problem."
"And conveniently,"
"tonight you can perform the divine favor granting ceremony for these kids here."
At those words,
the girls' eyes instantly lit up.
Especially Kikkakujo Mari, who was still worrying about sleeping on the floor.
"R-Really?"
"Is there hot water for baths?"
"Of course."
Hephaestus laughed heartily.
"Though we're blacksmiths, our quality of life isn't bad."
"After all, only with good rest can you have the strength to swing the hammer."
"Then we'll impose!"
Since she'd put it that way, Himer didn't stand on ceremony and accepted on behalf of the girls.
As for Hestia,
after she finally swallowed her last bite of steak,
her cheeks still puffed like a hamster hoarding food, she laboriously gulped it down, then wiped her mouth with lingering satisfaction.
Her big blue eyes then turned suspiciously toward Hephaestus at the head of the table.
"Hephaestus…"
"You're not trying to poach them, are you?"
At those words,
Hephaestus's smiling face froze.
Then,
she sighed helplessly and raised her hand again.
The motion was exceptionally practiced.
*Thunk!*
Another crisp forehead flick rang out.
"Eek!!!"
"Oww oww oww!"
Hestia clutched her forehead.
Hephaestus withdrew her hand, her single eye full of "I never expected Hestia to get smarter" helplessness.
"Idiot."
"Am I that kind of person?"
"Besides,"
"even if I wanted to poach,"
"it'd depend on whether Himer is willing to let them go."
With that,
Hephaestus glanced meaningfully at Himer.
Himer smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.
Let them go?
Impossible.
Not even if the king of heaven came could anyone snatch a single person from his hands.
However,
after dinner ended,
as they passed the massive weapon display cases outside the dining hall,
Himer keenly noticed
that whether it was Onigawara Rin with her tachi, or the always-squinting Minme Satori, even the usually carefree Minme Satori,
their steps would subconsciously slow.
Their gazes stuck like magnets to the weapons in the cases, gleaming coldly.
That look,
Himer knew all too well.
It was a swordswoman's longing for a fine blade.
.....
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