Three days later,
Ares requested negotiations with Orario.
The gods naturally accepted, and immediately gathered in the divine meeting hall.
"Hey~ Long time no see?"
"Couldn't you come by a little more often?"
"The valis are pretty sweet."
As soon as Ares entered the hall, the gods started mocking him.
Ares trembled with irritation and sat down in a chair.
"Yes... Ares, what do you want?"
A grave male voice echoed from the crystal orb placed at the center of the enormous round table.
"Ouranos... what I want is two things."
"Two things, is it..."
"The first is the release of Lacia's troops being held prisoner by Orario."
"I accept."
Since releasing them wouldn't really damage Orario anyway, Ouranos granted it without hesitation.
"Tch, I could've squeezed more valis out of them..."
"What a shame, what a shame."
"What is the second?"
"Hand Bellf Crozzo over to Lacia."
"..."
"..."
"..."
After Ares finished speaking, silence fell over the divine meeting hall.
"...Denied."
"Why? He's nothing more than a blacksmith, isn't he?"
"We know very well what value that 'nothing more than a blacksmith' has, and so do you. We cannot hand him over."
"That's right!"
"We can't hand over that insane magic sword!!!"
The gods and Ouranos resisted fiercely.
"Bellf Crozzo was originally a forging noble of Lacia!"
"But now he is Orario's blacksmith."
"Tch..."
"The negotiation is over."
"Tch... can't you give me a little more time? Just a little..."
Ares was—
"Ten minutes. Decide within that time."
"Eh!?"
"Just throw him out already!!!"
"This is boring—!!!"
He stalled for as much time as possible, just as planned.
Unlike outside, the streets of Orario were fairly peaceful.
While I was walking with Aiz,
"..."
"Come back to Lacia, Bellf."
My damn father and grandfather appeared.
"What are you doing here?"
"You ask that like you don't know, you little runaway."
...So it was about the magic sword.
"You know them?"
"My damn father."
"..."
Aiz's gaze, which had been hostile toward my damn father, changed to one of goodwill.
What?
"Aiz. Go back for now."
"Okay..."
I didn't want her getting involved in family matters, so I sent Aiz back first.
"It's not too late even now, Bellf. For us, for Lacia, make magic swords."
"No. I'm not making magic swords for a place like that."
"Fool... your father was going to show mercy and end this quietly..."
"Why? So you can blow up Orario with magic swords?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"There are only ten left now, you know? And you want to use those?"
"How foolish. In the kingdom, there are dozens of Crozzo magic swords that escaped the curse of the spirits."
"And why should I believe that?"
"I couldn't use the ancestral magic swords left in the kingdom because I was afraid of losing them..."
My damn father drew a straight sword from his waist.
"Here. Look."
"...It really is a Crozzo magic sword."
"My countrymen have infiltrated Orario carrying the remaining magic swords. Bellf, if you do not return, there will be a great massacre in Orario."
"..."
"If you return, nothing will happen."
My damn father spoke while holding the magic sword.
"Damn father."
"What is it?"
"Sorry, but I know that's bluffing."
"...What did you say?"
"If there were Crozzo magic swords left, Ares would've used them in the war long ago."
"..."
If there really were dozens left, Ares would have brought them here already and turned Orario into a sea of fire.
"Hah, but this magic sword is real!"
"That's probably the only real thing here."
I took out my hammer and approached my damn father.
And then,
"Oops, my hand slipped."
I swung the hammer and smashed the Crozzo magic sword made by my ancestor.
"Ah..."
The Crozzo magic sword shattered so meaninglessly.
I brought the hammer handle down on my damn father's head, catching him off guard.
"...Looks like I'll have to go see that guy."
After slinging my damn father over my shoulder, I headed toward an old friend.
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