With Eina's dedicated assistance, the logistics for the new headquarters, the Palais Mermonia, were finally settled. From the land transfer to the construction commission, she streamlined every tedious process.
Now, the Focalors Familia just had to wait patiently for a month before they could officially move into their true home in this city.
An unexpected bonus was discovering that Eina's apartment was also in the First District, not too far from their new plot of land. This meant visiting each other would be incredibly convenient in the future.
After escorting Eina back to her apartment building, Aiden expressed his sincere gratitude. "Eina, thank you so much for everything today. I'll definitely treat you to a massive feast when we have the time."
"I'll pass on the meal," Eina sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead with a helpless expression. "If you guys could just cause me a little less stress and stop making city-shaking headlines every other day, I'd be eternally grateful. Please, don't give this half-elf a heart attack before she turns twenty."
"Ahaha..." Aiden scratched his cheek awkwardly, nodding with a sheepish smile. "Right, right. We'll try."
But in his heart, he knew that was highly unlikely. The War Game against the Apollo Familia was, at best, just an appetizer. He could already sense that even more troublesome situations were waiting for them down the line.
Bidding farewell to their highly responsible "nanny," Aiden and his party didn't return to their rental. Instead, they headed straight for the Eighth District, walking right into the most prestigious shop owned by the Hephaestus Familia.
Their objective was clear: equipment upgrades.
Guided by a shop assistant, they quickly located the half-dwarf woman hailed as Orario's greatest mortal blacksmith within the workshop area—Tsubaki Collbrande.
When Aiden somewhat embarrassedly presented the cracked, magically dulled Fire Spirit Sword, Tsubaki merely glanced at it, immediately wearing an 'I knew this would happen' expression.
"I knew it," she grumbled, pinching the pathetic longsword with two fingers, her tone filled with a blacksmith's unique brand of annoyance. "I noticed it the moment you used that enchantment magic during the War Game. Your magic is a real weapon-wrecker, kid."
She lifted her single eye, glaring at Aiden in exasperation. "Do you know that we blacksmiths absolutely despise you people with overpowered enchantment magic? You're like this, and that Sword Princess is exactly the same! A bunch of weapon killers, the lot of you. It's a massive headache. Why don't you take a page out of the Sword Princess's book and custom-order a weapon with the Durandal attribute?"
"Uh... I think I'll wait until I become a First-Class Adventurer before looking into unbreakable weapons," Aiden chuckled bitterly, waving his hand. "I can't afford that kind of luxury right now."
"Didn't you just inherit all of the Apollo Familia's assets?" Suspicion flashed in Tsubaki's eye. "You're swimming in cash. Making one weapon is more than doable, isn't it?"
Seeing Aiden's embarrassment deepen, Robin stepped forward to rescue him.
"It's like this, Miss Tsubaki. We've decided to invest all the profits from this War Game into constructing our new headquarters."
"Ah, so you're building an HQ." Tsubaki nodded in sudden understanding. "Makes sense. The most important thing for a Familia is having a decent home. That, I can understand."
After all, she had started from the bottom alongside her goddess, fighting her way up from nothing. She knew precisely how vital a stable "home" was to Familia members.
She nodded, a hint of approval in her gaze. "Alright then. Since you're spending your money where it counts, I won't gouge you. Tell me, what do you need custom-made?"
"Let's start with mine," Aiden cleared his throat, initiating their shopping spree. "I need a new Third-Class weapon. It still needs to be highly fire-resistant. Just forge it following the same model as this Fire Spirit Sword."
He handed the scarred longsword over as he spoke.
Tsubaki's suggestion was blunt. "This piece of junk? Let's just melt it down for scrap. It'll save you some money."
"No way!" Aiden refused without a second thought. "This was a gift from Lefiya. Melting it down would be incredibly disrespectful. I'm taking it back with me. Once the headquarters is built, I'm putting it in the collection room."
"Oh ho?"
Hearing the name 'Lefiya,' Tsubaki's eye instantly lit up. She slapped Aiden heavily on the shoulder, a teasing smirk spreading across her face.
"You're quite the romantic, kid! Good eye, too. That 'Thousand Elf' of the Loki Familia is a treasure plenty of people have their eyes on. But be warned, Goddess Loki is incredibly overprotective of her kids. She won't let her go easily. You've got your work cut out for you!"
The moment Tsubaki said that, the atmosphere grew incredibly tense.
Robin, Tifa, and Jeanne all simultaneously turned their gazes toward Aiden, their eyes practically boring holes into him.
Only Hyacine secretly gave him a thumbs up behind her back, her mouth silently mouthing: 'Way to go, boss.' Aiden felt cold sweat break out on his back. He frantically tried to defend himself, looking like he was on the verge of tears. "Miss Tsubaki, please stop making things up! We just have a pure friendship! Don't go spreading rumors, it's bad to cause misunderstandings!"
"Friendship... sure, sure. I get it, I get it." Tsubaki gave him an 'I'm an adult, you don't need to explain' look, rendering Aiden's defense entirely useless.
She waved her hand, signaling for the next person.
Robin stepped forward elegantly, drawing the group's attention back to the matter at hand. "I need a new staff, Third-Class. In addition, I'd like to custom-order a set of Magic Dress robes."
"A Magic Dress?" Tsubaki raised an eyebrow. "High standards, huh?"
Magic Dresses were the ultimate top-tier equipment favored by female mages and magic-swordsmen. They offered incredible defense comparable to heavy armor, amplified magical output, and stabilized mental energy. Most importantly, their appearance could be fully customized to the wearer's exact preferences, allowing them to easily double as gorgeous formal wear for daily life.
Just like Riveria and Lefiya of the Loki Familia—the beautiful dresses they wore on a daily basis were actually Magic Dresses with defensive capabilities rivaling full-plate armor. They were the true embodiment of "beauty and combat power combined."
"I need new gauntlets and combat boots. I'll also take a Magic Dress," Tifa added, her tone concise and goal-oriented.
"I need a custom war banner," Jeanne spoke up as well.
"As for the armor..."
Seeing his cue, Aiden quickly volunteered, pulling out the blueprints he had prepared in advance. "Miss Tsubaki, please forge Jeanne's armor according to these designs."
Tsubaki took the blueprints. She only needed a single glance before her expression turned utterly bizarre.
With a look that mixed astonishment, gossip, and a weird trace of respect, she looked back and forth between the perfectly innocent-looking Jeanne and the highly expectant Aiden. Finally, she choked out a profound evaluation:
"You young people... sure have some wild tastes."
On the blueprint, alongside the standard plate armor components, were explicit designs for a metal neck collar and heavy chains.
"Eh?" Jeanne tilted her head, a giant question mark practically floating above her. She didn't understand what was wrong with her equipment at all. Why would Miss Tsubaki say that?
Our pure Holy Maiden, raised in the countryside, had absolutely no idea what "wild tastes" implied.
But Robin, Tifa, and Hyacine—three girls with much more "worldly experience"—understood instantly.
Their cheeks flushed slightly red before they simultaneously unleashed death glares sharp enough to kill directly at Aiden.
Aiden instantly petrified, looking more wronged than a falsely accused prisoner.
This really isn't my fetish! That's literally just her canonical armor! Fortunately, Tsubaki didn't press the issue further. She merely gave him a highly suggestive look from her single eye and neatly put the blueprints away.
Finally, it was Hyacine's turn. Her requests were also clear: a Third-Class staff and a custom-tailored Magic Dress.
Although she and Tifa were still Lv.1, they had already reached the threshold for leveling up and could break through to Lv.2 at any moment. Preparing higher-tier equipment in advance was only logical.
With that, the Focalors Familia's massive shopping spree came to a close.
After securing their gear upgrades, Aiden didn't immediately rush Jeanne into the Dungeon. He knew perfectly well that for a complete novice who had never set foot in the Dungeon before, foundational theoretical knowledge was critical for survival.
Therefore, he entrusted this glorious and arduous task to their most reliable "homeroom teacher"—Eina Tulle.
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