Akumo trudged through the streets, his heavy footsteps echoing as he made his way toward the Hephaestus and Goibniu Familias to request weapon repairs.
The corners of his mouth were turned down, a weary sigh escaping his lips.
"Haa... How did they even find out about the casino job...?"
'Who told them?'
"My money..."
Sss—
"!!"
In that moment, he felt a weight upon him—a gaze.
It was a sensation far too familiar to Akumo. Its identity was almost certainly that of a certain mischievous goddess.
"Are you spying on me again?"
'Not like I'll get an answer.'
"Sigh... I wonder who she's hunting for this time."
Suppressing the chilling sensation creeping up his spine, Akumo carried the equipment first to the Goibniu Familia. He delivered several items, including Ais's Desperate and Tiona's Urga.
The blacksmiths of the Goibniu Familia were already groaning. They remembered the grueling labor required for Tiona's Urga—a weapon so absurdly massive it consumed a mountain of materials and required backbreaking effort to maintain.
"Damn it! This thing again?!"
"Tiona is... a bit aggressive with her equipment," Akumo admitted with a dry smile.
'I used to be like that too, once upon a time.'
"In any case, I'll provide the payment, so I'll leave it in your hands."
As he spoke, Goibniu himself approached Akumo and spoke to him.
"The proposal I made last time... still no interest?"
"Regarding weapon smithing... I'm still giving it some thought," Akumo replied neutrally.
"Hmm... A pity. That weapon of yours is a source of endless fascination every time I see it."
Goibniu looked at Akumo's Lævateinn with blatant curiosity.
"I'm not sure I could produce something of that caliber again."
"You certainly could. That's why I keep making the offer."
"I appreciate the high praise."
After leaving the gear, Akumo headed to the Hephaestus Familia. As he entered the forge, the familiar heat and the scent of steel enveloped him.
"Akumo! What brings you here?"
"I'm here to drop off weapons damaged during the expedition, Nuna."
"Oh! In that case, leave them to me!"
'As passionate as ever. Oh, right. How is that boy doing?'
"Is Welf still running in place?"
"Haa... That boy is a constant source of worry for both me and Hephaestus-sama."
"What kind of name did he come up with this time...?"
"'Hoppy'..."
Looking at Tsubaki's hollow expression, Akumo couldn't find the words to respond. He simply left the payment and proceeded toward Hephaestus's private office.
Knock, knock—
"Hephaestus-sama? It's me, Akumo."
"Come in~"
Creak—
"Where did you run off to this time?"
"Just traveling, as usual."
"So, did you find anything useful?"
At Hephaestus's query, Akumo smiled and placed two unknown ores from his bag onto the table.
Thud—
There were two specimens: one an strikingly dark, pitch-black ore, and the other a crimson stone reminiscent of flickering flames.
"Where on earth did you find these?"
"...Just found them while wandering here and there."
'She'd definitely kill me if I told her I got these near the Valley of Dragons...!'
Akumo had pushed his exploration as far as the Valley of Dragons to acquire new materials. In the place where the nightmare of fifteen years ago had occurred, he found a new cavern that hadn't existed before.
Inside, he found these two ores, which seemed to carry a weight of memory within them.
"So, what do you want to make?"
"I wonder. Given the volume of the ore, a short sword seems appropriate."
"Then let's get to work immediately!"
Seeing Hephaestus's enthusiasm, Akumo felt a mix of gratitude and concern that she was devoting too much attention to his personal gear. She was, after all, the Patron Deity of her Familia.
'Maybe I should suggest a joint venture with Goibniu-sama this time...'
Shiver!
'Wait... why do I suddenly feel a chill...?'
"...What did you just say?"
"Y-Yes?! Ah... nothing...?"
"What did you say?"
"Wait, wait! Hephaestus-sama! Please calm down..."
Sss!—
Hephaestus rose with a glacial gaze, slowly closing the distance between them. It was as if she had looked right through his thoughts.
Step, step!
"What was that?"
"Well... you see..."
"....."
Thud—
"I was merely worried that you might be too busy, and since Goibniu-sama made a proposal, I committed the sacrilege of hesitating for a moment."
Akumo immediately dropped to his knees in apology. Whether he was actually in the wrong didn't matter. If he didn't apologize now, he felt the freezing aura would transform into something even darker and more profound.
"It's not that I doubt Goibniu's ability or character."
"...Yes."
"But the idea of me not being involved in the production is out of the question."
"Thank you..."
Ultimately, it was decided that the production of Akumo's primary weapon would be a joint project, receiving technical guidance from both Hephaestus and Goibniu. Hephaestus saw him off with her usual pleasant smile.
"Hephaestus-sama looks a bit terrifying. What did you tell her?"
"Ah, well..."
As a bonus, a dazed Akumo accidentally mentioned the conversation in front of Tsubaki, resulting in another round of scolding.
"Are you insulting our skills?!"
"No, Nuna. Of course not..."
**
Exhausted from his ordeal at the Hephaestus Familia, Akumo sighed as he trudged back.
"Haa... Honestly..."
'Their eyes completely change whenever it comes to weapons.'
As Akumo walked, blissfully unaware of how easily he was swayed by the women in his life—from Riveria to Hephaestus and Tsubaki—someone approached his side.
"Akumo-san!"
"Syr...?"
'Is it Horn...?'
"You look quite downcast. Did something happen?"
"Ah... well, it's just..."
"In that case, would you care to talk for a moment?"
'Ah... no, it isn't.'
Following Syr's guidance, Akumo arrived at a secluded, tranquil garden.
"...What brings you here in Horn's stead?"
"Oh? Are you looking for that girl first?"
"Not exactly..."
"She would be happy to hear that. Or perhaps she'd be angry?"
"...Just get to the point."
Freya narrowed her eyes playfully. Even in Syr's form, her transcendental beauty seemed to overflow.
Despite her charm, Akumo maintained a stoic expression, asking why she was in the city and why she had invited him to talk under the guise of Syr.
"You always manage to surprise me."
"...You were watching?"
"When even your 'child' radiates such a brilliant light, it becomes unbearable, you know?"
"I'd prefer it if your search for a consort remained a whimsical prank."
"Fufu, are you worried about me?"
"In a manner of speaking...?"
'You always shine so brightly, Akumo.'
Freya recalled memories of the past. She had peered into the countless adventures and lifetimes within him, becoming certain that he held the potential to be her Odr—her true partner.
She had tried to tempt him, charm him, and occasionally even played spiteful tricks on him. But the answer she received was always the same.
—'I am sorry, Freya-sama.'
—'Just tell me why...'
—'I cannot always be by your side.'
—'I can take care of anything that stands in the way.'
—'Even my heart?'
—'.....'
—'Freya-sama. Even if you were to obtain a consort, would you truly be able to smile?'
—'I have lived only for that moment...!'
Akumo felt the tremor in her voice and continued calmly. These were words for her, and for her "children."
—'Then was your love for your children a lie?'
—'You are not a being who has lived, or should live, solely for a consort.'
—'I am not negating your choices or your goals, Freya-sama.'
—'I simply do not wish to see you swallowed by your own whims and end up wounded.'
After hearing that firm rejection, Freya had gone into seclusion for a time. Ottar had subsequently stormed in to challenge Akumo, leading to a period of constant strife, but Akumo had "physically persuaded" Ottar into silence.
He did it every single day, without joke—and included the other executives of the Freya Familia as well.
"Fufu, things were quite chaotic back then~"
"Haa... You have no idea how much trouble I went through, luring those fools outside Orario just to fight..."
"Thanks to that, I understood. The reason for your light."
'Though I still want it just a little bit.♪'
"I trusted that a Goddess of your character would understand."
"I'll be counting on you for any future whims as well, okay?"
"...Haha... just try not to run me into the ground."
'Bell... will he be okay...?'