After eating breakfast, Ren Isana left the dining hall and began his preparations. With so many weapons to forge for everyone, he had his work cut out for him.
Sora followed behind Ren like a little tail. As they walked, she asked, "Class Rep, can you forge mine first later?"
Why was she following him? Naturally, it was because she wanted Ren to forge her weapon first. Her previous weapon had been completely scrapped.
Hearing her words, Ren couldn't help but glance at her. "Sure. Then go collect all the other students' weapons. I'm going to melt them all down. I'll leave this task to you."
If she wanted it, she had to obediently run errands. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Hearing this, Sora didn't refuse. She readily agreed and ran off.
"I'll go right now!" She didn't hesitate at all. It was just collecting other people's weapons, what was the big deal? Later, she could even help with the hammering!
Seeing her like this, Ren was a bit speechless. Shaking his head, he didn't say anything more. He found an unoccupied room on the first floor of the boys' dormitory and immediately began setting up.
First, he took out the set of forging tools he had bought previously, which included things like a bellows. By the time Ren finished setting up the place, Sora had returned, bringing along the others' weapons and quite a few classmates.
Hearing that Ren was about to start forging weapons, many people ran over, including the students who had been eating in the dining hall earlier.
As soon as they arrived, they immediately handed the blueprints they had drawn to Ren. Looking at these guys' drawings, Ren was left speechless.
However, the weapons they drew didn't have too many flashy elements. After glancing over and memorizing them, Ren spoke up, "Alright, put them aside. I'll forge them for you later. Also, the weapons I'm making for you this time are a bit special."
Saying this, Ren got to work. He went over and ignited the furnace. This thing burned Magic Stones directly.
The Magic Stones produced in the Dungeon were truly utilized in all sorts of ways here in Orario. The forging furnaces produced by the Hephaestus Familia were naturally the best.
If they weren't the best, wouldn't that be a disgrace to her title as the Goddess of Forging? Ren only needed a single glance to know how to use these tools.
Hearing his words, Sora asked curiously, "Class Rep, what's so special about the weapons you're forging for us? Why do you say that?"
She was incredibly curious. If Ren called it special, there had to be something truly unique about it, right?
Could it be more than just ordinary enchanted weapons?
"It's a sort of unconventional growth-type weapon. What I'm forging now can only be considered a base. That means in the future, you can continuously enhance its quality by adding various materials. Do you understand what I'm saying?" After lighting the furnace, Ren took the broken sword that Sora had been clutching and tossed it inside.
Her sword was completely unusable—bent out of shape and covered in chips—so it was better to just melt it down.
Hearing Ren say this, Sora and the others immediately had their eyes light up. She said with pleasant surprise, "Really? That's amazing!!"
This was equivalent to Ren building the foundation of a grand mansion for everyone. As for what it would look like in the future, that depended entirely on how they chose to build and decorate it.
Without a doubt, this was a weapon they could use for a lifetime. How could they not be excited?
"We can never repay the Class Rep's kindness!!" The students present had all heard Ren's words. At this moment, they felt incredibly fortunate to have such a Class Rep.
"Loyalty!" "Loyalty!" "Class Rep, who do you want dead? Once I get my weapon tonight, I'll go take care of them for you!!" He was practically their godfather.
One male student even asked Ren on the spot if there was anyone he wanted killed. As long as he could beat them, he would go and finish the job tonight.
Their godfather was preparing such incredible weapons for everyone; he felt like he couldn't repay this favor unless he killed someone for Ren.
Hearing this, Ren rolled his eyes hard. He said with a hint of disdain, "If you guys have so much free time, go over there and help me smash those materials. Hurry up, and cut the crap!!"
Ren directly started bossing the group around. Hearing Ren's words, the crowd chuckled and, without hesitation, began helping out.
Seeing that things were getting busy, the other members of the Familia also came over to help. There was a whole pile of materials waiting to be smashed into pieces.
Some materials even needed to be ground into powder. Once the preliminary work was ready, Ren began forging the first weapon for Sora.
As the furnace heated up, the room began to grow sweltering. Some people couldn't stand the heat and simply took some materials outside to smash.
The sound of various hammers striking rang out across the Familia estate. Seeing this, Hestia also ran over to join the fun. Seeing everyone busy, she decided to help out as well, occasionally bringing Ren a cup of water to quench his thirst.
In just over half an hour, Ren successfully finished forging Sora's weapon. It looked somewhat similar to the drawing Sora had made, but its color was gray, with only the edge shining a silvery-white.
Ren had also successfully enchanted the weapon with a durability attribute. After the quenching was complete, Ren inspected the sword for a moment before handing it over to Sora, who had been waiting impatiently on the sidelines.
"You can handle the rest yourself. Whatever you want to wrap around the hilt, do it yourself. Congratulations on receiving the very first weapon I've ever forged. I'd say this guinea pig experiment was a success." Ren chuckled as he handed the weapon over.
Sora, who had been beaming with joy, suddenly looked depressed. She complained in dissatisfaction, "I was so happy about getting a new weapon, but hearing you call me a guinea pig ruined it."
She had been too hasty. This was Ren's first time forging a weapon, so by rushing up, she really had become a guinea pig. Would the subsequent weapons be better? After all, this sword was just a test run.
However, this thought quickly vanished. Looking at the sword in her hands, she felt incredibly delighted. She couldn't help but say to Ren, "Thank you, Class Rep!"
After saying that, she ran off with her weapon to start decorating it. She could wrap something around the hilt to make it look better and feel more comfortable to hold.
She could do these things herself, so there was no need to bother Ren. Once she finished fixing up the sword, she would come back to help!
However, just as she walked out, the weapon was snatched away by Yor Forger. Seeing Yor, Sora paused for a moment before hurriedly greeting them, "Instructor Yor, Instructor Minamiya, Instructor Hiratsuka!"
All three of them had come over together. Sora looked at Yor with curious eyes. She knew very well that Instructor Yor was an expert at using various weapons, so she should have a good eye for a weapon's quality, right?
"What a fine weapon. It's quite excellent. It seems Ren has truly mastered that goddess's techniques." Yor inspected it for a moment before returning the weapon to Sora, unable to hold back her praise.
Hearing Yor's words, Sora's smile grew even brighter. She giggled and said, "I'll be going then! See you later, Instructors!"
With that, Sora left happily. Her weapon had received the teachers' approval, which was simply fantastic.
After Sora left, Natsuki Minamiya finally spoke up. "That brat's talent is even more absurd than I imagined. Still, this is definitely good news."
The corners of Natsuki's lips curled up slightly. The forging techniques of a goddess—if they brought that back with them, it would elevate their world's forging skills by several tiers.
Yor nodded in agreement. "And they can use that weapon for a lifetime. Ren said that if they want to keep enhancing it in the future, they just need to add better materials. It's making even me tempted."
Now, even Yor wanted Ren to forge a handy weapon for her. His craftsmanship was simply too good; it was hard not to be tempted.
Hearing Yor say this, Natsuki replied, "There's no rush. There will be plenty of opportunities later. Let's go, we shouldn't disturb them."
Natsuki glanced at the busy crowd inside. After saying that, she turned and left. The students had all been drawn over, so no one was coming to ask them questions right now anyway.
They simply couldn't be bothered to interrupt. Once the weapons were all forged, the students would probably come back to ask for advice. After all, getting a new weapon meant they had to learn a few new tricks, right?
At this moment, Ren was fully concentrated on forging the second weapon. He hadn't activated his perception abilities, so he was unaware of what was happening outside.
As Ren slowly hammered out the outline of the second weapon, Asuna, who was helping out, suddenly had her eyes light up. She could tell—it was a rapier.
She was the only one in the class who used a rapier. Did that mean this weapon was being forged for her? Thinking of this, Asuna couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation.
Yukino Yukinoshita and Megumi Kato also noticed, but neither of them said anything. They just took a glance and continued with their work.
The materials Ren added this time were different, so the color of this sword was completely different from the one he had forged for Sora. As the final process was completed...
A rapier with a crystal-like silver appearance appeared in Ren's hands. It was a silvery-white western sword. After forging this weapon, Ren didn't immediately hand it to Asuna.
Because the hilt wasn't finished yet. Ren planned to directly shape this sword into the image he had in his mind. If he handed it to Asuna, heaven knew what she would put on it. She'd probably just wrap it in bandages a few times and call it a day, right?
If she did that, wouldn't his effort in crafting Lambent Light be completely wasted? Therefore, he had to finish the processing himself. Call it Ren's OCD acting up. With that thought, Ren set the rapier aside.
Seeing this, Asuna couldn't help but ask, "Is it not finished yet? Does it need to go back into the furnace?"
She looked at the busy Ren in astonishment. Was there something wrong with the sword?
"Yeah, it's not done yet. I'm going to decorate it for you. Otherwise, it just won't feel right. I have to make it look exactly like I imagined." After saying that, Ren lowered his head and went back to mixing materials.
Hearing this, Asuna was left speechless, but it also made her look forward to it. She wondered what kind of weapon Ren would produce.
Filled with anticipation, she was no longer in a rush and waited quietly. Ren mixed some materials, then continued smelting, eventually producing a pot of flaming liquid.
Ren began to carefully apply the liquid onto Lambent Light bit by bit. At this moment, Asuna finally understood why Ren had left those specific spots bare.
As Ren applied the liquid and the temperature slowly cooled, it completely fused with the blade, ultimately becoming a part of the rapier.
By the time everything was completely finished, the rapier had undergone a drastic transformation. The hilt looked as if it had been inlaid with green gemstones, instantly elevating its aesthetic appeal to another level.
Ren gripped the rapier, gave it a few test swings, and then shoved it into Asuna's hands. "Here. This sword is called Lambent Light. From now on, it's your exclusive weapon!"
Hearing the name Ren gave it, Asuna paused for a moment. *Lambent Light...* That really was a nice name. Thinking of this, Asuna hurriedly said, "Thank you!"
Asuna expressed her sincere gratitude. This weapon didn't need any excessive decoration; it was already absolutely perfect, and she loved it.
Thinking of this, Asuna couldn't hide the smile on her face. She looked at the weapon in her hands, loving it more with every glance.
At this time, Ren turned his gaze toward Yukino. "Do you still want a short sword? Or do you want to switch to something else? Like a katana, for instance?"
He didn't think a short sword suited Yukino. She was much better suited for a katana, so Ren felt she should switch weapons. After all, a katana was the perfect fit for her.
Mainly, Ren had once seen a picture online of Yukino wielding a katana, and he thought it looked fantastic, which was why he recommended it.
Hearing Ren say this, Yukino Yukinoshita paused for a moment. She seriously considered his suggestion. Use a katana? It wasn't a bad idea. Since Ren was recommending it so highly, he must have his reasons.
Thinking of this, Yukino nodded. "Alright, then forge a katana for me. Perhaps it really will suit me better!"
She didn't hesitate much and agreed directly. She would just follow Ren's advice.
With that decided, Ren sprang into action. It didn't take long before a katana perfectly suited for Yukino was forged.
Looking at the weapon, a flash of surprise crossed Yukino's eyes. After a quick mental comparison, she realized that if she held it in her hands, it would definitely feel incredibly comfortable, wouldn't it? Ren had really put his heart into this.
While she was thinking this, Ren also finished processing the hilt for her. Only after everything was done did he hand it over to Yukino. "Here. I figured you wouldn't know how to do it, so I went ahead and finished the hilt for you."
Why did those words rub her the wrong way? Yukino felt a bit annoyed inwardly, but she still thanked him. Although he was infuriating, there was no denying that if she had done it herself, it definitely wouldn't have turned out as well as Ren's work.
"Thank you!" After expressing her thanks, Yukino took the katana Ren handed her. She inspected it for a moment before she couldn't help but ask, "Does this sword have a name?"
"You can call it Sode no Shirayuki." Ren chuckled upon hearing this and immediately blurted out the name. Hearing this, Yukino paused for a moment, silently committing the name to memory.
"Alright, understood." Yukino thought the name sounded beautiful. After silently memorizing it, she took the katana and left the workshop to go find a scabbard for it.
After she left, Ren looked at Megumi Kato and said with absolute certainty, "A dagger for you, Kato."
"Yes, please. Thank you, Ren." Megumi nodded. She was already used to using a dagger, so it was best to stick with it. Besides, Instructor Yor was highly skilled with daggers, so she could definitely learn a lot from her.
After confirming with her, Ren went back to work. Truth be told, Ren had actually wanted to make a greatsword for Megumi, and he had even thought of a name for it: Azrael.
But on second thought, he decided against it. He would just forge an Azoth Sword for Megumi. He just hoped that Megumi wouldn't use this weapon to backstab him in the future!