Chapter 254: Empowering the Smithies!

“Mmm…”

Eve slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was Axel’s face.

He had his eyes closed, his eyelashes slightly wet with tears—a natural response of the body, specifically the eyes, cleaning themselves while one sleeps.

“S-So close—!”

She whispered, attempting to back away, only to realize he was holding her by the waist, preventing her from moving away.

As she struggled, memories of how this situation unfolded began to surface.

Her expression turned calm.

Then, a moment later, it shifted to one of shock as she recalled just how wild their actions had been. Her face flushed crimson, and she quickly raised her hands to cover her face, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

“J-Just what the heck did I ask for…!” she mumbled, squirming.

As her movements continued, it was inevitable for Axel to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes, locking gazes with Eve for several seconds.

Then, he smiled. “Good morning…” he greeted.

“…!”

Eve’s heartbeat raced, her face turning as red as possible.

Unsure of what to do, she instinctively latched onto Axel’s chest, hugging him tighter than before. Although taken aback, Axel didn’t push her away and instead patted her head casually.

“Ahem!”

“…?”

However, contrary to their assumption, they were no longer alone in the room. Two, no, four maids stood at the foot of the bed, staring at the pair huddled together.

Maria, the one who cleared her throat, appeared as cheerful as ever while smiling at them.

“Sir Axel, it’s already morning. Please get up soon,” she said.

Ria, standing behind her, teased, “To think you’d oversleep. Did you really tire yourself out last night, perhaps~?” Her playful smile indicated the comment was more directed at Eve.

The little princess quickly sat up, waving her hand in panic. “N-No, we didn’t…!”

“Why would you deny it? It’s not like earning Master’s love is a problem,” Fenrir chimed in, though her tone was a bit sulky compared to usual.

“That’s what I’m telling you, we didn’t do it!” Eve exclaimed, tearing up in embarrassment. “Listen to what I say!”

Axel, observing the chaos, slowly rose while scratching his head.

He was puzzled. Looking at the system’s display, he noted that it was already past 8 a.m., meaning he had slept for over eight hours straight without waking up. He had slept like a log!

’Was cuddling Eve to sleep that effective? Later, I should call her whenever I want a long, comfortable rest,’ he thought, smiling as he watched the ongoing banter.

After that, everything became busy.

Eve hurried to her room to finish preparing to serve Axel as her maid for another day, while the others helped Axel bathe and change clothes before heading to the dining room.

By then, Eve had regrouped with them, signaling for Maria and Cherry to step out.

Axel didn’t delay either, finishing his meal in a matter of minutes.

“Alright, today… we’ll be checking what weapons are best for each of you!” he announced, revealing this significant news to everyone.

Right. The “weapon” he had shown everyone the previous night was intended for the rank-and-file soldiers of the Valkyrie Knight Order, not for the “elites” like the girls.

Apart from Eve, who used an anti-materiel rifle, the others struggled to exhibit their full strength due to their inadequate weapons.

For example, even Arianne, who believed that “a master does not blame their tools,” struggled to swing her equipped blade at full speed without witnessing it warp and bend.

Teruria and Nina were unable to utilize even half of their mana—life force—during the previous fight against Greed. Their staff simply couldn’t handle such high outputs.

Fenrir fought essentially barehanded, as any weapon she wielded would shatter after a single swing.

However, the imminent fight was not one they could hope to win with their current setup. They needed to be fully equipped with weapons capable of harnessing 100% of their strength and armor that could endure their movements.

Naturally, they couldn’t rely on the shop for such weapons.

The weapons available there were too “personalized” and too “powerful” to be found in a typical store. Consequently, they could only depend on what they already had…

“So that’s why you came to us?”

At the new forge, where dozens of dwarves hammered iron nonstop, Helion, the leader of the dwarves, lifted his goggles and asked, “What brings you here?”

“Yes,” Axel replied. “I want you to create a powerful weapon—something that can withstand our strength.”

“Even if you say that…” Helion scratched his head, looking troubled.

After all, he was just a dwarf.

While he possessed the skills to craft such a weapon, he lacked in several areas. Primarily, he needed materials. Secondly, he required the strength to work with those materials, as well as the knowledge of how to properly manipulate them to create a functional weapon.

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Axel smiled as he pulled out two bottles from his inventory. “If you drink this, you’ll gain about 200 points in all stats. That should make you as powerful as 20 dwarves combined.”

“T-This thing is…?”

As someone who worked with crafting, Helion had a keen eye for items.

Even if potions weren’t his area of expertise, he could sense the condensed power lying dormant in the concoction. If Axel’s words held true, he would become a legendary figure, able to handle even the most impossible materials!

“H-However, this must be precious… I can’t—”

“No worries about that.” Axel smiled again, pulling out a dozen more potions. “I have more if you want others to gain the same strength. Choose people you can trust.”

“Weapons, was it? What kind?”

In an instant, the dwarf’s expression transformed from hesitation to eager anticipation. He rubbed his hands together, grinning at Axel as he inquired about the designs.

Axel paused, deep in thought.

He didn’t mind that Helios quickly became humble after his offer; he had half-expected it.

“First, create armor for all of us. The design… Let’s keep it simple since we don’t have much time,” he declared. “One for me, Eve, Ria, Fenrir, Arianne, Beatrix, Maria, Cherry, and Nina.”

“T-That’s a lot…”

“After that, we need about four sets of swords, two sets of shields, staves, and… maybe a claw?”

“T-There’s more?!”

“Of course. This is just the beginning.” Axel smiled. “Once we get through the immediate danger, I’ll be asking you to craft more powerful, specialized, and deadlier weapons!”

“…”

Helios gulped.

He genuinely wondered.

’Did I perhaps sign a deal with the devil?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep