Before leaving, Roy did not forget to spend 400,000 dimensional points to replicate Hephaestus’s forging technique.

“Hahaha, thanks for teasing Hephaestus—I haven’t seen her like that in ages.”

On the way to the forge with Roy, Tsubaki laughed heartily, her ample chest jiggling with mirth.

“I can’t help it. Goddess Hephaestus truly cares deeply, and my Familia’s goddess is like a child to her,” Roy said with a smile.

“Hahaha, those two—one big, one small—really look like mother and daughter together,” Tsubaki chuckled unabashedly.

Tsubaki’s personality embodied dwarven boldness.

En route to the forge, she initiated topics, chatting animatedly with Roy—the roles reversed.

“Can I ask something?” Roy ventured tentatively.

“Ask away, but I haven’t had a boyfriend yet,” Tsubaki joked.

“Does your Hephaestus Familia have a tradition like this?” Roy mimed covering his right eye.

“You don’t know?” Tsubaki scrutinized Roy, her expression odd.

“Know what? I’ve only been in Orario less than half a month,” Roy replied honestly.

“You saw Hephaestus’s right eye earlier—weren’t you scared?” Tsubaki asked, half-smiling.

“Scared?” Roy puzzled. “Lady Hephaestus apologized for that. I’m clueless.”

“You’re sure you didn’t see anything terrifying?” Tsubaki confirmed again.

“You mean her right cheek? It looks flame-scarred, but not scary,” Roy said directly.

“Just flame burns? What about her eye?” Tsubaki’s face grew stranger, her gaze piercing as if to see through him.

Sadly, she lacked gods’ lie-detection, relying on Roy’s expression to gauge truth.

From her experience, Roy wasn’t lying.

“Beautiful eyes,” Roy answered.

“Hahahaha, you’re fascinating!” Tsubaki burst into bold laughter, slapping Roy’s shoulder.

She explained, “We don’t have an eyepatch tradition. I wear one because my left eye’s ruined—exposed, it’s gruesome.”

She now understood Roy’s earlier words.

After all, in his eyes, Hephaestus’s should seem normal, and with her own eyepatch, he’d assume a Familia custom.

“Sorry,” Roy apologized, regretting uncovering her scar out of curiosity.

“It’s fine—not a big deal,” Tsubaki waved off, continuing. “But Hephaestus’s is different.”

As a goddess, Hephaestus should be flawless, without defects.

Yet her right cheek bore an irreparable blemish, even by arcanum.

Beyond the flame-scarred cheek, her right eye was truly horrifying—like gazing into abyssal hell.

In heaven, other gods often mocked Hephaestus for it.

Hestia alone never did, forging their strong bond.

“Hephaestus often jokes it’s proof of her forging godhood,” Tsubaki sighed.

Roy roughly grasped why he saw normal eyes.

[Seven Deadly Sins] pride granted mental immunity.

Hephaestus’s curse likely eroded minds.

His immunity nullified it, revealing her true face.

“Here we are,” Tsubaki announced, pushing open the forge door.

Inside, a scabbard lay haphazardly on the workbench.

This must be the Hestia Sword’s scabbard, crafted by Hephaestus.

Tsubaki picked it up, inspected it, and exclaimed, “It’s Durandal too.”

“Durandal?” Roy was surprised.

“You know what Durandal means?” Tsubaki asked.

“Yes,” Roy nodded.

Ais’s Desperate Sword had Durandal attributes.

This was something unbreakable.

Though wear like dulling could occur without maintenance—shifting from slicing to bludgeoning.

“Then no need to explain—it’s your accessory anyway,” Tsubaki smiled.

Roy sheathed the sword; they fit perfectly.

Admiring it, he marveled at the forging goddess’s masterpiece—top-tier in performance and aesthetics.

“Thank lady Hephaestus for me,” Roy said, preparing to leave after confirming his queries.

Now, he itched to dungeon-test the weapon.

“Better thank her yourself—I hate relaying messages,” Tsubaki grinned.

Roy nodded, bid farewell, and departed.

Watching him go, Tsubaki pondered, then headed to Hephaestus’s quarters.

“Hephaestus, guess what Roy just said?” Tsubaki asked mysteriously.

“What?” Hephaestus asked curiously.

“He said you have beautiful eyes,” Tsubaki smiled.

“Teasing me?” Hephaestus frowned.

“No, Roy said it,” Tsubaki shook her head.

“He must’ve been polite,” Hephaestus sighed.

Roy was courteous to gods, worldly-wise—flattery fit.

“I’m 90% sure it’s genuine,” Tsubaki asserted.

“And the 10%?” Hephaestus quipped.

“I lack gods’ lie-detection, so not 100% on his words,” Tsubaki shrugged. “But if true… staying calm after your eyes is impressive.”

“He really said that?” Hephaestus wavered.

“Why not call him back and ask face-to-face? You’d believe a direct answer, right?” Tsubaki teased.

“Forget it—I’m not that idle,” Hephaestus declined.

“Hephaestus…” Tsubaki realized, staring intently. “You haven’t been eyeing Roy, have you?”

“I said, why so generous suddenly—forging super-spec weapons, gifting Durandal scabbards.”

“Am I usually stingy?!” Hephaestus glared.

“Gifting over a billion valis? If he’s not your lover, I won’t buy it.”

Tsubaki paused. “No one would!”

“Nonsense—that’s Hestia’s child!” Hephaestus huffed. “It’s my deal with Hestia—what’s Roy got to do?”

“Cross-Familia romance is fine—we wouldn’t object. If you don’t act, I won’t hold back. First guy in years who’s tempted me at first sight,” Tsubaki waved boldly.

“Enough—that child admires a goddess,” Hephaestus said.

Tsubaki eyed her skeptically.

“Duplicitous,” Tsubaki tutted.

“No respect!” Hephaestus felt exasperated. She treated members as equals, no divine airs—but Tsubaki’s teasing irked.

“I’m serious—first time you’ve met this type,” Tsubaki said.

As goddess, Hephaestus received many proposals post-descent—but eyepatch removal scared them off.

“You needn’t worry about me,” Hephaestus rolled her eyes. “If idle, forge a magic sword—you’re studying that.”

Tsubaki left without reply.

“Really… why so troublesome?” Hephaestus touched her right eye, sighing.

Tsubaki’s words had shaken her.

But compete with Hestia?

—

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