Danmachi, Ch 176-180

Chapter 176 – Hephaestus’s Request

The preparations and adjustments required for this “Joint Expedition” were far more extensive than they appeared.

Even though the Loki Familia, Astraea Familia, and Hephaestus Familia had already formed a practical alliance, within the Hephaestus Familia this relationship was still unofficial and concealed.

That meant careful selection was required among the internal craftsmen who would be mobilized.

And by careful selection, it meant something on quite a different level.

Tsuna had to personally oversee the entire process, using his Mist to induce hypnosis, and his Memory Worm to verify the integrity of their memories.

Hephaestus herself would perform lie detection, while Tsuna confirmed the truth through memory examination.

Only after passing both tests could a member join the Joint Expedition’s team.

This workload meant Tsuna had to stay within the Hephaestus Familia for several days, continuously conducting evaluations.

Under such relentless pressure, the once composed Hephaestus gradually turned darker and darker in mood—half her face seemed clouded in frustration.

“Good grief, I really didn’t know… I had that many of my own children secretly planted here.”

Plenty of Adventurers had slipped past Hephaestus’s lie detection before—using a technique identical to Tsuna’s own method: erasing memories to avoid triggering divine detection.

As long as they themselves possessed no relevant memories, they technically weren’t lying.

And if it wasn’t a lie, then a god’s lie-detecting power couldn’t take effect.

Unfortunately for them, this time’s examination wasn’t performed by Hephaestus alone—Tsuna’s Memory Worm was also involved.

A lie might deceive Hephaestus’s power, but it couldn’t escape the subtle fractures left in their memories.

“Hephaestus, this isn’t unusual,” Tsuna said calmly.

It was, after all, within reasonable expectations.

“Many Familia inevitably form ties with production Familias. It’s natural that some gods want firsthand information from within.”

“And since they’re all gods, they understand each other’s abilities. Finding ways to bypass them is much easier than it sounds.”

Hephaestus shot Tsuna an annoyed glance.

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Besides,” Tsuna continued, “many gods send people to your Familia because they value your craftsmanship. If it were some unknown smithing Familia, they wouldn’t bother with such effort.”

“That’s true.”

Hephaestus’s tone softened. For all her irritation, she took pride in her skill.

In the heavens, she had stood among the top artisans, forging countless divine weapons that few could ever match.

Hearing Tsuna’s sincere admiration soothed her considerably. At least her mood wasn’t completely spoiled by the discovery of spies among her children.

"Then, should we drive them out?" he asked at last.

"Yes. Expel them. The upcoming Joint Expedition will involve your secret—and we can't risk them staying."

Since the mission concerned the concealment of Tsuna’s power, Hephaestus could no longer allow those spies to remain. Otherwise, once the expedition ended, Tsuna’s abilities would spread across the entire Labyrinth City.

Of course, there was a simpler way to deal with them.

They could just be “assigned” to the expedition roster. That would eliminate the hidden problem quietly—and even the gods who planted them wouldn’t know whether their spies had been exposed.

But those children were still Hephaestus’s children.

Killing her own children, even to root out spies—Hephaestus could never bring herself to do that.

So, driving them out was her only choice.

“After removing them, we’ll need to be more careful when recruiting new members,” she said. “Tsuna, I’ll have to rely on you for that.”

“No problem. Anyone with memory inconsistencies gets rejected outright.”

A god’s lie detection could be fooled, but memories could never be perfectly fabricated.

And no god would ever imagine that someone could detect memory discrepancies—let alone guard against them.

“Now, about the Joint Expedition itself,” Hephaestus continued.

“Our Familia will act as support. Tsubaki will lead our craftsmen to aid the front-line Adventurers with weapon and armor maintenance. In exchange, we’ll have priority rights to any materials gathered from the deep floors.”

Materials—those were the lifeblood of a production Familia, especially one of craftsmen. Deep-floor resources were nearly impossible to come by.

After all, the materials from the surviving deep-floor monsters currently circulating in Orario were all remnants from the days of the Zeus and Hera Familias.

But no matter how carefully those reserves were managed, those two Familias had been gone for years.

Their stockpiles had long since run dry. If anyone wanted to forge stronger weapons now, they needed new deep-floor materials—there was no alternative.

Especially since Hephaestus and Tsubaki had recently used their accumulated Excellia to pioneer new forging methods, they now required a vast quantity of deep-floor resources to continue developing their craft.

"I imagine neither Miss Loki nor Lady Astraea will object," Tsuna said. “After all, weapons forged by you and Tsubaki will benefit them directly. As for discounts on new equipment, well… you’ll have to negotiate that with them yourself.”

“Ah, that part I’ll handle,” Hephaestus said with a wry smile. “But there’s something else—something I need to discuss with you privately.”

“With me?”

Tsuna blinked, not understanding what she meant.

Hephaestus lifted her left hand and pointed to the ring on her middle finger—the Mare Ring.

“The material that fuels this ring’s flame—it doesn’t exist in this world. If I’m to craft a weapon that can channel or draw upon that fire in battle, I’ll need a supply of that same material.”

“Not just me,” she added. “Even Tsubaki, after receiving her own ring, is eager to study and replicate its forging material.”

“That’s… difficult,” Tsuna admitted. “I’d have to wait until I can return. Right now, I can only faintly sense the spatial coordinates of that place—I still can’t open the gate between worlds.”

“Whether you can open it or not isn’t the point,” Hephaestus said, meeting his eyes with a rare smile. “When you can—take me with you.”

“Eh?”

Tsuna stared at her, stunned. He hadn’t expected that request from the Goddess of the Forge.

Chapter 177 – This Is Your Decision to Make

“What do you think?”

“Eh? What I think?”

After returning with Hephaestus's request, Tsuna had intended for Loki to be the one to decide. But now, Loki was pushing the choice back onto him.

She looked completely unapologetic.

“Well? It’s your world, isn’t it? Whatever decision needs to be made, it’s yours to make. I’m not about to make that call for you.”

“Hephaestus wants to go to your world to search for the material that ignites that flame. You might have some influence over there, but getting your hands on that kind of material won’t be easy. If you don’t want to expose your identity, you’ll need to use certain… unconventional methods.”

“When that time comes, neither Hephaestus nor I will be able to help you. You’ll have to handle it yourself. So whether or not to bring Hephaestus with you—that’s for you alone to decide.”

“And once you do decide,” she added pointedly, “you’d better be ready to deal with whatever trouble comes with it.”

Her tone carried a clear warning. Loki wanted Tsuna to understand that this choice wasn’t trivial. Once he made it, he would have to bear the full weight of the consequences.

Tsuna had already considered that on his way back.

“I never planned to use my identity for personal gain.”

“As expected.”

Loki wasn’t surprised by his answer, just as she hadn’t been surprised to learn of Hephaestus’s desire to visit his world.

Tsuna had once lived in that other world without any of his current powers and had done just fine. There was no need for him to complicate things now.

“So you’re planning to use your abilities to search for those materials instead?”

“Yeah. That’s what I’m thinking. But it’s not like I don’t have other ways.”

He didn’t know the exact origin of the materials used to make those rings, but there were ways to investigate—and doing so wouldn’t be all that difficult.

In that modern, network-driven world, you didn’t always need special channels to find what you were looking for. You just had to access the network itself.

“That kind of method doesn’t really work here,” he said. “But in a world where everything flows through data, it’s pretty simple.”

“Data?” Loki tilted her head.

“It’s where information from every corner of the world gathers. A virtual data world built from ones and zeros. If you can find a way to infiltrate it, you can obtain any kind of information. It’s one of the ways ordinary people move forward—something like Magic Stone Technology.”

“But this world is overrun by monsters. Most people are still stuck in an agrarian age, without the time or resources to push toward technological development.”

“If the number of monsters were to drop to the point where the world’s safety wasn’t at risk, maybe then, some capable individuals could start expanding the field of Magic Stone Technology. And with the help of the gods, things related to entertainment might even explode in popularity.”

Knowing the gods’ boundless craving for amusement, Tsuna was sure that once the world achieved peace, Magic Stone Technology would become the next great frontier.

“Sounds interesting.”

Listening to his explanation, Loki found herself intrigued by that other world.

A world where everything existed within a digital realm—it was far more complex than Tsuna’s simple description implied. It gave her a deep curiosity about the brilliance of mortals in that distant place.

If humans in Tsuna’s world could create such wonders, perhaps this world’s Magic Stone Technology could one day reach similar heights.

“Well, that’s something to worry about once we’re actually there,” Loki said. “As for Hephaestus, since you’ve made your decision, just make sure to prepare your plan for finding those materials ahead of time—and avoid exposing too much about yourself.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be ready.”

The network might be useless in this world, but in his, it was an overwhelming advantage.

To unleash an army of electronic monsters into the data networks of that world… that would be fun.

Preparation had always been Tsuna’s greatest strength.

“Oh, right,” Loki added. “If you have some free time, go see Bete. That mutt’s been looking for you. He’s been holed up in the Training Space for a while now—figured he should polish up his claws a bit. Speed’s his only real specialty, after all.”

“But once he found out Tiona and Tione leveled up—and that you helped make the tools they used—he came looking for you. Couldn’t find you, so he ended up at my place instead.”

Loki burst out laughing at the memory.

“Pfft!”

“That stupid wolf stood outside my room for half a day, fidgeting like an idiot, and couldn’t even get a word out! To think you were the reason for that. Hah, fine, I won’t tease him anymore. Just go talk to him when you can. He’s been dying for a sharper weapon. Funny, though—he’s all loud and arrogant with everyone else, but when it comes to you, he turns meek as a puppy.”

Tsuna chuckled, remembering the sharp-tongued werewolf.

Loki was right—around him, Bete Loga had never said anything particularly harsh.

“Could it be… because I once mentioned I could create an item that brings someone back to life?”

Thinking back on it, Tsuna realized that might be the reason.

“Eh? You weren’t joking about that?”

“Well… no. I really can make that kind of item. But I don’t know if it can truly bring the dead back to life. I’ve never dared to test it. Reviving people is not something I’d mess with lightly.”

“That’s for the best,” Loki said seriously. “In this world, the cycle of souls is managed by the gods. If you try to guide a soul on your own, you’ll draw the attention of the god in charge of reincarnation.”

Her initial surprise faded into understanding.

She was relieved, even proud, that Tsuna’s mindset was so steady. If word of someone being able to revive the dead ever reached the heavens, it would cause another uproar among the gods.

“Be careful with that kind of forbidden thing,” she warned. “You’ll catch the attention of certain people up above. You might not know this, but the heavens and the lower world are still connected. The one maintaining that connection is Ouranos.”

“I’ve always kept that in mind.”

Tsuna had expected as much.

In a world filled with gods, there was no way his powers could escape divine notice—especially from those who had not descended to the lower world.

He had always known to avoid crossing lines beyond his own limits.

And Tsuna never forgot that rule.

Chapter 178 — Bete’s Warning

After leaving Loki's room, Tsuna headed straight to Bete's quarters.

Unlike many of the others who shared rooms, Bete lived almost completely apart from the rest of the Adventurers.

Tsuna knew this was his personal choice, not because anyone had pushed him away.

After all, Bete was just sharp-tongued—he wasn’t a bad person. When it came down to it, he always acted when it truly mattered.

The reason he chose to live alone probably had a lot to do with his past.

Knock, knock, knock!

The door opened almost the instant the sound echoed.

A wave of heat spilled out from the room as it did.

Tsuna immediately realized where it came from—the man standing in the doorway.

Bete wore only a sleeveless shirt drenched in sweat, the ends of his hair dripping with it.

“Bete, your Status has already reached its limit. No matter how hard you train in your room, trying to improve your values further will be extremely difficult.”

A Status could surpass its limit—but doing so was brutal and exacting.

Beyond harsh training, it demanded innate talent. Without that, no matter how cruel the training, one could only reach their upper limit—never beyond.

Moreover, the Falna’s growth was a one-way evolution.

In other words, once a Stat rose, it would never fall again unless something deeply corrupting interfered.

“It’s just routine training. Keeps my body in shape.”

An Adventurer’s Status was the foundation of their combat ability.

But aside from numbers on paper, there was the body itself.

Keeping it constantly primed and ready made all the difference in battle.

Even though the Falna could preserve physical condition, it didn’t maintain the body’s edge—that alert, eager tension. That had to be maintained personally.

“Seems like you’ve been keeping yourself in solid form lately. You’ve probably spent plenty of time in both the Training Space and the Challenge Space. The results look pretty clear.”

“Not bad.”

At the mention of results, a faint, satisfied grin tugged at Bete’s lips.

That smile… more than just ‘not bad,’ clearly.

Just seeing that look told Tsuna enough—Bete had grown to a point he could truly be proud of.

Aside from Magic, the Training Space can sharpen nearly every Stat. Strength and Endurance were always Bete’s weaker points—those must have seen the biggest gains.

Breaking through the limit might be impossible, but he’s definitely reached it.

And his best Stat—Agility—he must’ve surpassed even that boundary.

Tsuna remembered that Bete’s Agility had hit the limit long ago. Surpassing it was something close to impossible.

But the gravity pressure in the Training Space directly honed Endurance and Agility. For an Adventurer born with talent in those areas, hitting or even exceeding the limit wasn’t out of reach.

Bete was precisely that kind of Adventurer—gifted in Agility.

“What about you? Haven’t seen you much around the Familia lately.”

“I’ve been staying with the Hephaestus Familia. Partly to lie low, partly to assist Lady Hephaestus and Tsubaki with their new forging experiments. So I haven’t been showing up here often.”

“Still because of that Dark Faction mess, huh? The heat around your name flared up again.”

Bete wasn’t blind to the whispers around him.

And with Tiona and Tione both recently promoted to Level 5, it didn’t take much to guess who was behind that storm of activity.

Otherwise, he’d have only heard news about one of the Amazon twins leveling up—not both at once.

If both had risen together, it meant they’d gone all out—probably by taking on Amphisbaena under harsh conditions.

Facing a Floor Boss stronger than you, in a disadvantageous situation… not even those two Amazon warriors—or even Riveria, that old elf—could do that easily.

“There’s also news about Tiona and Tione’s Level Up.”

“Finn’s been taking all the ‘trouble’ on himself again, but not everyone in Orario’s an idiot. The ones watching our Familia closely know full well that Finn never left the manor that day.”

“That’s what pushed your name back into the spotlight again. Even if no one outside knows the details.”

Bete’s words were blunt, straightforward. He was telling Tsuna flat out: plenty of people know you’re the one pulling strings behind the scenes.

Tsuna smiled faintly.

“This Dark Faction incident did put me under the spotlight again, but thanks to Tiona and Tione’s Level Up, a lot of attention has been diverted.”

“Compared to hidden rumors, the Gods prefer loud, exciting stories.”

“And besides, this publicity also helps confirm Valletta’s suspicions.”

“‘Arachnia’? That lunatic tried to ambush those two Amazons?”

Bete’s brows furrowed, disgust flashing in his eyes. He clearly loathed that kind of twisted behavior.

But soon, his expression shifted to faint surprise.

“You didn’t kill that maniac?”

“No. I decided she’d be more useful alive. The Dark Faction still needs a planted thorn—someone through whom I can track their movements and positions.”

“I implanted one of my beasts into her consciousness. It monitors her thoughts, her sight, everything she perceives. But she’s an experienced Adventurer—sharp enough to suspect something’s wrong even with a flawless set of false memories.”

“That lunatic… she’s deranged, sure, and loves torturing her prey—but she’s as cruel to herself as she is to others.”

It didn’t surprise Bete that Arachnia had begun doubting herself. The fact she was still alive was reason enough.

“The Dark Faction’s full of psychos—most of them completely unhinged. You’d better get used to dealing with that kind of madness. And here’s a word of advice: don’t ever try reasoning with them.”

“If you slow down even a second while killing one, the next moment, they’ll blow you to pieces.”

Bete clearly knew those lunatics far too well.

Chapter 179 — Bete’s Request

“The best way to deal with lunatics like them is to end it as fast as possible. Don’t waste time trying to figure out why they joined the Dark Faction—no one wants to have a ‘conversation’ with a bunch of maniacs clutching fire stones, ready to blow themselves up in your face.”

Bete spoke from experience.

“As for that madwoman, Arachnia—her actions and decisions are exactly what her title implies. She takes pleasure in tormenting her prey, like cutting the throats of kittens and puppies just to watch them try to run.”

“She’s taken the worst traits of high-level Adventurers and pushed them to the extreme.”

“You have to be very careful when dealing with her. She loves playing cat and mouse with her targets—and when she finds herself cornered, she’ll only push herself harder.”

Everything Bete said pointed to one fact:

Valletta Grede, the so-called “Arachnia,” was a pure sadist—and anyone facing her needed to be extremely cautious.

“I’ve always maintained the highest level of vigilance toward her. That’s why I implanted perfect memories into her mind, making sure she never sensed anything strange. Then I threw her into the deep-level ‘Food Storage,’ letting her believe she’d been swept there by the current from the Great Falls. That’s how she survived.”

“My beast remains embedded in her consciousness. I never tampered with her body in any way, so no matter how she searches or tests herself, I’ll always know exactly what she’s thinking.”

The manipulation Tsuna used operated within the deepest layers of the mind—a place nearly impossible to infiltrate by any normal means.

As long as he used that beast’s ability with care, Valletta would remain his most reliable source of information within the Dark Faction.

“But one Valletta won’t be enough. When I get the chance, I’ll plant another parasitic beast into someone else inside the faction. That way, I can cross-check any intel I get through her.”

“Still, after Valletta’s failure, the Dark Faction will probably lie low for a while.”

“After all, this makes twice now.”

The first time had been against the Astraea Familia.

The second, against Tiona and Tione.

“With two failures in a row—and Valletta’s defeat being so disastrous—they won’t dare launch a third assault anytime soon.”

“Repeated losses breed distrust among allies. The Dark Faction will likely pull back, at least for now. Any moves they make soon will probably just be Valletta testing the waters.”

“The best thing we can do is stay out of their schemes altogether.”

Tsuna had already anticipated that.

Valletta’s current thoughts were exactly what she herself had already told him. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him to continue following their lead.

What mattered now was letting her believe she was perfectly fine—only then could he proceed with the next step.

He didn’t dwell on the subject further.

"Bete, I just came from Miss Loki's room. She mentioned you've been looking for me, and I already have a good idea why."

“I need sharper fangs. Even if I push my Status to the limit, taking on a Floor Boss alone is still too much.”

Bete had no illusions about his own strength.

Amphisbaena might only be one Level above him, but that difference was vast.

A solo fight against a Floor Boss was a completely different beast from a group battle.

In a party, as long as you controlled the formation—especially the magicians handling the main offense—even Amphisbaena could be defeated.

But in a group fight, the Excellia gained was shared, diluted. It wouldn’t be enough for an immediate Level Up.

That was why any Adventurer who chose to face a Floor Boss alone was doing it for one reason: to earn the Excellia needed for advancement. Such people possessed overwhelming ability, talent, and conviction—unlike ordinary Adventurers who gathered Excellia through long accumulation.

Bete knew exactly what he lacked: claws sharp enough to tear through a Floor Boss’s scales. Challenging one now would be nothing but self-torture.

Fortunately, the Amazon sisters had already slain Amphisbaena, triggering the timer for its respawn.

Bete’s goal was clear—to synchronize himself with that countdown, to be the next one to surpass that wall.

“I need your help.”

He stated his request plainly.

Tsuna nodded lightly, then began to describe the power Tiona and Tione had received.

“A power like magic?”

The revelation clearly surprised Bete.

“Magic that can be freely controlled—no incantation required.”

“No wonder…”

Now it all made sense.

Tiona specialized purely in physical combat, while Tione used magic—but not for offense.

For the two of them to defeat Amphisbaena under such disadvantageous conditions, there had to be more to the story.

Bete had assumed Tsuna had given them some kind of magical item or beast.

He hadn’t expected it to be magic without chanting. That kind of ability was a tremendous advantage against Amphisbaena.

“Tiona and Tione were the first test subjects. I wasn’t sure they could truly handle the power. Once I confirmed their success, I moved on to Finn and Gareth.”

“Huh? What about the old elf and Ais?”

“Riveria’s potential element isn’t one I’m particularly skilled at handling, so I set her aside for now. As for Ais—she’s… a special case. Finn, Gareth, and I all agreed that her destructive power is too dangerous. We decided to put her last.”

Bete couldn’t speak for Riveria, but when it came to Ais, Tsuna was absolutely right—her destructive capability was on another level.

Then Tsuna added,

“It was supposed to happen sooner, honestly. But I went to the Hephaestus Familia afterward—to take cover, and to help Lady Hephaestus and Tsubaki with their forging research. That delayed things.”

“If it weren’t for Tiona and Tione’s recent Level Up prompting Riveria to come to me, both she and Ais would’ve had to wait even longer.”

“Originally, I’d planned to work with you right after Finn and Gareth. But now… looks like you’re last.”

Bete merely shrugged, unconcerned.

“A little delay’s fine. No problem. There’s still over a month until the Expedition. Perfect timing, actually—just before Amphisbaena respawns. I’ll make that beast my stepping stone.”

Tsuna felt the same—Bete could likely pull it off.

“In that case, let’s start with determining your attribute.”

“Bete, choose whichever type of ring you prefer.”

Chapter 180 – The Success of the New Forging Technique

After entrusting the power of Dying Will to Bete, Tsuna once again returned to the Hephaestus Familia.

Here, he had his own personal room—so that when things got busy, he wouldn’t have to go back to his Familia just to rest.

“Tsuna!”

Before he even opened his eyes, two massive, soft things pressed down on his face, nearly suffocating the still half-asleep boy.

Pushing away the person on top of him, Tsuna sat up on the bed, his head full of question marks.

“What’s going on?”

“It worked!”

The dark-skinned beauty sitting before him grabbed his shoulders, eyes gleaming with excitement. It took Tsuna a moment to process what she meant.

“The new forging technique succeeded?”

The new method of forging—jointly developed by Hephaestus and Tsubaki—was a revolutionary process that incorporated Excellia as a material for weapon creation.

“That’s right! We finally did it!”

With a burst of joy, Tsubaki threw herself at him again, burying his head into her abyss.

Once again on the verge of death by suffocation, Tsuna didn’t push her away this time. Instead, he decided to properly savor this wickedly pleasant experience.

“It’s all thanks to your help that Lady Hephaestus and I succeeded in infusing Excellia into the weapon—creating a complete weapon sublimation!”

After fully enjoying that advantage, Tsuna finally pulled himself free from Tsubaki’s arms.

“So, how did it turn out?”

He couldn’t help his curiosity—what kind of weapon had been created after infusing it with Excellia?

“Hehe~ Of course, it’s something never seen before! It completely surpasses convention—breaking through the limits even Magic Swords couldn’t overcome! There’s no longer any restriction on usage, and it even possesses magical and skill-like properties.”

Tsubaki’s words made Tsuna’s eyes widen in disbelief.

This wasn’t just a small improvement—it was a leap across dimensions.

In the Labyrinth City, Magic Swords had always come with a limit on the number of uses, no matter how powerful they were.

In fact, it was precisely because of their immense power that such limits were necessary—otherwise, they’d throw the entire market into chaos.

And yet, against all odds, a weapon that defied those very constraints had been born.

As Tsubaki said—it was truly unprecedented, beyond anything conventional.

“And you know what? This time was just an experimental attempt by Lady Hephaestus and me. We didn’t expect it to succeed so smoothly.”

At that, Tsuna finally understood why it was a “Magic Sword.”

An experimental forge meant the materials were chosen for testing the method’s validity—more for proof of concept than for mass production.

“The materials came from the Amphisbaena we defeated last time, didn’t they?”

“Exactly.”

Receiving her confirmation, Tsuna nodded in understanding.

The Drop Items from Amphisbaena could only be used to make Magic Swords—the materials were simply too perfect for that.

“The dragon fangs as the weapon’s core, the crystal as its power source… did you use the dragon’s heart too?”

“Of course.”

A confident smile appeared on Tsubaki’s bronze face.

“We used everything. But being able to make use of the dragon’s heart at all was thanks to your special forging space. Storing it in that unique preservation chamber kept the heart fresh—otherwise, it would’ve been useless.”

A dragon’s heart that radiated magic was the finest fuel imaginable. But that magical emission wasn’t endless—once too much time passed, even a living dragon’s heart would die completely, losing all vitality.

Once the freshness was gone, the best it could serve for was tempering steel.

However, Tsuna’s Forging Space had accounted for this issue. Within it, there was a special vault capable of temporarily locking in a material’s freshness.

Tsubaki pressed Tsuna’s head back against her chest once more, her tone filled with excitement and gratitude as she offered her “thanks.”

“This success… was mostly your doing.”

Tsuna accepted the “reward” with a smile.

“I’d say you two did just fine yourselves.”

Leaning against the doorway, Hephaestus had been standing there for a while, watching the two of them interact, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.

Only then did Tsubaki finally release him with a grin.

Hephaestus, noticing the faint smile still lingering on Tsuna’s lips, asked with amusement,

“So, how was it? Was Tsubaki’s embrace comfortable?”

“Very. Though, I imagine Lady Hephaestus’s would be just as nice.”

“You little pervert.”

Hephaestus rolled her uncovered left eye, but she still walked over and sat beside him on the bed. Then, with a gentle smile tinged with affection, she pulled the “little pervert” into her arms.

“Is it really that comfortable? Even though my body’s all muscle from years of hammering metal?”

“Not at all.”

Tsuna couldn’t feel any of that hardness she mentioned. In fact, like Tsubaki, her body felt surprisingly soft.

“I can’t feel a single muscle on you. Maybe all that training went into the right places instead. How else would Lady Hephaestus manage to make her body even softer than before?”

"If you think you're all muscle, Lady Hephaestus, I wouldn't mind if you held me more often. Just to confirm, you know."

“You really are hopeless.”

Hephaestus laughed and scolded him, though there wasn’t the slightest hint of anger in her voice.

After spending so much time together, she’d come to understand this boy well—Tsuna was simply a mischievous little pervert who liked older women. Though, truthfully, there was a bit of quiet restraint mixed into his charm.

Still, he was an honest one.

And as for his “perverted” tendencies—well, what boy didn’t have them?

Hephaestus could see clearly that he wasn’t lying. In fact, it was his honesty that had made her start to like him a little.

“This time, the forging test with Excellia went extraordinarily well—far smoother than Tsubaki and I could have imagined.”

“The potential of Excellia in forging is beyond belief. The sublimation of the Magic Sword truly surpasses all prior expectations. Removing the limitation on usage has raised its value far beyond that of ordinary first-tier weapons.”

“And since we used the Drop Items from Amphisbaena, this Magic Sword now carries a power unique to that monster.”

That, too, marked the beginning of an entirely new branch of Magic Swords.