Chapter 36: Can't Have Something, Build It Then 1 (Hephaestus Familia SI)
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
*Smash*
*Psssh*
The sounds of a never-ending process- the process of improvement- fill my bones as I forge my weapon. My hands were guided by years of experience that were mine yet not mine at the same time.
The metal formed and warped after each strike of the hammer. The banging and clanging of the forge summoned a symphony of fire and smoke as the blade took shape. It's a normal short sword that needs to be good. I won't be able to make anything of myself otherwise.
While doubts about my craft appeared in my mind, I did not let them sway me, as this needed to be my best work. The tip of the blade led to a hardy hilt of leather and wood strung by cotton strings.
As I hammered the blade's end into the hilt fashioned for it, the timer that counted down for this test went off, and all the forges went dark.
Cooling the blade and placing it in a wrap to present to the judge, who was, I believe, Tsubaki, the captain of the Hephaestus Familia, and as I waited my turn to present my offering to the familia, my heart pounded in my chest as I saw sword after sword get thrown into a vat of molten metal.
"You call this a blade! A goblin could break this over its knee. Next!" Tsubaki yells, seemingly annoyed by the lack of quality, which makes sense as the test only allowed a forging time of an hour and a half, and a normal sword would take six times that time normally.
But second by second, my time came closer, and as I arrived at the front of the line and presented my weapon, she picked it up by the hilt and gripped it tightly as if testing the weight and comfortability.
She then swung the blade multiple times at a nearby test dummy, and with one slash, it cut through the dummy, with the other slashes taking off the other appendages.
After the dummy's midsection fell to the ground, Tsubaki turned around and looked me in the eye. Her presence made the room's hot temperature lower ever so slightly, but even with the slight shaking of my hands, I did not lower my eyes.
The exchange lasted a mere few seconds. Tsubaki pulled her presence back, and the room seemed to regain its light.
"Did you make this blade, newbie? Do not lie to me." I gave her a stern nod in response. The gesture was met with a slight eyebrow raise, but as she looked behind her, Hephaestus nodded back. After placing the blade on the table, Tsubaki smiled and raised her hand.
Realizing the importance of this moment, she took her hand in a strong grip, her gaze seeming accepting in a way. After we shook, she lowered her hand and said, "What's your name, newbie?"
"Ashton Sol, may I ask yours?" the woman smirked as Hephaestus sighed in expiration.
'What if I was Hephaestus herself? You could be committing a grave offense?"
Chuckling to myself slightly, I responded, "Well, you may be beautiful, but I have seen pictures of the goddess of the forge, and besides, you sought approval from the person behind you and based on your current position, which I assume is high based on you being the judge the only other person you could want approval from is either a captain or goddess. Or maybe I'm just embarrassing myself. I'm not the greatest detective after all."
"You don't talk to people much, do you, newbie?" Tsubaki says with an almost amused look.
"No, my social skills are comparable to the average war shadow." My utter and complete candidness seems to further her amusement.
"Well, at least you're not trying to kill people." That's not very comforting, captain.
"Have you seen the people outside? Most of them could snap me like a twig." My answer makes her laugh, and Hephaestus smiles slightly at the interaction with Tsubaki, standing up and grabbing me very tightly.
"Well, Newbie, I am Tsubaki Collbrande, or your captain now, so let's get you set up with our goddess's magic hands."
I may have made a mistake in choosing this organization as I could physically feel each bone cracking under the force she was hugging me with.
"Yeah, thanks, captain. Can you let me go? I need air." My answer comes out breathily as she lets me go, my body taking a second to readjust itself after being dropped on the floor.
Hephaestus then walked between us, looking annoyed at Tsubaki. "Please do not kill our newest member so quickly. We need the new blood. Do not insinuate that I do such things to my family members. That abuse is for Loki's Familia to deal with. "
Tsubaki simply chuckled to herself like a gremlin as Hephaestus pulled me along with the woman, saying as we left, "Make sure to have the newbie remember his first time, Lady Hephaestus! Now, the rest of you. Leave now, or you forfeit your dicks." I may have slightly flinched at that last part.
As she pulls me along, my new boss says, "You'll have to excuse the captain as well. She's very friendly, to say the least; she's a good person and probably one of the best people you'll ever meet once you get past the terrible jokes. For now, though, I need you to strip."
I then backed away slightly, as the way the goddess worded that sounded wrong. She seemed to realize that, too, as she waved her hands and said, "Wait, Wait, not like that. I mean, get on the bed without your shirt on. Wait, no. Just take it off." I may have ended up in an alternate universe of some kind, as I did not expect the serious goddess of the forge to be like this.
But deciding not to embarrass her further, I took off my shirt, the goddess going silent behind me. After placing it on a nearby rack, I lay down on the bed in what I assume is her office. It would be handy for late nights and a more private place to induct new members.
I then felt the woman sit next to me as she took off her gloves and pricked her finger on a small needle, and as the blood fell on my back, I felt pure and unadulterated strength fill my being, but soon enough, I felt the high leaving me within a few moments.
"Well, that was something. Is everything alright, Lady Hephaestus?"
"Ashton, I ask this in the most calm way possible. Have you ever trained under someone before?"
"No, I learned all on my own. Why?"
"Have you ever had prior exposure to combat before?"
"No, I could barely stand the smell. Is everything alright with my status?"
Taking a deep breath, Hephaestus showed me a piece of paper, and as I read it, my eyes widened in surprise.
Name: Ashton Sol
Level: 1
Strength: 001 I
Endurance: 001 I
Dexterity: 001 I
Agility: 001 I
Magic: 001 I
Developmental Abilities:
Artificer 1
Magic Skills:
Tracing Magecraft
Projection Magecraft
Structural Analysis Magecraft
???
Skills:
A Blacksmith's Work Is Never Done: The User's Creations Will Always Improve Over Time And Synergize When Needed.
Born To Improve: The User Is A Born Adventurer. New Experiences And The Drive To Improve Burns Within. Excelia Gains Are Increased When Improvement Is Made.
"Well, that is neat."
Hephaestus does not share my faux nonchalance as she rips the paper from me and sits me in the chair beside her. With her hand on my shoulders, she says quietly but with utter seriousness, "Ashton, I can keep other people from reading this information, but under no circumstance are you to tell anyone about your skills. Am I understood, young man?"
God or goddess, in this case, I feel like I am talking to my mother right now, but I nod with a serious look. Hephaestus sighs in exasperation. She then smiles and says, "Welcome to my family, Ashton. Try not to get killed so quickly, please. I have already lost enough adventurers."
Trying to make myself as small as possible, I said, "Well, if my skills do what they say, I don't actually even have to go into the dungeon. That is possible, right?" Her smile does not bring me hope as Tsubaki barrels into the room.
"Lady Hephaestus, how's the newbie? Did he last long enough for you?" Tsubaki's smile makes the goddess simply stand up and return to her desk.
"Well, since you seem so full of energy, Tsubaki, you are taking on the paperwork duty for the next couple of days. In addition to getting our new member set up at the guild." Well, the first part seems to make her spirit begin to leave her body. The second part causes her to rise immediately with a terrifying smile as she looks at me like a lion would study her prey.
After allowing me to put my shirt on, Tsubaki came up next to me and asked, "So, newbie, do you have a place to stay? If not, I always have time for young adventures such as yourself. "
The sheer amount of sex appeal would shut most people down, but I simply smiled, took her by her hips, and said, "Do you believe yourself able to handle me, Captain?"
Cue the blush and subsequently dash out of the room with Hephaestus trying to keep herself from laughing. "I'm allowed to tease the captain, right?"
The goddess simply drank her tea as I sighed in tiredness, but this was my life now. But before I could say anything more, Hephaestus asked, "In all seriousness, Ashton, you do have a place to stay, right?"
I slowly turned away from her as her look became piercing to the point where I could feel the arrows piercing my soul. I had been living in a broken-down house a couple of blocks away for the past few weeks ever since I was dropped here.
"Well, no matter. We have temporary housing here for all of our members until they're ready to set up their own private forges, but that does mean going into the dungeon to get your own money." The amount of smugness in that smile was enough to make all of Twitter ask her for her bathwater.
I am going to die.
Essences Used: Falna And Artificer
Three Cheats From Falna Essence: Shirou's Magecraft, Increased Excelia Gain, and Adaptive Resistance
(MC was also given protection from Freya's soul eyes until he got his falna.)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone