Thanks to a certain chain of events set off by Shin Akira, the atmosphere between him and the goddess had started to shift.

A goddess who had never once been treated that way by a man—suddenly being seen not as a divine being, but as a woman—now found herself reacting like a girl discovering her first love. She didn't know what to do with herself.

Hephaestus may have lived for millions of years, but knowing something and actually experiencing it were two entirely different things.

As for Akira… well, he hadn't thought that far ahead.

He'd simply been caught up in the moment, enchanted by her presence.

And truthfully, Hephaestus—eye patch and all—was stunning. Irresistibly so.

Then suddenly, a knock on the door shattered the tension between them.

"You can come in~" Hephaestus called out, voice surprisingly relaxed.

The door creaked open, and a tall, dark-skinned woman stepped inside. Like Hephaestus, she wore an eyepatch over her left eye.

"I brought the clothes you requested, Hephaestus-sama."

As she spoke, she held out a folded bundle of cloth—clearly a set of male clothing.

"Thanks for your trouble, Tsubaki."

"It was nothing."

Tsubaki Collbrande.

Captain of the Hephaestus Familia. A Level 5 adventurer nicknamed "Cyclops." Also widely known as the strongest blacksmith in all of Orario.

Akira immediately recognized her. She had appeared briefly in the Danmachi anime—even if her screen time was limited, she left a lasting impression.

Especially… physically.

There had been a scene where Tsubaki openly complained that her, let's say, "divine blessings" got in the way when forging weapons. That single comment had left even Loki and Tiona speechless.

And during the Sword Oratoria arc, she had fought on the front lines with dual heavy weapons, moving with the grace of a seasoned dancer.

"Hmm? Hephaestus-sama, this man…?"

Tsubaki narrowed her eye as she looked at the young man casually sitting at the table. As Familia captain, she knew her goddess's habits well.

Even among their own members, Hephaestus almost never interacted this closely with men.

"Oh, he's Shin Akira. Our new recruit," Hephaestus replied casually.

But anyone could sense the subtle shift in her tone.

This wasn't normal.

Hephaestus, one of the most revered goddesses in Orario, had never brought a new member up to the top floors of Babel Tower. This was her private sanctuary—only gods and a handful of trusted mortals were ever allowed here.

Even Tsubaki herself, despite being captain, was rarely summoned to this place.

And now… a half-naked man, freshly Falna-ed, casually sat there like he owned the room?

No one in their right mind would believe nothing happened.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Shin Akira."

"Pleasure. I'm Tsubaki."

They exchanged greetings.

Inside, Tsubaki's curiosity flared.

The Hephaestus Familia was a blacksmith-specialized guild—not one focused on dungeon exploration. Every member was a skilled artisan who devoted their lives to forging weapons and tools.

That's why death rates in their Familia were extremely low compared to others.

But because of that, the recruitment standard was incredibly high. Only a handful were ever accepted each year.

Most members were dwarves or part-dwarves—rarely did other races get in.

Tsubaki herself, despite her Amazon-like build, was actually half-dwarf.

"Oh right, Tsubaki, are you free right now?" Hephaestus asked.

"Yeah. Finished my last order yesterday, so I've got nothing lined up for now."

As the best blacksmith in Orario, Tsubaki didn't just accept any job. Her custom weapons cost a fortune, and clients waited months just for a consultation.

In Orario, two professions were worth their weight in gold.

First—Alchemists. Because in the Dungeon, injuries, poison, and status effects could kill without warning. Healing potions and antidotes were life-savers.

Second—Blacksmiths. Adventuring meant gambling with your life. Your equipment wasn't just protection—it was your last line of survival.

"In that case, escort Akira to the Guild for registration. And after that, take him down to the Dungeon."

"Eh? Me?"

"Is there a problem?"

"…No. Leave it to me, Hephaestus-sama."

Tsubaki nodded without protest. But internally, her gaze kept flickering back to Akira.

A total beginner, and his goddess was asking the Familia captain to personally guide him into the Dungeon?

No matter how you looked at it—there was definitely something going on here.

"Here, get changed first. I'll take you shopping for better clothes later," Hephaestus said.

"Got it~"

Akira picked up the bundle on the table and casually walked into one of the rooms nearby to change.

Tsubaki stared, stunned.

Wait, what? He just walked into a private room… in the goddess's home? Wasn't that… her personal quarters!?

Reflexively, she turned toward Hephaestus.

The goddess's cheeks flushed slightly as she realized where Akira had gone—but she said nothing. She just let him.

That alone said everything.

Tsubaki now understood.

The flower that had never bloomed… had finally sprouted.

And honestly? She was happy about it.

Even gods were women at heart.

And every woman… needed someone to walk beside her.

Moments later, Akira returned in the new outfit.

Since Hephaestus hadn't known his exact size, the clothes were a little baggy. But better loose than tight—oversized clothes could be worn. Tight ones? Not so much.

Luckily, most outfits in Orario were designed for movement and flexibility, so it wasn't a big deal.

When Akira stepped back into the room, both pairs of eyes—one divine, one warrior—locked onto him.

He was… stunning.

Ever since merging fully with the Enkidu template, his physique had reached a kind of mythical balance. Even after the transformation reverted him to his original features, his appearance had only become more striking.

In Orario, where most men were battle-scarred and rugged, handsome and dignified men were extremely rare.

Akira, right now, looked like someone who had stepped out of a heroic myth.

Neither woman could look away.

Hephaestus felt her heart skip.

Tsubaki felt her warrior's intuition whisper: This guy… is going to shake the world.

And Akira?

He just smiled—completely unaware of the storm he was already stirring.

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