"I see..."

Akira stood silently for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a moment, he gave a small nod.

Tsubaki, catching his hesitation, offered a wry smile as she added with a tinge of helplessness, "Besides, you should know that your familia will be heading out on an expedition in a few days. They're all scrambling to prepare right now. When the time comes, there's bound to be a shortage of manpower left in the city."

She let out a soft sigh, rolling up the letter of commission. She looked up at the boy in front of her with sincerity gleaming in her eyes.

"If you're willing to take this commission, I can add an extra payment—regardless of the result!"

"Hmm?"

Akira's gaze sharpened at that, an inquisitive hum escaping his lips as he raised his head. The word "reward" was always enough to pique an adventurer's interest.

He met the female craftsman's eyes directly and voiced the question lingering in his mind.

"Why? Isn't this commission something you can handle easily yourself?"

Tsubaki chuckled heartily, resting her hands on her hips in her usual confident stance. She shook her head, strands of black hair swaying behind her.

"To be honest, I probably won't be able to spare any free time for a while." She admitted with a shrug.

"Requests to the workshop have been steadily increasing lately. Plus, Hephaestus-sama handed me some additional assignments on top of everything else."

Her expression turned slightly troubled as she muttered, offering a completely reasonable excuse.

After all, she was a smith first and foremost. Dungeon exploration wasn't exactly part of her job description.

She added, tilting her head slightly, "Also, I heard you're planning to go solo for the time being? So the cost of potions or damaged weapons used during this commission—don't worry about any of it. I can report the full amount to the shop."

Ever since Akira commissioned his new sword, Tsubaki had taken the time to learn more about the mysterious adventurer from her god.

Fastest level-up, swiftest kill of an enhanced species—the kind of rumors that traveled fast in Orario.

And since someone that capable was willing to take her request, she could be a little generous with the reward.

Hearing that, Akira no longer saw any reason to decline. There was no hesitation in his tone as he responded, "Alright. I'll take the commission."

He wasn't like those ordinary adventurers who trembled at the thought of entering the mid-levels alone.

The 24th floor, huh? It was perfect—a fitting testing ground for a new sword of this caliber.

"Of course, if at any point you feel it's too dangerous to go solo, you can head to Rivira. There are always parties of adventurers stationed there."

While handing over the commission parchment, Tsubaki offered the suggestion casually.

Then she took out another scroll—one of the same dull color—from her cluttered worktable.

"Group exploration is always safer and more efficient, you know."

That logic held true—for most adventurers. But Akira was far from ordinary. In terms of raw combat strength, he had already far exceeded the Guild's expectations for someone of his level.

Tsubaki unrolled the scroll, revealing a delicately drawn map of the Large Tree Labyrinth. She picked up a feather pen, dipped it in ink, and carefully marked a specific location deep in the 24th floor.

"I didn't have a detailed map on hand when I stumbled across the place, but the general location should be accurate."

She rolled up the scroll and handed it over to him.

Her voice dropped a little as she continued, "If you encounter anything strange—unusual people, or monsters that don't belong there—report it directly to the Guild. Got it?"

"Understood." Akira replied as he accepted the map, tucking it away carefully.

Then, as he turned back to her, he asked the next natural question, "And the reward?"

Under his watchful gaze, Tsubaki placed a hand under her chin, eyes drifting upward as if thinking.

Though she had confidently offered extra payment on the spot, it was clear that she hadn't actually thought it through. After all, as the captain of the Hephaestus Familia, she couldn't just toss scraps as compensation.

After a moment of deliberation, she clapped her fist into her palm, the decision seemingly made. She turned and walked deeper into the forging room before returning with an object wrapped in cloth.

"Here. This should do." She said, placing it on the table with a solid thud.

Akira's eyes widened as he stared at what lay before him—a dark red dagger with a fierce aura.

"A magic sword?" He asked, a trace of surprise slipping into his voice.

He could feel it. This dagger harbored a searing fire—its power wasn't inferior to 70% of the flame-based magic he could currently release in one burst. If he poured all of his magic power into a spell, this would match the destructive force.

Tsubaki grinned, pleased with his reaction. "That's right. I mean, I don't have anything better to give at the moment!"

She narrowed her one visible eye in amusement, her tone lighthearted yet proud. Crafting magic swords had always been her passion—even more than keeping them.

Getting one of Tsubaki's own creations, worth a solid three million valis, as a reward? That alone made this mission far more appealing.

Akira didn't know if he'd personally need to use it, but even if not, it'd be a valuable addition for someone in his familia.

"It's called Kaguya. It unleashes fire-element magic equivalent to that of a Level Four mage. Pretty decent, huh?"

"More than decent." Akira replied honestly.

This was his first time receiving a consumable weapon like this—no chants required, quick activation, a powerful burst of elemental destruction. A one-time trump card.

Not many in the Astraea Familia could afford such a thing. With only a dozen true combatants and most of their resources going to survival and recovery, luxuries like magic swords were out of the question.

"Such a powerful weapon… you truly are Orario's best blacksmith!" Akira exclaimed, his voice brimming with genuine gratitude and admiration.

"Thank you so much for your generosity, Tsubaki-san. I'll investigate the 24th floor thoroughly."

The praise poured out smoothly like a well-rehearsed combo, and Tsubaki couldn't help but laugh, scratching her hair with a slight blush.

"Hahaha! I'm not that amazing. Still, you're quite the polite kid, aren't you?"

At thirty-one, Tsubaki was already used to being called onee-san or miss. Akira, shorter and visibly younger than her, had the childish charm of a thirteen-year-old—at least, according to Hephaestus.

With that, Akira packed up his gear, his sword now resting proudly at his waist alongside the map and the dagger. He turned at the doorway and offered a bright smile.

"Alright then. I'll head to the dungeon to complete the commission and test the sword. See you next time, Tsubaki-san."

"Yeah, yeah. Be careful down there!" Tsubaki leaned on the counter with a grin, waving him off.

"Come visit again when you're free!"

Her voice echoed behind him as Akira stepped out into the sunlight, the door swinging shut behind him with a soft creak.