"The Sprout of Justice?!"
The two distinctively beautiful women stood at the entrance of the blacksmith shop. Tsubaki Collbrande let out a startled exclamation.
Just as Roy noticed them, they also became aware of him. After all, Tsubaki Collbrande was a Level 5 adventurer, and her perception was by no means inferior to Roy's.
"Goddess Hephaestus, Miss Collbrande, I've long heard of your esteemed names," Roy greeted, observing this famous pair of deity and Familia member.
The former had fiery red short hair tied in a ponytail, a tall figure, and wore an eye patch over her right eye. She was dressed in a white top, black trousers, and knee-high black high-heeled boots, emanating a faint divine aura.
Hephaestus, who ran the world's largest equipment store, was one of the most well-known goddesses.
The latter was a half-dwarf, born from the union of an Eastern human and a mainland dwarf. With black hair and red eyes, Tsubaki Collbrande was the captain of the Hephaestus Familia. She also wore an eye patch over her left eye, but this was merely an imitation of her deity's artistic style—her eye was perfectly fine.
Even before meeting their target, they had run into his deity and Familia captain. Roy had a feeling this trip might not go smoothly. He hoped Hephaestus hadn't already taken in Welf Crozzo. Otherwise…
"A child of the Astrea Familia, I was deeply moved by that War Game," Hephaestus smiled. After the war with the Apollo Familia, there were very few people in Orario who didn't know Roy.
"I'm flattered," Roy replied modestly.
Tione was filled with regret. After hearing about her captain's glorious deeds over the past few days, she had missed witnessing them firsthand—undoubtedly the greatest regret of her life.
Listening to Tione's lament, Tiona was speechless. If it hadn't been for her dragging Tione along back then, Tione would never have agreed to go to Orario.
Tione, I kind of miss your former unruly self. Maybe you should go back to that.
"Are those two the new members of your Familia? They're adorable. Before I left Orario, the gods were still discussing their titles," Hephaestus remarked.
News of the Astrea Familia surpassing the Loki Familia to recruit two promising Amazonian girls, both Level 3, had spread throughout Orario.
And so, following tradition, the gods naturally had to bestow titles upon them.
Hearing this, the two girls brightened up. High-level adventurers all had titles bestowed by the gods—Ryu's "Gale," Roy's "The Sprout of Justice." They were eagerly anticipating what titles they would receive.
Roy didn't want to shatter their beautiful illusions. Only those who had never witnessed that particular brand of hell could remain so optimistic. Even now, Daphne and Cassandra still felt a deep sense of shame whenever their titles were brought up.
Without leaving a trace, Roy seamlessly shifted the topic. "Is Lord Hephaestus here to procure ore?"
"Yes, we've just finished up."
Hephaestus nodded slightly.
Solingen was a city built upon rich mineral reserves. Within a hundred-mile radius lay countless varieties of ore, which explained why its metallurgy and forging techniques were so exceptionally advanced.
Outsiders routinely flocked here just to purchase raw materials. Even the immensely wealthy and established Hephaestus Familia was no exception; this city served as a vital source of raw ingredients for them.
"I didn't expect you to be knowledgeable about such things. Could it be that you're interested in forging as well?" Hephaestus fixed her molten, deep-crimson eyes onto Roy, her gaze carrying a hint of hidden meaning.
To be perfectly honest, seeing Roy here had caught both Hephaestus and Tsubaki Collbrande completely off guard.
"I know a thing or two."
Roy's eyes shifted slightly. "Actually, I'm here on behalf of someone else to locate a person. A foolish boy ran away from home, and his family is extremely worried about him."
Detecting no malice or deceit, Hephaestus offered kindly, "Does he have a name? We're reasonably familiar with this city, so perhaps we can assist you."
Roy replied, "His name is Welf Crozzo!"
The expressions of both Hephaestus and Tsubaki Collbrande turned instantly peculiar. No wonder they had run into Roy here of all places.
A red-haired youth who had just stepped out of the blacksmith shop happened to overhear those words. Terrified out of his wits, he immediately turned on his heel to flee.
Roy commanded, "Tione, catch him!"
Boom!
Acting instantly upon the order, Tione—who proudly considered herself "Roy's most loyal underling"—sprinted forward. Her legs exerted tremendous force, the sheer impact fracturing the flagstones beneath her feet as she closed the distance in the blink of an eye.
Having only recently received the "Falna" and still a mere Level 1, Welf was instantly pinned to the ground by Tione.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Welf struggled desperately, but no matter how hard he thrashed, he couldn't break free from her iron grip.
"The Sprout of Justice, what is the meaning of this?" Tsubaki Collbrande was about to make a move to intervene when Roy stepped directly into her path.
Boom!
Their palms collided, unleashing a sudden burst of violent force. The air vibrated violently as a shockwave rippled outward, shattering the ground beneath their feet and sending stone fragments flying in every direction.
The expressions of the surrounding pedestrians warped in alarm, and they scrambled backward to steer clear.
"What incredible strength!"
Tsubaki Collbrande's face filled with astonishment. She was a Level 5 First-Tier adventurer, whereas Roy had only recently reached Level 4. Yet, he had managed to flawlessly block her hand-chop.
Every muscle in Roy's body was taut. It was in this exact moment that the effects of his limit-breaking basic abilities finally made themselves known. Tsubaki Collbrande had also only advanced to Level 5 not too long ago. With his current stats, he was fully capable of contending with her.
Both sides continuously poured more power into the clash. The immense pressure traveled down their legs and into the earth, causing cracks to spiderweb wildly outward with the duo at the center.
"Roy, Tsubaki, both of you stop!"
Goddess Hephaestus suddenly unleashed her divine aura. The surrounding air seemed to instantly solidify as a terrifying, indiscriminating pressure descended upon everyone present, causing hairs to stand on end. A primal sense of dread rippled through every single cell of their bodies.
"Forgive my rudeness, Lord Hephaestus."
Roy and Tsubaki Collbrande withdrew their hands simultaneously.
"Lord Hephaestus, let's change locations," Roy suggested, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. He had no interest in being stared at like a circus animal.
Hephaestus nodded.
After both parties covered half the cost to compensate for the damaged street, they headed to a nearby teahouse.
Welf was brought along as well.
"Roy, explain. What's going on?" the goddess Hephaestus asked.
Clearing his throat, Roy gave a brief account of Welf Crozzo's situation. "… As I just mentioned, this is a rebellious runaway teenager. I've been entrusted by his family and friends to bring him back."
Hephaestus could sense no lie in his words. Roy made no mention of any transactions, simply stating he had accepted Marius's request.
Both Hephaestus and Tsubaki Collbrande frowned, finding the situation tricky. After Welf joined their Familia, he had confided in them about his background. They hadn't expected his pursuers to arrive so swiftly, especially since they were the famously renowned "The Sprout of Justice" of Orario.
Moreover, this was a family matter. Even as his patron goddess, she found it difficult to intervene.
Seeing Welf's sullen expression, Tsubaki Collbrande spoke up, "Since young Welf doesn't want to return with you, why force him?"
A domineering smile played at the corner of Roy's lips. "Lord Hephaestus, Miss Collbrande, whether he's willing to come with me isn't up to him. I've made a promise to someone, and I intend to keep it."
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