And so.
The dining hall of the Hephaestus Familia headquarters.
The long dining table was filled with a sumptuous feast.
The two black bears—the large Kyoubou and the small one—were arranged in the corner, holding two pieces of meat on the bone thicker than their thighs and gnawing wildly.
Hanasaka Warabi similarly stuffed her mouth full of meat, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's.
Although Kikakujou Mary tried her best to maintain the elegance of a young lady, faced with these otherworldly delicacies she had never seen before, the fork in her hand also waved rapidly.
In contrast, Amou Kirukiru and Inaba Tsukuyo were much quieter.
But their speed of eating was not slow at all.
Hephaestus sat at the head of the long table, her exposed single eye looking at this table of people wolfing down their food, and the bears in the corner.
On that face, which was always known for being serious and capable, the expression was also somewhat crumbling.
"So..."
Hephaestus rubbed the center of her brows, looking at Haimer who was calmly eating to the side. "This is what you meant by 'it doesn't matter even if I bring a few extra mouths'?"
"Don't say that, Hephaestus.", Haimer replied.
"These are all excellent seedlings that caught my eye. The future strongest Familia of Orario is right here."
"Pfft—"
As soon as these words came out, Hestia, who was drinking soup, couldn't hold it back on the spot.
A mouthful of thick soup sprayed right out, some even splashing onto the table.
She hurriedly grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth, coughing while her eyes widened.
"Cough, cough, cough... Strongest Familia??"
"Just relying on these kids who just arrived... and those two bears?"
Hestia's face was full of disbelief.
Hephaestus, however, did not mock.
After all, as a Patron God who had descended long ago, she had operated in the Lower World for many years and had seen countless adventurers.
Her eye for people was naturally much sharper than that of Hestia, who had only descended recently and was still freeloading off her.
As the saying goes, the amateur watches the spectacle, while the expert sees the technique.
Because of this exactly.
After Hephaestus's gaze swept around.
Her originally careless expression gradually receded.
In that single eye, a glint that only true experts could understand flashed by.
It was the precise gleam of a master thrilled by a rare find.
The affairs of this world are mostly like this.
The so-called rough stones.
In the eyes of an expert, they are priceless treasures, excellent materials that can be forged into legendary divine weapons in the future.
In the eyes of laymen, they are nothing more than stubborn rocks that can be seen everywhere by the roadside, still covered in dirt.
However. In this world, swift horses are common, but those who can recognize them are rare.
In this Orario full of competition.
Every day, countless newcomers harboring dreams pour in, charging into the Dungeon like moths to a flame.
And countless others leave in despair, or even end up with no bones remaining.
Even children who truly possess good aptitude.
If they enter the wrong Familia, follow the wrong God, and do not receive proper guidance and development, they might ultimately just fade into the crowd, struggling in the quagmire of the bottom for a lifetime.
Opportunity is often more important than talent.
"Haimer."
Thinking of this, Hephaestus withdrew her gaze and looked again at the male god sitting beside her, who was slowly and methodically cutting his steak.
There was less teasing and more solemnity in her tone.
"It seems that during this time..."
"You really dug up an incredible mine."
"Mine?"
Hestia looked utterly bewildered. The fork in her hand still pierced a piece of potato as she looked at the young girls, and then at Hephaestus.
Her large eyes were filled with enormous confusion.
"Where is the mine? They aren't carrying any ores on them?"
"Idiot!"
As soon as this sentence came out, Hephaestus truly couldn't hold back. She raised her hand and rapped her knuckles against Hestia's head.
It let out a crisp "Thwack!" sound.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Hestia clutched her forehead, tears welling in her eyes.
"Hephaestus, why did you hit me!"
"Hitting you is to knock some sense into you."
"The 'mine' I'm talking about refers to these children themselves."
"Every single one of Haimer's children here is a top-tier rough stone."
"As long as they are polished a little, granted Grace, and their divine fire ignited, they will bloom with astonishing brilliance."
"So calling them a mine is not an exaggeration at all."
"You idiot, if you could spare a little of your mind to observe the children of the Lower World, you wouldn't still be a commander with no troops freeloading off me up to now."
Hephaestus shook her head helplessly, frustrated by her lack of progress.
Hestia, being scolded, shrank her neck, not daring to retort.
She could only forcefully stab a piece of steak with her fork, take a fierce bite, and mutter softly, "What do you mean, I'm just not ready yet..." and similar words.
...
"Speaking of which, since Hestia says you are newcomers who just arrived in Orario."
"Then..."
"Haimer, you shouldn't have granted these children God's Grace yet, right?"
Without Grace.
It means having no level and no ability parameters.
No matter how good their foundation is, in Orario, they are just Lv.0 ordinary people.
"I just haven't had the time yet."
Haimer spread his hands.
"I had just brought them to the temple and hadn't even had time to catch my breath before this girl Hestia dragged me over. I didn't even get to drink a mouthful of water."
After speaking.
Haimer also threw a pointed glance at Hestia, who was wholeheartedly focused on annihilating the steak in her mouth.
"Mmph!"
Hestia protested twice, but because her mouth was stuffed full of things, it was really mumbled and unclear.
"If that's the case."
"Then there's no time like the present."
Hephaestus looked around at the group of young girls, then looked outside the window at the sky that had already completely darkened.
"How about..."
"You all just stay at my place tonight."
"With so many people. Your temple, which even rats would find crowded, definitely can't accommodate everyone."
"After all..."
Hephaestus pointed at the two black bears in the corner.
"Just these two black bears alone would probably take up half of your floor. Although my Familia's headquarters isn't exactly luxurious, freeing up a few guest rooms is still more than enough."
"It's perfect."
"Tonight you can also perform the ritual of granting God's Grace to these children here."
As soon as these words came out.
The girls' eyes instantly lit up.
Especially Kikakujou Mary, who was still worrying about whether she would have to sleep on the floor at night.
"R-Really?"
"Will there be hot baths?"
"Of course."
Hephaestus laughed very heartily.
"Although we are blacksmiths, our quality of life isn't bad. After all, only by resting well can one have the strength to swing a hammer."
"Then we will intrude upon you!"
Since it had come to this point, Haimer did not stand on ceremony and directly agreed on behalf of the girls.
As for Hestia.
After she finally swallowed the last bite of steak meat in her mouth.
Her cheeks were bulging like a hamster hoarding food; after swallowing it down with great effort, she then wiped her mouth, still leaving her wanting more.
Her large blue eyes immediately looked at Hephaestus sitting at the head of the table with suspicion.
"Hephaestus..."
"You aren't trying to poach them, are you?"
As soon as this was said.
Hephaestus's originally smiling face stiffened.
Subsequently.
She sighed helplessly and raised her hand again.
The motion was exceptionally practiced.
"Thwack!"
The crisp sound of a finger flick to the head rang out again.
"Eek!!!"
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Hestia clutched her forehead.
Hephaestus withdrew her hand, her single eye filled with the helplessness of 'not expecting Hestia to be any smarter'.
"Idiot."
"Am I that kind of person?"
"Besides. Even if I wanted to poach them. It would also depend on whether Haimer is willing to let them go."
After speaking.
Hephaestus cast a pointed glance at Haimer.
Haimer smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.
Let them go?
How could that be possible.
Even if the Heavenly Emperor himself came, he shouldn't even think about snatching a single person from his hands.
It was just that.
After finishing dinner.
While passing by those huge weapon display cabinets outside the dining hall.
Haimer keenly noticed.
Whether it was Onigawara Rin hugging her tachi, the always squinting Nomura Satori, or even that Nomura Satori who usually looked completely carefree.
Their footsteps would all subconsciously slow down.
Their gazes were like magnets attracted, glued to those weapons displayed in the cabinets emitting cold gleams.
That kind of look.
Haimer was too familiar with it.
That was a swordsman's thirst for sharp blades.
____
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