A Doomed Expedition

On this day, the weather was clear and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky and the sunlight was incredibly gentle, making one feel refreshed and invigorated.

For some reason, the weather always seemed to be this good on the days Loki Familia set out on expeditions. It was as if the gods who stayed in the Heaven were looking forward to this grand event and had used their divine power to adjust the weather so that the expeditionary force would not be affected by bad weather and could have a good mood before setting off.

In the Labyrinth City Orario, in the city center where its eight equally divided streets converge, a large crowd of adventurers, as always, form a dense throng in the spacious Central Plaza. Each is fully armed, heading towards the Babel Tower in groups or alone, ready to challenge the Dungeon.

However, when the Loki Familia's expeditionary force arrived in a grand procession, the crowd changed. Some people made way for them, while others stopped to watch, creating a strong atmosphere throughout the square.

People turned their attention to the Loki Familia expedition members, especially the group at the head, which attracted more than 90% of the attention.

[Braver] Finn Timna, Lv.6.

[Nine Magic Princess] -- Riveria Ljos Alf Leo Alf, Lv.6.

[Heavy Warrior] - Gareth Landrock, Lv.6.

[Sword Princess] -- Ais Wallenstein, Lv.6.

[The Fierce Wolf] - Bete Loga Roca, Lv.5.

[Chopping Princess] - Tiona Schilute, Lv.5.

[The Angry Snake] - Tione Schilute, Lv.5.

These first-class adventurers, who are among the top powerhouses in Orario and even the Lower World, are undoubtedly the center of attention and the most admired figures in any setting.

Faced with such a renowned reputation, even Lefiya Viridis, the [Thousand Elf] who would attract attention wherever she went, became a mere foil, let alone Raul, Anakitty, and...

Alicia and other core members of the Second Army.

Of course, in terms of how much attention he receives, Leo is currently even more prominent than Ais and the others.

He clearly felt that most of the eyes in the room were fixed on him, some filled with amazement, excitement, exhilaration and anticipation, while others were filled with envy, jealousy, scrutiny or sizing up, showing the full spectrum of human emotions.

In the past, Leo would definitely have felt uncomfortable about this.

But now, he has almost gotten used to these outsider gazes.

Therefore, although Leo was still wearing the Giant Battle Suit today, he was not wearing the hood that he would usually wear on this occasion.

This undoubtedly surprised the entourage.

"You usually try to keep a low profile, so why aren't you being so secretive today?"

Tiona playfully nudged Leo with her elbow, earning her a glare from Leo.

"Is there any point in covering it up now?"

Leo's reasoning was incredibly simple and persuasive.

"Indeed, with your current level of fame, a tattered hood won't make a difference whether you wear it or not; people can recognize you at a glance."

Tiona giggled, which made Tione was twirling a recurve blade beside her, sneer.

"It should have been like this a long time ago. What kind of man hides his head and cowers? Look at the commander, he's so short, but he always walks at the front with his head held high. That's a real man with guts."

As Tione spoke, she immediately began to swoon over Finn's retreating figure.

"You're comparing me to the commander?" Leo chuckled. "The commander has decades more experience than me; he's seen this kind of thing countless times."

"What do you mean?" Tione's expression froze, then she suddenly became furious and shouted, "The commander doesn't look like a man in his forties at all! He's so cute—no! He looks so young!"

The words were spoken rather loudly; others might not have heard them, but as a Level 6, first-level adventurer with sharp hearing and eyesight, Finn clearly heard them.

The Prum leader at the front twitched almost imperceptibly at the corner of his eye, and his originally imposing demeanor inexplicably crumbled a bit, almost causing Riveria Ljos Alf and Gareth, who were walking half a step away from him, to burst out laughing.

Those members who were nearby trembled and blushed upon hearing this, looking like they were struggling to suppress their laughter. Even Bete Loga couldn't help but smile.

"Haha!" Tione didn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing, exclaiming, "A middle-aged man in his forties—still so adorable—hahaha 0(∩∩)0 haha~!"

Tione then realized he had said the wrong thing and became flustered.

"No! I was absolutely not talking about you, Commander!"

"--Yes, I know, thank you Tione. It would be better if you didn't speak so loudly."

Tione quickly stepped forward to explain, only to be met with a helpless response from Finn.

Everyone finally couldn't help but laugh, even Leo and Ais exchanged a smile, easing the tense atmosphere and making it quite joyful.

And so, Loki Familia's expeditionary force, chatting and laughing all the way, arrived at the Babel Tower. There, the people around them wisely made way, clearing a large area and not daring to approach the expeditionary force.

However, a group of people did not move aside. Instead, as if they were waiting for the arrival of Loki Familia, they advanced towards them instead of retreating.

This group of people all shared a common characteristic: they were all carrying a large toolbox on their backs.

Upon seeing this group of people, the word "blacksmith" flashed through everyone's mind.

The smell of iron and the spirit of craftsmen on this group of people are so obvious that any adventurer who sees them will instantly identify them, not to mention that a faint mark can be seen on their bodies - "HaLgT0S".

"Hephaestus Familia ----"

Ais whispered the origin of the other person.

It was the Hephaestus Familia, which was known as the most elite blacksmith family in Orario and even throughout the entire Lower World.

"Why, why are members of the Hephaestus Familia here?"

Lefiya Viridis, who had been following behind Ais, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon seeing this scene.

"Hmm? Don't you all know?"

As the next generation of commanders deliberately groomed by Finn, Raul seemed to be fully aware of this and spoke up with some doubt.

"On this expedition, we will cooperate with the Hephaestus Familia."

Anakitty, who was standing next to her, also spoke up.

Only after the two men explained the situation did the unsuspecting person learn the whole story.

Ultimately, it's due to the impact of the previous failed expedition.

Because of the worm-like monsters that can dissolve weapons and supplies, the Loki Spine Clan's last expedition ended in failure. Not only did they fail to reach the planned unexplored territories, but they also lost a large amount of weapons and equipment, and in the end, they could only retreat in disgrace, unable to continue their expedition.

To avoid a repeat of the previous situation, Finn and the others made a decision after discussion.

That is, for this expedition, they will take a blacksmith who can forge and repair weapons with them.

"As long as there's a blacksmith in the team, even if weapons break down, they can be repaired immediately. There's no need to worry about being unable to continue the raid due to a lack of weaponry, and we don't need to prepare a lot of spare weapons; just a few for emergencies."

"In this way, we can save a lot of space in our bags, which we can use entirely to carry the Demon Sword."

"These demonic swords will be equipped by the lower-ranking members for the defense of the stronghold. That way, even if we encounter a situation like last time where the main force has to be sent out, these members alone will be able to hold off those worm monsters."

This was Finn's plan.

Magic swords are what people call weapons that produce effects similar to magic.

Some can unleash flames with a light flick, some can unleash Lightning with a heavy strike, and some can shape storms, ice, snow, or sandstorms with just a distant finger gesture—they are truly "weapons capable of wielding magic."

These magical weapons can unleash the magic imbued within them without chanting, making each spell an instantaneous, uncast attack.

This weapon is perfectly suited for dealing with worm-like monsters that react strongly to Demonic Power and cannot engage in close combat.

With these weapons, even if all the main force members leave the stronghold this time, the stronghold should be able to defend against the attacking worm-like monsters, and will not be almost overrun by the worm-like monsters like last time.

For this, the clan really went to great lengths, scouring the entire city's weapon shops and finally acquiring more than thirty demonic swords, each one a top-quality item and incredibly expensive.

The power of a magic sword varies greatly depending on its quality. A weak one might not even be as powerful as a short, drawn-out spell cast by a Level 1 Mage, while a strong one could rival a full-force cannon shot from a Level 1 Mage. Consequently, there is a huge difference in price.

Even so, the weakest magic sword is estimated to be worth tens or hundreds of millions of Valis, while a powerful magic sword can easily cost over ten million Valis, only slightly cheaper than a level one equipment.

This is because magic swords have a limited number of uses. Once the limit is exceeded, the magic sword will shatter and become unusable on the spot. Otherwise, a weapon that can cast magic without chanting would not be worth only this price.

For this expedition, the Loki Familia nearly a billion Valis to prepare these demon swords, demonstrating the immense sacrifices they made.

That's not all. If this expedition proceeds smoothly, all the rare items and materials obtained after reaching the unexplored territory should be enough to cover this expense.

However, in order to deal with those worm monsters and completely solve the problem of their weapons potentially becoming unusable, Finn and the others invited the Hephaestus Familia to accompany them.

It's important to know that the Hephaestus Familia is no small family; any of its skilled blacksmiths can forge high-level equipment.

Hiring such a large group of people to accompany you will undoubtedly come at a significant cost.

"The commander has already promised them that, as a condition of our participation, all the weapon materials we obtain from the Deep Realm during this expedition must be given to them."

Alicia whispered this, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

"----Do we have to give them all the weapon materials we obtained from the Deep Realm during the expedition? Will we even be able to break even on this expedition?"

Lefiya whispered those words, causing many people to exchange bewildered glances.

Everyone could already foresee that this expedition would likely result in a loss for the clan.

"Why go to such lengths to invite the blacksmith from the Hephaestus Familia?" Tiona muttered, puzzled. "Even if we need someone to repair our weapons, we don't need to go to such a large family, can't we just find a blacksmith from a small family?"

That way, the cost certainly wouldn't be so high—that's what Tiona implied.

"Are you an idiot?" Bete Loga seized the opportunity and sneered without any politeness. "Which little clan's blacksmith has the ability to repair our weapons? Even if they do, do you expect those small fry to carry hammers and fly away monsters that get close to them?"

Tiona choked.

Indeed, the main weapons of these first-level adventurers are basically first-level special weapons. Low-level blacksmiths from small clans simply do not have the ability to repair them. They would probably struggle to even sharpen the blade. Only high-level blacksmiths who have acquired the "forging" development ability are capable of repairing weapons of this level.

Even the ordinary members of the expedition team, who are generally around Lv.3, mostly use second or third-level special weapons. Low-level blacksmiths without the ability to "forge" simply cannot repair them.

The fact that these blacksmiths can learn development abilities proves that they must all be at least Lv.2 advanced blacksmiths.

Throughout Orario, there are probably only a handful of clans with superb forging techniques and numerous high-level blacksmiths whose combat abilities surpass those of ordinary adventurers. The Hephaestus Familia is undoubtedly the most reassuring among them.

After all, they still have to venture deep into the world, so it's best if the blacksmith accompanying them has some combat ability so as not to jeopardize their progress.

Therefore, after careful consideration, it was only natural that she would choose to travel with the Hephaestus Familia.

"It seems Finn and Loki are really going all out for this expedition."

Leo smiled slightly and said those words.

The group looked at each other, then all turned to look at the group of blacksmiths walking towards them.

"Chun----"

Ais even whispered the name of the person at the very front.

She was a female blacksmith with a full, healthy figure, black hair, and red eyes. She wore a bright red hakama, a style of clothing unique to the Far East, as well as continental combat clothing, along with protective gear such as gauntlets and shoulder guards. A katana was sheathed in a black scabbard at her waist.

Leo recognized this person.

No, it should be said that there are very few people in the entire Orario who don't recognize her.

She is the leader of the Hephaestus Familia and Orario's strongest blacksmith, Tsubaki Corbrand.

His level is Lv.5, and his title is -- [The One-Eyed Master Smith].