"Weapons? Ones that level up?"
Goibniu heard Liber's words. Though his face was old, his voice was full of vigor.
"Yes. Weapons that grow stronger alongside their adventurers."
Liber explained the idea to Goibniu.
Liber's schedule had been packed, but his morning had suddenly opened up.
He had planned to explore the Dungeon on his own, but worried he might get held up and forget to meet Lefiya, leaving her waiting.
Faced with this unexpected free time, Liber tried to think of something to do.
After checking the items in his inventory, he realized he needed a durable weapon.
Liber had been planning to ask Loki for a recommendation on a good weapon shop. On his way to the Divine Chamber, he saw Tiona cheerfully pass by.
After a moment's thought, he decided to ask her instead if she knew of any good shops.
"Weapons? Most stores are about the same for ordinary ones."
Tiona put one hand behind her back and tapped her lips with her index finger. "If you want a weapon that's perfect for you, everyone in the Familia commissions a specialized Familia to make it."
"Most people commission the famous Hephaestus Familia, but our Familia usually goes to the Goibniu Familia."
"If you want to go there, I can give you the address. The things made by the Goibniu Familia are every bit as good as those made by the Hephaestus Familia.
"But I should warn you—the Goibniu Familia's prices are pretty steep, too."
When Tiona mentioned custom weapons, Liber suddenly thought of the dagger the protagonist had in the original story, the one that could level up alongside its adventurer.
On a whim, Liber followed the address Tiona gave him and found the Goibniu Familia.
"Boy, are you serious?"
At Liber's words, Goibniu's already aged face crumpled even more.
"Of course I am, Lord Goibniu."
Liber replied.
Goibniu took a deep breath, and his furrowed expression gradually turned stern.
"I don't know how you came up with the idea of a weapon growing alongside its user."
His voice rose steadily.
"To a blacksmith, a weapon that grows on its own is utterly unorthodox!"
The old man's expression turned angry, and the veins in his forehead began to throb.
"That idea of yours is blasphemous, insulting to the children who explore the path of forging. It could lead them astray. You must never say such things carelessly."
"Boy!"
Goibniu glared at Liber, his words turning harsh.
"I'll let it pass this time, for Loki's sake. But..."
He leaned toward Liber and lowered his voice.
"Once you leave this room, never—ever—bring up this idea again. Do you understand?"
Looking at Goibniu, an old man whose stern face held a trace of anger, Liber had never expected a forging god to react this way after hearing his idea.
As the old man's imposing presence weighed more heavily on him, Liber could only nod solemnly.
Seeing Liber nod earnestly, as if he understood how serious the matter was, Goibniu drew back and sat upright again.
He picked up the water jug beside him, took a long drink, then wiped his lips.
The sternness on his face slowly faded.
The two sat in silence for a while before Goibniu finally spoke.
"I can't blame you for thinking that way. The children of the Lower World are free to think what they like.
"But that kind of idea is far too dangerous for those who work in forging."
"Your words have made me understand how serious this is. I'll keep the idea to myself from now on. I'm truly sorry for offending you."
Liber made his promise with a serious expression.
"No. Using my status to force someone else's child to make a promise was a bit undignified."
Goibniu shook his head in reply.
After thinking for a moment, he offered an idea.
"Let's make a deal. Boy, what's your name?"
"Liber Miller."
Liber gave Goibniu his name.
"Just this once, I can forge a weapon for you free of charge."
"It should have the unbreakable property, right? What kind of weapon are you best with?"
At Goibniu's offer, Liber's face lit up. He replied respectfully, "A sword. Something close to a standard broad sword would be fine."
"A standard broad sword? I see. Hold out your arm and open your hand so I can take a look."
Goibniu listened to his request and spoke to Liber casually.
Liber was taken aback but obediently held out his hand.
Goibniu examined Liber's open palm, then looked him over from head to toe before asking,
"How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
Liber answered, arm still outstretched.
Goibniu thought it over, then said, "That'll do. You can put your arm down."
He watched Liber lower his hand, then continued,
"Let's make it a deal, then. I'll forge an unbreakable weapon for you for free. In exchange, you'll completely forget that idea of yours. Agreed?"
Liber had only asked Goibniu as a test, never expecting such a windfall. He struggled to suppress his grin and nodded emphatically.
Seeing that Liber could barely hide his delight, Goibniu shook his head helplessly.
"All right. If you agree, then hurry along. I'll send someone to let you know when your weapon is ready."
Goibniu waved him out.
"Thank you, Lord Goibniu. I'll be on my way, then."
Liber thanked him, said goodbye, and turned to leave the room.
After watching Liber bow in thanks and walk away, Goibniu fell silent.
The god sat alone in the room, lost in thought, and murmured,
"A weapon that levels up alongside its user?"
A trace of restrained amusement could be heard in the old man's voice.
Liber walked out of the Goibniu Familia's entrance and glanced back at the busy workshop.
Inside, everyone worked with sweat and passion. The heat rose, but no one stopped what they were doing.
Watching the busy workers, Liber thought of the incredible deal he had gotten.
He compared Goibniu's stern, dignified air with Loki's carefree ways and shook his head.
Remembering why his schedule had suddenly cleared, he couldn't help sighing. "Well, it looks like having a free morning isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Early that morning.
Liber had come to the courtyard early and was waiting for Ais.
He watched the birds flying around the towers of Twilight Manor, taking his time as he observed them.
"Tap, tap..."
Hearing footsteps from inside the manor, Liber turned his gaze from the birds to the direction of the sound.
A fully armed young woman emerged from the dim manor.
Liber looked at the fully armed Ais in surprise.
The slender sword at her side had been replaced by her signature weapon—the Despair Sword, an unbreakable slender sword.
Liber stared at her, stunned.
As Ais came up to him, he hesitated before asking,
"Is there a reason you're dressed like that...?"
His tone was uncertain, and his words came slowly.
Ais picked up the thread of the conversation and spoke earnestly as she stood before him.
"Liber, you don't need me to train with you anymore."
"Huh?"
Liber blurted out in surprise, furrowing his brow as he tried to figure out if he had done something to upset Ais.
Seeing him lost in self-reflection, Ais kept her expression calm and focused her gaze on him.
She tightened her grip on the sword at her waist and straightened up.
"Under the same conditions, I can't beat you anymore."
She recalled her defeats over the past few days. Looking at Liber, who was about her age and had only joined the Familia a few days ago, Ais felt the pressure of being overtaken. She realized their recent sparring was doing less and less to help him improve.
She decided she wouldn't waste any more of their time. She needed to explore deeper into the Dungeon and stay there longer.
"So let's end our arrangement today."
"I'm sorry, but I can't keep being this free anymore."
Liber saw the guilt on Ais's face. His own troubled expression gradually relaxed, and he waved a hand at her.
"Ah, it's fine. I'm already grateful that you spent so much time training with me."
"Your time is precious, so keep pushing forward and reaching for greater heights."
His expression showed that he understood, and he offered Ais some encouragement.
At his words, the guilt in Ais's expression eased a little. She nodded firmly at Liber.
"Thank you. I'm heading to the Dungeon now. If you're ever troubled, I'll definitely help you."
Looking at Ais's youthful face as she said this, Liber nodded awkwardly.
With that, she headed for the exit.
Standing in the courtyard, Liber watched Ais turn back toward him from the Familia's entrance and waved goodbye.
After Ais disappeared from view, Liber scratched his head.
"Having a Level One adventurer spend time training me really was holding her back."
"I'm doing well enough in battle now, so I don't need to set aside time for this anymore."
"But..."
He lowered his hand.
"What should I do with this suddenly free morning?"
"Lefiya's studying with Riveria, and it'd be rude to call her to the Dungeon this early."
Liber thought for a moment.
"Never mind. I'll ask Loki which weapon shop is good and stock up on some weapons."
After deciding, he headed for Loki's Divine Chamber.
Before you continue