Watched by Freya from the Start!

"You're getting on in years. Drink less. I'll drink it for you."

"Get the hell out already~"

The dwarf shopkeeper did not give Cao Ye so much as a friendly look.

Because he knew this guy was the type to bloom the moment he got a little sunshine. He could not show him a good face, or the brat might start pushing his luck.

"By the way, Whitebeard, do you have any failed weapons left here?"

"Hm? What do you want those for?"

"Of course I have a use for them."

"No smith would dare claim a hundred percent success rate, so that question is nonsense."

"Then how many do you have?"

"What are you planning to do?"

"My weapon broke again. Buying a new one is too expensive, so I figured I'd buy some defective ones instead."

Hearing Cao Ye say that, the dwarf shopkeeper's expression immediately turned serious.

"Cao Ye, let me warn you. In the Dungeon, the thing you can trust most is the weapon in your hand. When you're in danger, the only thing you can rely on is your weapon."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You want to take defective weapons into the Dungeon to fight monsters? Are you really not afraid of dying in there?!"

At that moment, the dwarf shopkeeper's voice became fierce, even carrying a trace of a roar.

As one of his few friends, a friend despite their age difference, he did not want the other man to die in the Dungeon at such a young age, even if he was a bit of a pain.

"I misspoke. I have a magic that lets me fire weapons like 'shells,' like this~"

Whoosh—

Cao Ye immediately demonstrated his skill. A "door" to the Imaginary Space opened, and then a longsword shot out, piercing straight into the floor.

The dwarf shopkeeper froze at the sight. Good grief, in all his decades, this was the first time he had seen magic like that. It was truly an eye-opener.

"Still, this magic puts too much wear on weapons. Especially in the Dungeon, after using it a few times, a weapon gets worn down. Use it a few more times, and it's basically done for."

Cao Ye spread his hands and complained to the dwarf shopkeeper.

The dwarf shopkeeper ignored him and pulled the sword from the floor to inspect it. Sure enough, the blade was badly worn, and even the tip had a chip in it.

That way of using it really did cause far too much wear on a weapon.

"I have some junk left over. I was planning to throw it out in a few days, but since you want it, take it."

"Hm?"

Hearing him be so "generous," Cao Ye could hardly believe it. Was this really that stingy old guy?

Cao Ye Asks the Goddess for Weapons!

"Alright, these will do~"

After picking through the warehouse, Cao Ye ultimately chose over thirty weapons.

They were all swords and blades. It was not that he disliked other weapons, but these were all they had. Weapons like spears were not the dwarf shopkeeper's specialty.

"You only want these?"

Looking at the weapons Cao Ye had selected, the dwarf shopkeeper could not help asking.

More than thirty weapons sounded like a lot, but they were flawed failures. Their quality was nothing special, and if anything went wrong, they would basically be scrap.

Besides, things like these were either reforged in the furnace or sold cheaply as scrap in the end.

So he truly did not care about this "junk."

"There's limited space. Did you think my magic could store things endlessly? It's tied to my magic power. I'd love to take them all, but I have to be able to carry them first."

"Fine, then~"

The dwarf shopkeeper did not think much of Cao Ye's explanation.

After all, no one could say for sure how that kind of magic worked. Besides, it was someone else's private matter, and it would not be right to pry too much. He was not the nosy sort.

"Thanks this time, Whitebeard~"

"You little bastard, get out already. Just looking at you annoys me~"

"Alright, alright~, I'm leaving~"

As he spoke, Cao Ye walked out of the warehouse and left without looking back.

How could the dwarf shopkeeper not understand? Cao Ye's purpose in coming today had probably been this all along. What a sly little brat.

Meanwhile, after leaving the dwarf shopkeeper's store, Cao Ye headed straight out of that floor.

He entered the elevator and went directly to the top floor.

His "weapons" had been replenished, but he still needed to be careful. These weapons were all consumables and flawed ones at that. They were worse than his previous weapons and would break faster with repeated use.

"Hm?"

The moment he returned, Cao Ye spotted a familiar figure.

"Ottar?"

Ottar had finally reappeared outside Freya's bedroom.

And Ottar's appearance meant Freya had returned. It had been eight or nine days, and Cao Ye was very curious to see how much his Falna had grown.

But before Cao Ye could speak, Ottar spoke first.

"Lady Freya said that when you returned, you were to see her immediately."

"Inside?"

"Mhm~"

Still as sparing with words as ever, but Cao Ye was more or less used to it by now.

Knock, knock~

Arriving at the door, Cao Ye knocked.

"Come in~"

A lazy voice came from within, and only then did Cao Ye push the door open and enter.

Ottar glanced at Cao Ye, a strange look flashing through his eyes. However, with his back turned to Ottar, Cao Ye failed to notice it.

Entering the room, Cao Ye instinctively searched for Freya.

Upon the jade throne reserved exclusively for the goddess, Freya wore an exquisite white formal dress. The patterns stitched thread by thread displayed an air of elegance and nobility, while the embroidery along its edges was incomparably beautiful.

Yet beneath that pure white gown was a pair of perfect jade feet clad in black stockings.

To Cao Ye, black stockings paired with formal wear seemed a little strange, but on Freya, they perfectly displayed every bit of her charm.

"Do they look good?"

Seeing Cao Ye staring at her as soon as he entered, Freya smiled seductively.

"They look good~"

That was the truth. She was truly beautiful, far more beautiful than any celebrity he had seen before transmigrating.

When he watched the anime, the art style made Freya seem like a moving illustration. She was beautiful, sure, but that was all.

But only when one truly gazed upon the goddess Freya could one understand what a "flawless" "goddess" truly was.

"Did you miss me while I was away these past few days?"

The obvious note of "temptation" in her voice made one's thoughts wander uncontrollably.

"I did. If I don't see the goddess for even one day, I feel restless."

"What a cute little fellow~"

Freya knew Cao Ye's flattering words were not particularly reliable, but they still made her happy.

As the saying went, no amount of money could buy happiness. Likewise, no fortune could buy what pleased her.

"Is this your only pair of 'black stockings'?"

"Uh, what's wrong?"

"They're comfortable and quite nice, but the style is a little too monotonous~"

As she spoke, she raised one of her beautiful legs. The layer of black stockings covering it, especially the lace trim around the goddess's thigh, fully displayed her charm.

"I have other styles. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't get so much as a thread, but for Lady Freya, I absolutely have to provide them!"

As he spoke, Cao Ye waved a hand. Cards emerged from the air one after another and landed in his hand.

Though it was not the first time she had seen it, Freya was still quite surprised. Her "child from another world" was truly mysterious.

Short black stockings, long black stockings, black pantyhose...

Sheer ones, semi-sheer ones...

A total of seven or eight pairs of black stockings, all in different styles, were laid out before Freya.

Looking at the exquisite black stockings, Freya smiled as well. With so many styles, she could match them with many outfits when attending events. The other goddesses would be jealous to death.

"Very good. Go on, what do you want?"

After putting away the black stockings, Freya looked at Cao Ye.

She had looked into Cao Ye before and knew his personality. He was not the sort to act without benefit. Even last time, he had only offered one pair of black stockings. This time, he had taken out so many at once, so he definitely wanted something.

"Hehe~, well, I want a better weapon. I'm a little short on money, so I wanted to ask Lady Freya to help me out..."

"A better weapon?"

"That's right. It doesn't need to be too good. A first-class weapon will do."

"You really dare to ask. First-class weapons are the strongest equipment in all of Orario."

"You name a high price and bargain from there. It's negotiable."

Freya found Cao Ye's shamelessness somewhat amusing.

In all of Orario, he was probably the only one who dared speak to her like that. Still, it was not bad.

No one knew that Freya, the "Goddess of Beauty," could easily obtain everyone's "love," yet she herself was an incomparably "lonely" goddess.

"Forget about a first-class weapon. There's still a sword in the Familia's treasury. Have Ottar deliver it to you tomorrow."

"A sword? What grade is it?"

"A second-class weapon!"

"A second-class weapon? That works too!"

Hearing Cao Ye's words, Freya rolled her eyes. A second-class weapon was merely acceptable? He really dared to say that!

Cao Ye Gropes the Goddess, Loses Two Months of Allowance!

In the goddess's bedroom, gauze curtains hung down as a gentle breeze stirred them.

Freya lay on the luxurious bed with her eyes closed, resting, while Cao Ye carefully gave her a gentle massage at the bedside.

However, if one ignored Cao Ye's appearance, looking as though he was about to drool, the scene was fairly normal.

By the side of the bed lay a pair of removed black stockings.

Looking at that pair of "goddess black stockings with their original scent," Cao Ye's reason held him back with all its might. Otherwise, he truly did not know what he might do.

"Cao Ye, what have you been doing these past few days?"

"Huh?"

The sudden question caught Cao Ye off guard.

"You haven't gone to the Hostess of Fertility in over a week, have you?"

"Can't be helped. I'm short on money, and while the food at the Hostess of Fertility is delicious, it isn't cheap either."