"So, what you are saying is that attack was a coordinated one?"
1 day has passed since Bell defeated the beast. After the fight, the guild explained what happened. That beast is something that Ganesha brings from the dungeon for monsterphilia.
And that monster suddenly ran amok chasing Artemis and Bell. Currently, Artemis was discussing the recent event with Alfia.
"Yes, I got no proof to back it up, but my hunch as a goddess is telling me so. There's a god behind that assault."
"There's nothing more unconvincing and convincing at the same time as goddess's hunch, though." Alfia sighed
"Any idea which god behind that?" Added her
Artemis pondered for a bit, then as if she was done piecing the puzzle in her mind, she opened her mouth.
"Freya."
"First of all, from the way of the monster attacking us, there's no doubt that it was charmed. Second, that monster was using our scent to track us. I became convinced that I was the target after I separated myself from Bell."
Artemis keeps revealing the hypothesis that she pieced in her mind bit by bit.
"There are only a few goddesses of beauty in Orario, and out of them, I only met Freya so far."
"I don't know how she did it, but she disguised herself as Syr Flova, a waitress of Hostess of fertility that we visited a few days ago."
"Why a goddess disguised herself as a waitress?"
A frown came between her words. Alfia narrowed her eyes as she considered the reason, but she knew little about that goddess. Hera probably can answer this riddle, but she disappeared after that event 15 years ago. Zeus probably would know her location, but she doesn't know his location right now. Then, naturally, as she thought deeper with the bit of information, she had, by then.
.
.
.
She reached one true conclusion. Her brow furrowed as she voiced out her answer.
"Bell"
"Correct, I don't know as to why Freya would be interested with Bell. But her action yesterday proved that she would do anything even to harming Bell as long as it satisfies her."
"That's doesn't sound good. And she still has the nerve to do that even after she saw me at the tavern. Looks like having one level 7 makes her think she's the queen."
Alfia stands up and about to walk to the door.
"Where are you going, Alfia?"
"That's not even a question. I'm gonna teach Freya to where she belongs!"
A wave of anger can be heard from her tone.
Right now, Alfia is trying her best to control her anger. She's a person that originally cannot control her anger very well, unlike her sister. In the past, she was the woman who thinks with her fist. A slight provocation would result in the other parties ending up unable to walk for few days. Even the one who was dubbed as the strongest, Zald, back then were afraid of making her angry. He would stand and do nothing when one of Zeus familia members accidentally angered Alfia and let them get beaten up instead of helping and getting beaten himself. That's the kind of woman Alfia was, A tyrant with her power backing her up.
"No, Alfia, control your anger. This might be a trap by Freya."
Alfia stopped her feet and turned to look at Artemis once again.
"Explain," Said her
"If you showed yourself to the public, she would just bring up your past deeds 7 years ago and forcibly expel you out from this town. I'm pretty sure she would use war game to expel you. At that time, no one can protect Bell anymore. He would need to give up on his dream."
Alfia anger completely went under the water the moment Alfia brought up Bell's name. She started thinking logically again, and what Artemis said seemed right to her. Bell would be in danger if her name was revealed to the public. As the one who almost destroyed Orario 7 years ago. She sighed as she regained control of her emotion.
"Then, what should we do? Wait until that bitch finished her little plan?"
"No, our priority should be making Bell able to protect himself. We should lay down and train him as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would grow my familia so that we can fight back when the time came."
A trace of sadness can be seen from Artemis's face as she grimaced when she said the word familia. To this day, she still remembers her familia that got annihilated by Antares. She still remembers the face of every child. But she decided to bury the past and faced the future. They probably would not be happy if she keeps living in the past.
Alfia decided to not comment on anything about that as she shifted the topic.
"Then, the first thing we should give Bell a good weapon. A shit weapon would not be able to handle Zard's slash. His weapon would shatter the second or the third time he swung it."
"Then, we should ask either Hephaestos familia or Goibnu Familia to make a weapon for Bell. Since I knew Hephaestos more than Goibnu, I'm gonna ask her if her child can make a weapon for Bell, but we might lack money..."
"Go ask Hephaestos directly, don't worry about the money. I was left with the key to my familia's treasury since I was the remaining executive. I'll go fetch some money from there."
Alfia went somewhere and then returned 1 hour later with a huge bag that almost made Artemis popped her eyes out.
A normal woman would not be able to carry that big bag. This was the simple difference of someone who got a falna blessing and a level 7 on top of that.
As both of them ready, they went to the city's northwest area, to a big Hephaestus Familia Shop near the guild.
They entered the shop and was greeted by one of the receptionist.
"Welcome to Hephaestus Familia shop. What are you looking for today?" The female receptionist's eyes became dot-shaped as she saw the huge bag that Alfia carried. But she maintained her professionalism and spoke with a smile.
"Hello, we want to meet with Hephaestus. Would you please tell her that Artemis is here to meet with her?"
"Very well, please wait for a moment, goddess Artemis."
A moment later, they were permitted to enter. Inside they saw a red-haired goddess with a patch was sitting on her desk.
"Artemis! Long time no see, Since when did you come to Orario!?"
"Hey, long time no see Hephaestos, I just came 2 weeks ago."
"Ooh, in that case, you should have attended Ganesha's party, so what did you bring here? I doubt that it's only for a simple greeting, right?" Hephaestos narrowed her eyes when she saw the woman in the hood who was carrying a big bag.
Artemis took a deep breath and opened her mouth again. Her expression turned into a serious one.
"Hephaestus, I would like to make a formal request for you to make a sword for my child."
Hephaestus somewhat guessed it and sighed.
"Artemis, you know it's not ethical for a god to forge a weapon for an adventurer, right? A weapon made by god, even if their power is sealed. It would still better than any of the weapons out there. And for me to make that kind of weapon would be the same as me spitting in front of my child's greatest work."
"Yes... I know"
Artemis bowed down without saying another word. That act made Hephaestus widened her eyes. She knows very well that Artemis is a goddess with great pride. She isn't a goddess that would easily bow her head down in front of other gods. Heck, she never saw her doing it even once. The fact that she did this means that she's dead serious about this request.
"Haa... Artemis, what kind of child that made you go so far to do this?"
"After I lost everything, that child is the only family that I have left. He's a child that truly doesn't fit to become an adventurer. He's weak... naive and still immature. yet kind and dreams of becoming a hero. Soon he will face his greatest adversity. As her goddess and family, I want to support him!"
"...You've found your Orion, huh..." Hephaestus said in a low voice that doesn't reach Artemis's ears
"Eh? I don't hear you well Hephaestus, what did you just say?"
"Nothing, Okay, Artemis, I knew very well how stubborn you are. I'll make a weapon for your child."
"You will!? Thanks, Hephaestus!"
"But it's not free, you know~ A weapon made by a god is costly, 200 million valis a weapon, do you even have that kind of money?"
Artemis eyes widened at the cost of the weapon. It easily surpassed the most expensive thing she knew.
Artemis looked back at Alfia to confirm whenever they had that much money.
Alfia just nodded. Hephaestus frowned when she saw the woman nodded.
"Okay, one last thing, I want to know who's behind that robe."
"H-Hephaestus?!"
"What? I want to know who's behind that kid, you know? To possess 200 million valis, this person must be someone wealthy, a royalty or someone related to the strongest force of Orario, either Freya familia or Loki Familia."
"Very well" Alfia put the bag down and unveiled her robe.
Hephaestus widened her eyes at the woman that stands before her. She knew her. But she shouldn't be standing in front of her right now.
"[Silence] Alfia!?"
"Long time no see, Hephaestus, still wearing the same eyepatch I see."
"How are you still alive!? Aren't you declared dead in the dungeon!?"
"I just crawled back from hell, nothing to be surprised."
"Artemis! Did you knew what she did 7 years ago?!"
"Yes, Astraea told me what happen 7 years ago. It was not something that was out of the madness. Erebus asked them to help him. At that time, they simply need to do it."
"What do you mean?"
Artemis started recounting the event that Astraea told her, who visited Zeus a few years ago, to apologize. At that time, she just left Orario after her familia was wiped out by Evilus. She was surprised to see Alfia was alive. She expressed her gratitude to Alfia despite her wrongdoing. She thanked her for going along with Erebus's plan. She apologized that their name would be sullen forever even though they were initially the heroes that everyone should have praised.
Hephaestus was shocked through the whole conversation. She finally managed to connect the dot of the riddle that was haunting even the gods since 7 years ago.
Why would the strongest familia that have protected the world since 1000 years ago would turn their back? Despite having the power to do so, they choose a different and unconventional method. If they really wanted to do so, they can just crush everything at once 7 years ago. Hephaestus finally learned the truth.
She sighed and looked at Alfia.
"Sorry Alfia, you have to clean our mess back then." Said Hephaestus with an apologetic face
"Not that I care, I don't come here to talk about my past too."
"Yes, making Artemis's child a weapon, right? I know Hera familia would be able to handle that."
"Before we go through that, is there any discount? 200 million valis seems like a ripoff price."
"Of course no, it's still cheap, you know. You have a god making a weapon for you."
"Figured so, then use this as the material to make the weapon."
Alfia said that as she opened the bag, what was revealed inside is a bunch of materials that can only be found on deep floors, such as adamantite and a big blue horn. She took the horn and passed it to Hephaestus's desk.
"What is that?" Said Hephaestus
It was the first time that she saw that material. A pure blue horn of a monster that she didn't recognize, most likely it's a monster rex from deep floors.
"Leviathan's horn"
Alfia dropped a bomb that made Artemis and Hephaestus widened their eyes while looking at the horn.
"T-That leviathan!?"
Hephaestus trembled while touching at the legendary beast's horn.
"Fine, Artemis follows me. I'm gonna use you as my assistant. No one should see this material."
(A new adventurer, a legendary material, if I make the weapon too strong, then he gonna end up being reliant on the weapon. Now, what should I do)
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So, the weapon in principle would be the same as Hestia's knife. But since it was made from Leviathan's horn, I would add complete fire resistance.
And a technique akin to Argo vesta when Bell reached level 4 based on Artemis lore.
Feel free to throw some ideas guys :D