"A Chance Encounter"
Drake was unaware that two goddesses had held a secret meeting regarding his findings, nor that he had already been noticed by another deity.
Hephaestus, upon her return, only cautioned him to remain discreet for the time being and then gave him the money from the sale of his equipment and magic stones.
Receiving the money, Drake immediately set off for the Hephaestus Familia with the heavy money pouch.
Unlike the Hephaestus Familia, which specialized in weapon forging, the Goibniu Familia excelled in construction, though they also crafted weapons.
The Ganesha Familia's opulent palace was built by the Goibniu Familia in a single night.
Therefore, when Drake presented his blueprints and deposit, the Goibniu Familia's architect readily assured him of swift completion.
However, the Goibniu Familia's efficiency far surpassed Drake's expectations.
The very next day, the Goibniu Familia contacted Drake to inform him that the workshop was ready for inspection and final payment.
Drake went to the forge Goibniu had assigned him; it had been completely renovated to match his specifications.
In some places, the Goibniu Familia's architects had even made improvements for better functionality.
The Divine Blessing not only granted mortals superhuman combat abilities but also enhanced their capabilities in other areas beyond the scope of an ordinary world.
Drake promptly paid the remaining balance, acquired the highest-quality tools, and began his forging practice.
Fal lay on its custom-made platform, breathing flames onto the anvil before Drake.
The firelight reddened Drake's face, but he remained completely focused on the breastplate taking shape on the anvil.
This armor was crafted from Amphisbaena's dropped dragon scales; Drake had combined them with white steel, greatly increasing their strength, resulting in the "Two-Headed Dragon Armor."
It's true that only with the [Forging] ability can a blacksmith truly reach their full potential.
After leveling up, Drake felt a significant improvement in his forging process; his understanding of materials and his control during crafting were vastly superior to before.
Therefore, Drake immediately used Amphisbaena's dropped materials to craft this complex armor.
Due to material limitations, the "Two-Headed Dragon Armor," while full-body armor, fell between light and heavy armor in terms of specifications.
However, Drake was highly confident in the armor's quality; it would be more than sufficient even for a Level 7 adventurer.
With each strike of his hammer, Drake refined the breastplate; with each strike, the breastplate took shape.
He used tongs to submerge the breastplate in quenching liquid; amidst the sound of vigorous evaporation, the armor was successfully quenched.
Drake removed the breastplate, placing it among the other components.
This was the final piece; only the overall finishing touches remained.
Drake opened the workshop window, allowing sunlight to stream in.
Since fully dedicating himself to forging, Drake had been irregular with his meals and completely disregarded the cycle of day and night.
Seeing the midday sun, he had no idea how many days had passed.
After adjusting to the sudden brightness, Drake returned to his workbench.
On the table lay a monster bone ornament—loot from Revis.
Besides forging, Drake had been researching this magical device. As only a [Mystery] user could create it, Drake hoped to uncover some of its secrets.
Unfortunately, his research yielded little.
From a blacksmith's perspective, the item was simply a polished monster bone; neither the material nor the craftsmanship was particularly special.
Drake also detected no magical fluctuations. Yet, this seemingly ordinary ornament could alter auras upon activation.
The [Mystery] ability is truly remarkable; Drake, after much research, had only found a single clue.
Initially, Drake thought the patterns on the earring's edge were merely decorative, but he later discovered they were the source of the magical device's power.
Therefore, besides completing the Two-Headed Dragon Armor, Drake dedicated all his energy to researching these mysterious patterns.
Unfortunately, a lack of samples hindered his progress.
Gurgling sounds emanated from Drake's stomach; having forgotten when he last ate, his stomach began to protest.
Drake snapped back to reality, touching his stomach; it was clearly time to find something to eat. However, he kept the earring in his hand, unwilling to waste any time.
Leaving the workshop, Drake set out to find a restaurant.
Hephaestus had assigned him a forge in Orario's northeast, an area densely packed with magic stone processing factories and most of Orario's tool shops and forges. It was essentially Orario's industrial zone.
There were a few scattered restaurants, but the food reflected the industrial area's character—large portions, but the taste...was, to put it mildly, uninspired.
Drake had vowed never to eat there again after his last experience. Neglecting meals was already bad enough; he wouldn't subject his stomach to food resembling the slag from his forge.
Drake studied the earring's patterns as he walked down the street.
Suddenly, a young woman rounded a corner and ran directly towards him.
Although completely focused on his research, Drake's exceptional intuition allowed him to react instantly; he sidestepped, avoiding a collision.
Although they didn't collide, the young woman seemed startled and fell backward.
Drake recovered quickly, catching her arm and steadying the shopping bag she was carrying.
Drake then saw the young woman's face.
It was exquisitely beautiful; even the most skilled sculptor couldn't have crafted such a perfect visage.
However, Drake had no time for admiration; he recognized the young woman in the Abundant Mistress waitress uniform, her hair and eyes a grayish-blue.
Syr Flova, the waitress of Hostess of Fertility, was one of the reasons for the tavern's high reputation, aside from its food.
But this ordinary human girl was actually an avatar of Freya; Drake had deliberately avoided the famous tavern to avoid being noticed by her.
He never expected to encounter her here.
"I'm so sorry; I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," Syr said.
Syr's words brought Drake back to the present; he quickly helped the girl to her feet, feigning calmness. "I wasn't paying attention either; you don't need to apologize."
As Drake spoke with Syr, he suddenly sensed a dangerous aura.
"Where did you get that?"
Even without using his aura sensing ability, the speaker's unrestrained anger and killing intent were clear from their voice alone.
Drake turned to see the source. If Freya's avatar had appeared, the other girl would undoubtedly be nearby.
An elf, Ryuu Lion, formerly a Level 4 adventurer of the Astraea Familia. Also, the enemy of Revis, the original owner of the earring Drake held.
Drake looked at the earring in his hand, understanding the source of the girl's murderous intent.
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