"Hestia, make a copy of my post-upgrade stats—leave out the Magic and Skills."
"Okay."
Hestia gave a slight nod and did as Bell instructed.
She placed a sheet of paper on Bell's back, and after a faint ripple of divine power, she lifted it up. The imprint displayed only his name, level, Development Abilities, and a row of maxed-out stats, all at I0. Everything else that could be hidden was left out. Aside from the level and Development Abilities, there was nothing meaningful for anyone to glean.
"Bell-kun, Loki is going to lose her mind when she sees these stats. From top to bottom, the only useful info is your level and Development Abilities—and even those aren't exactly informative."
"I never planned on showing Loki-sama my full stats anyway. Just giving her my current level is enough of a heads-up."
Hestia could already picture the expression Loki would make upon seeing that sheet.
She'd definitely be fuming.
Bell's idea of "coming clean" was clearly different from how most people would define it.
Even if he was opening up to Loki, that didn't mean he had to lay all his cards on the table. Level and Development Abilities—those were what he deemed acceptable to reveal. Everything else wasn't for public knowledge. Not yet.
"With the two of you working together, Loki's definitely in for a headache."
One liked to go against Loki, and the other was all about secrecy. They were basically an impenetrable fortress.
Hephaestus could already imagine the sharp-witted Loki pulling her hair out in frustration. She couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for her.
"Hephaestus, don't act like you're above it. Aren't you the same?"
Hestia widened her eyes in annoyance at how Hephaestus was trying to play innocent.
"If it were you, would you tell Loki?"
"Tell her? Not a chance. We're not even close."
Hephaestus rolled her eyes. She wasn't the type to spill someone else's secrets.
That blunt "not close" was probably enough to stab Loki right in the heart.
But the harsh honesty made Hestia burst into laughter.
"See? You're just like me!"
Hephaestus ignored her.
To her, it was just common sense.
Her bond with Bell was far closer than anything she had with Loki, even if she had known Loki for countless years.
Friendship and love were two entirely different things.
For a goddess, love took precedence. If a goddess cared that much about divine friendships, then she shouldn't have come down from Tenkai in the first place.
So when it came to choosing between Bell and Loki, Hephaestus didn't hesitate for even a second.
Just like when she decided to go after Hestia's love interest—she struck first. Wait too long, and you might not even get a sip of soup.
"Bell, what do you plan to do with Goliath's hide?"
Hephaestus got straight to the point.
"I was thinking of turning it into a cloak with better defensive properties. My current cloak is rune-enchanted, but its defense isn't that great."
Although Bell was a sentimental person, he knew well enough that his cloak lacked sufficient protection. If given the chance, upgrading to a new one seemed like a good idea.
"Still going for a cloak, huh?"
"Yeah. My fighting style doesn't suit heavy armor. The hide is soft, but I still need to consider whether it'll restrict my movement. So I think the best use for it is to craft a new cloak."
Hephaestus trusted that Bell had thought it through, so she immediately settled on turning the hide into a cloak.
Still, Bell was a bit uneasy.
"Hephaestus, there's only two days left. Can you really get it done in time?"
Hephaestus paused for a second, and Hestia burst into laughter.
"Bell-kun, have you forgotten who Hephaestus is? She's the goddess of craftsmanship! There's nothing she can't forge, weapons or armor. And when it comes to time—if it were a weapon, sure, it might take a while. But turning hide into a cloak? Three days is more than enough."
Hephaestus graciously accepted the compliment from her best friend.
"Yeah, it's just a simple repurposing job. Not that complicated. Half a day is all I need."
That made Bell feel like an idiot who didn't know any better. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed about what he'd said.
"Uh... I thought making any kind of gear would be a hassle, like at least a three-day job."
He remembered that the "Hestia Knife" had taken three days to complete.
"That was a weapon built entirely from scratch."
"And even then, three days is the bare minimum. Weapons typically take at least half a month. Just gathering materials alone can take forever—especially for weapons with strict quality standards, like the ones Loki orders."
"Making a cloak out of Goliath's hide isn't that much trouble. It doesn't need many materials, most of which aren't that expensive. The real time sink is just the sewing."
"And the other reason it's fast is you."
"Me?"
Bell pointed at himself, confused. He didn't understand how he factored into saving time.
"You have almost no requirements for your equipment. The hide itself is enough for you, and that's the biggest time-saver."
Most Adventurers have tons of requests when it comes to custom gear, but Bell didn't ask for anything special. He just wanted Goliath's hide turned into a cloak.
How simple is that?
Honestly, any smith could handle a job like this. It's just a matter of time and skill.
Even a Level 2 novice blacksmith could rush it out in two days.
And the one making it this time is Hephaestus, the famed goddess of craftsmanship.
"That's why I said your equipment standards are seriously low."
As a supportive partner, Hephaestus really did want to forge more weapons for Bell.
But Bell's magic was already so well-rounded, and with his absurd luck in the Dungeon, he kept acquiring high-quality weapons from who-knows-where. That left no room for her skills to shine.
Every time she thought about it, Hephaestus couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated.
She was the goddess of craftsmanship, capable of making weapons that even the gods of Orario would fight to get their hands on.
But the one she cared for had no need for more weapons. That really stung.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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