Inside the Great Deeds processing room, the vaporous glow began to bead—gathering into a single drop of golden liquid.
Hephaestus and Tsubaki both exhaled.
"It actually worked!"
Breath caught, then spirits soared. Hephaestus stared at the drop resting in a specially made vial.
"Changing the state of Great Deeds… we just made history."
Great Deeds had always been the hazy stuff of advancement, never something anyone could touch. And yet here it was—manifest, tangible.
"Right. We've not only made it visible—we've turned it into something we can forge with," Tsubaki said, agreeing with Hephaestus.
For a smith, this was a new horizon. If Great Deeds were a material, then the old ceiling was no longer the ceiling.
"Next, we need to learn how to inlay them into a weapon—or even make them part of the weapon itself," Hephaestus said. It wouldn't be simple. Even she would need to tread carefully. What would a blade become with such a core? Only testing would tell, and not the kind solved in an afternoon.
"Tsunayoshi. Tsubaki. That's enough for today."
"Ehhh—" Tsubaki's face fell.
"Don't be willful." Hephaestus shot her a look. She had just gained a sober appreciation for how terrifyingly helpful Tsunayoshi's power could be. "Today's results are more than rich enough. And forging with Deeds won't yield answers overnight."
"This forge exists because Tsunayoshi built it for you. Are you really worried you won't get another chance?"
Tsubaki wasn't worried about that. She already had an understanding with Tsunayoshi; there would be plenty of work together ahead. He was even formally under their banner for now.
"And we don't have much Great Deeds to work with," Hephaestus added. "Do you intend to burn it all at once? Goliath just fell, Amphisbaena too. You can't seriously plan to dive deeper and hunt the next floor boss."
That point landed. Tsubaki glanced at the small vial—barely a drop. If they used it up now, without a steady way to collect more, every plan would stall.
"To use this right, we need preparation," she admitted. "Going deeper just for Deeds isn't wise."
No matter how strong an imperfect "Silent" was, the Deep Floors held too many unknowns. Reckless dives were a fine way to die—and she was only a strong-armed smith. If a problem showed up that Tsunayoshi couldn't solve on the spot, she'd be dead weight.
"Purely for forging, Goliath and Amphisbaena are enough starting points," she concluded. The curiosity still itched—but she could rein it in.
Watching her reluctant stare cling to the vial, Tsunayoshi offered, "Tsubaki, want a simulated forge?"
"Simulated… forging?"
"A sealed field for trial runs. When materials are scarce—or when you don't want to waste them—you simulate the operations. The sim doesn't consume stock. It builds experience and can project possible outcomes."
"Mm…" Tsubaki thought, then shook her head. "I'll pass. A sim is still a sim. Processes and results aren't fixed—no two sessions are the same. Any 'projection' will tend to converge on the same answers and won't train my hands the way real hammering does."
She refused—but the offer alone pleased her. "Thanks, Tsunayoshi. I need to think through a true method for Deeds-forging—how to shape a weapon around it. Practice will have to wait."
She sighed, disappointed. If conditions allowed, she would have vanished into the forge right now. But Great Deeds were rarer than anything—and the interval between chances to yield them was long. Otherwise, she'd already be elbow-deep in the workbench, refusing to come out.
Decision made, the three stepped out of the inner forge.
"Mmm—" Tsubaki raised both arms overhead and drew in a long breath. Her spirits were steadier now. "We learned too much today. As for the crafting I've been itching to do… next time."
She threw an arm over Tsunayoshi's shoulder and reeled him in. "Either way, we gained a lot. I'll be in your care as my assistant from now on."
Tsunayoshi liked this straightforward big-sister of a smith—especially her pure, undiluted devotion to craft.
"Mm."
Seeing the two getting along so naturally, Hephaestus smiled. This was exactly the result she wanted.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]