Hephaestus turned the strange drill in her hand, letting the cool sensation of the metal run along her fingers and palm. She sat behind her desk in her office on the third floor of her personal weapon shop. In front of her, Hestia was on her knees, watching her with bated breath. The smaller goddess was rubbing her knees in worry, while her eyes seemed locked on the drill in her friend's hand. After a few moments, Hestia said, "W-Well?"

"Firstly, did you really choose to stay here for two days just to hear my opinions on this thing?" Hephaestus calmly asked, her singular eye glancing at Hestia.

Hestia swallowed nervously, "Partially, yes. I also wanted to hear what you had to say about my request. You didn't answer me before, so...

"That's because I wanted to see what this was first. After all, you considered it important enough to ask me about it after requesting a custom order," Hephaestus stopped turning the drill in her hands. Then she held it up between her middle and index fingers, "Though, I'm not sure what you wanted me to say about it. Because from what I've seen? It's just a drill."

"Really?" surprised, Hestia continued, "You...you haven't found anything... strange about it?"

"Not really. The metals that compose it are similar to ones I've seen before. Mostly copper, but there is some iron present. And I do feel some kind of residual energy coming from it. But that could just be magic or the remnants of a Skill being used on it."

"What about its hardness or durability? Is there anything special about that?"

Hephaestus rolled her singular eye and got up from behind her desk. She walked over to one of the containers in her room and pulled out a pitch-black ingot of some kind. Noticing Hestia's confusion out of the corner of her eye, she explained as she walked back to her seat, "This is a Drop Item that one of my children brought to me. A high-level adventurer came by and gave it to them after returning from an expedition to the lower floors, and one of my children gave it to me as a gift. It isn't adamantite, but it should do the job."

Hephaestus sat back in her chair and placed the ingot on her desk. With her face a mask of calm, she began to tap the tip of the drill against the center of the ingot. The sound of a small metal tip repeatedly pinging off a hard surface echoed through the room. Hestia winced each time the tip hit the ingot as she waited for something to happen. After three minutes of doing that, Hephaestus shook her head and said, "See? Nothing special."

Hestia felt a weight lift off her shoulders. While part of her was confused that such an item wouldn't be anything special, a greater part was relieved that it wasn't. The last thing Bell needed was to be wearing a powerful magic item around his neck at all times. That wouldn't just attract the attention of the gods, but other adventurers as well. And some of the people in Orario would willingly take advantage of such a young boy.

"As for your request, my answer is no," Hephaestus said, still idly tapping away at the ingot without a care in the world.

"Please!" Hestia shouted, leaning forward on her knees as she begged her friend.

"No."

"You have to!"

"You wouldn't be able to afford it anyway."

"I'll pay you back, I promise!"

"You've said that to me too many times to count at this point. And don't think I don't know about how you're working a part-time job to finance your Famiilia. Why would I think you could pay me back if you have to do that."

Hestia went silent, but her determination didn't waver. She leaned forward, placed both her hands on the floor, and then lowered her head until it touched the ground.

"...What are you doing?" Hephaestus said, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Dogeza."

"Do-ge-za?"

"Take told me this pose has the power to make people forgive whatever you have done and grant any request."

"Takemikazuchi," Hephaestus sighed and prepared to respond-

Crack

-when both goddesses heard something crack.

Something metallic.

And the source came from right beside Hephaestus.

Blinking, she turned away from Hestia to look at her left hand. The one that was tapping the drill against the Drop Item. At first, she thought that the drill was what had cracked. The Drop Item was a high-level material. Tapping something extremely bland against it like the drill would lead to the latter suffering some damage. But as her single eye fell upon the drill and ingot, she became aware of something far stranger.

The drill was completely fine.

But the ingot had a tiny crack in the center.

Hephaestus froze as her lone eye stared at the situation in front of her. So silent was she that Hestia lifted her head to see what was going on. When she saw her friend's circumstances, she opened her mouth to ask what was wrong. But she was interrupted when Hephaestus suddenly sprang into action. The Goddess of the Forge pulled the ingot to the center of her desk while holding the drill in her right hand. Focusing all her attention on the two items, she tapped the drill against the center of the ingot again.

Crack Crack

The tiny crack in the ingot grew larger. Before, one would need to squint to see the small white lines. Now, one could see them with casual observation. A third tap made them grow larger. To the point that Hephaestus knew a fourth tap would split the ingot in two. She locked her single eye onto the item in her hand. Her lips slowly curled into a smile as her eyes started to shine with a bright, fiery flame of passion. She turned to look at Hestia with an expectant gaze in her eye, "Hestia, where did you get this?"

Hestia stiffened, feeling the anxiety from before returning. She fidgeted on the spot while trying to avoid Hephaestus' gaze. She knew that look on her friend's face. Her spirit as a blacksmith had been ignited, and she was eager to learn all about the peculiar new metal Hestia had delivered into her lap. But that was what worried her. Hestia couldn't hide her nervousness as she spoke, "I... I... I don't know if I should-"

"Ah, a secret then? I understand. Hmm," Hephaestus took a moment to think, then snapped her fingers, "How about a deal then? If you bring me to where you got this from, I'll make the weapon for you at no cost."

Hestia felt a jolt go up her spine. She slowly turned her head to Hephaestus and said, "R-Re-Really?"

Hephaestus furiously nodded, "Yes. Obviously, we both have to keep each other's secrets about this whole thing. But give me the chance to better observe what this is made of, and I'll make the best damn weapon that Orario has ever seen. Deal?"

Hestia blinked.

Emotions warred within her as she thought about Hephaestus' deal. Whether she should accept it... but one thing made her decide to say yes. And it was four little words that she repeated to herself the entire time.

'This is all for Bell.'

'...Please forgive me, Simon.'

"Achoo!"

Bell stopped gawking at the weapons on the first floor of Hephaestus' shop to look at Simon. He tilted his head and asked, "Are you alright, Simon?"

Simon sniffed while wiping his nose with a sleeve, "Yeah. Just had to sneeze. No biggie. "So, you gonna head in there and buy something? You're eying that dagger there pretty hard."

Simon pointed toward the finely crafted white dagger, its tip pressed into a treasure chest-like box. Bell swallowed as his eyes went from the weapon to the price tag with numerous zeroes on it. He took a deep breath, then pushed himself off the window and shook his head, "N-No. I can't afford it. Even paying a fourth of its cost would wipe out my Familia's savings."

Simon nodded, then patted Bell on the head, "Then, you'll just have to keep at it until you get enough to buy it, right?"

"Yeah! Right!" Bell said, feelings of despair melting away with Simon's touch. The two started walking away from the store. They were on West Main Street, having just come back from an earlier Dungeon Run. They had made good money on it, far more than Bell usually made on his own. And as they left, they encountered a certain God who was close to Bell's Familia. It was this God that came to Bell's mind as the two walked, "So, what did you think of Miach, Simon?"

"Hmm? You mean the guy that gave you those two potions for free?" Simon pointed at the two vials on Bell's waist, each one filled with a dark blue liquid. The white-haired boy nodded, and Simon's response was to shrug, "He seemed cool. Anyone who's willing to part with stuff that's supposed to heal you for free is good in my book. And he didn't seem to mind me shaking his hand."

Bell smiled and nodded, "Ah, that's good. If you ever need something and you can't rely on us, you should go to Miach's Familia. He's been helping us for a while now and is a good person."

"Good to know," Simon rubbed his nose as he tried to think of another conversation topic. Then he snapped his fingers and said, "Oh, right. What was the deal with those guys bringing monsters into the Guild?"

"Those people were part of Ganesha Familia. I could tell because they were all wearing emblems with elephant heads on them," Bell explained to Simon.

"Really? Is this Ganesha guy an elephant beastman or something?"

"Uh, no. He just...really...likes them," a bead of sweat fell from Bell's head as he thought about the...eccentric god and his overworked Familia. He then shook his head to clear it, "But as for the monsters, it's for an event called Monsterphilia. Ganesha's Familia is full of people who tame monsters to exhibit them at a special fair."

"Ah, so that's what they're for. Hmm, you gonna go?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet," Bell scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Well, if you do decide to go, I've got someone we could invite. That Ais Wallenstein girl," Simon said with a smile.

Bell just looked confused, "Why her? The Kenki is probably really busy now. And I'm not sure if her Familia would be happy with us taking her out to a fair."

Simon waved dismissively and said, "Ah, who gives a shit what they think? Besides, she wants to apologize to you for what happened back in the Dungeon. You know, with the minotaur that I killed?"

A shiver ran up Bell's spine as he was reminded of that moment. He could still hear the minotaur's horrible roar, smell its awful breath, and feel the intimidating aura it emitted. His hands started to shake, so he hid them behind his back to prevent Simon from noticing. Gulping, he put on a false smile and said, "Th-That's alright. She doesn't have to do that. It's water under the bridge."

Simon wagged his finger through the air, "No, Bell. You don't do that. If someone wants to apologize to you, you need to face them directly and decide whether you'll forgive them. One of the worst feelings in the world is when you leave things unsaid that you wanted to say."

Bell blinked at Simon's words. He thought the man had sounded profound for a second there. So much so, that it stopped his shaking and dashed his sudden fear away. After a few moments, he started nodding, "Ye-Yeah. You're right, Simon. Um, but I don't think it should be at Monsterphilia. I need to meet her in a better circumstance before then."

Simon smiled, then patted Bell on the head, "Whatever you say, leader. Now let's get back home. Oh, I need to tell you about this guy I met. His name's Brax. He's a bit rough around the edges, but he's a good guy, too. I'll take his place later,"

"That sounds nice," Bell responded while keeping pace with Simon. His red eyes glowed as he stared at Simon with nothing but admiration.

Simon continued to smile, but his eyes soon fell to Bell's neck. And he noticed that a particular item was missing from the boy's person. He pointed at Bell and said, "Hey, where's your Core Drill? Did ya lose it?"

"Ah, no. Lady Hestia asked me to give it to her. She said she wanted to look at it for a little bit. She'll give it back when she's done," Bell assured Simon. Simon raised an eyebrow, but then shrugged off any worries he had. It was Bell's Drill to do with as he wished. If he wanted to hand it out, so be it.

Besides, he trusted Hestia. And that's all that mattered.

Three days had passed since then, and Hestia still hadn't returned to the church. Bell was getting worried, but Simon assured him that nothing was wrong. That Hestia would show up eventually. The two of them were basically family after all. She wouldn't abandon him, no matter what happened. This cheered Bell up as the two headed toward the Dungeon for another dive. However, on their way down Main Street, they were interrupted by two familiar faces.

"Oi! Wait up nya, white-head kid and blue-head guy!"

"White-head kid?"

"Blue-head guy?" Simon and Bell shared a look as the cat girl waitress ran toward them with her tail swishing and arms waving like a maniac. Behind her was the Benevolent Mistress, while an elf waitress followed closely behind.

She stopped in front of the two of them and gave them a clearly practiced bow in greeting. Bell returned it, but Simon just waved at her with a raised eyebrow. The elf stopped just behind the catgirl as the beastwoman in question spoke, "Good morning, nya! Sorry to call nyou both out like that, nya!"

"Ah, um, morning?" Bell asked, still confused about what was going on.

"Can we help you?" Simon asked for Bell.

"Got a favor to ask nyou, white-head kid! Here, nya!" she held out a cloth coin purse with a metal clasp on the top. Bell flinched in surprise, blinking at the outstretched item. He gingerly took it in his hands while asking with his eyes what she wanted. She continued with a smile on her face, "Syr is nyour friend, white-head kid. So I want nyou to give this to her, nya!"

Bell stared at the purple coin purse with confusion, his eyes fixed on the unfamiliar emblem engraved on the clasp. Simon leaned over to look at it and whistled, "That looks pretty nice. That emblem on the clasp mean anything?"

"Just that it was made by a Familia, but I don't know which one," Bell answered with a shrug before turning to the catgirl, "Um, I'm not sure if I fully understand. What am I supposed to do?"

"Ahnya. You're not being clear. Mr. Cranel and Mr. Simon are confused," the elf waitress said with a shake of her head.

While Bell was shocked that she remembered him, Simon held up a hand and shook his head, "No need for the 'Mr.', lady. Simon's fine with me."

"As you wish, Simon," her monotone voice didn't shift a bit as she responded. Then she turned back to the catgirl with a glare.

Ahnya waved her off, "Lyu, nyou're stupid! Syr forgot her wallet, playing hooky to go to Monsterphilia, nya. She nyeeds it, so I'm asking him to take it to her. Nyou knew that, right, white-head kid?"

The elf waitress's glare softened as she turned to Bell and Simon, "That is how it is. I apologize for the confusion."

"Ah, no, I got it now. That's what's going on," Bell said as he and Lyu exchanged bows again.

Simon chuckled, "Ah, I get it. Don't worry, Bell and I will find Syr in a jiffy. Though Syr doesn't seem like the type of girl to skip work. Is something else going on?"

Ahnya's eyes widened as Lyu turned to Simon and shook her head, "Yes. Ahnya misspoke earlier. Syr's situation is different from the rest of us, as she doesn't reside at our establishment like we do."

"Ah, so it's like a day off," Bell mumbled while looking at the purse. From there the two waitresses explained the whole situation. Monsterphilia's opening events were underway, involving members of Ganesha Familia showcasing their monster-taming skills to...well...tame monsters. They would fight the beasts in an arena until they submit. The restaurant staff wanted to attend the event, but Mama Mia told them no. So, Syr offered to go instead and get them souvenirs. But she forgot her wallet and so she has no money. And since none of the staff can get enough time off to take it to her, they wanted to ask them to do it instead.

Bell and Simon accepted the job without complaint and headed off toward East Main Street, leaving Bell's backpack with the waitresses. As the two moved into the crowded street, heading toward the stadium, only one of them noticed the familiar pair of eyes locked onto them.

The wide smile on Hestia's face contrasted with the bags under her eyes. It remained even as she walked out of Hephaestus Familia's main store, the source of her happiness resting in her hands. Within a small black case was the dagger she had custom-made for Bell. A beautiful blade with a black handle and sheath that Hephaestus had poured her soul into making... with a little help from Hestia. A new weapon specifically made for her favorite (and only) Familia member. The newly named "Hestia Knife" felt as light as a feather as she carried it with her. And even as she forced herself to calm down upon entering Northwest Main, her mind continued to fantasize about Bell's reaction when she gave it to him.

The smile on his face, the excitement in his eyes...oh she could hardly wait to see him again! And best of all, it hadn't cost her a single Val! All thanks to-

Hestia's mood took a sharp downturn. While her right hand brought the case close to her chest, her left tightened around the Core Drill her friend had returned to her. Her ponytails drooped as she recalled the cost of making the dagger. Well...not her exactly. While she watched Hephaestus work, the two of them had negotiated a deal between themselves. First, they would keep each other's secrets. She would not let anyone know about the special properties of the Hestia Knife, that being how it was a living weapon that would become stronger in tandem with its wielder. And Hephaestus wouldn't tell any of the other gods the truth about where the Core Drill had come from.

In return, Hephaestus forged the Hestia Knife free of charge...and Hestia had to either bring her to where she got it from or bring the person who made it to her.

While she wouldn't be paying anything to Hephaestus for the Knife, Simon would be paying for it on her behalf. And he didn't even know it. She had gone behind his back and possibly exposed something as powerful as Spiral Power to another god. Just after she got on Simon about keeping such a thing secret! She knew she could trust Hephaestus not to gossip with the other gods about it, but the facts remained the same. And after he had been so kind to them, even considering them as his friends.

The happiness she had felt was soon replaced with a sense of shame that only seemed to worsen with each passing second. However, she shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts. Instead, she focused her efforts on finding Bell and figuring out how she would hand over the case to Bell. And seeing the crowds of people gathering for Monsterphilia gave her an idea.

"Heey! BELL!"

"Huh?" Bell turned at the sound of Hestia's voice, with Simon following his lead. Being taller, Simon was able to see over the crowd of people around them more easily. As he did, he spotted a familiar head of black hair with twin ponytails coming toward them.

Simon pointed toward the oncoming goddess and said, "It's Hestia! Told ya she'd come back."

"My Goddess?!" Bell said in surprise, watching as Hestia ran toward both of them. He greeted her as she ran to him, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't be stupid! I wanted to see you, why else?" Hestia responded as she stopped in front of them.

Simon tilted his head to the side and said, "Didn't really answer his question there, Hestia. Why are you out here?"

"Uh, well, that's, uh," Hestia did everything she could to avoid looking Simon in the eyes. Instead, she sidled up to Bell while keeping her hands behind her back and said, "So, what a wonderful coincidence, don't you think? I wanted to see you, and here you are! We must have some kind of special connection! Hee-hee-hee!"

Bell and Simon shared a look, both puzzled by the Goddess' words. Bell tried to get her to explain, but she just said that she would tell him later. And to look forward to something "really special" later. Whatever that meant. Any other questions were swiftly silenced when Hestia grabbed Bell's hand. The white-haired boy's face turned a bright shade of red as his Goddess started pulling him away from Simon. She smiled sweetly and said, "Let's have a date, Bell!"

"...A date!?" was the boy's shocked response. It was at this moment that Simon finally realized what Hestia was getting at. He stepped forward and put a hand on Bell's shoulder. With a small smile on his face, he gently took the coin purse from Bell's pocket and held it up for him to see.

"Hey, Bell? Why don't you go hang out with Hestia? I'm sure you've both got a lot to talk about since she's been gone for a few days," he said, while tossing the coin purse up and down in his hand.

"Wh-But what about-"

"I'll take care of it. This job really only needs one person after all. Don't worry, I'll find the person who lost this and hand it back to them. You two go have fun," with that, Simon turned around and headed off into the crowd. Inwardly, he wished Bell luck on his date with Hestia. And Hestia silently thanked Simon for understanding what she wanted.

However, while the three of them parted amicably, a certain silver-eyed goddess was inside the monster pens at the stadium. She had already "charmed" the guards and attendants and was preparing to release the monsters. To find their targets and carry out her bidding.

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Kotasu: Not really, unfortunately. Sorry.