Most of the deities were present that night at the grand banquet of gods, dressed in their refined suits and elegant dresses, enjoying a distinguished evening. Hestia, on the other hand, was taking advantage of the large amount of exquisite food available on the long tables. As she took a bite, she grabbed another portion and hid it to take home. It was during this act of theft that another goddess greeted her:
"Good evening, Hestia," a voice called out, startling the lower-ranked goddess, who quickly stopped what she was doing.
"Freya!"
"Did I interrupt you?" the goddess asked with a small smile, amused by Hestia's face, which was covered in crumbs.
"I don't really like dealing with you..." Hestia didn't even try to be polite. Instead of getting angry, Freya laughed.
"That's what I like about you," she admitted.
There were few gods Hestia liked, and she wasn't afraid to admit it. She was extremely tired of those displays of excessive courtesy, but she wouldn't skip a banquet just because she didn't get along with a couple of deities, especially when Bell had made a special request.
Two days ago, after dinner, Bell had sat down in front of her to discuss something he considered important. Hestia saw the seriousness in the young man's expression, so she straightened up on the couch and gave him her full attention.
"What's wrong?"
"I have a very important favor to ask you, goddess..." Bell began. "You mentioned that the gods' banquet is coming up soon. I'm not sure if you were planning on attending, but I really hope you do..."
"Yes, I was planning on going. Why are you so eager for me to attend?"
"I want you to speak with Hephaestus and ask her to forge a weapon for me." Hestia frowned at Bell's request.
"It's not easy what you're asking for. Hephaestus doesn't work for free, and she won't be interested in creating something for you if she knows we can't pay her..." Hestia blushed before continuing. "And I don't think she'd want to give me credit, considering my debts..." she said with much embarrassment.
"I know." The young man's red eyes glowed, showing the goddess his determination to get what he wanted. "We need to catch her attention, so she'll be willing to do it without payment."
"I thought that was against your plans," Hestia said, glancing sideways at Meteria, who wasn't part of the conversation but was listening attentively.
"I think we can trust Hephaestus, and we might be able to catch her attention without making a big scene."
"What do you have in mind?"
"I have some materials in my possession that are unknown to this world. I'm sure they'll spark Hephaestus's interest..."
So, there she was, waiting for Hephaestus to make an appearance at the banquet, all the while taking advantage of the food.
"At least I like you more than some others..." she said to Freya, frowning as she glanced in the direction of the stairs, where another deity was descending quickly.
"Freya!" Loki came running down the stairs toward them. "Brat," she said as soon as she saw her, which annoyed the short-statured goddess even more.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to mock you, you poor thing," she laughed. "You don't even have enough money for a decent dress."
Hestia gritted her teeth as she glared furiously at Loki, but she didn't let herself be humiliated and retorted:
"How funny, because I think people will mock you more for that dress that shows off your sad, flat chest."
Both of them, extremely angry and offended, began a dispute, pinching each other's cheeks. They managed to catch the attention of many of the guests, who got excited by the goddesses' fight, and a large crowd gathered around them.
"Are those two fighting again?" Hestia's eyes lit up when she recognized that voice. She managed to free herself from Loki's grip, who walked away, offended, vowing to make her pay for mocking her next time. The goddess of the hearth, with her cheeks completely swollen and red, turned toward the speaker.
"Hephaestus! Thank goodness you came!" The goddess was wearing a beautiful, form-fitting red dress with a slit in the leg that highlighted her slender figure. "I wanted to see you."
"I'm not lending you another valis."
"How rude!" Hestia puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.
"You lived for years supported by my family, what do you expect me to think of you?" she accused, pointing a finger at her.
"That's all in the past! Things are different now..." she muttered the last part under her breath. "I have a family now."
"Ah, yes, those white-haired siblings... Bell, and what's the girl's name?"
"Meteria."
"Mhm, well, many gods change when they have a family..." Hephaestus reflected as Freya said her goodbyes and left them. "So, what did you want to see me for?" she asked once they were alone.
"I want you to forge a weapon for Bell..." Hestia said, quickly dropping to her knees, which made Hephaestus burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" Hestia asked as she looked up.
"Not a chance, I'm too busy, I don't have time to..." Hestia stood up and closed the distance between them, and when they were close enough to speak privately, she said:
"I have something that might interest you greatly..."
"This better be worth it, I wouldn't want to waste my time here with you..." Hephaestus said as she sat down at her desk.
After the banquet, the goddesses had decided to head to Hephaestus's office, which wasn't far away, to talk more privately.
"I have four extraordinary and unknown materials to forge the weapon..." the other goddess didn't let her finish before interrupting.
"Impossible," Hephaestus looked at her with a mocking smile. "There's no material in this universe that I don't know."
"As you said, from this universe," Hestia approached the desk that separated them and placed on it the four items she had carried in a small cloth bag. The first she pulled out was a very dark purple ingot, followed by a brown ingot, then a rocky stone with a bright emerald color, and finally, an irregularly shaped crystal with refined edges, whose most striking feature was its iridescent property, shifting between bluish and purplish hues with silver and gold sparkles.
"These materials are not from our world..." she said after placing them on the wooden surface.
She let Hephaestus approach the desk and examine each piece closely, slowly noticing how her expression changed from taciturn to utterly surprised.
"H-how? Where did you get these?" Hephaestus stammered as she picked up the first ingot and inspected it more closely.
But even though the goddess was focused on the new objects in front of her, neither she nor Hestia failed to notice that the curtains in the room moved, despite the doors and windows being closed.
"Did you see that?" she asked Hestia, who only nodded silently. Hephaestus stopped paying attention to the materials and slowly moved away from the desk, approaching the wall where various weapons were displayed and grabbing a small dagger.
Hephaestus heard a voice, but she couldn't identify where it was coming from until a figure emerged from the shadows in the corner near the door. The person was wearing a matte black armor that fit tightly to their body, adorned with silver engravings that resembled crows or feathers. A deep hood and a mask that covered the lower half of their face completed the outfit, designed for stealth. Quickly, the figure pulled back the hood and removed the mask, revealing a young man with white hair and red eyes. "We didn't mean to startle you," he explained.
"Apologies for the intrusion," came the voice first, followed by the slender and elegant figure of a young woman, dressed in a long gown of blue tones with a large red bow accentuating her waist.
"Bell! Meteria!" said Hestia, further confusing Hephaestus, who was only seeing the young man.
"Can someone tell me what you're doing in my office?!" said Hephaestus, exasperated, with a slight twitch in her left eye. "How the hell did you get in?"
"We came in with you," the girl answered simply. Hestia cleared her throat and said:
"Hephaestus, these two are the members of my family."
"I can see that..." the goddess rubbed her temples.
"You," she said, pointing at the young man, who shrugged, fearful, as the goddess's expression was utterly furious. "Where the hell did you get that armor?!" And in an instant, Hephaestus was over Bell, inspecting the material that covered his arms. "It must have special abilities, am I right? Surely, that's what made you go unnoticed..." She suddenly stopped and released the young man she was holding by the shoulders, turning to look suspiciously at the girl. "But you... you're not wearing armor..."
"I'm sure you have many questions, Hephaestus, but I think you should calm down first..." Hestia intervened.
"Me?! Calm down?! They entered my office without me even noticing!"
"Apologies for our impertinence, I sent my goddess to request the creation of a weapon for me, but I believe we are the ones who can best answer your questions," Bell explained.
"And why did you send her instead of coming yourself?"
"Because if I came to you directly, a mere novice, your men wouldn't have let me past the entrance."
"You're a smart boy..." Hephaestus grew even more curious about this mortal. "Well, I want you to start by explaining how the hell you entered my office without me noticing." The goddess crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for them to start talking.
"As you probably noticed, goddess, thanks to my armor, I went unnoticed," Bell responded. "It's called Song of the Wind, made of leather and equipped with special enchantments of obfuscation and stealth that not only make it light but also allow me to almost disappear, as if I were invisible. Additionally, it's reinforced to protect me from low temperatures and to speed up the recovery of my stamina, making it easier for me to move undetected in almost any situation."
Hephaestus, with total calm, approached the young man and patted the armor all over, feeling the material and closely examining the design details.
"It's clearly an exceptional piece of work...," said the goddess. "You." She turned to the girl. "I want your explanations."
"I..." Meteria began, shy under Hephaestus's piercing gaze. "I have the ability to become invisible..."
"How does a young girl like you possess such a power?"
"It's innate to me..." the girl replied in a low voice. Hephaestus realized that Hestia had gathered a family full of mysteries, and she was already anticipating a headache, but first, she would find out what mattered most.
"Those materials over there," she said, pointing to the desk. "I assume you two gave them to Hestia, am I right?" Bell nodded at the question, and the four of them gathered around the desk as the Cranel siblings began to explain everything they knew about each item.
Meteria took the dark purple ingot in her hands and started the explanation:
"This is called Void Metal," she said. "It's a strong element, infused with energy from the void, which gives it many of its special properties, such as the ability to slowly repair itself over time." She then passed the ingot to Hephaestus, who delicately ran her calloused hands over its surface, completely in awe.
"This one is known as Saronite. It's exceptionally hard and durable, making it ideal for forging armor and weapons capable of withstanding great amounts of damage. However, it's surprisingly malleable and can act as a conductor for magical energies, but it's charged with negative energy... improper use can lead to madness in those with weak minds," said Meteria, not daring to touch it due to the strong dark energy it emitted.
"And this one..." Bell said, taking the next ingot in his hands. "Soulium, is a metal connected with souls; the weapon we forge with this component will bond with its user."
"And that last one?" Hephaestus asked, pointing to the remaining crystal on the desk.
"This," Bell said, picking it up and twirling it between his fingers, causing the crystal's colors to shift with the movement. "Etherium, it's considered an ethereal element, rarer than anything else, no doubt. I know that if we use it to craft the weapon, it will amplify the abilities of its wielder. Moreover, Etherium itself is charged with a great amount of energy."
"And how did a couple of novices get their hands on such powerful and dangerous components?" Hephaestus was still on high alert, trying not to let her excitement over the materials in front of her distract her from any potential danger.
"They are gifts from my partner..."
"Are you married? So young?"
"Dad carries more years than he appears to."
"Dad?!" Hephaestus's eyes widened in surprise, and she was left completely speechless for a long time. "You have a lot to explain, too much actually... but let's take it slow, or I'll get a headache." The goddess let out a sigh and plopped down into the chair at her desk. "Start... from the beginning."
"Meteria is my daughter, and I'm thirty years old..." Bell paused before continuing. "I know I don't look it, but there's a reason for that. When I lived with my grandfather in a village in the mountains, one day, a being from another world appeared in our vegetable garden."
"Let me guess, her mother," Hephaestus interrupted, nodding toward Meteria. The goddess was starting to connect the dots.
"That's right, but she wasn't the only thing that appeared that day. A giant dome covered the entire village, yet no one seemed to notice it because the years we spent inside were only minutes in the outside world."
"And how did this dome appear?"
"We don't know... I think..." Bell fell silent for a moment before continuing. "No, I'm certain that the emergence of the dome is related to the appearance of my wife, some sort of convergence of worlds..." to which Hephaestus nodded in agreement with the theory.
"Were there dangers inside the dome?"
"At first, only my daughter's mother..." Meteria let out a small laugh. "You see, she belongs to a race that doesn't exist in this world, they're known as vampires, a very powerful species that feeds on the blood and energy of other beings. Someone like her represented a mystery and a danger to the entire village," Bell explained.
"Wow... and how did you manage to control her? What did the other inhabitants think?"
"At first, they were very afraid of her, myself included, she was terrifying... luckily, my grandfather managed to keep her in check with his great ingenuity and eloquence, well, that... and the fact that she was quite weakened when she arrived in our world, and all she wanted was to return to her own... at least at that moment." Bell's eyes dimmed at the memory of his beloved. "Over time, we learned to live together, we had no other choice. There was no way to leave the dome, let alone for her to return to her world at that time. Gradually, she softened and set aside her darker thoughts."
"At least some of them..." Meteria added.
"We spent a long time inside the dome, and as time passed, we realized that the people inside didn't age, not even a little. For our bodies and for the outside world, it seemed as though only minutes had passed, but for us, it was a whole lifetime..."
"That explains why you don't look your age..." Hephaestus nodded at the explanation. "So, these materials," she pointed to the desk, "are they from your mother's world?" she asked Meteria.
"We're not entirely sure if they belonged to her world or another one... Mom had many special items with her, she was very special..." the girl's voice was calm, but inside she felt a deep nostalgia whenever she remembered her mother.
"I can imagine..." Hephaestus whispered. "I assume she must have been very strong."
"Extremely strong. She could drastically change into a monstrous form and was incredibly fast, not to mention her magical powers... she taught me everything I know about fighting."
"Is this all you have left of her?" the goddess asked.
"No, she also gave Dad a piece of armor."
"The one you're wearing?" the goddess asked.
"No, the other armor she gave me is so powerful that it could be considered divine." Hephaestus's eyes lit up like a child with a new toy. "That's why we can't take it out of Meteria's inventory." The goddess's expression turned to one of disappointment. "Because of the type of energy it emits, it wouldn't take long before it attracts the attention of the gods..."
"I hope one day you can show it to me without any risks. Is that why you want a weapon? To match it with that armor?"
"You could say yes and no..." Bell replied. "I want a weapon that allows me to fight without limitations, so it needs to be multiform, adaptable to any situation I might find myself in."
"The type of weapon you're asking for is very difficult... it's impossible to create without using my divine arcana, and you know that gods are forbidden from using it in the mortal realm."
"I think there's another way... there's an essence called Ac-Pandora, originally from my partner's world. If we use it to forge the weapon, it will grant it that shape-shifting ability."
Hephaestus burst out laughing, bewildering the others present.
"Just when I think you can't surprise me anymore, you find something new..." Hephaestus praised him and then let out a sigh. "It would be a shame to waste such magnificent elements on such a risky bet..." Hephaestus looked down at the objects, feeling a deep sense of regret. "It will be very arduous, and we'll all have to put in a lot of effort... I can't involve my family in a private matter."
Bell and Meteria exchanged glances, knowing that trusting the goddess to keep their secrets had been a safe bet.
"Is that a yes?" Hestia asked excitedly as Hephaestus stood up and walked towards her library.
The three members of the Hestia family watched with interest as the goddess of the forge took a red book from the library, and the sound of gears began to play in the background. Slowly, the library moved, revealing a hidden room behind it. It was undoubtedly the goddess's workshop, filled with thousands of instruments and, at the back, a large forge for her work.
"Wow!" Meteria exclaimed, her large red eyes wide as she inspected everything around her.
"Nice, isn't it?" Hephaestus said, winking at her, feeling flattered by the girl's surprise.
"Thank you, thank you!" Hestia said as she jumped up to hug the taller goddess by the shoulders. Hephaestus tried to lower her while the other goddess kept thanking her.
"We appreciate it very much, Hephaestus, seriously, thank you," Bell said solemnly.
"Don't thank me yet, we haven't done anything," Hephaestus said after managing to get a very affectionate Hestia off of her. "By the way, have you thought of a name? Every great weapon needs a name."
"Arleshalt," Bell replied.
"Huh?"
"That's what the weapon will be called," the adventurer explained. "Arleshalt."
"It's inspired by Mom..." Bell nodded with a big smile at his daughter's words.
"Arleshalt... it sounds good," Hephaestus said. "Well, enough blah blah, let's get to work."
The four of them entered the workshop and began the work, clearly with the Hestia family acting only as assistants to the blacksmith goddess, as she guided and instructed them in every movement.
Hephaestus took from her own possessions mithril, a precious metal considered the hardest of all but with the unique characteristic of being light for the one who wielded it. While Meteria and Hestia were tasked with hammering the other necessary components, Bell assisted Hephaestus in beginning to melt the mithril, which would be the base of the weapon, in the forge. The four worked tirelessly for what seemed like ages, melting the materials over a low flame while the weapon slowly took shape. The work was well underway when Hestia interrupted.
"There are a few more elements I'd like the weapon to have..." Hephaestus looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"What other divine things will your children pull out of their pockets?"
"It's not a material per se, although it is divine," the goddess said with a smile. "I'd like the weapon to have my blood and hair." She looked at everyone else in the room.
"Thank you very much, goddess," Bell said, very grateful.
"My blood is unique too. I know that beyond its sentimental value, my vampire blood will strengthen the weapon." To Bell's surprise, his daughter hugged him after saying this, a rare gesture for such a reserved girl, but no less full of emotion for it.
"I hope you're not afraid of needles..." was all Hephaestus said as she removed her leather gloves to find a sharp object for drawing blood. The ichor of gods was not a common element in adventurers' weapons, and much less so was vampire blood.
Bell was in charge of helping the goddess and his daughter draw their blood while Hephaestus continued forging the weapon with those elements from completely unknown worlds.
After an extensive and arduous workday, they achieved their goal. On the large stone table in the workshop rested a long sword with an impeccable edge and a blood-red hilt. The three members of the Hestia family, completely sweaty and exhausted but happy, stood around the table, admiring the creation of the blacksmith goddess.
"It's ready," Hephaestus said after a final inspection of the weapon. The three of them hugged and jumped with excitement, shouting, "Awesome!"
But suddenly, the weapon resting on the stone table began to emit a glow that quickly turned the blade a bright red. The temperature in the workshop rose, and Hephaestus shouted, "Careful!" anticipating what was happening. The four of them huddled in a corner, and Meteria positioned herself in front of everyone.
"What's it doing?!" Hephaestus asked, alarmed, and was about to stop her, but Bell held her back.
A barrier of white light enveloped them just before the excess magical energy accumulated in the weapon was released in a massive explosion that destroyed the forge, leaving a huge hole in the wall leading outside, where screams of terror could be heard. Hephaestus watched in astonishment as the debris and other objects that were blown away by the blast bounced off the barrier. They emerged completely unscathed from what could have been a fatal disaster, or so they thought.
After the debris stopped flying and the dust settled, the barrier of light dissolved, and Meteria, who had been standing in front of them, fell to her knees on the ground.
"Meteria!" Hestia shouted, catching her before her head hit the floor. Hephaestus and Bell knelt beside them.
"What happened to her?" Hephaestus asked.
"Meteria used her magic, Divine Bastion, to protect us from the explosion," explained Hestia as she gently placed her hand on the young girl's forehead, who was now lying on her lap with a distant look in her eyes. Fortunately, she hadn't fainted. "It's a powerful defensive magic that creates a barrier. Like many spells, it usually requires a lengthy chant to conjure.
However, she has a skill called Master of Magic that allows her to skip that step and cast the magic immediately. The downside is that the magic consumption increases by 40%. Skipping the chant drained her completely, compounded by the exhaustion of having helped in the creation of Arleshalt."
"That explosion definitely caught us off guard," said Bell.
"I think the Etherium was primarily to blame. During the forging process, the materials used to create the weapon not only melt and combine, but they also become infused with extremely concentrated magical energy from all the components used. This energy is contained and stabilized within the structure of the weapon as it takes shape, creating immense internal pressure. When the weapon finally cooled and the forging process was complete, the magic encapsulated inside reached a point of equilibrium and fully stabilized.
At that moment, the accumulated energy, which had been on the verge of destabilizing throughout the process and possibly killing us, was released in the form of an explosion.
This explosion acted as a 'pressure release valve' for the accumulated magical pressure, ensuring that the weapon is perfectly balanced and ready for use..." Hephaestus explained, glancing at the spot where her beloved forge once stood. "Oh, my beautiful forge... it won't be cheap for you to repay it..."
But no one paid much attention to debts at that moment, as desperate screams came from outside. Bell left his daughter in the care of his goddess and approached the hole in the wall to see what was happening outside. The streets were in chaos, and many of the food stalls and vendors were destroyed.
"What's going on?" he wondered to himself.
Then he saw several plant-like monsters... Bell quickly put on the mask and hood of Song of the Wind, ready to head out.
"Bell!" Hephaestus called out, and when he turned around, the goddess tossed him the new weapon, which he managed to catch in the air. "Go, we'll take care of Meteria."
Bell hadn't expected to use the weapon so soon and in such an unexpected way, but there was no time to hesitate; people outside were in danger. He cast one last look at his daughter, and seeing that she was in good hands, nodded with determination. Gripping the sword firmly in his hands, he rushed out of what remained of the workshop, ready to take down a few monsters.