Today, the weather was exceptionally fine.
The sky was a clear, washed blue, cloudless and bright, while warm sunlight poured down upon the land, coating the surface of the towering giant tower that pierced the sky in a radiant sheen.
At the center of the city, within the central plaza connected by eight main streets, countless adventurers once again formed surging crowds, pressing forward one after another into the tower of Babel, entering the Dungeon.
The only difference from usual was that today, a section in front of Babel had been occupied.
It was the expedition party of the Loki Familia.
Crates of supplies were being pushed along, enormous packs were carried on backs, and fully armed First Class Adventurers had gathered here—their presence caused nearby adventurers to stop in their tracks and look over in their direction.
"Yo! We’re here!"
At a certain moment, accompanied by such a bold and spirited voice, a female blacksmith wearing an eyepatch over her left eye approached from the side.
It was none other than the captain of the Hephaestus Familia—Tsubaki Collbrande.
Now, the blacksmith who in the past had dressed rather improperly for the sake of smithing had not only equipped weapons today but had also put on gear meant for exploring the Dungeon.
She wore bright crimson hakama trousers, unique to the Far East, along with continental-style combat attire, and armor, including gauntlets and pauldrons. Her lower body and upper body were outfitted separately, each using different regional styles.
Her weapon was a katana sheathed in a jet-black scabbard, and on her back, she carried a large weapon case.
Behind her, around twenty blacksmiths of the Hephaestus Familia appeared one after another, following their captain as they joined up with the Loki Familia.
"We didn’t come too late, did we?"
Since Finn was making final confirmations and counting personnel, Tsubaki did not waste time after greeting him, quickly finding Riezel and walking over with a wide grin.
"Miss Tsubaki."
Ais happened to be standing beside Riezel and greeted Tsubaki as she approached.
"Long time no see, Sword Princess."
Tsubaki returned the greeting to Ais.
"Relax, you arrived just in time. We’re not departing yet," Riezel replied to Tsubaki first, then glanced at the equipment case on her back and asked with mild curiosity, "What kind of weapons are in there?"
"Well, you’ll find out once we hit the Deep Floors. Now’s not really the time to take them out," Tsubaki said mysteriously, then immediately leaned in close to Riezel. "I heard it straight from my goddess—you put in a commission asking her to personally forge you a weapon, didn’t you?"
As she spoke, Tsubaki’s eyes practically shone.
"A weapon?"
Ais froze for a moment, then looked at Riezel with blazing interest.
Even nearby members who happened to overhear the conversation snapped their heads over as if struck by lightning, and among them were several high-ranking blacksmiths of the Hephaestus Familia.
Like Tsubaki, they stared at Riezel with eyes that were almost glowing with heat.
"You already know about it?" Riezel said helplessly, barely managing Tsubaki’s enthusiasm as he pushed her face away when she got far too close. "Didn’t Goddess Hephaestus say this was supposed to be confidential? Why did she tell you?"
"What’s there to keep secret? You won’t even let people know?" Tsubaki said, sounding half annoyed and half excited. "I’m not gonna come after you for snatching my greatest masterpiece and then immediately turning around to ask my goddess to make you a brand-new weapon. But you’ve gotta let me see it! My goddess already handed it over to you, right? C’mon, take it out!"
Indeed, the weapon Riezel had commissioned from Hephaestus had already been completed—the promised weapon had been forged and delivered into his hands.
Riezel had only gone to pick it up yesterday, precisely so it would not delay today’s expedition.
However—
"I think it’s better if you don’t see it," Riezel refused calmly, shaking his head.
"Why?" Tsubaki immediately protested. "Letting me take a look won’t hurt anything. I just wanna see the crystallization of divine craftsmanship!"
For a blacksmith who pursued the highest domain, who sought to forge craftsmanship rivaling the legendary works mentioned in legends, a weapon containing divine craftsmanship was an object of pure fantasy.
Being able to glimpse even a fraction of a work created through techniques that had reached the divine realm was, to any blacksmith, an opportunity beyond price.
Tsubaki did not expect to understand the techniques used by her goddess, since that was a realm far beyond her reach. She only wished to lay eyes on it, to gain even the faintest spark of inspiration, which would already be more than enough.
Not only did Tsubaki feel this way, but Ais had also grown interested.
A work personally forged by a Goddess of Smithing had to be a weapon that far surpassed First-Class Equipment.
In life, she had almost no interests besides becoming stronger, save for two things.
One was a street potato-made snack called jagamarukun, and the other was a weapon that could accompany a swordsman.
For this reason, upon hearing that Riezel possessed a weapon personally forged by a Goddess of Smithing, she could not help but want to see it as well.
Unfortunately, Riezel still refused.
"It’s not that I don’t want to show you," Riezel said while shrugging. "It’s that this thing can’t be taken out casually. When I went to Goddess Hephaestus to pick it up yesterday, even she hesitated and said she didn’t know whether she should hand such a weapon over to me, to a child of the Lower World."
At these words, everyone froze.
"Why?" Tsubaki asked in confusion.
"Simple—it’s too dangerous."
Riezel replied calmly, looking straight into her eyes.
"If it’s used improperly, not only will the user suffer, but it could also bring about terrifying consequences, so forget letting you see it."
"Even I don’t dare to take it out casually, even during this expedition, and in all future battles as well."
"Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I won’t use it lightly—that’s the promise I made to Goddess Hephaestus. I will never abuse that weapon."
Hearing Riezel’s explanation, everyone involuntarily held their breath.
"To think she’d be that cautious..." Tsubaki said after a long silence, finally speaking with a bit of regret. "Looks like a seriously dangerous weapon was born. Fine, I won’t dwell on it anymore."
Beside her, Ais, who really wanted to see the weapon, lowered her gaze in sadness.
’A weapon even Goddess Hephaestus calls dangerous...’
It had to be incredibly powerful, right?
Ais found herself thinking so deeply that she drifted into a daze, until—
"All personnel, attention!"
Finn’s voice suddenly rang out, drawing everyone’s focus at once.
Riezel and Ais snapped back to themselves and turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.
Over there, Finn stood at the very front of the assembled expedition party, while Riveria and Gareth stood to his left and right, their backs facing the entrance of Babel as he addressed the gathered crowd.
"Now that all personnel have assembled, the expedition is about to officially begin!"
"Unlike before, this time not only has the Loki Familia sent out all of its elites, but we are also joined by the renowned forging familia, the Hephaestus Familia, as we advance together toward our final objective!"
"Our goal has never changed—reaching the unexplored floor, the 59th Floor!"
Finn declared this in a voice far larger than his small stature, a voice brimming with momentum, resolve, and unyielding will, causing flames to ignite within everyone’s eyes.
They were flames of conviction.
Flames of fighting intent.
"You are warriors no less brave than the heroes of ancient times. You are First Class Adventurers gathered beneath the banner of the great Loki, and you are comrades we are proud to fight alongside!"
"You will challenge the unknown buried deep beneath this land together with us, fighting for our races, fighting for the world itself!"
"I believe that we will return in triumph, overturn the failure of the last expedition, and achieve the greatest feat, just like the Zeus Familia and the Hera Familia who once fought upon this very land!"
Finn swept his gaze across all the expedition members, then looked outward.
Countless adventurers were watching.
Countless citizens were watching.
Countless gods were watching.
Anticipation, curiosity, envy, jealousy, admiration, worship, hatred—all manner of emotions appeared in their eyes, making the Loki Familia the absolute focus of the scene in every sense.
Taking in this sight, Finn drew in a deep breath, then issued his command as though shouting to everyone present, to all adventurers, or even to the entire world.
"MOVE OUT!"
""OOOOOOOOHHHHHH—!!!""
In response to Finn’s words, a thunderous battle cry erupted from everyone’s mouths at once, shooting straight up into the sky.
Tiona, Tione, and even Bete roared, igniting their fighting intent and bolstering their morale.
Lefiya, Raul, Anakitty, and the others beside them followed suit, shouting one after another in turn.
Ais did not shout, but she clenched the beloved sword at her waist, flames burning fiercely within her golden eyes.
Riezel smiled faintly as he watched it all, but after a moment, he suddenly lifted his head and looked toward the very top of Babel.
Over there, it seemed a gaze was being cast down upon him, meeting his own directly.
Across that vast distance, he appeared to see the master of that gaze, whose expression remained perfectly calm.
===
"...You noticed me?"
At the very top of Babel, before a massive floor-to-ceiling window, the Goddess of Beauty, Freya, held a wineglass filled with red wine and looked down from above at the master of the ’hole’ that seemed capable of devouring everything.
A stunning smile bloomed across her breathtaking face.
"Entering the Dungeon at a time like this... I wonder if he’ll run into that child."
"Well, with Ottar there, it should be fine."
"If that’s the case, then let me see."
"Let me see just what you, someone whose soul’s brilliance has long been unknown, can accomplish when you encounter the most valiant warrior."
Freya smiled, filled with anticipation.
At this moment, she looked both like a lofty, untouchable goddess and like a cruel, merciless witch.
===
[A bonus Chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
[Support me and read next Chapters early at: /VALRRR]