k!

  k!

  k!

  I cshed swords with Tsubaki at high speed as we moved around the training field. She kept a smile on her face the eime, showing how excited she was about what was happening.

  After a few days of training with Tsubaki, my level increased. Now, I could put some pressure on her, which made her quite excited about our training.

  We sparred a bit more before I stopped attag. Even though my skills had improved, my stamina hadn't increased much, so I was starting to feel a bit tired.

  Breathing heavily, I sat on a bench beside the training field, and Tsubaki sat o me.

  "Yettier every day. Your progress is terrifying," Tsubaki said, praising me.

  Holy, I have no idea how I'm improving so fast.

  I've never been particurly good at learning things, no matter what she and Hephaestus think. To be ho, I've always been a bit slow. But now, I learhing effortlessly. It feels like my mind has improved tenfold.

  Everything I learn sticks with me. I replicate anything easily.

  "I don't know how I'm improving so fast either. Maybe it's because I'm w really hard."

  "Of course not~~" Tsubaki chuckled. "How long have I been training you? A week? And only for about two or three hours a day. Normal people take a long time to learn and improve, but you're already 200 times better than whearted."

  "You're exaggerating."

  "I'm not. Your learning ability is incredible. I'm happy for you."

  "What is it? Are y to get rid of me? You don't like training with me?" I said, joking.

  Tsubaki pyed along and said, "Yeah, I hate training you."

  "Unfortunately for you, we're going to keep doing this for a few more days."

  "Huh? Did you fall in love with me?"

  "That's the clusion you came to?"

  "I'm just joking."

  "I just haven't learned enough yet. I'm sure you still have a lot to teach me… Besides, it's fun fighting with you—it helps me a lot."

  "I did say before that it helps, didn't I? You doubted me."

  "Well, ihe dungeon, you just stood there and didn't teach me anything. This is different."

  "It's the same thing…"

  "If you say so." I stood up and stretched my body.

  "Are you ready to tinue?"

  "No… I think I'll head back to the workshop and fe a few things. I haven't worked mu the past few days. I'm starting tet how te a sword."

  "Hahaha. Alright. Do you wao go with you? I help you with anything you've fotten."

  "No, it's fihanks for today's training."

  "Alright, see you tomorrow."

  Tsubaki stayed on the bench as I left the training area, feeling quite excited. After all that training, for some reason, my body felt really hot and full of energy. The exhaustion from earlier had disappeared.

  I went straight to the workshop. I stored my sword in my iory and then took out some mithril ores from the system's iory.

  "I think I'll try f a legendary-ranked sword today…"

  Unfortunately, the probabilities are not in my favor.

  ####

  The sound of hot metal being hammered echoed through the fe as I focused entirely ohril sword resting on the anvil. Every strike of the hammer recise, carefully shaping the metal. The mithril gleamed uhe heat, a unique beauty only bcksmiths could truly appreciate.

  "It's ing along well… just a little more…" I murmured to myself, sweating from the fe's heat.

  I raised the hammer once more, ready to deliver another perfect strike when—

  "Hey, darling!"

  A voice came from behind me.

  My soul nearly left my body. My heart pounded like a Minotaur had just appeared in front of me. Startled, my arm trembled, and instead of striking the ter of the bde, the hammer nded on the edge.

  CRACK!

  The sound of metal fracturing reached my ears, and I froze. Slowly, as if afraid to face reality, I looked at the sword. A grotesque crack ran through the bde. All my effort… ruined in an instant…

  I stood there, holding the hammer mid-air, as my mind struggled to process the tragedy that had just occurred. Then, slowly, I turned my head back.

  Hephaestus stood behind me, blinking in fusion.

  "What?" Hephaestus asked, ily.

  I poi the broken sword.

  "You startled me, and I broke the sword."

  She looked at the cracked bde, then at me… and then… burst into ughter.

  "Hahaha! You… you broke the sword just because I called you?"

  I pced the hammer on the anvil and turo her.

  "It's not funny."

  "Sorry, sorry," Hephaestus said, trying to hold back her ughter but failing miserably. "But seriously, what kind of bcksmith gets scared so easily?"

  "One who has a wife that sneaks up on him and calls out suddenly."

  She stepped closer and ran a finger along my jaw, smiling teasingly.

  Hephaestus ughed again and ruffled my hair.

  "Alright, I'll pay for the mithril. But ime, try not to get startled by your own wife."

  I picked up the broken sword, looked at it, and then tossed it aside.

  "Damn it… Guess I'll have tain."

  "I help if you want."

  "It's fine." I pulled more mithril from my iory, and Hephaestus eyed the ore with curiosity.

  "You have a lot of that stored?"

  "More or less. I'll o head to the duo get more."

  "I see. It's just… I was hoping you could help me gather some materials. It would be a big help."

  "Don't tell me the Familia is running low on ore."

  "…"

  "Seriously?" I asked, incredulous.

  ParodyGirl