Balnan stared at Hephaestus with a pale face, uo utter a word. Luck was also pale. It might not seem from how they treat me, but they both know about my retionship with Hephaestus.

  "What did you say earlier? You said you were going to kill him, didn't you?" Hephaestus asked in a cold tone.

  "Goddess... It's not what it seems. That idiot challenged me, and I got carried away. Of course, I wasn't serious!"

  "..." Hephaestus kept staring at him coldly, and Balnan clicked his tohis is all your fault, you bastard! You accused me to steal your sword and then attacked me!"

  "You're lying. You've got some nerve, don't you?" Hephaestus stepped toward Balnan, causing him to fall backward onto the ground. "I want to know every detail of what happened here."

  She was looking into his soul. Balnan trembled.

  Suddenly, I saw a side of Hephaestus I didn't expect. And it's all because of me.

  "Hurry up! Tell me what happened!" Hephaestus shouted, irritated. "Luck!?" She then turned her gaze toward Luck. Uhe goddess's pierg gre, he stepped baervously, gng between her and Balnan.

  Balna him, silently urging him to lie.

  But Luck isn't as foolish as Balnan; he knows lying would be futile.

  "Balnan tried to take the sword Eryk fed. Eryk took the sword back, and Balnan started an argument and attacked him. That's what happened."

  Luck spilled the truth, leaving Balnan paralyzed. Then he shouted, "That's a lie! I didn't take his sword! He accused me of wanting to steal it and then attacked me out of nowhere. This bastard is insane."

  "Enough!" Hephaestus yelled. She stepped closer to Balnan and grabbed him by the colr. "I don't want to see you in front of me today any more. Tomorrow, I'll decide what to do with you."

  "Goddess? Goddess? Wait!" Balna calling after Hephaestus.

  She walked toward me with a warm smile.

  "Shall we leave? I'm tired," she said, gently taking my hand.

  Before we left the room, she turo Balna time.

  "The ime you say you'll kill him, I'll deal with you myself. I'll tear you apart piece by pied make you suffer enough to beg for death."

  "Kiiikk!!" Balnan shrank to the floor in fear.

  How patheti this guy get?

  But holy, this is eaining. In just two days, I've mao make a mortal enemy.

  We left the training room together, and I walked beside Hephaestus, refleg on what had just happened.

  'She's incredible. I hought she could say something like that.'

  ####

  When we reached the door to our room, Hephaestus suddenly said, "I have something to take care of. I'll be right back." She smiled, but it wasn't the smile of someone happy.

  "Alright," I replied.

  Holding the sword I had fed, I ehe room and pced it on the bed.

  "So, this is a 'Refined' rank sword." The bde looks much superior to a on rank sword bde, even though I hadn't done anything different while f it.

  It seems that's how it works:

  The swets a random rank based on the probabilities, and its appearance ges accly.

  And the swains abilities based on its rank.

  It's a simple system.

  "Even if I 't improve my strength and agility with the system, I create swords strong enough to pensate for that iure."

  Imagine if I fe a sword that summoeors someday.

  "I might be exaggerating, huh? A terrifying sword like that is probably impossible to create."

  I picked up the sword from the bed and started swinging it. My rough and basients weren't nearly enough to fight anyone.

  "I wonder how I sent Balnan flying with just a kick. He's much strohan me since he's at level two. Speaking of him..."

  Hephaestus likely went out to deal with this matter, didn't she?

  I smiled, satisfied, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

  When I came out, Hephaestus had already returned. She was holding the sword I had fed, analyzing it.

  "You fed this sword?" she asked.

  "Yes."

  "It's incredible. How did you mao create something like this? There's a magic effect that reduces the fatigue, right?"

  "You tell?"

  "Just a guess. The moment I held it, I began to feel more energized. It's an iiion." Hephaestus swung the sword a few times. "The weight is perfect, and the bde is exceptionally sharp. Well done!"

  She gave me a big smile, showing all her teeth.

  My chest felt warm.

  "Thank you for all your support over the years, Goddess."

  "What's this? Are you going to cry? Feeliional?" Hephaestus tossed the sword onto the bed and approached me, teasing me.

  "Of course not. I'm just expressing my gratitude for everything you've done for me all these years, even though I've given nothing iurn."

  "Stop saying things like that." She cupped my cheeks, staring into my eyes. "I've told you before: I trust you and love you. You don't o overthink things. Just keep f swords and improving. I'm eager to see you bee the best bcksmith in the Familia." She smiled.

  "Don't worry. I'll bee the best bcksmith in the Hephaestus Familia. No doubt."

  "That's the spirit! I like that fidence." She kissed me.

  ParodyGirl