After concealing his presence, Bell stepped out once more.
By the ti he reached the main street, night had already fallen. But unlike usual, the street wasn’t bustling with crowds—only patrolling adventurers filled the road. Judging by the scene, it was likely a result of today’s "Monsterphilia."
Many of the patrolling adventurers wore elephant masks, clearly marking them as mbers of the Ganesha Familia.
Aside from them, only a few scattered adventurers wandered through the night market.
’How fearless.’
Bell shook his head slightly and headed straight toward the Hephaestus Familia’s residence.
After passing through three blocks, he stopped in front of a large Familia base. The place rivaled the Loki Familia’s "Twilight Manor" in scale and exuded the aura of a true smithing Familia. Even from outside, the sound of constant hamring echoed from within.
More guards stood watch outside.
Bell glanced at them briefly, then walked straight through. Inside the annex, he found even more patrolling guards.
’Even though they’re all blacksmiths, Hephaestus-sama’s Familia has a solid foundation.’
Carefully sensing their presence, Bell noted that none of the guards were weak. Nearly all were Level 3 adventurers, and their numbers exceeded thirty. It was a formidable display of strength.
Having visited before, Bell was already sowhat familiar with the annex’s layout.
This ti, after locking onto Hephaestus-sama’s presence, he headed straight toward it. It was the sa room as before—her office.
But upon arriving at the door, Bell didn’t knock.
When he had sensed the presence earlier, he’d also picked up another person’s aura inside Hephaestus-sama’s office.
It was like a volcanic eruption—just detecting it gave him a sense of danger.
A Level 5. The captain of Hephaestus-sama’s group. Bell recognized the familiar feeling and was certain of their identity.
So, he waited outside for a while.
"Hephaestus-dono, Welf went to the Guild again today looking for a party to challenge the Dungeon."
Welf? Bell listened in casually, curiosity piqued.
’Welf’s looking for a team to tackle the Dungeon? Looks like he’s reached a turning point.’
’Coincidentally, I’ve been thinking about heading into the Middle Floors myself.’
The timing made Bell pause for a mont, but he had no intention of getting involved with Welf.
"He still hasn’t given up?"
He could hear a hint of exasperation in Hephaestus-sama’s tone.
And it was understandable. Within Orario’s top-tier production Familia, high-level adventurers had it easy—just ask a senior to help, and leveling up was simple. Yet Welf insisted on doing things the hard way.
"Yes. I already told him—if he wants to level up, he should form a party with so people from the Familia and head into the Dungeon to train for a while. There are quite a few new blacksmiths preparing for a rank-up too, so going together wouldn’t be a problem."
Large Familia often take in new adventurers. Those who join the Hephaestus Familia are naturally skilled blacksmiths, but even they must consider leveling up. After all, only by ranking up can they gain Developnt Abilities, which are vital to their craft.
The Developnt Ability "Blacksmith" is a crucial benchmark—it’s the gateway for becoming a true master blacksmith.
Because of this, most blacksmiths, even if they’re not interested in combat, will still strive to raise their level in hopes of acquiring "Blacksmith."
Going from Lv.1 to Lv.2 is relatively easy, especially within the supportive environnt of a large Familia, where access to resources is almost guaranteed.
And blacksmiths aren’t like regular adventurers. They train their stats to the limit before even considering a level-up. Most of them aim to reach the minimum threshold in one attribute, then imdiately rank up—all for a shot at gaining "Blacksmith."
But getting that Developnt Ability isn’t guaranteed.
If they fail to obtain "Forging" the first ti, their only option is to continue leveling up and try again at Lv.3.
Bell, listening from outside, understood all this clearly. He had only one thought.
’A pointless obsession.’
For an adventurer, the only real concern is survival.
Great weapons increase your odds of surviving in the Dungeon. That’s why adventurers crave high-quality arms.
Magic swords are among the best—they can release spells. But they co with harsh limitations. After a certain number of uses, they break down completely. The better the magic sword, the more pronounced this flaw, without exception.
And yet, there’s one outlier. Soone who sees weapons as companions—who can’t bear the thought of a comrade being created only to be destroyed. So, he gave up forging magic swords entirely.
Truly the pampered heir of a big Familia. A regular adventurer wouldn’t even entertain such luxurious ideals.
"Let him be. So things are hard to accept until you face them. For Welf, he won’t beco a real blacksmith until he takes that first step."
"Hephaestus-dono, aren’t you worried Welf might run into trouble?"
"In his current state, a little trouble might be exactly what he needs to snap out of it. And really, where’s an unknown blacksmith going to find a party willing to take him into the Dungeon?"
That was indeed a real issue.
Blacksmiths usually head into the Dungeon only to level up, but since they’re not fighters, most parties in Orario rarely want to bring one along.
"Ah, so Hephaestus-dono knew all along?"
"What do you think?"
"Hephaestus-dono, that’s pretty an of you."
"Hmph. That boy’s thinking too much. A bucket of cold water is what he needs to clear his head. Coddling him won’t help. Better to let him see firsthand how unforgiving Orario can be."
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