For three days straight, Bell and Hestia stayed with Hephaestus's Familia to work on forging the weapon.
Bell once again chose a short sword. Compared to longswords or greatswords, short swords were what he was most familiar with. Suddenly switching to a completely different weapon was a serious mistake, and in terms of agility, short swords still offered the best flexibility. So yes—the infamous "200 million" short sword was still set to be forged.
Naturally, during these three days, Bell took charge of all the assisting tasks that didn't require any special skill—pumping the bellows, keeping the forge temperature steady, and so on. Those kinds of chores weren't something a Familia god like Hestia-sama should be doing. As a result, the only ones truly busy during those three days were Bell and Hephaestus.
Throughout the entire forging process, Hephaestus had to stay alert and monitor the weapon continuously, making sure she didn't miss the perfect moment for each step. Likewise, the furnace had to stay at high heat the entire time, so Bell couldn't afford to fall asleep either.
Bell, who only had the stamina of an ordinary person, had dark circles under his eyes by the third day without sleep. He was constantly on the verge of dozing off during the forging process. By the end of the first day, he was already close to collapsing. But knowing that Hephaestus-sama was forging his weapon, Bell could only grit his teeth and force himself to stay awake.
After three intense days, Hephaestus finally completed the forging of the blade. But it wasn't fully finished yet—only in a half-complete state.
"Whew..."
Even for Hephaestus, it had been a long time since she forged a weapon like this. In fact, calling it a "weapon" barely felt accurate—it was more like a new form of life. It wasn't that the artifact had a soul; rather, life itself had been forged into the blade. This wasn't something Hephaestus had ever done before. It slightly diverged from her usual philosophy of what a weapon should be.
"It's done."
She exhaled slowly, still feeling satisfied with the result. Using strands of Hestia's hair as the base, she had created a weapon with metallic properties. Now, all that remained was for Hestia to complete the final step.
Hephaestus glanced over at Bell, who was swaying on his feet.
'His perseverance is impressive. He stuck with me through three days of forging... honestly, leaving a kid like this with Hestia is a bit of a waste.'
It wasn't the first time Hephaestus had thought something like that.
He showed concern for his Familia Head's feelings, cared about her pride, and even worried whether she might be overstepping.
Though their interaction had been brief, Hephaestus could already see what kind of person Bell was—level-headed, thoughtful, and grounded. As long as he didn't fall prey to someone like Freya's charm, he was clearly someone who truly belonged at Hestia's side.
Hestia, who had been waiting nearby, immediately rushed over the moment she heard the words "It's done."
"Is it finished?"
"One step left."
Hephaestus picked up the black short sword from its sheath. At a glance, it looked plain—no different from any other short sword. But its essence was entirely different. To truly awaken it, the blade still needed the blood of two people.
"This sword is like a living being. Hestia, you can inscribe your Familia's divine hieroglyphs on it. It's a weapon with growth potential, but it requires a special method to awaken."
"Hestia, complete the next step with your blood."
Without hesitation, Hestia took the silver needle and pricked her finger. A drop of blood ran down the blade, and divine hieroglyphs from Hestia's Familia immediately appeared on the surface. Though no Familia crest showed on the exterior, the weapon had now been fully activated.
The glowing blue script on the blade quickly faded away, and the once vividly inscribed weapon returned to its humble appearance—like it had always been nothing more than an ordinary short sword.
"Now it's complete. But Hestia, don't ever ask me to forge something like this again. I'm not making a second one."
Hephaestus was pleased with the blade, even though she had forged it entirely based on Hestia's initial, and rather demanding, request. It was perfectly usable by a beginner—lightweight, easy to handle, and exceptionally sharp. Despite her reluctance, she had crafted it.
Hestia carefully returned the sword to its sheath. This was the finest weapon—Bell's finest weapon. With the edge now honed, all that remained was to synchronize the blade with its wielder. The stronger the user's parameters, the more power the sword could draw out.
"This short sword is the perfect match for Bell-kun. He's growing so quickly that ordinary weapons won't be able to keep up. A weapon that grows with him—that's exactly what he needs."
Even Hestia was amazed that they'd managed to create such a weapon. Usable by a beginner, and capable of growing alongside its user—there was nothing else like it in Orario. Unless Hephaestus ever forged another, this blade would remain one of a kind.
Overcome with excitement, Hestia nearly jumped with joy. She couldn't wait to share this with her child.
"Bell..."
But the moment she turned around, Hestia noticed Bell standing frozen beside the bellows. Exhaustion was written all over his face. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, and though his eyes were open, his consciousness had already slipped away.
Hephaestus noticed too. Her gaze passed over the unconscious boy. For a brand-new adventurer, three days of nonstop labor was pushing far past the limit. He had only arrived in Orario five days ago, and this was already beyond what his body could take.
"This kid's been going without sleep for three days. Let him rest for a bit. Hestia, you need to take care of yourself too—you haven't slept in two days."
But Hestia, eyes fixed solely on Bell, just shook her head without concern. As a deity, a few sleepless days didn't affect her much, but for a Familia child, it was a different story. Gently, she walked over to Bell's side.
"He fell asleep standing up. If he was tired, he should've just said something. Pushing himself like this... it's not good for his health."
Even as she said those words, her gaze was filled with nothing but warmth.