I woke up slowly, and cracked my neck as I sat up.

Johnny, who was sitting nearby with a book of puzzles, held out a cup of strong coffee.

I grinned and accepted it, chugging the hot liquid. "Thanks, Johnny. Got a little Rowdy last night, huh?"

He nodded, looking unamused. "Yeah... and then I had to knock some sense into Loki for groping Alex."

I sighed. "Pervy Goddess... Alex is alright, though, yeah?"

"Yeah, just a bit skittish. It'll pass." He shrugged.

I stood up, and righted the table I had been under, then looked around at the bar, whistling gently. "More than a little rowdy..."

"Nah, that wasn't you guys. Some Lvl 2 adventurers came looking for trouble. I took care of them, but they busted up a few chairs and tables. Luckily the stages are alright." He shrugged, unconcerned.

I nodded and righted as much as possible, then went to my room, grabbing my gear, then heading out towards the Castle. Loki would be Updating Status today, as the Expedition was starting.

She hadn't updated my status in three months, because, in her words, 'I only did it so often because you grew so fast for your goals.'

I reached her office, and noticed a Line, so I stood at the back patiently. More people filed in after me, extending the line, and I smirked at the timing I displayed, only being about ten people back in the line. Johnny appeared after about ten minutes, and waited as well.

---

I entered Loki's office, shirt stripped and ready, and she pointed mutely at the couch, looking tired and just a bit hungover.

I laid down, and hummed. "No Bludwort Tea to get rid of that hangover?" I asked.

"Can't... before Status." She muttered, and pressed her bloody finger to my back.

'Xavier Leopold Dorian: LVL 4

STR: I0 () DEX: I0 ()

DEF: I0 () MAG: I0 ()

WPN: I0 () SKL: Yes.

(SKL: Juggernaut-Ignore Enemy ARM/DEF, SubSkill-Charge: change all DEX for DEF.

SKL: Relentless- Wounds don't Down.Stat,

SubSkill-Rage: Wounds Temp.Up STR/DEF.

SKL: Horse-Hearted- Stamina Temp.Up.

SubSkill- 2nd Wind: Daily, heal all STM.

SKL: Goliath- Raw Power. STR Up.

SubSkill- David- Stat.Up. Vs. Giants.)

(Ability: Hunter-H

............. Mystery-B

..........................???)

STR+955 DEX+700

DEF+950 MAG+865

WPN+880 SKL+ Goliath.'

"And just as I figured... you need to use your magic, Dex, and Weapon more. Your strength and Defense are awesome, and this Goliath Skill will be very useful... but you need some balance. Alright... Abilities... hmph. That's disappointing. Your choices seem to be either <> or <>."

"What's healing power?" I asked.

"A simple ability to heal others, which you can do already." She flapped a hand dismissively.

I hummed and shrugged. "Alright. Let's give <> the benefit of the doubt."

She nodded and started drawing.

"Alrighty then. You're done." She hopped off, and trudged over to the door, opening it and shouting. "!"

I chuckled and strolled out, allowing my armor to cover my body once more. As I walked, she called after me. "Next Expedition is in a month, and you and Johnny are both going!"

I waved a hand to signal I'd heard, and whistled a tune, trying to decide where to go. Viewing Johnny's loose-fitting armor was enough to help me decide.

---

I tapped on the door of the smithy, and it opened to reveal Hephaestus in Blacksmith gear.

"You need something?" She asked crossly.

"Not from you, but hopefully the best smith you've got? I've got a special project that needs doing." I said simply.

She hummed, then turned and barked into the forge. "TSUBAKI!"

A woman with brown skin and black hair, like an Amazon, popped around the corner, dusting coal off her hands. "Ye~~s?" She said playfully.

"See what he needs. I'm busy." Hephaestus said brusquely, and walked away.

"She doesn't like me much." I hummed.

"Did you offend her?"

"No? I have never spoken to her, not really. But she doesn't like Loki that much, and I'm a Lvl 4 in Loki's Familia, so... maybe that's it? Or maybe she just doesn't like me. Who knows." I shrugged.

The woman blinked her right eye, (the left eye being covered by an eyepatch,) and then hummed. "I see. Ah well... what can I do for you?"

"I need to forge a few suits of armor... and then Enchant them. Problem is, I'm not a , so I need someone to smith them, while I Enchant." I said simply.

She blinked slowly, and then grinned. "I love a challenge!!! Okay, so let me get this right. You have a material you want to use?"

"I want you to recommend some, and I'll go get them or buy them from you, as well as paying for the armor." I shrugged.

She nodded. "Okay... what enchantments? It does matter. Certain metals are better."

"I have Midgardian Silver, which is great for enchanting, but I'm not sure that's good for Armor..." I hummed.

She blinked again. "You're serious? HEPHAESTUS!!!"

Hephaestus, who was only about thirty feet away, and swinging at an anvil, turned to glare at us. "What?"

"He has Midgardian Silver, and he wants to make magic armor. He has Mystery." She grinned.

Hephaestus hummed. "So it was you who made that necklace... hmph. good work... for a novice." She shrugged.

I grinned. "I'll take what compliments I can get. So is Silver good for armor? I don't know."

She huffed and placed the prong of metal into the forge, clapping her hands to remove the sparks that clung to her, and then walked over. "Properly folded, it can be just as good as Adamantite." She shrugged. "Depends on how much you have."

"I can make it, actually, with my Skill, from scrap metal... so I have a basically infinite amount, so long as I have scrap." I nodded.

She hummed. "Okay. Tsubaki, just fold it like you would Steel with a katana. Make scales or ribs, and then layer them, with a weaker plate across the top. And just let him hammer during the folding to enchant it."

The one eyed girl nodded, and then led me to a room full of random types of weapons, all broken or destroyed in some way. "Scrap metal." She said simply.

I nodded and knelt, placing a hand on the pile, and spoke my Cinder Ella, connecting to it all. I melted it, and then once I had a pool of lava, my next step was to change it to silver, and let it cool.

Tsubaki whistled loudly. "That's the most Midgardian Silver I've ever seen..."

"Do you need more?" I asked, shivering from the sudden cold.

She hummed. "No, this should do for a test run... maybe some boots?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sure... just let me rest a while... I've never done that much..."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll get back to my regular work, and when you're all charged up, you come find me. Kay?"

I nodded again. "Sounds jolly."

She giggled and skipped away, starting to shovel coal into a furnace.

I leaned back for some sleep.

---

I was shaken awake suddenly, and found myself staring at my reflection. I was laying atop a pool of frozen metal.

I stood, and stretched, feeling rejuvenated. "Sorry about that."

She hummed. "You always suck up magic while you sleep?"

"Only when I'm tired." I shrugged.

"Hmm... alright. Well, I guess we can get to work now!" I stepped off the metal, and she picked it all up in one hand, what had to be about two tons of pure silver.

We entered a forge, and she calmly cracked the giant circle in half, which felt like a punch to my gut, so I disconnected it from my mind.

Then one half was placed into a giant cauldron, and heated until it boiled. Pouring it into a thick sheet about 8ft-by-8ft created a square of silver.

She handed me a sledgehammer, and then began ramming her own hammer into the metal. I activated Mystery, focusing on both the 'Unbreakable' Durendal enchantment, and also my Cinder Ella, thinking about it being able to recede into a thick anklet.

Then I sang, because I wanted it to provide another, amazing ability.

"

."

I sang in my rich bass, hammering with the glowing white hammer.

Tsubaki, once she realized I was able and willing to hammer on my own, moved to quickly folding the metal under my hammer.

When I had successfully created a boot, under her supervision, I stopped singing and swinging, sweating an unholy amount. I dropped the hammer, my arms feeling like noodles, and sat on my heels. "How was that?" I asked her.

She nodded and examined the boot, then slipped it on. She yelped as a burst of fire leapt out of the bottom, launching her into a flip because of the unbalance. She landed, and then breathed slowly. It disassembled, and shrank into a bracelet.

She pulled it off, and grinned. "It's definitely interesting... what did you say the Rank of your Mystery was?"

"Level Four, Rank B." I smiled.

She nodded. "It shows... the fire is for acceleration or changes in direction midair?"

"Correct."

"And I see a Durendal in here?"

"Yes." I nodded.

She nodded, and then dropped the second batch of silver in.

---

I sat down heavily, and cracked my neck. "Is that the final piece?"

She fitted it onto the manikin, and it connected to the others. "Just a helmet is left." She nodded.

"That stubborn bastard won't wear a helmet... this is good. Thank you."

She grinned. "Don't thank ! Thank ! I didn't do much except detailing! You're a natural smith! You should join our Familia."

Hephaestus, who was examining my armor, hummed. "He's staying with Loki... but not bad. Sturdy, flexible, well enchanted... I like the Aegis Enchantment on the chest plates... and the fire on the boots and gloves, yes... over all, not bad. I'd give it a C Rank, were it not Enchanted with Durendal."

I nodded. "High praise indeed, from you. Thank you, Lady Hephaestus."

She nodded and walked away as I let the armor turn into two anklets, two fingerless gloves, a belt, and a necklace.

I gathered them and placed them in my bag. "Now, what do I owe you, as far as your assistance and the materials?" I asked.

"It was all scrap, but a good amount of it... you could pay me by turning more scrap into Silver?" She asked hopefully.

I chuckled. "No, I'd like the monopoly, for now. What else?"

She huffed. "Fine... then you'll work for me for a few days. You don't have to enchant anything, but you're good at swinging a hammer."

I shrugged. "Done. I'll see you at dawn."

"An hour before dawn!" She bartered, and I chuckled, waving as I walked out.

---

I handed the armor to Johnny, and he hummed, slipping the gloved on. They turned into full bracers, and the knuckles lit on fire, as he activated them.

He flinched. "Whoa... ..."

"The boots are even better." I stepped back, and he equipped the rest of the armor. The boots ignited simultaneously, and he hummed, then stomped, sending himself into the air. He whirled, and stomped on the air, redirecting repeatedly, before allowing himself to land on the ground.

He grinned. "Very cool... you're sure this armor is for me? Seems a little too... leveled."

I grinned. "It's made from earth silver, and it's nearly indestructible. It'll be useful in the Expedition... and also a sword, because your current one wouldn't cut most monsters in the lower floors." I held out a new katana, similarly enchanted, but with Tempest, instead of Fire.

He drew it slowly, and grinned at the gleaming black blade, with a small white wave on the bladed edge, courtesy of my folding practices. "Thank you... here, I actually got you something as well." He pulled a small baton out of his pocket, and held it out.

I gripped it, and flicked it out, only to blink in shock when it kept extending, creating a long, bladed whip.

I cracked it once, and chuckled. "Thanks, Old Man... very nice... because of the Beast Tamer skill, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Heard about it, then saw this... it seemed appropriate."

I grinned. "Thanks... now let's go get a drink, eh? I love this place, I can drink in public, and there's no cops to get pissed about it!" I laughed.

He grinned as well, as the whip receded into a simple baton, which I set on my right thigh, and a holster appeared. "True. Same. Let's go, then."