After coming out of the Dungeon, Welf parted ways with Bell's group near the Guild plaza, promising to meet later that night for dinner and a well-earned celebration of their survival.
The walk to the Hephaestus Familia workshop was familiar—gravel crunching beneath his boots, the scent of smoke and steel in the air. But what greeted him at the compound was anything but familiar.
He expected the usual: forges blazing, hammers ringing, and apprentices bickering over alloy ratios. Instead, the place buzzed with chaos—lines of reinforced wooden frames, crates of mechanical parts, and smiths racing about, clearly assembling something massive.
At the center of it all stood Tsubaki Collbrande, coat tied at her waist, her voice slicing through the din like a blade.
"Move it! You slackers think money just falls from the sky?! Every bolt you drive today is one step closer to your own dream, your own fortune!"
An apprentice hesitated by a half-fitted wheel.
"No hesitation!" Tsubaki barked, brandishing her wrench like a divine artifact. "We get one of these beauties running, and it's independence! One truck—ten returns! One month of sweat, a lifetime of coin!"
The workers laughed and cheered. She had the air of a cult leader—but a charismatic one.
Welf blinked, half in disbelief. "...Trucks?"
Tsubaki spotted him immediately. "Welf! You're alive. Good. Grab a pair of gloves and start working!"
Before he could reply, she had him by the arm, dragging him toward a half-assembled frame. The wooden chassis gleamed with fresh polish, faintly glowing runes etched along the edges.
"We're revolutionizing land transport," she announced proudly. "No horses. Just magic-assisted drive, compressed mana fuel, reinforced wheels—hell, we've even got suspension for rough roads!"
Welf studied the framework with a frown. "Looks like… a freight wagon with runes."
"Don't think small." She jabbed her wrench skyward. "Think freedom. No more delays for shipments. Farmers, merchants, adventurers—they'll line up to rent this from us."
"And they'll rent them from us, huh?" Welf asked, dryly.
"Yup. Endless demand," Tsubaki grinned. "You build one, and it pays for itself. Build ten, and you're rich. Build fifty…"
She trailed off, eyes glittering—either from the vision of the future or pure theatrics. Welf couldn't tell. Maybe neither could she.
"So… this isn't about craftsmanship?"
Tsubaki's grin didn't waver, but the edge dulled. "It's about faster shipments and lots of money."
Welf ran a hand over the timber edge of the chassis. It was solid. Functional. And lifeless. He felt no fire. No soul. Just numbers.
"I see," he said softly.
Tsubaki heard the shift. Her expression faltered. "You don't like it."
"It's good," he admitted. "But this feels like it was made by a worker instead of a blacksmith. If I wanted to chase coin, I'd still be forging magic swords."
She sighed and tossed her wrench onto a crate. "Suit yourself. Just don't come begging for a ride when these things rule the road."
He smiled faintly, offered a respectful nod, and walked away as her voice picked up again—rallying her troops like a priestess of steel.
While she worked on the trucks based on Luthar's design back in the church compound, Luthar remained immersed in his own work. The soft hum of generators filled the underground sanctum. Light from narrow panels overhead cast the room in a pale glow, sharpening every outline of the tools, scrolls, and steel around him.
A sample of alloy slid into the shaping rig. Sparks bloomed. He monitored the pressure carefully, his eyes never blinking.
The new material—fused with magical residue—showed promise. Lightweight, more conductive, and, hopefully, resilient enough to withstand spatial turbulence.
He laid the sample aside and turned to his blueprint table. One scroll unfurled in front of him: a dense schematic of what looked like a containment ring. Three different designs have already been scribbled, and from the looks of it, this fourth one will also be scribbled.
"Dimensional Gate Bridge Mk 21… No, too dramatic," he muttered. "Space bridge? That sounds like something from Transformers. Transit Halo..."
He sighed. "Too many names, let's forget it and work on the blueprint."
Separate from him, Hephaestus was handling enchantments. They were progressing—slowly.
Luthar's fingers hovered over a resonance crystal. What might happen if it destabilized during activation?
That morning conversation echoed faintly in his mind. Hephaestus's overthinking about the Guild and his decision to start going to other worlds within a week are risky but very important decisions.
The rig hissed, signaling another sample was ready. He rolled up the blueprint and moved to draw a new one.
At the same time, across the city, the Loki Familia manor stood quiet—too quiet. Within its halls, behind shuttered windows and closed doors, a different kind of fire burned.
Loki lounged on a velvet chaise in her chamber, half-draped over the cushions with an empty wine glass dangling from one hand. Her usual smugness had given way to contemplative silence.
Finn Deimne stood before her, his gear still dusty from the dungeon. His brow furrowed slightly as he watched her.
"You're worried," he said, matter-of-fact.
"I'm annoyed," she corrected, twirling the glass with idle fingers. "Hephaestus didn't cooperate fully; I suspect the information I have gotten from her is incomplete."
Finn's gaze sharpened. "So what does Guild actually want from him?"
"Actually, it's nothing. They just want the information about that weapon and anything else she had." She sat up, setting the glass down.
"They want you to investigate?"
"Worse. They want us to monitor, evaluate, and possibly intervene. Not officially, of course. But we both know how this game plays."
Finn frowned. "Let's say if Hephaestus is on the Luther side and we really help the guild to monitor Luther, then Hephaestus might cause lots of problems for our family."
"Then we can also pretend to monitor him without offending them."
Agreeing with Loki's words, Finn asks, "so what do we know about him currently?"
"Just the basics. His planning for communication gear. A new workshop. Nothing about those weapons."
"And you believe he's hiding something?"
"I know he is," she said. "From the first glance I could say the guy is too troublesome."
Finn folded his arms. "What's the plan?"
"We watch and try to pick the stronger side with more benefit."
"or just stay out of this matter completely."