Danmachi: Hephaestus is my Wife

No one spoke to me, and everyone fell silent after I arrived. After a few minutes, everyone at the table disappeared.

Then, Hephaestus appeared.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Why did you come to eat with the others? You should have come to eat with me! They didn't say anything unnecessary about you, did they? I try to change that, but I can't!" Hephaestus seemed irritated.

Even as a Goddess, she couldn't change the minds of her Familia members about me.

So many plot holes in this 'story.'

"Don't worry, I don't care what they say."

"Hm? What's gotten into you? Are you sure you're yourself?" Hephaestus placed her hand on my forehead to check my temperature. "You're not running a fever."

"What? Is it that strange that I don't care about what they say?"

"...It's just that you used to get really upset… Never mind. It's good that you're starting to care less about what others think." Hephaestus gave me a big smile that lit up my soul.

I stood up from the chair without much thought.

I grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips.

When our lips touched, Hephaestus widened her eyes in surprise.

Our kiss lasted a few seconds, and when our lips parted, Hephaestus's face was flushed. "That's the first time you've been so bold. I never thought you'd do something like that."

What on earth happened before I took over this body?

Was I someone without any initiative, letting Hephaestus dominate me?

This can't be real.

'This backstory is worse than I thought.'

"But I was sad, you know? It's been so long since I've eaten alone. Come on, I'll take you to the training room. After that, I'll have to leave you alone since I have things to do."

"That's fine."

I had eaten enough already.

I got up and followed Hephaestus until we arrived at a room. It was a strange training room, given that it was in the same area as the bedrooms. It made no sense.

Inside the room, I could already hear some sounds.

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

Someone was hammering something. As I entered, scorching heat hit my skin. The room had three furnaces emitting a frightening heat, and there were two men.

Both were muscular and shirtless. They stopped hammering and turned to look at us.

When they saw me, one looked at me with disgust, while the other had a smile on his face.

"Eryk, you're finally here! You're late today, you know? Oh, good morning, Goddess," the smiling man said. He was tall but shorter than me. He had blond hair and dark brown eyes. He was someone I had never seen before.

An unimportant character.

The other one was unimportant, too.

He was bald and had black eyes. He was short—maybe 173 cm tall?

He clicked his tongue and said, "Good morning, Goddess. And you're late." He looked at me sternly, judging me.

"Good morning," I said.

I didn't remember their names, but Hephaestus helped me out.

"Good morning, Balnan and Luck. Please go easy on him. Eryk is very tired since he didn't sleep well last night."

Balnan, who showed no contempt for me, understood and laughed. "Hahaha, I see. Don't worry, I always go easy on him."

"Don't worry, Goddess," Luck said.

"All right. Train hard; I have high expectations," Hephaestus said with a smile as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

I gave a bitter smile.

It's clear she's only saying that because she likes me.

None of them have any hope. They don't believe I can become a quality blacksmith. They think I'll keep training forever without achieving anything.

But I'll prove them wrong.

"See you later, Goddess. I'll work hard," I said confidently.

Hephaestus widened her eyes in surprise. "I've never seen you so confident. I'm looking forward to the results. I'll leave now. Good work, everyone." She waved and left the room smiling, leaving just the three of us.

Balnan was the first to approach me as soon as the Goddess left.

"You idiot. Don't just stand there unless you want me to break your hand. Tsk!" He glared at me with contempt. It was an even worse look than Luck's.

I understand what is happening.

He was acting friendly because of Hephaestus. He hates me.

Huff~~

I sighed long and grabbed the large hammer Balnan handed me.

"You're not leaving here today until you forge a sword. Last time, you spent the whole day and couldn't do anything. You just can't learn. I don't know why the Goddess lets you keep wasting resources."

"Exactly. Make a sword, or we'll clean the floor with your face like last time. Hahaha," Luck laughed loudly.

"Don't worry; I'm confident I can make something today."

I sat down and looked at the heated, red, glowing metal.

Gripping the hammer tightly, sweat dripping all over me, I began hammering.

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

Clank!

After hammering the heated metal a few times and slowly shaping it, a system message appeared.

[ +1 ]

[ 1/100 ]

"Huh?"

"What is it? Why did you stop?" Balnan asked.

"It's nothing." I smiled and continued striking the red-hot metal with my hammer.

After five more hammer strikes:

[ +1 ]

[ 2/100 ]

I don't know what it means, but the number is increasing.

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Next chapters: Chapter 6 - Rank H. / Chapter 7 - I will become the best blacksmith in the Hephaestus Familia. +18 / Chapter 8 - Cunningulus in the bathroom +18 / Chapter 9 - Do whatever you want. +18 / Chapter 10 - You are an animal. +18 / Chapter 11 - Hephaestus is angry.