I Just Awakened My Sharingan, and You're Telling Me This Is DanMachi?

The red-haired goddess was left with a head full of question marks, her ruby-red eye locked onto that longsword still radiating waves of heat.

She couldn't make sense of what Ryota was saying.

But as a god who had lived for countless millions of years, Hephaestus had seen countless incredible forging techniques.

She could say with confidence that the aura coming from this weapon, so similar in appearance to the Kusanagi Sword, was extremely close to that of a magic sword.

In every outward sense, it fit the definition of a magic sword perfectly.

And yet, deep down, something about it just felt off.

Exactly what was wrong, even the Goddess of Smithing couldn't quite put into words at that moment.

It was like an old-school craftsman staring at blueprints, only to discover someone had used a completely unfamiliar, wildly unconventional, brand-new set of techniques.

Seeing the confusion in Hephaestus's eyes, Ryota spoke up.

"Mm… it's a bit complicated to explain. In short, this sword isn't what you'd call a 'magic sword,' Lady Hephaestus."

"And like I said earlier, this sword only works properly in my hands."

It wasn't Ryota trying to sound mysterious or spouting nonsense.

He was perfectly aware—

This thing really wouldn't work for anyone else!

No chakra, no A+ level chakra control like his, and all you'd get would be a "hot iron stick" that happened to look fancy.

But from an outsider's point of view…

That performance, that effect, that overwhelming presence—didn't it basically look like a magic sword?

Maybe even more dangerous than most magic swords.

So no wonder Hephaestus and Tsubaki were so shocked.

Hearing his explanation, Hephaestus let out a soft hum, then simply stopped asking. She told Ryota to make sure he got some rest, and left the workshop with Tsubaki in tow.

Tsubaki stretched out, her muscles finally relaxing after an entire day of tension.

"That kid… really is a monster. Less than three days, and he's managed to forge something on par with a magic sword."

"If word of this got out, all of Orario would go nuts over him."

She shook her head, still reeling from it all.

"Give him another three months of forging, who even knows what he might turn into?"

The moment she said that, Hephaestus, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.

Her uncovered eye landed on the Familia crest marked with the unique symbol, and she murmured:

"…I should find a chance to have a proper talk with Loki."

"Huh? Talk about what?"

Tsubaki tried to remember. Hadn't they already discussed all the orders with the Loki Familia?

"Figure out what it would take to trade Ryota away from Loki's side."

Tsubaki: "???"

Crazy. They were all going crazy!

These gods—every last one of them—were going crazy over one Adventurer!

…

Inside the workshop, Ryota had no idea the red-haired goddess had set her sights on him.

Right now he was sitting on a bench, still holding the Kusanagi Sword.

"At last, the mission's complete."

He'd picked up forging skills, and secured a weapon. His objective at the Hephaestus Familia had been fully accomplished.

It wasn't like he'd come to become an apprentice smith. This had only been to knock out those two main branch quests from the system.

"And besides…"

His fingers gently traced the faint glow dancing across the blade's spine, and his mind flashed to a certain golden-haired girl's eager expression.

"…I should head back."

"Breaking promises doesn't suit me."

With that, Ryota stood up, slotted the longsword into its custom scabbard on his back, gave the place a quick tidy-up, and finally pushed the door open to leave.

He followed the familiar streets, passing rows of buildings, until he completely left the Hephaestus Familia's territory and began heading toward Twilight Manor.

The trip was uneventful.

Soon enough, he was standing outside that familiar building.

"Finally made it back."

"It was only three days, but it felt like a whole reincarnation cycle."

He patted some dust from his clothes, just about to step forward—when a familiar mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his ear:

[Ding—Main Branch Quest Triggered!]

[Defeat an Adventurer above Level 3 (0/1), incomplete, reward unknown]

[Provide a combat power boost to any member of your current Familia (0/1), incomplete, reward unknown]

Ryota's gaze fell slightly, eyes resting on the stone steps below him.

Defeat an Adventurer above Level 3—that he could understand.

That golden-haired girl was still waiting for a sparring match, after all. Ryota was confident he could beat her.

And if the worst came to worst, if he got beaten to a pulp, he could always go find the honest Raul to tick the quest box.

But that second quest—Provide a combat power boost to a Familia member…

That sounded… suspiciously vague.

"Boost their combat power? Like giving them gear, or taking them to grind in the Dungeon?"

"Or maybe… like before, helping Lefiya work through her mental block?"

Ryota murmured to himself, thoughts running in all directions.

Judging by the system's habitually fuzzy wording, this so-called "combat boost" might not just be about a raw stat increase.

It could mean a mental breakthrough, a leap in technique, or even a timely assist or rescue—all of those seemed to fit.

"So in other words… there might be tons of ways to finish it?"

"Whatever. I'll find Ais first."

With that, Ryota quit worrying and stepped straight into Twilight Manor.