The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

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1/5

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Loki had left.

Her parting expression was... hard to read. It was unclear whether she was annoyed—or perhaps actually looking forward to something.

Hestia looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she held her tongue.

Truth be told, Yoru rejecting Riveria's instruction was a good thing for her.

She had been sulking, imagining him spending time alone with that beautiful elf and potentially falling head over heels.

But now? She didn't need to worry about that anymore.

Her recent efforts hadn't been in vain—surely, Yoru was starting to notice the strong motherly aura she had worked so hard to cultivate.

Now that Loki was gone, Hestia felt a bit more confident.

Across from them, sitting at the desk, Hephaestus let out a long sigh.

"Honestly… I don't even know what to say about your personality. Pride is one thing, but take it too far and you'll start pushing people away."

"Besides, Hestia didn't exactly grovel in front of Loki. Sure, she made a request, but Loki didn't hesitate to agree."

"…That's not why I rejected her."

Hephaestus raised an eyebrow, but Yoru shook his head.

"Then why? I know a bit about your story. Publicly confessing to Riveria of the Loki Familia—this was your chance to spend time with the woman you like. So why turn it down?"

"If I can't approach the woman I like on my own… and have to rely on another woman's favor just to meet her, doesn't that make me look completely useless as a man?"

His tone was matter-of-fact, but it left Hephaestus speechless.

And nestled in Yoru's arms, Hestia couldn't help but smile with happiness.

So… he does see me as a woman, huh? My motherly charm is definitely working!

If this keeps up, maybe—just maybe—I can win against that elf.

After all, I'm the one who's always close to him.

Even if Riveria has a special place in Yoru's heart, if they don't meet often, that bond will fade over time.

"Mhm! I support you, Yoru! If you like her, then you have to go for it!"

Hestia cheered him on, her words full of heavy implication. Whether Yoru caught on or not… was anyone's guess.

Watching the raw, overflowing emotion in Hestia's expression, Hephaestus could tell her feelings were genuine.

She suddenly felt a pang of guilt for her earlier doubts and misjudgments. Letting out another sigh, the goddess of forging finally spoke.

"…I've changed my mind, Hestia. I'll help him forge a weapon."

Hestia's eyes flew open in shock, her head snapping up to face her friend.

Hephaestus just gave her a shrug.

"But make no mistake—this isn't because of your request. It's a deal. He'll still need to pay."

"Ehh… We still have to pay? How much?"

"I won't know the exact amount until the weapon's complete. Depends on the materials used and the difficulty of the forging process."

Hephaestus cleared her throat.

"Whatever the cost is, though… it'll be astronomical for someone like you. Ten years, a hundred years—I expect you to pay me back."

She turned her gaze to Yoru, who still hadn't said a word, and raised a brow in challenge.

"Well? Are you going to reject this too?"

Yoru stayed silent, but Hestia tugged at his sleeve. She knew exactly what it meant to have a weapon personally forged by Hephaestus. She didn't want him to turn her down again.

"…I was just wondering whether your weapon will actually hold up."

"I mean, if I'm going to be paying a fortune for it, I'd rather not see it fall apart like the last one."

"Don't worry about the quality. I'll be forging this one myself. And a staff is nothing like a sword—especially that sword, which, I'll remind you, was made by one of my Familia members."

"…Fine. Just as you said, I do need a proper staff. I accept your offer."

Yoru wasn't all that interested in using weapons to begin with, but he couldn't bring himself to reject Hephaestus's gesture.

She was clearly trying to save face after what had happened earlier—and if he coldly refused, that would be far too cruel.

While he mulled this over, Hephaestus turned toward the tool rack attached to the wall.

On a narrow shelf were several newly polished forging hammers.

Though she had just dramatically revealed her divine hammer to Yoru earlier, in the Lower World where she had no divine power, she couldn't use her true weapon.

"Don't just stand there, Hestia. Help me out. Consider it part of your debt."

Hephaestus took a plain but functional hammer with no decorative elements and tucked it into the pouch at her waist.

Then she moved toward a crystalline case, unlocked it, and opened it to reveal several metallic ingots.

Carefully seated inside the case like sacred treasures, the metal blocks glowed faintly.

From them, she selected one that radiated a soft silvery sheen—mithril.

It was the best possible material for magic conduction, making it ideal for filling the core of a staff.

"…To think I'd get to see Hephaestus forge something with her own hands again. I'm lucky."

"Save your awe. Make yourself useful."

Hephaestus replied curtly to Hestia, who had been staring at her with sparkling eyes.

"Need my help?"

Yoru blinked at the energetic Hestia and offered a casual question.

"Nah, you're fine. Go wait back at home. Forging isn't something that gets done overnight."

If she was going to do it, then she would give it her all—and craft something so powerful it would leave Yoru utterly speechless.

Still annoyed by how everything had unfolded earlier, Hephaestus was determined.

But now came the hard part—how to actually forge such a weapon?

As she began to mentally sift through all the works she had created over the years… the forge goddess entered deep thought.

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