When it came to business, Hephaestus's previously somewhat lax expression immediately tightened.
She took out the Sky-Piercing Sword and the Vision that Levi had temporarily entrusted to Tsubaki's care yesterday from her handbag, but instead of handing them over, she placed them in her palm, examining them closely.
"The two pieces of equipment you gave Tsubaki have an effect similar to being bound to a specific individual. With her current abilities, she can't study them thoroughly without damaging the original structure of the weapons."
"So?" Levi asked calmly, though he had already guessed her intentions.
Just as he expected, the next second, Hephaestus's lips curled into a smile. "I intend to buy out the ownership of these two items directly."
"..." x2
Seeing that neither Hestia nor Levi answered, the red-haired goddess didn't mind and simply continued on her own.
"You are Hestia's Familia member, after all. I won't let you get a bad deal on the price."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and made a 'five' gesture. "Fifty million."
This was undoubtedly a huge sum.
Most of the time, it was enough to purchase top-tier second-class weapons in Orario, and you could even get dozens of mid-to-high-grade magic swords.
However, Levi shook his head after hearing the offer.
"The Sky-Piercing Sword is a weapon I've carried since I was a child. In terms of materials and craftsmanship, while it may not compare to a first-class weapon, it clearly surpasses the average for a second-class one. As for the other accessory, with Lady Hephaestus's discerning eye, you should be able to see its specific effects."
"A piece of equipment that can automatically absorb and store mana, then convert it into an ice element enchantment... in a way, it's already a different kind of indestructible magic sword."
Hephaestus's expression was calm, unfazed by the young man's rebuttal from across the dining table.
If Levi had truly been so overwhelmed by the mere 50 million Valis she threw at him that he lost his bearings, she would have looked down on him.
While she would still offer some help for Hestia's sake, it would have been limited to just that.
She immediately raised one finger. "One hundred million."
Under the table, Hestia subconsciously gripped the hand of the person beside her.
She knew all too well what kind of an improvement one hundred million could bring to her Familia member.
Levi returned her grip with a look that said, 'Leave it to me.'
He cleared his throat. "Lady Hephaestus, am I, Levi Bright, the kind of person who forgets righteousness for profit, a greedy and lecherous man!"
Hephaestus said nothing, simply raising a second finger.
"Two hundred million."
"But then again," Levi's tone suddenly shifted.
Only to get a hard rap on the head from Hestia. "You look so shameless right now!"
Levi spread his hands. "I can't help it. Lady Hephaestus is offering a whole lot."
At this, the red-haired, one-eyed goddess let out a chuckle. She had thought the young man sitting opposite her was an overly serious fellow.
It seemed she had misjudged him.
"Alright, jokes aside." After calming Hestia, Levi's expression became serious again. "Lady Hephaestus, your desire to purchase my equipment isn't just for Miss Tsubaki's research, is it?"
"That's right," Hephaestus admitted openly. "There was something I wanted to understand, and now, I can confirm it."
"..." Levi fell silent.
He wasn't the type to get a cheat ability and leave his brain on a shelf, thinking everyone else was an idiot. From the very beginning, he had treated the gods of Orario with the utmost caution and care.
Because of this, when he found out Hephaestus had come to visit and heard from Hestia that she was here to see him, Levi had already guessed the red-haired goddess's thoughts.
As a goddess herself—or rather, precisely because she was a goddess and understood how her peers thought—Hestia also realized it.
Her friend had claimed to be here to buy weapons, but in reality, she came to confirm the effects of Levi's skill!
She quickly spoke up. "Hephaestus, could I ask you not to tell anyone about Levi's situation?"
Seeing the two serious faces across the table, Hephaestus smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not one to gossip. However..." She looked at Levi. "Coming to me first, right after Hestia... you certainly made the right move."
Watched by the one-eyed goddess, Levi couldn't help but touch his nose.
Levi had actually anticipated this scene from the moment he had Hestia contact Hephaestus and used the goddesses' friendship to hire Tsubaki as a bodyguard for a day.
To be more precise, he had consciously guided events to this point.
Having lived two lives and possessing the soul of a middle-aged man, Levi was keenly aware that to live the life he desired in the world of DanMachi, he could do without many things, but power was the one thing he absolutely could not lack.
But his built-in cheat, his status panel and gacha system, required a massive amount of Valis.
If he had joined a mid-to-large-sized Familia earlier, he might have been able to get a loan from them using his skill to get through his initial weak phase.
But since he had chosen Hestia, his plans naturally needed to change.
Having watched the anime in his past life, Levi had a decent understanding of the personalities of the major gods depicted in it.
Hestia, for instance, was all positives—whether her personality or her figure—aside from the fact that her Familia was newly established and poor.
Next was Hephaestus. The fact that she would forge the Hestia Knife for Hestia at her request for just two hundred million Valis made her an absolutely 'good' god among the deities of Orario.
As for Loki and Freya, who also featured prominently in the story...
The former had a large family to support and showed a certain degree of indifference to non-Familia members.
The latter was even worse, a twisted romantic who pursued the feeling of love while ignoring the affections of her own Familia members.
If he wanted to use external help to quickly increase his strength, after some calculation, going through Hephaestus was undoubtedly the most convenient option.
To put it more bluntly, it was—'Rich benefactor, I'm broke and hungry.'
Seeing that Levi made no effort to hide his intentions, Hephaestus laughed for what felt like the umpteenth time since she had entered the Hestia Familia's home.
"Young man Levi, honestly, I've taken a liking to you. If it weren't for Hestia, I might have used more forceful means to take you for myself."
"Well, thank you so much for that, Hephaestus!" Hestia pouted beside them.
She had a slight suspicion that thanks to Levi's maneuvering, Hephaestus's affection for him had risen yet again.
As it turned out, Hestia was right.
_____
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