"Hmm, after he levels up. Right now is the best time to build a foundation—I don't want to scatter his focus."
Finn clasped his hands in front of his face and smiled:
"I heard Fron is already an apprentice blacksmith and even forged his own belt."
"Nani!?"
------------------------------
Riveria suddenly turned around, her expression one of astonishment.
"He even studied forging? Could it be… he intended to acquire the Development Ability 'Blacksmith' when he leveled up?"
Finn nodded, then showed a slightly envious expression.
"Probably because of his skills. Acquiring more knowledge lets him level up faster. Not just 'Blacksmith,' maybe he also wants to develop 'Mystery.'"
Riveria murmured softly,
"Creating weapons and magic items—those two systems are indeed vast, and quite suitable for his 'Development Abilities.' But whether they'll activate or not depends on whether he has the talent."
"'Mystery'—there aren't even five people in the entire city who possess it."
Finn narrowed his eyes, hinting at something.
"His 'Reader' skill allows him to learn and memorize knowledge quickly."
"If you analyze it carefully, the three skills 'Reader,' 'Scholar,' and 'Infinite Super-Magic' form a perfectly complementary system. I can't help but feel a little jealous."
"Hahaha, it's not just you—this old man is also very jealous."
"I wonder what kind of obsession led him to develop such abilities."
'Skills,' also known as 'Crystals of Emotion,' are born from the children's infinite potential.
Take Ais, for example—her strongest skill, 'Avenger,' was triggered by her deep hatred of monsters.
"Well then, young people have their own things to do. We old folks also have matters to handle."
"How's the prep work for the next 'Expedition' going?"
Gareth, in charge of equipment, nodded.
"We've already commissioned the Goibniu and Hephaestus Familia's. But due to the sheer quantity, they can't finish forging everything right away. It'll take some time."
"What about items?"
Riveria shook her head.
"Not ideal. Even setting aside ordinary items, there aren't many of the more specialized ones like 'Custom Antidotes,' 'High Heal Potions,' and 'Elixir' on the market. Even with most of the Dian Cecht Familia focused on producing them, it's still far from enough. Also—rare materials are in very short supply."
"I heard the Ganesha Familia's expedition failed too, which is why the rare materials are lacking."
"Exactly. After all, there are very few Familia capable of reaching the 'Deep Floors.'"
"This is troublesome."
"If you ask me, just make the Guild handle it. The mandatory expedition order came from them, after all. They should take some responsibility."
Finn thought for a while, then clapped his hands in decision.
"Alright. Tomorrow, Loki and I will go to Guild Headquarters. That fat pig Royman better cough up some resources."
"Hahaha, the Guild's loaded anyway."
At that moment, Royman—the Guild Head, known as the 'Guild Pig'—was unaware that a blade was already hanging over his head.
...
In the mansion's courtyard—
When Fron regained consciousness for who knows how many times, he could still faintly hear the excited chatter of the girls.
Things like, "That punch to the face was so satisfying!"
"Haven't felt this refreshed in ages!"
"That pitiful little expression was hilarious!"
These—these damned demon girls! Veins bulged on Fron's forehead as he instantly flew into a rage!
"Again!!!"
Boom—!
As expected, he rolled his eyes and passed out again.
This time, it was [Sword Princess] Ais Wallenstein who took him down.
"Can I have a lap pillow, Ais?"
"——?"
Ais tilted her head expressionlessly, then knelt down and patted her lap.
"Is this what it feels like to be a winner in life?"
A lap pillow from a beautiful girl—even though she still had her armored boots on and it wasn't perfect, who else could say they'd made it this far?!
"Wow, Ais is so forward. Sniff sniff, what's that smell? A bit sour!"
"Y-you scoundrel Fron!!! I challenge you to a duel!"
Lefiya exploded completely, storming over with a furious face and violently shaking her head.
"S-st-stop! I'm gonna pass out again!"
"Get away from Ais immediately! You bastard, shameless and arrogant! How dare you defile Ais! I'll destroy you—!"
And then—
Lefiya was hoisted up by Tiona, who smiled cheerfully, kicking her legs in protest while shouting things like "I'll kill you in three days n number of times!"
The noisy chaos—with all the eye-candy girls—was a fun experience, though the training was also extremely harsh.
After just one day, Fron was sore all over, with every muscle screaming in pain. Even with his high endurance, he was left bruised and battered.
"I'm heartbroken over that 1,000-valis healing potion. Ugh, it hurts."
"Serves you right!"
Lefiya puffed her cheeks, cursing angrily.
He blinked, instinctively tuning out the elven girl. As expected—elves were his nemesis.
"Fron, we're continuing tomorrow. Don't be late."
"..."
The girls cheerfully waved goodbye and ran off, laughing together.
Leaving him standing there, dazed in the wind.
"This awful daily life… what a blissful kind of trouble. Sigh."
Shaking his head and sighing, he slowly walked away.
Previously, he had asked Welf to help him purchase a secluded [Forge Workshop].
It was a bit rundown, even worse than Welf's place, but supposedly had all the necessary tools, so Fron decisively paid for it.
The little building was also located in the industrial area of the northeast quadrant.
From the northern mansion, it took just over ten minutes to walk—very close.
Standing on the weedy ground in front of his own workshop, Fron turned in place, surveying the scene with his hands on his hips, nodding with satisfaction.
"That guy was thoughtful. I'll treat him to a drink next time."
"From now on, this place belongs to me—Fron Argon!"
With that, he pushed the door open and entered with his big backpack.
Just like the listing described, it had a full set of basic tools neatly hung on the wall.
Not only that, there were even sewing machines, various forging hammers, and anvils.
"Perfect, let's get started."
Rubbing his hands, he opened his backpack and took out all the drop items.
"Still got plenty of rabbit pelts, and some hide from the orc."
"Last time, my palms got blistered from wielding a short sword in heavy combat. Better make some gloves first."
Having gloves in combat is crucial—some monsters have dirty tricks, like special attacks.
Your hands connect directly to your weapon. If your hands get injured, you lose most of your combat effectiveness.
"Alright, a standard glove design, with a blank space on the back for future upgrades."
With the plan roughly formed in his mind, Fron got to work.
Meanwhile, in the meeting room, the top members of the Loki Familia were enjoying evening tea.
"Fron's gone out again?"
Ais nodded, and then Tiona cheerfully revealed his destination.
"He bought a forge workshop. Seems he went over there."
Gareth stroked his beard and laughed heartily.
"Ha! That kid moves fast. I thought he'd save up gold for a proper staff first."
Tiona snuggled up to the blushing elven girl—probably embarrassed from being next to Ais—rubbing her cheek affectionately.
"All thanks to Lefiya. Heard they ran into a 'Monster Party' on the 12th floor and scored big."
The royal elf elegantly sipped her tea and sat upright across from them.
"I see. So now our Familia has its own blacksmith. A bit of a luxury."
"Well, it's nice, right? At least we'll spend a little less on expeditions from now on. We're seriously broke, okay?"
Loki sipped her drink, squinting her divine eyes.
Come to think of it, the [Loki Familia] practically emptied their coffers every time they went on an 'Expedition.' That's a big reason such a large Familia was always strapped for cash.