[Homeros], the Phantasmal Night Smith...
The most revered historian and literary figure in Western history: a blind old man who traveled more widely than anyone and was respected as a wise sage. The [Keeper of Illusions], who personally recorded countless heroic tales and innumerable myths.
He was a great scholar without whom we might not have achieved even half of modern literature's development. To put it bluntly, this is fantastic! How do I know stuff like this? These days, subculture requires a solid foundation of knowledge...
"Do you... like it?"
"Yes! I like it very much!"
So this world really does reflect parts of my original world... He was a person who had never existed here, yet his name had been inscribed as my alias.
"So, you've become Level 2 and can use Magic now... What are you going to make?"
"...Ever since I first awakened this Magic, there's been one weapon I absolutely wanted to make with it."
"What is it, a sword? A spear?"
"A spear. The spear of a great hero and guardian who, by himself, forcibly tipped the scales of a ten-year war."
"A spear... A spear, huh... Then take this and go to the Loki Familia."
My goddess suddenly scribbled out two letters and handed them to me...?
"Pardon?"
"You said you're making a spear, didn't you? Give the one stamped with our Familia's seal to the gatekeeper, and they'll let you in. Give the unsealed one to Loki when you speak to her. I owe Loki a bit, too, so sell your first Noble Phantasm to the [Braver] while you're at it."
"Wait, can patron deities just arrange things between themselves like this?"
"It's fine, it's fine. There would be a problem if there were lots of blacksmith Familias, but when it's just us and the Goibniu Familia, it doesn't matter much."
"Ah... Yes."
"Oh, and for now, your Magic, Mystery, and mana-related Skill are trump cards we didn't announce at Denatus. Until Loki agrees to my proposal, never mention your Skills. I wrote some of it in that unsealed letter anyway, so if she agrees, just give her that letter."
"All right~"
[Braver] Finn Deimne... A man who fashioned himself into a hero for the revival of his race. One of the few great Prums in this world.
Honestly, I really like Finn Deimne's humanity as a Prum. A person cannot always be good, nor can they always be righteous. So what if, for the sake of oneself and the group one belongs to, one ruthlessly cuts away outsiders? Personally, he was the character I found most human while reading DanMachi.
"Then... shall I go meet the famed [Braver]...?"
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A young man walks...
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"Good day."
"Who are you?"
When I arrived at Twilight Manor... Oh, they even had gatekeepers.
"Ah, I'm from the Hephaestus Familia. Could you deliver this letter to Lady Loki?"
"Please wait a moment."
The man who looked like the senior among the gatekeepers took the letter and went inside. He would probably deliver it directly to Loki, their patron deity.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Um..."
"..."
"..."
This is awkward. Fucking awkward!
"You may enter now. I will guide you through the manor."
"Ah, yes. Thank you for your trouble."
As I followed him upstairs, the senior gatekeeper must have gotten tired of the silence, because he struck up a conversation.
"Is this your first time at Twilight Manor?"
"Yes. More importantly, it's my first time visiting another Familia's home at all."
"This Twilight Manor has seven towers and..."
Blah, blah, blah.
'This guy sure talks a lot.'
Using the skill I had acquired during my school days—letting words go in one ear and out the other while thinking about something else—I walked along until we reached a room.
"This is the room of Lady Loki, our patron deity. I shall take my leave now."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble."
So Orario's greatest con artist is in here... Whew.
Knock, knock.
"Excuse me, may I come in?"
"Come on in."
When I opened the door and entered, I saw an orange-haired deity. This was Lady Loki, a gum-chewing little thing whose gender was impossible to tell.
"Something feels strange... What were you thinking about?"
"I invoke my right to remain silent."
"...Hmm."
The way Loki kept staring at me made me feel guilty... Hah, could this be some advanced strategy to make me feel guilty and lower the price of the goods?!
"So, what did Lady Hephaestus say in her letter?"
"...? Didn't your Hephaestus tell you?"
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"Read it."
Let's see... The main point was that she was sending me over, so she wanted them to talk to me and entrust Finn Deimne's new weapon to me... Was that it?
"I heard the general details about this."
"Hmm... Can you do it? If we entrust it to you and you can't deliver it on time, you'll drag your Familia's name through the mud. Do you understand?"
"If you entrust it to me, I will complete it, no matter what it takes."
"Then... Finn, do you think we can entrust it to him?"
...? Finn... Deimne?!
"Hmm, I didn't sense any problem, personally. What do you think, Loki?"
"He wasn't lying, at least. As for his ability... If he made a weapon that [King] personally bought when he was Level 1, it's already been proven, hasn't it?"
"Then we'll entrust it to him. Now, introduce yourselves."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Finn Deimne, captain of the Loki Familia. Embarrassingly enough, I'm known by the alias [Braver]."
"Ah... Um... It's an honor to meet you. I'm Smith of the Hephaestus Familia, and though I'm undeserving, I have come to be called [Homeros]."
That was an interview?!