Danmachi: Hephaestus is my Wife

I stared at Bell for a few seconds, unable to believe what I saw. A woman?

Bell was a handsome boy who could easily be mistaken for a woman, but he is a woman here. I didn't know what was happening, but it had something to do with me coming to this world.

"Hm? Have we met before?" Bell asked. I was speechless for a few seconds.

"No, I don't think we've ever met."

"Then how do you know my name? I'm not famous or anything~~" Bell said teasingly.

"I just guessed your name… Haha." I let out a weak laugh.

"Hmmm…" Bell still seemed suspicious but decided to let it go. "Sorry if I startled you. I was just curious about your sword. It's beautiful." Bell pointed to the sword.

"Oh, and my name is Bella. But everyone calls me Bell."

"I see. Bella. That's a lovely name."

"Thank you. What's your name?"

"Eryk. My name is Eryk."

"Eryk… I've never heard that name before. It's nice. So, can I take a closer look at that sword? Don't worry, I won't steal it or anything."

"Sure, no problem."

I handed the sword to Bell. She wasn't using the Hestia Knife, just a regular one. Could it be that she's not part of the Hestia Familia? No, she must be. The story wouldn't be altered that much.

When Bell held the sword, her eyes lit up in admiration.

"This is incredible. The hilt is stunning, and the blade is flawless. Where did you get this sword? It looks like one of those amazing swords sold by the Hephaestus Familia in the tower. It must have cost a fortune."

Bell swung the sword to test it.

She didn't seem to notice the magic amplification since she didn't mention it.

"I'm part of the Hephaestus Familia," I replied.

"What? I've never seen you before. You're a blacksmith!? That's amazing!" Bell's eyes sparkled. "Don't tell me you forged this sword? If you were this talented, you'd definitely be famous."

"Yes, I forged this sword. It was the first one I made using Mithril. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? The magical conduction in this sword is perfect. Congratulations on your work." Bell handed the sword back. "Sorry for bothering you. I think I should go now."

"You're just going to look at the sword and leave? Why don't we explore the dungeon together? A few minutes would be enough since I'll be leaving soon anyway."

"Hmm…" Bell thought for a few seconds. "I think it's better not to. I'll see you around."

"..."

I didn't say anything and just watched as Bell ran off.

Her hair was long, reaching down to her waist.

It must get in the way during battles.

"How amazing…" My lips curved into a smile.

####

After meeting Bell, I couldn't focus on exploring anymore and decided to return. I'd done enough testing already. I'll use this sword for now and replace it only when I forge a better one.

Now that I have a sword, I need protection, right?

I can buy armor or forge my own.

"I've only forged swords so far, so I don't know if I can make it. But I probably can. I'll try forging armor tomorrow."

"I want to make armor like the ones Bell and Ais wear. I don't want armor that restricts my movements. I want to fight using my speed in the future."

After some time, I left the dungeon.

When I reached the surface, I took a deep breath of fresh air and headed up the tower to see the Hephaestus Familia's shops.

"By the way, I didn't see the Goddess when I first came to the shops… Doesn't she come here often?"

She probably comes by every day.

I wandered through all the floors with the Familia's shops, looking for her, but I couldn't find her anywhere.

"Excuse me, do you know if the Goddess is here somewhere?" I asked a Familia member.

"I saw her not long ago. She left the tower."

"The Goddess left? Did she go home?"

"Probably. She hasn't been gone for long, so if you hurry, you might catch her on the way."

"Alright, thank you."

I ran out, hoping to find Hephaestus on the way.

But I didn't.

I went to our room when I got home, but she wasn't there.

"Where is she?"

I left the room to look for her. I asked some Familia members if they knew where she was, but no one did. Strange. "This is the first time she's disappeared like this."

####

*Hephaestus's POV*

"So, Tsubaki, where are they?"

"They're locked up here. What should I do with them?"

I entered the prison in the basement and looked at the two men behind the bars. They were desperate, trying to talk to me, but with their mouths gagged, I couldn't understand a word.

"I'll remove their falna. After that, do as usual. Get rid of them, and make sure they never come near the shops or any Familia property again. I don't want them running into Eryk."

I glared at them, pouring all my anger in their direction.

"Do you hear me? If you show up in front of Eryk again, I'll make sure to kill you myself. Now stay still. I'm removing your falna. Don't struggle or try to scream."

I spoke coldly and approached them.

Tsubaki, standing behind me, let out a long sigh.

"How many have you removed from the Familia now? Ten? If you keep kicking everyone out just because they said something about your boyfriend, we'll run out of members."

"I don't care. As long as Eryk stays in the Familia, it's fine."

His skill is incredible. As long as he's with us, we won't have any problems.

He alone is worth more than ten Familia members combined. He has a bright future.

"You're acting a little scary."

"I'll stop after this. The remaining members won't cause trouble."

"Why are you so confident about that?"

"Eryk will reach a level where they'll have no choice but to respect him. The Familia respects skillful people."

"You have so much faith in him. What if he suddenly stops forging swords? Doesn't that worry you? Just as his skills appeared suddenly, they could disappear."

"..."

What if Eryk's skill disappeared? Honestly, I didn't care about any of that.

I'm happy for him and excited to see his growth because I love smithing.

But Eryk, my husband, comes first.

Even if his skill disappeared, I'd still love him, and nothing would change that.

"You didn't think about that, did you?"

"Tsubaki. I've been with Eryk since he was someone who couldn't forge a useful sword. Even if he went back to being 'useless,' I wouldn't stop loving him. That's how love works."

"I can't understand that since I've never loved anyone."

"You should find a boyfriend then. You don't know what you're missing~~"

"I'd rather not." Tsubaki raised her hands and stepped back. "Now finish up. I have things to do."

"Alright, alright."

After removing the falna from the two men, I left the basement prison.

Walking through the corridor, I suddenly bumped into Eryk.

When I saw him, my heart warmed. It felt like all the world's problems vanished.

I broke into a big smile and ran to him.

"Eryk!" Since no one was around, I could act like a love-struck girl.

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Next chapters: Chapter 30 - Forging an armor. / Chapter 31 - Hephaestus' help. / Chapter 32 - Possessive. / Chapter 33 - Don't look. +18 / Chapter 34 - The system that ruins a story. / Chapter 35 - Boss. / Chapter 36 - That relationship was shit.