Danmachi- Merchant of Orario

Heading home with his stand on his back took more time than usual, both Bell and Hestia had already arrived before him.

Opening up the main door to head inside, a woman stoped Domnus to talk to him.

"Hello! Are you Domnus?" She asked.

"Yes, why?" Domnus responded.

"My name is Tsubaki, and I need you to follow me," Tsubaki said while turning around walking off.

"Can I put down my bag first?" Domnus asked.

"Nope!" She replied, "This requires your help now," She said.

As while followed Tsubaki the started going up higher and higher in the mansion. As they went up the temperature start to rise, and the air became lighter and lighter.

Domnus noticed that blacksmiths became more plentiful floor by floor. They were using the fact that the heat became easier to work with in the higher heat.

As they were heading up several familia members rushed past them with a passed out blacksmith in their hands.

The lightness of the air along with the work the blacksmiths put themselves through didn't mix well.

After a while of climbing stairs Tsubaki and Domnus arrived at Hephaestus's forge. At least, what Domnus assumed to be Hephaestus's forge.

The door handles have melted, along with the door and a constant stream of heat seem to come out of the room.

Hephaestus was inside heating up her fire as hot as she could make it. When it became a burning white flame she dropped the sword Domnus gave to her into it.

She then waited a minute before pushing her hands into the fire. As she did that the fire wrapped around her hand, yet the fire did not dare touch her hand.

She then grabbed the sword and yanked it out of the fire. To her utter frustration the blade was still cold.

Hephaestus then slammed the blade on a table to her right before trying to make the fire even hotter.

"She's been at this for about a day," Tsubaki told Domnus while watching the cycle repeat, "I need you to take your sword back before the mansion goes up in flames,"

"I'll see what I can do," Domnus responded.

It may have not been the hottest place that Domnus had been, however it was impressive that the forge was that hot.

"Hello," Domnus said walking towards Hephaestus.

"What do you want?" Hephaestus replied tired and frustrated.

"I'm going to need my sword back," Domnus told Hephaestus trying to get this over with.

"This sword is your payment for staying in my familia's mansion," Hephaestus said, "If you take back the sword you can't stay here," she concluded without taking her eye off the fire.

"But what if," Domnus said reaching into his bag, "I trade the sword one of the materials used to forge it,"

Domnus then reached into his bag and pulled out some kind of ancient scrap. As he did this Hephaestus's head snapped to the scrap as soon as it came out of the bag.

Hephaestus's eye then looked back and forth between the scrap and the sword.

As that was happening Domnus looked back to Tsubaki to see if she could help, but Tsubaki was long gone. Either because of the heat of lack of air.

"Fine," Hephaestus said, "But allow me to do one last thing," she said before reaching to her eye patch.

As a final attempt to see what the sword is made of Hephaestus removed her eyepatch out of desperation to see it could make a difference. And Domnus got a good look at it.

There are no words that could be thought of to describe the disgustingness of it. As soon as Domnus saw it he was sent reeling back due to the abhorrence of the sight.

As soon as Hephaestus realized what she had done she immediately put the eye patch back on her eye. She then looked very at Domnus to see if he was ok.

Domnus had seen many things in his life, living brains, a moon guardian, multiple liches, but what he had just seen is by far the worse.

He was currently dry heaving, but if he didn't turn around when he did the heaving would not be dry.

"I'm sorry you had so see that," Hephaestus said embarrassed.

"It's fine," Domnus said with his hand over his mouth and turned around slowly, "So, may I see my sword?" Domnus said while putting his hand out.

"Yes you may," Hephaestus said giving Domnus back the sword.

The sword then was placed into Domnus's bag. Then he handed over the scrap to Hephaestus.

"And can you keep the fire down?" Domnus asked after handing over the scrap, "Your familia isn't having the greatest time with it,"

"Got it," Hephaestus said.

She then turned around and raised her hands before putting them back down. When she did that the fire started to die down to a bright blue.

Domnus then left the forge after completing what he was there for.

Hephaestus kept her good eye one Domnus for a second as he left. After all, he was the only one who had seen her eye and not ran away.

Sure he didn't have the greatest reaction but he still stood his ground.

With a nod of approval Hephaestus dropped the scrap into the fire, and she could tell instantly that this metal would be easier to deal with.

—————————————————————————-

With barely a push the door to Domnus's and Bell's room creaked open.

Walking in Domnus saw Hestia and Bell taking, however Bell wasn't looking too good.

There were blooded bandages wrapped around his arms and legs and a small cast around his pinky.

Bell didn't seem the least bit different, it was like he didn't even know he was injured. Hestia however looked much more worried.

"What happened?" Domnus asked putting down his bag next to his sleeping chair.

"War shadow spawned near me after killing goblins," Bell replied, "A higher level adventurer had to get me out, but hey! By defense went up by two! Lucky me,"

"Well it's good to look at the bright side," Domnus said with a smile.

"Can, can I talk to you outside the room?" Hestia asked.

"Fine by me " Domnus said leaving Bell in the room by himself for a little bit.

"Can you please supply Bell with some of your potions for free," Hestia said cutting straight to the point while bowing.

"No can do," Domnus said also being direct.

"Why not? I can give you all my money if that's the issue?" Hestia said trying to help Bell,

"That's not the problem," Domnus said shaking his head, "Bells got to learn how to adventurer by himself, it's a skill that cannot be handed to him " Domnus said.

"But if his wounds heal quicker he can get back to adventuring quicker," Hestia said trying to convince Domnus.

"And if he's healed too fast he won't learn about spatial awareness," Domnus replied.

"And what if he dies?" Hestia said worriedly.

"Then he will die thanks to his own decisions, and not because someone failed him," Domnus said, "It is a honor that not many get,"

"You're not going to change on this aren't you?" Hestia asked.

"No I am not," Domnus said.

"Fine then," Hestia said storming off to her room, "Tell Bell I said goodnight," She said before slamming the door.