Chapter 120: What? Sign In Again!
Chapter 120 - What? Sign In Again!
"Let Loki come next time," Hestia smiled at Finn and Riveria as they walked away.
Finn and Riveria exchanged glances, looking a bit amused.
Hestia was a perfect foil for their own mischievous Loki.
At the mansion's entrance, Hestia watched them fade into the distance, ready to head inside.
But a gentle voice stopped her.
"Hestia-sama?"
"Who're you?" Hestia turned, eyeing a girl with long curly hair, hands clasped behind her back.
"I'm Aerith Gainsborough, a friend of Orsted's," the girl said.
"I just arrived in Orario and heard he's with your Familia. May I join, Hestia-sama?"
"Orsted's friend?" Hestia's eyes lit up.
"Absolutely, come in! I'll engrave your Falna right away." She grabbed Aerith's hand, excitedly pulling her inside.
Meanwhile, in Orsted's forge within Hephaestus Familia territory, he was deep into studying the Durandal Magic Sword.
His hands paused as a new memory surfaced.
"Aerith?"
Orsted had meant to use yesterday's Random Summoning Card after returning to the surface.
Hestia's date request sidetracked him, and Tifa's rank-up and crafting kept him busy.
This morning, he'd remembered and used it after leaving Hearth Mansion, but nothing happened.
Senie's delayed appearance had prepared him for this, so he stayed calm.
He hadn't expected the summoned character to emerge now—Aerith.
The new memory was jarring.
When he summoned Tifa, Orsted gained memories of growing up with her.
In those, he vanished from her sight, summoned to this world, or so Tifa believed.
But this new memory added a sequel: after disappearing, Orsted didn't arrive in Danmachi directly.
Instead, he appeared elsewhere in Final Fantasy, meeting Aerith and forging a close bond.
Only after that did the system bring him here.
The vivid memories made Orsted rub his forehead.
"Feels too real, like I lived it."
He shook it off. "If I have these memories, Aerith's likely here, probably with Hestia."
"The summoning card would've drawn her to me otherwise."
"Still, if she doesn't show up by the time I finish this sword, I'll look for her."
Muttering, Orsted resumed forging the Durandal Magic Sword—his second attempt after rethinking his approach.
Not long after, two figures entered the forge.
"This one's more refined than the last, distinct from a standard magic sword," Tsubaki said, picking up Orsted's first attempt and running her palm over it.
"Orsted, are you working on a Durandal Magic Sword?"
"Yeah, I've got some time today, so I'm experimenting," Orsted replied.
"Tsubaki, give me a moment. I'll hand over your magic items after this sword's done."
"Orsted, with forging skills like yours, why not join my Familia?" Hephaestus, who'd arrived with Tsubaki, teased as she watched him work.
Orsted froze mid-hammer, looking up at Hephaestus with an odd expression.
His sudden pause startled Hephaestus and Tsubaki.
Tsubaki had spoken earlier, and Orsted hadn't even glanced up.
Why react to Hephaestus?
"Orsted, you're not actually considering it, are you?" Tsubaki exclaimed.
"No, no," Hephaestus said quickly, flustered.
"I adore you, but you're Hestia's child. I can't take you into my Familia."
"That was a joke—don't take it seriously."
Orsted snapped out of it, shaking his head with a grin.
"You're overthinking it. I just remembered something funny."
'Funny, alright,' he thought.
'The moment Hephaestus spoke, the system triggered a sign-in."
'Third time now. Does the system have a crush on her or what?'
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