NOVEL WEB Chapter 200: Mahiro: I Don't Need It!
Chapter 200 - Mahiro: I Don't Need It!
"Impossible. With that level of attack, even a Level 3 or Level 4 adventurer would have a hard time keeping up."
Hephaestus gave Hestia a skeptical look, her words sounding like complete nonsense.
The strength and speed Mahiro had shown earlier weren't something a rookie could pull off.
No way in hell.
That was, at minimum, the level of a seasoned Level 4 adventurer.
Level 4 wasn't some small-time rank either.
It was the cutoff for high-class adventurers—people you didn't mess with.
No matter which familia they were from, these guys were treated like VIPs.
Hell, in some mid-sized familias, even the captain was only Level 3.
"But I'm not lying! Mahiro only got my falna recently," Hestia protested weakly.
She looked like a kid caught in a lie, which wasn't helping her case.
Around Hephaestus, she always ended up like this—flustered and second-guessing herself.
"Seriously?"
Hephaestus leaned in, practically dissecting Hestia with her stare.
Hestia sighed. "Yes, it's true!" she snapped, sounding more desperate than confident.
"What's your current strength?" Hephaestus asked, turning her attention to Mahiro.
Hestia straightened up at that, looking a little too excited.
"Uh, not sure," Mahiro said, scratching his head.
"Not sure?" Hephaestus looked at him like he'd just said the dumbest thing ever.
"How do you not know your own strength?"
"I haven't fought any high-class adventurers yet," Mahiro said with a shrug.
"But based on what I can do, I'm probably not weaker than any of them."
That wasn't arrogance—it was just a fact.
Since coming to this world, the only adventurers he'd fought were three Level 1s.
Comparing himself to them was like comparing a lion to house cats.
Pointless.
"Not weaker than a high-class adventurer…" Hephaestus muttered, her eye twitching.
"Well, that's one way to downplay it."
"Hestia, you've seriously hit the jackpot with this guy," she said, her tone dripping with envy.
And yeah, she wasn't even trying to hide it.
"Right? I know!" Hestia said, grinning like a kid who'd just found the last cookie in the jar.
Then, out of nowhere, Hephaestus turned to Mahiro.
"Hey, Mahiro, why not ditch Hestia's familia and join mine?"
"What?!" Hestia practically screamed, her voice cracking.
"If you do, I'll personally make you weapons. I'll do it for free," Hephaestus said with a sly grin, completely ignoring Hestia's meltdown.
"Hephaestus!" Hestia yelled, glaring at her friend like she wanted to throw hands.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. No need to yell," Hephaestus said, waving her off like it was no big deal.
"So, what do you think, Mahiro? My name, my weapons, and all free. Pretty tempting, huh?"
"Not interested," Mahiro said flatly.
"You sure? Think it over," Hephaestus pressed.
"No," he said again, more firmly this time.
"Hestia treats me like family. Why the hell would I abandon my family for some weapons?"
Hearing that, Hestia's eyes practically sparkled.
If Hephaestus weren't standing there, she probably would've tackled Mahiro into a hug.
Hephaestus stared at him for a second, then burst into laughter.
"Hestia, congrats. You've found yourself a real gem," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Wait… were you testing him just now?" Hestia asked, her voice full of disbelief.
"Of course. You're so hopeless that I had to make sure he wasn't full of lies," Hephaestus replied with a smirk.
"Don't worry. Mahiro's the best," Hestia said, puffing out her chest like she'd just won an argument.
"Don't get cocky," Hephaestus warned, her tone dead serious. "You better keep his abilities under wraps."
"If word gets out, other gods won't be as nice as me. Some of them will do whatever it takes to snatch him."
"Yeah, I know," Hestia said, her mood instantly sobering.
She'd already thought about all that and had discussed it with Mahiro.
"By the way, Hephaestus, what would you have done if Mahiro had said yes?" Hestia asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"What else? I'd have taken him into my familia on the spot," Hephaestus said with a shameless grin.
"Hephaestus!" Hestia shrieked again, practically stomping her feet.
"What? Any god would kill for someone like him," Hephaestus said with a shrug, not even trying to deny it.
Hestia's frustration hit its peak, and the shop was soon filled with the sound of their over-the-top argument.
Meanwhile, Mahiro stood off to the side, quietly watching the two goddesses go at it.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
Their antics were ridiculous, but… kind of endearing.
As the bickering finally died down, Mahiro's attention shifted back to the weapons on display.
He set down the rapier he'd been holding.
"See anything you like?" Hephaestus asked, noticing his interest.
"Are these forged by you?" Mahiro asked.
"Nope. These are made by the kids in my familia," Hephaestus replied casually.
"You don't have a proper weapon yet, right? Go ahead and pick one. It's on me," she offered.
"Thanks, but I'll pass," Mahiro said, shaking his head.
"None of these are better than what I've got."
He wasn't trying to be rude, but honestly, the Sword of Eternal Flame Rias had lent him and his Zanpakutō were leagues ahead of anything in this shop.
Mahiro's curiosity about the weapons wasn't because he needed one.
It was just… well, man and weapons.
They were cool, simple as that.
But he had no intention of racking up unnecessary favors for something he didn't need.
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