The next day, Ren woke up. From behind the curtain came the steady sound of breathing.
Hestia was still asleep, and he was sleeping on a mat on the floor, since the goddess Hephaestus had only given them one room.
"Good morning, Lady Hephaestus."
"Heading to the dungeon again?"
"Not today." Ren stretched lazily.
"You seem less tense than before." Hephaestus couldn't hide her curiosity. Lately, he had been diving into the dungeon every day as if something was chasing him, often staying out all night.
"Really? Maybe it's because I've already achieved my goal." Ren replied.
"Goal… you've leveled up?" Hephaestus knew Hestia had been teased by other gods, which explained why Ren had been working so hard. She couldn't help but feel a little envious of their bond.
"Yes, I've reached Level 2."
"Level 2 in just five months? You've broken the Sword Princess's record. They underestimated you." Hephaestus said plainly.
"By the way, Lady Hephaestus, is there a gift for my level-up?" Ren asked, rubbing his hands together.
"Go ask your patron goddess." Hephaestus rolled her eyes.
"Hehe, you know Hestia-sama has nothing to give, and I still need to take care of her." Ren said boldly. If he could get a weapon from the forging goddess, it would be amazing.
"Hmph. This is your weapon, but it costs money—one hundred million." Hephaestus handed over a pitch-black sword that looked razor-sharp.
Ren reached for it, then froze. That price was impossible—even selling himself wouldn't cover it.
"If you don't want to pay, that's fine. Teach my familia the skills to sell equipment, and any new techniques in the future must be taught immediately." Hephaestus set the condition.
"Okay, no problem." Ren agreed without hesitation. With the marketing ideas given to him by Detective Ren, he wasn't worried about finding a sales plan.
"Here." Hephaestus casually tossed the one-hundred-million-worth sword to Ren.
He caught it quickly. The moment he held it, his pirate sword skills surged. His mastery of swordsmanship became instinctive, his eyes sharp like an eagle's.
Hephaestus narrowed her eyes, stunned by Ren's stance. For the past few months, he might have been acting, almost fooling the gods, which she found intriguing.
Ren then hung the sword at his waist and returned to his usual lazy posture. The sword was indestructible and incredibly sharp—perfect for him.
Since Hephaestus was so generous, Ren started moving items from the shop outside. The sign read "Buy Two, Get One Free," though Ren slightly raised the price.
As for why adventurers kept coming to this shop instead of others, it was simple: the name of Hephaestus. She was the goddess of forging, after all.
The banner was finally hung, and Ren lifted his loudspeaker. "Come get your bargains! You won't regret it! Hephaestus-sama's personal creations are on clearance—buy two, get one free! Adventurers, don't miss out!"
Hestia rushed down the stairs as Ren shouted, her eyes sparkling with surprise. She stared at the scene in amazement, deeply curious about Ren's skill at selling weapons.
"Hephaestus-sama's forged gear?" A werewolf adventurer quickly stepped forward to ask.
"That's right. Hephaestus-sama has been researching new forging techniques and is extremely short on funds right now. She decided to sell some of her earlier works at a discount." Ren spoke with the expression of someone offering an unbelievable deal.
"But I checked other shops… your prices are a bit higher," the werewolf hesitated.
"Hahaha, my wolf brother, that's where you're mistaken. Can an ordinary blacksmith compare to the Goddess of the Blacksmithes? I don't need to explain what a Goddess represents, right?" Ren said with a hearty laugh.
"Well… that's true. If I buy four pieces, does that mean I get two for free?"
"Of course." Ren knew this deal was already sealed.
"Then I'll take all six." The werewolf paid without hesitation and walked off with the weapons.
"Everyone! Hephaestus-sama's limited stock is running out! Six items are already gone! She'll be forging even stronger weapons next time, so beginner gear like this will be rare in the future!" Ren shouted again, and the adventurers who had been hesitating started coming forward to choose their pieces.
"Little brother, can you make this any cheaper?"
"My friend, this is already a bargain. If something cheaper really existed, would you believe me if I told you it was forged by Hephaestus-sama? Besides, if I sell it for less, she'll kill me." Ren whispered.
"That makes sense. I'll take these three." The man paid quickly and left with his purchase.
As soon as those words were spoken, no one hesitated or bargained anymore. Everyone rushed to place orders, clearing out all the goods. Yet, only three hours had passed that day, while other equipment shops might not sell this much in an entire week.
"Ren, how did everything sell out so fast?" Hestia asked, curious.
Ren glanced around, making sure no one was nearby, then explained, "I just used people's love for bargains."
"Isn't that a little… wrong?" Hestia asked, worried.
"The equipment isn't fake. It's more than enough for beginners, and they didn't spend extra money. They just split the cost of the third item between the first two," Ren explained. He hadn't made any unscrupulous profit; he had just sold goods that would have taken a long time to sell much earlier.
"Ren, want to join my Familia? I can craft a weapon just for you," Hephaestus said, inviting him without hesitation.
"Hey, Hephaestus, how can you steal my only member?" Hestia quickly stepped in front of Ren, shielding him.
"Hestia-sama, I would never abandon you," Ren said sincerely. From the moment she had taken him in and given him hope for adventure, he had felt this way.
"Ren…" Hestia was deeply moved. He was the only one who had actively come to her.
"Heh, get lost. You're in the way," Hephaestus grumbled, fed up with the two troublemakers. She was starting to wonder if taking them in had been the right decision.
"Cleared out the stock. Today's task is done. Let's go, Hestia-sama," Ren quickly invited Hestia.
"Ren, aren't you going to the dungeon?"
"Taking a day off today."
"Alright then," Hestia said without thinking and immediately dragged Ren outside, not forgetting to wave goodbye to Hephaestus.
Ren had never really explored this fantasy city properly, but now that he wasn't in a rush, he could relax and see it properly.
Girls of all races bloomed like a garden in full spring, and Ren couldn't look away from any of them.
"Ren, where did you get this equipment?" Hestia looked at the sword at Ren's waist.
"Hephaestus-sama sold it to me."
"How much?"
"One hundred million."
"One hundred million!? How do you even have that much money?" Hestia jumped up in shock. That amount was still too overwhelming for her.
"I have to work to pay off the debt," Ren said with a wry smile. Otherwise, he would just be advertising for Hephaestus.
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