The next morning, the Hephaestus Familia had already spread the news—
a new kind of Magic Sword had been forged.
"A Magic Sword without usage limits?"
Freya perked up as soon as she heard the news.
"What's gotten into Hephaestus? She actually managed to forge something like that."
"What kind of weapon is it exactly?"
Hedin adjusted his glasses lightly before answering his goddess.
"The information comes from the Hephaestus Familia. The weapon was forged using materials from an Amphisbaena. The main components are two types of energy-storing crystals, dragon teeth, a dragon's heart, and… an unknown material."
He placed special emphasis on that last part. Hedin was convinced that the very reason this Magic Sword could be forged at all was due to that "Unknown Material."
For the Hephaestus Familia to complete such a weapon, they must have gained significant understanding of this "Unknown Material." Otherwise, it would have been impossible to incorporate it into the forging process.
"Lady Freya, I believe this 'Unknown Material' that the Hephaestus Familia refuses to disclose is precisely the key to the sword's creation."
"'Unknown Material,' hm? Since when did Hephaestus start playing coy?"
Freya murmured softly.
"Continue, Hedin."
"Yes, Lady Freya."
Hedin nodded slightly.
"The Magic Sword's abilities are identical to those of the Amphisbaena. It can generate the Red Mist, which weakens and neutralizes magic, as well as unleash flames of extreme heat."
"The sword can store up to three charges of each spell. Once all stored magic is expended, it takes half an hour to recharge, though it can also be replenished manually by infusing mana."
"The weapon itself is of second-tier quality at minimum. The starting bid is three hundred million valis."
Freya nodded faintly.
"I see. Its abilities justify the price. The sword is certainly valuable, but only a handful of Familias would be capable of affording it."
Judging by its design, this Magic Sword was meant for a team rather than an individual.
It would be difficult for a lone adventurer to draw out its full potential. But in a coordinated party, Red Mist would be invaluable.
To weaken and nullify magic—such a defensive spell directly countered mages, much like how Floor Bosses targeted magic users specifically.
With three charges per spell, most team battles would end long before the sword's energy ran dry.
The weapon's versatility was remarkable.
Still, Freya's interest didn't lie in the sword itself. Her children were not known for teamwork, and this weapon favored those who excelled at it.
Given its price and purpose, only a few Familias could realistically compete for it—
the Loki Familia, the Ishtar Familia, the Ganesha Familia, and the Astraea Familia.
What intrigued Freya far more was the Unknown Material used in its creation.
"Then it's settled. We'll attend Hephaestus' auction."
"Yes, Lady Freya."
"A Magic Sword with no usage limits?"
Ishtar was just as taken aback when she received the news.
"Are you certain?"
"Positive. The information came directly from the Hephaestus Familia. Many Familias have already been invited."
The Amazonian girl nodded firmly.
Then she began explaining the details.
"Hephaestus suddenly created something like that?"
Ishtar couldn't hide her astonishment—but soon enough, her mind turned to the implications.
She didn't particularly care about unlimited use. Her Familia had money to spare; she wasn't stingy about buying ordinary Magic Swords.
What caught her attention were the abilities—especially the two spells imbued within.
The Red Mist alone was incredibly valuable for group combat.
"Freya's Familia has quite a few mages…"
The thought of Freya made Ishtar's mind race.
"Freya's been notified too?"
"Yes, Goddess. The Hephaestus Familia informed every Familia capable of bidding."
"Excellent. Then we'll be there too."
Ishtar's expression darkened slightly.
She didn't care who won the sword—as long as Freya didn't.
Freya's Familia was already too strong. Allowing them to grow even stronger would only diminish Ishtar's chances further.
She had made up her mind. Her Familia would attend.
The announcement of this unprecedented Magic Sword drew nearly every major Familia to Hephaestus' auction.
The auction that day was hosted by Tsubaki. She appeared as always—white top, wide red trousers resembling a shrine maiden's garb, and her signature eyepatch covering her left eye.
"Welcome, everyone, to the auction for this special Magic Sword."
"This weapon represents the result of an ambitious new forging experiment conducted by Lady Hephaestus and myself."
"The outcome of that experiment is the Magic Sword you see today."
"By adding a unique material, we've achieved an upgrade unlike anything before."
Tsubaki's sharp gaze swept across the gathered gods and goddesses. Seeing their eager faces, she decided to cut straight to the point.
"I imagine all of you are curious about the special material used in this new craft."
"Indeed, we are."
Hermes grinned, immediately picking up on her words. If Tsubaki mentioned it openly, then it clearly wasn't a secret.
"Tsubaki, the materials you and Hephaestus used weren't particularly rare—everything came from an Amphisbaena. But that alone couldn't have produced a weapon like this. We're all curious about the so-called 'Unknown Material.' Care to enlighten us?"
"Of course."
Tsubaki smiled brightly, showing not the slightest hesitation.
"As for that 'Unknown Material,' it's not some mysterious substance."
"It's simply that no one before us has ever managed to extract it—or use it in forging."
"That 'Unknown Material'... is Excellia."
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Note: happy thanksgiving
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You can read up to chapter 230 on patreon.com/NiaXD.