Izumi couldn't help but laugh as he looked at Hephaistos, who now wore the expression of someone who had completely lost the will to live.
"Well… you don't really need to look that devastated," he said casually.
"My weapons may be special, but in many aspects they still can't compare to yours."
He paused, then smiled.
"How about a collaboration?"
After hearing Izumi's words—and receiving a bit of flattering reassurance—Hephaistos finally recovered some of her spirit.
After all, no one disliked being praised. Even a goddess was no exception.
Since Izumi was being so courteous, she naturally became curious about what kind of collaboration he had in mind.
"…Go on," she said, crossing her arms.
"If it sounds interesting, I might be willing to work with you."
To be honest, she couldn't think of what she herself had that could possibly attract Izumi.
When it came to weapons, most of Izumi's products already surpassed hers. There shouldn't have been any need for cooperation at all.
In fact, Izumi's sudden appearance in Orario had stolen quite a bit of her business.
And yet now, he was proposing collaboration?
That alone was enough to spark her curiosity.
"I need a weapon that can grow without limits," Izumi said directly.
"Can you forge one for me?"
"As for payment—"
"I'll give you several weapons that can be used like magic swords. The kind that won't break."
The moment she heard that, Hephaistos froze.
A growth-type weapon?
So that was what he wanted.
I see… that explains it.
She could forge weapons with growth potential—but it was an enormous undertaking.
And an infinitely growing weapon?
That was even more troublesome.
The materials alone would give her a headache for months.
Hephaistos didn't answer immediately, instead sinking into deep thought.
What kind of benefits would this collaboration really bring her?
Seeing her hesitate, Izumi smiled faintly and casually manifested a sword in his hand, placing it in front of her.
"Here—take a look at the finished product first," he said.
"After that, you can decide."
Weapons were something Izumi truly didn't lack.
Even something like Ea, the Sword of Rupture, he could recreate if he wanted to.
But what he needed now was a weapon that could grow.
Preferably one with no upper limit.
Once he obtained it, he could analyze it thoroughly—
and perhaps even add a growth function to his own Noble Phantasms.
That would be interesting.
Hephaistos stared at the sword Izumi had placed before her, her interest immediately piqued.
It was clearly different from the other weapons laid out earlier.
Slowly removing her glove, she ran her fingers along the blade.
In an instant, she felt it.
Powerful magical energy.
Complex restraints.
And multiple extraordinary traits intertwined within it.
Her single visible eye widened.
"…Deal," she said without hesitation.
"I'll forge the weapon you want."
"But in exchange, I want five weapons like this."
"And preferably with different properties."
Izumi smiled.
Then, under her stunned gaze, he projected several weapons in succession.
—The Sword of Rotation and Victory.
—The Greatsword of Phantasm, Heavenly Demon's Collapse.
—The Primordial Flame.
—The Unbroken Lake Light.
Together with the sword already in her hands, five weapons materialized before her.
"Then the deal is settled," Izumi said calmly.
"I'll leave these with you."
"I look forward to seeing the weapon you create."
He felt no regret at all handing them over.
After all, he could recreate them whenever he wanted.
To Izumi now, Noble Phantasms were practically mass-produced goods.
Watching him casually bring forth such weapons, Hephaistos felt her eyelid twitch.
…Why did it suddenly feel like she was the one at a loss here?
He could produce dozens of weapons with a wave of his hand.
Meanwhile, forging his request would likely take her months.
She'd need to gather rare materials, experiment repeatedly—
Two or three months would be the minimum.
The more she thought about it, the more miserable she felt.
"…I feel like I'm getting completely ripped off," Hephaistos muttered.
"You casually create weapons like this, while I have to go through hell just to make yours."
"This trade feels unfair."
Izumi immediately shot back.
"If you could use divine power freely, you could do it too."
"I've given you the weapons already. Just make sure you deliver mine when it's ready."
"Hmph."
Hephaistos snorted and collected the weapons.
"Fine. I'll bring it to you in three months."
"Just gathering the materials will take time."
"That's fine," Izumi replied indifferently.
"Just make sure it's ready."
Hephaistos stood up.
"No problem."
"When it's finished, I'll deliver it personally."
"This will probably be the greatest masterpiece I've ever forged."
Her excitement was unmistakable.
An infinitely growing weapon—
she had considered the idea countless times in the past.
But the cost had always been too great.
If not for Izumi's request, she would never have attempted something like this.
She didn't stay long after that.
Izumi wasn't a bad person, and honestly, even if her best friend was being "kept," it wasn't exactly a problem.
At the very least, working as a tool god for Izumi beat sleeping in a run-down church.
As Hephaistos went downstairs, she noticed the girls who had received Hestia's blessing.
Their talent was remarkable—even she felt a twinge of envy.
She glanced at her foolish friend and spoke bluntly.
"Since you've given them your blessing," Hephaistos said,
"make sure you act like a proper goddess."
"These kids are exceptional."
Hestia nodded energetically.
"I know, I know!"
"You don't have to tell me—I know exactly what to do!"
"Hehehe~"
She genuinely adored those girls.
Of course she would take good care of them.
Perfect timing, too.
She could update their statuses next.
With that in mind, after seeing Hephaistos off, Hestia led the girls upstairs.
Soon, quiet murmuring could be heard from behind the closed door.
Watching her go, Izumi turned his attention to counting the day's gains.
A trip to the Dungeon, plus the materials recovered from weapon sales—
It was a substantial haul.
He took out the grimoires he had obtained through his trade with Loki.
He didn't open them.
In this world, opening a grimoire meant automatically using it.
Izumi had little need for magic anyway.
Even though several of the grimoires shared identical covers, he didn't care.
Without hesitation, he tossed all of them into the system.
Along with them went the items dropped by Goliath and various rare materials.
Looking at everything being fed into the system, Izumi rubbed his hands together.
This should give me something good, right?
Ordinary items no longer interested him.
Unless it was something on the level of Solar Authority, nothing really caught his attention anymore.
As Izumi watched expectantly, the system absorbed everything.
Then—
Something unexpected happened.
Instead of compressing everything into a few results as usual, the mass of items remained separate—
And only after that did the true process of sacrifice and exchange begin.
"…Huh?"
Izumi froze.
This was a phenomenon he had never seen before.