You call this magic?

Ethan would not trust them blindly. [Secondary Favor] was the perfect way to solve the trust problem.

As for racial issues, those are issues that need to be discussed later. The right thing to do first is to survive. It is really too dangerous to be in an environment like that in the dungeon.

"Yeah, yeah!" Mary looked at Ethan with eyes full of stars.

only……

"Uh, why don't you put on your clothes first? This is a bit too exciting..."

This little butt is wiggling around on my body, and even before I put on my clothes, little Ethan is already aroused, really.

Volume 2 Dungeon Encounters (Part 1): Chapter 17 [Kitchen Girl] Awesome

Mary, who has transformed into a human, has no clothes, which is indeed a big problem, but fortunately she can rely on the [Ashes Woman] to temporarily transform herself into a random woman on the street, memorize the style of the clothes, and then imagine when imitating, and finally she can transform back into a human again.

The answer is that [Stove Ash Girl] is awesome, she can even reproduce her clothes perfectly.

There was still some time before his next trip to the dungeon, so Ethan arranged a guest room for her, right next to Hestia's room.

Although Hestia's brain wasn't particularly sharp, she was a very kind-hearted goddess. Not only did she greet Marie enthusiastically, but after learning that Marie knew nothing about Orario, she also took the initiative to take responsibility for helping Marie familiarize herself with the city.

"But, Ethan." God knows how Ethan could see the words "sly eyes" on a beautiful big X loli face. "Oh my, such an innocent and lovely girl, are you really into this kind of thing?"

Facing the goddess's teasing, Ethan's response was very simple.

"Yeah, who doesn't like a pretty girl?" Ethan replied with a smile. He also knew Hestia's personality. To her, sincerity was a special attack. "For example, you very much fit my personal aesthetic."

"Ah, uh, this..." This sentence made Hestia completely confused. Her face turned red. Judging from her age, it was her turn to tease Ethan, but why was she the one being teased now?

Blushing and gritting her teeth, Hestia felt that she had to teach Ethan a lesson. She couldn't let him tease her all the time. Yes, she had to find a way to tease him back, otherwise the goddess would lose all her face!

But it was obvious that she would have to wait for who knows how long before she could come up with a solution.

Hestia ran away and went straight into Mary's room to chat with her. Ethan had specifically reminded her that Mary was a child who knew nothing, so many things needed to be explained to her, and the most important thing was to let them go shopping for clothes, and the expenses for that day could be reimbursed by the clan.

Damn it, the goddess couldn't stand this output, she swore allegiance directly, and even Su Mo couldn't do anything about it.

As a taciturn person in the celestial realm, Soma is not the same kind of person as the noisy Hestia, but that doesn't mean he is not happy to see Hestia's energetic figure.

"Oh, right, Ethan-kun, Ethan-kun!" Ethan was just about to go back to his room when he saw Hestia's ponytail sticking out of Mary's room. "Um, are you free tomorrow?"

For some reason, she was a little hesitant in the second half of the sentence.

"Yes, there is..." Ethan was not planning to continue exploring the dungeon in such a hurry. He was planning to take a short break and study [Wind Spirit Sprint], but he was not in a hurry.

"That's great. Could you accompany me to Hephaestus tomorrow? Please!" The little head poked out, and its uncontrollable size was quite conspicuous. Ethan couldn't help but look away.

“Yes, you can, but why?”

"...Uh, well, Hephaestus knows I've found a job, and she actually wants me to pay for her living expenses. Don't you think that's a bit much?"

Isn't this only natural?

Ethan didn't know what to say. Eating and living for free was not a good habit.

As Hestia's good friend, Hephaestus actually doesn't need that little bit of money at all. She just simply wants Hestia to stand up.

"Uh, okay, I'll go with you."

Speaking of which, I have to consider my melee weapon. That good village hatchet is no longer enough when facing monsters on more than twenty floors. It just so happens that I have plenty of money now, so I might as well go find a good weapon.

"Great! Thank you, Ethan! I'll wait for you at the clan gate tomorrow~" Hestia blew a kiss, and the shaking ponytail immediately retracted.

Well, I hope Marie won't be scared away by Hestia.

……

The next day, Ethan showed up at the gate on time. Hestia was also wearing the classic blue ribbon look, standing at the gate with her arms crossed and a very arrogant expression.

Is this the goddess who is no longer troubled by money?

"Ethan-kun!" Hestia came up to him when she saw Ethan appear. "Hey, let's go!"

Ethan had little knowledge of the bases of the major clans, so he could only let Hestia lead the way.

I originally thought that she would take this opportunity to go shopping, but I didn't expect that this goddess is also a person of action. She didn't delay at all and went straight to the Hephaestus clan branch on Northwest Street.

In addition to having a branch on Northwest Street, the Hephaestus family also has a store on the Tower of Babel. Together with the Guberniu family, they share the forging market of the entire city of Orario.

However, the latter is more inclined towards high-end customization, which is different from Hephaestus who tends to cast a wide net.

For example, Loki's family would prefer to ask the old dwarves like Guberniu to make weapons, but the price is... out of this world.

Northwest Street is also a very interesting place. There are treatment centers, weapon shops, restaurants, clothing stores, and basically whatever adventurers need, it can be found here. It is also the street most visited by adventurers after leaving the central square.

By the way, Ethan had never been to the classic "Hostes of Bounty", and Sumona took care of all his food and lodging.

If I remember correctly, this store also bought some alcohol-free spirits from them. I don't know if they put them up for sale.

Anyway, the supply of Su Mo is limited. If they dare to sell it, it will probably be sold out. I guess they are just trying it out to try something new.

You can enjoy this flavor without being completely captivated, and I believe no wine lover can resist it.

Only a god of wine like Soma would be unhappy, probably.

"Hephaestus! I'm coming aa ...

Hestia immediately made a loud noise as she crashed into the door of Hephaestus's branch.

"Stop making noise, don't you know you have a loud voice?"

Following Hestia's shout, a mature woman, dressed simply but with a slender figure visible through her clothes, walked out from the backstage.

She has short red hair and wears an eye patch. You can see that she has some skin damage underneath the patch that even gods cannot heal.

This woman is Hephaestus, one of the wealthiest and most well-connected gods in Orario.

A good weapon and a good set of armor can significantly improve the adventurer's survival rate. Hephaestus provides the best and most versatile products, but they are not specialized enough. If you have special needs and are not short of money, you still have to find the Guberniu clan. Hephaestus is too busy.

"Hello, I am Hephaestus, child of Soma. Your name spreads very quickly among gods like us who love divine wine. Everyone says that it is because of you that we have the opportunity to obtain divine wine from formal channels again. Many gods want to thank you." The goddess looked at Ethan and smiled.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ethan. I'm unworthy of the gods' gratitude. Speaking of which, I've heard of Lady Hephaestus's name a long time ago. To be honest, my previous weapons were a bit inadequate, so I've always wanted to buy a handy weapon from you."

"Of course that's no problem."

Volume 2 Dungeon Encounters (I): Chapter 18 Hestia: Did I Really Eat So Much?

Ethan and Hephaestus had a very pleasant conversation. Hephaestus was quite impressed with Ethan's treatment of the Soma clan. As the god of forging, wine was a very important part of her life. She was quite annoyed that she had not been able to drink Soma's divine wine.

Therefore, Hephaestus had a certain favorable impression of Ethan, who wiped out Chanis and his gang with lightning speed.

Ethan felt that this elder sister, the God of Forging, was very talkative and did not have that condescending air at all.

A typical example is Somo at the beginning. Before Ethan threatened him, regardless of his mood, Somo behaved like a god sitting on the clouds. No matter how much suffering the people in the world suffered, he would not even glance down, but just quietly accepted the offerings from the dignitaries.

This was also the reason why Ethan was so angry at the beginning. Now, taking charge of internal affairs again was also a sign that Su Mo wanted to take responsibility for his inaction.

Hephaestus was different. If Ethan hadn't known about it in advance and had just met her in the tavern, he probably wouldn't have regarded her as a god. She was more down-to-earth than any god Ethan had seen so far.

Yes, even Hestia seemed like a little princess who had been pampered since childhood and was finally thrown out of the palace and had to fend for herself.

"You should already know why I called this guy here this time?" After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Hephaestus took the two to her office. After the three of them sat down, she smiled and said.

"...Because of Lady Hestia's personality?" Ethan asked.

"Hey, Ethan-kun, how can you say that to me!" Hestia crossed her arms in dissatisfaction. "Hephaestus, too. You should praise my strengths first!"

"Your... strengths?" Hephaestus seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world. "Besides your appearance, what other strengths do you have?"

“Ethan-kun, look, look, she bullied me… wuwuwu!”

Hestia simply hugged Ethan's arm and started crying, and this also reflected Hephaestus's words. This goddess of the hearth did have a very good appearance, at least Ethan was attracted by it.

"That's not the case, Goddess Hephaestus. Lady Hestia, at least, at least there is..."

Recalling her past arrogance and complacency, Ethan suddenly got stuck.

No, if I really praise her, she will become even more arrogant.

"Stare—" Hestia's gaze was a little dazzling.

"Actually, Lady Hestia is friendly, honest, trustworthy, and kindhearted. Uh..."

Damn it, I'm out of words.

However, it seemed that this was enough. Upon hearing this, Hestia raised her little head proudly and almost looked down on people.

"That's it."

Hephaestus and Ethan looked at each other, and once again found a considerable degree of resonance in each other's eyes, and sighed deeply at the same time.

This is why Hephaestus didn't praise her.

"Uh, let's get straight to the point." Hephaestus said with a headache. "Anyway, Hestia has been living with me for two and a half months, free of charge. Here's the cost of her food and lodging."

Hephaestus took out a piece of paper. It had no trace of any official document, let alone a seal, which meant it had no legal effect.

"Hephaestus, did I really... eat so much?" Hestia grabbed the paper, read it carefully several times, and raised her head with a slightly pale face.

Hephaestus said nothing, but just stared at her quietly until the latter collapsed on the sofa, looking at the ceiling, trying to escape reality.

It started again.

Ethan took a look and found that Hestia really ate everything, even some expensive dishes. She would eat until she was full and sleep, then sleep until she was full and eat. The term "parasite" was the most appropriate for her.

This is Hestia's current salary for several months.

But because she had never received a salary, Hestia had no idea of ​​the current salary and subconsciously assumed that the job paid 30 faris per hour.

"Then I'll pay for this bill personally," Ethan said.

"Really?! Ethan-kun, Ethan-kun, you are such a good person!" Upon hearing this, Hestia jumped up and hugged Ethan's waist and rubbed it hard.

"But, in addition to food and accommodation, your salary for the next few months... you know." However, Ethan changed the subject and gave a direct critical blow.

"Why, why is this happening!" Hestia's smile froze on her face, and soon she bent forward in frustration, lying motionless on the sofa.

I will no longer have sadness or joy in this life.jpg

"This is telling you that you must have a correct concept of consumption." Hephaestus looked at Hestia helplessly, and also looked at Ethan. It seemed that the other party really saw through her thoughts at a glance.

Use the bill as a warning hanging over her head to correct Hestia's current mentality.

After hearing about Hestia's current salary and benefits, Hephaestus had already foreseen what situation Hestia would be in in the future, so she did this.

If she really wanted to support Hestia, she would never let her go out to work. Even if Hestia's spending increased a hundred times, it would still be an insignificant number in Hephaestus's account.

This is a true friend, I can't criticize him.

Anyway, she will be provided with food and accommodation, so she won’t starve to death. We must let her know that making money is not easy.

In the end, everyone except Hestia smiled with satisfaction.

Soon, the topic shifted to another serious matter, and Ethan said seriously:

"Goddess Hephaestus, I'm in need of a suitable weapon. Do you have any recommendations?"

His magic was powerful, but he was still a warrior.

"Of course there is." Hephaestus achieved her goal and was in a good mood, so she decided to lead the way herself. "Come on, I'll take you to see it."

Instead of taking Ethan to the store, she went straight into the weapons warehouse.

Most of the weapons and equipment of the Hephaestus family are made by family members, starting from Hephaestus herself, the family leader Chun, the experienced old blacksmith, all the way down to the newcomers who just joined the family. The price of the equipment they make is in a floating state.

From newcomers to level 7 Freya's family, everyone can find suitable equipment here.

But the new blacksmith who is favored by Hephaestus can create products that can be sold, even if they are of ordinary quality, they are of very high quality and are definitely worth the money.

But... these are a bit unacceptable.

"If one day I can get materials that you have never seen before, can you help me create a special weapon?" After looking at many weapons, Ethan suddenly spoke.

Hephaestus paused.

"Ethan, what are you talking about? Are you going to go below the 80th floor of the dungeon to get materials that even the forging god has never seen?"

So far, the deepest record of Orario's dungeon strategy is only up to the seventy-first floor. If you want to find materials that you haven't seen before, you have to go further down, right?

"If you can really do it, I will help you build it for free." Hephaestus said seriously, "But I hope you will be fully prepared and don't act rashly. The Soma clan needs you now."

"Besides, there's no team in Orario right now that can break through the 60th floor."

"Uh, just asking, just kidding, I won't take any risks." Of course, Ethan couldn't say it directly. He planned to steal some high-quality materials from Fulilian if he had the chance to come here again after returning.