Rex stepped out of Zanis' office and onto a staircase four floors down, pulling the door shut behind him and watching the fake vanish from the wall. Walking down the stairs, he entered a hallway that led him to the sitting area where his guests were waiting. The door was slightly ajar, so Rex decided to use this chance to peek inside the large sitting room to see what they were doing.
Mikoto stood by one window, dressed in her usual purple kimono with a dark red sash and thigh-high boots, gazing outside with a distant look in her eyes. Welf— wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt, tanned white pants, and long brown boots—was inspecting the grand piano near the unlit fireplace with keen interest, appearing undecided about pressing a key.
Bell sat nervously on one of the long couches, dressed casually in a brown long-sleeve shirt, black pants, a beige belt with a silver buckle, and brown shin-high boots. Beside him, Liliruca slouched on the couch with her hood of her beige robe pulled low over her eyes, half-concealing her expression with fingers fidgeting restlessly in her lap. She didn't want to be here—that much was obvious—but he guessed she came on her own despite her reluctance.
Just as Bell was about to sense Rex's presence, he opened the door fully as if he had just arrived.
"Mister Rex!" Bell sprung to his feet the moment Rex entered the room, Liliruca stiffening beside him, her fingers freezing mid-fidget.
Ignoring the hooded glare from the Pallum, Rex smiled at the white-haired boy while closing the door behind him. "How have you been, Bell?" He asked, extending his right fist towards Bell as he walked
Bell stepped forward and enthusiastically returned the fist bump with a grin. "Everything has been going—Mr. Rex! What happened to your arm?" he blurted out, suddenly grabbing Rex's wrist to inspect the bandaged arm.
As soon as he realized what he had done, Bell released it and stepped back, flustered. "Ah—sorry. I just... didn't expect to see you hurt," he added, his voice quieter.
"Ah, this." Rex clenched his right hand lightly. "It's nothing."
"Rex‐dono, this can't be nothing," Mikoto interjected, quickly closing the distance between them. "For the arm to remain bandaged even after treatment meant the injury must have been severe."
"'Tis but a scratch." Rex shook his head.
Sensing his reluctance to discuss it further, Mikoto decided to let it go. "Even so, please take care, especially in the Dungeon. Your well-being is not something to take lightly," she said sincerely.
"Of course." Rex nodded, turning his attention to Welf walking over from the piano. "Welf Crozzo," he greeted the older boy. "We haven't spoken much."
"No, we haven't," Welf replied, grinning as he extended his right hand for a handshake. "Which is bad because you seem like a cool guy, Rex—ignoring you and your captain's severe case of taking all your Familia's money for yourself."
Rex knew Welf didn't mean it as an insult, so he simply gave the young man a firm handshake. "And you seem like a cool kid, ignoring the fact I heard you keep refusing high-paying commissions for magic weapons like a dumbass."
"HAHAHA!" The duo laughed loudly, causing Liliruca's jaw to tighten.
She opened her mouth as if to unleash a scathing retort, but then forcibly clamped it shut. She couldn't spit bile at him in front of Mikoto and the others—it would make her seem irrational. Instead, she looked away.
As the laughter faded, Welf let go of Rex's hand. "Again, thanks for saving our lives back on the 17th floor." he said, glancing briefly—intentionally—at Mikoto.
She cleared her throat and looked away, a faint flush rising to her cheeks. Bell chuckled softly at her embarrassment as Welf went on, "Took me a while to figure out what to give you for that, but since you're a big guy who likes big weapons, I made you this."
He walked over to the sitting area and unwrapped a red cloth on the table to reveal a massive sword. The weapon measured roughly 215 cm, considerably taller than Rex himself. Its broad and flat rectangular blade was entirely black with a length of 160 cm, and thick, cleaver-like edges. The handle was about 55 cm, straight and wrapped in dark material for grip, designed for two-handed use.
"What do you think?" Welf asked proudly as Rex approached to inspect it.
"Welf…" Rex smiled slightly as he looked down at the sword. "You didn't have to…"
"Hahaha!" Welf laughed proudly at Rex's reaction. "I couldn't just give you some random crap like Bell's Ushiwakamaru. Our lives are worth more than that junk!"
"My Ushiwakamaru… is junk?" Bell muttered, clearly horrified.
"Well, compared to Cleaving Mountain Sword—Sugoidesu, it is," Welf nodded confidently, prompting Mikoto to pat Bell's shoulder sympathetically. "This is the best non-magic weapon I've ever forged, and the largest weapon I've ever worked on."
He sighed proudly. "I spent almost two weeks creating this masterpiece."
"So that's what you've been forging all this time…" Mikoto murmured before trailing off. "Welf-dono... What did you say the name was?" she asked cautiously.
"Cleaving Mountain Sword—Sugoidesu," Welf repeated firmly, arms folded. "I was thinking of naming it Ig-Alima, but I went with Sugoidesu."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT!" Bell frantically waved his hands. "Isn't the first one way better?!"
"Huh?" Welf tilted his head. "You like Ig-Alima better, Bell?"
"YES!" Bell and Mikoto shouted in unison, Mikoto quickly adding, "Sugoidesu just means 'It's nice' in Koine! Its not a good name!"
"But the sword 'is nice', so the name fits," Welf argued, not quite understanding their reaction.
Seeking support, Mikoto turned to Rex. "Rex-dono, which name do you prefer—"
"Welf," Rex interrupted gently, staring down at the sword. "When I said you didn't have to… I meant you really didn't have to…"
He lifted his head to look at Welf, the smile still on his face, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Sunlight from the window caught his face at just the right angle, enhancing his features and making his smile appear even more beautiful. With a soft voice, Rex spoke clearly:
"This shit is so ass."
There was a brief silence, then Rex closed his eyes, his smile remaining. "I was expecting something impressive since it was made by you, but my disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined."
Rex opened his eyes, his smile fading as his entire demeanor turned cold. "A third-class weapon, really?" He met Welf's eyes directly. "Do you know how long ago I graduated from using third-class weapons as my main weapon? And this greatsword was clearly made to be a main weapon, making it practically useless to me. At least you could have made it higher quality to sell for more, but this wouldn't fetch even two million valis, whereas my old third-class halberd—which I'll soon retire—could sell for over three million used. Come on!"
Welf flinched visibly at Rex's raised voice as the man continued, "I could walk into any weapon shop in Babel and buy something better than this. Are you saying you and your friends' lives are so worthless that this counts as repayment for me saving you?"
The silence following Rex's outburst was deafening, the Welf's expression morphed into one of pure rage, his fist clenching by his side. Bell quickly stepped forward to try to mediate things, but Welf extended his arm, stopping him with a simple gesture.
"You're right," Welf said, his voice cracking as he looked into Rex's eyes. "This weapon is garbage. How could I have called it a masterpiece worthy of my savior? How could I say it's worth my life, Bell's life, and Liliruca's life combined?"
"I am glad you know, Welf." Rex placed a firm hand on Welf's shoulder. "And I know you can do better. I'm not expecting a magic weapon, but certainly not trash, so don't insult me with something this pathetic again."
"I promise I won't," Welf said resolutely, his fist clenched. "My pride as a Highsmith won't allow it."
"Good." Rex removed his hand. "Now wrap it up and make sure you take it with you when you leave."
As Welf wrapped up the sword in silence, Rex shifted his attention to the stunned Bell and Mikoto, the coldness in his demeanor easing. "So, why exactly did you guys come to meet me?" he asked as he moved to sit on the couch across the one Liliruca sat on. "I'm sure its not just for this weapon. Have a seat and let's talk."
The atmosphere turned somber. Bell quietly returned to his seat beside Liliruca, while Mikoto settled on his other side without a word. Welf, having finished wrapping the sword, moved to the recamier sofa by the window and sat down facing them.
"If it's not too much trouble…" Bell began, his voice trailing off.
Seeing him falter, Mikoto stepped in. "Could you lend us ten million valis, Rex-dono?" she asked, then quickly added, "W-we promise to pay you back. We can even sign a formal contract at the Guild. It's just urgent, and it'll take far too long for us to raise that kind of money on our own."
"It's not impossible for me to give you this amount, but," He leaned forward, elbow on knees. "For what purpose do you need it? Curious."
"Well…" Mikoto cleared her throat, her voice tight.
"My friend is a… 's-sex worker' under the Ishtar Familia," Mikoto forced the words out, her face twisting briefly with discomfort. "We found out that Goddess Ishtar doesn't refuse if someone wants to redeem one of her own. So… we wanted to 'buy' her freedom."
"Lord Hermes told us the cost would be around two to three million valis," Bell said, his voice low. "It would've taken time, but we could've managed it. We thought we had a chance… until—"
"But after Lili looked into it more, we found out the redemption price for all the workers at her place is actually between eight to ten million valis." Welf said from his seat by the window, "It would take us months to raise that kind of money, so Bell and Mikoto figured it was better to ask you now and work on repaying you afterward."
"I see…" Rex nodded thoughtfully. "If it's alright with you, could you tell me more about this girl? Who knows, I might even be able to get her for free through my Familia's connection to Ishtar."
Mikoto and Bell exchanged glances, and unable to contain her excitement, Mikoto blurted out, "Haruhime—Lady Sanjouno Haruhime! She's about my age, very beautiful, with blonde hair and green eyes—and she's a Renard."
"Renard?" Rex echoed with a frown. "Well, that changes things."
The sudden shift in tone made the group tense. Bell leaned forward slightly. "What's the problem, Mr. Rex?"
"…Well, as you probably know, Renard is rare—and not easy to come by," Rex began, meeting Bell's eyes. "She's likely very popular in the entertainment district. That means she probably earns a lot, and I doubt Ishtar would let go of one of her top earners, even for the right price."
"...Really?" Mikoto's voice dropped, her head bowing low. "Then what can we do?"
Since Ishtar hadn't given the order to capture them yet, there was no way they would learn about the real purpose of the Killing Stone or her plan to sacrifice the Renard. Scavenger already confirmed that Hermes have let the issue of the killing stone slip, but without knowing what it really is, they wouldn't act rashly—
Scavenger flagged that as low quality. 'Well, it makes sense.' Their current state was unstable, so the chance for them to do something foolish was still there, so he said. "Don't do anything stupid."
Mikoto's head snapped up at his voice, her eyes locking with his.
"You're probably thinking of kidnapping her, but if you stick your neck out for a friend in another group, you'll only cause more problems than you solve." He noticed Liliruca nod faintly in agreement as he continued. "You might start a war game and that's something you don't want."
Mikoto's hands clenched tightly in her lap, trembling slightly. "I k-know, but—"
"But you'll end up getting your entire Familia destroyed—and send Goddess Hestia back to heaven," Rex said flatly, his words causing the atmosphere in the room to drop. "Goddess Ishtar isn't merciful. If you try to oppose her, don't expect to be spared. And don't fool yourselves—the Ishtar Familia is not weak like the Apollo Familia. You guys wouldn't stand even a single chance against her."
To make sure they understand it, he said, "They only need one person, the Goddess Aide, 'Mushussu,' and your whole Familia will be reduced to dust."
The room went silent as Bell and Mikoto hung their heads low in defeat, with Welf watching them quietly with arms folded from his seat by the window. He didn't care much about Haruhime since he didn't know her—but he did care about his two friends. And seeing them so crushed was unbearable.
"But you can do something… right?" Unable to stay silent, Welf asked, drawing the man's attention.
"Yes, I can help you," Rex nodded. "Like I said, our Familias are close. I can ask the goddess directly for your friend, and she'll agree."
"Please, Rex. Help us." Welf unfolded his arm. "I'll repay you myself—whatever it takes."
Rex smiled at this and said, "Alright." he nodded. "I'll help."
Before Bell and Mikoto could react with joy, a sharp voice cut through the room. "What's the price?" For the first time since arriving, Liliruca spoke in a sharp tone. "Lili doubts that Mister Rex is in the business of charity."
Rex smiled at her, causing her to flinch slightly. Still, she held his gaze.
"I only have two requirements," Rex said calmly. He raised one finger and looked at Mikoto and Bell. "First—don't do anything rash. Just wait for me. It might take two or three days, so don't get impatient."
"O-of course!" Mikoto nodded vigorously, her expression brightening. "We'll definitely wait for you, Rex-dono."
"Y-yeah." Bell added with a smile, clenching a fist in front of his chest. "Lili and Hermes-sama already told us not to do anything reckless. If you're helping, then we don't need to."
'Hermes…' Rex sighed internally as he kept his smile. 'I need to get a chance to talk to him and stop him from messing up what I'm setting up right now.'
"Lili will ask again—what's the real price, Mister Rex?" Liliruca's strained voice came as she glared at him.
"Nothing really." He turned to Welf. "I just want you to put in a good word for me, Welf."
This was the perfect chance to secure himself a good smithing teacher—one of the goals he had intended to reach during this conversation. He was still aiming for Hephaestus, but the goddess is not guaranteed at all, so it's better he go for the second best instead of wasting his time.
"Put in… a good word?" Welf blinked in confusion, scratching his cheek with a finger. "Sorry, I don't follow."
"You see, this young master is trying to get into smithing," Rex grinned at the stunned boy. "And having a Cyclops as my teacher would definitely make things easier, wouldn't it?"
Welf nodded slowly, though his brow furrowed with doubt. "No offense, but…" He leaned in, "aren't you a little too old to be picking up smithing from scratch?"
"Yes, yes I am," Rex replied then he smiled. "But I'm talented at anything I try, so just mention me to your old captain, see if she might consider being my master."
"Well, I can try." Welf gave a small shrug, his expression thoughtful. "Just don't get your hopes up. Tsubaki's swamped most of the time—she hardly even talks to people in our own Familia. Getting her to take on an outsider as an apprentice? That's a long shot."
"I understand." Rex nodded with a casual smirk. "Just be sure to mention I'm tall and handsome—really play up the handsome part, alright?"
"I w-will keep that in mind." Welf coughed into his fist, eyebrows twitching as he tried—and failed—not to react to Rex's brazen self-praise.
"And if that doesn't work," Rex continued, "Tell her I'm willing to sweeten the deal with a bottle of real Soma—completely free."
A beat of silence passed.
"WHAT!?" Liliruca shot up from her seat, her voice sharp enough to make everyone but Rex flinch. "You're giving her Soma for free, Mister Rex?!" she asked, seemingly horrified.
"Yes." Rex replied with a calm nod.
"B-but—that's STUPID!" she blurted, her face twisting in disbelief. Realizing how loud she'd gotten, Lili quickly lowered her voice and sank back down, folding into her robe. "Why would you waste something worth eight million valis when there's no guarantee you can even learn? That's throwing money into a pit."
"Eight million!?" Welf echoed, eyes wide. "A single bottle is eight million?!" Mikoto and Bell just sat in stunned silence as Rex laughed haughtily.
"And a single shot glass is worth two hundred fifty thousand." He added.
Everyone swallowed hard, the weight of Rex's words settling in. The difference in wealth between their humble Familia and the Soma Familia wasn't just large—it was staggering. The opulence of the Cupidinem compound had been proof enough, but this put it into perspective.
"And, in most cases, you'd be right, Liliruca." Rex nodded. "But I'm really serious about learning how to smith."
Liliruca said nothing, but she had her doubts. There was no way Rex was actually planning to learn smithing now. He was too old to start something like that, and there was no way someone like him would give away real Soma to just anyone. That wasn't how the Soma Familia operated.
She could only come to one conclusion—
'Mister Rex is trying to get Miss Tsubaki addicted…' Her eyes widened in realization as she watched him casually chatting with her three friends.
It made sense. She knew how dangerous even a sip of Soma could be. Giving Tsubaki an entire bottle—especially to a half-dwarf Welf claimed drank so much it raised his own tolerance as he was always forced to drink with her—would definitely lead to her consuming the whole thing… and then…
He could control the High Smith. He could hold the entire Hephaestus Familia in the palm of his hand. At this thought, a shiver went through her body.
'Lili can't let that happen.' Her tiny fists clenched in her lap as she glanced at the laughing Welf, completely unaware of the serpent he had welcomed in. 'Lili will definitely not let it happen,' she vowed.
"Alright," Rex clapped his hands as he stood. "If that's all, I won't keep you any longer."
"Mister Rex, can I ask something else?" Bell suddenly spoke up, standing and drawing everyone's attention. "I've been doing your morning training routine every day, and it's really working. So I was wondering…"
He met Rex's eyes. "Could you train me like you did with Mikoto?"
Mikoto froze, memories rushing back. "B-Bell-dono, maybe you should rethink that decision…"
"M-Mister Bell already has Miss Ais to train him, doesn't he?" Liliruca cut in, quickly stepping in front of Bell. "You don't need Mister Rex when Miss Ais is still around!"
As much as she disliked seeing Bell and Ais together, the idea of him spending time with Rex was even worse. She knew Bell shouldn't trust someone like Rex. Even if he smiles and act to skin, people from Soma Familia only smile when they want something. Liliruca knows.
She's seen it a hundred times...
If she couldn't change Bell mind about Rex, the least she could do is stop him from being around Rex too much.
"Miss Ais is a good teacher, but…" Bell rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I feel like Mister Rex would train me better and I also want to be more manly like him…"
"I kinda agree." Welf nodded. "Bell could definitely learn a thing or two from a real man like Rex—"
He was immediately cut off by death glares from both women. Clearing his throat, he looked away. "Bell, maybe you should rethink that decision. I'm sure Ais would be mad if you dropped her."
"EXACTLY!" Liliruca raised her voice, latching onto the point. "Lili is sure you don't want to upset Miss Ais…" She practically choked on the words—admitting Bell liked Ais was something she hated.
"You're right…" Bell mumbled, lowering his head, clearly dejected. Then, just as quickly, he perked up. "If I get to train with Miss Ais again, I'll definitely ask her to go harder!"
He bowed toward Rex. "Sorry for taking up your time, Mister Rex!"
"No problem." Rex waved him off. 'Not like I was going to say yes anyway.'
He didn't fear drawing Freya's attention anymore—but that didn't mean he'd go looking for it. Besides, training the protagonist would be a massive waste of time. The only reason he trained Mikoto, Zanis, and Chandra before is because he had time in his hand. But now, he had a lot of things to do, and learning smithing was one of them.
"Why don't I see you out?" he offered, leading them toward the door and as he did, Zanis's words from earlier entered his mind. 'Warping Ishtar around my finger, huh…' He knew he could probably do it with the help of Scavenger but letting someone else see his stats was…
'Well, it's not like she would do anything about it so should I…?'
[Author's Note: As you might've already guessed, the next arc after Ishtar will be the smithing arc—and yeah, I'm already setting it up. It might involve Tsubaki, but I'm not 100% sure yet.
It won't focus much on the Dungeon and will be more about smithing, mystery development abilities, helping Airmid, Loki, and someone even recommended Rex learn real martial arts from Takemikazuchi. I'm also considering including that, if the arc has enough 'space' or if the 'budget' allows. Or I might just skip it or something. I don't know.
"Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful fucking day/night, my great fucking readers!" Author said calmly.（︶^︶）]