Emiya, after a long absence, spent a night at the familia's residence. It was as if he had been hammering iron by the blazing furnace all night long. His sweat had already dried from the heat. At dawn, he came to the workshop, lit the furnace, and began forging. For Emiya, when he was doing the monotonous and exhausting work of blacksmithing, instead he would feel a peace that came from the bottom of his heart. The future sight of his [Clairvoyance] had been seen through by the goddess, his inner anxiety had been pierced as well, yet after one night, Emiya's emotions calmed once more. Now, with each strike of the hammer, his heart became ever clearer. ("At this moment, you should be able to forge a good work,") The goddess also suggested this. After all, no matter what, she had shared a part of the divinity of the goddess of forging and fire. Amidst the pounding strikes, the blade gradually took form. This time, the work was not a replica based on any [Noble Phantasm]. A mythic armament, [The Holy Sword of Blazing Sun Radiance (Excalibur·Hephaistos)]. Emiya gave this sword such a name. Meanwhile, Alfia was dragging Bell along to find Goddess Hestia. She wanted Bell to withdraw from what seemed like an obvious sinkhole, the Hestia Familia. On this, Emiya gave no opinion. Although not the "original self," Alfia was indeed Bell's aunt by blood, the girl's only relative and elder. No matter what, Alfia had the qualification to meddle in Bell's affairs. What's more, rationally speaking, her thoughts weren't wrong. Just like Yamato Mikoto, [Absolute Shadow], who had a good relationship with Bell. After joining Emiya's adventurer party, her abilities had grown faster day by day. Lv.1 to Lv.2, Lv.2 to Lv.3, none took longer than a year. If she continued following Emiya, participating in Loki Familia's expeditions, with her talent and combat skills surpassing her peers, it was only a matter of time before she reached the First Tier, and even Lv.6 wasn't beyond imagination. If Mikoto hadn't met Emiya because of Haruhime, but from beginning to end only adventured with the Takemikazuchi Familia, then even reaching Lv.2 by now would have been difficult. And that was with the Takemikazuchi Familia already having a Lv.2 captain. The same talent, but the growth trajectory between a large faction and a small familia, was like heaven and earth. On the other hand, however, Hestia, as Bell's goddess, in this world's concept was no different from a blood-related family member. Especially since Bell was her very first follower. The first follower of a deity, the first captain of a familia, though there was no solid proof, this identity seemed to carry a special fortune. It was as if those with aptitude, when placed in this position, could more easily stand out and soar to the heavens. All in all, Alfia was Bell's relative, Hestia was also Bell's relative. In the end, it still depended on which one the girl chose. Emiya's intuition was that the girl would still choose to remain with the Hestia Familia. In his eyes, that girl had the qualities of a "hero." And "stubbornly going one's own way" was one of the hero's traits. [Loki Familia residence, Twilight Manor] "Captain, the investigation's done," Raul entered Finn's office and saluted. The "captain" was sitting in the chair, back facing the doorway, drinking tea while gazing out the window. Upon hearing Raul's voice, the chair slowly turned forward. "Eh, Anakitty? Why is it you? Where's the captain?", Raul looked at the catgirl sitting at the desk, puzzled. "The captain has temporarily left Orario. I'm acting in his place for now," Anakitty answered. This matter started from Lili. A pallum girl who had fled from the distant Empire to Orario sought refuge with the now-famous [Golden Queen] Liliruca Arde. Through that girl, Lili learned some news: in one of the Empire's border territories, the ruling count had died violently three years ago. His successor was extremely greedy and brutal, especially toward the demi-humans in his land, extorting, persecuting, even looting and confiscating. In less than three years, the land was aflame with uprisings, with all kinds of demi-humans raising banners of rebellion. Unexpectedly, even some pallums had joined in. Most pallums either submitted to authority or fled as refugees, but still, a few had joined the resistance to oppose the count's tyranny. Upon learning of this, Finn didn't hesitate a moment and immediately left the city. "So, the captain went to find his 'harem'?", Raul was dumbfounded. Finn's "harem plan" and his standards for partners were well-known within Loki Familia. Anakitty glanced at him, "That place is the captain's hometown." "...That's too coincidental. Could it be a plot against the captain?", Raul worried aloud. "Even if it is, the captain can't just sit by," Anakitty said quietly, "So before leaving, he gave many instructions, and even took the sword forged for him by Lord Emiya." The pseudo-Noble Phantasm [Black Sun]. Named as a sword, but in Finn's hands its length made it suitable as a spear. Its effect was simple and brutal: it greatly amplified Finn's [Hell Finegas]. Normally, Finn relied more on his brains than brute force, but as an adventurer, his trump card was always violence that could tear everything apart. "The captain left this morning, leaving me lots to handle," Anakitty rubbed her temples. Just half a day as acting head, and she was already realizing how tough the captain's job was. Such a huge familia, countless matters, and in the end, most decisions had to be made by the captain. For a First Tier adventurer whose physical capacity had been upgraded multiple times, thinking and planning wasn't hard, but "making decisions" was what truly drained energy. "So how should I address you now, Acting Captain? Vice-Captain?", Raul asked, confused. Anakitty just looked at him calmly. Raul bent at a ninety-degree angle, " Captain A-Anakitty!" "Sigh, stop joking around," The catgirl sighed, "You came to see the 'captain', what's the matter?" "It's about the long-term mission Captain Finn assigned earlier, finding special materials," Raul explained. "I know. No need to elaborate." "Searching for special materials", the mission was exactly as it sounded. With only ordinary but hardest metal [Adamantite], Emiya could forge pseudo-Noble Phantasms far beyond normal First Tier arms. But on that foundation, those weapons forged with special materials were truly extraordinary. The unique [Black Goliath Bone] forged into [Skadi of Ice]; the [Starblades] crafted by Goddess Astraea from rare materials; the black sword forged from the armor of [Gluttony] Zald. The chance to have Emiya forge equipment was rare. If possible, Finn naturally wanted his members to have better weapons. Thus, the "special materials search" had been ongoing for a long time. "So, you found something?" Raul nodded seriously, "Yes. Right near Orario!" "A black dragon's scale." "Black dragon?", Hearing this, Anakitty stood up. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Black dragon-type monsters weren't unique, but this name usually referred to a certain one. "The Dark End" • One-Eyed Black Dragon "Yes, the scale of the One-Eyed Black Dragon," Raul spoke seriously, "It's in a village near Orario!" Then Raul described the details. "Edas Village," deep in the Beol Mountains, nestled in a valley sealed by steep cliffs, a tiny settlement. Though not too far from Orario in straight distance, because of rugged mountain paths, that wilderness village was unknown to most. Originally, Edas Village was an elven homeland, existing since ancient times. Elves who shunned contact with other races built their village in such remote mountains. But over a thousand years, their ways changed. After the descent of the gods, young elves curious about the outside world left. In their place came those of other races seeking seclusion. Those in despair, refugees, lovers who eloped, even banished adventurers from Orario, people who had given up on life stumbled into the Beol Mountains and were accepted by the village, living out their days away from the world. A hidden mountain village unmarked on maps, a refuge for the homeless. "That 'village' worships a black dragon's scale," Raul said. At this, Anakitty's brow furrowed instinctively. As adventurers, or rather, as humanity's greatest enemy, a black dragon's scale being worshipped in a village? Raul continued: "a thousand years ago, when the black dragon was driven from Orario by heroes and flew north, a scale fell upon Edas Village." "Even now, the aura from that scale still terrified monsters, keeping them away." "Sensing a being far stronger than themselves, monsters dared not approach. Thus, Edas Village remained at peace." "To the villagers, what kept them alive wasn't adventurers or gods, but that scale." A village that worshipped a monster equal to a disaster, praying today's peace would last to tomorrow. Raul learned this from a drinking friend, a herbalist from the Dian Cecht Familia. Often leaving the city to gather herbs in the nearby mountains, he had permission to freely exit the city. Not long ago, he got separated from companions in the Beol Mountains, lost his way, and stumbled upon Edas Village. After resupplying there, relying on his Lv.2 stamina, he ran back to Orario overnight. Knowing Loki Familia sought special materials and paid for intel, that herbalist shared the story with Raul. "That's the situation," Raul said. "Captain, what should we do next?" Anakitty fell silent. Without doubt, an item from "Dark End" was a special material. After a thousand years, its might hadn't faded, perhaps it wasn't just an ordinary scale. Its value was unquestionable. But on the other hand, that hidden village had survived until today precisely because of it. After a long pause, Anakitty finally spoke, "Evil dragons slay evil dragons, monsters fear monsters." An adventurers' proverb, born from a curious truth: weapons forged from dragon parts were devastating against dragons; spirit-type monsters had the same weakness. That's why so many hero tales had warriors bathed in dragon blood becoming dragon slayers. "Retrieve that scale, and entrust Lord Emiya to upgrade Ais's sword," Anakitty decided. Raul: "But that village..." "I know—", Anakitty placed her hands on the desk, her tone calm, "As 'Anakitty,' I understand their worship of the monster, and I know how important that scale is to them." "But before that, I am the predecessor of the [Sword Princess] Ais, I am acting captain of the Loki Familia, and I am an adventurer of the Dungeon City." "My mind is made up. Immediately apply to the Guild for a short-term expedition permit, call Ais and Bete, and I'll personally retrieve the scale." Raul stared blankly at the catgirl's expression, firm as iron. Her figure overlapped faintly with the pallum [Braver] he respected most. He couldn't help but think, 'If it were Captain Finn, what decision would he make? If it were himself, how would he choose?' A hidden mountain village, or a sword that could restrain the black dragon, which side was right? Anakitty had thought for half a minute before deciding. If it were Captain Finn, he wouldn't hesitate even a second... the [Super Ordinary Man] thought. Raul: "Yes, Captain!" Ottar swung his massive pitch-black sword, the terrifying wind pressure from the blade crushing the skeleton monsters before him. These armed skeletons, upon being born, automatically generated weapons, bone swords, spears, kite shields. Their fighting style wasn't like monsters, but like adventurers. Making them among the most dangerous warrior-type monsters. Yet these deep-floor monsters, able to trouble Second Tier adventurers, to the Lv.8 [King] were less than ants. With one man and one blade, the pig warrior could clear and suppress the Dungeon. But even though their power was trivial, at this moment the [King] still felt dread. Because these monsters should have been born on the 37th floor. Ottar's current position was the 28th. Even after being purged once by Emiya and Loki Familia, the Dungeon's riot continued, and even worsened. Meanwhile, across the world, in corners far from Orario, enormous eyes were slowly opening. Amid remote dangerous mountains, the traveler god Hermes gazed at the storm beginning to stir. Feeling the trembling of the mountains beneath his feet, he slowly spoke, "Asfi, let's go. Return to the city quickly and deliver this news—" "[Dragon Valley], it's quaking." .com/AmbitiousTranslator 🥳Joining keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through .