We didn't get much of a chance to look around the Hera Familia mansion as not even two minutes after Gawain bounced over to tell Hera they snagged us she returned with that very goddess. Hera like all gods and goddesses I came across was a specimen in a form of beauty and Hera undoubtedly was beautiful with her soft voluptuous frame and light brown hair and eyes that held a hidden softness in them.
But that softness wasn't aimed us. Right now she was looking at us with regal eyes that were assessing us for our worth.
We had been led into this waiting room and as Hera stalked in, I realized how... Petty she was, when she took a seat at the end of the long table we were sat at that actually with a slight whirling noise raised up her chair so she could look down on us imperiously...
But honestly, I didn't mind the action as it was just funny to me as she slowly raised herself into the air until finally with a clicking noise she twitched as the chair came to a jarring stop and her whole body including her large motherly breasts that probably matched Demeter's legendary ones jiggled with her fully body shake at the sudden stop.
"So... As a new member of Hepheastus's Familia, why do you need me to make you a weapon." I started off and her face went still and her eye twitched before her head snapped to the side to glare at Gawain who boggled at Hera before looking at me like it was totally my fault she was in trouble now and I needed to help her.
"But uh, he was the alchemist!" Gawain defended herself and Hera's head snapped back to look at me and I wore a mischevious smile as I nodded.
"Indeed, I made the elixer you previously used, but I am a blacksmith who has dozens of weapons and other things since touching upon Alchemy due to it being boring and too easy." I said with my words ringing all too truthful to Hera's ear making her face twitch.
Finally Hera bit her lower lip as a thought seeming came to her and she spoke with her voice being a soft whisper that carried into my ears. "How could alchemy be boring? No... Why have you focused on Blacksmithing instead? Do you desire a challenge?" She questioned and I realized her angle.
She knew I could make powerful elixer's but with the way her adventurers manhandled me into coming her, she knew I was still low level. But I was also a VIP in being a member of Hepheastus's Familia so she couldn't pull anything lest she wanted Hephy to fuck her over and not sell weapons or have weapons with issues that will break deep in the dungeon.
So what she was planning, was to use my supposed talent against myself in making me invested in treating Alfia and Materia out of my own pride. And I had no issue letting Hera grasp a supposed weakness of mine. Better to let the famously arrogant, despotic, and neurotic goddess queen, of killers, have a low-hanging fruit to drive me to her goals while also fulfilling my own.
All without getting trapped in her own web of neurosis.
I took in her words before I finally answered her prior questions. "Alchemy got boring... Because there was no art to it, I added one ingredient, mixed in water, heat, stirred at the right times, and other things to make the potion or elixir in far more steps... It's not art, it's a to-do list of chores to simply follow a list of steps." I said as I knew a good bit of alchemy in making potions and elixer's to sell the knowledge of my stuff being the real thing.
"But blacksmithing?" I said in wonder and Hera rolled her eyes as I continued with a knowing smile. "Blacksmithing is an art that allows me to do what I desire in making works of art that will add to a person's legend... As for a challenge?" I shrugged before I spoke wistfully. "Yes indeed, I would indeed also like to try to set grand tests for myself to have my Falna grow, but Lady Hephaestus doesn't like the meat grinder that is your Familia." I finished wryly.
Hera actually snorted before speaking lightly. "Indeed, her Familia is one for the masses instead of the legends within my own Familia... And of course Zeus's Familia of savages." She said with some distaste before coughed elegantly into her hand and she continued with a lighter tone. "In any case, I desire to purchase more of the elixer you provided, to two of my members previously in Eris, the Sword Saintess, and her companion."
After a moment of thought I folded my hands together and I looked at Hera frankly and said plainly. "You wish to have a cure for the Silence and her sister's health issues correct?" I asked and she grimaced but nodded. Alfia's health issues weren't a secret when she would regularly need to pace herself in fights and likewise always rode into the dungeon in a cart to conserve her energy.
To say nothing of all the medicine and magic gods and goddesses trying to heal the two and failing which was well known across the city. As none of the gods and goddesses could heal the two without using their divine arcanum and they weren't going to do so. Nor could Hera force them to either.
I shrugged and gave a wry smile as I responded quickly. "I can certainly do so... Though I am curious what happens when I do manage to cure them? What if I do that which the gods cannot?" I spoke with some dark humor entering my voice as I continued. "The tale of the philosopher stone is a good reminder that gods don't like humanity solving their own mortality issues."
Hera's face froze into a snarl before freezing as she realized just how true those words were... Especially when the god who did that to the legendary alchemist was in her Pantheon. A dude solves death and becomes immortal... And the god just laughed as he smashed the philosopher stone the alchemist spent his entire life creating into just tiny shards.
Gawain and Eri, both tensed as I asked flatly. "What do I get for this. And don't bother trying to threaten me. I am favored by Hephy and she knows I am here as the whole of Orario saw those two visibly and literally drag me off calling me a great alchemist in front of the dungeon."
Hera didn't get mad, she simply smiled before a giggle escaped her as she elegantly twirled her finger across the rim of a wine glass that Eri placed in front of her. "Indeed... What do you want is the better question?" She asked in turn and I blinked at the reversal before I paused and shrugged.
What was worth the life of Alfia the Demon of Talent, and her beloved sister was the question she gave me... And of course what could I give in turn.
In the end, I had a decent supply of materials and I was getting more in the Dungeon itself. What I needed, was something... Special you could say. Something to set me apart from the rest and help my growth.
A moment of thought of such things was parsed before I landed on one massive thing. And I spoke finally. "I will cure either Alfia or Materia, and you will in turn get me, a tier five Grimoire created by a magic god or goddess. Then I will cure the other." I said and Eri hissed at my price while Hera's eyes sharpened on mine.
Grimoire's that could teach a spell to someone via touching upon their very soul to add the spell to the Falna was a tricky and very time-consuming thing to make. And so they obviously came in tiers. Obviously, the top tier was tier five and was exclusively made by magic deities who had to somewhat cheat using tinges of their divinity like how Hephy could make enchanted weapons and such that no mortal smith could.
But in the end, Hera had been willing to pay a great deal to cure Alfia, and Materia before and that included owing great favors to said healing gods. Me having a solid price laid out for my service was easier for her to swallow in the end.
So she nodded but then spoke. "Very well, but if you fail then you will need to provide three dozen high-quality potions each month to myself." She finished with some spite.
And there was the queen bitch of Olympus... But I kept quiet, I didn't need to be more confrontational. In the end, I simply said. "Very well, then allow me to at least inspect both Materia and Alfia to see what the issue is." I finished and she looked to Eri who nodded and left while then she looked to Gawain.
"Gawain you entertain our guests and keep them here and not wandering around." She said and then looked to me and gave me and Tina an incline of her head as she sunk down in her chair before she stepped off and left the room without another word.